Chapter 217 - Fifth-Grade Talisman

Chapter 217 - Fifth-Grade Talisman

After a journey of four days, the trio arrived in the Imperial City. With only three days remaining until Liu Wuxie’s death match with Qin Shi, he realized that reaching the Marrow Cleansing Realm anytime soon was unlikely, as he needed sufficient accumulation before attempting such a breakthrough.

“Lingxue, you should head back first. I need to go to the Treasure Pill Pavilion with Pavilion Master Bi,” Liu Wuxie suggested. The three of them parted ways on the ten-mile-long street. Xu Lingxue returned to the Imperial Academy, while Liu Wuxie and Bi Gongyu made their way to the Treasure Pill Pavilion.

Liu Wuxie’s return caused quite a stir in the Treasure Pill Pavilion. After all, news of his exposure of the Cloud Xing Pavilion’s scheme and his role in saving the Treasure Pill Pavilion from a crisis had already spread throughout the Imperial City.

A group of ten-odd deacons stepped forward and bowed in respect, acknowledging Liu Wuxie as the hero of the Treasure Pill Pavilion. Upon learning of Liu Wuxie’s return, Master Mao immediately ceased his activities and, followed by other alchemists, rushed out to welcome Liu Wuxie.

Bi Gongyu hadn’t expected Liu Wuxie to hold such a high position in the Treasure Pill Pavilion, and he noticed that all the alchemists present looked at Liu Wuxie with reverence in their eyes.

“Wuxie, the lady left instructions for you to find her when you return,” Master Mao relayed, ensuring he didn’t forget.

“Very well, I will meet with the lady,” Liu Wuxie declared. He added, “Pavilion Master Bi will soon be an alchemist here. It would be beneficial for all of you to interact regularly.” With that, he made his way towards the ninth floor.

Upon his arrival, a maid requested him to wait in the main hall. She excused herself to inform Mu Yueying of his presence.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Mu Yueying emerged from behind a curtain. Her complexion was pallid, suggesting she had recently been ill. She was so weak that she required the maid’s assistance to recline on the couch.

Liu Wuxie immediately rose from his seat upon seeing her condition. “Big Sister Mu, you’re hurt!” he exclaimed. He activated his Ghost Eye to inspect Mu Yueying more closely. His gaze penetrated her meridians, revealing a disturbing displacement in her internal organs. To his horror, he also discovered a palm print on her back that had nearly ruptured her heart pulses.

“I won’t die anytime soon!” Mu Yueying declared, a hint of pain crossing her face as she settled down. Her movements suggested that her injuries were being aggravated.

Liu Wuxie was taken aback by the severity of Mu Yueying’s injuries. While others might be oblivious to her strength, he was well aware that her cultivation had long surpassed the True Core Realm. This led him to wonder who could possibly have the power to harm her.

“Who did this to you?” Liu Wuxie asked, a sense of realization dawning on him. It wasn’t difficult to surmise that she must have sustained these injuries during her journey to procure the fifth-grade talisman paper for him.

“We can discuss that later,” Mu Yueying responded, diverting the conversation back to the talisman paper. “This is the fifth-grade talisman paper you requested. Unfortunately, this is all I have. You’ll have to make do with it.” She presented a damaged talisman paper, its edge torn off, likely during a struggle.

The talisman paper, slightly larger than a palm and golden in color, was adorned with a layer of spiritual runes. Crafting such a paper was no easy task, making each one incredibly valuable. A fifth-grade talisman paper could command an astronomical price in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Upon receiving the talisman paper, Liu Wuxie noticed traces of blood on it. The paper felt as heavy as a mountain in his hands, not due to its physical weight, but because of the knowledge that Mu Yueying had nearly lost her life to obtain it for him. He vowed to remember her kindness and sacrifice.

“Big Sister Mu, there’s no need for you to invest so much in me,” Liu Wuxie stated as he took a seat. He had already discerned that Mu Yueying was making efforts to nurture him.

