Talisman Emperor

Deep in the night.

At the bank of the azure lake in the secluded valley at the rear mountains of the Wanderingcloud Sword Sect.

Chen Xi and Bei Heng had talked for a long time regarding the Dark Reverie, and he finally understood that not only were there countless amounts of Dynasties outside of the Darchu Dynasty, there was an even vaster heaven and earth above the various Dynasties. That was a surpassingly beautiful world that possessed countless legends.

It had existed since the primordial era, giving birth to numerous almighty experts that shook the heaven and earth, created the various cultivation systems that were numerous like the stars, and passed down practices that were boundless like the sea…

At that place, sects that took the immortal path, devil path, and demon path existed. There were numerous formidable figures, and there existed various different kinds of worlds within the void and mysterious spaces that were spoken of in legends. It possessed the tributes from countless Dynasties and Kingdoms, and the Darchu Dynasty was merely one of the numerous Dynasties.

That place was the Dark Reverie, an ancient, vast, magnificent world. When compared to it, the Darchu Dynasty was like a wave in the boundless ocean, pitiably tiny.

“Unfortunately, during these countless years, I’ve searched the entire heaven and earth, but I’ve still not found the path that leads to the Dark Reverie, and it’s simply like a legend. Finding it is more difficult than ascending the heavens.” Bei Heng sighed endlessly.

“More difficult than ascending the heavens? Could it be that during these countless years, no one has entered the Dark Reverie before?” Chen Xi spoke in astonishment. Bei Heng possessed a 2nd level Earthly Immortal Realm cultivation and had lived for an unknown amount of time, yet even he had never arrived at the Dark Reverie. Wasn’t this a little too unbelievable?

“Of course there have been people that have entered it. When one’s cultivation attains the 6th level of the Earthly Immortal Realm, there would naturally be someone from the Dark Reverie that would come receive you. That is its threshold, and only by stepping over it would one possess the qualifications to enter the Dark Reverie. If one is unable to step over the threshold, then one would be fated to never enter the Dark Reverie for their entire lifetimes.” Bei Heng spoke with a complicated expression. “After all, the Dark Reverie is the place that’s closest to the Immortal Dimension, and cultivating and overcoming the Heavenly Tribulations there provides a greater possibility of success than other places. There’s a lot of benefits from cultivating there, and it’s simply the place of cultivation that we cultivators dream of.”

“So in this way, I only have the possibility of entering the Dark Reverie after I cultivate to the 6th level of the Earthly Immortal Realm?” Chen Xi spoke with a frown. The jade slip Bai Wanqing left behind allowed him to understand that if he wanted to obtain some clues related to his father and mother, then he must head to the Dark Reverie. However, when he really found out everything about the Dark Reverie, he finally understood that it wasn’t as simple as he’d imagined, and the Dark Reverie was actually not a place that anyone could enter!

This was simply like how it was required to overcome the test of the nine waves of Heavenly Tribulation to ascend to the Heavenly Immortal, whereas, the test of the Dark Reverie was to attain the 6th level of the Earthly Immortal Realm. It seemed to be much simpler, yet in this world, how many cultivators were able to safely walk to this extent on their path of cultivation?

“There’s naturally another way.” Bei Heng lightly smiled. “In ten years, the Allstar Meeting of the Darchu Dynasty will begin. So long as you’re able to obtain one of the top ten rankings, then you’ll have the opportunity to enter a mysterious place, the Primeval Battlefield. At that place, so long as you perform excellently, you’ll have the hope of entering the Dark Reverie.”

“After experiencing the Allstar Meeting and Primeval Battlefield, I’ll only have a hope of entering the Dark Reverie?” Chen Xi intentionally spoke the word ‘hope’ with emphasis.

Bei Heng nodded. “It’s indeed so. After all, the cultivators that are able to participate in the Allstar Meeting are the outstanding geniuses of the entire Darchu Dynasty. There would probably be no less than a few million geniuses participating, and there would be no lack of peerless geniuses amongst them. The difficulty of obtaining the top ten ranks isn’t just difficult, and the competition is extremely brutal as well. Whereas, those that are able to enter the Primeval Battlefield are the top geniuses in the countless Dynasties, and every single one of them could be called a matchless monster. The difficulty of competing with them to acquire the qualifications to enter the Dark Reverie is obvious.”

“With layer after layer of screening and competition like this, do you think there could possibly be great hope?” Bei Heng sighed as he said, “I participated in the Allstar Meeting all those years ago as well, and I wasn’t even able to enter the first 100 ranks. If you don’t participate in it yourself, you wouldn’t understand exactly how many experts of the younger generation are in this world.”

Chen Xi instantly felt a type of unspeakable pressure, but he wasn’t afraid in the slightest. My objective is to become a Heavenly Immortal, how can I possibly let this layer after layer of tests obstruct my footsteps?

“Big Brother Bei Heng, what’re the qualifications needed to participate in the Allstar Meeting?”

