Cultivation: I Have a Golden Talisman

Fang Cheng watched the Feather Divine Soldier depart and asked with great interest, "The cultivator piloting that Feather Divine Soldier... only seemed to be at the Life Soul Realm?"

Yan Shutong nodded. "That’s right," she said. "The Feather Divine Soldiers are wondrous treasures forged with Marquis Li’s great wisdom. He combined the Feather God Dao Patterns of the Xuanyu Realm with the Supreme True Demon Puppets of the Mo Luo Realm. A Life Soul Cultivator piloting a Tier Four Feather Divine Soldier can easily hold their own against a Dharma Master, and hunting a Tier Four Celestial Demon is no trouble at all."

Fang Cheng recalled the Feather God Dao Patterns on that Vine Puppet from the Void Ghost Marketplace, and things began to click into place.

"Marquis Li is certainly ambitious," he said with a smile.

Yan Shutong’s expression shifted. She glanced at Fang Cheng and said, "I fear the Xuanyu Realm is on the verge of great chaos. Marquis Yan is about to break through to the Tribulation Realm. The moment he emerges from seclusion, the first person he’ll try to eliminate will undoubtedly be Marquis Li. However, it is said that Marquis Li has already forged a Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier. If he manages to fully refine it before Marquis Yan achieves the Tribulation Realm..."

"Then Marquis Yan will be the one in danger," Fang Cheng finished, his eyes glinting.

Yan Shutong said, "Exactly. A world-shaking battle between Marquis Yan and Marquis Li is inevitable. Both are titans of this realm, yet they share a blood feud that can only end in death. It’s a true pity."

After a moment of contemplation, Fang Cheng asked, "Profound Celestial Demon City is Marquis Li’s territory. There should be Feather Divine Soldiers there, shouldn’t there?"

"There are three, all under the command of the Profound Celestial Demon Marshal. Rumor has it that Marquis Li forged a total of nine Tier Four Feather Divine Soldiers, which is like gaining nine Dharma Masters out of thin air. This is the primary reason he can stand against Marquis Yan as an equal." Yan Shutong laid out the details with evident familiarity, as if she knew Marquis Li’s forces inside and out.

By contrast, Fang Cheng hadn’t found any of these secrets within the Spiritual Memory of that Life Soul Cultivator.

...

Atop a majestic mountain, a colossal city stood proudly on the summit, not far from the crimson clouds that churned ceaselessly in the sky.

The entire city was enveloped in a massive blue barrier, its surface occasionally rippling with a fluorescent light like waves on water.

A colossal demonic aura pervaded the city, as if a peerless Celestial Demon lurked within. For a thousand li around the Demon City, there were no signs of Celestial Demons; it was utterly quiet.

Profound Celestial Demon City.

One day, a Flame Lion pulling a chariot flew in from the horizon. A man and a woman sat within.

It was Fang Cheng and Yan Shutong.

"Lord, this is the Profound Celestial Demon City."

Yan Shutong said, gesturing toward the magnificent city on the distant summit.

The Demon City had four massive gates. Since cultivators were forbidden from using Flying Escape within the city walls, the plazas outside the gates were bustling with activity, as all manner of Escape Lights, chariots, and Flying Boats landed and took off.

As Fang Cheng surveyed the Demon City from a distance, he felt a strange sense of unease.

He vaguely guessed it was because of the Demon Suppression Stele, which was said to have been forged from the remains of a Tier Five Celestial Demon.

A treasure forged by a Tribulation Realm Ancestral King from the Mo Luo Realm, it suppressed the Demon City’s destiny and repelled Celestial Demons, serving as the city’s very foundation.

It was rumored that Marquis Li had used Demon Suppression Steles from other demon cities to forge his Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier.

As they spoke, the pair arrived at the plaza outside one of the gates. Fang Cheng stowed the chariot, and after passing the City Guard’s inspection, they entered the city without any trouble.

The City Guards were only at the Late-stage Life Talisman Cultivation, so the "inspection" was more of a formality to uphold the Demon City’s authority.

The moment they stepped into the city, they were greeted by the sight of a wide avenue flanked by rows of shops, creating a bustling, prosperous scene.

