Cultivation: I Have a Golden Talisman

Cang Country. Xuanyang Linhai.

This was a dense rainforest spanning tens of thousands of miles. The vegetation was incredibly lush, with towering trees, strange grasses, and exotic vines forming a verdant ocean that covered the land.

A wide, turbulent river snaked through the Forest Sea. Its dense Spiritual Qi nourished the countless Demon Beasts and Cultivators that lived there.

In the southwestern part of the Forest Sea, high in the sky among the drifting clouds, floated an enormous sphere of flowering vines.

Dark green vines, dense leaves, and countless multicolored flowers made up this sphere of vines.

The sphere was over a hundred li in diameter. From a distance, it looked like a gigantic ball of flowers, floating silently among the clouds above the Forest Sea.

The vines that formed the sphere varied in thickness.

The thickest were several li wide.

The thinnest were a mere three to five zhang.

This was the home of the Profound Jade Sect.

The Profound Jade Sect had been founded a thousand years ago, yet its teachings had only been passed down through eight generations of disciples.

The entire sect, including elders and disciples, numbered fewer than thirty people in total.

The Profound Jade Sect’s Cultivation Technique was peaceful and serene, ill-suited for combat. Its strength, however, lay in its stability. As long as a disciple’s innate talent was compatible with the technique, and with the aid of the secret ancestral arts, they had a thirty percent chance of breaking through to the Life Soul Realm after reaching the Peak of Life Talisman.

「On this day.」

A magnificent Flying Giant Ship approached the sphere of vines that housed the Profound Jade Sect.

On the pavilion of the ship’s top deck stood several men and women with extraordinary bearings.

It was Fang Cheng and his companions.

As they neared the massive sphere, a shockingly dense wave of Spiritual Qi washed over them. Countless vines were interwoven, leaving gaps between them, and the interior seemed to be a world unto itself.

"What a treasure! This sphere of vines can devour the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for ten thousand li around. It’s comparable to a top-tier Tier Three Spiritual Vein."

Fang Cheng gazed at the enormous sphere of flowering vines and couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

’The world is vast and full of endless wonders. This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a miraculous Spirit Plant.’

Su Qin smiled faintly. "This Ten Thousand Flowers Vine was passed down by our sect’s founding ancestor. It can not only change its size at will, but its defensive capabilities are also astonishing. Even a Late-stage Life Soul Cultivator might not be able to breach it."

She paused, a hint of pride in her expression, and continued, "The sphere formed by this vine can travel by rolling through the sky at incredible speeds, rivaling that of Dharma Realm cultivators. Since our sect’s founding, we have relied on this sphere to survive several life-or-death calamities."

Fang Cheng nodded, exchanged a look with Ye Yan and Feng Ling, and smiled. "Today has certainly been an eye-opener."

Smiling, Su Qin formed a Spell with her hands. The countless vines on the sphere began to writhe, slowly opening a large, circular hole that allowed the Flying Giant Ship to sail right through.

The wall of vines was about a thousand zhang thick. As the Giant Ship passed through it, the world before them suddenly brightened.

Countless Exquisite Flowers and Grasses bloomed in a dazzling display. A vast, resplendent sea of flowers appeared within the sphere.

Above the sea of flowers floated over a hundred magnificent towers. Among them, pavilions of all sizes could be faintly seen.

The air was filled with floating greenery and a vibrant, fragrant light that stretched for a hundred li, as brilliant as brocade clouds on the ground.

Silver lamps shone brightly from the towers, which were connected by exquisite and elegant rainbow bridges of jade.

Standing there, one’s view was wide and open. The entire realm was filled with a bright, jeweled light from the countless flowers.

Besides their cultivation, the disciples of the Profound Jade Sect spent their days raising silkworms and weaving robes to trade for the Spirit Stones needed to cover the sect’s expenses. They truly lived a life detached from the world.

Upon her return, Su Qin treated Fang Cheng and his companions as honored guests, lodging them in the most magnificent of the Jade Towers. Fang Cheng, in turn, put away his Flying Giant Ship.

