Chapter 1766: Emperor Bell True Talisman

The Human World

The originally menacing, sky-darkening black clouds immediately gathered into a clump after the spirit sword appeared, revealing the black-spotted leopard demon's terrified gaze. Even within the borders of Ghost Fang Kingdom, the black-spotted leopard demon was not arrogant enough to challenge a Grandmaster of the Five Talismans Law Rank. Marquis Liu had been hiding outside for the past few years, not even daring to return to his own marquisate, precisely because he feared the Dao Court would directly dispatch a Grandmaster to apprehend him. Targeted by the sword's edge, the black-spotted leopard demon felt an even more terrifying pressure than Qin Sang. The black-spotted leopard demon's fur stood on end, and it discovered with terror that only a single sword seemed to remain in its vision, as if all of heaven and earth had ceased to exist.

Centered around the Daoist, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth was mobilized by the spirit sword. Winds surged through the jungle, the spiritual energy violently churned, and the deafening sounds of wind and thunder filled the air. The mountain peaks at the edge of the jungle trembled, and rivers stirred up massive waves. Dazzling multicolored light bands and five-colored light spots appeared in the void, surging wildly as if summoned by the sword light unleashed by the spirit sword. These were precisely the abnormal phenomena caused by the mobilization of spiritual energy, manifesting before Qin Sang and the leopard demon.

Even at his peak, Qin Sang could not achieve this; he could only barely manipulate the superficial aspects of spiritual energy to suppress opponents with its inherent power, but he was utterly unable to truly control it. This move was very effective against low-level cultivators, but it was useless against cultivators of the same rank, as victory still depended on magic treasures and divine abilities. The abnormal phenomena created by the Daoist were too astonishing; Qin Sang suspected that even late-stage Soul Transformation cultivators would find it difficult to achieve. In the ancient texts he had read, only scattered mentions of Void Refinement cultivators' divine abilities matched this kind of scene.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Wild winds raged between heaven and earth.

The dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth showed no sign of stopping, continuously gathering as the sword light expanded at an astonishing speed. The spiritual energy attracted gathered into a dense, multicolored mist. The sword light seemed to absorb the multicolored mist, and as the mist gathered madly, it astonishingly formed a towering, five-colored giant sword! The sword body was slightly tilted, its tip piercing into the clouds, slanting towards the leopard demon. Qin Sang inexplicably felt a sense of insignificance, as if this single sword could easily crush him, allowing him to imagine the immense pressure the leopard demon was enduring.

"Whoosh!" A five-colored sword light suddenly appeared between heaven and earth, a light even more dazzling than lightning that illuminated the sky. The sword's power was world-shaking! At this moment, it was as if even the firmament was split open by the sword light. The black-spotted leopard demon did not even wait for the sword light to strike it; it had long since fled, its black clouds showing an even faster speed than when they arrived, escaping madly. It had no intention whatsoever of directly confronting this sword.

Feeling the terrifying power coming from behind, the leopard demon looked back, its heart and courage shattering even further. It let out a low growl, and its dark eyes turned completely red. At the same time, the fur on its body also turned blood red, and strange runes appeared on its surface, as if it had donned a suit of blood armor. Immediately after, the blood armor gathered towards its flanks, astonishingly transforming into a pair of blood wings. The blood wings flapped violently once, and the leopard demon instantly turned into a streak of blood light, its escape speed surging. The blood light and sword light streaked across the sky, one after the other.

No matter how fast the leopard demon's escape speed was, it ultimately could not match the sword light. The leopard demon then felt a slight anomaly but dared not be certain. Its gaze flickered, its blood wings flapped, leaving a blood shadow in its original place. The blood shadow turned back, fearless of death, and roaring, it charged towards the sword light.

"Pfft!" Unexpectedly, the sword light actually dissipated along with the blood shadow. The giant sword, possessing the power to cleave the sky, was as fragile as a bubble; it did not strike the leopard demon's true body but was dispersed by a blood shadow's impact.

