Nether Rift, Talisman Suppresses Deathly Aura

The Black Rune bobbed within the core of the Five-Colored Talisman Path, like a venomous scorpion lying in wait. Every flicker tugged at the deathly aura of the Netherworld. Xuan Fu could clearly sense the rift in the Extreme West expanding wildly. Those Black Shadows were no ordinary ghosts, but Nether Demon Soldiers tempered by the Power of Death. Their claws carried decaying laws. Wherever they passed, grass and trees withered in an instant, mountains and rocks crumbled into dust, and even the spiritual energy in the air was transformed into deathly aura.

"The Netherworld and the Primordial Wilderness originally had a domain barrier between them. Why has a rift suddenly appeared?" Daoist Yang Mei lightly waved his horsetail whisk, and ripples in space isolated the approaching deathly aura. "This Power of Death contains traces of the Law of Nirvana. It shares the same origin as Old Ancestor Nirvana, yet it is even purer."

Xuan Fu condensed five-colored talismanic light at his fingertips, suppressing the restless Black Rune within him. "This is the Demon Ancestor's hidden move. The mark he left in my body isn't merely a trigger for Demonic Contamination, but also a coordinate connecting to the Netherworld." He could feel the Black Rune resonating with the Power of Death within the Nether Rift, trying to break through the restraints of his Talisman Path and transform him completely into a dual vessel for the Netherworld and Demonic Contamination.

The Jade Void Palace Shadow slowly spoke. "Deep within the Netherworld lies an ancient existence known as the Netherworld Ghost Lord. He, Old Ancestor Nirvana, and Demon Ancestor Luohu are known as the three great taboos of Chaos. He governs death and reincarnation, yet is obsessed with corroding all things with deathly aura and turning the Primordial Wilderness into Netherworld territory. When Pangu created the world, he sealed the Netherworld Ghost Lord in the Core Area of the Netherworld. Now that the seal has loosened, the Demon Ancestor has clearly reached a deal with him."

Before the words had faded, a deep horn sounded from the Extreme West. The Nether Rift suddenly expanded to a width of ten thousand zhang, and countless Nether Demon Soldiers surged out like a tide. At their head were three Nether generals clad in bone armor, all radiating Quasi-Saint-level auras. The deathly aura swirling around them had almost condensed into substance. "By the Ghost Lord's command, we shall take the souls of the Primordial Wilderness's living beings and forge the Netherworld reincarnation!" The Bone-Armored General's voice sounded as if it came from the deepest netherworld, carrying a powerful mental impact that caused many low-level living beings of the Primordial Wilderness to faint on the spot.

"We can't let them spread!" Xuan Fu shouted. The five-colored talismanic light surged, and he raised his hand to deploy the Myriad Laws Balance Array. The moment the array unfolded, the five powers of life, destruction, yin, yang, and demon formed a cycle, rapidly converting the approaching deathly aura into pure energy while purifying the land corroded by it. Donghua, Ao Guang, and the Three Clan Experts also struck one after another. Wood Spirit Vines bound the demon soldiers, Water Dragons of the Dragon Clan washed away the deathly aura, flames of the Phoenix Clan burned the sinister forces, and stone spikes of the Kirin Clan sealed off their retreat. For a time, a brutal offensive and defensive battle unfolded across the Extreme West.

Xuan Fu's gaze locked tightly onto the three Bone-Armored Generals. The bone blades in their hands contained dense Laws of Death. Every slash could tear through space and release vast amounts of deathly aura. Ordinary attacks could not harm their foundations at all. "I have to sever their connection to the Netherworld!" Xuan Fu activated the Universe Folding Talisman, transforming into a streak of five-colored light and appearing behind the leading general in an instant. The five-colored talisman blade, carrying the Power of Balance, stabbed straight toward the bone core in his back. It was the source of the Nether general's power, connected to the Netherworld's supply of deathly aura.

"Seeking death!" The Bone-Armored General turned and swung his blade. The bone blade collided with the talisman blade, and the deathly aura and five-colored talismanic light corroded each other with a sizzling sound. Xuan Fu felt a bone-chilling cold spread along the talisman blade. The Laws of Death tried to freeze the circulation of his Talisman Path, while the Black Rune within him took the opportunity to grow restless, causing his movements to lag slightly.

