Chapter 217

Chapter 217

Qiao Leshan took out a spirit artifact, which was a grade-earth defensive artifact shaped like a turtle shell, emerald green and glistening.

Su Wangling looked at it and understood, saying, "This is the Dripping Emerald Armor that Venerable Boyuan gave to Fellow Daoist Qiao for protection. I see he has given it to you."

Although its rank wasn't high, it was highly recognizable. Anyone who saw it would know its origin.

Qiao Leshan smiled, "Young Master Su indeed has a keen eye! Miss Wen, please see if you can use it."

Wen Qiao took the Dripping Emerald Armor and called over two Yellow Crystal Ants.

The Yellow Crystal Ants crawled onto her hand, their antennae probing towards the armor, but there was no reaction for a long time.

The others gathered around, watching the two Yellow Crystal Ants curiously.

"These two ants are path-finding ants?" Wu Qijie asked with interest.

Wen Qiao nodded, "They are mutated beasts that can sometimes help find paths, though they have limitations."

The disciples of Heavenly Talisman Sect laughed, "These two ants are quite delicate."

Suddenly, the two Yellow Crystal Ants' antennae left the Dripping Emerald Armor, crawling around on her hand, their antennae moving incessantly before lying still.

Everyone was puzzled.

Wen Qiao sighed, returning the Dripping Emerald Armor to Qiao Leshan, "This armor has already recognized you as its master; it's filled with your aura, not related to Senior Qiao anymore."

Qiao Leshan felt embarrassed and awkwardly put away the armor, feeling somewhat regretful.

He should have never refined the Dripping Emerald Armor back then, but his cultivation level was low, and the armor had become less useful to him. During their meeting fifty years ago, his elder brother had given it to him as a protective spirit artifact.

Apart from this Dripping Emerald Armor, nothing else carried Qiao Leshan's personal aura.

The two Yellow Crystal Ants, realizing they couldn't complete their task, seemed dejected and slowly climbed onto Wen Qiao's head, clinging to her hair bun, pretending to be two golden ant flowers, looking quite nice.

Wen Qiao let them be; these beasts liked to crawl on her, just like Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun, who usually perched on her shoulders as fluffy balls, rarely leaving.

Seeing this, everyone laughed, finding the two Yellow Crystal Ants rather cute.

Since even the Yellow Crystal Ants couldn't help, they decided to search themselves, choosing a direction to start walking and asking other cultivators about the whereabouts of Feixian Island's disciples once they encountered them.

But which direction?

The disciples of Heavenly Talisman Sect unfolded a map, and everyone gathered around to study it.

Suddenly, Ning Yuzhou pointed to an empty area on the map, "Senior Wang, why is this place blank?"

Although the map was rudimentary, showing only part of Tianzhiyuan, a large area was left blank without any markings.

Wang Quanfang looked and said, "The senior who gave me this map said this place is very dangerous. Several disciples entering Tianzhiyuan in the past were lost here. It's rumored that some seniors came to investigate but didn't pursue it further. Before we entered, the seniors warned us that something is off about this place and advised us not to approach it lightly."

Hearing this, everyone showed understanding.

"Do you think the group from Feixian Island might have gone there?"

"I think they would. Those guys from Feixian Island are reckless; there's nowhere they wouldn't dare go."

"I believe as long as they haven't found the divine tree, they won't give up. With the strength of Feixian Island's disciples, they might really go there."

"Yes, those guys from Feixian Island don't fear danger."

The disciples of Heavenly Talisman Sect discussed, clearly knowledgeable about Feixian Island's behavior.

While Feixian Island remained mysterious to most cultivators on Flying Star Continent, these inner disciples of major sects knew more and could speculate.

Su Wangling said, "You all make sense. If they haven't found anything elsewhere, they might indeed head there."

"Really?" Qiao Leshan asked worriedly.

Wu Qijie patted his shoulder, smiling, "Don't worry too much. Qiao Leshan is Venerable Boyuan's direct disciple. If he didn't have some skill, Feixian Island wouldn't have sent him."

The disciples of Heavenly Talisman Sect also comforted him.

Only Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou, who were not from Flying Star Continent, wisely remained silent.

After discussion, they finally chose a safer route to leave.

Perhaps they had ventured deep into Tianzhiyuan, for they didn't encounter any other cultivators along the way. However, passing through some special terrains, they found Evil Suppressing Talismans.

These talismans were inconspicuous, and if not for Su Wangling's Lingxi body noticing something amiss and prompting everyone to search carefully, they might have missed them. This indicated that while not every place in Tianzhiyuan harbored evil, areas marked by these talismans were indeed dangerous.

Every time they saw an Evil Suppressing Talisman, the disciples of Heavenly Talisman Sect wished to stop and study it.

