Three hundred miles outside Tianji City, Blackwater Marsh.
Poisonous mist flowed like a phantom among the decaying leaves, emitting a sweet, nauseating stench.
Ling Tian trod on the slippery moss, his jade dragon sword suspended on his back, water droplets condensed on its sheath gleaming with a faint green light.
His Divine Sense spread like ripples. Under every inch of this land, venomous insects and Yao Beasts might lie dormant. He learned from a Jade Slip obtained from the Tianji Pavilion that there was an ancient ruin here, which might contain an Opportunity to further his strength.
“Crack.”
A faint cracking sound came from under his feet.
Ling Tian looked down. A half-decayed Yao Beast carcass was stuck in the mud, with a fist-sized hole in its skull, its edges smooth as if instantly pierced by something scorching hot.
He squatted down, his fingertips gently touching the wound. A faint, yet extremely domineering spiritual power lingered on it.
“This… was not done by a Yao Beast.”
Ling Tian frowned, his vigilance heightened.
He stood up and looked around. Not far away, a patch of burnt shrubs. Among the charred branches and leaves, several broken Talisman fragments were vaguely visible.
“Are these… Talismans from a Talismancer?”
Ling Tian picked up a piece and examined it carefully. The patterns on the Talisman were complex and profound, completely different from any Talisman he knew, faintly exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
Just as he was concentrating on his research, a faint rustling sound suddenly came from behind him.
Ling Tian suddenly turned around, his jade dragon sword flying out with a “clang,” Sword Qi like frost, pointing directly at the source of the sound.
“Fellow Daoist, wait!”
An urgent voice came, and a Cultivator in green robes flashed out from behind a tree, with a hint of helpless smile on his face.
He carried a seven-stringed guqin on his back and wore a Tianji Pavilion Guest Elder Jade Token at his waist, looking harmless.
“I am Mo Li, a Guest Elder of the Tianji Pavilion. I tracked a Yao Beast here and did not mean to disturb Fellow Daoist,” the green-robed Cultivator cupped his hands and said.
Ling Tian narrowed his eyes, not relaxing his guard: “Ling Tian.”
“So it’s Fellow Daoist Ling. A pleasure to meet you.” Mo Li smiled, but his gaze quickly swept over Ling Tian, as if assessing something.
“Fellow Daoist Mo, coming here alone, aren’t you afraid of encountering danger?” Ling Tian asked indifferently.
Mo Li sighed: “To be honest, I was entrusted by the City Lord to investigate a strange case. A patrol team composed of Cultivators mysteriously disappeared near the Blackwater Marsh, leaving only some strange Talisman fragments at the scene. I tracked them here, but I still have no clue.”
Ling Tian’s heart stirred. He handed over the Talisman fragment in his hand: “Is it this kind of Talisman?”
Mo Li took it and examined it carefully, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: “Exactly! Where did Fellow Daoist Ling get it?”
Ling Tian pointed to the charred shrubs not far away: “Over there.”
Mo Li quickly walked over and squatted down to examine them carefully.
A moment later, he stood up, his expression solemn: “Has Fellow Daoist ever heard of Talismancers?”
“I’ve heard a little, but I don’t know much,” Ling Tian replied, but he vaguely felt that this Talismancer seemed related to the Opportunity he was looking for.
“Ten thousand years ago, there was a lineage of Cultivators who didn’t refine their bodies, only cultivated their hearts, and communicated with heaven and earth solely through Talismans, unleashing immense power. They used their fingers as pens, spiritual energy as ink, and with a wave of their hands, they could Seal mountains and oceans, suppress demons and subdue Yao, and the world called them ‘Talismancers’.”
Mo Li paused, a hint of awe in his tone:
“Talismancers are best at the ‘Three Seals Technique’: Spirit Seal, Soul Seal, and Heaven Seal. Among them, the Soul Seal Technique is to Seal the Divine Soul of powerful Yao Beasts with Talismans…”
He pointed to the Talisman fragment in his hand: “The patterns on this fragment are very similar to an ancient Soul Seal Talisman recorded in the Tianji Pavilion’s ancient texts.”
