Chapter Fifty-Seven — The Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman

Under all those gazes, Li Daoxuan shrank his neck; he always felt these people might draw swords at him the next moment.

Especially those two Horse-Riding cultivators — from beginning to end they had been staring at him, glances cold and shifting, bright and dark by turns.

Li Daoxuan lowered his head and resolved firmly to speak no more — keep low, and leave the instant the feast ended!

The Lady in Green seemed to mean to help Li Daoxuan shift the subject.

She said calmly, "The wine is drunk; it is time to speak of the real matter."

Hearing this, all roused themselves; those well-informed, who had caught wind beforehand, showed a flicker of heat in their eyes.

This time the Lady in Green had invited many cultivators and held a grand feast, even bestowing nectar — surely not from vanity, but to announce some great affair!

"Since the immortals and Buddhas hid and the underworld fell into chaos, some hundreds of years have passed; this seat founded the Blue Netherworld, splitting the yin-cao three ways, meaning to restore the order of the under-world — yet within are strong enemies, without are demons, and these years the Blue Netherworld has not been fully opened."

Hearing the Lady in Green, Li Daoxuan's eyes flashed; his master had told him the Lady's Blue Netherworld stands three-legged with the Hungry-Belly Ghost King's Yellow Springs Realm and the Black Mountain Old Demon's City of Wrongful Death.

But unlike the Yellow Springs and the City, which recruit the dead aggressively, the Blue Netherworld is only half-open, quite low-key.

Could it be the Lady in Green had made ready, and would open the Blue Netherworld wholly, tearing face with the Yellow Springs and the City?

Sure enough, the Lady in Green went on. "This seat has made my resolve — to reorganize the under-world; from this day the gates of the Blue Netherworld shall be opened wholly, to receive the dead."

So saying she extended a slender jade finger, rosy light flowing, drawing a talisman in the void.

"This is the Blue Netherworld Rebirth Talisman this seat has created; henceforth, when you deliver the dead, you may trace this talisman and burn it with fire, and it shall draw the soul to my Blue Netherworld."

That talisman glowed with flowing color, its lines ethereal and wondrous, as if holding a certain magic — one glance and it was engraved deep in the heart.

This was the Lady in Green using great power to instill the talisman straight into all their hearts, unforgettable; when they returned they would teach their disciples, passing it down the generations, until one day the Blue Netherworld Rebirth Talisman would spread wide.

All were shaken; the Lady in Green was indeed a ghost-immortal, to create a new talisman — showing her Dao's profundity.

"We obey the Lady's command!"

None present opposed; some were even secretly glad — this too was a tie to the Lady in Green.

And those who might use the Blue Netherworld Rebirth Talisman, the Lady would always favor a little more.

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The Lady in Green nodded. "Besides this, this seat would choose a Blue Netherworld Envoy — my walker in the mortal world, charged especially with slaying demons and evil, and rectifying the yang realm."

Hearing this, all eyes lit.

A Blue Netherworld Envoy — a walker in the mortal realm!

Once one became the Envoy, he was the Lady in Green's representative on earth; his ties to the Lady would naturally be most uncommon, and closer.

With the Lady's cultivation and accumulation, a casual bestowal of some treasure would be enough to change an ordinary cultivator's fate and send him soaring!

Had not the Horse-Riding line's old patriarch done just so — it was told as a fine tale in the cultivation world, and drew countless hearts to yearn.

And the Lady in Green's next words made all hearts burn hotter.

"On becoming Envoy, this seat shall personally guide his cultivation, and bestow a heavy treasure, to protect his Dao and slay his demons."

She pointed; a bronze talisman flew out and hung in the air, its treasure-light dazzling, brilliant to the eye.

The Meiling Mountain God gazed at that talisman, eyes aflame. "A spirit-treasure-level talisman!"

"A spirit-treasure, truly!"

"Heavens — I had only heard of artifact-level talismans, usable after absorbing sun-essence and moon-essence, repeatable, already most astounding; what manner of wonder is a spirit-treasure-level talisman?"

"That is your ignorance; it is said Maoshan holds a spirit-treasure talisman left by the Great Mao True Lord before his ascension!"

…

Artifacts are not rare in the cultivation world; treasures are already most precious; but at the spirit-treasure tier — that can suppress a sect's fortune, with uses beyond measure, a true heavy treasure!

The Lady in Green said calmly, "This talisman is named the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman, a lower spirit-treasure; its holder may summon my Blue Netherworld's yin soldiers and yin generals to obey your orders and fight for you — at most, it may summon the Five-Wild Gods."

The Five-Wild Gods are fierce ghost-gods not registered by the Heavenly Court; most ferocious, often heroes among men in life, ghost-heroes of the yin-cao after death.

As example, the twelve hundred Grass-Head Gods beneath Erlang are of great renown — they are Five-Wild Gods, an elite host Erlang hand-picked!

Hearing the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman's use, even Li Daoxuan was moved.

This was a veritable army one could carry at the waist!

Picture it: before a duel of arts, first work this talisman to "shake people up" — summon a hundred thousand undying yin soldiers; at a word, warhorses gallop and banners rise in forest, the blade's edge sweeping all, none who dare disobey!

Not to mention that at most it could summon the mighty Five-Wild Gods…

"Beyond the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman, this seat shall also bestow an upper-grade attack-treasure, and a divine art handed down by an ancient immortal."

Though this whole room were cultivators, whose composure and temperaments far exceeded common men, they could not help but be moved, eyes gleaming with strange light.

A lower spirit-treasure, the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman; an upper-grade attack-treasure; and an ancient-immortal inheritance!

And further, to cling to the Lady in Green's thigh — such temptation, who could be unmoved?

Li Daoxuan could not either; but he forced down his inner restlessness, kept himself calm, lowered his head, and silently made his resolve.

This Envoy — he must not become it!

Even for a ghost-immortal, those three treasures were not casually given; especially the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman — to a great sect like Maoshan it was a heavy treasure!

To take such a heavy treasure and owe such a great favor — he would likely repay it with his life later!

If a shallow acquaintance promises you great benefit, surely he means to gain the more from you.

Of this Li Daoxuan was quite clear.

Treasures are fine, but life is the more important; should the Lady in Green go to war with the Hungry-Belly Ghost King or the Black Mountain Old Demon, could he, the Blue Netherworld's earthly walker, stand aside?

Li Daoxuan had his master's guidance and a cheat at his back; so long as he lived, great achievement would surely come — no need to covet these baubles.

But though he was not greedy, others were.

"Lady, I would become the Envoy!"

"Lady, how does one become the Envoy?"

"Lady, I am a demon — may a demon become the Envoy?"

Even the Meiling Mountain God could not resist the lure, and said, "Lady, if you do not disdain it, this old one offers the service of a dog or horse!"

Gazing at those burning eyes, the Lady in Green's mien was calm; she glanced without show at Li Daoxuan.

The hall was all clamor — yet only he bowed his head in thought, unmoved.