At that very moment, the bone blade of another Bone-Armored General had already hacked toward him. A bone spike condensed from deathly aura pointed straight at his brow. Xuan Fu's heart tightened. He immediately activated the power of spatial talismans and fled. The bone blade grazed past his shoulder, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone. Deathly aura instantly corroded the wound, and even the five-colored light of his talisman body dimmed considerably.

"Fellow Daoist Mystic Talisman!" Seeing this, Donghua transformed the Wood Spirit Power into a long emerald whip and wrapped it around the general's arm, trying to stop his pursuit. But the Nether general's strength far exceeded his expectations. The whip was instantly corroded and severed by the deathly aura, while Donghua was sent staggering backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Xuan Fu gritted his teeth and circulated the Five-Colored Talisman Path to purify the deathly aura in his wound while rapidly calculating. The bone cores of the Nether generals were connected to the Netherworld. As long as the rift existed, they could endlessly absorb deathly aura to recover from their injuries. To kill them, he first had to close the rift. And the key to closing it might be the Black Rune within him. This rune was both the coordinate of the connection and the key to breaking it.

"Senior Yang Mei, please hold off the three generals!" Xuan Fu shouted toward Daoist Yang Mei. "I'll go close the Nether Rift!"

Daoist Yang Mei nodded. His blue robes whipped in the wind as his Power of Space surged. Countless Space Rifts opened and closed around the Nether generals, severely restricting their movements. "Be careful, Fellow Daoist. The deathly aura deep within the Nether Rift is incredibly dense. The slightest carelessness will corrupt your mind!"

Xuan Fu did not hesitate. He activated the Myriad Laws Balance Talisman to shield his entire body, transformed into a streak of five-colored light, and charged toward the Nether Rift. The deathly aura around the rift was so dense that it had almost condensed into liquid. Every breath brought the corrosion of the Laws of Death. The Black Rune within him grew increasingly restless, as if it wanted to break free of its restraints and merge with the power inside the rift. He forcibly sank his Spiritual Sense into the Talisman Path Core and wrapped the Black Rune in the power of five-colored balance, temporarily stabilizing the situation as if pressing down grass with a stone.

When he reached the edge of the rift, Xuan Fu finally saw what lay inside. Deep within the rift was an endless darkness. Countless ghosts wailed within it, while a huge Black Palace floated at the center. At the top of the palace, a skull-shaped Skull Rune flickered, resonating intensely with the Black Rune within him. That was the Netherworld Ghost Lord's Seal Core, and also the source of the rift's expansion.

"Break talismans with talismans, and counter imbalance with balance!" Xuan Fu took a deep breath and unleashed the full power of the Five-Colored Talisman Path. He forcibly drew the Black Rune out of the Talisman Path Core and suspended it above his palm. Rather than destroy it, he activated the powers of life and destruction, yin and yang, carving balancing patterns across the surface of the Black Rune in an attempt to transform it into a key for closing the rift.

The process was exceptionally difficult. The Black Rune struggled violently as the Laws of Death and Demonic Contamination Power intertwined, trying to bite back at Xuan Fu's mind. He could feel that the Netherworld Ghost Lord had already sensed what he was doing. An angry roar came from the palace, and countless tentacles formed from deathly aura reached out of the rift and coiled toward him.

Xuan Fu dodged the tentacles while speeding up his inscription of the balancing patterns. The five-colored talismanic light collided with the Black Rune, sending countless sparks flying. Every pattern he carved came with a tremendous expenditure of his Origin Aura. Cracks appeared in his talisman body once more, and blood slid from the corner of his mouth before dripping onto the Black Rune. It was instantly absorbed, but the rune's struggles also slowed slightly. His blood essence contained the rhythm of the Great Dao of Balance, the natural nemesis of the Laws of Death.

"Now!"

When the final balancing pattern was completed, Xuan Fu abruptly hurled the Black Rune toward the Skull Rune at the center of the rift. The instant the two runes collided, the Black Rune erupted with dazzling five-colored light. The balancing patterns rapidly spread, enveloping the Skull Rune. With a tremendous hum, the Nether Rift began to shrink violently. The flow of deathly aura gushing out slowed drastically, and the auras of the Nether Demon Soldiers weakened along with it. They had clearly lost their source of power.

