Zodiac Talismans

"Talismans?"

Bibi Dong had never heard of such things, and her expression grew even more puzzled.

"They are my power, but in the long passage of time, I lost them. As long as I find the talismans, I can restore my strength. When that time comes, I shall grant you power that transcends the gods!"

Shendu's incitement was filled with temptation, and Bibi Dong could not help but feel moved.

She had just heard the key point: power that transcended the gods. Those were gods, after all!

If this were true, then the arduous inheritance of the Rakshasa God she was currently undergoing would no longer be necessary.

She was truly excited, though, of course, she did not blindly trust him. While the strength he had displayed already made her wary, and the story he told seemed plausible, she still needed to remain vigilant.

Bibi Dong was not someone who could be fooled so easily.

"Many thanks, Shendu!"

Bibi Dong clutched her shoulder and bowed slightly, her face showing gratitude, yet her confidence remained. Until she could uncover any issues with him, she would temporarily accept the title of servant.

After this bow, she felt that interacting with him was not as difficult as she had imagined, and she couldn't help but ask, "Shendu, what do these talismans you speak of look like?"

Shendu had been waiting for her to ask this very question. He feigned profoundness and said, "My twelve talismans represent my twelve abilities. Each one is engraved with a corresponding animal, forming the twelve zodiac signs."

"The twelve zodiac signs?" Bibi Dong was confused once more.

There was no such traditional Chinese knowledge on the Douluo Continent.

"They are the Rat, the Ox... among them, the Ox Talisman grants infinite strength, capable of lifting a mountain with ease. The Dragon Talisman allows one to command the fires of the world and spew scorching dragon flames."

"Wait, wait—you will know them when you find them," he said flatly.

"So that is how it is!" Bibi Dong stood up straight in surprise, never expecting such divine artifacts to exist in the world.

However, since demons had already appeared, she could accept anything else that seemed strange.

After receiving Shendu's orders, she prepared to take her leave.

"Shendu, there are matters outside that require my attention, so I shall depart first."

"Go!"

After the statue of Shendu spoke, its red eyes dimmed, as if it had fallen into a deep slumber.

Bibi Dong paused for a few seconds before turning to leave the secret chamber.

Closing the door behind her, she leaned against the stone wall and let out a long sigh of relief, the tension in her heart finally easing.

Ever since she became the Pope, she had rarely felt as nervous as she did today, but the pressure Shendu had exerted on her made her afraid to let her guard down for even a moment.

What was his true level of strength? A Peerless Douluo? Or something even greater?

Bibi Dong couldn't help but wonder.

However, fearing that her thoughts might be perceived by him again, she quickly shook her head, straightened her robes, and left with a solemn and grave expression, leaning on her papal scepter.

Tap—tap—

The sound of her high heels and the papal scepter striking the floor echoed with heavy, rhythmic thuds.

Meanwhile, inside the secret chamber.

Once Shendu had dismissed Bibi Dong, he couldn't wait to check on his godhood. As for Sky Demon Hsoi, who had fled in a panic? Who cared about him?

Taking care of his own affairs was the top priority. Hsoi's purpose was to stir up trouble, and the greater the chaos, the better; as long as more people were aware of him, they would be convinced when Shendu finally revealed his identity as a demon.

"Humans... if you tell them demons exist in this world, no one will believe you. But if you take something they cannot handle and label it as a demon, they will scramble to believe it." Shendu laughed, shook his head, and looked toward his godhood with anticipation.

Within his body, the single wisp of divine power he once possessed had now grown to eight, all contributed by Bibi Dong alone. Hsoi's appearance had played a major role, causing Bibi Dong to almost completely believe in the existence of demons.

"Not bad. Eight wisps of divine power are enough for me to get some things done."

Shendu nodded in satisfaction.

However, while divine power was important, he was even more eager to see the trials of his godhood.

Since becoming a god would allow him to control the world, he naturally wanted to inherit his godhood as quickly as possible.

He excitedly checked the first trial.

Trial: Please collect the twelve talismans to restore your strength. The completion of the task will be evaluated based on the number of talismans recovered.

Collecting the talismans? This was exactly the same as his original plan; he would have done it even without the trial.

But he was currently alone and could only pin his hopes on Bibi Dong.

"I hope Bibi Dong can help me collect the talismans as soon as possible!" he sighed.

Twelve talismans scattered across the entire Douluo Continent—who knew where they had fallen? If one landed in the deep sea, he might not find it even in a hundred years.

Wait, why did he remember that Shendu had another treasure in the original story? Something called the Sacred Dragon Carving, which could track the location of the talismans?

Shendu thought of the handle shaped like four dragons and wished he had it.

At the same time, elsewhere, a young man was rummaging through the grass in the wilderness when he suddenly pulled out a yellowish-brown, elongated object inlaid with four dragon heads.

As the boy picked it up, he noticed the eyes of one of the dragon heads suddenly glow with a brilliant red light, immediately piquing his curiosity.

Spirit Hall, Pope Palace.

Bibi Dong sat on the high throne, watching the crowd below with a solemn and calm expression. Because of the recent attack by a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast, everyone had gathered together in tension, requesting that the Pope handle the matter.

"Reporting to the Pope, the hundred-thousand-year spirit beast that just attacked was a massive bat-like monster. I have never seen its appearance before, nor can I identify the species of the spirit beast." Yue Guan spoke a few words in shame before his anger flared up. Suppressing his rage, he continued, "However, this spirit beast was extremely arrogant. Not only did it deliberately provoke Spirit Hall, but it also left as it pleased. It simply does not hold Spirit Hall in its eyes. I request to launch a pursuit and extermination mission; this beast must receive the punishment it deserves."

He spoke with righteous indignation, wishing he could tear it limb from limb to vent the hatred in his heart.

"Yes, that's right, it must never be forgiven!"

"It must be severely punished!"

"If this matter is not resolved today, Spirit Hall will be treated as a joke by everyone else on the continent."

The crowd was agitated, one after another supporting the decision to pursue and exterminate it.

Half an hour had passed since the hundred-thousand-year spirit beast departed. By now, spies from other factions had likely already sent the news back.

The news that a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast had attacked Spirit Hall and retreated unscathed would soon be placed on the conference tables of all the major powers. Spirit Hall could not endure such humiliation.

They had to take revenge!

However, at this moment, Ghost Douluo stepped forward, cupping his hands with a grave expression. "Your Majesty the Pope, that hundred-thousand-year spirit beast possesses extreme speed and was even able to break through our Polar Forbidden Domain. Its strength is extraordinary, so I implore Your Majesty the Pope to act with caution."