“You’re worth the investment,” Mu Yueying responded, her demeanor casual as she managed to sit up. Her complexion seemed to improve as she conversed with Liu Wuxie. “There’s a piece missing from the talisman paper. See if you can still use it.” Exxploore uptodate stories at novelhall.com

“It’s not a problem,” Liu Wuxie reassured her. While a missing corner might render a fifth-grade talisman paper useless to others, he was confident in his ability to compensate for it. He believed he could still harness the power of a fifth-grade talisman.

In his secluded world, a fifth-grade talisman hovered before Liu Wuxie, lifted off the ground by a mysterious force. As he formed seals with his hands and swiped his right index finger, a ripple in space occurred, imprinting a peculiar spiritual rune on the talisman paper.

The spiritual runes could only be contained within a talisman paper. Faint runes, resembling veins, appeared on the golden talisman. Just as water requires a container, spiritual runes required a talisman paper to contain them. This was the essence of talisman creation.

Creating talismans was no easy task. A first-grade talisman required ten spiritual runes, with no room for error. A fifth-grade talisman required hundreds of spiritual runes, and the structure of the spiritual runes couldn’t have any rejections. For instance, using water-attribute spiritual runes to inscribe a Fire Spiritual Talisman would result in the talisman being destroyed or causing injury to the user due to the conflicting elements.

There were many variations of talismans, such as talismans used for escaping, teleportation, purification, and so on. Many Spiritualists only grasped the creation method of one or two talismans in their lifetime. That was the same for alchemists, as most only knew the refining method for several pills.

The talisman Liu Wuxie inscribed was called the Pentabolt Talisman. Upon activation, it would summon five thunders to bombard the enemy. No one could withstand the onslaught of five thunders, and Liu Wuxie had to catch Qin Shi by surprise to kill him.

In just half a day, Liu Wuxie had inscribed over a hundred spiritual runes on the talisman. The speed of his inscribing the spiritual runes decreased, and the talisman paper was practically covered with runes, each having its trajectory.

Liu Wuxie started off somewhat rusty, but as time passed, he became more proficient, and his speed increased.

Due to a missing edge, the talisman paper couldn’t contain all the spiritual runes. To resolve this issue, Liu Wuxie inscribed fifty heaven expansion spiritual runes that filled up the edge like cobwebs, a type of spiritual rune unknown to others.

With only one day left until the death match, many people arrived early to secure the best seats. While guests had exclusive seats, the students of the Imperial Academy had to compete for the best spots.

In just one day, several brutal incidents occurred, with high-grade disciples snatching spots from low-grade disciples. Ultimately, the academy’s higher-ups had to intervene, dividing the area into several regions and constructing numerous platforms for everyone’s convenience, even though some spots might be a bit far away.

A square arena, over a hundred meters in length, was situated in the center. The arena was further expanded from its foundation to accommodate the battle between Liu Wuxie and Qin Shi.

With just a few hours left until the deadline, the venue was already teeming with people. The surrounding discussions could be heard even from a distance.

......

In the tranquility of Qin Shi’s courtyard, Xiao Yanlong arrived to pay his usual respects to his master. After twenty days of recovery, he had not only fully recuperated but also used this opportunity to ascend to the ninth level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

“Master, it’s almost time!” Xiao Yanlong reminded him. The impending battle was not just about Qin Shi’s dignity as the Vice-Headmaster but also about avenging Guo Zhong’s death.

“Let’s go!” Qin Shi said calmly, tidying up his clothes and setting off with Xiao Yanlong to the arena.

......

Meanwhile, at the Treasure Pill Pavilion, Liu Wuxie remained secluded in the alchemy chamber. A crowd had gathered outside, eagerly awaiting his emergence. Master Mao, who had also been invited to watch the battle, chose to wait outside Liu Wuxie’s alchemy chamber instead of heading to the Imperial Academy.

As Liu Wuxie inscribed the last spiritual rune on the talisman paper, rumbling sounds echoed in the alchemy chamber, originating from the talisman.