Cultivation: I Have a Golden Talisman

Fang Cheng collected the two's storage bags and Magical Artifacts, then casually released a beam of Li Hen Demon Light and incinerated their corpses.

Blood Demon Zhao Wuji was truly one of the top experts in the Eastern Wilderness. His storage bag was filled with treasures, and that wasn't even counting the share he'd received when they plundered the Qiankun Saint Sect's Treasure Vault.

Fang Cheng couldn't help but feel impressed. 'Only the treasures from the storage bags of cultivators like these are actually interesting.'

The Jade Ruyi that Zhao Wuji often held was, as expected, a Fourth-rank Magical Artifact. It was also a rare Divine Soul-type artifact, nurturing a Golden Eagle Beast Soul within. The soul could merge with the artifact's divine light to manifest as a tangible Spiritual Bird, or it could directly attack a cultivator's Divine Soul, making it nearly impossible to defend against.

There was another Fourth-rank Magical Artifact: an ancient, circular shield with formidable defensive power. Zhao Wuji had wielded it back in the Outer Ancient Tomb.

In addition, there was an extremely precious and rare Fourth-tier Forbidden Breaking Talisman.

There was also a large gourd filled with Five Flames Divine Thunder, which Zhao Wuji had carefully sealed with several Talismans. Despite the seals, the terrifying aura of thunder and fire contained within still seeped out. Even with his current insight and Cultivation, Fang Cheng felt a tremor of apprehension.

This gourd of Five Flames Divine Thunder was of a very high grade, its power comparable to the full-force strike of a Dharma Cultivator. It must have been Zhao Wuji's hidden trump card.

In comparison, there were far fewer treasures in Qianmu Demon King's storage bag.

The only items that caught Fang Cheng's eye were the Celestial Crane Palace and a few Fourth-rank Talismans.

To Fang Cheng's surprise, the Demon King's storage bag also contained over a hundred pounds of Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads!

This was a pleasant surprise.

'This trip to the Wilderness has been incredibly fruitful. I'll need to sort through everything once I get back.'

He immediately refined the Celestial Crane Palace. With a flick of his finger, he sent out a beam of spiritual light. The palm-sized flying palace trembled, and a Female Cultivator with a graceful figure tumbled out.

Qing Luo Demon King.

Ever since being grievously injured in the Outer Ancient Tomb, she had remained in the Celestial Crane Palace to recuperate.

Now that Fang Cheng had suddenly released her, her pretty face was filled with surprise and confusion.

Her injuries were only about thirty percent healed. It would take several years of arduous cultivation for her to fully recover.

"Fellow Daoist Fang, it's you... Where is the Demon King?"

Qing Luo's gaze fell on the Celestial Crane Palace in Fang Cheng's hand. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she spoke slowly.

Fang Cheng put away the Celestial Crane Palace and said calmly, "The Demon King and Mr. Zhao conspired to ambush me, so I killed them."

Qing Luo was stunned, momentarily speechless.

'The Celestial Crane Palace is Qianmu Demon King's most important Magical Artifact. If the Demon King wasn't dead, how could it have fallen into Fang Cheng's hands?'

'How could this be?!'

Qing Luo's mind raced. When she thought of Fang Cheng's nigh-invincible Divine Techniques and Sword Technique, her first instinct was to flee.

Unfortunately, a faint but palpable Sword Intent enveloped her, making her feel as if she were walking on eggshells. The slightest movement, it seemed, would bring total annihilation.

'Whether what Fang Cheng said was true or not no longer mattered.'

'So even Blood Demon Zhao Wuji was no match for him?'

Qing Luo lowered her gaze, completely abandoning any thought of resistance. She gave a bitter smile and asked, "Fellow Daoist, how do you intend to dispose of me?"

Fang Cheng didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked, "I found a good amount of Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads in Qianmu's storage bag. Do you know where I can find more?"

A strange look flashed in Qing Luo's eyes. She replied respectfully, "The Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts raises a large number of Geng Metal Profound Silkworms. Our vaults hold over three hundred pounds of the threads. If you aren't in a hurry, Fellow Daoist, the valley can produce another thirty-plus pounds each year."

Fang Cheng smiled faintly and asked, "Tell me about the current situation in the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts."

Not daring to hesitate, Qing Luo quickly explained everything. Fang Cheng would occasionally interrupt with questions, all of which she answered truthfully.

The Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts is the Sacred Land of the Demon Race in the Eastern Wilderness. The demon population in the valley numbers over ten thousand, though most are only Tier One or Tier Two.

There were a total of eight Tier Three Demon Kings. Qianmu Demon King had been the strongest, while the other seven were all at the Tier Three Early Stage of cultivation.

