Starting as a Talisman Master

Chapter 264: A Brief Understanding (5.1k)

Is this serpent transformed from the strange fire?

Li Qianyou focused his gaze on the black-scaled demon snake. Upon closer inspection, he indeed discovered something amiss. The snake's body had no flesh or blood patterns whatsoever; it was clearly formed by an interweaving of extreme yin and cold fire energy.

"It has actually developed spirituality and evolved into a demonic body—" Li Qianyou gasped, secretly shocked.

The serpent, having missed its attack, coiled beside the remains, its cold, vertical pupils scrutinizing Lu Chi for a moment.

As if sensing that the human cultivator before him was far weaker than himself, the demonic serpent opened its snout, and a thick, ink-like pillar of dark red fire roared out.

The pillar of fire traveled extremely fast, striking Lu Chi in the blink of an eye.

Engulfed by the raging flames, Lu Chi's body made no struggle whatsoever, scattering into countless wood chips and ashes in the firelight. This was precisely the method of subjugation through the transformation of decaying wood into shadow.

Dozens of feet away, Lu Chi's figure quietly emerged from behind a black rock. With no one else around, he decided to stop suppressing his cultivation. His internal energy circulated, and the Withered Wood Formless Technique was fully activated, causing the aura of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to surge through this desolate valley.

Li Qianyou scanned the remaining power of the fire pillar with his divine sense, quickly made a calculation, and immediately transmitted his voice: "Fellow Daoist, although this fiend is a manifestation of a strange fire, judging from its aura, it is at most comparable to the early stage of the Golden Core realm. Moreover, its attack methods are rigid. If you and I join forces, and with the help of your Xuan Shui Sword Formation to counter it, we may not be without the power to fight it."

Before he finished speaking, Lu Chi's magical power surged, and the four swords combined to protect him. He transformed into a streak of dark blue light and fled back the way he came without looking back.

"I, Lu, always seek to be cautious in my actions. This fiend is indeed as you have said, senior. However, I am only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the difference in our cultivation levels is vast. Let us consider this matter further."

The Styx Soul Refining Banner hanging beside him flashed with a ghostly light and was instantly rolled into his sleeve. Before Li Qianyou could even finish a sentence, he was forcibly sealed back into the banner.

A life-or-death struggle against such an unknown third-tier demon was unpredictable. Since he wasn't entirely confident, Lu Chi had no intention of even trying.

Li Qianyou felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. He thought to himself, "This kid's decisiveness is truly speechless."

The deathly silence at the bottom of the abyss shattered with a deafening roar. Seeing its prey flee, the black-scaled serpent transformed its massive body into a dark red whirlwind, giving chase. Its speed was incredible; in an instant, it closed the distance by dozens of feet.

Lu Chi's divine sense was fixed on what was behind him, his face cold and stern. He changed his spells in quick succession, alternating between the Water Escape Technique and the Rotten Wood Shadow Escape, leaving afterimages among the black rocks. Several second-tier top-grade acceleration talismans at his fingertips burned to ashes one after another, pushing his escape speed to the limit.

A chase ensued between the man and the snake in the abyss, and Lu Chi finally made it to the edge of the exit of this desolate valley without any major incident.

Just as he was about to plunge back into the area full of venomous fire snakes, a violent tremor suddenly came from behind him.

"Buzz!"

Lu Chi paused in his escape light and looked back.

The demonic serpent chased the enemy to the border, about to cross and kill them. Suddenly, countless ancient array patterns lit up the surrounding black rocks and the void.

More than ten thick, dark gold chains burst forth, tightly binding the serpent's head, neck, and torso.

The restrictions on the chains flowed, unleashing tremendous power that forcefully stopped the third-tier demonic serpent, which was comparable to the early stage of the Golden Core realm, and dragged it back to the bottom of the desolate abyss.

No matter how much the demonic serpent writhed and struggled, spewing pillars of fire, it could not cross the array's lightning pool even half a step.

"There's even a formation here?"

