Cultivation: I Have a Golden Talisman

After their intimate "exchange," Fang Cheng realized just how exceptional Yan Shutong’s foundation was.

This woman was practically a Demon Path Sacred Body. Her control over Demonic Qi was almost divine, as if it were an extension of her own limbs.

The greatest risk in practicing a Demon Skill was the invasion of demonic thoughts. It forced one to walk on thin ice, like a tightrope walker, where a single misstep could lead to a fall into eternal damnation.

But this woman seemed to have an innate, profound understanding of Demon Skills, completely untroubled by the threat of demonic influence.

Even for someone as experienced and worldly as Fang Cheng, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d hit the jackpot this time.

He prided himself on possessing a heaven-defying immortal destiny, but faced with her peerless talent, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

Within the warm and elegant bed curtains, a faint fragrance permeated the air. The scent was warm and cloying, a sweet and unusual aroma that, when paired with the amorous disarray of the Jade Couch’s bedding, made the scene all the more sensual.

"I began my cultivation at the age of five. It has been twenty-two years now..." Yan Shutong rose and stepped off the Jade Couch. An air of languid charm clung to her, and her eyes overflowed with the tender, lingering passion of the boudoir.

Her exquisite, well-loved body was somewhat weary. Her steps were light and soft, possessing an indescribable grace that stirred one’s pity and affection.

After several sessions of their "deep exchange," Yan Shutong couldn’t withstand Fang Cheng’s blend of tenderness and dominance, and she unintentionally revealed many things.

She fetched a pot of Spirit Wine, returned to the Jade Couch, and nestled into Fang Cheng’s embrace. "Ten years ago, my parents passed away," she said softly. "I had just broken through to the Life Talisman Realm and came here all alone."

Fang Cheng took the wine pot and took a sip. The cool, smooth liquor carried a refreshing fragrance that spread throughout his mouth.

"To reach the Late-stage Life Talisman Realm in just twenty-two years... your talent is a rarity in this world!" Fang Cheng said, passing the pot to Yan Shutong.

Yan Shutong took a sip of the Spirit Wine for herself, then took another. Leaning in with her delicate, snow-white face still flushed with a rosy hue, she fed a mouthful to Fang Cheng.

The fine wine and her nimble, fragrant tongue created an exquisite experience.

After drinking, Fang Cheng reached out and pinched Yan Shutong’s delicate, snow-white chin. He smiled and asked, "Are there any other Tier Four Celestial Demons nearby?"

Yan Shutong thought for a moment before replying, "The Celestial Extinction Demon Pit."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng compared it with the information from his Soul-Searching Memory and nodded. "We’ll rest for a few days, then you can accompany me there."

Yan Shutong recalled the terrifying scene of Fang Cheng slaying the Tier Four Celestial Demon and nodded obediently.

Her grandfather was a Dharma Realm Demon Marquis with a profound family heritage, and both her parents were Life Soul Cultivators who had meticulously guided her since childhood.

Talent, inheritance, expert guidance—she lacked none of it. No wonder she could grow to such a level in less than thirty years.

And now, she had met Fang Cheng.

In between their sessions of Dual Cultivation, Yan Shutong inevitably asked Fang Cheng for advice on certain cultivation matters.

After receiving Fang Cheng’s guidance, Yan Shutong’s Cultivation surged overnight using just a single Tier Three Celestial Demon Relic, leaving Fang Cheng thoroughly surprised.

The two remained in the Cave Mansion for several days before finally leaving the Mituo Ruins to hunt Celestial Demons.

Three thousand li from the Mituo Ruins lay the remains of a great battle fought a thousand years ago between a Tribulation Realm Great Power of the Feather Race and a Tier Five Celestial Demon.

A massive pit, a full thousand li in circumference, scarred the Icefield. Its bottom was now overgrown with tall, demonically mutated pines and cypresses. They were pitch-black, several zhang thick, and shot straight up into the sky.