“Seal?” Ling Tian frowned slightly, “Could it be that something terrifying is Sealed in this Blackwater Marsh?”
Mo Li shook his head: “I’m not sure about the specific situation, but now that the Soul Seal Talisman is broken, this place is probably…”
Before he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed: “Fellow Daoist Ling, be careful!”
Ling Tian almost instinctively leaped backward, while his jade dragon sword returned to its sheath, protecting his vital points.
Just as the two of them had been standing, the mud churned, and several black shadows as thick as water buckets broke out of the ground, their scales gleaming with a faint green light in the poisonous mist. They were several Blackwater Profound Snakes!
“Yao Beasts comparable to the Early Stage Golden Core…”
Ling Tian’s heart tightened. These Blackwater Profound Snakes were not only powerful but also extremely venomous. Once entangled by them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Fellow Daoist Ling, leave these beasts to me, you retreat!”
Mo Li’s expression was solemn. His hands quickly plucked the guqin strings, and the passionate zither music transformed into invisible sound blades, striking at the Blackwater Profound Snakes.
Ling Tian did not retreat; instead, a hint of Battle Intent flashed in his eyes.
He was just worried about not having the Opportunity to verify his recent Cultivation achievements. These Blackwater Profound Snakes would serve as excellent test subjects for his sword!
The jade dragon sword was unsheathed again, the sword body humming lightly, faintly emitting the sound of a Dragon’s roar.
Ling Tian moved like lightning, weaving among the Blackwater Profound Snakes, his sword light flickering. Each sword strike precisely pierced the vital points of the Profound Snakes.
The two cooperated, one attacking and one defending, actually fighting these Blackwater Profound Snakes to a standstill.
However, the Blackwater Profound Snakes seemed endless, with new ones continuously emerging from the mud.
“This won’t do!” Mo Li’s forehead was sweating, and he said in a deep voice, “We need to find what’s attracting these Profound Snakes!”
Ling Tian’s gaze swept around, finally landing on a dilapidated stone tablet not far away.
The stone tablet was covered with ancient runes, emitting a cyan light.
“That is… a Talismancer’s Soul Seal Tablet!” Mo Li exclaimed, “It seems there is indeed some existence Sealed here!”
Ling Tian’s heart stirred. Just as he was about to approach the stone tablet, he felt a powerful force surge from it, pushing him back several steps.
“Fellow Daoist Ling, be careful!” Mo Li reminded again.
Almost simultaneously, in the mud around the stone tablet, countless black shadows slowly rose—they were stone golem puppets controlled by Talismans, their eyes glowing with a faint green light, slowly approaching the two.
“Stone Golems!”
Mo Li quickly took down his guqin, his fingertips plucking the strings. A sound wave swept out, pushing back the first few stone golems.
Ling Tian also didn’t hesitate. The jade dragon sword was unsheathed, and Flame Dragon Sword Qi crisscrossed, cutting one stone golem in half.
However, after the stone golem fell, it quickly reassembled and charged again!
“These stone golems are controlled by Talismans; ordinary attacks are ineffective!” Mo Li shouted, “We must destroy the Talisman core within them!”
Ling Tian’s eyes narrowed. The True Essence in his body circulated wildly, and the jade dragon sword emitted a dazzling red light.
Flame Dragon Power!
He moved like lightning, his sword precisely piercing the chest of a stone golem, shattering the Talisman core within it.
The stone golem immediately fell to the ground, turning into a pile of gravel.
Then the two cooperated, Mo Li restraining the stone golems with sound waves, while Ling Tian used Flame Dragon Power to destroy them one by one.
However, the number of stone golems was simply too many, and they continuously crawled out of the mud, gradually overwhelming the two.
“We must find the source controlling these stone golems!” Mo Li gritted his teeth.
Ling Tian’s gaze swept around, finally locking onto the top of the stone tablet: “There’s a green Talisman on top of the stone tablet! The power source of these stone golems should be that Talisman!”
“I’ll cover you!”
Mo Li’s hands rapidly plucked the guqin strings. The zither music was like a violent storm, temporarily pushing back the surrounding stone golems.
