Talisman Emperor

Whoosh!

The instant Chen Xi’s hand caught the dazzling brilliance, a strange energy that was a mix of scorching hot and icy coldness disregarded the thick True Essence covering his palm as it fiercely pierced into his flesh like a sharp awl, seeming to want to break open his palm and escape.

“It actually disregarded the energy of my True Essence!” Chen Xi felt pain to the point that his face warped. If it wasn’t for him cultivating the Universe Starslayer Bodyforging Arts and having already tempered his body to the perfection-stage of the Congenital Realm, only this blow would have caused a hole to be pierced through his palm.

At this moment, Chen Xi finally saw clearly that the dazzling brilliance in his palm was actually like an irregular fragment of a tortoise shell.

It was palm-sized, entirely rough and pitch-black, with crisscrossed rugged markings that were dense and complicated cut on its surface. Yet not only was it not in disorder, it instead carried along an ancient and profound aura.

It seemed like within it was a boundless ocean, a star studded sky, a heaven and earth that was vast like when the world was formed. Up to the heavens and down to the netherworld, it was vast without end. With a glance, it seemed as if it wanted to absorb one’s soul into it!

This is the River Diagram fragment?

Chen Xi was inexplicably shocked. That instant earlier, his soul seemed as if it wanted to fly away, and it caused him to feel great terror and great panic.

Om!

It was at this moment that a strand of a violent torrent of energy surged out from the River Diagram fragment into his palm once again. It was like the lava from the core of the earth and extremely cold ice mixed together, so scorching that it scalded his skin and so icy cold that it pierced his bones. With a bang, it shook Chen Xi’s hand to the point a spray of blood exploded out from his tightly clenched right hand, and the blood spattered and suffused into the air, revealing ghastly white bones on his hand.

“Ah!” The intense pain caused Chen Xi to be unable to refrain from roaring out, yet his hand still tightly clenched onto the River Diagram fragment without letting go. Even if his skin and flesh had already opened up and white bones clanked.

Chen Xi didn’t notice that after the River Diagram fragment was tainted with his blood, it struggled even more intensely. It was restless and uneasy, seeming to have noticed that an energy that caused it to feel extreme terror was silently approaching…

Om!

Another strand of scorching and icy cold energy that were mixed together surged out once again, and right when Chen Xi intended to exert all the strength in his body and grit his teeth to endure this wave of pain, the ancient divine statue that sat cross-legged in his sea of consciousness suddenly opened its eyes. In that instant, it was like the primordial world was just opened up and the universe was just formed, there seemed to be lightning coiling and stars revolving within its eyes, and a myriad of scenes and divine lights diffused out with a bang.

“Gather!” It was like the shout of an ancient god, like a divine statue that existed eternally had moved, an arm extended out to the air and lightly made a grabbing motion like it was embracing the world and the universe, and the arms fingers tore through the sky, splitting open numerous black rifts!

Om!

The River Diagram fragment suddenly trembled intensely in Chen Xi’s hand, seeming to be unwilling, seeming to be struggling, but in the end, it all proved futile and it vanished in the blink of an eye.

Within the space in Chen Xi’s sea of consciousness that seemed to have no end.

A dazzling brilliance suddenly appeared, then it revealed a palm-sized tortoise shell that went round and round around the Fuxi Divine Statue, fluttering about ceaselessly.

“Looks like it was the strand of River Diagram true essence within the Fuxi Divine Statue that was activated and made it completely submit.” Chen Xi withdrew his gaze from his sea of consciousness, and only now did he heave out a long breath of air.

Hiss!

At the instant his mind relaxed, an intense pain that felt like his heart was pierced by ten thousand arrows spread throughout his body, and only now did he realize that only ghastly white bones remained on his right hand.

“I’m only at the perfection-stage of the Congenital Realm in body refinement now and am unable to regrow my limbs like a Violet Palace Realm cultivation would allow me to. What should I do?” Chen Xi’s heart tensed up, and when he recalled his younger brother who’d similarly lost his right hand. For a time, all sort of feelings surged into his heart.

