Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Chapter 293 Dragon and Tiger Talisman Battle Arena

Shi Zhifang was furious and wanted to stand up for the witch.

The cultivators were also furious and wanted to see Shi Zhifang stand up for the witch.

Unfortunately, Shi Lijing was unwilling to let his only son be taken advantage of, so he kept him firmly under control and prevented him from standing up for himself.

Su Qing shrank back, seeing that he hadn't encouraged anyone else to step forward.

He turned around and spat out another phantom of a fire phoenix to help the witch expel the poison, hoping she would stand up for herself.

Huang Song and the others watched this farce unfold with indifference, taking no action.

That's why everyone is so free.

The reason was that outside the main hall, there was a fourth-order formation, three fourth-order talismans, and eighteen third-order puppets, which blocked the cultivators' path.

Cultivating in the realm of spiritual practice.

Those incompetent rogue cultivators are the most eager to run away.

Skilled cultivators are the most eager to seize treasures.

Inside this Treasure Hall of Talismans, three kinds of supreme treasures and spiritual objects, which are extremely rare and hard to find in the outside world, were displayed in a dazzling display before the cultivators.

Logically speaking, all the cultivators should have beaten their heads to a pulp long ago.

In fact, they had fought before. When the cultivators first arrived here, they saw these three spiritual creatures and immediately started fighting. The Desire Demon Sect suffered heavy losses, and the hermit of Xia Mountain was left all alone.

But after the cultivators had fought one round, Jia Chunqiu betrayed them.

But they found out they had attacked too early!
The Immortal God Ice, the Crimson Jade Marrow, and the inheritance of the Talisman Dao Sect were indeed right before their eyes, just a step away, seemingly within reach.

But this seemingly insurmountable distance feels like an insurmountable chasm.

There was an invisible array of light inside and outside the hall. The mystery of this array was unknown because the third-tier array masters brought in by the Demon Sect died in the first wave of attacks by Jia Chunqiu and Huang Song. As a result, the cultivators present had not been able to figure it out even now.

Therefore, Jia Chunqiu truly deserves to die; he has caused so much trouble for everyone!

Besides the array that prevented everyone from entering, the three talisman papers floating above the three spiritual objects, radiating fourth-order talismanic light, also deterred people from approaching.

On the contrary, the eighteen third-tier puppets, which were either wooden figures, water dragons, or golden beasts, were the least feared by the cultivators because they had not yet been activated.

Although they were isolated outside the hall and unable to enter, the cultivators were not worried about returning empty-handed from the treasure mountain.

This is because inside this hall, a skeleton is slowly growing flesh and blood. It must be the lingering will of the Jade Wall Immortal who wants to use his remaining body from his previous life to meet the cultivators.

If this were a normal cultivator, they would be terrified.

After all, everyone knows that Nascent Soul cultivators have the ability to possess and be reborn. If one falls into someone else's long-established cave dwelling, with arrays, talismans, and even puppets under their control, that person might have no choice but to give everything they have to this Nascent Soul cultivator if they want to possess someone else.

You want someone's most precious possession left behind before they die, but they want everything you have.

But among the group of people who have landed in this palace, very few are actually normal.

Master Tong is a Daoist puppet, so even if True Man Yu Bi wanted to possess him, he wouldn't know where to begin.

Gao Erqiang is an evil spirit. Although it is unknown why he was able to evade the array outside the cave, he can enter the cave of the Jade Wall Immortal, but the Jade Wall Immortal cannot enter his body.

The three evil cultivators from the Demon Tree Immortal Kingdom had long since dedicated everything to the Earth Demon Heaven. They would have gladly given their bodies to Jade Wall True Person for free, so that the Earth Demon Heaven could have one more Nascent Soul believer.

There's no need for Xia Shan Shangren to say more. If the jade disc dares to possess him, once he leaves, Yun Shan Lao Xie can transform it into an evil spirit, making him suffer pain worse than death.

Aside from these inhuman beings, Huang Song, as a high-ranking cultivator from Penglai and a descendant of a prestigious family, dared to enter the cave, so he must have had methods to prevent Nascent Soul cultivators from possessing his body.

