Chapter 155: Talisman Treasure Unsealed

Si Mulou's wings flapped rapidly, protecting him as the swords forming them constantly shifted positions, attempting to block Qin Mu's attack. However, in the next instant, the Drilling Sword Form pierced through his wing defense.

Si Mulou was startled, a sharp pain blooming in his chest. His golden body had been unable to withstand the Drilling Sword Form. He immediately flapped his wings, stirring up a powerful gust of wind.

The moment the strong wind began to blow, Qin Mu immediately stepped onto it, moving through the air. Si Mulou's eyes widened in alarm; Qin Mu's speed in mid-air was even faster than his own winged flight!

Cripple's Sky-Stealing Legwork granted unmatched speed. Had Si Mulou not flapped his wings and stirred up the strong wind, Qin Mu would have found it difficult to catch him in the air. But with the wind, the sky became solid ground for Qin Mu.

"Go!" Si Mulou roared, and golden swords flew from his wings, darting towards Qin Mu in an attempt to block his approach. In an instant, his wings were emptied of swords, leaving behind only two golden fleshy membranes.

His body immediately began to fall. At that very moment, saber light, like a cascading waterfall, collided with the rapidly approaching golden swords. With a hiss, a single golden sword pierced through Qin Mu's saber light waterfall and lodged itself in his left shoulder, precisely at the point where the scapula splits.

Meanwhile, Qin Mu's figure arrived in front of Si Mulou, passing him by as a flash of bright saber light grazed Si Mulou's neck.

The saber light was incredibly thin, appearing to cut into Si Mulou, entering his neck and emerging from the back, yet it seemed to have caused him no harm.

Si Mulou landed, and with a clatter, the golden swords flew back to reform his two wings.

The two resplendent golden wings unfurled with a rush, radiating brilliant golden light.

"Well done, Senior Brother Si Mulou!" a voice exclaimed, filled with both surprise and delight.

Other shamans were equally emboldened, shouting, "Senior Brother Si Mulou, take down this Yankang slave!"

"Yankang people are just two-legged sheep, only fit to be used for cultivation, not to live in this world!"

Qin Mu landed, and his flying swords flew back one by one, slotting themselves into the sword case on his back.

The young man pulled the golden sword from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. His brocade robe, though intact, had offered some resistance when the sword struck, but the blade had still pierced through it and into his shoulder blade.

The so-called 'invulnerability' of his attire didn't truly make him impervious to weapons. While his robe, woven from six-winged golden silkworm silk, had blocked the golden sword, he still sustained an injury.

Below the Golden Altar, thunderous cheers erupted. Si Mulou stood there, still spreading his magnificent wings, looking imposing, seemingly basking in the crowd's adulation.

Qin Mu walked forward, and the cheers gradually died down. He raised his hands, sheathing his two knives, and approached Si Mulou. Si Mulou remained motionless, his golden wings still spread behind him, completely unguarded and offering no resistance.

Qin Mu raised his hand, grabbed Si Mulou's hair, and with a gentle tug, detached his head from his neck, then tossed it off the altar.

The cheers from below the Golden Altar grew fainter and fainter. Only the shamans far away who hadn't witnessed the sight continued to cheer, their voices now sounding jarringly out of place. The head rolled down from the altar, bouncing until it came to rest beside a still-cheering shaman, and then the sounds of celebration slowly died out.

Si Mulou, who had cultivated the sect's paramount technique, the Shaman Venerable Louluo Scripture, was dead. Just when victory seemed assured for him, Qin Mu had beheaded him with a single stroke.

Ling Yuxiu hurried forward, intending to bandage his wound, but Qin Mu waved her off. "It's nothing," he said. "I vowed to break their will, and I must see it through. Rest assured."

Ling Yuxiu frowned slightly, finding Qin Mu's confidence a bit excessive.

"Herdsman," she began, "your shoulder is injured, which makes your vulnerability even greater. What if another great shaman who cultivates the Shaman Venerable Louluo Scripture appears..."