Members of the Demon Race mostly rely on their innate bloodline talents. Their Cultivation Techniques primarily focus on refining and purifying their bloodline's power to constantly enhance their Talent Divine Techniques.

A thousand years ago, the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts suffered an internal conflict and lost a third of its legacy. As a result, the demons' paths of cultivation were obstructed, and to this day, they have not found a solution.

Qianmu Demon King had only managed to reach the Tier Three Mid Stage through a stroke of incredible luck. He was determined to restore the former glory of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, so he led the other demons on an extensive investigation. They eventually discovered that the valley's lost legacy had ended up in the possession of the Rakshasa Sect.

This was the very reason the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts and the Rakshasa Sect had been locked in constant conflict for so many years.

There are seven great clans in the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts. The Fox Race, to which Qing Luo Demon King belongs, is the most ancient of them and holds a position of great importance in the valley.

After hearing her explanation, a plan formed in Fang Cheng's mind. He turned to Qing Luo and said, "Fellow Daoist Qing Luo, do you wish to live, or do you wish to die?"

Qing Luo bit her red lip. Her limpid eyes met Fang Cheng's as she said, "I wish to live, of course."

Fang Cheng nodded. "In that case, from now on, you shall be my Spirit Servant."

Qing Luo sighed inwardly and knelt at Fang Cheng's feet, her voluptuous and graceful figure put on full display.

"Qing Luo pays her respects to Master."

Fang Cheng placed a hand on her head. "Relax your Divine Soul and allow me to place a Divine Prohibition."

Qing Luo did as instructed. She immediately felt a beam of Buddha Light enter her sea of consciousness, where it transformed into a Talisman that affixed itself to her Divine Soul.

A sense of purity and serenity spread through her, making her Divine Soul tremble slightly. But just as quickly, the feeling vanished, leaving no sensation of her Divine Soul being restricted in any way.

"This Talisman contains a wisp of Buddhist Treasure Flame. With a single thought, I can incinerate your Divine Soul," Fang Cheng said, lifting his hand with a chuckle. "I won't be able to control you anymore unless you manage to cultivate to the rank of a Tier Four Demon Emperor."

Qing Luo quickly replied, "Master, your Divine Techniques are unparalleled. How could I dare to have any disloyal thoughts? From now on, I will serve you with all my heart and soul."

"Get up. You're coming with me to the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts."

Fang Cheng summoned his Flying Celestial Chariot, and with Qing Luo aboard, flew toward the eastern horizon.

*

*

*

「Several days later.」

「The Eastern Wilderness, Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts.」

The sky was blanketed in dark clouds. Thunder rumbled, its deafening roar echoing for hundreds of miles.

A great river flowed majestically, winding its way through deep canyons between the mountains.

On the cliffs flanking the canyon, countless magnificent palaces and pavilions had been built, stretching for dozens of miles in a spectacular display.

Amidst the rolling thunderclouds, a streak of fiery light pierced the dark canopy and descended.

Within the fiery light, a massive lion pulled a magnificent chariot, which came to a slow halt in mid-air.

A young man sat leisurely upon the chariot. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful build, and wore a dark, cloud-patterned Daoist Robe. His features were sharp and well-defined, with sword-like brows and eyes as bright as stars, giving him an extraordinary air.

Beside him sat a beautiful Female Cultivator, her posture dignified yet tinged with a languid grace.

These were, of course, Fang Cheng and Qing Luo Demon King.

Pointing to the structures in the canyon below, Qing Luo Demon King said, "Master, this is the very heart of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts. The eight of us typically cultivate here."

The Spiritual Qi here was rich and dense. The demons had carved Cave Mansions into the canyon cliffs, where they lived and multiplied.

The farther a Cave Mansion was from the core area, the more rudimentary it became, and the lower the Cultivation of the demons who lived there.

Fang Cheng gazed down at the canyon. Above, the sky was filled with dark, roiling clouds and flashes of lightning, displaying the vast might of the heavens.

Yet the canyon cliffs on both sides were brightly lit, appearing like two Fire Dragons winding along the mountainside.

With his Divine Sense, he detected six powerful demonic auras residing in the valley, along with the presences of countless Tier Two demons—an astonishing number.

Members of the Demon Race have long lifespans. As long as their bloodline was strong enough, most could eventually reach the second tier just by living long enough.

With so many Tier Two demons, the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts represented a force that could not be ignored. It was no wonder it was known as the Sacred Land of the Demon Race in the Eastern Wilderness.