When the founder of the Desire Demon Sect, Jade Wall Immortal, was alive, he could fight him to a standstill. The treasures he left behind after his death can protect the cultivators of the Desire Demon Sect from the suffering of Jade Wall's possession.

Because everyone had their own reliance, they were able to calmly watch as the Jade Wall Immortal materialized in the palace, and watch the witch talk to Jia Chunqiu about the same old family feuds.

After the cultivators had argued for a while, the Jade Wall Immortal in the palace finally restored his body.

His white hair and youthful face, along with his imposing presence, were striking. Even the simple act of standing up exuded the aura of a former Nascent Soul cultivator and the head of a major sect, causing the cultivators outside the hall to fall silent and turn their gazes in his direction.

With a flick of his whisk, the formation that had been blocking the cultivators outside immediately dissipated.

With a wave of his hand, numerous jade seats appeared out of thin air in the hall, indicating that the cultivators were to sit down.

The cultivators looked at each other, wondering what Jade Wall Immortal was up to, and no one stepped forward for a long time.

It wasn't until the bold and daring old Taoist Tong strode into the hall and took his seat that the situation became clear.

The cultivators then entered one by one and found their seats.

As a third-tier Tiger King, with a third-tier Iron-Eating King Beast by his side, how could Su Qing compare to the Foundation Establishment disciples like Xu Huaiyi sitting in the third row?

He casually pulled the witch along and sat in the first row, stingily letting the Iron-Eating Beast take the witch's right side, which made Shi Zhifang glare in anger. He could only sit down next to Su Qing in a huff.

After all the cultivators had taken their seats, the white-haired, youthful-looking Jade Wall Immortal finally smiled at them.

Perhaps because his crippled body hadn't been used for a thousand years, he had forgotten how to fake a smile. When he did smile, the flesh on his face twisted into a grimace, making him look somewhat eerie.

Seeing the strange expressions on the faces of the cultivators, Jade Wall Immortal quickly put away his smile and resumed his previous expressionless demeanor.

That's even more creepy.

Whether they were laughing or not, they were all ancient monsters from a thousand years ago. The cultivators instinctively showed resistance, disgust, awe, and vigilance towards him. No matter what he did, they had to think about whether this old monster wanted to take over their bodies!
It's like a beautiful young woman in her early twenties sharing a room with a vigorous young man; even if the man coughs, she feels that he is defiling her with his saliva!

There's no logic to it.

Master Yu Bi had obviously thought of this as well, so he skipped the formalities with the other cultivators and went straight to the point:

"The old Taoist has been sitting in meditation for thousands of years, and has been entangled with this immortal ice for thousands of years. Today, he has a chance to catch his breath and communicate with heaven and earth. He also knows that thousands of years have passed and the Fu Dao Sect has been completely destroyed, with the sect destroyed and its people dead."

The world goes through cycles of change, sects rise and fall; this is the will of Heaven. The old Daoist is dead, and has no intention of reviving the Fu Dao Sect.

Fellow Daoists, please rest assured. This old Daoist's lingering will has long been almost completely obliterated by the Immortal God Ice. Even if it wanted to possess any of you, it would be like a candle flickering in the wind, utterly no match for the vibrant life force of yours, especially against the rising sun.

Today, I, the old Taoist priest, only wish to bestow these three items from my Taoist cave dwelling upon those who are destined to receive them.

I am sending away the legacy of the Fu Dao Sect, hoping that this legacy will see the light of day again. If one day someone can rebuild this sect, I will not become the sinner who caused the sect's legacy to be lost.

The second offering of the cinnabar jade, a spiritual object for forming an infant, will help those destined to follow the Dao in this world to form an infant and enter the gate of the nascent soul. This is a great act of virtue for the entire Dao. If, after this destined fellow Daoist is reincarnated, he can find a flaw to unravel the mystery of the old Daoist's womb and allow the old Daoist to re-enter the gate of cultivation, that would be an even greater act of kindness.

