Treasure Mirror

Yu Ci held his breath as he looked at the incomplete talisman markings on the ground.

He was knowledgeable, and although his cultivation level limited his achievements in Talisman Arts for now, he had studied talisman books for years and had a good eye. Judging by the intricate detail of the talisman structures he could see, how complex, profound, and even incredible would a talisman be if it were applied to the ground area he had just confirmed?

The Shangqing Juxuan Xing Shu Mi Shou Fu Jing also recorded some extremely difficult, high-level talismans that made one dizzy just looking at them, calling them "immortal talismans." They might have been even more complex than the one on the ground, but Yu Ci had been mentally prepared for those. He had simply dismissed those talismans as things only legendary immortals would use, never daring to hope for them. But this one before him… it couldn't possibly have been made by an immortal, could it?

He stood by the edge of the pit, observing the surrounding ground, and felt something was not quite right.

His gaze extended from his feet to the periphery and then back. Yu Ci pondered for a moment, then jumped directly into the shallow pit, crouched down, and looked again towards the edge of the scorched earth.

The impact between the ferocious beast and the cultivator had been so violent that, besides the obvious depression, the ground nearby was also lower than the outer area. Initially, he had been too close to the depression, like being too close to a lamp to see its light. But viewed from this angle, the difference was much more apparent. Centered on the depression, the ground rose in a gentle slope, with at least a foot difference between the highest and lowest points. He believed talismans could be carved deeply, but to leave marks after scraping the ground a foot deep… what kind of technique was that?

Clearly, this talisman wasn't carved. If it wasn't carved, then…

Yu Ci didn't stand up. Instead, he directly pressed his hand onto the soil at the bottom of the pit. There were still a few claw marks left by the ferocious beast, half a foot deep and clearly visible. Yu Ci rubbed them slightly with his fingertips, then shifted his angle so that the midday sun shone directly down. He squinted and looked through the claw marks.

Beneath the cracks, a light flashed. It was an unusual luster, completely different from the nature of soil and stone.

Yu Ci quickly dug into the soil, revealing something like a metal plate, uneven and quite distinctive in appearance.

This was it!

When he was digging, he had already seen the structure of the soil layers. If his guess was correct, those talisman markings had penetrated through the soil from this plate, leaving such deep traces in the earth.

Just as he was about to examine it closely, a gust of wind blew past, carrying the scent of a stranger, entirely different from the smell of the jungle.

In that instant, his mind went blank. He instantly sprang up, sliding out from the edge of the depression, and coincidentally put the metal plate into his Storage Ring. A moment later, a hissing sound arose, striking the scorched earth and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Without pausing, he made several more evasive movements, darting left and right with no discernible pattern, finally dazzling the eyes of his pursuer. At this point, the attacker behind him finally realized that Yu Ci was no novice. The surge of energy he had gathered dissipated.

Yu Ci keenly seized the opportunity, suddenly flipping over and breaking free from the passive situation. At the same time, his gaze sharpened like a hawk's, fixing on the attacker's face. Being ambushed, he was naturally angry, but after taking another look, his brows actually rose.

The attacker was gaunt, clad in a loose gray robe, with a bald head and a placid face, resembling a monk. However, a pair of dull yellow eyes were fixed in narrow eye sockets, and coupled with his sharp, narrow face, he looked like a venomous snake. Especially the attack just now, it was truly like a venomous snake lurking in the grass, suddenly baring its fangs and spitting venom – insidious indeed.

But appearance and behavior were secondary. Yu Ci looked at this person and clearly felt a sense of recognition:

This snake-like monk… was likely also a Spirit cultivator?

The sensing originated from his spirit and soul. At this distance, the opponent's aura seemed to stimulate his spirit and soul. The "lamp light" that had previously subsided spontaneously surged to the crown of his head, casting a "beam of light" onto the monk. Simultaneously, his body felt a warmth, similar to the moment he was locked onto by Daoist Yan's distant sword energy.