That same day, Su Qin invited Ye Yan and Feng Ling to tour the Profound Jade Sect, taking them in particular to the Profound Jade Immortal Robe Pavilion. Over a thousand different styles of robes for female cultivators were on display, the life’s work of generations of the sect’s elders and disciples. The sheer variety was dazzling.

Su Qin also gifted the two women a number of Treasure Robes.

With their sharp minds, how could Ye Yan and Feng Ling not see through Sect Leader Su’s intentions? As the three of them sat leisurely sipping tea, Ye Yan spoke up. "Sister Su, has your esteemed sect run into some kind of trouble?"

Su Qin’s beautiful eyes darted about before she let out a soft sigh. "I won’t hide it from you two. A few years ago, I was tricked by a treacherous person and made a vow for a duel with a Life Soul Elder from Taixu Mountain. The duel is a month from now. I’ve heard that she recently mastered a powerful Divine Technique. I have no chance of winning."

Ye Yan’s brow furrowed. "Taixu Mountain... You mean the Immortal Dao Giant, one of the nine great Mystic Sects of the Cang Country?"

Su Qin nodded. "That’s right. She had only just entered the Life Soul Realm at the time. We sparred several times, and she lost every match. Then, she put up a treasure I couldn’t refuse as the stake for a formal duel, saying she needed a few years to cultivate before fighting me again. I was goaded on by a close friend and, in a moment of weakness, made the vow. Only later did I realize I’d fallen into a trap... In the end, it was my own greed that’s to blame."

"Sister Su, what did you put up as your stake?" Feng Ling asked curiously from the side.

Su Qin gave a bitter smile. "Taixu Mountain has a Supreme Elder who follows the path of a Dual Cultivation Technique. If I lose, everyone in the Profound Jade Sect, from the elders to the disciples, including myself, must become his Tripod Furnaces."

The Cang Country was known for its "Nine Mystic, Three Demonic, Two Buddhist, and One Yao" sects. These fifteen major powers all had histories stretching back over ten thousand years and possessed a foundation at the Dharma Aspect level. This meant they either had a living Dharma Realm master in their ranks or possessed secret Divine Techniques and treasures comparable to the power of the Dharma Realm, allowing them to hold sway over the world.

Taixu Mountain was one of the latter. Though the sect had no Dharma Cultivators, it possessed a Secret Technique of the Immortal Path. By using an Array, they could condense the Magical Power of nineteen Life Soul Cultivators into a single point. With the enhancement of a Fourth-rank Magical Artifact, they could unleash a burst of power comparable to an Early-stage Dharma Phase Cultivator.

A sufficient number of Life Soul Cultivators, a profound Divine Secret Skill, and a Fourth-rank Magical Artifact compatible with the technique—these three elements combined to create this marvel.

Taixu Mountain’s ten-thousand-year foundation was built upon this. The gap between the Profound Jade Sect and Taixu Mountain was simply too vast... Taixu Mountain probably already considered the Profound Jade Sect to be a prize within its grasp.

Su Qin sighed. "After a long and difficult search, I finally learned that the Jiaozhu from the evil flood dragon beneath Qianlong Snow Mountain could counter Taixu Mountain’s Yuqing Profound Light. Who would have guessed I’d be a step too late, and Fellow Daoist Fang would..."

Ye Yan and Feng Ling exchanged a look, finally understanding.

’So that’s why Su Qin was so eager to have us as guests. She wants Fang Cheng’s help.’

"Fellow Daoist Fang’s powers are immense. He killed that Tier Three Evil Flood Dragon with a mere flick of his wrist. His strength is simply astounding. If I could just receive a pointer or two from a master like Fellow Daoist Fang, I might just be able to win this duel," Su Qin said with a smile, her words laden with flattery.

Ye Yan considered this for a moment before replying, "The two of us will need to discuss this with our husband."

Seeing that Ye Yan was inclined to help, Su Qin quickly smiled. "There’s no rush. The duel is still some time away. Please, make yourselves at home here and stay for a while."

*

*

*

Jade Tower Quiet Chamber.

Fang Cheng sat cross-legged on a jade mat, perfectly still.

From the void, streaks of pure black firelight fell, winding around his body.

