Drinking from the Marsh and Bearing the Abyss

Su Yao walked out of the pavilion with his hands behind his back, his gaze passing over the sparse pear grove below the mountain and landing on the distant Cibi Lake.

The lake water remained clear and blue as ever, reflecting the winter sky and creating a cool, shimmering glow.

Although the Nanzhao Kingdom is known for its spring-like climate year-round, a chill creeps up from the mountaintops in winter.

The distant peaks of the Cang Mountain were covered with a thin layer of snow, so white they were almost dazzling when the sunlight shone on them. Now that the Cold Qi and the biting wind both had True Lord in charge, this winter was even more frigid than in previous years.

As I was gazing intently, I heard footsteps behind me.

Su Yao looked back and saw that Liu Yunhe had returned.

"What's wrong?" Su Yao asked.

Liu Yunhe quickly stepped forward, took a booklet from his pocket, and handed it over with both hands:

"Daozi, this is a list of many forces in the vicinity."

Su Yao took it in his hand and then realized what was happening.

This was something he had given the order to do earlier.

However, after more than ten days down the mountain, everything that had happened during that time felt like a lifetime ago.

He opened the booklet and carefully examined each page, the only sound in the pavilion being the soft rustling of the pages turning.

After a long silence, he closed the booklet and handed it back to Liu Yunhe, then slowly began to speak:

"Since we are in one of the Six Zhao of Nanzhao, first send an invitation to the King of the Nanzhao Kingdom. Then send one to the Prefect and General of Qingshi in Nanzhao, and the Magistrate, Tusi Inspector, and Tudian of Langqiong Zhao. Also send one to the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan within a thousand miles, and to the mountain gods and land gods who are somewhat famous. Lake God of Cibi Lake... that's also included. That's all, nothing else is necessary."

Liu Yunhe took the booklet and nodded in response:

"I understand. It's just that the nearby Witch Department and the Nanzhao educational commissioner..."

"Don't worry about it." Su Yao shook his head.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yunhe did not ask any further questions. Seeing Su Yao wave his hand, he bowed and withdrew.

He had only taken a few steps when Su Yao's voice came from behind him again.

"Wait a minute."

Liu Yunhe and turned around, only to see Su Yao standing by the pavilion with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the distant lake. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"There are several other families nearby, like the White Sand Lu Household before, who have fallen from the Lineage of the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan. Prepare a copy as well."

Liu Yunhe's expression shifted slightly, then he cupped his hands in response:

"I've noted it down."

Su Yao nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something. He gently shook the array token in his hand, sending out several thin, gray rays of light that flew towards Liu Yunhe and instantly entered his body.

He looked at Liu Yunhe, then glanced in the direction Han Ziyi and Li Siyi had left from halfway up the mountain, and said calmly:

"Tell Ziyi, Siyi, and the newcomers Ziyan and Xuejie that I have already recorded your auras into the array. With this token, you can freely enter and exit the Soul-Losing Radiant Fire Formation without having to wait for me to open the door each time."

Liu Yunhe and saw that there were indeed three wisps of gray light flowing on the waist token. He immediately bowed and said:

"Yes."

Then he turned around and quickly walked down the stone steps.

Su Yao stepped into the cave abode and his gaze fell on the Shengyu Egg, which was quietly placed on the stone platform.

The originally dull patterns on the grayish-white eggshell have now developed a warm, luminous sheen after being repaired by Mianning with the Essence Blood of the Fu Water and the Plain Moon Autumn-Containing Marrow.

He reached out and gently stroked the eggshell; it was slightly cool to the touch.

Little Red and Little Orange followed him in, and were about to approach the egg as usual, but Su Yao waved his hand:

"Stand guard outside the cave; no one is allowed to enter. If there is any emergency, go find Ziyan first."

Seeing his solemn expression, the two birds dared not delay. They flew out of the cave abode one after the other and landed on the stone pillars on both sides of the cave entrance, obediently becoming door gods.

Su Yao inside the cave.

He sat cross-legged on the futon, placed the Shengyu Egg in front of him, but did not rush to make a move. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.

Within the Qi Sea, the Prism flickered incessantly.