"Boom!" As the sword light retracted, the spiritual energy dispersed, and the unusually chaotic energy once again caused upheaval in heaven and earth. Although the commotion was strong, it was too scattered and chaotic; even Soul Transformation cultivators would not fear this level of upheaval. Only the nearby flora and fauna suffered, leaving devastation everywhere.

"Whoosh!" The leopard demon landed on a mountain peak ahead. Looking at the abnormal phenomena behind it, the surprise in its expression had not faded, now replaced by anger. At this moment, how could it not guess that this sword was clearly a mere bluff, a show of might with no substance, utterly incomparable to a true Grandmaster. If a true Grandmaster had unleashed that sword, it would have already perished on the spot.

In fact, when the Daoist unleashed this sword, the leopard demon had not been without suspicion. It was rumored that human Grandmasters would not act lightly, and once they left the Dao Court, they could not conceal their aura and cultivation. Furthermore, if the Daoist truly were a Grandmaster, there would have been no need to entangle with it for so long. But things in the world were unpredictable; who could be certain that a Grandmaster had no method of concealment? Moreover, humans were skilled in talismans and could unleash strength far beyond their own using spirit talismans. If the leopard demon were not cautious enough, it would not have survived to this day. It had been invited to assist, and the treasure vault plundered by the Daoist was not its own. No matter how high Marquis Liu's reward was, it was impossible for it to risk its life to test the sword; it wouldn't even entertain the thought of probing. Besides, this sword's ability to mobilize spiritual energy and its terrifying sword momentum were undeniable. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth remained turbulent for a long time.

The leopard demon's gaze was gloomy. It rode its black clouds back the way it came, and as expected, the jungle was empty; the two had long since disappeared. It looked around, having already lost the opponent's tracks; searching in the vast mountains was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. The leopard demon thought for a moment. It first sent out a message before setting off again, and when searching for traces of the enemy, it was no longer as diligent as before. In order to escape, the leopard demon had continuously used its blood wings and blood shadow, both divine abilities that consumed immense energy. It was now extremely wary of the Daoist, and even suspected that Qin Sang also had hidden depths.

At this time, Qin Sang and the Daoist, concealing their aura and form, were flying through the mountains and forests. Qin Sang reverted to his spirit wood body, while the Daoist placed a concealment talisman on himself. Although it was not as stealthy as Qin Sang's divine ability, it was easy enough to evade the demon soldiers' senses. Both knew they were not truly safe yet, so they flew silently, occasionally exchanging brief words. The Daoist had already planned their escape route before taking action. Qin Sang, of course, also had preparations, but they had already deviated too far.

Continuously fleeing, the two encountered some demon soldiers again, but to Qin Sang's surprise, there were no signs of large-scale demon soldiers surrounding them, nor did they encounter any Demon Marquises. Seeing the Daoist's confident demeanor, Qin Sang guessed that this person might have made other arrangements, or even had accomplices. Several days later, the two finally reached the border of Ghost Fang Kingdom, and the large army blockade that Qin Sang most worried about also did not occur. Leaving Ghost Fang Kingdom without any major mishaps, Qin Sang and the Daoist both breathed a sigh of relief. Confirming that there was no immediate danger around them, they stopped in a mountain hollow to recover their energy.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your protection throughout the journey." The Daoist bowed solemnly. Given his cultivation level, he originally did not have the ability to unleash that sword; forcing its use consumed immense energy. Qin Sang kept his promise and did not abandon him midway.

"My Daoist name is Zhijian. May I inquire about your Daoist name, Fellow Daoist?" The two had encountered each other twice—once in a brief skirmish, and once by working together to escape a Demon Marquis's pursuit—so they could be considered to have shared adversity. Strangely, they still did not know each other's names. In both encounters, the Daoist was at fault. Qin Sang did not proactively ask, and he found it inconvenient to speak, but finally, he could not resist.