Lu Chi stopped at the edge of the poisonous fire, staring at the chain formation that was slowly disappearing into the void ahead, a look of surprise and doubt flashing in his eyes.

He slightly closed his eyes and secretly activated his Eye of Truth, whereupon he saw countless intricate and obscure array patterns deeply imprinted on the cliff face and deep within the earth's veins, with strands of array spiritual light intertwined into a net.

If the demonic snake hadn't forcefully attacked and triggered the restriction, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

Lu Chi probed with his divine sense and found it to be as deep as the sea. He couldn't see through the formation's grade at all, which was clearly far beyond his current level of understanding.

He stood still, his mind racing.

From the remnants of the Four Fiends Locking Yuan Array on the periphery, to the broken stele engraved with ancient seal script, and the profound trapping array of unknown rank before us—all these signs indicate that this infamous Burning Bone Cave is very likely an ancient cultivation site with an extremely long history.

"Could it be that this strange fire was not born of nature, but was intentionally imprisoned or preserved here by an ancient powerful being?" Lu Chi wondered to himself.

Seeing that the formation was unbreakable and the third-tier demon snake was trapped at the bottom of the Dead Silence Abyss, making it difficult for it to cross the boundary to pursue him, Lu Chi stopped his retreat, took out a pill and threw it into his mouth to calm his turbulent magic power.

While maintaining the Four Phases Overturning Water Sword Formation, he remained vigilant against the Foundation Establishment Fire Serpents that might condense at any moment in the surrounding poisonous flames. At the same time, through the light barrier of the formation, he quietly examined the strange fire monster that was still rolling and struggling at the bottom of the abyss, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"What kind of formation is this? There is no record of such formation patterns in the Wanxiang Peak's records. Even with the [Breaking Illusion] talent, it is difficult to fathom its depth."

No! It's not entirely without clues!

Lu Chi calmed his mind and attached his divine sense to the Eye of Truth, carefully exploring the depths of the void along the spiritual light trail of those dark golden chains.

With his talent for breaking through illusions pushed to its limit, the scene before him changed once more.

Although he did not understand the profound principles of such advanced array patterns and could not fully comprehend their intricacies, he was able to capture the flow of spiritual energy in this place thanks to the clarity of his Heavenly Eye.

The hundreds and thousands of obscure array patterns had clearly distinct directions of power, all eventually disappearing into eight points at the edge of the abyss. Lu Chi strained his divine sense to probe those eight nodes, and through the thick, cold black rocks, he could vaguely glimpse eight enormous stone pillars buried deep within the earth's veins.

These eight stone pillars form the foundation of this formation. The foundation is connected to the earth's veins, continuously drawing upon the surrounding cold and yin energy, which transforms into dark golden chains that firmly suppress the strange fire demon.

If these array foundations could be refined and made available to me, wouldn't I be able to control the array's core and use its power to subdue the strange fire?

Lu Chi's mind raced, and he made up his mind.

This ancient formation has suppressed the strange fire for countless years, possessing immense power. If one could find an opening to refine those few formation bases and use the power of the formation to subdue it, then capturing the strange fire would be a sure thing.

He flicked his sleeve, and with a flash of ghostly light, he once again summoned the Styx Soul Refining Banner.

"Senior, I intend to give it a try." Lu Chi stared at the array light screen in front of him, his tone calm.

Li Qianyou floated out from the banner, her illusory face full of confusion. She had just escaped so decisively and without hesitation, so why did she have to turn back and provoke this third-tier demon in the blink of an eye?

He followed Lu Chi's gaze, intently observing the crisscrossing dark gold chains and array patterns, lost in thought.

He had guessed that this kid was quite skilled in the art of talismans after he activated several second-tier top-grade talismans in one go.

After observing the formation for a short while, he changed his mind again.

Li Qianyou's heart stirred slightly, and he tentatively asked, "Judging from your actions, fellow Daoist, are you perhaps also proficient in formations?"

"I know a little bit," Lu Chi replied casually.

This kid is already powerful and has a strong spiritual sense, but how come he also cultivates both talismans and formations?