It had been flashing ever since they entered the cave abode, urging Su Yao on.

Why did he come down the mountain?

Isn't it all for a suitable exotic species to refine the third talisman?

Now that everything is right before his eyes, how could he wait another half a month? Since Mianning has already repaired it perfectly.

That day is today; there's no need to wait for the egg to hatch!

Next, he used the Prism to confirm that Mianning had already left and had not left any tricks in the cave abode. Then he frantically poured his Law Power into the Prism.

The next moment, the Prism slowly projected a phantom image in front of Su Yao, appearing above Shengyu and enveloping the entire egg in a thin layer of rosy light.

Seeing this, Su Yao sensed the refining Method Formula emanating from the Prism, and his lips parted slightly:

"Shengyu embryo, an unbroken form, untouched by the raging waves, its cry yet to be uttered. With my radiant light, I illuminate your primordial spirit."

As soon as the words were spoken, the phantom of the Prism suddenly shone brightly, its clear light reflecting off the entire egg. Deep within the eggshell, the phantom of a curled-up chick was faintly visible, its eyes not yet open, yet it was already trembling slightly, as if responding to the rosy light that shone into the chaos.

Su Yao brought his two fingers together, and a thin, hair-like rainbow light condensed at his fingertips, which he gently touched onto the eggshell. The moment the light entered, the egg emitted a very soft hum, as if the spirit of a great swamp that had been sleeping for countless ages had finally been awakened by the first rays of dawn.

His fingertips moved swiftly, tracing the gray lines on the eggshell, the rosy light like a brush, illuminating each ripple-like pattern.

Then, each word was spoken clearly and deliberately, his voice as clear as gold and jade:

"Now that the mystical talisman is complete, the exotic creatures should be gathered. Absorb the essence of the Shengyu to replenish the depths of my Qi Sea. With the talisman pillar as proof and life itself as the contract, I command!"

When the word "Imperial Order" fell, all the illuminated lines on the eggshell simultaneously bloomed with warm gray light. Wisps of pure Yuan Qi rose up from the egg and sank into Su Yao's chest following the pull of the rays of light.

The illusory image of the Prism suddenly shrank back, and the talisman light and shadow that had been suspended in the air returned to its position, landing steadily on the third side of the pillar.

On the third surface, a brand new radiance slowly shone, its color a translucent gray, like the first clear spring gushing forth from the depths of a great marsh.

Immediately afterwards, a bright yellow rainbow light burst forth from the Prism, ignoring the physical barrier, and landed directly on the Shengyu Egg outside.

The iridescent light, like a cocoon, tightly enveloped the entire egg, flowing endlessly within it.

This wrapping took three days.

Three days later, the rainbow light enveloped the egg and slowly fell back, disappearing back into the Prism within Su Yao's Qi Sea. It nurtured itself for another two days on the third side of the pillar, and its grayish-transparent radiance grew brighter and brighter, gradually developing a faint yellow halo, as if the waters of a great marsh were being dyed by the morning sun.

On the morning of the fifth day.

Inside the cave abode, Su Yao, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, suddenly opened his eyes.

His aura surged like a tidal wave, and his internal Law Power was so abundant that it almost overflowed from his meridians.

Within the Qi Sea, the Shengyu Egg, which had been enveloped in rainbow light for five days, had vanished without a trace. In its place was a complete talisman, quietly floating on the third surface of the Prism.

The talisman was gray and yellow in color, with flowing water patterns on its surface, and a faint phantom image of a bird spreading its wings and skimming across the swamp could be seen.

With a slight thought, the talisman trembled gently, and a vast and powerful Law Power surged forth from it, instantly filling his limbs and bones.

That feeling was completely different from before.

In the past, the Qi Sea was nothing more than a pond; now, with this talisman, it's as if an underground river has suddenly been dug beneath the pond, transforming it into a vast lake!

Then, Su Yao slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The third talisman was finally completed.

He looked down at the gray-yellow talisman on the third side of the Prism, feeling the surging Law Power within it, and softly uttered its name:

"Drinking from the Marsh and Bearing the Abyss."