With this thought in mind, Yu Ci lifted the corpse’s hands one by one. As he expected, the man’s left index finger wore a ring, which had slipped to the first knuckle. If he had arrived any later, this ring would have become the spoils of these herb gatherers.
Yu Ci took it off. It had no decorative patterns, but its style and feel were very familiar. Indeed, it was identical to the storage ring on his hand.
“Tsk, it really is a cultivator.”
He tossed the ring up and down, intending to explain things to the herb gatherers behind him. However, they were already on edge, and seeing this, they assumed he was going to kill them to silence witnesses. They screamed in unison and scattered like rats.
Left holding the ring, Yu Ci found himself alone.
After a moment of astonishment, Yu Ci chuckled silently. How did he end up looking like a highway robber?
But he didn’t care about his image in others’ eyes. He settled his thoughts and focused on the ring. He wanted to see what was inside, whether there was anything that could identify the deceased.
With a thought, the invisible “little hammer” struck down.
In his mind, there seemed to be a “dong” sound, but the ring’s “outer barrier” remained unbroken! Yu Ci was surprised. He gripped it tightly and tried again, but the result was the same.
“A fake? Doesn’t seem like it!” Yu Ci could clearly sense that there was space inside the ring, something far from ordinary. Yet, it seemed wrapped in a thin layer of mist, blocking his sharp spiritual sense, making it difficult to penetrate.
“Probably has a restriction.”
A restriction was a type of passive-triggering talisman mechanism attached to an item. Yu Ci wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with this technique. During his time with the Twin Immortal Sect, he had seen Zi Lei and Chi Yin use this method in secret rooms and on important items. He had also seen unlucky individuals trigger these restrictions, dying miserably.
His memory of these mystical methods was quite vivid.
It seemed the restriction on the storage ring wasn’t as dangerous as those set by the Twin Immortal Sect, but for the time being, Yu Ci couldn’t find a way to open it.
“Let’s keep it for now.” Yu Ci thought, temporarily putting the ring away. To his surprise, the storage ring couldn’t enter the space of another ring, so he had to place it elsewhere.
After doing all this, he followed the trajectory of the corpse and the residual aura of the fierce beast, slowly walking into the depths of the forest. Before long, he reached the battlefield within.
The scene before his eyes made him unconsciously widen them. What lay before him was a stretch of scorched earth.
This was truly scorched earth. On the ground, covering an area of several acres, no vegetation remained. Only ashes, still warm, were left. The rocks half-exposed on the ground seemed burned to a crisp. A light touch would cause them to crumble. In the center of the scorched earth was a shallow hemispherical depression. It wasn’t deep, but at its edge, hundreds of fine cracks radiated outward. The longest crack extended beyond the scorched earth, deep into the forest.
This was the source of the intense burning smell outside.
Yu Ci walked over, marveling at the power required to create such a mark. He was even more puzzled as to why, with such an impact, he hadn’t heard a sound while on the mountain.
However, his eyes soon couldn’t look away. On the ground at the edge of the depression, he saw very familiar pattern structures. Though torn apart by hundreds of cracks, he was certain they were indeed talisman patterns, and specifically, a type from the demonic and ghost patterns he knew.
The ground was not only covered with demonic and ghost patterns. Upon closer inspection, Yu Ci discovered that within a diameter of about ten feet, centered on the depression, fragments of three major talisman systems described in the “Celestial Qi Gathering Secret Talisman Manual”—Cloud and Thunder Patterns, Dragon and Phoenix Script, and Demonic Patterns—could be found. From this perspective, it seemed like a giant jade talisman laid flat on the ground.
Yu Ci held his breath unconsciously as he looked at the remnants of the talisman patterns on the ground.
He was knowledgeable in this field. Although his cultivation level limited his achievements in talisman techniques, his years of studying talisman books had given him sharp eyes. The intricate structure of the talisman patterns, when applied to the confirmed ground area, would result in an incredibly complex, mysterious, and even unbelievable talisman!
The “Celestial Qi Gathering Secret Talisman Manual” also recorded some extremely complicated high-level talismans that were dizzying to look at, named “immortal talismans.” Compared to the ground in front of him, those might be even more complex, but Yu Ci had mentally prepared himself, considering those talismans as things only legendary immortals would use, something he wouldn’t dare to hope for. But this one before him, could it also be something used by an immortal?
Standing at the edge of the pit, observing the surrounding ground, Yu Ci felt something was amiss.
His gaze extended from his feet to the outer edge and then back. After some thought, he jumped into the shallow pit, squatted down, and looked again at the edge of the scorched earth.
The impact between the fierce beast and the cultivator was so intense that apart from the obvious mark of the depression, the surrounding ground was also lower than the outer area. Initially, being too close to the depression, it wasn’t noticeable, but from this angle, it was much clearer. The ground rose gently from the depression, with a difference of at least one foot between the highest and lowest points.
When carving talisman patterns, they would usually leave deep marks, but to cut through a foot of earth and leave such traces, what kind of method was that?
Clearly, these talismans weren’t carved in. If they weren’t carved, then…
Yu Ci did not get up but directly pressed the soil at the bottom of the pit. Here, there were still a few claw marks left by the fierce beast, half a foot deep, clearly visible. Yu Ci lightly rubbed with his fingertips, then shifted his position to let the midday sun shine directly down, squinting to look through the claw marks.