Lu Chi ignored Li Qianyou's speculations and spoke directly, "Senior must have his own secret methods to control this Styx Soul Refining Banner on his own. Next, I will need to trouble Senior to delay this fiend for me for a while."

He flicked his fingertip through his storage pouch, taking out five second-tier top-grade talismans with restrained spiritual light, and handed them to Li Qianyou for self-defense and to fight enemies.

These second-tier top-grade talismans are extremely difficult to draw and take a very long time to create.

Even if he could use the "burning thoughts" method to forcibly increase the success rate of creating talismans, it would still be difficult to create them in large quantities.

Furthermore, he lacked a wider variety of spiritual chapter inheritances, resulting in a rather limited range of talismans he could draw. He currently had very few left, and entrusting Li Qianyou with these few was already a sign of his high regard for this third-tier demonic serpent.

Li Qianyou carefully put away the talisman, wondering what Lu Chi was planning. With a flicker, she merged into the Styx Soul Refining Banner.

In an instant, the black mist on the banner surged, transforming into a long, dark rainbow that rushed straight into the array's light barrier.

Previously, Lu Chi had mostly sent him around to deal with low-level cultivators who were practicing Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment.

Facing such a formidable enemy, Li Qianyou felt no fear, but rather a long-lost fighting spirit surging within him. In his previous life, he was known as the Soul Refining True Man, a person with the potential to form a Nascent Soul, and he possessed an inherent arrogance.

Lu Chi remained motionless, standing firmly outside the formation. He then gave a hand seal, and the Four Phases Overturning Water Sword Formation transformed into four streams of dark blue light, closely following the banner shadow as they entered and swept through the formation.

To ensure safety, he would never take any risks himself.

Then, Lu Chi waved his sleeve.

Two second-tier beast puppets and more than ten first-tier beast puppets appeared out of thin air and landed steadily on the black rocks. These beast puppets were covered with scales and fur, and their eyes were inlaid with spirit stones that shone faintly. They were lifelike and seemed to be alive.

Li Qianyou sensed the movement behind him with his divine sense, glanced back, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered that when he was subdued by Lu Chi, this kid had once commanded four second-tier demonic beasts.

"Wait! How can living creatures be stored in ordinary storage bags? These—are they all puppets?"

Li Qianyou was greatly shocked. This kid actually knew the art of puppetry?

Just as he was in turmoil, the strange fire serpent suddenly erupted. The dark red pillar of fire, carrying a violent aura capable of incinerating everything, rushed straight towards Li Qianyou's face.

The strange fire was extremely yang and fierce, and it was the natural enemy of yin souls. Even before the fire's evil influence arrived, Li Qianyou felt a faint pain in his soul.

"You beast!"

Seeing that the demon was taking advantage of the situation to make trouble, Li Qianyou felt that he had lost face. He was furious and immediately formed a fierce hand seal, slamming his hands down on the main body of the Soul Refining Banner.

"Hiss!"

Black energy surged wildly from the banner, and the black waters of the Styx River instantly condensed in mid-air into a pitch-black ghost claw more than ten feet in size.

The ghostly claw, carrying a biting wind and a mournful howl, fiercely grabbed at the dark red pillar of fire. Yin water and yang fire collided violently, erupting in a deafening roar, and a large cloud of gray-white mist rose up.

Outside the formation, Lu Chi's fingertips continuously changed sword techniques. The Four Phases Overturning Water Sword Formation transformed into four streams of dark blue light, like dragons diving into the sea, weaving uncertainly through the mist.

The sword, imbued with pure water-elemental magic, was precisely controlled by Lu Chi's divine sense. It unleashed chilling sword energy, targeting the serpent's vital points and lower abdomen, forcing the serpent to twist its massive body and dodge repeatedly, greatly relieving the pressure on Li Qianyou as she faced the enemy head-on.

He attached his divine sense to the sword and clearly sensed the terrifying power of the demonic snake's counterattack, which made him feel a chill in his heart.

Although this strange fire demon possesses the power of a third-tier demon, it cannot unleash exquisite supernatural abilities and magical treasures like human cultivators, nor does it have the robust physical body forged through countless trials like a true third-tier demon beast.

