Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 236 Time Flies
“Indeed,” the illusory figure of the Palace Master of Fengze nodded, “but over the past thousand years, some sects’ talismans have been lost. The half you hold is a ‘Demon-Suppressing Heart Talisman’ that I nurtured with my own life essence; it can sense the location of other talismans.”

Leng Xuan frowned and said, "But we only have half a piece now."

Xu Hechen suddenly noticed that the patterns on the talisman were slowly rotating: "No, this half of the talisman is absorbing demonic energy."

He brought the talisman close to the viscous residue in the alchemy furnace, and the two characters "Suppress Demons" on the talisman began to devour the black mist.

“I see,” Gu Changzhou explained, forcing himself to remain still. “The Demon-Suppressing Talisman can not only seal demonic energy, but also absorb and transform it. If we can collect all nine talismans, perhaps we can rebuild the seal.”

"But time is of the essence," Liu Sijun gripped the Void Mirror tightly, "On the night of the new moon three days from now, the demonic energy of the Netherworld will resonate with the Nascent Soul of Ten Thousand Mountains, and then..."

"Therefore, we must find the whereabouts of the other demon-suppressing talismans within three days."

Xu Hechen affixed the talisman to the fragment of the Taixu Mirror, and the Nanming Li Fire suddenly flowed along the mirror's patterns, reflecting a series of blurry images: the ice cellar of Yaohua Palace, the forbidden area of ​​Piaomiao Palace, and the back mountain of Tianxin Gate.
Leng Xuan stared in surprise at the image in the mirror: "These are all the hidden places of the nine major sects. Could the Demon-Suppressing Talisman be hidden there?"

“That’s exactly right,” the illusory figure of the Palace Master of Fengze interjected. “Back then, to prevent the talismans from being stolen, each sect hid them in the most dangerous places. To find them, one must pass three tests: Dao Heart, Memory, and Life and Death.”

“A triple test,” Xu Hechen muttered to himself, “It seems we need to split up.”

“I’m taking a team to Yaohua Palace,” Gu Changzhou said, struggling to his feet. “Palace Master Teng Lihui might know something.”

“I’ll go to the Misty Palace,” Liu Sijun volunteered. “My cousin Yanming has become a disciple of the Second Elder of the Misty Palace; perhaps he can help me persuade them.”

“Then I’ll go to Tianxin Sect,” Leng Xuan said, tidying up the tattered Heavenly Mystery Soul-Locking Nail. “Years ago, I rescued him when he was training near Tianji Pavilion, so he should at least give me some face.”

"Wait," Xu Hechen stopped them, "the test of the Demon-Suppressing Talisman varies from person to person; your cultivation level and experience may affect the outcome."

He looked at his grandmaster, Ji He, "Uncle-Master, can you contact Wu Yunxian, the sect leader of the Brahma Sound Sect? She might have some crucial clues hidden there."

Master Ji He nodded and took out a communication jade token: "I will send a message immediately, but three days is really too short!"

“We must try,” Xu Hechen distributed the talismans to everyone. “Remember, use the talismans to absorb demonic energy when in danger, but be careful not to suffer a backlash.”

While everyone went their separate ways, Xu Hechen went alone to the forbidden medicine pavilion of Yougu Palace.

He inserted the demon-suppressing talisman into the bronze cauldron in the center of the medicine pavilion, and nine chain patterns suddenly appeared on the cauldron.

Xu Hechen's pupils reflected the scene within the cauldron: "This is the Demon-Locking Array jointly set up by the nine major sects back then!"

The locations of the other eight demon-suppressing talismans appeared in the cauldron, each talisman protected by a different restriction.

Xu Hechen took out the Fengze Palace Master's notebook and found that it contained the solution.

Ignite the Nine Netherworld Iron with the Southern Bright Fire, using my own Dao heart as the catalyst.

"Master, I will fulfill your last wish."

Xu Hechen bit his fingertip, and the blood dripped onto the talisman.

The Southern Fire burned along his meridians, casting his figure in flickering light.