Swish!

A wisp of cool and refreshing airflow poured into his right palm that was only bones, the flesh, tendons, and skin quickly grew like a dried tree meeting spring, and it healed to its prior state at a visible speed.

It was Ji Yu. He’d already recovered his thin appearance. With a swing of his sleeve, he’d already healed Chen Xi’s right hand, and it was extremely miraculous.

However, Chen Xi was instead startled when he saw Ji Yu’s countenance.

Ji Yu was ghastly pale to the point he was almost translucent. His gaze was dim like a waning candlelight that was about to go out, and even his tall figure seemed to become blurred, as if it would collapse and vanish in the next moment.

“There’s no need to worry, it’s only because my strength has been completely expended.” Ji Yu’s voice was hoarse and low, and it emitted dense exhaustion.

Chen Xi’s heart ached. If it wasn’t for taking the Profound Disruption Mountain for me, if it wasn’t for obtaining the River Diagram fragment, how could Senior Ji Yu possibly become like this?

Ji Yu smiled, yet his smile was like a withered chrysanthemum as he said, “I’ve already absorbed the Profound Disruption Mountain into the abode, and I’ll teach you how to bind it once your strength becomes greater. As for the River Diagram fragment, I presume you have already assimilated it into your sea of consciousness. Don’t go try to comprehend it first, as things comprehended from a broken thing are always the most inferior.”

“I remember that the complete River Diagram is the size of a cattail leaf fan, I reckon there’s still another eight or nine River Diagram fragments abandoned in other places, and you must collect it completely. All those years ago, Master relied on it to comprehend the Dao of the cycle of the heavens, and walked to the limit of the Grand Dao in the end. I hope that you are able to comprehend a Dao that belongs to yourself.”

“Besides that, take proper care of yourself in the future. A man must always learn to face and endure things alone, as only then can you be called a true expert. Mmm, all this is too long winded, we can still frequently see each other once you pass the Heavenpeak of Trails, there’s no need to mention these garrulous words…”

Chen Xi silently listened, and the past scenes of happiness, inspiration, joy, and depression… They seemed like flowing water as they swept past his mind, they were so clear yet so far, and his tears couldn’t be restrained anymore and silently slid down his face.

Even if he knew that he could see Ji Yu in the future, Chen Xi was unable to control the feelings in his heart. He wasn’t good at expressing himself and had held back for too long, and he’d never said a single thank you to Ji Yu all along… All the gratitude and emotions in his heart gushed out at this moment like lava erupting from a volcano.

He cried, cried silently, cried willfully.

At this moment, Chen Xi was like a 16 year old youth, venting his gratitude and pain without any scruples.

…

Ji Yu had already vanished since an unknown time, yet Chen Xi still stood on the spot in a daze, like a log.

After a long time, he muttered. “I surely will, surely.” It was like a vow, and his calm and slow voice revealed a resolute and decisive feeling within it.

“What happened earlier?”

“My god! The Element Inversion Mountain vanished!”

“Look, Little Brother Chen Xi is there.”

A wave of conversation vaguely sounded out from the distance, then two flying lights tore through the sky towards him. It was the Old Turtle King and Nine-tailed Fox King.

Chen Xi turned around and the traces of tears on his face had evaporated off, and he’d recovered his indifferent and carefree expression as he said, “I was fortunate enough to succeed in my mission.”

It was a mere few words, yet when it entered the ears of the Old Turtle King and the Nine-tailed Fox King, it was instead an enormously pleasant surprise. Actually, the two of them had noticed some changes since long ago, but only when they obtained Chen Xi’s confirmation did they dare believe that all this was real.

“So to say, the restraint that enveloped the depths of the Southern Barbaric Mountain Range for a million years has vanished?” The Old Turtle King’s voice trembled slightly.

“HAHAHA! I never expected that when my lifespan was about to be over, I would be able to once again obtain the hope of breaking through to the next realm. The heavens didn’t betray me!” The Nine-tailed Fox King laughed loudly at the sky, seeming to be venting the excitement and joy in his heart.