“Below the age of thirty and at the Golden Core Realm!”

When Chen Xi returned to his True Heart Peak, every single word that Bei Heng had spoken still reverberated within his mind. Especially the qualification for participating in the Allstar Meeting. It was actually something that only cultivators that were below the age of thirty and had attained the Golden Core Realm were able to participate in! Just this single point was sufficient to prove exactly how formidable the natural talent the cultivators that were able to ascend to the arena of the Allstar Meeting possessed.

I only have ten years of time, yet my cultivation is currently only at the perfection-stage of the Violet Palace Realm, and there’s still the Golden Hall Realm in between before I’m able to attain the Golden Core Realm. Looks like I have to make the best use of my time to cultivate. In the quiet room, Chen Xi didn’t dally any longer and circulated his cultivation technique. He was a person like this, once he identified an objective, he would implement and carry it out without the slightest hesitation or indecision.

——

Flowers bloomed and faded, and three months swiftly flashed by.

True Heart Peak, at the side of the precipice, ball after ball of swift lights that seemed like streams flickered as they surged up and down while emitting sword howls, and they were swift like a bolt of lightning, wispy and traceless.

Little by little, Chen Xi’s movements gradually moved from extreme swiftness to become slow, and it seemed as if a mountain floated atop his sword, causing every strike that stabbed out to seemed extremely strenuous and slow like a snail.

However, the movement of his sword became more and more profound, and it carried along an indescribable form. The aura that drifted out from the sword qi was even more like it contained the trajectory of the stars, the heaviness of the earth, the sharpness of metal, the vitality of plants, the fires lack of restraint, the continuity of water, the agility of wind, and the circulation of Yin and Yang…

He’d actually blended all ten of his Dao Insights into his sword technique!

If someone was at the side looking at the trajectory of Chen Xi’s sword, it wouldn’t be a short moment before the person’s soul would surely fall into disorder and fall to the person’s inner demons. The movement of his sword had already exceeded the scope of ordinary sword techniques.

Bang!

After an unknown period of time, the tip of the sword shook and the ten Dao Insights instantly shattered and dissipated. Chen Xi was already covered in sweat, gasping endlessly, and both his body and mind were exhausted.

Looks like, besides Wind Dao Insight, my comprehension towards the other Dao Insights are still very shallow. Three months have already passed, yet I’m still unable to blend them together. Dao Territory, Dao Territory, it’s truly difficult to comprehend. Chen Xi lightly sighed in his heart. Since he witnessed Luo Xiu’s Blood Corrosion Dao Territory, he was extremely tempted, and he attempted to fuse and master the ten Dao Insights he’d comprehended to condense a Dao Territory. However, when he really went to cultivate it, he suddenly noticed that he’d underestimated the condensing of a Dao Territory, and it was filled with difficulties.

But this three months of cultivating didn’t bring him nothing. It had allowed his recognition towards sword technique to advance by leaps and bounds, and it was already different from before.

“Hu!” Chen Xi spat out a long breath of foul air before looking up into the sky, and he saw the night sky was bright and clear, vast and deep, with an array of stars that were flickering,

After looking at this sight, Chen Xi unconsciously gained insight. “I’ve only been blindly thinking of fusing the Dao Insights and have instead fallen into stubborn and improper thoughts. Since it’s like this, why should I insist?”

Instantly, Chen Xi’s heart was suddenly enlightened, his thoughts clear, and he swiftly let out a long laugh, yet he felt boundless sword insight gushing into his heart. His sword instantly moved along with his will, splashing out like a storm that blew at the snow, free and unrestrained.

His sword danced about in the night sky, and it already had no sword moves to speak of, yet the insight it contained grew more and more profound. The sword light revolved, then moved like a dragon and flew like a bolt of lightning while overflowing with wind and fire and conforming to the movements of the stars. Yin and Yang overlapped atop it, as the energy of earth and water surged, and every part of his movements contained numerous types of profundities of the heaven and earth.

An entire half an hour passed before Chen Xi felt his entire body was empty and the depression in his chest had completely dispersed. Right at this moment, he suddenly heard someone clap and sigh. “What an amazing sword technique!” When he turned around to look, Chen Xi noticed Bei Heng drifting high in the clouds while smiling brilliantly.

Chen Xi cupped his hand and smiled. “So it’s Big Brother.”

“Earlier, your Sword Insight seemed to contain numerous Dao Insights within it, and it was too wonderful for words.” Bei Heng descended by Chen Xi’s side and praised once more, and then he said, “But the movements of your sword are varied and impure, and it’s unable to attain the stage of taking form, as it lacks the final fusing and linking together.”

Chen Xi nodded. “It’s indeed so. All this is something I blindly pondered myself, please excuse my poor performance.

