Chapter 1293 - Eight Ancestral Talismans

Zhuge Ming's intervention snapped everything into place for Liu Wuxie, but he still intended to verify each conclusion later.

"Earth Immortal Realm cultivators acting against a junior at the Origin Conversion Realm. Is this the style of your Grand Unity Sect?" Zhuge Ming asked, his gaze razor-sharp as it swept across the Earth Immortals; if they dared take another step, he would show them no mercy.

Elders of the Grand Unity Sect exchanged wary glances. Someone had told them another elder led the expedition—how could Zhuge Ming be here? Sects rarely changed an expedition leader at the last minute. Not only had the Heavenly Dragon Sect replaced its leader, but they had also brought out Zhuge Ming, who had been in seclusion for years.

"Come back," an expert at the Quasi–Heaven Gaze Realm ordered, stepping from the Grand Unity Sect's warship to summon the Earth Immortals back. If they were to continue, they would only turn themselves into a laughingstock.

In truth, the Grand Unity Sect became a laughingstock the moment they failed to kill Liu Wuxie despite sending Earth Immortals to kill him.

Even as the Earth Immortals retreated, Liu Wuxie kept his eyes on them, the murderous light within refusing to fade. He etched every face into memory, fully aware that without Zhuge Ming's intervention, he would have been a dead man.

If someone else had led the expedition, things would have unfolded in a very different way. Whether anyone would face several Earth Immortals for a mere fifth-level Origin Conversion Realm junior was another matter entirely.

As for Elder Long, he was merely at the Void Realm; the gap between him and the Earth Immortals was far too significant.

When Liu Wuxie returned to the Heavenly Dragon Sect's warship, the murderous intent in his eyes finally ebbed. He had already marked the Grand Unity Sect for destruction. So what if they had Earth Immortals? He swore to himself that he would trample them beneath his foot one day.

Seeing that Liu Wuxie remained unharmed, Elder Long let out a long breath and hurried over.

"Kid, you've got some nerve," he said, patting Liu Wuxie's shoulder. After all, Liu Wuxie had stolen everyone's spotlight in this blacksmithing event.

Liu Wuxie answered with a smile. Taking first place in the blacksmithing event meant the Dragon Origin Herb was essentially his. However, he still needed strong results in subsequent events to persuade the sect to establish an interstellar teleportation array for him.

"This is your reward," Zhuge Ming said, handing an interspatial pouch to Liu Wuxie. For first place, he awarded the latter a seventh-grade spiritual pill, a hundred thousand Pure Yang Pills, and five million astral stones. These were only the base rewards; the sect would grant more once they returned.

However, Liu Wuxie had no plans of keeping any of it; he intended to exchange the entire haul to secure the interstellar teleportation array.

"Elder Zhuge, thank you for coming to my aid. I'm deeply grateful," Liu Wuxie said, receiving the interspatial pouch with genuine respect.

Neither revealed their relationship.

"There's a cultivation chamber on the ship. Use it freely; this seventh-grade spiritual pill will help your breakthrough," Zhuge Ming said, nodding and inviting Liu Wuxie into the depths of the warship to cultivate.

"Yes," Liu Wuxie replied. He couldn't have asked for more. With the second event starting in three days, he had to refine the seventh-grade spiritual pill as quickly as possible.

If he could reach the sixth-level Origin Conversion Realm, his odds in the next event would improve. He could already foresee that, besides the divine race, the Grand Unity Sect would do anything to kill him in the next event.

Under a tide of envious stares, Liu Wuxie entered the deepest decks of the warship and found a vast cultivation chamber.

The moment he stepped inside, laws different from those outside washed over him.

"Ten-fold time acceleration!" Liu Wuxie murmured.

Ten days in this chamber equaled one day outside. With three days remaining until the next event, he had enough time to break through to the sixth-level Origin Conversion Realm.

As long as he had sufficient resources, he would not hit bottlenecks before the Immortal Emperor Realm.

Outside, people were still abuzz over the blacksmithing event.

Seated within the chamber, Liu Wuxie circulated the Desolate Devouring Art and fed in a thousand Pure Yang Pills, dissolving them into pure yang energy that flooded the desolate world until it shone brighter than before.

"Time to make a breakthrough," Liu Wuxie murmured, taking out a seventh-grade spiritual pill and swallowing it in one gulp. He had consumed a Seven-Treasure Pill before and already understood how to refine a seventh-grade pill, so it limited the impact on his body.

The medicinal force dissolved into a violent current and surged through his limbs. The gateway to the sixth-level Origin Conversion Realm slowly emerged as his true essence roared and rampaged.

Power slammed forward and shattered the gateway to the sixth-level Origin Conversion Realm, while countless liquefied laws streamed into the desolate world.

At the same time, one hundred thousand Pure Yang Pills and one million astral stones vanished. Advancement costs grew along with his cultivation base.

Time crept on, and word that the Heavenly Dragon Sect had captured first place in the blacksmithing event spread rapidly back to the sect. Hua Feiyu caught a golden seal in midair, and it dissolved into countless words.

"Radiant, you were right," he said, as the words faded.

"This is only the beginning," Radiant replied, appearing as a lively teenager.

