Chapter 1763: Red Glow and Yellow Talisman

The two women frowned simultaneously. They had expected great difficulty in asking for his help, so its unexpected ease left them unable to feel happy.

Xie Daoyun pondered for a moment before saying, "But we need to find our companions; I'm afraid we won't have much time to help you." This world was so unpredictable and constantly changing; they had no spare time to assist others with different matters. Moreover, anything Wang Youjun found difficult was bound to be dangerous. It was better not to get involved in such a mess.

Wang Youjun chuckled. "You can rest assured about that. This matter should be resolved within three days at the shortest, or seven or eight days at the longest." Seeing the two women remain silent, he added, "Without my guidance, finding your companions would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even if you spend more days, you won't find them. If you help me, I will not only point you in the direction of your companions but also provide you with the Wang family's top-tier flying boat."

"You should also be aware that flying is impossible in this world," he continued, "but with our flying boat, you can save a significant amount of time."

The two women exchanged glances, both acknowledging the validity of his points. Just as Xie Daoyun was about to agree, Yun Jianyue interjected, "Why don't you first help us locate our companions? Otherwise, if we assist you and you fail to help us, wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?"

Xie Daoyun secretly admired her foresight, thinking that Sister Yun's worldly experience was indeed profound.

"Hahaha, someone actually doubts my abilities," Wang Youjun guffawed. "Very well, I shall give you a demonstration, lest you slack off when the time comes."

He extended his hand, and above his palm, a special yellow talisman gradually materialized. Incredibly complex runes, drawn with cinnabar, covered its surface, and a faint red glow emanated from its entire form. The two women's expressions shifted slightly. This was the second time they had witnessed such a talisman since their encounter with Wang Neishi; these talismans seemed to possess a life of their own.

He then turned to the two women and asked, "Who is the companion you're searching for, and what are their distinctive features?" As the two women were about to answer, Wang Youjun interjected, "Don't mention your sworn brother and sister-in-law. Tell me about the other person first." His insight was clearly far sharper than his son's. He keenly perceived the extraordinary relationship between these two and their so-called sworn brother, surmising that the one they cared about most among their group was likely him. Naturally, he was unwilling to provide them with clues right away; what if they simply left afterward?

Yun Jianyue secretly cursed him as an old fox but proceeded to describe Yan Xuehen's features. After all, Xie Daoyun had limited contact with Yan Xuehen and knew less about her than Yun Jianyue did. *Oh, Ice Stone Woman, Ice Stone Woman,* she thought, *I never imagined that I would be the first to come looking for you.*

As she spoke, Wang Youjun unrolled a sheet of white paper. Following her description, his brush strokes seemed divinely guided, and he quickly sketched the outline of Yan Xuehen. He effortlessly accomplished all of this with just one hand; his painting skill was truly exquisite.

Yun Jianyue's expression changed. "What are you doing?" she demanded. She recalled the paintings they had seen upon their arrival and was instantly filled with both alarm and anger. Although she and the Ice Stone Woman were sworn enemies, she still wouldn't want her to be targeted in such a manner.

Wang Youjun smiled faintly. "Don't worry, young lady, this isn't a soul-drawing technique. It's simply a depiction of her appearance, solely for the convenience of locating her later." Still unconvinced, Yun Jianyue walked over to inspect it. It was indeed just ordinary paper and a simple drawing, with no hidden tricks, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Wang Youjun quickly completed the drawing. After laying down the final stroke, he couldn't help but momentarily stare in awe.

"What's wrong?" Xie Daoyun asked with concern.

"Nothing," Wang Youjun said, gazing deeply at the two women. "I just never imagined such a person could exist in this world, like a celestial maiden descended among mortals. The two of you are already as beautiful as goddesses, and yet your companion is equally breathtaking. I can't help but wonder what kind of magic this 'Zuan' you're looking for possesses, to have so many peerless beauties by his side."

"What nonsense are you talking about! He's just my sworn brother (friend)!" Xie Daoyun and Yun Jianyue exclaimed in unison.

Xie Daoyun thought, *It's fortunate we need his help right now. Otherwise, with Sister Yun's temper, if she heard someone say she and Brother Zu were a couple, she'd surely pull out their tongue.*

"Whatever you say," Wang Youjun replied with a knowing look, then waved his hand towards the empty space beyond the door. "Come!" Soon, a painting scroll floated in from outside. The two women, sharp-eyed, recognized it as one of the scrolls they had seen earlier on their way here.

