Talisman Edicts

Southern Tu Continent.

Somewhere beneath the sea, Sima Hanchuang was cultivating in seclusion.

Rumble!

Ten thousand fathoms beneath the sea, volcanoes erupted and magma surged.

Tongues of flame leaped up from time to time.

Vast magical power coursed through Sima Hanchuang. A phantom Vermilion Bird took shape behind him, breathing streams of azure flame, while four layers of immortal light flickered behind his head.

"Early Outer Landscape Realm!"

"Four-Pattern Upper Immortal!"

The eldest disciple of the Myriad God Island lineage had become a Transcendent Immortal sixteen or seventeen thousand years ago. Finally, over these past few centuries, he had broken through again, becoming a Four-Pattern Upper Immortal.

"Fourth rank, second realm."

"Still not enough."

Sima Hanchuang did not grow complacent.

Over the years, he had traveled far and wide under an assumed identity, befriending many Transcendent Immortals across the ten continents. He had seen far too many lose all their edge when their cultivation stalled, their spirits already spent before their lifespans ran out.

Several of his martial uncles in the Eight Extremes Sacred Hall, for instance, had become Transcendent Immortals, yet still could not escape death in the end.

He refused to accept such a fate.

"I'm already over twenty thousand years old, and I've only just broken through to the second realm, the Outer Landscape Realm."

"There isn't much time left."

Sima Hanchuang felt a sense of urgency.

He looked around, disappointment in his eyes. "These undersea volcanoes can no longer do much for my cultivation. I've heard that Azure Mountain Palace in Southern Tu Continent has thirteen fire-element sacred grounds that greatly benefit even Five-Pattern and Six-Pattern Upper Immortals."

Cultivation was difficult for Fourth-Rank Upper Immortals, and those difficulties came from every direction.

Bottlenecks.

Methods.

Resources.

Treasured grounds.

For Transcendent Immortals like them, every step upward was