Chapter 242 - 235: Total Annihilation, Showdown, Dao Talisman

Chapter 242: Chapter 235: Total Annihilation, Showdown, Dao Talisman

"Hou Siming, we’re not outnumbered. Don’t think you’ve already won."

"It’s still not certain who will come out on top in this battle!"

Someone said coldly.

"Of course. If you have the skill, then by all means, kill us!"

"But, it’s not that I’m looking down on you. If you had that kind of skill, you wouldn’t be running around like rats being chased by us."

"You may have the numbers, but you’re just a mob. Thinking you can turn the tables on me? You’re dreaming!"

Hou Siming sneered.

"Stop wasting time talking to them. Let’s make our move. Finish them quickly and leave this place!"

Guan Lingyan spoke impatiently.

"So be it. Farewell, fellow Daoists. We won’t let your Talisman legacies go to waste."

Seeing that they were on the verge of wiping everyone out, Hou Siming grew impatient.

He waved his hand, and the people behind him silently spread out, taking out Talismans one by one.

Seeing this, some people regretted not leaving earlier.

But more Cultivators were already prepared to fight to the death.

They understood, what good would leaving do?

The Celestial Talisman Institute was only so big; sooner or later, they would have nowhere to hide.

With everyone gathered here now, there was still a chance to make a desperate stand.

"Kill!"

"Fight them to the death!"

Following a Roar, a large number of Talismans transformed into Magic, smashing toward the enemy.

And along with the attack Talismans came a barrage of Defense Talismans and Spirit Shield Talismans.

Unlike Jiang Zuo, these Cultivators had already built a solid foundation before entering, having trained in Defense and Spirit Shield type Talismans.

Talisman Magic exploded chaotically, but for the moment, there were no casualties.

Hou Siming’s group wasn’t in a hurry to use their powerful Talismans. They would wait until the enemy’s Defense Talismans were nearly depleted, then use their strong Talismans to settle things once and for all.

Talisman Magic of all colors flew about chaotically. Few noticed an inexplicable power quietly gathering above the hunting party.

"What is that?"

A Cultivator noticed something strange in the sky and hurriedly shouted.

Hearing this, Hou Siming and the others looked up.

Then they saw that, at some unknown time, a great expanse of fiery red clouds had appeared in the sky.

And in the blink of an eye, the fiery clouds had already enveloped the sky above their heads.

The fire clouds hadn’t descended yet, but Hou Siming and his group could already feel a sickeningly powerful pressure welling up from the depths of their hearts.

"Is this... a Great Power from the Fruit Realm taking action?"

"No, in here, it’s a fifth-rank Talisman!"

"Someone on the other side has a fifth-rank Talisman and used it on us?"

"Impossible! How could someone in the Three Flowers Realm draw a fifth-rank Talisman!"

Hou Siming’s group of Cultivators were all knowledgeable and experienced.

With just a glance or two, they determined the source of these fire clouds.

"Run!"

But more Cultivators couldn’t care about anything else at the moment; they just wanted to escape the attack range of this fifth-rank Talisman.

If they were in the outside world, they could fly, and maybe they’d have a chance.

But in this Talismanic Daoist Holy Land, they couldn’t use Flying Magical Artifacts to escape, only their Escape Techniques.

But they had no choice.

After that one word, "Run," the group that was certain of victory just a moment ago instantly scattered like frightened animals. Unable to spare a thought for others, they fled in all directions, desperate to escape.

However, it was already too late.

BOOM!

A blinding, fiery red light, accompanied by a scorching gale, swept down from the sky toward the crowd below.

The Cultivators in the hunting party were all at the Three Flowers Realm.

But under the sweep of flames like a sea of fire, even if they could withstand the first wave, they couldn’t block the subsequent ones.

In almost the blink of an eye, more than seventy of the nearly eighty members of the hunting party were turned to ash, leaving behind only their Divine Sense Jade Stones.

The only ones still alive were Hou Siming and a few others who possessed powerful defensive measures.

But they weren’t faring well either. Even with all their techniques, they couldn’t avoid the attacks of the relentlessly sweeping flames.

Some managed to block only the first few waves but were still burned alive in the subsequent attacks.

The hunted Cultivators and the hunting party being attacked by the Brahma Wind Fire Sea were separated by a hair’s breadth.

They had thought they were doomed, never expecting such a sudden turn of events.

Hou Siming’s group had actually been attacked by a fifth-rank Talisman and was almost wiped out in an instant!

Seeing this, they couldn’t help but be stunned.

"Who was it?"

"It must have been Zhao Chengjun and Bu Yuehua’s group!"

"They were the ones who brought us here, and they haven’t seemed panicked at all!"

The crowd couldn’t help but speculate. In the end, many of them turned their gazes to Jiang Zuo.

They could clearly sense that the Black Tortoise Dao Sect, Spirit Seal Sect, and Celestial Sound Sect all looked to Jiang Zuo as their leader.

Around Jiang Zuo, the disciples of the three sects were indeed doing so.

At this moment, they were all staring at Jiang Zuo with looks of utter shock and admiration.

Although Jiang Zuo hadn’t said anything, they all knew that he was the one who had unleashed the fifth-rank Talisman.

And that was indeed the case.

After hearing what Zhao Chengjun and Bu Yuehua said, Jiang Zuo knew the hunting party would inevitably pursue them.