Ling Tian seized the Opportunity, his figure flashing, and rushed directly to the top of the stone tablet.
Just as he was about to touch the green Talisman, a huge black shadow suddenly darted out from behind the stone tablet, carrying a foul wind, and lunged at his face!
“Be careful!” Mo Li exclaimed.
Ling Tian reacted extremely quickly. His jade dragon sword blocked in front of him, and with a loud “clang,” it clashed hard with the black shadow.
The huge impact knocked Ling Tian back. He somersaulted in mid-air and landed steadily.
The two looked closely. The black shadow was actually an armored stone golem, holding a rusty long saber in its hand, its eyes glowing with a crimson light, and its aura was comparable to an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator!
“Stone Golem King!” Mo Li’s face changed drastically, “Fellow Daoist Ling, retreat quickly!”
Ling Tian, however, did not retreat. Instead, Battle Intent ignited in his eyes.
“After Golden Core, I haven’t had a satisfying battle yet. You’re perfect for a test!”
He gripped his sword with both hands, the Flame Dragon Power in his body surging wildly, and the jade dragon sword let out a heaven-shaking Dragon’s roar!
“Flame Dragon First Transformation! Burning Body!”
“Dragon Spirit, Transform!”
“Golden Dragon’s Roar to the Heavens!”
The jade dragon sword shone brightly, instantly disintegrating and then Fusion with Ling Tian’s right arm!
Dragon scales covered his arm, crimson flames swirled around it. With a punch, the air exploded, and the sonic boom was deafening!
This punch, carrying endless Flame Dragon Power, went straight for the Stone Golem King!
“Boom!!”
The Stone Golem King raised its saber to block, but was directly pierced by the fiery fist.
However, the Stone Golem King seemed to feel no pain. The shattered stones on its chest quickly creeping, and in the blink of an eye, it recovered as before.
Ling Tian’s pupils contracted slightly.
“This…”
Mo Li quickly reminded: “The Stone Golem King’s core is not in its body, it’s the Talisman on top of the stone tablet! We must destroy it!”
Ling Tian instantly understood. He tapped his toes on the ground, his figure like a swallow, and rushed towards the stone tablet again.
The Stone Golem King roared, its giant saber following like a shadow, slashing down fiercely!
“Great Sound is Faint!”
Mo Li shouted loudly, and the guqin erupted with dazzling light.
Invisible sound waves, as if solidifying time and space, firmly fixed the Stone Golem King in place.
“Fellow Daoist Ling! Now is the time!!”
Mo Li’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
“Break for me!”
Ling Tian roared, golden light exploding from his right arm. The jade dragon sword, like a meteor, pierced the Talisman on top of the stone tablet.
“Crack!!”
The Talisman exploded in response!
The stone tablet also erupted with dazzling cyan light, and then collapsed with a roar.
“Oww…”
The Stone Golem King let out an unwilling roar, its massive body rapidly disintegrated, turning into a pile of shattered stones.
The surrounding stone golems also fell to the ground like puppets that had lost their Souls, becoming silent.
The dust settled.
Ling Tian and Mo Li stood before the ruins of the stone tablet, both panting somewhat exhaustedly.
“Finally resolved…”
Mo Li wiped the sweat from his forehead, still feeling lingering fear.
He looked at Ling Tian and said sincerely: “Fellow Daoist Ling, this time, it’s all thanks to you.”
Ling Tian shook his head, a hint of self-mockery in his tone:
“I am still too weak. If not for Fellow Daoist Mo’s assistance, I would probably have been buried here long ago.”
He squatted down and carefully examined the broken Talisman fragments.
On one of the fragments, the runes carved were extremely similar to the Talisman fragment he had picked up earlier.
“These runes…”
Mo Li also came closer, examining them carefully, his brows tightly furrowed: “It seems to be the core part of the Seal.”
“It seems that there is indeed some powerful Yao Beast Sealed here, but I don’t know why the Seal was broken, and where that Yao Beast escaped to…”
Ling Tian pondered for a moment, a glint flashing in his eyes:
“Perhaps we can start with these runes to trace the clues.”