Just as she spoke, a young great shaman with a radiant golden body emerged from the Loulan Golden Palace's sacred temple. A smile on his face, he said softly, "Junior Brother Si Mulou was still too green, not composed enough. That's why he died. I am Dan Baruo, of the Six Harmonies realm, and I've sealed myself within the Six Harmonies Secret Realm."

Qin Mu's expression became grim. He suddenly drifted backward, his feet tapping rapidly, then with a whoosh, he leaped onto the roof of a golden hall.

Dan Baruo burst into laughter, pursuing him like a shadow. In his hand, he held a large hammer with a massive, dark-golden skull for its head. This skull grotesquely sported seven bone spurs, and each spur bore a smaller, fist-sized skull.

All eight of these skulls had eyes in their sockets, making them truly horrifying.

Although the hammerhead was enormous, its handle was remarkably short, barely allowing for a grip.

Dan Baruo gently swung the hammer. The seven smaller skulls on it immediately opened their eyes, their eyeballs rolling wildly. Then they opened their mouths, and streams of black smoke erupted from within. Seven dark plumes of smoke snaked up and down, like black dragons, hurtling directly towards Qin Mu, who stood on the golden hall.

Sharp swords flew from Qin Mu's sword case. With a flick of their tips, they severed the heads of the black dragons formed by the smoke. However, the flying swords immediately lost control and clattered to the ground.

The seven flying swords fell onto the golden hall, still clanging and bouncing, with black energy visibly swirling within them.

Qin Mu immediately felt his vital qi being corrupted, startling him. The Shaman Venerable Louluo Scripture was clearly as comprehensive as the Great Yu Heavenly Devil Scripture, encompassing more than one technique. Si Mulou had cultivated one of them, focusing on sword art divine abilities.

Dan Baruo, however, cultivated a different branch, focusing on magical divine abilities. Though both practiced the Shaman Venerable Louluo Scripture, their chosen paths converged.

Qin Mu's footsteps shifted, and the golden tiles of the hall beneath him exploded with a clatter. Streams of black smoke, resembling black dragons, burrowed in and out of the golden hall, assaulting him.

The two figures moved with rapid agility, running across the golden hall, even traversing the walls as if on flat ground.

Suddenly, Qin Mu's body dropped, and he plunged into the golden hall. Dan Baruo sneered, swung his great hammer, broke through the hall, and stormed inside.

*Bang* — a figure shot skyward, waving a hand to send flying swords stabbing backward. Dan Baruo surged out right behind him, stepping on a stream of black smoke that ceaselessly surged and rolled forward, propelling him towards Qin Mu.

With a crash, Qin Mu burst through another golden hall, diving inside to evade Dan Baruo's assault. Dan Baruo charged in immediately after him, his imposing presence invigorating the shamans and great shamans of the Loulan Golden Palace, sweeping away their previous dejection.

The two dashed swiftly above the golden halls nestled in the mountains, delivering deadly blows to each other, moving farther and farther from the mountain gate.

Dan Baruo's confidence grew, and his attacks became increasingly ferocious. When Qin Mu dropped into a golden hall, Dan Baruo charged directly in, only to be met by a magnificent landscape.

It was the Sword Treads Mountains and Rivers.

Dan Baruo felt as though he was rapidly shrinking, falling into that vast landscape, and a sense of panic surged through him.

Around the mountain gate, everyone watched the golden hall where the two had fallen, their tension palpable. After a moment, a radiant golden figure suddenly leaped from the golden hall, landing on its roof. In one hand, he held the bone hammer, while his other hand was raised high, clutching a severed head.

The people of the Loulan Golden Palace erupted in deafening cheers. Ling Yuxiu's face instantly turned ashen, and she was utterly distraught. The Green Ox was stunned, and Fox Spirit was equally aghast.

"The herdsman is dead..." Ling Yuxiu's mind went blank.