The three Bone-Armored Generals in the Extreme West changed expression drastically. They could sense their connection to the Netherworld being severed. Roaring, they tried to rush back into the rift, but Daoist Yang Mei's Power of Space held them back completely. "Your end has come!" Daoist Yang Mei waved his horsetail whisk, sending countless blades of space slashing toward the generals. With the attacks of Donghua and the Three Clan Experts working in concert, they soon slew the three Quasi-Saint-level generals and purified the Power of Death within their bodies.

Xuan Fu let out a breath of relief and was just about to turn away when he suddenly sensed an even more terrifying aura coming from the Black Palace deep within the rift. Although the Netherworld Ghost Lord's seal had been temporarily reinforced and the rift was shrinking, his consciousness had pierced through the seal and locked firmly onto Xuan Fu, filled with intense killing intent and unwillingness.

"Petty ant, how dare you ruin this Venerable One's great undertaking!" The Netherworld Ghost Lord's voice exploded in Xuan Fu's mind like thunder. "Your Talisman Path contains the balance of life and destruction. It is perfect for completing the flaws in this Venerable One's deathly reincarnation. When this Venerable One breaks free, I will refine you into the core of the Netherworld reincarnation!"

Xuan Fu's heart tightened. He did not dare linger for even a moment. He activated the power of spatial talismans and instantly fled beyond the rift, returning to the others. By then, the Nether Demon Soldiers had been completely cleared out. Under the effect of the Myriad Laws Balance Array, the deathly aura in the Extreme West was also gradually dissipating, and the land of the Primordial Wilderness began to slowly recover its vitality.

Daoist Yang Mei looked at Xuan Fu's pale face, and a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes. "Fellow Daoist, you closed the Nether Rift and reinforced the Ghost Lord's seal by yourself. Your merit is immeasurable. However, although the Black Rune within you has been transformed, the mark of the Netherworld Ghost Lord still remains. You must be especially careful in the future."

Xuan Fu nodded and circulated his talismanic power to inspect his body. The Black Rune had been completely enveloped by the balancing patterns and had become part of the Five-Colored Talisman Path. It was no longer restless, but he could sense that the consciousness of the Netherworld Ghost Lord had been branded deep within the rune, like a timed bomb that could erupt at any moment.

Just as everyone thought the crisis had been resolved, the Jade Void Palace Shadow suddenly issued a warning. "This is bad! Disturbances have come from the territories of the Three Clans. Large numbers of demonized and netherworld-transformed living beings have gathered. It seems they are launching a rebellion!"

Xuan Fu's heart jolted, and his Spiritual Sense instantly spread across the territories of the Three Clans. Sure enough, large-scale rebellions had erupted in the Dragon Clan's East Sea, the Phoenix Clan's Southern Wasteland, and the Kirin Clan's Central Plains. Most of the rebels were living beings who had previously been affected by Demonic Contamination or corroded by deathly aura. Under the pull of a mysterious force, they crazily attacked the Core Areas of the Three Clans, attempting to overthrow their rule.

"It's the remnants of the Demon Ancestor and the Netherworld Ghost Lord causing trouble!" Ao Guang's expression changed drastically. "Although they cannot act personally, they are secretly manipulating these rebels, trying to plunge the Primordial Wilderness into internal chaos!"

Xuan Fu carefully investigated with his Spiritual Sense and discovered that a tiny Black Rune flickered in the Core Area of every group of rebels. It shared the same origin as the rune within him, clearly another hidden move left behind by the Demon Ancestor and the Netherworld Ghost Lord. These runes were like signal towers, constantly radiating Demonic Contamination and deathly aura while controlling the rebels' actions.

"We must quell the rebellion as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if the Three Clans are destroyed, the defenses of the Primordial Wilderness will completely collapse!" Donghua said solemnly, a trace of resolve flashing in his eyes.

Xuan Fu nodded without hesitation. "Donghua and I will go to the Dragon Clan's East Sea. Senior Yang Mei and Senior Jade Void Palace will go to the Phoenix Clan's Southern Wasteland. Ao Guang, Feng Yao, and Qilin Cang, the three of you will return to your respective territories, quell the rebellion, and purify the runes!"