Under the cracks, a gleam of light flashed. It was a different kind of luster from the soil and rocks.
Yu Ci quickly dug through the soil, revealing a metal plate-like object with a distinctive, uneven surface.
This was it!
While digging, he had already seen the structure of the soil layers. If he was correct, those talisman patterns had emanated from this plate, penetrating the soil and leaving such deep marks.
Just as he was about to examine it more closely, a gust of wind brought a human scent that was completely different from the forest’s atmosphere.
In an instant, without thinking, Yu Ci sprang up, slid out of the edge of the depression, and simultaneously stored the metal plate in his storage ring. Barely a moment later, a hissing sound erupted, and something struck the scorched earth, raising a wave of dust.
Without pausing, Yu Ci moved several times, flashing left and right without any pattern, finally confusing the attacker behind him. The attacker soon realized that Yu Ci was not a novice and lost their momentum.
Seizing the opportunity, Yu Ci swiftly turned from a passive position, his eagle-like eyes fixed on the attacker’s face. He was naturally angry at being ambushed, but after a closer look, his eyebrows raised.
The attacker was thin, wearing a large gray robe, bald with a calm expression, resembling a monk. But with yellow eyes set in narrow eye sockets and a pointed face, he looked like a venomous snake. Especially with that recent strike, it was like a snake hiding in the grass, suddenly baring its fangs and spitting venom—very insidious.
But appearance and behavior were secondary. Looking at this person, Yu Ci felt a distinct sense of recognition:
Could this snake-like monk also be a cultivator with Divine Connectivity?
The feeling came from his soul. At this distance, the opponent’s aura seemed to stimulate his soul. The previously dormant “lamp flame” in his mind instinctively rushed to the top of his head, casting a “beam” on the monk. Simultaneously, Yu Ci felt a heat within him, similar to the moment when Daoist Yan’s sword Qi locked onto him from a distance.
The monk let out a surprised grunt, then sneered coldly, “Which brat dares to covet the Shooting Star Disc? Do you think Buddha would agree…”
His words were cut short by Yu Ci’s fist crashing toward his face.
With a startled yelp, the monk’s feet seemed to hover above the ground as he slid backward, barely dodging the blow. He cursed angrily, “You impudent brat!”
Yu Ci sneered back. Since this monk initiated the ambush, he should have been prepared for retaliation. What was the point of all this bluster?
He stepped forward swiftly, launching another punch straight at the monk.
Yu Ci’s successive attacks were fast and straightforward, without any variations. The monk, with profound cultivation, swept his robe sleeves, the gray fabric slicing through the air like a blade, producing a sharp, metallic sound. Unfortunately for him, he struck empty air.
Yu Ci lowered his stance, seamlessly synchronizing with the monk’s movements. Not only did he evade, but he also flicked his hand, sending out a talisman.
The talisman had been prepared earlier. In the rush, it wasn’t anything particularly powerful, but as it flew, the faint green light from the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror peeled away, revealing the talisman’s true colors. It looked like a spark of fire, flickering as it shot toward the monk.
The monk’s reaction was quick. His slender body twisted, creating a large gap for the spark to pass through.
However, he had underestimated the situation.
Among the talismans Yu Ci had cultivated, aside from the Palm Thunder and Five Thunder Talismans, most were auxiliary. But with clever use, they could still be quite effective, as demonstrated by this talisman!
The spark suddenly expanded, as if about to explode. The monk, having reserved some strength, retreated quickly. However, his eyes remained fixed on the spark, ready for any sudden changes. At this moment, the spark, now the size of a fist, stopped expanding and emitted a blinding light!
The Great Sun Talisman, designed to dispel all evil and impurities, shone like the rising sun, filling everything with life. Yu Ci only needed its intense natural light at that moment.
The monk’s reaction was already exceptionally quick, his well-trained body reacting at least five times faster than an ordinary person. Even so, he only had time to squint his eyes, unable to block the piercing light. His dilated pupils were stabbed by the brightness, and he screamed in pain.
As the intense light burst forth, Yu Ci drew the Nine Yang Talisman Sword and charged forward.
“Get lost!” the monk roared, flailing his sleeves wildly. The force of his movements generated howling winds, like a thunderstorm, forming a solid defense around him. Yet, his demeanor clearly showed fear.
Yu Ci accelerated his steps, his presence masked by the howling winds. He slid to the side, using his momentum to thrust his sword.
The sword blade cut through the wind, creating a piercing whistle. This revealed his position, prompting the monk’s gray-green claws to strike. But Yu Ci did not dodge. He continued his thrust, clashing with the monk’s claws. The collision sounded like metal striking metal, but one side was flesh, and the other a blade of flame.
Despite the monk’s superior cultivation, the Nine Yang Talisman Sword struck as if hitting a thousand-pound hammer, sending vibrations straight to Yu Ci’s chest. Yu Ci grunted but didn’t stop. He exerted more force, dragging the flaming blade sideways. The monk’s claw, tough as iron, couldn’t hold on, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
The monk screamed in pain, finally retreating in haste.
Yu Ci did not pursue. His aggressive attacks had been driven by a burst of energy, and clashing against the monk’s claw had drained him significantly. Continuing the chase would be unwise.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Yu Ci smiled and asked, “By the way, what were you saying earlier?”
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