At that moment, the person depicted in the scroll seemed to sense something, suddenly struggling desperately and emitting silent roars from their painted mouth. Imprisoned within the painting, no matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free.

Wang Youjun summoned the painting before him, then mumbled a strange incantation. The talisman in his palm suddenly pulsed with an intense red glow. The enigmatic cinnabar patterns on it lit up, and the emitted red light enveloped the scroll. The figure's face on the scroll twisted grotesquely. Then, as if directly drawn by some force, it transformed into a wisp of green smoke, flying out of the painting and instantly entering the crimson yellow talisman. As if nourished by soul power, the talisman quivered, seemingly dancing with delight. The scroll, meanwhile, became utterly blank; there was nothing in the figure's previous spot, as if he had never been on the painting at all.

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun's expressions changed. They instantly understood what had happened: in the blink of an eye, a soul had been devoured.

Then, Wang Youjun pointed at Yan Xuehen's portrait and stated his intention to find her whereabouts. The talisman flew into the sky, buzzing as it circled around, then stopped and emitted a red beam of light towards the northwest. The red light then receded, and the talisman returned to its normal state, settling back into his hand.

Wang Youjun nodded. "That young lady surnamed Yan is located to the northwest, roughly tens of thousands of miles away. Hmm, that area is the territory of the Adventurers' Guild Headquarters. You can inquire with them when you reach that vicinity."

"Is that all it can do?" Yun Jianyue asked, her voice low. "The northwest is such a vast area; how will we find our companions?" Xie Daoyun also felt a pang of dissatisfaction; it seemed hardly worth the effort to receive such crude information.

"Don't worry," Wang Youjun replied. "I will give you several disposable replica talismans. Use one every thousand li, and each time it will guide you in a new direction. After a few uses, you'll be able to determine the target's approximate location. Given your abilities, finding someone after that shouldn't be difficult for you."

"Do your replica talismans also require devouring souls to activate?" Xie Daoyun asked, her expression now somewhat displeased. Coming from a truly righteous background, she found the previous talisman akin to an evil artifact.

"No, they don't," Wang Youjun replied. "Their power is also not as potent as the original. Those replicas are consumed after one use and can only guide you for approximately a thousand li each time."

Xie Daoyun's expression eased slightly. Gazing at the peculiar talisman in his palm, she couldn't help but ask, "I recall the Second Young Master mentioned that talismans don't require energy. So why does your talisman need to absorb human souls to function?"

"The second son spends all his time chasing women; how would he know about such things?" Wang Youjun said with a look of disappointment. "Who ever said talismans don't require energy? Talismans are often associated with fasting and rituals—why do you think that is? In the mortal world, emperors and generals often offer various animal sacrifices to seek blessings and protection from the heavens or certain mysterious entities. Our Divine Firmament Sect, however, observes fasting and purification rituals, offering vegetarian food and fruits to the entities associated with these talismans. These daily offerings serve as the talismans' energy. The more devout the offerings, and the more the rituals align with the will of those entities, the more potent the talisman's effect."

"So that's how it is!" After his explanation, Xie Daoyun experienced a sudden moment of enlightenment, deepening her sense of the mystical nature of talismans in this world.

"My talisman is quite special," Wang Youjun said with a hint of pride. "It thrives on the power of souls; naturally, higher-ranking talismans have higher demands." With a clench of his hand, the yellow talisman vanished.

Yun Jianyue inwardly grumbled, *This talisman must be from the evil alignment, right?* "What exactly do you need our help with?" she asked. "And please inform us of any potential dangers beforehand."

"Mainly, we need Miss Xie's help to break some tricky defensive formations," Wang Youjun explained with a smile. "Our Wang family will handle other demons and monsters. As for danger," he added, "with me and the Wang family's experts present, and Miss Yun assisting, I believe Miss Xie won't encounter any danger."

Sensing the arrogance in his tone, Yun Jianyue conceded that he had a point; with the two of them allied with the Wang family, they shouldn't encounter major problems regardless of what they faced. Her only fear was that the Wang family itself might pose the danger…

But given the situation, she couldn't afford to worry too much. "When do we depart?" she asked.

"Everything else is ready," Wang Youjun replied. "We've been waiting for a formation genius, and now that the crucial element is here, I'll give the orders. We'll depart in one hour." He then took out another talisman, gently touched its surface, and soon an invisible ripple enveloped the entire Wang Family Village.