The Three Gifts to the Five Elders: Dao Pattern Immortal Ice. This Dao Pattern Talisman Wall was brought from beyond the heavens by the founding ancestor of our Talisman Dao Sect. Unfortunately, we, the descendants, have studied this Dao Pattern for a long time, but we still cannot fathom its mysteries. Moreover, due to the old Daoist's greed, the Dao Pattern rioted, causing him to lose his own Dao Fruit and also dragging the sect down with him.

"I'm giving away this Daoist rune today, whether you call it a gift to a destined person or a way to divert trouble, I only hope that the Daoist who receives it won't blame this old Daoist in the future!"

Master Yu Bi spoke earnestly, wishing to transform into a treasure-giving boy and give these three treasures to all the cultivators present without reservation.

The only condition might be that it helps them understand the mystery of the womb and leads them back into the path of spiritual practice.

"It's as if they have no intention of possessing another body for rebirth, but only want to be reincarnated and start over!"

You believe that?

"Only a fool would believe that!"

"Having lived for a thousand years and died for thousands of years, this ancient monster, who's been dead for thousands of years, is practically a demon. If he wanted to reincarnate, he would have done so long ago. Why wait until now!"

"Calm down. With the sect leader here and the sect's most precious treasures, there's no need to worry about this old monster possessing us. Once we get the treasures, we'll quickly leave with the sect!"

"Since the Tiger King is Senior Sister's spirit beast, is he considered a member of our Demonic Sect? Will the sect's treasures protect him?"

"What's wrong? Are you worried about him?"

"I'm afraid it won't die!"

······
The demonic cultivators were abuzz with discussion. Within the Demonic Immortal Kingdom, cultivators were masters of deception, fraud, arson, murder, and looting. They had committed countless evil deeds and judged others by their own standards. Everyone felt that this Jade Wall Immortal was up to no good. Even a kind-hearted person like Su Qing felt that Jade Wall Immortal was overdoing it. The emergence of a cave dwelling was so sudden that he wanted the whole world to know about it. If it was just for doing good deeds and giving treasures to those with affinity, no one could believe it.

Despite the many cultivators' indignation, since they hadn't yet obtained the precious spiritual item, no one dared to question the Jade Wall Immortal.

He's faking it now, but a feigned benevolence is always milder than outright malice.

"I admire the noble righteousness of the Jade Wall Immortal. I, Huang Song, hereby guarantee that if I obtain a Nascent Soul artifact, even if I fail to form a Nascent Soul, I will still ask a Nascent Soul cultivator from my clan to guide your reincarnation to my Penglai Sect for cultivation!"

Huang Song brought up the Nascent Soul cultivator from his clan, trying to persuade him with benefits, but Jade Wall Immortal shook his head and remained silent, unmoved.

"Please let Master Yu Bi know that my Demonic Desire Sect and the Talisman Dao Sect have a long history. After the Talisman Dao Sect perished, my sect took on the important task of restoring the orthodoxy of the Talisman Dao Sect."

"That talismanic inheritance, the Five Elders' Dao patterns, the Nascent Soul spirit—if they were to enter my sect, the once glorious and righteous Talismanic Dao Sect would surely reappear in the Western Sea!"

Shi Lijing was agitated and tried to reason with him, but Yu Bi Zhenren ignored him. If he were a sentimental person, he would have given the throne directly to the descendants of Fu Daozong back then, instead of letting them suffer for thousands of years. He gave it to the Yu Mozong, who had fought against him in the arena back then.

He's dead, not stupid!

“Fellow Daoist Yu Bi, I had the pleasure of meeting you once before. We discussed talismans and the Dao, and it was a very pleasant time. You once said that these Five Elders Dao Patterns were the sect’s most precious treasure, and that outsiders could not see them.”

But today you are dead and your Dao has vanished, and the Talisman Dao Sect is now without a sect or its members. This old Daoist should be able to see this Dao pattern. Let me take a look, just one look is enough. After I've seen it, I'll turn around and leave. Even if you have other plans, I won't interfere. What do you say, fellow Daoist?"

