Talisman to Stabilize the Universe and the First Signs of a Guild

By the Flowing Sands River, even the wind and sand seemed to have frozen beneath the weight of the murderous aura. Fleeting Life, Dreaming's Jade Bone Fan gleamed coldly in his hand, while the Mutated Bandit at his side crouched low and let out a threatening growl, its fangs flashing with icy light. World Crusher gripped his Xuanhua Axe tightly, and faint ripples of magical power gathered at the tip of Boundless Dharma Sea's staff. The three formed a triangular formation, subtly blocking Su Yan's retreat.

"Kid, I'll give you one last chance." Fleeting Life, Dreaming spoke in a chilling tone. "Hand over the Compass and that Sea Hairy Caterpillar, then cripple yourself by three levels. I might consider sparing your life. Otherwise, our Drunken Spring Breeze kill order will make it impossible for you to take a single step in this world!"

Rather than showing fear, Su Yan gave a soft laugh. He patted the restless Little Big Dipper, signaling it to calm down, then leisurely looked at Fleeting Life, Dreaming. "Guild Leader Fleeting Life, aren't you people from Drunken Spring Breeze meddling a little too much? I'm cleaning up my own 'trash.' What does that have to do with you? Or could it be that this 'trash'... has something to do with you?"

He had only tossed out the question as a test, intending to unsettle them. Yet an unmistakably unnatural viciousness flashed through Fleeting Life, Dreaming's eyes. Though it vanished quickly, how could it escape Su Yan's sharply heightened perception?

"Nonsense! You're courting death!" As if someone had stepped on his tail, Fleeting Life, Dreaming shouted, "Attack!"

The instant the order was given, World Crusher roared and activated [Thousand Mile Divine Step], a Datang Prefecture acceleration skill. He shot forward like lightning, his Xuanhua Axe cleaving toward Su Yan's face with a gale that tore through the air! At the same time, Boundless Dharma Sea had completed [Dragon Tornado Rain Strike], and a raging water tornado swept toward Su Yan! The Mutated Bandit silently circled around the flank, aiming straight for Little Big Dipper!

Three players and one pet moved in perfect coordination, their offensive fierce and ruthless!

But Su Yan was no longer the man he had once been!

Facing this thunderous combined assault, his eyes were cold and calm. Rather than retreating, he advanced!

"Body Double Technique!"

A phantom identical to Su Yan instantly appeared where he had been standing, meeting World Crusher's Xuanhua Axe and Boundless Dharma Sea's Dragon Tornado Rain Strike head-on!

"Pfft! Boom!"

The double absorbed all the damage and instantly dispersed. Su Yan's true body, however, used that brief opening to shift several steps sideways like a ghost, narrowly avoiding the core of the attack. Only the edge of the tornado rain grazed him, costing him a small amount of health.

"What?!" World Crusher and Boundless Dharma Sea both froze. They had not expected Su Yan's reaction or his use of the double to be so precise.

Now!

Spiritual power surged from Su Yan's fingertips as a silver talisman radiating binding force shot out—[Immobilization Talisman]. Its target was not World Crusher, the strongest attacker, but Boundless Dharma Sea, who was guiding another spell from the rear!

"Not good!" Fleeting Life, Dreaming's expression changed, but it was already too late for a warning.

The silver talisman struck Boundless Dharma Sea squarely! His entire body tightened as though invisible ropes had bound him. His second spell was interrupted mid-chant, and he stood frozen in place!

"Kill the mage first!" Su Yan's thinking was crystal clear. He ignored World Crusher charging at him and the Mutated Bandit on his flank, instead channeling all his strength into [Soul Chasing Talisman]!

"Whoosh!"

The purple lightning talisman appeared before the immobilized Boundless Dharma Sea's chest as if it had teleported!

"-988! (Spell Critical Hit)"

A horrifying damage number floated up! Boundless Dharma Sea's level might have been high, but as a Dragon Palace disciple, his health and defense had always been weak points. How could he withstand a Soul Chasing Talisman infused with the greatly amplified spiritual power of the Star Qi Drawing Art? Before he could even react again, his health bar was instantly emptied. With a scream, he turned into white light and returned to the resurrection point, leaving only a [Heavenly Eye Orb]—a quest item—on the ground.