"My Daoist name is Qingfeng." Qin Sang secretly ordered his Sky-Eyed Butterfly to be vigilant and said calmly. The Daoist's Daoist name was somewhat peculiar. Zhijian (Holder of the Sword) – Which sword does he hold? This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind: among the prominent figures he had heard of at Crane Mountain, there was no one named 'Zhijian'. However, talented individuals constantly emerged both inside and outside the Daoist sect, so it was not surprising.

"That sword earlier..." Qin Sang's tone was somewhat hesitant. He still vividly remembered True Person Zhijian's sword attack and almost spoke several times but stopped himself, fearing it might involve the other party's secrets and that a direct inquiry would be too abrupt.

True Person Zhijian did not mind. "I'm afraid I made a fool of myself, Fellow Daoist," he said. "That move of mine was merely a bluff, and it consumed a sword talisman; it wasn't entirely my own divine ability. Moreover, it has significant limitations: it requires prior preparation, the commotion is enormous, and it can unleash some power only at the instant the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers to form the sword. After that, it's all show. But who would be foolish enough to press on, knowing the difficulty?"

Qin Sang nodded slightly. However, he saw that although True Person Zhijian was modest, he was indeed capable of mobilizing spiritual energy. To be able to do this, even if he used external objects, was enough to demonstrate his profound accomplishment in the way of the sword.

At this moment, True Person Zhijian suddenly changed his tone. "What do you think of that Imperial Bell Talisman, Fellow Daoist?" The Imperial Bell Talisman was the spirit talisman that had transformed into a copper bell for protection earlier. Qin Sang naturally praised it lavishly. His strength cultivation was only equivalent to the late Nascent Soul stage, yet relying on this talisman, he could withstand a Demon Marquis's attack, which was enough to prove the talisman's powerful might. Moreover, Qin Sang noticed that the strength of this talisman's power also partly depended on the strength cultivation of the user. When he breaks through in body refinement later, this talisman could also serve as a powerful protective measure.

The Daoist smiled upon hearing this. "Since Fellow Daoist likes it," he said, "I shall give you the method for refining this talisman." As he spoke, the Daoist sent a jade slip towards Qin Sang. "I have met you twice, Fellow Daoist, and owe you two favors," he said. "I have nothing to repay you with, so this is a small token of my appreciation. Please do not decline. This talisman was also obtained by me unexpectedly, and it can only be used by cultivators with strength cultivation. In my hands, it's not put to its best use. However, refining this talisman is extremely difficult; you will have to put in a lot of effort later, Fellow Daoist."

Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then took the jade slip and swept his divine sense over it, allowing its content to imprint itself in his mind. Just as True Person Zhijian had said, refining the Imperial Bell Talisman was not an easy task; at least before his breakthrough, he shouldn't even consider it. Having received the Imperial Bell Talisman, Qin Sang's apprehension lessened somewhat, as the saying goes, "He who takes a gift is beholden to the giver." The two each took their elixirs and seized the time to recover their energy.

After the two had recovered, True Person Zhijian looked outside the mountain hollow and asked, "May I ask where Fellow Daoist Qingfeng intends to go next? I caused this commotion; it hasn't affected your important matters, has it?"

"I came here on a Daoist summons," Qin Sang said vaguely. "Fortunately, I had already completed it before you caused such a stir at the marquisate."

True Person Zhijian seemed to have asked casually and did not probe further. He nodded and said, "My Daoist retreat is in Star Island Immortal Lake. I was thinking of inviting you to go together and properly host you. If you have no urgent matters, Fellow Daoist, you might as well continue traveling together. Although the area ahead is not Ghost Fang Kingdom itself, it is also under its control, and there might be hidden experts of the Demon Marquis level. If we accidentally encounter them, it would be quite troublesome."