The monk on the opposite side let out a soft "Oh," looking somewhat surprised, but then he let out a cold laugh: "Whose brat are you, thinking you can pocket the Shexing Disc without my permission…?"

His response was Yu Ci's fist, hurtling towards his face.

The monk yelped and slid backward as if his feet weren't touching the ground, narrowly dodging the blow. He then angrily cursed, "You insolent brat!"

Yu Ci sneered back. Since this monk had initiated the ambush, he should expect a counterattack. Why all the nonsense!

He immediately strode forward and threw another punch straight at him.

His consecutive attacks relied on speed, with no variation. The monk, with his profound cultivation, flicked his robe. The gray fabric swept through the air, emitting a sound like golden blades cutting through the void. His momentum was incredibly forceful, like chopping and hacking with an axe. Unfortunately, he missed.

Yu Ci's body dipped down, perfectly synchronized with the monk's movement. It wasn't just an evasion; he also flicked his hand, sending out a Spirit Talisman.

The Spirit Talisman had been prepared just moments ago. It wasn't a particularly powerful one for such a hasty situation. As it flew, the faint blue light belonging to the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror on its exterior rapidly peeled away, revealing the talisman's true color. It was like a leaping spark, flashing and extinguishing as it reached the monk's eyes.

The monk's reaction was not slow either. His slender body twisted slightly, creating a large opening that the spark flew past.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated it.

Among the talismans Yu Ci cultivated, apart from thunder talismans like Palm Lightning and Five Thunder Talisman, there were almost no talismans that directly displayed destructive power. Most were auxiliary, but with clever use, they could achieve remarkable effects, just like this talisman!

The spark suddenly expanded, as if about to explode with a bang. The monk had indeed held back some strength. Seeing this, he began to retreat, but his eyes remained fixed on the spark, preparing for further changes. At this critical moment, the spark, which had grown to the size of a fist, stopped expanding and instead erupted with a blinding wave of light!

"Great Sun Talisman," designed to dispel all evil and Yin entities, like the rising sun, bringing forth vitality. At this moment, Yu Ci only wanted its naturally dispersing, strong light.

The monk's reaction was already quite swift. His well-trained physical body reacted at least five times faster than an ordinary person's. But even so, he only had time to squint his eyes. He still couldn't block the sword-like, sharp radiance. His pupils, still dilated, were pierced, and a scream followed.

The instant the intense light erupted, Yu Ci had already drawn his Nine Yang Talisman Sword and lunged forward.

"Get lost!" the monk roared loudly. Regardless of Yu Ci's location, he flailed his sleeves, and a gust of Gang wind howled, like thunder, protecting his entire body tightly. But his posture clearly showed fear.

Yu Ci's footwork quickened, his movements completely masked by the howling Gang wind. He skirted around the flank, using the momentum of his charge to thrust his sword forward.

The blade cut through the Gang wind, emitting a piercing whistle. This exposed his position and drew the monk's grayish-green hand. He neither dodged nor evaded, continuing his forward thrust, and collided with the monk's claw. With a "clang" sound, it was like metal striking metal, except one was flesh and blood, and the other was a blade forged from flame.

It had to be said, the monk's cultivation was definitely above Yu Ci's. The collision of the Nine Yang Talisman Sword didn't feel like a human hand but like a thousand-pound iron hammer. The intense vibration reached Yu Ci's chest. However, Yu Ci let out a grunt and, disregarding everything, exerted more force. The scorching flame blade trembled, forcibly dragging horizontally. The monk's claw, as hard as metal, could no longer hold on. The sizzling sound of burning flesh and skin could be heard from within.

The monk let out a painful roar and finally couldn't bear it any longer, releasing his grip and retreating rapidly.

Yu Ci did not pursue. His relentless attack with the sword relied on sheer momentum, and exerting force a second time against the monk's claw had consumed a significant amount of his strength. He lacked the stamina for a follow-up, and pursuing further would be disadvantageous.

He took a moment to recover his breath and only then smiled and asked, "Right, what were you saying just now?"