If not for their intention to repay Ning Yuzhou's kindness and ensure their safe journey to find Feixian Island's disciples, they might have lingered at these sites.

That day, they arrived at an ancient battlefield.

This battlefield was a circular valley. Looking inside from the entrance, they saw wandering ghosts and spirits, making their scalps tingle.

Wu Qijie exclaimed in shock, "This is actually a Netherworld?"

Hearing "Netherworld," Wen Qiao recalled when they joined Red Sky Sect, how Second Senior Brother Yi Xuan searched for a thousand-year-old Heart-Eroding Grass in a Netherworld within Shengwu Continent, where Sheng Zhenhai and his family faced many difficulties before successfully obtaining the herb.

The Netherworld realm was separate from the human cultivation world, but occasionally, due to special reasons, parts of the human cultivation world could transform into Netherworld environments, known as Netherworlds.

No one dared to enter rashly. Although they couldn't determine what lay within, the sight from the valley entrance revealed it to be more dangerous than imagined.

Su Wangling, resting on Wu Qijie's back, closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his aura appeared weaker.

He whispered softly, "Look around nearby; there should be a talisman stone."

Everyone responded and began searching around the valley.

Once again, Wen Qiao was the first to find one.

"Wen Miss has such keen eyesight," Wu Qijie couldn't help but praise with a smile, noticing that Wen Qiao had discovered the location of the talisman stone several times before they passed by.

This girl's luck was truly remarkable.

The talisman stone was embedded in a crevice near the entrance of the valley, where it was damp and eerie. A cold wind blew out from inside, and the talisman stone sat within the narrow gap like a silent guardian.

The disciples of Heavenly Talisman Sect gathered around, having to bend their bodies due to the small size of the crevice, making them look rather comical.

However, no one present laughed at them; instead, their expressions were solemn.

They would have preferred not finding any talisman stones here.

If there were talisman stones, it meant that this place sealed a powerful evil spirit. Considering the netherworld within the valley, the situation did not look promising.

The crevice was very cold, causing the Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples who approached to shiver involuntarily. Nevertheless, they endured the extremely cold aura and carefully cleared away the talisman stone.

Once the appearance of the talisman stone became visible, the Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples stepped back, allowing others to see it as well.

"The inscriptions on this talisman stone are already blurred," Wang Quanfang said with a pained expression, looking at the stone covered with marks.

Not only were the inscriptions blurred, but the jade used as the medium was also riddled with spider-web-like cracks, leaving little remaining strength. If the talisman stone were to collapse, the evil spirit it suppressed would break free, putting all cultivators in the Heavenly Plains at risk.

Everyone felt a sense of heaviness.

Su Wangling looked at the talisman stone for a while, then turned to Ning Yuzhou and asked softly, "Young Master Ning, what do you think?"

Others also looked at him, especially the Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples, who believed that since Ning Yuzhou could understand ancient inscriptions, he must have a deeper understanding of the art of talismans and might have a solution.

However, Ning Yuzhou admitted, "I can only understand these inscriptions; I cannot repair them. If you fellow Daoists are worried, you can help set up a few talisman arrays to suppress evil spirits around it, to alleviate some of the pressure."

The "it" referred to the talisman stone that was barely holding together.

The Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples thought about it and agreed that his suggestion made sense.

As disciples of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, they had learned how to set up talisman arrays to suppress evil spirits, though they could not compare to the talisman stones in the Heavenly Plains. At best, they could provide some resistance, but it was better than nothing.

While the Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples were busy, Wen Qiao, Ning Yuzhou, and Su Wangling stood aside to protect them.

Su Wangling asked softly, "Young Master Ning, what do you think?"

Ning Yuzhou, being a smart person, immediately understood his meaning and pointed to the crevice where the talisman stone was embedded. He whispered, "The wind blowing out from this crevice is very similar to the netherworld aura in the valley. Both are evil winds, indicating that this place also leads to the netherworld within the valley."

Since most of the inscriptions on the talisman stone were blurred, even though Ning Yuzhuo could understand the meaning of the inscriptions, their incompleteness prevented him from fully interpreting them. He could roughly determine that the evil spirit sealed in this valley was stronger than those in other places. If it broke free, not only the cultivators in the Heavenly Plains but also those in Qingyuan Town outside the Heavenly Plains would be in danger.

"This talisman stone can hold for at most another ten years."

Su Wangling frowned, finding this timeframe shorter than expected. "Can it be repaired?"

"I don't think so," Ning Yuzhou said regretfully. "A new talisman stone to suppress evil spirits needs to be created."

Su Wangling remained silent for a moment after hearing this.

After the Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples finished setting up the talisman array, Su Wangling asked Wang Quanfang, "Daoist Wang, can the Jade Talisman Venerable in your sect create such a talisman stone to suppress evil spirits?"