The entire Demon City was quartered by two main avenues—one running north-south and the other east-west—that connected the four gates. At the city’s heart was a massive plaza, and in its center stood a towering, ancient, and verdantly green tree.

It was the first time Fang Cheng had seen a normally-colored tree since entering the Xuanyu Realm.

The city was filled with cultivators, though most were only at the Life Talisman and Sensing Realms. Fang Cheng and Yan Shutong concealed their auras, keeping their Magical Power fluctuations at the Life Talisman level to blend in perfectly with the crowd.

Yan Shutong had clearly been here before. She hired a Beast Vehicle and took Fang Cheng straight to the southern district, where she rented an elegant estate.

All transactions here were conducted using Celestial Demon Relics; a single Tier Three Celestial Demon Relic was enough to rent the magnificent estate for a full year.

The estate’s gardens were exquisitely designed with picturesque pavilions and terraces, making it a perfect place for cultivation and respite.

What pleased Fang Cheng most was the open-air hot spring behind the main house. It was surrounded by lush trees, a riot of colorful blossoms, and artfully placed stones. Best of all, the entire estate was enveloped in a privacy barrier, so there was no fear of prying eyes.

Having spent some time together, Yan Shutong was well aware of Fang Cheng’s preferences. Shortly after they entered the estate, she was already helping him into the pool.

After an invigorating bout of cultivation and relaxation, the two of them soaked in the warm, comfortable spring water. An exquisite wooden tray holding two jade cups floated before them.

"Within a hundred thousand li of Profound Celestial Demon City, there are over a hundred documented locations with Tier Four Celestial Demons. My Lord can now hunt them at his leisure," Yan Shutong said softly, raising a jade cup to her lips for a sip.

Her skin was as smooth as jade, glistening in the water. Her pale, exquisite figure was a half-seen vision beneath the surface, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Fang Cheng leaned against the pool’s edge and nodded. "The Profound Celestial Secret Realm isn’t easy to enter, I imagine. What’s your plan?"

The City Lord of this demon city is respectfully addressed as Madam Qi. She is a renowned Dharma Realm expert and also one of Marquis Li’s dao companions.

Reputedly, Madam Qi has an overwhelming killing intent and is not someone to be trifled with.

Yan Shutong smiled and replied, "I plan to cultivate for a while to stabilize my foundation. After that, I’ll go to the Cangling Tree in the city and try to pick one of its fruits. When Madam Qi planted the Cangling Tree, she declared that anyone who could successfully pick a Cang Ling Fruit would be granted an audience at the City Lord’s Mansion. If she finds them suitable, they can even become a Dharma Guardian Demon Marshal for the city."

As a Dharma Guardian Demon Marshal, gaining entry to the Profound Celestial Secret Realm for cultivation would be a simple matter.

Fang Cheng had originally intended to first hunt a batch of Tier Four Celestial Demons to raise his cultivation level, and then figure out a way to acquire a Tier Four Feather Divine Soldier.

But hearing this, a new idea began to form in his mind.

’Isn’t this also an opportunity to get a Tier Four Feather Divine Soldier?’

"Those fruits on the Cangling Tree can’t be easy to pick, can they?" Fang Cheng asked.

Yan Shutong hummed in assent. "Within each fruit is a self-contained pocket dimension about a hundred li in size. Inside, Madam Qi has placed ten Tier Three Celestial Demons. Only by killing all of them can the Cang Ling Fruit be picked."

She paused before adding, "And according to Madam Qi’s rules, one cannot use any external aids like Magical Artifacts, Talismans, or puppets of the third-tier or higher."

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow. "And those ten Tier Three Celestial Demons... what’s their specific cultivation stage?"

Yan Shutong replied, "Initially, they were at the Tier Three Early Stage, but that was gradually changed to the Late-Mid Tier Three. As a result, not many cultivators have succeeded in picking a Cang Ling Fruit."

’With my current strength,’ Fang Cheng thought, ’if I don’t use my Tier Five Flying Sword and only rely on the Immortal Binding Rope and my other few Third-tier Magical Artifacts, suppressing ten Late-Mid Tier Three Celestial Demons would certainly be a challenge, but not an impossible one.’

’It would just take some extra effort.’

...