So, he sent his Blood Qi Avatar to scout ahead while he began to inject Spiritual Power into the Brahma Wind Fire Sea Talisman.

He was burdened by the Daoist Shackles, so his speed of injecting Spiritual Power was very slow. If he didn’t start in advance and waited until Hou Siming and his men arrived, it would definitely be too late.

And even though Jiang Zuo had started quite a bit early, he had only just barely made it in time.

"Everyone, I found this Talisman in a jade box after eliminating the Talismanic Dao Beast in the valley."

But Jiang Zuo didn’t want to take credit for it, so he offered this explanation to the crowd.

Since he was burdened by the Daoist Shackles, this explanation was very convincing.

Otherwise, for him to draw a fifth-rank Talisman with his Divine Body Realm Cultivation while under the Daoist Shackles would be far too shocking.

He had already stirred up enough trouble. If news like this got out, he could forget about ever having a peaceful day again.

"So that’s how it is!"

"People always said this valley had many Demon Beasts. It was probably because a fifth-rank Talisman was hidden here!"

Hearing this, some Cultivators not only believed it but also proactively helped Jiang Zuo come up with a better reason.

The Brahma Wind Fire Sea was about to end, and Jiang Zuo strode forward.

"Don’t kill me! I’m a disciple of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect!"

Hou Siming and a few others were not yet dead, but each of them was severely injured.

Seeing Jiang Zuo approach, Hou Siming and the others quickly spoke up to state their identities.

But Jiang Zuo showed them no courtesy. He used one Talisman after another, taking their lives.

Then, the Talisman legacies of nearly eighty Cultivators all fell into his Sea of Consciousness.

None of the hunted Cultivators said anything, nor did anyone step forward to demand a share of the Talisman legacies.

But many Cultivators were already looking at Jiang Zuo nervously.

Over a thousand Cultivators had entered the entire Secret Realm, and now only a little over a hundred were left.

If the Secret Realm didn’t change, they would probably have to continue killing each other.

More and more Cultivators began to realize this.

The very people who had been rejoicing just moments ago began to quietly distance themselves from other groups.

However, at the very moment Jiang Zuo absorbed those Talisman legacies...

In the distance, the Celestial Talisman Inquiry Stele suddenly erupted with a dazzling light.

The Cultivators were blinded by a flash of white light. One by one, they closed their eyes, not daring to look directly at it.

And when their vision returned, they found themselves in a vast hall.

At the far end of the hall sat a figure radiating white light.

"Where is this...? Are we finally leaving?"

"Maybe. That figure is probably the legendary Secret Realm Spirit!"

Noticing the change, the Cultivators were all overjoyed.

For a moment, almost everyone looked toward the figure of white light.

"You have all worked hard. Just as you have guessed, I am the Secret Realm Spirit of the Talismanic Daoist Holy Land."

"Several years ago, when the Ten Thousand Dao Scripture Tower, with which I share a karmic bond, was Crossing the Tribulation, I received a gift from it."

’Several years ago?’

Hearing this, Jiang Zuo’s expression turned a little strange.

’We’ve been in the Talismanic Daoist Holy Land for about thirteen years, haven’t we?’

’Even counting the three years that passed outside, that hardly counts as ’several years ago’.’

However, it seemed Jiang Zuo was the only one who noticed the problem with the white-light figure’s timeline; the other Cultivators’ minds were elsewhere.

The figure of white light didn’t know what Jiang Zuo was thinking and simply continued speaking.

"This gift is related to the Dao of Talismans."

"It was a Talisman legacy the likes of which I had never seen. As long as I can obtain that legacy, the dying Talismanic Daoist Holy Land will have a chance to reach its peak once more."

"So, I exhausted almost all of the Talismanic Daoist Holy Land’s remaining power to distribute the Secret Realm keys and invite you all in."

"Fortunately, after you entered, I strongly sensed that one of you possessed the Talisman legacy I desire."

"Unfortunately, I could not tell which of you was the person I was looking for."

"Left with no choice, I could only resort to other means."

"Now, with the number of you remaining, I can observe all of your Seas of Consciousness at once and obtain the legacy I need."

"Do not resist. Open your Seas of Consciousness. Once I have obtained the Talisman legacy I desire, I will let you leave."

The Secret Realm Spirit said faintly.

At first, listening to its words, the Cultivators had a moment of realization, understanding why the Talismanic Daoist Holy Land had opened again after five thousand years.

But the more they listened, the more they felt something was wrong.

’Let it into our Seas of Consciousness? Heavens know what it wants to do!’

’We don’t even have to think about it! It’s definitely not going to be as simple as just ’observing’!’

A Cultivator abruptly stood up, wanting to rebuke the Secret Realm Spirit.

But an inexplicable power instantly enveloped the entire hall.

All the Cultivators in the hall lost consciousness in an instant, left standing blankly in place.

"Then let me see who among you carries that unique Talisman legacy!"

"As long as I obtain this legacy, I can break free from the final restraint the Celestial Talisman Inquiry Sect has placed on me."

"Not only that, I can even evolve into a ’True Spirit’ and attain true freedom!"

As the figure of white light spoke, its form changed, transforming into an ancient Talisman.

If any disciples from the Celestial Talisman Inquiry Sect were present, they would have recognized it at a glance. It was the sect-guarding treasure of the Celestial Talisman Inquiry Sect, the world’s one and only "Dao Talisman"!

The so-called Secret Realm Spirit was, in fact, just the Dao Talisman in disguise!