In front of the sacred temple, the shaman kings of the Loulan Golden Palace rarely smiled, but now they exchanged glances and nodded subtly.

"Dan Baruo is indeed excellent; ruthless and exceptionally composed. He's a true prodigy, surpassing mere talent."

An elderly shaman king asked in surprise, "Why isn't he returning to the sacred temple?"

"Dan Baruo," still holding the head, leaped back into the golden hall beneath him, not returning to the mountain gate. Another shaman king chuckled, "Most likely, he's also injured. Dan Baruo is naturally cautious; if injured, he'll immediately heal himself to leave no lingering issues. That's precisely what we expect from him. Now, only this little girl remains, and she'll soon be dead too. I wonder about the battle situation on the other side of the mountain?"

The shaman kings wished to go to the snowy mountain to observe the battle, but they had been ordered to remain here and guard the sacred temple, so they couldn't leave their posts.

Inside that golden hall, "Dan Baruo" tossed the head aside. He then took out a scroll, gently unrolled it, and carefully examined it.

"The treasure vault of the Loulan Golden Palace is right next to this grand hall. I haven't come to the wrong place."

He closed the Loulan Golden Palace's geographical map and stood up to leave. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He quickly pulled a jade bottle from his pocket, glanced at it, then slipped it back into his sleeve. "Almost took out the Deluding Incense..." he muttered.

He then took out a different jade bottle and cautiously extracted some dragon's saliva, applying it to the wound on his shoulder. The injury quickly healed, and the pain vanished.

"Dan Baruo" put the jade bottle away. After a moment of thought, he picked up the Young Protector Sword, walked out of the golden hall, and in a few steps arrived at another grand hall.

In front of that grand hall, a tortoise-backed golden figure stood guard, holding an axe-halberd. It had a frog-like mouth, a lustrous golden tortoise shell on its back, and an imposing, powerful build. Seeing him approach, it asked in surprise, "Dan Baruo, what are you doing here?"

The golden color of its body was more intense than that of "Dan Baruo," though it was slightly duller than that of the shaman kings, suggesting its status and strength were beneath theirs.

"This disciple has slain the villain who was blocking the gate and obtained a precious sword," "Dan Baruo" said. "I dare not keep it for myself and intend to offer it to the Holy Sect."

"Dan Baruo" presented the Young Protector Sword with both hands, smiling. "I do not practice the sword," he explained, "and though this sword is exquisite, it is useless to me. So, I hope to use this treasure to exchange for another valuable item."

The tortoise-backed guard took the Young Protector Sword and drew it with a metallic clang, squinting his eyes against its cold gleam. "What a magnificent sword!" he exclaimed in surprise. "There are few treasures in our Golden Palace that can rival this! Since you've acquired such a treasure, the Shaman Venerable will surely reward you handsomely!"

As the guard pushed open the hall door, "Dan Baruo" quickly asked, "May this disciple also enter and choose a treasure?"

The tortoise-backed guard considered for a moment, then smiled. "Very well. You've rendered such great service and offered such a valuable treasure; the Shaman Venerable's reward for you will undoubtedly be exceptional. However, you may only look at the treasures collected in our Golden Palace. You cannot take anything until the Shaman Venerable bestows it upon you and lifts its seal."

"Dan Baruo" was overjoyed and quickly followed him into the golden hall.

The tortoise-backed guard stood in the hall and meticulously activated several restrictions. He then took two steps forward, released a few seals, and walked a few more paces before retrieving a talismanic treasure. This was a paper artifact, four-sided, fourteen-faced, and twenty-four-cornered, intricately folded from runes. As vital qi was infused into it, the talisman floated into the air and began to glow.

The talisman grew increasingly bright, spinning continuously and projecting the runes from each of its surfaces into the air.

"Dan Baruo" immediately saw the air before them transform from colorless transparency into numerous translucent cubes. Within each cube was a fist-sized, fierce-faced figure, restlessly pacing, seemingly eager to break free and devour people.