Its only advantage lies in its extremely fast escape speed and the domineering destructive power of this strange fire itself.

If compared to an ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator, their combat strength would likely be much weaker.

Even though it was a "damaged" third-tier weapon, it was still extremely difficult to deal with.

Lu Chi was secretly alarmed, and glad that he had not been arrogant enough to try to challenge that Yan Xiao Zhenren.

The battle within the formation intensified. The strange fire, being extremely yang and fierce, was naturally the bane of yin spirits and evil spirits.

Although Li Qianyou was protected by the Soul Refining Banner, a rare treasure, and had a sword formation flanking him, the banner's eerie light gradually dimmed under the pervasive erosion of the fire, and the ghostly claws it condensed were repeatedly shattered by the pillars of fire.

Knowing that Li Qianyou could not hold out for long, Lu Chi immediately moved his divine sense slightly, and more than ten mid-grade spirit stones flew out from his sleeve and accurately embedded themselves into the mechanisms of the puppets.

With a series of soft humming sounds from the operating mechanisms, the eyes of the two second-tier beast puppets and more than a dozen first-tier beast puppets simultaneously lit up with spiritual light.

All the puppets rushed into the array's light barrier, ignoring the fierce battle in the arena. With each leap and bound, they sped toward the eight stone pillars with their array foundations buried deep at the edge of the valley, stopping on the black rocks.

Lu Chi's gaze was calm. In the center of his sea of ​​consciousness, a clear and ethereal ethereal water mirror quietly condensed, radiating a bright light.

Using the wondrous realm of "Illuminating the Spirit" in the second layer of "Water Mirror Illuminating the Nerves," the water mirror hangs high, reflecting every detail of the myriad threads inside and outside the formation.

Lu Chi used this to control his mind, calmly dividing his pure divine consciousness into more than ten strands, attaching them precisely and accurately to the core of each puppet's mechanism, as if controlling his own arm.

"Divine consciousness differentiation is a technique that only Golden Core cultivators possess. I must find an opportunity to decipher the third level of the 'Water Mirror Reflecting the Divine Scripture' in the future." This thought flashed through Lu Chi's mind.

The two second-tier beast puppets suddenly extended their forelimbs, piercing deep into the hard black rock and directly gripping the top of the stone pillar buried deep underground.

The other first-tier beast puppets also gathered around, following Lu Chi's thoughts, and pushed the power of the spirit stones in their bodies to the limit, forming a simple spirit-gathering auxiliary array.

Lu Chi's magical power, guided by his divine sense, surged forth from afar and poured into the puppet's body. Then, using the puppet as a medium, it transformed into hundreds of delicate threads of magical power, forcefully penetrating into the ancient array foundation pillars.

Mottled dark gold array patterns immediately appeared on the surface of the stone pillar, faintly generating a repulsive force.

Lu Chi remained calm and composed, using the spiritual node he had previously glimpsed through his Eye of Truth to control the puppet's claws to rapidly trace lines on the stone pillar.

He did not forcibly destroy the profound formation, but instead followed the original flow of the formation's patterns and used his own magic power to forcefully embed himself into it, seizing control of the nodes.

As magical power was continuously injected, the eight stone pillars buried deep in the earth's veins began to emit a muffled hum.

The array patterns on the surrounding cliffs flickered, and the originally seamless array light screen rippled.

Inside the formation, Li Qianyou's situation was already fraught with danger.

The black waters of the Styx River were mostly evaporated by the dark red pillar of fire, and the eerie light of the Soul Refining Banner teetered on the verge of collapse.

The fiery serpent seemed to have sensed the change in the formation, letting out a sharp hiss and becoming even more ferocious in its attack, wanting to first defeat the troublesome yin spirit in front of it.

Lu Chi ignored the perilous situation within the formation, his mind completely absorbed in refining the formation's foundation.

He used his magic to slowly wash away the ancient, withered marks inside the stone pillar, and methodically imprinted his own magical mark on it.