In a single exchange, one enemy had been instantly killed!

"Old Dharma!" World Crusher's eyes split with fury, and his axe strikes grew even fiercer. The Mutated Bandit also pounced before Little Big Dipper, slashing down with claws that gleamed coldly.

Little Big Dipper showed no fear. Star-like markings flickered across its body. Although its [Ghost Exorcism] trait was only half as effective against living creatures, its naturally high attack aptitude and [Life Steal] effect remained formidable. It nimbly dodged the bandit's pounce, then bit down on its hind leg with [Advanced Poison]. The poison spread rapidly, while it recovered a small amount of health itself. It tangled with the Mutated Bandit without falling behind for the moment.

Fleeting Life, Dreaming was both shocked and enraged. He had not expected Su Yan's strength to rise so quickly, nor his tactics to be so tricky. With a sweep of his Jade Bone Fan, he fired a beam of light carrying sealing power at Su Yan—the Xiaoyao Sect's [Surrounded by Enemies]!

Su Yan had been prepared. With a flicker of movement, he narrowly evaded the sealing attack through precise footwork. At the same time, he sent another [Immobilization Talisman] at World Crusher, whose axe had just missed and whose old momentum had faded before new strength could rise!

World Crusher was nowhere near as fragile as Boundless Dharma Sea, but once the Immobilization Talisman hit him, his movements were immediately restricted.

"Your opponent is me." Su Yan looked coldly at Fleeting Life, Dreaming as another Soul Chasing Talisman formed in his hand.

At last, a chill rose in Fleeting Life, Dreaming's heart. He realized that with only himself and the temporarily controlled World Crusher, they likely could not take down this bizarre Mount Fangcun disciple. Especially since that purple Sea Hairy Caterpillar could actually fight his Mutated Bandit evenly!

"Retreat!" Fleeting Life, Dreaming made the decision without hesitation, once again intending to flee. He pulled out a talisman, seemingly planning to use a Thousand Mile Teleportation Talisman again.

"You want to leave? Then leave something behind!" How could Su Yan let him have his way? He had long temporarily invested Probability Accumulation into [Skill Comprehension/Breakthrough Probability]. A flash of insight struck his mind, deepening his understanding of the Soul Chasing Talisman!

This time, the [Soul Chasing Talisman] he drew contained a nearly imperceptible thread of silver light that twisted space amid its purple lightning!

"Go!"

The talisman flew even faster, striking after yet arriving first. An instant before Fleeting Life, Dreaming could crush his talisman, it accurately hit him in the back!

"-755!"

The damage was considerable, but more importantly, that thread of silver spatial power slightly disrupted the stability of the teleportation talisman's energy! Fleeting Life, Dreaming's body blurred and flickered. Rather than vanishing instantly as before, he lingered in place for a brief moment as if suffering from a bad signal. The teleportation distance was also drastically shortened, and he only appeared a hundred meters away, stumbling in a thoroughly sorry state.

World Crusher was not so fortunate. Once the immobilization wore off, he faced the combined assault of Su Yan and Little Big Dipper. Already low on health, he soon followed Boundless Dharma Sea's path and turned into white light, leaving behind only a few bottles of medicine.

Seeing its master flee and its companion die, the Mutated Bandit lost all will to fight. It feinted with a claw to force Little Big Dipper back, then turned and ran, quickly disappearing behind the dunes.

The battle was over, and Su Yan let out a long breath. Though he had won, his magical power had been heavily depleted, and he had lost nearly half his health. He hurriedly fed himself and Little Big Dipper pills to recover.

"Nicely done, Little Big Dipper!" Su Yan sincerely praised the little fellow, which was wounded but had excited eyes. It affectionately rubbed against him, then proudly raised its head as though saying, Easy.

As he cleaned up the battlefield, Su Yan found that aside from the medicine and the Heavenly Eye Orb, World Crusher had also "generously" dropped a piece of [Level 50 Refined Armor] that he had been wearing. Its defense was quite good, but Su Yan's level was too low to use it. He could only store it for now to sell later or dismantle.

