Drawing this single talisman took a full two hours, and the sun tilted even further to the west.
Since a Flying Star Dragon-Wandering Talisman could only carry one person, Shi Yu rested briefly before hurrying to start on the second. When the second was complete, she checked the sky and frowned. “I won’t be able to finish four before dark.”
With that, she tossed the clay Buddha statue into Qingzhou’s arms. At her current pace, they would only need to hold out for a little while after night fell, which Qingzhou and the others should be able to handle.
Qingzhou nodded in understanding. “Focus on making the talismans, Ah Yu. Leave the rest to us.”
Shi Yu grunted in agreement and buried her head back into drawing source runes. Fortunately, while her initial attempts had felt unfamiliar and awkward, completing two talismans allowed her to get the hang of it. As her rustiness faded, her pace picked up significantly.
Rushing against time, she barely managed to craft three talismans before dark. Just as she drew the first few source runes on the fourth, the last sliver of sunlight vanished over the horizon. Darkness fell over their surroundings, relieved only by the faint blue shimmer of the Water Curtain Celestial Canopy, accompanied by the gentle clinking sound of flowing water.
The empty spirits that had lain dormant across the ancient desert all day now seized their chance to emerge. Plumes of black Qi surged from the sand dunes, and ghostly fires flickered like floating eyes in the air, suddenly sprouting in clusters. Formed from the fiendish Yin energy deep within the ancient desert, these wisps of dark Qi and ghost fires possessed no physical bodies, yet they swayed and drifted with the night wind. Stretched impossibly long like dough flattened under a rolling pin, they looked exceptionally eerie and terrifying.
Sensing the aura of living beings, the nearby empty spirits pounced toward Shi Yu and the others the moment they materialized, snarling and cackling with unrestrained, insatiable greed.
Qingzhou held the clay Buddha statue out before him and channeled spiritual energy into it. The statue’s face radiated a benevolent smile as clear, brilliant Buddhist light spread out, carving out a peaceful haven several feet around them.
Fearless, the empty spirits leaped toward the golden light, their blurred faces—resembling men, women, young, and old—glowing with insatiable hunger. Upon contact, they sizzled into nothingness with a harsh, spine-chilling sound.
While Qingzhou sustained the energy needed for the clay Buddha statue, Ji Yu and Mo Tong guarded his flanks, dealing with the occasional straggler that managed to slip into the light.
Beneath the protection of the Buddhist light, Shi Yu sat cross-legged on the ground. Undistracted by the noise around her, she focused completely on her drawing.
At last, when the fourth talisman was completed, she put down her pen, grabbed the talismans, and stood up to face the three. “Let’s go.”
Handing each of them a talisman, Shi Yu instructed, “Once activated, just follow me straight east. This talisman can cross a thousand miles in a single breath. Dizziness and a stinging sensation on your skin are completely normal, so don't panic.”
Still feeling a little uneasy, she pulled out two protective talismans and slapped them onto Ji Yu.
Ji Yu pouted, knowing he had the lowest cultivation among them, and let out a dramatic sigh.
Shi Yu smiled. Seeing that all three understood, she wasted no more time. Joining two fingers together, she surged spiritual energy into the talisman. As the energy flooded in, the intricate, interconnected source runes on the paper began to flicker with a faint, pulsing glow.
A few breaths later, the glow brightened, and the source runes grew increasingly active, like a kettle lid rattling atop boiling water.
All four of them could clearly feel a powerful energy swelling inside the talisman.
“So this is a Tier-4 spirit talisman...”
After a few more breaths, the Flying Star Dragon-Wandering Talisman in her hand burst with a blinding light. Intense ripples filled the air, bending and warping the light around them.
A searing heat enveloped her body. In that instant, Shi Yu saw the world blur into insignificance as her body was wrapped in twisted, rapidly shifting space.
Seeing her vanish on the spot like a rainbow shooting eastward, Qingzhou and the others hurriedly activated their own talismans to follow.
During the thousand-mile journey, Shi Yu watched landscapes spanning hundreds of miles zip past in the blink of an eye. The wind howled past her ears like sharp blades, and the surrounding air warped unpredictably. An indescribable force enveloped her, making her feel as though her body were being torn apart and pricked by ten thousand tiny needles. While it was not overwhelmingly painful, it was deeply uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the sensation did not last long before coming to an end.
When she stood firmly on solid ground once more, a quick glance at her surroundings confirmed that they had successfully teleported a thousand miles away.
She was now in a mountain valley surrounded by towering peaks. Dense forests released a fresh fragrance, and the area hummed with vibrant life—perfumed by flowers and filled with the chirping of night insects. It was a stark contrast to the desolate, barren expanse of the Wangliang Ancient Desert.
Qingzhou, Ji Yu, and Mo Tong appeared beside her one after another, all letting out sighs of relief upon taking in their new surroundings.
“Ow, hiss—” Ji Yu grimaced from the lingering tearing sensation, secretly relieved that Shi Yu had slapped those two protective talismans on him before they left.
Once he finally recovered and looked around, he could not help exclaiming, “Sister, this talisman of yours is amazing!”
Mo Tong could not help but agree. “Indeed, this talisman is extraordinarily miraculous and useful.”
Shi Yu smiled softly. Useful as it was, the cost of materials was astronomical and crafting it drained considerable mental energy—she could draw a few a day at most.
Fortunately, they were now outside the Wangliang Ancient Desert, which meant they were safe. “It’s fortunate that after leaving the secret realm, we weren't teleported into the depths of the desert.”
Otherwise, a single talisman might not have been enough to get them out.
Her mind had been tense for so long that tiredness now showed on her face. She pulled out the cloud boat and tossed it gently upward. The boat swelled in the wind as it floated into the air. “Let’s rest inside the cloud boat first. Once dawn comes, we’ll find a town to ask around, figure out where we are, and set off according to the map.”
With that, the four boarded the cloud boat together and settled into their respective quarters.
Inside her room, Shi Yu lay back on the bed with the window propped halfway open. Gazing at the night sky outside, she slowly closed her eyes.
She had gained immensely from this trip, yet many questions remained unanswered. Qingzhou had obtained Qingyun Daojun’s inherited Nine Nether Sword, while she had claimed the Nine Underworlds Diagram. The Nine Nether Sword and the Nine Underworlds Diagram sounded as if they shared the same heritage, and their aura felt somewhat similar, yet she had no idea which sect or school they originally belonged to.
Furthermore, why had the nine-tailed red fox, as the owner of the secret realm who perished here, remained entangled with Qingyun Daojun for tens of thousands of years even after death?
And how had this Wangliang Ancient Desert, teeming with empty spirits and fiendish Yin energy, come to be in the first place? What about the golden bodies and temples of the eighteen Buddhist master cultivators? Located on the border of Wanchou Prefecture, this desert harbored many secrets shrouded in thick fog. Unfortunately, with her current low cultivation and pressed schedule, she had no opportunity to investigate them thoroughly.
Ultimately, everything depended on fate. Perhaps she would have the chance to return in the future.
...
Since reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, she no longer needed sleep to restore her energy, and she had hardly slept since, spending her nights meditating and practicing instead.
Having been tightly wound for so long, a rare wave of drowsiness washed over her. Lying down like this felt delightfully relaxing and comfortable, so she indulged herself for a day, halting her cultivation and falling into a deep sleep.
Rate on N.U.