Chen Xi silently watched this, yet he was still thinking about Ji Yu in his heart.

Chen Xi’s unusualness was noticed by the Old Turtle King, and he thought in his heart before slowly saying with a solemn expression. “I establish a vow beneath the Heaven Dao, that if I were to leak the matter of the River Diagram fragment in my entire lifetime, then I request the Heaven Dao to punish me. Annihilate me and make me unable to be reborn forever!”

The Old Turtle King couldn’t be blamed for doing this, as the River Diagram fragment was something that could cause an upheaval in the three dimensions, after all. It was a rare treasure that primordial beings fought over chaotically. Now that a portion of it was obtained by Chen Xi, if this matter were to leak out, then not only would it draw a deathly calamity to Chen Xi, it would probably even cause him to be affected, and the consequences were unimaginable.

Establishing a vow under the Heaven Dao was naturally extremely beneficial without a single disadvantage.

The Nine-tailed Fox King was stunned, then he recovered from his shock and faced the vast Heaven Dao as he established a similar vow under the Heaven Dao.

Chen Xi never imagined that his silence would actually solve a great trouble that was latent and imperceptible, and his mood became much happier as he said with cupped hands, “Thank you Big Brothers for such trust, Chen Xi is boundlessly grateful.”

Big Brother?

The two demon kings looked at each other and smiled when they heard this.

Swoosh!

The treasured vessel rose into the air and swiftly flew towards Moon’s Embrace Mountain.

“Have you really decided to leave today, and you’re not staying for a few days?” The Old Turtle King persuaded Chen Xi to stay once again. Since he’d ascended the vessel, Chen Xi had already decided that once they returned to Moon’s Embrace Mountain, he would leave the depths of the Southern Barbaric Mountain Range and return to Pine Mist City. The Old Turtle King was naturally reluctant, as he still wanted to properly entertain Chen Xi for some time.

“Yeah, why are you in such a hurry? I still want to bring you to Coldstar Mountain and help you choose the most beautiful fox in my Nine-tailed Fox family.” The Nine-tailed Fox King ceaselessly persuaded him to stay as well.

“I still have many things to do, and I really don’t have the time to stay. Big Brothers, please let me off.” Chen Xi leaned on the railings and looked into the distance as he spoke slowly with an extremely resolute attitude. At this moment, he recalled the various past events in Pine Mist City, he recalled his family, recalled Uncle Zhang from the Zhang grocery store, recalled the Clear Stream Restaurant’s Old Man Ma, Qiao Shan, and Pei Pei…

The Old Turtle King smacked his lips regrettably. “Alright, I won’t persuade you to stay. I will be leaving the depths of the Southern Barbaric Mountain Range once I advance to the Golden Hall Realm as well. I’ll go meet Little Brother at that time.”

“Haha, I’ll naturally be there as well. I’ve been looking forward to the luxuries in the human world for a long time.” The Nine-tailed Fox King smiled to the point his peach shaped eyes narrowed, and his face was filled with a charming aura.

“At that time, if I’m able to meet with Big Brothers again, then we must only stop drinking when we’re drunk,” Chen Xi said seriously, and even a trace of a rare smile appeared on the corners of his mouth.

…

Dusk.

Moon’s Embrace Mountain. Under the gazes of the myriad of demons, a treasured vessel carried Chen Xi, Du Qingxi, Song Lin, and a total of four others to break open the sunset glow that was like blood, and fly towards an extremely distant place.

“Master, I don’t hate you for not bringing me along this time. Once my strength becomes strong, if you still won’t keep me by your side, then I’ll have to slit my throat and take my own life…” At the mountainside of Moon’s Embrace Mountain, Mu Kui stood alone before the abode, he muttered as he gazed at the treasured vessel that tore through the clouds and left. His voice trembled, yet carried along a flavor of resoluteness and firmness. Whereas his face was already stained with tears, and it had completely drenched his clothes.

— End of Book Two —