After the discussion ended, everyone immediately split up. Xuan Fu and Donghua transformed into a streak of five-colored light and flew toward the East Sea. Along the way, they saw countless rebels burning, killing, and looting. The territories of the Three Clans had become devastated, countless living beings had been displaced, and the scene was unbearable to behold.

"These rebels have been completely controlled and have lost their minds. We can only slay them and purify the runes within their bodies." Xuan Fu's voice carried a trace of heaviness. He knew this was the only way. Otherwise, the Demonic Contamination and Power of Death would continue to spread.

The two did not stop and immediately joined the battle. Xuan Fu's five-colored talisman blade reaped through the rebels like a scythe, killing them while releasing the Power of Balance to purify the Demonic Contamination and deathly aura in the air. Donghua's Wood Spirit Power transformed into countless vines that bound the rebels, making it easier for Xuan Fu to purify them.

After several days of fighting, the rebellion in the East Sea was finally quelled, and order gradually returned to the Dragon Clan's territory. But Xuan Fu and Donghua did not relax in the slightest. They knew that the rebellions in the other two regions were still continuing. Moreover, the Demon Ancestor and the Netherworld Ghost Lord would never let matters end here. An even greater crisis still lay ahead.

Just as they were preparing to head to the Southern Wasteland to support Daoist Yang Mei and the Jade Void Palace Shadow, the Black Rune within Xuan Fu suddenly trembled again. This time, the rune transmitted not restlessness, but a clear consciousness: "Xuan Fu, this Venerable One knows that you are seeking the opportunity to break through to Sainthood. Deep in Chaos lies the 'Source of Myriad Talismans.' The ultimate mysteries of the Talisman Path are hidden there. If you can find it, not only will you be able to break through to Sainthood, you will also be able to completely control the Demonic Contamination and Netherworld mark within your body. But remember, beside the Source of Myriad Talismans sleeps the final Chaos Seal left behind by Pangu when he created the world. The slightest carelessness will bring endless calamity..."

This consciousness had actually come from the Netherworld Ghost Lord!

Xuan Fu's heart jolted. Why would the Netherworld Ghost Lord tell him this secret? Did he genuinely want Xuan Fu to break through, or was this another, even greater trap?

What shocked him even more was that deep within his Spiritual Sense, he could feel that the Source of Myriad Talismans deep in Chaos truly radiated an intense Talisman Path Origin Aura, which resonated powerfully with his Five-Colored Talisman Path. That aura was far more precious than any opportunity he had encountered before. It was clearly the key to breaking through to Sainthood.

Donghua also noticed Xuan Fu's abnormality and asked worriedly, "Fellow Daoist Mystic Talisman, what's wrong?"

Xuan Fu did not hide anything and transmitted the Netherworld Ghost Lord's consciousness to Donghua. Donghua's expression changed. "This is definitely a trap! The Netherworld Ghost Lord wants to use you to break Pangu's Seal and completely break free!"

Xuan Fu nodded, but his heart was filled with hesitation. He knew this was very likely a trap, yet the temptation of the Source of Myriad Talismans was simply too great. He had now reached the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm and stood only one step from Sainthood, yet he had always been unable to break through that bottleneck. The Source of Myriad Talismans might be his only chance.

At that moment, a violent energy fluctuation came from deep within Chaos. The aura of the Source of Myriad Talismans grew increasingly dense, while an ancient and powerful sealing force spread out alongside it. It was precisely the Chaos Seal left behind by Pangu.

Clearly, the Netherworld Ghost Lord had already begun to act, trying to use some kind of power to influence the balance between the Source of Myriad Talismans and the Chaos Seal.

Xuan Fu's gaze struggled repeatedly between hesitation and resolve. He knew he had to make a choice: Should he give up the Source of Myriad Talismans, continue guarding the Primordial Wilderness, and resist the Demon Ancestor and the Netherworld Ghost Lord's subsequent schemes? Or should he risk journeying into the depths of Chaos to seek the Source of Myriad Talismans, break through to Sainthood, and resolve all the crises once and for all?

At that moment, the five-colored Talisman Path within him also began to stir, as if urging him to journey into the depths of Chaos and seek the ultimate mysteries of the Talisman Path.

A new adventure and a massive trap had already begun to wait silently for him in the depths of Chaos.