Qin Sang had long heard of Star Island Immortal Lake. This lake is located north of Juzhou Prefecture; it is a vast and boundless immortal lake, known as the Sea Lake. As the name suggests, immortal islands in the lake are as numerous as stars, with countless intricate and complex forces present. Moreover, there is the second immortal city of Juzhou Prefecture, whose fame is second only to Crane Mountain. It is said that this city is truly considered the foremost immortal city by the cultivators of Juzhou Prefecture. Qin Sang was keen to experience the different scenery of this world, and it might be easier to gain opportunities and acquire Daoist scrolls in the complex Star Island Immortal Lake.

But Qin Sang knew himself: his current strength was not yet sufficient to wander freely in this world. The situation in Juzhou Prefecture was chaotic, and he could be drawn into the conflict between the Dao Court and Ghost Fang Kingdom at any time. With the Dream Transformation Four Seasons Flower in hand and a breakthrough in sight, the safest course of action was undoubtedly to quickly return to Crane Mountain and cultivate peacefully within the city. After breaking through, it would not be too late to venture out and travel.

Qin Sang glanced at True Person Zhijian and shook his head, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer, Fellow Daoist, but I must return as soon as possible to hand over my Daoist summons. I also vaguely sense an opportunity for a breakthrough and am eager to enter seclusion for cultivation. I will visit you another day."

Hearing this, True Person Zhijian not only showed no displeasure but was happy for Qin Sang instead. "Such opportunities are rare," he said. "We have plenty of time in the future, so there's no rush for now. I wish you early success, Fellow Daoist!"

"Thank you for your auspicious words, Fellow Daoist!" The two did not immediately part ways. Qin Sang knew very little about these demon kingdoms, so it was safer to continue traveling with True Person Zhijian. The two traveled through the demon kingdoms without fright or danger, finally arriving safely in a secure area.

It was time to part ways. True Person Zhijian, however, called out to Qin Sang and took out a long wooden box. "I have urgent matters," he said, "and must return immediately to Star Island Immortal Lake; otherwise, I would accompany you to Crane Mountain, Fellow Daoist. A friend of mine cultivates at Crane Mountain; he previously commissioned me to refine a sword. Would you be able to deliver it on my behalf?"

"This..." Qin Sang hesitated. It wasn't that he was unwilling to help. He and the Daoist had only met twice; although they had once fought together against demons, they couldn't be said to have instantly become fast friends. What if something unexpected happened during the transfer of the treasure? Could their trust be maintained?

True Person Zhijian smiled and displayed the precious sword from the box, a top-grade magic treasure. "This is not a valuable item," he said. "Do you still remember that token, Fellow Daoist? When you activate the token, you should also inform me through that friend. In the future, if you encounter any difficulties, you can directly ask him for assistance, and I will also rush there as soon as I learn of it."

Qin Sang's heart stirred; it sounded like True Person Zhijian was finding an excuse to establish a stable connection with him. Qin Sang was not averse to this. He took the precious sword, inspected it briefly, cupped his hands in farewell, and then headed southwest. True Person Zhijian stood still for a moment, then flew north on his sword.

Qin Sang successfully returned to Crane Mountain. He was not in a hurry to go to the Dao Court. He first activated the token and, under its guidance, found a courtyard in the city. The courtyard's owner was already waiting outside the gate: a tall, thin Daoist in a green robe, whose Daoist name was Guzhou.

"Mid Nascent Soul stage." Qin Sang saw through True Person Guzhou's cultivation level at a glance. True Person Guzhou took the token and the precious sword, then looked at Qin Sang again, and his expression immediately turned respectful. Seeing this scene, Qin Sang instantly realized that this person was likely not True Person Zhijian's friend, but rather a subordinate. "A single outpost has a mid-Nascent Soul stage expert guarding it," Qin Sang thought, secretly nodding. "True Person Zhijian also seems to be connected to a formidable force." Befriending True Person Zhijian had no downsides.

Soon after, True Person Guzhou escorted Qin Sang out of the courtyard. Qin Sang then went straight to the Northern Polar Exorcism Institute.