—The Celestial Extinction Demon Pit.

Three Tier Four Celestial Demons occupied the giant pit, along with countless Celestial Demons below Tier Three.

Having found this treasure trove, Fang Cheng began a rampant slaughter.

He could now kill Celestial Demons below the Tier Three Mid Stage with almost no effort. Late-stage Tier Three Celestial Demons required him to use all his skills, but thanks to the sharpness of his Mountain-Slaying Flying Sword, he could handle them with little to no real danger.

However, when facing a Tier Four Celestial Demon, his own strength was slightly insufficient.

Back when he had defied realms to slay Tier Three Demon Beasts and other fiends with his Life Talisman Cultivation, he had relied entirely on Divine Weapons like his Mechanical Battle Armor. Now that he had advanced to the Life Soul Realm, the Tier Three Mechanical Armor had become obsolete. He had left them behind in the Fang Family’s estate and Yinluo Villa.

After expending three Dream Spirit Incarnations, he had slaughtered all the Tier Four Celestial Demons in the great pit.

He had hunted and killed countless Celestial Demons below Tier Four.

During this time, he and Yan Shutong would return to the Mituo Ruins to recuperate for a period after each hunt.

Life was very fulfilling.

After devouring a massive number of Celestial Demons, the Resentment Demon Bead fed a huge amount of Spiritual Power back to Fang Cheng, causing his Cultivation to once again begin rising rapidly.

Demon Path Cultivation Methods were just that domineering!

At the same time, deep within the Resentment Demon Bead, a mysterious, dark-gold rune was faintly taking shape. It was hazy and indistinct, yet it emanated a heart-pounding aura, brimming with demonic nature.

Yan Shutong’s Cultivation also advanced by leaps and bounds. With Fang Cheng’s guidance and help, she was already approaching the Peak of Life Talisman.

Fang Cheng did not take out the Vermilion Bird Divine Pill for now.

’I need to observe her for a while longer. If she is truly conquered by me, body and soul, it wouldn’t be impossible to bring her back to the Red Profound Realm in the future.’

But Fang Cheng had a nagging feeling that she still held many secrets that she hadn’t revealed to him.

Just like himself.

Whether this was just a fleeting affair between strangers or a bond that could last a lifetime would depend on fate.

「That day.」

The Flame Lion pulled the magnificent chariot to a halt above the forest in the giant pit. Inside, Fang Cheng sat cross-legged, meditating to regulate his breathing and refine his Spiritual Power.

Yan Shutong was nowhere to be seen.

Fang Cheng had already hunted most of the Mid-to-Late Stage Tier Three Celestial Demons in the area. He could barely be bothered to act against ordinary Early-stage Tier Three Celestial Demons anymore.

’For a Demon Cultivator, this realm is practically a treasure world. As long as one has a solid enough foundation, any Demon Cultivator who comes here can rapidly increase their Cultivation.’

No wonder so many Cultivators from the Mo Luo Realm wanted to "smuggle" themselves over.

Fang Cheng was already planning to head to the next gathering place for Celestial Demons.

A moment ago, Yan Shutong had seemed to discover something and had gone into the dense forest alone to investigate.

Fang Cheng waited on the Flying Celestial Chariot for a moment when suddenly, a bronze CLANG echoed from below. A beam of azure Demonic Light shot into the sky, its aura shaking the heavens and the earth.

A curious expression appeared on his face. He looked down, his brow furrowing slightly.

Then, with a flicker, his figure vanished from the chariot.

「In the dense forest.」

Beneath a colossal, demonic cypress tree more than ten zhang thick, Yan Shutong stood gazing up at the mountain-like trunk. Her purple dress fluttered in the wind, accentuating her tall, graceful, and enchanting figure.

There, on the trunk of the tree, a magnificent Bronze Gate five zhang wide and nine zhang tall had appeared!

