Chapter 253: Ling Kong Drawing Talismans

The Hidden Moth gently flapped its small wings in old man Di Que's palm. Its tiny wings fluttered, scattering fine scales like a cloud of gray dust that shifted in the air, eventually forming a painting.

The painting depicted a scene.

In the scene, a person was passing by the stone where the moth had been, stepping uphill. The person's features were clear and lifelike – it was Che Yutao!

"Old Ghost Che is the one going up the mountain..."

Old man Di Que put away the Hidden Moth and murmured.

He looked up at the cloud-shrouded mountain peak, but instead of climbing it, he used his spiritual energy to lift Qin Sang and Ren Hong, carrying them away from the peak and silently flying towards another Heavenly Peak.

Ever since approaching these four Heavenly Peaks, old man Di Que had strictly forbidden Qin Sang and Ren Hong from acting recklessly, threatening immediate execution if they disobeyed.

Qin Sang could tell that old man Di Que was not joking.

As old man Di Que carried him through the air, Qin Sang's thoughts drifted. From the moment he saw Sikong Muyue to their arrival before the Heavenly Peak, Qin Sang had clearly sensed old man Di Que's extreme caution, as if he was secretly planning something unknown.

Now, seeing the Hidden Moth and the scene it had recorded with its fine scales, Qin Sang vaguely guessed something.

He didn't know when old man Di Que had left the Hidden Moth here, but its purpose was singular: to act as an eye and ear, monitoring anyone who passed by.

A total of five Core Formation cultivators had entered the ancient dwelling. Only these five possessed the ability to bypass the restrictions and ascend the Heavenly Peaks; no one else dared to try.

Excluding old man Di Que himself, there were four others. Could one of them be his target?

Sikong Muyue hadn't entered the mountain yet, leaving three individuals.

Che Yutao had ascended this Heavenly Peak, and it seemed he wasn't old man Di Que's target either. That left only Daoist Master Xuanyu of Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace and Du Yi, the Sect Master of Qingluo Sect.

He wondered who old man Di Que's target was and what his objective might be.

Of course, it was also possible that old man Di Que wasn't planning harm, but simply wanted to choose an untouched Heavenly Peak to avoid conflict with others.

But Qin Sang didn't think so.

Soon, the three quietly arrived before the second Heavenly Peak. Old man Di Que retrieved another Hidden Moth from a cliff. The figure this moth revealed was Sikong Muyue, but she wasn't ascending the mountain; she was descending!

"How could she be so fast?"

Old man Di Que frowned deeply, utterly surprised, and suddenly turned to ask, "How long did it take you two to pass the trial? Has anyone seen Sikong Muyue, and who was with her?"

Ren Hong replied, "Senior Sikong appeared voluntarily to rally everyone to break the restrictions. That was the first time this junior saw Senior Sikong. At the time, this junior was focused on breaking the second layer of restrictions, and I remember Senior Sikong seemed to be alone."

Seeing old man Di Que's gaze fall on him, Qin Sang replied, "This junior's cultivation is low, so I definitely entered later than Fellow Daoist Ren. Furthermore, I wasted some time in the northern part of the ancient dwelling before coming here, so I hadn't seen Senior Sikong before."

Old man Di Que withdrew his gaze, hesitated for a moment, then once again took Qin Sang and Ren Hong, flying away from this peak towards the third Heavenly Peak.

The Hidden Moth concealed within the third Heavenly Peak revealed the figure of Daoist Master Xuanyu from Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace!

The Daoist Master was slender and bore the air of an immortal. He walked up the mountain, looking around with an alert expression. He raised one hand, joining his index and middle fingers, and pointed them at a certain spot in the air, though it was unclear what he was doing.

Upon seeing Daoist Master Xuanyu, old man Di Que suddenly laughed several times, all gloom vanishing from his face. He put away the moth, mused for a moment, then his figure flickered, silently sweeping to the exact spot Daoist Master Xuanyu had indicated.