“Kid, you’re being modest again. If I had your level of comprehension ability all those years ago, I’d probably have already ascended to become a Heavenly Immortal long ago.” Bei Hen acted angry as he derided, and then he said suddenly, “I observed that your sword technique contains the star, wind, lightning, Yin, Yang, and five elemental Dao Insight, and all of them are Supreme Grand Daos. I’m afraid it’s extremely difficult to combine them into one.”

Chen Xi’s heart jerked, and he asked. “Big Brother, do you have a way to solve this?”

Bei Heng said with a smile, “I knew I wouldn’t be able to conceal it from you.” He withdrew a jade slip from his pocket and passed it over. “This is the Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture. It carries the meaning of taking from the myriad of things in the world, and all of them are able to converge and be stored within it. It’s a sword technique that’s circulated the most, yet is the most difficult to cultivate.”

“Circulated the most, yet is the most difficult to cultivate?” Chen Xi was stunned.

“Indeed. This sword scripture has circulated to every corner of the world, its might is matchlessly formidable, and its profundity is boundless.” Bei Heng sighed with emotion. “But, this sword scripture is extremely difficult to cultivate, and it’s even to the extent that almost everyone is unable to even attain elementary proficiency. My Wanderingcloud Sword Sect’s foundation is the sword, and during these past tens of thousands of years, there have been countless Seniors that have attempted to successfully cultivate this Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture. Unfortunately, up until today, not a single one of them has been able to do it.”

“Not a single person?” Chen Xi spoke with surprise.

“Indeed, because it’s too difficult.” Bei Hei said with a smile, “I gave it to you to allow you to comprehend and ponder upon it, not to cultivate it. After all, this sword technique is too difficult. Bitterly cultivating it would only amount to nothing in the end, and it would instead delay your cultivation. But the eight Sword Daos within it, the Sky, Ground, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, Marsh, and Lightning Sword Daos, are able to mutually develop each other to transform into the principle behind everything in the world, and it’s extremely beneficial towards your fusing of Dao Insights.”

“Big Brother, do you know why it is difficult?” Chen Xi received the jade slip and asked.

“Deducing and comprehension.” Bei Heng replied. “Even though this sword scripture only contains eight great Sword Daos, it’s able to transform into boundless sword might and boundless variations. It’s simply vast like the sea, and its limit is the variations in the heaven and earth. Even if it was a Talisman Formation Master that was skilled in deducing the cycle of the secrets of the heavens, he would still be puzzled by the variations within it. If the strength of one’s soul isn’t sufficiently strong, then one’s aura would surely become chaotic and suffer from qi deviation.”

Deducing? Comprehension?

Chen Xi faintly felt in his heart that this sword scripture seemed to be extremely suitable for him.

Because according to his knowledge, the owner of the Abode, Senior Fuxi, had observed the River Diagram to deduce the changes in the secrets of the heavens and mastered the Grand Dao of the world to walk to the limit of the Dao. Whereas now, his sea of consciousness possessed Senior Fuxi’s True Body Brand, and comprehending it day and night had even allowed his soul to be extremely strong and far exceed that of ordinary people.

But this was merely his guess, and whether it was really as he thought was something that he had to contemplate and understand himself to distinguish it clearly.

After chatting idly for a period of time, Bei Heng left right away, whereas Chen Xi instead didn’t hesitate in the slightest to flip open the jade slip that recorded the Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture and comprehend it with great concentration.

The Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture was divided into eight Sword Daos, namely the Sky, Ground, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, Marsh, and Lightning Sword Dao, and Chen Xi read over the Xun Sword of Wind.

The Xun trigram represented wind. He’d comprehended a complete Wind Dao Insight long ago, and his understanding towards the Wind Dao Insight was extremely deep. So he naturally decided to first ponder on the aspect that he was most skilled at.1

The Xun Sword of Wind was unrestrained and free, and it was similar to the Windflow Divination Sword, but the complicatedness of its variations was something that the Windflow Divination Sword was completely unable to compare to. It was divided into nine great sword moves. Every great sword move had another nine intermediate sword moves, and every intermediate sword move contained nine minor sword moves. The sword moves were linked to each other and boundlessly gave birth to another.

Nine times nine is 81, then moving back and forth again, the minor sword moves developed would be an entire 6,651, and every single minor sword move has boundless variations… This is only the Xun Sword of Wind, and if the variations of the other great Sword Daos were to be added together, it would simply be an astronomical figure! Chen Xi glanced over it swiftly and instantly understood what Bei Heng meant. Indeed, this Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture was indeed too difficult, and it could be said to be vast like the sea. If one wasn’t skilled in deducing, then one would probably be utterly unable to cultivate it successfully.

But how will I know if I can cultivate it successfully or not without trying? Chen Xi completely didn’t notice that his mind had already unconsciously been completely attracted by this Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture.

1. The entire skill refers to the Eight Trigrams or Bagua. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagua. So, to save everyone from the confusion of having to remember the pinyin and what they mean, I’ll be using English translations of what they relate to and mix some pinyin in at certain areas to retain the Author’s intention of making it related to the Eight Trigrams.