Old Master Tong was swift and decisive, holding several fourth-tier talismans in his hand, his expression conveying a strong sense of threat.

There were several fourth-tier talismans, and he didn't know how many more fourth-tier talismans he had in his storage bag. This made Tong Laodao's words carry far more weight than Huang Song's respectful greetings to his master.

At least, Master Yu Bi glanced at it and nodded to Old Daoist Tong, saying, "Fellow Daoist Tong, please be patient. You will have your chance to observe this Dao pattern later."

Upon hearing this, Master Tong casually put one or two, several fourth-order Five Thunder Talismans into his storage bag, which made True Person Yu Bi secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and also made all the cultivators and evil spirits present breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Lord Earth Demon Heaven has decreed that the inheritance of talismanic arts and the Nascent Soul spiritual objects are fine, but these Five Elders' Dao patterns must be given to my Demon Tree Immortal Kingdom. You old fool, don't be ungrateful!"

The evil cultivators of the Demon Tree Immortal Kingdom treated everyone the same and were impolite to everyone, but this time they were rude to the wrong person and paid the price in an instant.

The person who spoke was swept away by the whisk in the hand of the Jade Wall Immortal. He didn't even have a chance to tear off the black cloth and reveal his ugly body to startle people before he was dissolved into a pool of black water by the mysterious spiritual power contained in the whisk.

"Earth-level Daoist technique?"

"Nascent Soul True Power?"

"This old monster still has the ability to use Nascent Soul techniques?"

"Don't panic, don't be afraid. After his body dies and his Dao dissipates, he no longer has the qualification to borrow power from heaven and earth. After being worn down by the Five Elders' Dao patterns for thousands of years, he will only become weaker and weaker until he disappears. He can't use such methods many times. We should thank this evil cultivator of the demonic tree for helping us block it once!"

"Not many times? How many times exactly?"

"How would I know?"

"Even if he manages to make a move one more time, given the methods he's displayed, who among us can withstand it this time!"

When Master Yu Bi suddenly made his move, with just a flick of his whisk, he killed a late-stage Golden Core evil cultivator on the spot, unable to even summon the power of the Earth Demon Heaven that the cultivator revered as a god.

Such power immediately sent a chill down the spines of all the cultivators present.

Everyone knows that this old monster is at his last gasp. If the cultivators don't intervene, he will perish and disintegrate. He can only use his Nascent Soul techniques two or three times at most.

But if these two or three times happened to their own families, it would be a devastating disaster. Nobody wants to end up like that evil cultivator, becoming an unlucky person who takes the blame for others.

Therefore, when Master Yu Bi scanned the entire room again, all the cultivators who had openly and secretly slandered him, both verbally and in their hearts, sat upright, their faces full of awe.

Seeing this, Jade Wall Immortal couldn't help but sneer, thinking to himself that even after thousands of years, the cultivators of this world are still the same as they were back then, fearing power but not virtue. No matter how much he said, it was not as effective as killing one person.

"This old Daoist is neither dead nor alive, neither soul nor monster, and is intolerable to Heaven and Earth. I cannot sustain myself for long. Therefore, I urge all fellow Daoists not to do anything reckless or speak nonsense."

Since you've come for the magical treasures, then follow the rules set by the old Taoist priest to compete for them!
The first treasure is the inheritance of the Talisman Dao Sect. Those who wish to obtain this treasure must go to the Dragon Tiger Talisman Arena, a arena specifically designed to test a cultivator's mastery of the art of runes.

On this arena, cultivators may use any means to fight, but please note that after entering the arena, they must use rune techniques to gain the approval of the fourth-order Myriad Manifestations Rune above the arena.

"Once this talisman is recognized and its power is activated, all talismans, puppets, magical artifacts, and even Taoist techniques using runes on this arena will receive a power boost several times over. Those who stand firm on this arena, those who dominate all others with their talismans, will inherit the legacy of my Talisman Dao Sect!"

Master Yu Bi explained the rules for the treasure hunt, which made the cultivators of the Desire Demon Sect cry out that it was unfair.

