Chapter 1237: Ding Ling Pendant

The Human World

When it was created, the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet was imbued with dark soul-refining techniques, making it inherently malevolent. Even genuine Nascent Soul cultivators, unless their spiritual consciousness had manifested into a tangible form, would find their primordial spirit attacked and damaged by the puppet's inherent essence whenever they attempted to control it. Initially, this damage was tolerable, and the puppet's master could gradually recover after a period of quiet meditation. Compared to the combat power of a Nascent Soul-level entity, this minor cost was clearly insignificant.

Furthermore, the Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace later discovered an astonishing additional function of the puppet. Due to the scarce records left by their ancestral master, later generations were unsure if this function stemmed from the materials used, a specific secret art employed during the puppet's creation, or an unforeseen transformation resulting from the combination of these secret arts. Every primordial spirit that the puppet bit would leave behind a soul imprint, forever bound within the puppet's form. Golden Core disciples of the sect, by sensing these Nascent Soul imprints, could surprisingly experience a trace of the unique transformations of the Nascent Soul realm while still at the Golden Core stage. The benefits were obvious: it significantly increased the chances of breaking through cultivation bottlenecks.

However, gaining this experience was far from easy. The puppet dared to devour the spiritual souls of even Nascent Soul cultivators, let alone those of Golden Core practitioners. A single mistake could lead to their entire primordial spirit being consumed by the puppet, preventing rebirth and trapping them eternally, rather than gaining any benefit.

It wasn't until the Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace acquired the refining method for the Esoteric Talisman: Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman that this particular function of the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet truly unleashed its full potential. At that time, the Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace experienced a period of great prosperity, its prestige unrivaled. Elder Dique's plot against Daoist Master Xuanyu and his pursuit of the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman stemmed from his belief that the Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace's Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman aided in Nascent Soul formation.

In reality, he was mistaken; the true aid to Nascent Soul formation was the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet itself, with the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman serving only as an auxiliary. However, the Inner Scenery Primisman did offer some assistance in overcoming inner demon tribulations, so that statement wasn't entirely incorrect.

The Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman's primary function was to create an inner scenery space within the cultivator's Purple Mansion, allowing the primordial spirit to retreat inside for a degree of protection. Refining this talisman required the cultivator to begin consecrating it immediately after Foundation Establishment, expending immense energy. This continuous process, nourishing it with spiritual consciousness, could not be interrupted for years, only reaching perfection at the peak of the Golden Core stage. Consequently, this spiritual talisman could only be used by its master. Upon the master's death, the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman would be destroyed, rendering it impossible for outsiders to seize. Even if Qin Sang hadn't intervened back then, Elder Dique would not have been able to obtain the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman.

Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace disciples who consecrated the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman would find that by the time the esoteric talisman was perfected, their own cultivation would have also reached the peak Golden Core stage. As they approached the critical hurdle of Nascent Soul formation, they could then enter the puppet experience under the talisman's protection. Although consecrating the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman was immensely difficult, the allure of the Nascent Soul stage ensured that almost every Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace disciple possessed one at that time.

However, as time progressed, circumstances changed dramatically. Due to a sudden calamity, all Nascent Soul cultivators of the Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace perished in a single day, and the sect's situation rapidly deteriorated. With the threat of annihilation looming, a peak Golden Core disciple was tasked with a perilous mission: to confront the formidable invading enemy by controlling the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet.

The battle was exceptionally brutal. The disciple successfully wielded the puppet to repel the enemy, but was horrified to discover that a significant portion of his primordial spirit had been consumed by the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet, with no hope of recovery. With his primordial spirit incomplete, even if he survived, he would forever lose the opportunity to form a Nascent Soul. Even the possibility of reincarnation, if it existed, might be affected.

Later, new Nascent Soul ancestral masters emerged within the Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace, improving the sect's standing. However, as the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet consumed more and more primordial spirits, the cost of controlling it steadily increased. Eventually, even the Nascent Soul ancestral masters found the price unacceptable.

The Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace once had a late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivator, whose spiritual consciousness could manifest into physical form, and whose cultivation reigned supreme in the Beichen Realm. He once attempted to refine the countless soul imprints within the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet to permanently eliminate this hidden danger. It was then that he discovered countless chaotic soul imprints were already bound within the puppet, akin to ten thousand vengeful spirits devouring souls. Even he, though capable of barely controlling the puppet, realized that attempting to refine these tumultuous imprints would lead to severe backlash and injury, rendering the task impossible.

By the present day, the puppet's interior has become even more chaotic. The danger associated with experiencing the Nascent Soul imprints has steadily increased. Today's Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace disciples, even those who have perfected the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman, no longer dare to undergo the experience. The Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet has been relegated to a high shelf, sealed away, primarily serving as a deterrent against external threats. It is only awakened when the sect faces dire peril. Otherwise, why would the Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace have failed to produce a single Nascent Soul for such a long time?

As for the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman, despite its unique function, its appeal has greatly diminished. The lengthy consecration process consumes too much cultivation time, leading only to disciples of exceptional talent choosing to specialize in this esoteric talisman. Throughout its history, the Palace Masters of Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace have consistently been direct disciples, nurtured from a young age. These benevolent individuals were always prepared to sacrifice themselves for the sect.

The previous Palace Master, Iron Crown Zi, was once forced to activate the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet. He staked everything on the Ziwei Palace, viewing it as his final hope, and ultimately perished there.

Gong Liangyu brought out the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet this time to assist him in finding the Blood Ganoderma, not because he intended to forsake the possibility of forming his own Nascent Soul. His reliance was placed upon a certain jade artifact: the Spirit-Stabilizing Jade. The Spirit-Stabilizing Jade was an ancient treasure he had acquired by chance. Its function was similar to the Inner Scenery Primordial Talisman, but its power far surpassed it, though tragically it could only be used once. He believed relying on this treasure would guarantee safety during the Nascent Soul inner demon tribulation. However, he hadn't even managed to initiate the process of forming the Nascent Soul, so how could he speak of overcoming the tribulation? To obtain the Blood Ganoderma, Gong Liangyu was willing to expend the Spirit-Stabilizing Jade. However, he felt a deep unease and profound fear of the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet, uncertain if the Spirit-Stabilizing Jade could truly guarantee his complete safety. After all, even Nascent Soul ancestral masters had their primordial spirits bitten when controlling the puppet.

“What a treasure! What a magnificent treasure!” Gong Liangyu's face was alight with joy, as he continuously praised it. He was, in fact, praising the Spirit-Stabilizing Jade. The wisp of azure spiritual light sealed within the Spirit-Stabilizing Jade, of unknown origin, steadfastly protected his primordial spirit. No matter how the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet bit at him, it suffered not the slightest harm. Since the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet gained no benefit, its eyes grew increasingly frantic.

Seeing this, Gong Liangyu realized time was of the essence. He had to locate the Blood Ganoderma before the wisp of azure spiritual light dissipated. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal, pointed towards the blood river, and commanded, "Go!" The Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet's wicked grin intensified, and while its expression showed some reluctance, it ultimately obeyed Gong Liangyu's command, plunging directly into the Blood River.

“Whew…” Gong Liangyu exhaled slowly, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. The puppet's deranged gaze had sent a shiver down his spine. This puppet possessed combat power comparable to a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, two cultivation levels above him. That it didn't turn on its master and allowed itself to be controlled was already remarkable. Had he not trusted the secret arts passed down by his sect, Gong Liangyu would never have dared to attempt this.

The Blood River contained not liquid blood, but an intensely dense blood mist.

‘Plop!’

The Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet plunged into the Blood River. With the puppet leading the way, Gong Liangyu swiftly followed.