When the black firelight came within three feet of Fang Cheng’s body, it seemed to hit an invisible barrier, flashing once before being extinguished.

A moment later, a pure black Flame Rune materialized out of thin air...

The Rune transformed into a streak of jet-black Demonic Light, which flickered once before vanishing into Fang Cheng’s Qi Sea.

At every moment, vast amounts of pure black Demon Fire descended, only to be refined into Demonic Light and disappear into Fang Cheng’s body.

The Demon Fire around Fang Cheng surged like a tide. A profound, gloomy light pulsed in endless layers, and an aura that was both violent and tyrannical—like a god’s might, but filled with demonic nature—flowed around him.

Within his sea of consciousness, the dark and gloomy Resentment Demon Bead spun slowly, continuously devouring the Li Hen Demon Light that Fang Cheng refined.

But a powerful craving still emanated from the Demon Bead.

It was a craving for him to slaughter everyone under heaven, to devour the world’s countless living beings!

A desire to grow ever stronger by devouring, to endlessly transcend its own limits!

Fang Cheng’s Dao Heart was clear and his Sword Intent lay hidden within, allowing him to constantly dissolve these demonic thoughts as they arose. His mind remained focused and undisturbed.

Ever since he broke through to the Life Soul Realm, the power of the Resentment Demon Bead had risen to a new level. Its ability to devour and convert energy had become even more outrageously powerful, but the side effects were also beginning to manifest.

Whenever the Resentment Demon Bead sent out an "intense" feeling of hunger, Fang Cheng could only alleviate it by devouring and refining the Li Hen Demon Light.

Alternatively, he could refine a Tier Three Demon Beast to "sate" the Resentment Demon Bead.

Unfortunately, the Spiritual Power converted from a Tier Three Demon Beast was currently not enough to fill the Resentment Demon Bead. The energy was quickly fed back from the bead into his Qi Sea, where it was converted into his own Magical Power.

Since leaving the Yun Country, he had hunted more than sixty Tier Three Demon Beasts, and his Magical Power had grown to a terrifying degree.

Even Fang Cheng himself wasn’t sure just how powerful he had become.

But reality told him he was far from his limit.

The Life Soul he had forged using the original version of the Ten Directions Netherworld Refining Hell Profound Skill, left behind by Ancestral Master Yinluo in the depths of the Earth Abyss, was immense and profound. Its foundation was so deep and broad that its upper limit was extraordinarily high.

Fang Cheng was confident he could take on ten Life Soul Cultivators like Su Qin of the Profound Jade Sect at the same time.

After a long time.

The Demon Fire in the Quiet Chamber vanished.

Fang Cheng slowly opened his eyes, a palpable killing intent flashing within them for an instant before vanishing.

He rose and walked out of the Quiet Chamber to find that Ye Yan and Feng Ling had returned. They were chatting and laughing with his four concubines.

Fang Cheng walked over and sat down among the women, pulling one into his left arm and another into his right. "So," he asked with a smile, "what did Su Qin have to say to you?"

With a dazzling smile, Ye Yan recounted what Su Qin had told them.

After listening, Fang Cheng chuckled. "Since we’re already here, we might as well help them out. It’s no big deal."

Feng Ling frowned. "If we do, I’m afraid we’ll offend Taixu Mountain."

Fang Cheng wrapped an arm around Feng Ling’s firm, supple waist and said nonchalantly, "Taixu Mountain is nothing to fear."

His words carried a powerful, awe-inspiring confidence.

Feng Ling huffed. "Could it be that Peak Lord Fang has taken a fancy to our dear Sect Leader Su?"

"Husband, this is the Profound Jade Sect’s Baihua Brew. Have a taste." Ye Yan deftly changed the subject, magically drawing a cup of Spirit Wine to her hand and raising it to Fang Cheng’s lips.

Fang Cheng took a sip of the Spirit Wine, then turned and sealed Feng Ling’s fragrant, red lips with his own.

A moment later, they parted.

Feng Ling’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes glistening. She shot Fang Cheng a coquettish glance, a mixture of bashfulness and feigned anger.

"Good wine,"

Fang Cheng commented.

...