The Sheep Talisman's Hidden Uses: Entering Her Sister's Dream

After Medusa left, Xiao Yan continued practicing Alchemy in his quarters.

"You brat, how has your Soul Power grown so much since you broke through to Dou Ling?" Yao Lao sensed the unmistakable surge in Xiao Yan's Soul Power, his voice full of doubt.

"Probably because I'm exceptionally gifted," Xiao Yan said with his usual smugness.

Yao Lao laughed despite himself and rapped Xiao Yan on the forehead. "Would it kill you to stop showing off?"

Yao Chen had been so brilliant and humble in his day. How had he ended up with a disciple who loved boasting and putting on airs?

Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead and grinned.

Yao Lao had no idea why his Soul Power had surged, but Xiao Yan knew perfectly well.

It had to be the power of the talisman.

After breaking through to Dou Ling, he had awakened the Sheep Talisman.

The talisman was extraordinary. It had not only greatly strengthened Xiao Yan's Soul Power, but also allowed it to grow steadily on its own, every moment of the day, without him deliberately cultivating it.

And those were far from the Sheep Talisman's only uses. Xiao Yan was still exploring many of its abilities.

For now, though, he had discovered one particularly useful effect:

When he used a method to block Soul Perception and added the Sheep Talisman's power, he could completely shut out any outside probing.

Despite repeated attempts, even Yao Lao, whose soul had reached Spirit Realm Grand Perfection, could glean nothing.

The feat startled even Yao Lao.

His soul cultivation was impressive by the continent's standards. Completely blocking his perception was no easy task, yet Xiao Yan, a mere Dou Ling, had actually done it.

This ability was immensely useful to Xiao Yan.

Take Medusa's upcoming evolution. During the ritual, she would have to remove every stitch of clothing.

She was his future woman, after all. If that old geezer Yao Lao saw her naked, Xiao Yan would be getting the short end of the stick.

Master and disciple might be close, but this was different. Xiao Yan was selfish about one thing: he alone would admire Medusa's body.

He had originally planned to ask Yao Lao to stay away during the ritual.

He trusted Yao Lao's character, but he could not be absolutely certain the old geezer would not instinctively sweep his Soul Perception over her.

With the Sheep Talisman, that worry vanished.

He could also guarantee his privacy whenever he did anything else he wanted to keep to himself.

Next, Xiao Yan tried another of the Sheep Talisman's abilities: sending his soul out of his body.

As he slowly activated its power, Xiao Yan's soul drifted free of his physical body.

He looked down at his translucent, insubstantial form with fascination. Suspended in midair as though weightless, he felt a wondrous freedom unlike anything he had ever experienced.

"Teacher, can you hear me?" Xiao Yan called toward the ring.

No matter how loudly he called, Yao Lao remained still inside the ring and gave no reply.

Through repeated attempts, Xiao Yan gradually worked out how the Sheep Talisman's ability differed from ordinary soul projection.

The soul it released was unusual. Once outside his body, it could not be seen, touched, or detected by any means, and buildings and Restrictions posed no barrier to it whatsoever.

On the other hand, Xiao Yan could not touch anything physical either.

Once he understood the rules, Xiao Yan's soul passed straight through the wall and floated out of his quarters.

Yao Lao, inside the ring, noticed nothing. He assumed Xiao Yan was still sitting there meditating.

Xiao Yan's soul passed unhindered through wall after wall and drifted into room after room, taking in everything inside.

This really is useful for gathering information. No one would ever know I was there. Xiao Yan chuckled to himself.

After passing through several more walls and a Restriction, Xiao Yan floated into the adjoining residence.

He studied the furnishings, suddenly uncertain. Could this be... Medusa's chambers?

He vaguely remembered Medusa mentioning that her chambers were next to his.

Let's see what little Medusa is up to... A mischievous smile tugged at Xiao Yan's lips as his soul roamed freely through the chambers in search of her.

But after searching, he found no one.

Not here? Has she still not come back? Xiao Yan felt a little disappointed.

Xiao Yan was about to retrace his path when he noticed what seemed to be a hidden Restriction on an inconspicuous wall.

His interest piqued, he ignored the Restriction and plunged straight into the wall.

Inside the wall lay a hidden passage.

Xiao Yan followed it to the end and passed through the final door into a Secret Chamber filled with frigid air.

The cold in the Secret Chamber bit deep. Xiao Yan finally spotted Medusa.

She sat motionless beside an ice coffin, shrouded in grief and longing, as though lost entirely in memories of the past.

At the sight, and seeing how closely the figure inside the coffin resembled Medusa, Xiao Yan began to suspect the truth.

To confirm his guess, he quietly floated to the coffin's side.

Once he was close enough, the face of the person inside came into focus.

She was one of the Snake-People, identical to Medusa in both figure and features.

Xiao Yan was not surprised by the familiar face. Instead, he grew puzzled.

But Elder Hai told me Medusa sealed him when they fought over the Demonic Flame Remnant Map... He scratched his head and muttered uncertainly, "Did Elder Hai lie to me? I doubt it."

Xiao Yan trusted Hai Bodong's character and his word.

He suspected there was more to the story.

"She seems... to be breathing," Xiao Yan murmured after concentrating for a moment. Something did not seem right.

She was not dead, yet she could not wake.

Once he had a rough grasp of the situation, Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. "Perhaps I can try the Sheep Talisman's power."

With that decided, his soul passed straight through the ice coffin and entered Medusa's sister's body.

Medusa, sitting so close, noticed none of it.

The moment he entered her mind, the world around Xiao Yan changed. The cold, dark Secret Chamber vanished, replaced by the Snake-People Holy City and the imposing Snake-People Temple.

I'm... inside her dream. Xiao Yan looked around, certain of the answer.