"Runic techniques? Isn't that just about having more spiritual treasures and items? Who can compare to Huang Song in that regard?"

"There's no need for a contest. Everyone just needs to take out their storage bags and show off their wealth!"

"Our Demonic Sect uses Soul Refining Banners, which are also branded with Soul Demon Runes, Blood Spirit Runes, and many other runes. With the Soul Banners up, we may not be inferior to Huang Song. How can we boost the morale of others and diminish our own prestige!"

"But the few runes on our banner are nowhere near as numerous and powerful as Huang Song's puppets and magical artifacts. He's from Penglai, from a noble family, a second-generation immortal!"

"It's not just Huang Song. That old Taoist priest who looks half-dead and is pretending to be a Qi Refining cultivator, but who can throw out a fourth-tier talisman with a flick of his wrist—if he were to step onto the arena and throw out a fourth-tier talisman, who would dare to fight him?"

The disciples of the Desire Demon felt that the rules were somewhat targeted at them, the poor.

But if we're talking about unfairness, Gao Erqiang and the evil cultivator from the Demon Tree haven't even said it's unfair yet!

What? Are you just taking advantage of the fact that evil spirits can't use magical artifacts, puppets, or other external objects containing runic power for cultivation?

Fortunately, they weren't particularly interested in the talismanic tradition itself.

As the sect leader of the Desire Demon Sect, Shi Lijing was more concerned with the Nascent Soul Spiritual Object that could help him form his Nascent Soul, and the Five Elders Dao Pattern Immortal God Ice. However, it would be a lie to say that he had no interest in the inheritance of the Talisman Dao Sect.

The merit of forming the Nascent Soul is immediate, while the fortune of the Five Elders' Dao Patterns is unpredictable. This Dao of Talismans contains the cultivation experience accumulated by the Nascent Soul Sect over many years. For the Desire Demon Sect, however, it is a merit that will benefit future generations.

If it is possible to obtain it, then of course we should strive to obtain it.

Seeing that no one from the group went up on stage, Shi Lijing turned his head to look at Shi Zhifang, who was standing next to the Fierce Tiger King and, through the Fierce Tiger King, was licking the witch Liu Yun'er across the air. He coughed helplessly once, then coughed again, and coughed three times in a row before he finally got Shi Zhifang's attention.

"Zhifang, take this talisman seal and go up to the stage to bring back this talismanic heritage to my sect!"

Hearing his father, the sect leader, call out to him, Shi Zhifang said to Liu Yun'er with a hint of reluctance:

"Yun'er, wait for me a moment. I'll tell you about my interesting stories in the Desire Demon Kingdom when I return. Let me tell you, in my Desire Demon Kingdom, the best way to sell goods, besides the official markets and shops, is through the black markets. The distribution of those black markets is unknown to ordinary people, but I know it all too well..."

black market?

Upon hearing this, Su Qing's ears perked up, and she pulled Shi Zhifang to sit down again.

"Wow! Fellow Daoist Master is truly knowledgeable and has many connections. Please tell me more about this black market. Fellow Daoist Yun'er likes to hear about it, doesn't she?"

Seeing Yun'er turn her head and glance at the Tiger King, then nod slightly to herself.

Shi Zhifang immediately became as if he had been injected with chicken blood. He took out a picture from his storage bag, pointed to the black dots on it, and was about to give a long talk.

"The way!"

The teacher spoke respectfully, but his tone was filled with anger, and he was about to get up and teach this unfilial son a lesson on the spot.

Su Qing was afraid that Liu Yun'er would be seen as a seductive and shameless woman who would ruin his relationship with his son, so he even grabbed the black market distribution map and said to Shi Zhifang:

"Fellow Daoist Master, your father is calling you!"

Why did my father call me?

"It can't be that he's just calling you home for dinner. You should go and see him, or I'm afraid he'll beat you up!"

"So, what are some interesting stories about the black market?"

"Shall Xiaohu tell Yun'er about it?"

"What do you know? You're no match for me. Let me explain in detail to Fellow Daoist Yun'er when I return!"

(End of this chapter)