"Any news from the Lingqiong Clan?" Hua Feiyu asked, shifting the topic as his gaze stretched into the distance, as if piercing space and time.

"A few old antiques have emerged," Radiant said, a doll appearing in her hands as she began dressing it up.

"Keep a close watch. After the Myriad Race Ceremony, our Heavenly Dragon Sect might face a fierce internal conflict," Hua Feiyu ordered, closing his eyes and leaving Radiant to her devices.

Within the cultivation chamber, Liu Wuxie's aura mounted swiftly, soon reaching the pinnacle of the sixth-level Origin Conversion Realm. Since he had already taken a Seven-Treasure Pill, the seventh-grade pill's effect waned, and perhaps even another might not be enough to push him through.

The problem was not the pill; his physique had grown stronger, and it was developing a tolerance to its medicinal power.

That was inevitable. Most cultivators at the Origin Conversion Realm would never even see a seventh-grade pill, yet Liu Wuxie had already taken several of such pills. With the remaining time in the chamber, he threw himself into comprehending the Great Conversion Mythical Art.

After absorbing a vast tide of faith energy, he sensed the faith pool ripple, swelling to dozens of times its former depth.

As for the Great Curse Mythical Art and the Great Death Mythical Art, he still needed time, unless he could slay more of the faceless clan and the undead clan.

The cursed energy and deathly energy he currently possessed were nowhere near enough.

Three days flashed by as disciples across the domain rubbed their palms in anticipation. The second event would focus on forging spiritual talismans, but it was not that simple.

Everyone had to enter the ancestral talisman, and victory would go to whoever discovered the most runes.

When Liu Wuxie emerged from the cultivation chamber, his aura changed drastically. Hua Haosheng's face turned terrifyingly grim. The stronger Liu Wuxie became, the angrier he grew.

"Wuxie, the second event won't be easy. You'll be entering the ancestral talisman. Are you confident?" Elder Long asked as he came over.

If Liu Wuxie lacked confidence, there was no need to force it. The Grand Unity Sect had spent three days plotting to kill him during the second event.

"Ancestral talisman?" Liu Wuxie narrowed his eyes, shocked that one existed in the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain.

"You know about the ancestral talisman?" Elder Long asked, frowning at Liu Wuxie's familiarity.

"I know a bit," Liu Wuxie said, nodding. He did not merely know of ancestral talismans; in truth, he knew more than most. Just as Eight Divine Pupils existed in the world, so did eight ancestral talismans. They had long since vanished, and he was surprised to learn that one existed in the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain.

The eight included the Devouring Ancestral Talisman with effects mirroring the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron; the Space Ancestral Talisman, allowing travel through space; the Fire Ancestral Talisman, granting command of all flame; and the Yin-Yang Ancestral Talisman, which governed yin and yang, allowing one entry into the samsara world to bring the dead back to life.

There were also the Ice Ancestral Talisman, which was rumored to have come from the elven race rather than humanity; the Primal Ancestral Talisman, created by the dragon clan, containing immense might and granting mastery over primeval power; the Lightning Ancestral Talisman, which wielded lightning; and the Wind Ancestral Talisman, which commanded the wind and controlled rain.

However, the ancestral talismans had been missing for ages, and some had even dispersed into runes, returning to heaven and earth.

The path of spiritual talismans originated from these ancestral talismans. The dawn of creation formed each ancestral talisman ; later, others grasped and consolidated them, and they became the so-called "ancestral talismans."

This meant humans had inextricably tied the art of spiritual talismans to the ancestral talismans.

"Who owns the ancestral talisman?" Liu Wuxie asked after steadying his breathing. If he could obtain it, his cultivation would soar.

"Emperor Haoyuan," Elder Long replied.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

If Emperor Haoyuan held it, seizing it was a fantasy. Disappointment flickered through Liu Wuxie's eyes. Had it belonged to anyone else, he could have schemed a way to take it, but Emperor Haoyuan was an Immortal.

For now, he could only shelve the thought and hope for an opportunity to speak with him someday.

This time, there was no teleportation gate. A golden ray appeared and widened in midair. Then, a colossal talisman took shape before everyone. It was tattered, with vast sections of runes missing.

As it expanded, it blotted out the heavens, covering nearly the entire sky above White Moon Valley.

"The ancestral talisman has suffered heavy damage," Liu Wuxie murmured. Mending it would be like climbing the heavens, requiring a mountain of Immortal runes.

"The Fire Ancestral Talisman!" Cries rang out. Many across the Indigo Bamboo Star knew Emperor Haoyuan wielded the Fire Ancestral Talisman.

When Liu Wuxie had just arrived on the Indigo Bamboo Star, he only skimmed through that information. Now, boundless flame wrapped the ancestral talisman, which Emperor Haoyuan cast from hundreds of millions of miles away.

"You all know the second event by now. Enter the ancestral talisman, search for runes, and refine a profound talisman. Only those who obtain the ancestral talisman's acknowledgment will qualify," Zhuge Ming announced.

The second event resembled the first, but this time, the ancestral talisman itself would be the judge. Eagerness boiled over; everyone could hardly wait to enter.

When Zhuge Ming's words fell, he signaled for everyone to enter the ancestral talisman.