After this battle, Su Yan gained a clearer understanding of his own strength. With Mount Fangcun's crowd control and high burst damage, plus Little Big Dipper's support, he could hold his own in one-on-one fights or small-scale encounters even against enemies with somewhat better levels and equipment. But if he were surrounded by a large group, or encountered players with stronger pets and special methods, he would still be in danger.

"Drunken Spring Breeze... it seems they've set their sights on me." Su Yan frowned slightly. No matter how strong an individual was, being harassed by a guild would bring endless trouble. He recalled his time at Golden Scale Pavilion. The feeling of having companions and logistical support seemed like something from a distant past.

"Perhaps... it's time to consider finding a reliable force. Or... establishing one myself?" The thought began to take root in his heart. After all, according to Patriarch Bodhi's hints and the Compass's guidance, the crisis he would face in the future was not something one person could withstand.

He did not linger and quickly left this troublesome place. Over the following days, he became even more careful, continuing to clear nodes according to the "Anomaly Map" while choosing more remote regions with fewer players whenever possible. The Compass's restoration progress slowly but steadily rose to 22%. He also reached Level 13, while Little Big Dipper reached Level 12.

During that time, he returned to Mount Fangcun once. First, to replenish advanced talisman paper and pills; second, to ask Patriarch Bodhi for more information about the "Calamity of the Era" and the "Breath of the End." The patriarch told him that this calamity concerned the cycle of the universe and would not unfold overnight. Yet since it had appeared in this realm, there had to be a reason. He instructed Su Yan to proceed step by step, strengthen his foundations, and not aim too high.

One day, after clearing a "Miasma Node" at the border between Longevity Village and the Datang Borderlands, Su Yan did not immediately seek out his next target. He rested beneath an ancient tree and habitually opened the world channel and forums to browse information. On one hand, he wanted to understand current developments; on the other, he remained alert to Drunken Spring Breeze's movements.

Sure enough, Drunken Spring Breeze had issued a guild bounty for him. The reward was sizable enough to make many solo players and small studios eager to act. However, since his whereabouts were unpredictable and his strength unclear, no one had found him yet.

As he browsed the forum posts, he saw all kinds of messages about party recruitment, trades, and complaints about the game's difficulty. Then a post marked "Hot" caught his attention.

[Title]: Shocking! A mysterious "Frozen Secret Realm" has appeared in Northern Continent of Jizhou. Is it a preview of a hidden expansion? A team has discovered what may be ruins of an "Ancient Sect" inside!

The poster claimed that an elite team had discovered a secret realm entrance deep within the Northern Continent of Jizhou, sealed by a powerful ice formation. No one had yet managed to break the formation and enter. However, players skilled in exploration had found fragments engraved with ancient writing outside the formation. Preliminary interpretation suggested they might be connected to a long-lost "Ancient Sect." Several blurry screenshots were attached below, showing ruined stone pillars covered in snow and ice, along with indistinct runes.

"Ancient Sect ruins?" Su Yan's heart stirred. He thought of his [Crimson Tail's Gratitude - Data Core Fragment], whose description mentioned that it "seemed capable of resonating with certain specific ancient beings or devices." Could it be...

He immediately took out the red crystal and circulated the Star Qi Drawing Art, carefully sensing it. Sure enough, when his Spiritual Power swept across the blurry runes in the forum screenshots, the Data Core Fragment in his hand gave off an extremely faint but undeniable resonance!

Though weak, its direction was clear—the Northern Continent of Jizhou!

"Interesting..." A smile curled at Su Yan's lips. Clearing nodes was a daily task, but these sudden "Ancient Sect ruins" seemed to hide an even greater secret. Perhaps they were connected to repairing the Compass and even dealing with the Calamity of the Era.

He glanced at the Anomaly Map in his mind. There were indeed several marked locations in the Northern Continent of Jizhou, which he could deal with along the way.

"Little Big Dipper." He stood and dusted himself off. "Looks like we're going somewhere colder."

His destination: the Northern Continent of Jizhou! A new adventure was about to begin. And during the northward journey, the idea of building a force of his own grew ever clearer in his heart.