Meanwhile, in the ruins of Tianxu Palace, Wan Chongshan's nascent soul opened its eyes.

The twelve chains suddenly tightened, compressing the demonic energy surrounding the altar into a solid form. The guardian knelt on one knee, respectfully saying, "My lord, the demon-suppressing talisman has appeared."

"It's alright," the Nascent Soul of Wan Chongshan cackled. "The nine talismans have been scattered for a thousand years; they haven't had time to gather them all. When the gates of the Netherworld open, even the ancient gods won't be able to save them!"

Three days later, on the night of the new moon.

The protective array of Yougu Palace was teetering on the brink of collapse due to the erosion of demonic energy. Xu Hechen stood at the core of the array, holding seven demon-suppressing talismans in his hand.

His hair had turned snow-white, and the skin exposed beneath his Taoist robe was covered with black demonic patterns—the price he paid for forcibly absorbing demonic energy.

"But we're still short two pieces."

Liu Sijun's voice was choked with sobs.

Her Taixu Mirror shattered into dust, and the only remaining talisman in her hand was being corroded by demonic energy.

Suddenly, Gu Changzhou pointed to the sky not far away. Liu Sijun looked up and saw a golden light streak across the sky: "It looks like the Master of the Brahma Sound Sect."

Liu Sijun's face lit up instantly.

Wu Yunxian flew over holding the talisman: "Elder Xu, this was entrusted to me by Palace Master Fengze back then, and now it is returned to its rightful owner!"

At the same time, Leng Xuan stumbled out of the teleportation array, the talisman in his arms emitting a faint light: "The Heavenly Heart Sect's talisman is at the very bottom of the Demon Suppression Tower."

The moment the nine Demon-Suppressing Talismans came together, the Nanming Fire within Xu Hechen's body resonated with the talismans.

He inserted the talisman into the Demon-Locking Cauldron, and nine pillars of light suddenly rose from the cauldron, condensing into the huge characters "Suppress Demons" in the sky.

"With my Daoist heart, I will subdue the demons of the Nine Netherworlds!"

Xu Hechen shouted loudly, and his whole body transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into the pillar of light.

The Demon-Locking Cauldron trembled violently, and twelve chains shot out from it, completely surrounding the blood-red altar in the ruins of the Heavenly Ruins Palace.

The Nascent Soul cultivator from Wan Chongshan screamed in terror: "No! You dare to use your own Dao Heart as a sacrifice!"

From within the pillar of light came Xu Hechen's last words: "For the sake of all living beings, I am willing to become a demon."

As the words fell, the Demon-Suppressing Talisman burst forth with dazzling golden light, completely sealing the passage to the Netherworld.

The nascent soul of Wan Chongshan was shattered by the chains, and the body of the guardian also vanished into nothingness in the golden light.

As the morning light shone once more upon the secluded valley palace, Xu Hechen lay quietly beside the Demon-Locking Cauldron.

He had lost all his cultivation, and his Taoist robe was covered with scorch marks, but he had a relieved smile on his lips.

Liu Sijun gently placed the Demon-Suppressing Talisman in his palm and discovered that the words "Demon-Suppressing" on the talisman had changed to "He Chen".

"He inscribed his name on the Demon-Suppressing Talisman." Standing to the side, Gao Menglin murmured to herself, gazing at the name. "From now on, the Demon-Suppressing Talisman possesses a spirit, and Elder Xu's Dao heart will forever protect the cultivation world."

Deep within the distant Netherworld, a pair of crimson eyes slowly closed. The master of the Heavenly Ruins Palace let out his final roar from within the seal: "I will return, and then you will all die."

Time flies, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Under Ji He's leadership, Yougu Palace regained its former vitality and prosperity.

Although that thrilling battle is now history, the memory is deeply etched in the hearts of every cultivator.

Xu Hechen did not become despondent after losing his cultivation.

In a corner of the secluded valley palace, he devoted himself to the study of pharmacology and formations, and with his profound knowledge and intelligent mind, he was quite content.

Liu Sijun often stayed by his side, and the two discussed the path of cultivation and reminisced about the past.