Mo Li nodded in agreement: “Exactly, these runes are extremely ancient. If we can decipher them, we will surely uncover the secret of this place.”
The two collected the rune fragments one by one.
Mo Li decided to take these fragments back to the Tianji Pavilion and hand them over to the Elders in the Pavilion for research, and to report the anomaly in the Blackwater Marsh.
Just as the two were about to leave, a sudden, inexplicable tremor surged in Ling Tian’s heart.
It was as if… a pair of eyes were secretly peeking at him.
He suddenly turned his head and looked behind him.
However, all he saw was a dark marsh, filled with poisonous mist.
“What’s wrong?” Mo Li noticed Ling Tian’s abnormality and asked.
Ling Tian shook his head, suppressing the unease in his heart: “Nothing, maybe it’s just an illusion.” But he vaguely felt that things were not that simple.
After leaving the Blackwater Marsh, Ling Tian and Mo Li parted ways.
Mo Li would immediately return to the Tianji Pavilion to report the results of this trip.
As for Ling Tian, he decided to continue south, heading to the Crimson Flame Mountain Range.
His master once said that in the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, there was a spiritual treasure that contained pure fire-element True Essence, which was the key to Cultivating the Flame Dragon’s Second Transformation!
Ling Tian wanted to try his luck.
At the time of parting, Mo Li handed Ling Tian a Jade Slip: “Fellow Daoist Ling, this is a communication Jade Slip from my Tianji Pavilion. If you need anything, you can contact me at any time.”
Ling Tian took the Jade Slip and cupped his hands in thanks: “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Mo. We shall meet again.”
Mo Li smiled slightly: “We shall meet again.”
...Deep within the Blackwater Marsh.
Not long after Ling Tian and the other person left.
“Rumble…”
In the center of the marsh, the ground suddenly cracked open into a huge chasm, a hundred meters wide!
Thick black water poured in, revealing a bronze altar below.
The altar was covered with strange incantations.
Nine chains, as thick as water buckets, extended from the edge of the altar deep into the ground.
The chains were densely covered with tiny Talismans, each one flickering with a faint cyan light.
“Crack…”
One chain suddenly broke!
Immediately after, it was the second, the third… When all the chains broke, the altar collapsed with a roar.
A foul-smelling, blood-red poisonous mist shot into the sky!
Within the poisonous mist, a pair of crimson vertical pupils slowly opened.
In the depths of the pupils, countless twisted and struggling Revenant were reflected.
“A thousand years…”
A low, venomous voice echoed in the marsh, making the mud churn as if boiling.
A colossal creature slowly rose from underground.
Its scales were as black as ink, each one gleaming with a faint green light.
Its body was as thick as a giant tree, and on its head grew a pair of twisted horns, the tips of which were entwined with purplish-black poisonous mist.
This was precisely the Heaven-Devouring Poisonous Flood Dragon, Sealed for a thousand years by a Talismancer with a Soul Seal Talisman!
The poisonous flood dragon raised its head and exhaled.
Wherever the poisonous mist passed, all vegetation withered, and even mountain rocks were corroded into powder!
It lowered its head to look at the dark green Talisman fragments in the ruins of the stone tablet, a hint of ferocity flashing in its crimson vertical pupils.
“Hiss hiss… I still have to thank that Human Race brat for helping this venerable one break the last Seal.”
Its forked tongue lightly licked its fangs, as if savoring some supreme delicacy.
“Hiss hiss… I didn’t expect that brat’s body to contain such pure Bloodline Power…”
“If I devour him, this venerable one will not only recover to its Peak but also have a chance to Breakthrough its shackles and Transform into a Dragon, achieving Ascension!”
The poisonous flood dragon’s body slowly sank into the mud, leaving only a pair of crimson vertical pupils flickering in the darkness.
“Brat, you can’t escape…”
“This venerable one… has already remembered your ‘taste’…”
“That scorching… Dragon’s aura…”
“Grow up quickly… When your Bloodline is completely Awakened…”
“Hiss hiss hiss…”
