Chapter 1809: The Myriad Tinted Cloud Talisman and 3 Strikes From Kou Chongxue

Shang Xia, using the last of his rank seven talisman paper, finally succeeded in upgrading and completing the Myriad Tinted Cloud Talisman at the final moment.

And the instant it was completed, Shang Xia, drawing on his years of experience in talisman crafting, immediately judged that the talisman’s quality likely rivaled that of the Origin Star Talisman. Even among rank seven talismans, it would be considered top-tier.

So far, Shang Xia had only ever seen two rank seven talismans. The first was the Origin Star Talisman and now, this newly refined Myriad Tinted Cloud Talisman. Those were also the only ones he heard of.

Yet now, this freshly completed rank seven talisman that was used primarily defensively, was about to be used immediately.

Whenever a new talisman was completed, the first step was naturally to test it.

Even though Shang Xia’s intuition as a rank seven talisman master told him the improved talisman was a success, he still needed to verify exactly where that success lay and the extent of protection it could provide.

Only then could he continue to reproduce it in future crafting attempts.

Although the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field had begun to take shape, Shang Xia still felt that he should leave the Heavenly Field to test the talisman.

Not long after Shang Xia arrived at the edge of the space around the Essence Luxuriant World, Kou Chongxue appeared upon receiving his transmission.

"You really want to test it? This is a rank seven defensive talisman. It’s hard to craft. Even without testing it, I’m sure its power is considerable. Wouldn’t using it like this be a waste?" Kou Chongxue voiced his concern, though his enthusiasm hinted he was eager to see it in action.

Shang Xia smiled. "It has to be tested. Otherwise, doubts will linger, and those doubts will affect future crafting. Plus, while the inspiration from crafting is still fresh, I can identify and improve any flaws in real time."

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Hearing him, Kou Chongxue stopped hesitating and nodded. "Alright then, just be careful!"

With that, they distanced themselves in the void, and Kou Chongxue began gathering his sword qi.

Since it was a test, they wouldn't actually fight. However, they couldn’t afford to waste the talisman’s full extent of abilities either. With only 1 available, they needed to push its limits.

At this point, Kou Chongxue had already reached the peak of the first star and could break through at any time. However, his sword qi was so pure that it could rival second star Sages, and if a figure like Yan Yu didn’t have the support of his heavenly field, he might not even be able to take Kou Chongxue on.

As they stood 3,000 to 5,000 miles apart, Kou Chongxue signaled that he was ready to strike.

Without a word, Shang Xia activated his newly crafted rank seven Myriad Tinted Cloud Talisman.

In an instant, a towering fortress of clouds and radiant light materialized in the void. Shang Xia stood at its core, like the master of the castle.

Compared to the rank six version, the new fortress of cloud and mist was not only much more grand but shimmered with a magnificent brilliance beneath the glow of multicolored radiance.

A moment later, a mighty sword light pierced the void from thousands of miles away.

To maximize the test, Kou Chongxue didn’t strike the fortress head-on, but angled his sword to hit the side instead.

In a blink, the fortress’s flank was almost cut through. But surprisingly, the mist and radiance that should have dispersed began to gather again, showing signs of restoring itself.

Kou Chongxue was astonished, but Shang Xia, the talisman’s creator, even more so.

After all, though Kou Chongxue wasn’t quite on the level of Sage Jin, his sword qi carried a trace of power that contained the laws of the world.

And yet the new Myriad Tinted Cloud Talisman appeared capable of resisting the power of the laws. Even if it wasn’t overwhelmingly strong, its very existence meant the talisman was more than just a defensive shield.

More importantly, powerful talismans were rarely just passive tools. Often, martial artists could manipulate them to adjust their behavior.

Seeing this, Shang Xia immediately directed the remaining energy to pour into the damaged section. The once-slow repair process accelerated significantly.

On the other side, Kou Chongxue, having tested with his first strike, promptly launched his second. This time, it tore through the void and slashed at Shang Xia who was standing within the fortress.

His second strike was a frontal assault.

There was no doubt. Kou Chongxue was using his full strength to attack the strongest point of the cloud fortress.

As the sword approached, Shang Xia could already sense its immense power. It reminded him of Kou Chongxue’s sword that once split the Spirit Tip World through the heavenly screen.

Yet this strike, while born from that technique, had clearly undergone refinement. It was something new! It was perhaps the first form of Kou Chongxue’s rank seven sword technique!

The sheer speed and ferocity of the sword left Shang Xia no time to react. It arrived in a flash, piercing the fortress, but it didn’t completely destroy it.

The fortress looked like a shattered skyscraper after a massive quake. It was visibly ruined, but still standing.

Kou Chongxue, now within 1,000 miles, revealed a look of admiration. Despite the damage, the cloud fortress had not collapsed. His second sword had not broken the Myriad Tinted Cloud Talisman.

Indeed, moments later, the ruin of mist and radiance began to gather once more. However, this time, it didn’t reform itself. Instead, it became a dense cluster that maintained substantial defensive might. Shang Xia remained hidden within.

Both of them knew. The remaining cloud cluster could not survive a third sword strike.

But Kou Chongxue would deliver it regardless.

If they were testing the talisman, they needed to push it to its very limit.

As the third sword fell, the final cluster of mist shattered completely, but Shang Xia, revealed within, remained entirely unscathed.

As the remnant energy of his sword qi dissipated, Kou Chongxue was truly surprised.

"You didn’t shield yourself at the last moment?" He thought the residual power of his strike should have caused at least some damage, unless Shang Xia had neutralized it himself.

But Shang Xia shook his head with confidence and smiled. "The power of the talisman exceeded my expectations. Even I didn’t foresee that it could absorb the third strike."

Kou Chongxue clicked his tongue. "To withstand 3 of my strikes... With the last 2 at full strength!"

Shang Xia laughed. "Your combat strength can no longer be defined by cultivation alone. Even a mid-level Sage, someone like Gu Yi, wouldn’t dare say they could stand still and take a few of your strikes while leaving unscathed."

But Kou Chongxue slowly shook his head. "No, it’s more than that. Don’t forget, this talisman can even resist the power of laws. In a way... This talisman could be used to seal the heavens...”