He pointed with his staff, and spiritual energy surged from its tip, transforming into the Thousand Illusions Divine Sound. The sound waves gently diffused. Moments later, where the sound waves had passed, a streak of blue light suddenly appeared in the void.

The blue light originated from a spiritual talisman, one completely different from any Qin Sang had seen before. It wasn't drawn on paper but was an ethereal entity; its runes seemed to be imprinted directly into the void.

Its lines twisted, suspended in mid-air, casting a clear radiance all around.

Qin Sang hadn't seen this type of talisman before, but he had heard about it from Teng Nan.

Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace was renowned for its mastery of talismans. Not only did they possess the mysterious Four Secret Talismans, but they also had unique methods for drawing and crafting talismans. Among these, the art of drawing talismans in mid-air using spiritual energy as a guide was one of their most profound techniques.

This feat could only be achieved by those with extremely deep attainment in the path of talismans, and only a few in Shangyuan Pure Serenity Palace possessed such skill.

Daoist Master Xuanyu was clearly one of them.

The spiritual talisman, originally hidden in the shadows, was forced out by old man Di Que using the Thousand Illusions Divine Sound. Through the fluctuations emanating from the talisman, Qin Sang could tell it was likely a warning talisman.

Daoist Master Xuanyu had left this talisman as a precaution against being followed. If anyone passed by and triggered it, he would immediately detect them. Unfortunately, the Hidden Moth had witnessed it.

"Seal!"

Old man Di Que made a grasping motion with his hand, and the power of the Thousand Illusions Divine Sound immediately converged on the spiritual talisman. Before it could shatter, he securely sealed it, causing it to vanish into nothingness once more.

Witnessing this, Qin Sang and Ren Hong exchanged glances, both sharing the same apprehension.

If they still didn't understand what old man Di Que was planning by now, they would be utterly foolish! What would be their fate if Core Formation cultivators were plotting against other Core Formation cultivators, and they were caught in the middle?

After sealing the talisman, old man Di Que turned to look at them, letting out a sinister chuckle without explanation. He then used his spiritual energy to lift them, flying them into a rock crevice where he set up a concealing restriction. "I need to heal my injuries," he said. "You've taken my benefits, so do your part and don't overthink things. I am a lonely old man with no disciples. Follow me, and there will be plenty of advantages in the future."

Qin Sang remained unaffected by old man Di Que's implied offer.

Ren Hong, however, showed a slight change in expression.

Although he was a disciple of the Wind Thunder Sect, his talent was limited. The Golden Core elders in his sect paid him no mind, always letting the most talented disciples pick first for any good opportunities, and he might not even get what no one else wanted.

Ren Hong recalled his time in the sect with deep resentment.

Eventually, driven by desperation, Ren Hong voluntarily came to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield to strive for himself, like a rogue cultivator. While he did indeed acquire several opportunities and gained his current cultivation, only he truly knew the hardships involved.

If he could take a Golden Core elder as his master...

Ren Hong bowed respectfully and said, "This junior understands."

Qin Sang also chimed in, his peripheral vision sweeping over Ren Hong before he averted his gaze. Everyone had their own thoughts; Ren Hong's choices had nothing to do with him.

He only needed to look out for himself!

Old man Di Que sat down cross-legged, took out a spiritual elixir, and swallowed it. After the medicinal properties diffused, his old face suddenly flushed red, and he forcefully spat out a mouthful of dark blood.

The blood was as black as ink and was annihilated by the Thousand Illusions Divine Sound.

After expelling the dark blood, old man Di Que's complexion improved significantly.

Qin Sang's eyes flickered. It seemed that when old man Di Que broke through the monkey pack's encirclement, he had been struck by the Divine Monkey Fire Staff, and his injuries were far from as minor as he had made them seem. His wounds were likely severe, and it was uncertain how much of them this spiritual elixir could heal.

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