Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

Su Mu picked up the talisman and examined it closely.

The talisman is half a foot long, two inches wide, and one inch thick. It is made of a unique material and feels heavy in the hand. The runes on its surface are ancient and obscure, unlike anything I have ever seen before, and are completely unrecognizable.

However, thanks to the transformation of the Enlightenment Pill and the foundation of entering the Dao and comprehending the world, he could clearly sense a wisp of profound and ethereal Dao essence flowing on the talisman.

The Dao is profound and vast, yet it is also ethereal and elusive, concealing endless mysteries.

Faced with this unknown and mysterious treasure, Su Mu dared not try it rashly and did not directly pour his power into it to test it, so as to avoid triggering unknown dangers.

After examining it for a moment, he carefully stored the mysterious talisman in the system warehouse and sealed it away.

Su Mu frowned slightly as his gaze fell on the sealed jade box to the side, a sense of hesitation creeping into his heart.

The jade box was sealed very tightly; with his current strength, breaking it would be a piece of cake.

However, he always remembered the dangerous lesson he had learned from rashly opening the jade box of Kaiba Hongzhen and being attacked by Gu worms, and dared not act rashly.

The unknown is the most dangerous.

"It's best to be cautious. Let's focus on healing the injuries and getting back to full strength before opening the box to inspect it."

After a moment's thought, Su Mu put the sealed jade box into the system warehouse for safekeeping.

Clearing his mind of distractions, he completely calmed his spirit and entered a state of deep cultivation, healing his injuries, refining his essence, and stabilizing his realm.

Three hundred miles east of the Great Qian Imperial City, deep in the mountains and dense forests.

Ancient trees reach for the sky, their shade blocking out the sun; the place is rarely visited, quiet and secluded.

Duan Jin sat cross-legged on a huge blue stone, surrounded by flowing rosy light and swirling mysterious fire.

He had already taken a high-level healing elixir to stabilize his severe injuries, and then activated his divine embryonic power and primordial fire to forcibly nourish the wound on his severed arm and reshape his limbs.

Empress Wu's late-stage powerhouses possess profound foundations and their physical regeneration abilities far surpass those of ordinary cultivators. Even if their limbs are shattered, they can still expend energy to rebuild them.

After a long while, Duan Jin slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep and filled with lingering gloom.

Outside the dense forest, the early-stage Martial Emperor who had previously escaped bowed and led the way, guiding an elderly man with white hair, a youthful face, and an otherworldly demeanor into the forest.

The newcomer was none other than Elder Songhe of the Tianwu Sect.

Duan Jin moved swiftly, leaping down from the bluestone and landing firmly on his feet.

"Sect Leader Duan." Elder Songhe bowed respectfully, his attitude polite and humble.

"Elder Songhe, did you come here specifically to see me, Duan, make a fool of myself?" Duan Jin's tone was calm, with a hint of self-mockery.

Within the Wulong Continent, the Xuan Gang Sect and the Tianwu Sect are both top-tier sects with comparable foundations and numerous powerful figures. They have been vying for cultivation resources for many years, resulting in constant competition, long-standing grudges, and a long history of discord.

Both sects have powerful late-stage Martial Realm experts in charge, making them evenly matched and neither able to defeat the other.

Elder Songhe gently shook his head: "Sect Leader Duan is joking."

"We are both from different realms and are cultivators from the same Wulong Continent. Your defeat in Tianyuan has brought shame upon all of us."

Duan Jin nodded with a wry smile, agreeing: "It's truly shameful."

"The Tianyuan Continent is barren of spiritual energy and has a harsh cultivation environment. It has been in decline for ten thousand years. I have actually been defeated by a local cultivator here. If this gets back, I will be ridiculed by all sides."

That is incorrect.

Elder Songhe slowly spoke, revealing the key point: "The Tianyuan Continent is now barren and declining, but that does not mean it has been weak since ancient times."

"Ten thousand years ago, and even further back in ancient times, the Tianyuan Continent was teeming with geniuses and its destiny was at its peak, its power far surpassing that of the Wulong Continent. Several Martial God Realm experts who were renowned throughout the heavens were born here!"

"Su Mu's ability to rise against the odds and become invincible beyond his level is most likely due to obtaining an unparalleled opportunity left behind by an ancient martial god, rather than rising out of thin air."

"A martial arts opportunity?" Duan Jin's eyes flickered, a hint of surprise in them.

"Besides that, what other reason does Sect Leader Duan believe there is that a native cultivator from a continent in the Dharma Decline stage could crush a veteran late-stage Martial Realm cultivator from my Wulong Continent?"

Elder Songhe countered with a question, his logic clear.

Duan Jin pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "There is indeed no other possibility."

"But this may not necessarily be a bad thing."

He changed the subject, his expression turning serious, "If he truly possesses the opportunity left behind by the God of War, even if he cannot become the God of War, he will most likely have the means to control and kill the Ghost Clan."