Behind Yan Shutong, Fang Cheng’s figure materialized without a sound.

"What is this?" Fang Cheng asked in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the Bronze Gate.

A complex expression crossed Yan Shutong’s face. "Years ago, Thundercloud Demon City was breached by the masters under Marquis Yan’s command," she said softly. "My ancestor was defeated and vanished. Some say he fell on the battlefield, while others claim he escaped and went into hiding."

"This gate is the entrance to my Yan Family’s Great Red Flame Demon Hall. Any descendant of the Yan Family bloodline can sense this gate within a hundred-li radius. My parents searched the world for it, guessing that our ancestor most likely fell here after suffering grievous injuries. I never imagined I would be the one to finally find it."

Fang Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, studying the patterns on the giant bronze door. The gate was embedded in the tree trunk, hidden in the void, somewhat similar to Ascendant Lingji’s Hundred Treasures Hall he had seen in the Wilderness Domain back then.

The Yan Family’s Demon Marquis had fled with this hall after his defeat, ultimately hiding it within this forest.

Only a descendant of the Yan Family bloodline who came near could summon the treasure hall.

’Unfortunately, the Yan Family’s descendants were almost all killed. Even if the survivors were proficient in the Celestial Demon Possession Technique, how many would dare venture into a place occupied by Tier Four Celestial Demons?’

He had a realization. "So you’ve been living in seclusion in the Mituo Ruins all these years to find this hall?"

Had he not slaughtered the three Tier Four Celestial Demons and the numerous Mid-to-Late Stage Tier Three Celestial Demons here, Yan Shutong would likely have had to wait several more decades before she could search this place freely.

Yan Shutong looked at Fang Cheng with her beautiful eyes and nodded. "Young Master, my Yan Family’s Foundation Method and our Inheritance Magical Artifact, the Demon Fire Golden Saber, are inside."

’So her recommendation for me to hunt Celestial Demons here first did have an ulterior motive.’

Fang Cheng didn’t say much, just offered a faint smile. "Let’s go take a look. The great task of restoring the Yan Family’s glory will rest on your shoulders in the future."

A grateful look appeared on Yan Shutong’s face. She reached out her slender, snow-white hand, took Fang Cheng’s, and flew up with him to the Bronze Gate.

She bit her finger and drew a profound and complex sigil on the Bronze Gate.

The gate then erupted in a brilliant light and, with a CREAK, slowly swung open.

The two stepped inside and found themselves in a round, domed Bronze Hall.

At the far end of the hall stood a giant, humanoid bronze statue. Its attire was peculiar, giving off a simple and archaic feeling.

Fang Cheng examined the bronze statue closely. One of its hands was placed on its chest, forming an unknown hand seal. The other hand rested over its Dantian Qi Sea, forming another unknown hand seal.

Behind the bronze statue, wheels of fire composed of Flame Runes manifested, one after another. The runes in each wheel seemed to contain endless, profound mysteries.

The statue’s expression was solemn, yet it also seemed to carry a hint of compassion. Its hand seals were exceptionally strange. For a fleeting moment, Fang Cheng felt as if it wasn’t holding hand seals, but an entire universe, one that contained some immense, fundamental truth.

Fang Cheng only glanced at it, but he could sense the infinite profundity within the hand seals. He faintly felt that the two seals contained world-shaking power, but when he tried to study them closely, they became empty and ethereal.

Seated cross-legged beneath the bronze statue was a white-haired old man. He was dressed in magnificent robes and had a dignified air, but he was completely devoid of life.

Resting across the old man’s knees was a long, serrated saber of dark gold. On the blade’s surface, Demon Fire seemed to burn and flicker.

A Fourth-rank Magical Artifact, the Demon Fire Golden Saber.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this had to be Yan Shutong’s grandfather, the lord of Thundercloud Demon City.

A Dharma Master of his generation had fallen here. To only be found by his granddaughter two hundred years later... Fang Cheng couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

...