Talisman mastery was prevalent in the Flying Star Continent, even producing Saint-level Talisman Masters, one of whom was the patriarch of the Heavenly Talisman Sect.

Because the Heavenly Talisman Sect had a Saint-level Talisman Master, it had become the leading force in talisman mastery in the Flying Star Continent, making it a top sect as renowned as Feixian Island.

Wang Quanfang replied, "If it's an ordinary talisman stone, the Jade Talisman Venerable should be able to make it. But for talisman stones that suppress evil spirits, we're unsure."

These talisman stones were extremely ancient, with inscriptions that were intricate and subtle. The current inscriptions used in cultivation were different from these ancient talisman stones, and their effectiveness was uncertain. He couldn't guarantee anything, mainly because he was only a Heaven-level Talisman Master, far from the Saint level, and thus unable to grasp the intricacies.

"I think it's possible," Ning Yuzhou suddenly said.

Everyone looked at him, particularly the Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples, whose eyes shone brightly.

Ning Yuzhou explained, "A talisman created by a Saint-level Talisman Master can sense the rules of the Heavenly Dao. Such a talisman to suppress evil spirits will definitely be effective."

Whether it would succeed or not was another matter, but he believed that the Saint-level Talisman Masters of the Flying Star Continent would strive to ensure the safety of their continent, no matter how difficult it might be.

As they were discussing, Wen Qiao and Wu Qijie suddenly looked up towards the entrance of the netherworld.

Wu Qijie said solemnly, "There's movement inside!"

The others were startled, instinctively thinking that the ghosts from the netherworld were about to emerge. They tensely followed Wu Qijie to take cover behind a rock formation a distance from the valley entrance, in case something unexpected happened inside the valley.

Soon, two figures appeared from the netherworld, flying towards the valley entrance.

Upon recognizing them, everyone outside the valley was shocked.

They never expected anyone to dare enter the netherworld; it took great courage indeed.

Then they saw a group of ghosts chasing after the two individuals.

The ghosts had solid bodies, looking eerie and formidable, clearly spawned from the netherworld.

The ghosts chased closely behind the two, emitting piercing shrieks that assaulted the mind, making it unbearable.

Those observing from outside quickly used their spiritual energy to protect their minds from the ghosts' cries.

Even those outside the valley felt uncomfortable, let alone the two inside. One of the cultivators stumbled, and the slower one was caught by the pursuing ghosts. A black ghost claw instantly pierced through his shoulder.

The cultivator let out a blood-curdling scream, yet did not fall. Instead, he gritted his teeth and summoned a stack of thunder talismans, hurling them at the ghosts to force them back, then fled toward the valley entrance, wounded.

Seeing the valley entrance just ahead, the two again summoned several thunder talismans, mustering their remaining strength to dash toward the entrance.

As they escaped through the valley entrance, the ghosts from the Netherworld followed, but suddenly a clear and gentle spiritual light emanated from the entrance, repelling the ghosts.

The spirits wailed in agony as they ascended from the earth, their crimson gazes locked onto the dwindling ethereal glow at the portal, voicing their reluctance.

When the two escaping cultivators realized the ghosts could not follow them, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing in exhaustion at the entrance, too weak to flee further. Especially the one who had been wounded by the ghosts was in very poor condition.

The ghosts inside the valley stared at the two cultivators for a while before reluctantly leaving.

After the ghosts departed, several people approached from a distance.

When the two cultivators sensed someone coming, they warily looked up.

Upon seeing their appearance, Wen Qiao and the others were somewhat surprised.

These two... could no longer be called human, especially the one wounded by the ghosts. His skin had gradually turned bluish-black, and the dense yin energy had transformed him into a half-human, half-ghost figure.

The other person, though looking slightly better, was also in poor condition, with yin energy swirling around him, showing signs of becoming a ghost.

Ghost cultivators are actually cultivators who have transformed from human cultivators.

However, in the human cultivation realm, it is extremely difficult for human cultivators to transform into ghost cultivators. Firstly, the human cultivation realm lacks the unique environment of the Netherworld, making the transformation process challenging. Secondly, human cultivators rarely possess cultivation techniques for ghost cultivators because they do not need them and would not specifically create such techniques.

Unless there are unexpected circumstances, no human cultivator willingly transforms into a ghost cultivator.

In the past, when the passages between the three realms were open, human cultivators who died unexpectedly could transform into ghost cultivators and continue living in another form. However, at some point, the passages closed, making it impossible for human cultivators to enter the Netherworld, let alone for the ghost cultivators left behind in the human cultivation realm.

Although these two still appeared as human cultivators, if they were not treated promptly, they would likely become monstrous beings that are neither human nor ghost.