Fang Cheng put away the Flying Celestial Chariot and activated the Lingxiao Three Sceneries Talisman. With a flicker, his body vanished into the talisman.

Qing Luo Demon King took the Talisman and stored it safely on her person. A plume of white light rose from her shoulder, coalescing into a foot-tall figure with Fang Cheng's exact likeness.

He was imitating the tactic Jingyuan and Jingxuan had used, hiding inside the Lingxiao Three Sceneries Talisman.

"Go into the valley and pay a visit to the other Demon Kings!" Fang Cheng's tone left no room for argument.

With that, his projected figure dissipated.

Qing Luo Demon King acknowledged the command. Her long skirt fluttering, she descended from the sky.

As she approached the valley from above, a shimmering, bright yellow barrier of light appeared. Huge runes swirled within the barrier, emanating a heavy, suppressive aura.

Qing Luo Demon King produced a Token. With a light flick, she was enveloped by the Grand Array's light and guided into the valley.

The moment her presence entered the valley, it alerted the other Demon Kings.

Four beams of demonic light shot out to meet her.

Within the beams of light were three men and one woman, each possessing an extraordinary, noble, and imposing bearing.

"Qing Luo, how were you so grievously injured? And why has Qianmu's Soul Lamp gone out?!"

The female Demon King among the four was the first to demand an answer.

The other three Demon Kings also fixed their gazes on Qing Luo, waiting for her to speak.

With Qianmu's fall, the demons of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts were left without a leader. The situation was grim.

Qing Luo Demon King said in a solemn voice, "It's a long story. Why don't we discuss it in my Cave Mansion?"

The four Demon Kings exchanged a look. Knowing the matter was too sensitive to discuss in the open, they all nodded in agreement with Qing Luo's suggestion.

The five arrived before a palace suspended in mid-air. Once inside, Qing Luo casually activated the privacy wards, sealing them off from the outside world.

Just as the four Demon Kings were waiting for Qing Luo to speak, a tri-colored Profound Light flashed from her body, and a sacred Buddhist tone echoed through the chamber.

The four Demon Kings instantly felt their Divine Souls tremble. The world swam before their eyes as a towering, mountain-sized Golden Giant Buddha materialized within each of their seas of consciousness and threw a devastating punch at their Divine Souls.

This was a Divine Soul Attack Technique from the Infinite Light Buddha Scripture.

Fang Cheng's Divine Soul was already far stronger than that of cultivators at his level. After learning this technique, he became even more formidable—so much so that not even the Qiankun Saint Sect's Celestial Splendor Dream Realm Lamp had been able to trap him!

His sudden attack now caught the four Demon Kings completely by surprise.

Immediately after, an impossibly fast streak of sword light flashed through the hall. It effortlessly shattered the four Demon Kings' Protective Spiritual Light and pierced straight through their Dantian Qi Seas.

A Tier Five Flying Sword, using the Celestial Ghost Sword Technique.

The four Demon Kings' Divine Souls were already on the verge of collapse from the spiritual punch. Now, with their Qi Seas pierced, a mass of incomparably sharp sword energy lay dormant within each of them. Their lives hung by a thread!

The four Demon Kings struggled to compose themselves, staring at Qing Luo Demon King in utter horror. They couldn't believe that in the blink of an eye, four Tier Three masters like themselves had been so easily subdued.

'To think that they, powerful Demon Kings, could be rendered so utterly helpless...'

'Who is this person? Could it be... a Dharma Great Power?'

Fang Cheng emerged from the Lingxiao Three Sceneries Talisman. He looked at the four Demon Kings and asked curiously, "Why didn't the other two Demon Kings come over?"

Qing Luo replied respectfully, "Those two Demon Kings must be in seclusion."

Seeing this, one of the four Demon Kings, his face contorted with rage, snarled, "Qing Luo, you dare betray the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts and conspire with an outsider to ambush us?!"

He was about to activate the power of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts' Grand Array when a sharp pain suddenly lanced through his Qi Sea. His Magical Power instantly dissipated, as if his Divine Techniques had been stripped from him entirely.

He froze in place, his face ashen. He glared at Qing Luo, grinding his teeth in fury, but didn't dare to meet Fang Cheng's gaze.

The other three Demon Kings remained outwardly calm. They knew they had encountered an enemy they could not hope to resist, and that their only option was to stay composed for the moment.

Fang Cheng smiled faintly. "Everyone," he said, "from this day forward, the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts will acknowledge me as its master. Of course, I won't meddle in the valley's day-to-day affairs. You may all continue to act as its Demon Kings. You will simply be required to perform a few tasks for me when I have need of you."

"I've said my piece. Who is in favor? Who is opposed?"

...