In mid-air, the ancient spiritual light flowing on the dark gold chains that tightly bound the demonic snake gradually gave way to a trace of dark blue water vapor controlled by Lu Chi.

Lu Chi's face gradually turned pale.

At this moment, he not only had to maintain his "Illuminating God" state and forcibly divide his divine sense beyond his level to micromanage more than ten puppets to refine the array base, but also had to constantly divert his attention to control the Four Phases Overturning Water Sword Array within the array to restrain the demon snake. At the same time, he had to release his senses to be vigilant against the Foundation Establishment Fire Snake that might suddenly erupt in the poisonous fire area behind him.

With his mind multitasking to this extent, even with the profound spiritual foundation that Lu Chi had honed through the "Water Mirror Reflecting the Nerves," he felt a faint pain in his sea of ​​consciousness and found it quite difficult to cope.

"Fellow Daoist! I can't hold on any longer!"

Li Qianyou let out a mournful cry, his soul already as thin as paper. Unable to withstand the scorching heat of the fire any longer, he left a sentence and turned into a wisp of smoke, forcibly shrinking back into the Styx Soul Refining Banner with a "whoosh," refusing to show himself again no matter how Lu Chi tried to transmit his voice.

Without the master soul's control, the black energy of the Soul Refining Banner dissipated, leaving only the banner itself suspended in mid-air.

The third-tier strange fire serpent was already enraged. It immediately opened its blood-red maw and spewed out a thick, condensed fire pillar that slammed into the banner.

"boom!"

A deafening roar. Had the Styx Soul Refining Banner not been a Golden Core stage magic weapon made of extraordinary materials, an ordinary spiritual artifact would likely have lost all its spirituality and been destroyed by this attack.

Even so, the banner was blasted until its light dimmed and it let out a mournful cry.

The Soul Refining Banner then transformed into a streak of black light and hastily fled back into Lu Chi's sleeve.

Seeing the annoying spirits flee, the demon did not pursue them. Its cold, vertical pupils suddenly turned to the surrounding black rocks, locking onto the puppets that were constantly eroding the array's foundation.

The serpent moved with incredible speed, its massive body blurring into a blur. With a loud "crack," it smashed through the defensive aura of a second-tier beast puppet, and its thick tail swept across, pulverizing the puppet along with the embedded mid-grade spirit stones.

Before Lu Chi could react, it twisted its body again in a strange way and pounced on another nearby stone pillar. With a flick of its serpentine snout, a dark red sea of ​​fire instantly melted several first-tier puppets there into molten iron.

"That's enough." Lu Chi's eyes narrowed, his figure swayed slightly, and he rushed straight into the array light screen.

Although there is only a 90% chance of winning, and there is still a slight lack of certainty, things have come to this point, and there is no other way but to go all out.

Lu Chi's magical power surged forth from his dantian, frantically converging at his fingertips.

A sliver of icy blue light shone from his fingertip. Initially as faint as a firefly, it instantly transformed into a blinding, extremely cold beam of light, tearing through the dark red sea of ​​fire and heading straight for the demonic serpent's vital spot!

It was the divine light of the Grandmaster's supreme power, the Cold and Absolute Divine Light.

The next moment, the divine light struck the serpent's vital spot. An intense chill erupted, freezing the surrounding strange fire. The serpent's body stiffened abruptly, its surface solidified with ice, and its ferocious aura was forcibly suppressed.

Without pausing, Lu Chi waved his sleeve. The eight array flags transformed into streams of light, piercing the tops of the eight stone pillars respectively.

The array flags returned to their positions, and Lu Chi activated his divine sense, his magical power connecting with the array base. The stone pillars trembled instantly, and the array patterns shone brightly.

Dozens of dark gold chains shot out from the void, tightly binding the demon that had just broken free of the ice. The chains were already flowing with magical energy under his control.

The great formation was finally put to use. Lu Chi looked at the demonic serpent suppressed at the bottom of the abyss and said coldly, "Now that you are trapped in this formation, your life and death are no longer in your own hands. Why don't you suppress your ferocity and become my prey?"

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