Supreme Pure Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman

The quiet room was located in the backyard of the Golden Wind Hall. Bamboo shadows dappled the surroundings, blocking out the noise from outside. Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, and the scent of sandalwood created a sense of daze.

Hong Xin invited Gu Zhao to sit and offered him fragrant tea.

Gu Zhao took the teacup and asked, "Brother Hong, are you in charge of this Golden Wind Hall?"

"That's right!" Hong Xin grinned. "The Sect Master took a liking to me and made me an Altar General."

Perhaps it was pride, perhaps a tickle to his ego, or perhaps he felt safe in his own territory, but Hong Xin's eyes briefly darkened as he spoke, and a wisp of ghostly energy emanated from him before quickly receding.

"So, Brother Hong, you're the most powerful person in Xiu Yue County for the Golden Wind Hall?" Gu Zhao asked again, a smile on his face.

"Of course!" Hong Xin laughed heartily, then teased, "What, Brother Zhang, are you looking to join the sect?"

Gu Zhao asked curiously, "You invited me here, wasn't it to get me to join the sect?"

Hong Xin feigned regret and sighed, "Brother Zhang is handsome, distinguished, and extraordinary. In normal times, I wouldn't be able to ask someone like you to join."

"Huh?" Gu Zhao blinked, surprised.

He had thought Hong Xin was snatching him from Painter Lu not because he wanted to kill him, but because he wanted Gu Zhao to join the Golden Wind Sect and contribute his spiritual power to the Golden Wind Divine King.

Having grown up in a new era, he was not lacking in physical strength, had plenty of fruits and vegetables, a robust body, and a full spirit. By all rights, he should be a rare "incense battery." That's why he had acted a little "slow" when reciting poetry earlier, appearing easy to fool.

But judging by Hong Xin's words, that wasn't the case?

Meeting Gu Zhao's curious gaze, Hong Xin smiled slightly. "A few days ago, an elder visited our residence. As a junior, I had to show filial piety to my elder."

He sighed again. "It's a pity Xiu Yue County is such a small place. I picked several gifts for the elder, but none of them were to their satisfaction.

I was so anxious, wandering around aimlessly, when I happened to hear that Lu Sheng had encountered an outsider. I originally went with the mindset of trying anything, but upon meeting you, Brother Zhang, your presence was truly a relief."

Gu Zhao understood. "So... I'm the gift?"

Hong Xin looked at Gu Zhao with great interest, his smile somewhat unrestrained. "It seems Brother Zhang isn't stupid after all!"

With that, Hong Xin took a step back and stood at the entrance of the quiet room, preventing Gu Zhao from escaping. He then lowered his head and said softly, "Is the Great Protector satisfied?"

The next moment, a burly man, half a head taller than Hong Xin, with a broad back and a rugged face, pushed aside the curtain and entered. His eyes scanned Gu Zhao from head to toe, a lecherous glint in them, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"This one is not bad, much better than the oddities you presented before. I don't like those weak scholars; I prefer handsome young men like this!"

"As long as the Great Protector is satisfied," Hong Xin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You can go now," the burly man waved his hand, then walked towards Gu Zhao greedily. Seeing Gu Zhao's disbelieving eyes, he was filled with satisfaction and said lewdly, "Young man, come, come, let Uncle dote on you."

Watching the burly man approach, Gu Zhao remained expressionless.

Hong Xin gave him a pitying glance and turned to leave. But as soon as he turned, he felt a surge of mana behind him and heard Gu Zhao's cold, light voice, "Three Origins, Three Officials. Nine Rivers, Nine Streams. Become iron chains, bind your entire body."

Hong Xin spun around abruptly and saw his Great Protector collapse to the ground.

"What?" Hong Xin was shocked.

The burly man fell heavily, revealing Gu Zhao. A wisp of ash scattered from his hand. With no obstruction, their eyes met, and Hong Xin finally saw Gu Zhao's expression.

He was smiling too.

"Thank you for letting me get close to him without suspicion," Gu Zhao said with a smile.

"Hong Xin!" The burly man exclaimed, looking at Hong Xin and shouting sternly, "How dare you betray the Divine King!"

"I didn't!" Hong Xin instinctively retorted.

While they were talking, Gu Zhao reached into his waist pouch and took out another triangle-folded yellow paper. He pointed at Hong Xin with his right hand, and a wisp of spiritual energy transformed into iron chains, crossing space and wrapping around Hong Xin.

Hong Xin reacted and tried to resist, but before he could mobilize his mana, he heard Gu Zhao's voice, "Three Origins, Three..."

As Gu Zhao chanted the incantation, he felt the spiritual energy chains penetrate his body, tightening their grip, locking his mana and divine sense within him, rendering him completely unable to act.

As the last word of the incantation fell, the chains within him formed a closed loop. This time, Hong Xin couldn't even stand steadily. His legs gave out, and he fell to the ground.

"He really didn't," Gu Zhao nodded at the burly man. "I only said that to stop him from escaping."

The burly man's eyes widened in rage.

Hong Xin's heart stirred, and he was about to shout when Gu Zhao made a few hand seals. Then, his own voice, as if it had been choked, was silenced.

"This is called the Supreme Pure Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman," Gu Zhao kindly explained. "Its basic function is to restrain your Dantian and sea of consciousness, preventing you from using mana or divine sense.

In addition, there are some auxiliary functions that can be temporarily adjusted, such as your basic stamina, whether you can speak, and the functions of your internal organs and senses."

Gu Zhao thought for a moment and snapped his fingers. "It's roughly equivalent to a single-target silence with a immobilization effect."

With the iron chains entering his body, Gu Zhao could clearly sense that the burly man was a standard fierce ghost, while Hong Xin was a living person, but with a ghostly creature hidden inside him, which was also bound by the chains.

"Who are you?" the burly man asked, his ghostly energy surging within him in a self-initiated counterattack, causing the chains to shake.

"Oh?" Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow, took out another Supreme Pure Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman, and then...

Seeing the burly man completely unable to move, Gu Zhao finally asked, "Who are you?"

The burly man gritted his teeth, incredulous. "You don't know who I am?"

Gu Zhao sighed, forming a hand seal with his left hand and a sword finger with his right. "Heaven's net spreads wide, covering all directions. Capture demons, leave no ghost unseen."

A ball of fire shot from his fingertip and landed on the burly man.

The next moment, the fire transformed into a net of light that entered the burly man's body, tightening from the outside in, slowly melting his ghostly form.

"Ahhh!" The burly man roared, feeling himself being burned by the righteous flames. His ghostly form was crumbling bit by bit, while the mana and ghostly energy within him were firmly restrained by the two chains, leaving him unable to resist.

"I am the First Protector God under the Sect Master of the Golden Wind Divine Cult, Ren Tianhe!" the burly man shouted hoarsely.

"That's more like it. Now I ask the questions, and you answer," Gu Zhao nodded and sat back down in his chair. "The rules are set. Now we can have a pleasant chat."