"With the current catastrophe ravaging the human race and the rampage of the Ghost Race, this opportunity is an immense boon for the human race."

"Let's not beat around the bush."

Elder Songhe's expression turned serious, and he stopped being polite, stating his core purpose directly.

"The opportunity left behind by the ancient Martial God is the biggest reason why you, me, and even all the strong people of the Wulong Continent are willing to risk the destruction of the black mist and cross over to come here. Sect Leader Duan is well aware of this."

Duan Jin nodded frankly, without denying it.

Within the Wulong Continent, the opportunities left behind by the Martial God have long been monopolized by the top powers, and the experts of these mid-level sects have no chance to get their hands on them.

To break through realms and contend with the Ghost Clan, one must either cultivate oneself to become a Martial God or rely on the treasures left behind by a Martial God; there is no other way.

"Sect Leader Duan, please take a look at this item."

Elder Songhe raised his hand and flipped it over, taking out an ancient talisman about half a foot long. The runes were obscure and the color was dark. It looked ordinary, but it was surrounded by a wisp of ancient and profound Dao aura.

Duan Jin's gaze sharpened, and he immediately said, "I recognize this!"

"My Xuan Gang Sect also possesses an identical talisman."

"The sect's founder left a record that this talisman originated from an ancient relic of the Tianyuan Continent. Collecting multiple talismans can unlock a supreme secret realm, which is the slumbering dojo of a Martial God Realm expert!"

"That's right."

Elder Songhe nodded in confirmation and said in a deep voice, "There are only four such mysterious talismans in the world. A single one is useless. Only by collecting all four can one open the Martial Mystic Realm."

"I see."

Duan Jin suddenly realized what was happening, his expression changed drastically, his heart sank, and he exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Elder Songhe asked, his face full of confusion.

"The talisman of my Xuan Gang Sect... is not in my possession; it has always been with Junior Brother Liang!"

Duan Jin's expression was grave, and his tone was urgent, "Liang Yanqing just died in battle; his storage magic items and personal belongings must all have fallen into Su Mu's hands!"

"What?!"

Elder Songhe was stunned for a moment, his face full of astonishment. He quickly asked, "Why would such an important sect treasure be entrusted to Liang Yanqing for safekeeping?"

"It wasn't something I specifically gave it to."

Duan Jin quickly explained, "This talisman was originally passed down to the Grand Elder by the previous sect leader. During this crossing of the black mist, the Grand Elder tragically perished while covering everyone's escape."

"After the Grand Elder's death, his storage and belongings were collected by Liang Yanqing, who was with him."

"After passing through the black mist and stabilizing their bodies, everyone was eager to adjust their breathing and recover, and stabilize their realm, so I did not ask for it immediately."

"By the time everyone recovered and set off for the Great Qian Imperial City, the opportunity had already been missed. Who would have thought..."

Before the words were finished, the ending was already predetermined.

Elder Songhe was speechless for a moment, but his mind was already clear.

Chaos is approaching, the future is uncertain, the black mist has buried countless powerful people, and everyone is filled with fear and selfishness.

Such a heaven-defying treasure, once obtained, who would be willing to give it up easily?

Even if Duan Jin asks for it back later, Liang Yanqing will most likely make all sorts of excuses and refuse to return it.

Elder Songhe sighed softly: "The talisman of my Heavenly Martial Sect was lost after the previous sect leader perished while venturing into the black mist, and has been lost to many different people ever since."

"Even if the talisman is not lost, our two sects combined only have two, which is two short, so we still cannot open the secret realm."

"Ten thousand years ago, our ancestors from various ethnic groups joined forces to search for them, but they still failed to collect all four, which shows how difficult it is to find the other two."

"I know the whereabouts of the remaining one."

Elder Songhe pondered for a moment and said, "The Xichuan Sword Pavilion has a similar talisman in its collection."

"The Xichuan Sword Pavilion has always been neutral, so they should be willing to join forces." A glint flashed in Duan Jin's eyes, then dimmed again. "But we're still missing the last one."

"The last remaining piece remains a mystery, undiscovered for millennia. If it was lost within the Black Mist Territory, or buried deep underground and completely extinct, we will never be able to gather them all!"

"It can be confirmed that they have never been stranded on the Wulong Continent."

Elder Songhe spoke with certainty, "Before our ancestors from various tribes withdrew from Tianyuan, they offered a reward across the entire region and joined forces to investigate. The barbarian tribes, witch tribes, and Japanese tribes all assisted us."

"No one would be willing to abandon their homeland unless they were desperate to survive, and no one would dare to hoard treasures or conceal them."

"What I fear most is that it will be buried deep in the earth, never to be found again," Duan Jin sighed deeply.

"Regarding the last talisman, my ancestor from the Heavenly Martial Sect left behind a crucial clue."

Elder Songhe no longer concealed anything and frankly told the truth, "Our ancestors' deductions and investigations suggest that the last talisman is very likely in the hands of a level nine demon beast who has lived for ten thousand years!"