“Yes, it’s that Flat-feathered Bird… Brother Yu, you must help me this time!”
After a brief explanation from Bao Guang, Yu Ci suddenly understood. The young daoist had received a good deed task yesterday, which was to capture a Flat-feathered Bird residing in the Broken Boundary Mountain Range. The reward was a hundred merits, which was considered quite generous even among the outer disciples.
Don’t be misled by the fact that Yu Ci had earned three hundred merits from a single Dragon Fish—that was because the Dragon Fish was exceedingly rare and urgently needed by someone. In the merit system established by the Rifting Earth Sect, cases like the Dragon Fish task were rare, with perhaps fewer than ten such tasks combined under both the “Collection” and “Distribution” categories. The vast majority of merit rewards were single digits, with two or three merits being the most common.
For instance, Dragon Fish Grass, which Sun Light Sect gathered with the strength of the entire city, only produced around ten stalks annually. This was practically all the revenue the Rifting Earth Sect had received in recent years. Yet, even for such resources, the exchange price on the items list was merely five merits per stalk.
Rewards reaching a hundred merits weren’t unheard of, but such high rewards signified great difficulty.
The Flat-feathered Bird was a peculiar type of bird. It was said that this bird had no fixed form and would randomly select a flock of migrating birds each year, transforming to blend in, and then secretly eat the young birds, making it highly detestable. Although it sounded strange, the bird merely possessed some illusionary abilities, which were not uncommon among creatures in the cultivation world. For example, the demonic beasts in Sky Rift Valley were a classic example of this.
This bird wasn’t particularly fierce, but its illusionary abilities were truly troublesome. Especially since it mingled with large flocks of migratory birds, making it nearly indistinguishable from regular birds. If you couldn’t find it, capturing it was out of the question.
“Helping isn’t a problem, but according to what you said, have you already located the Flat-feathered Bird?”
The key to this task was finding the Flat-feathered Bird. If you were to break down the task steps and rewards, the bird-searching portion would likely account for ninety-nine merits!
Facing Yu Ci’s question, the young daoist looked troubled and anxious, “Brother Yu, Senior Brother Yu, you must help me this time. Let’s discuss the rest on the way. I missed my strike just now and scared the bird. If we delay any longer, it might fly away.”
As he spoke, Bao Guang was already pulling Yu Ci towards the “Ghost Silk Cloud” that had been parked in the courtyard. The cloud-like silk fabric covered most of the courtyard. When touched, it truly felt like mist or fog, almost without substance.
Seeing this, Yu Ci laughed, “Last time I asked to play with it for a bit, you were so unwilling. Now you’re being generous.”
Bao Guang’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he couldn’t find the words to respond.
Seeing his expression, Yu Ci stopped teasing him and gracefully hopped onto the cloud, landing steadily beside him.
Unable to hold back any longer, Bao Guang swiftly chanted the activation incantation, and the “Ghost Silk Cloud” gave a slight shudder before beginning to ascend, stopping only after reaching nearly a hundred feet in the air.
“What a treasure.”
Yu Ci patted the silk fabric beside him, genuinely envious. There might be countless flying treasures and magical items in the cultivation world, but they all required considerable time for a cultivator to refine and fully control. Their operation was also closely tied to the cultivator’s own level of cultivation. Typically, flying with such a treasure was a privilege reserved for cultivators at the Core Refinement level or higher.
In this context, if there were an item that, right out of the craftsman’s hands, could be controlled without even the need for Divine Connectivity, and had relatively good maneuverability, it would be extremely rare, even if it only belonged to the craft artifact level.
Bao Guang had heard such praise countless times and merely chuckled. He then changed the incantation, causing the moisture in the high-altitude air to gather around the silk fabric, soaking into it. Once enough moisture had accumulated, fog began to form, enveloping the silk fabric. At this point, even while sitting on it, you could hardly tell that it was made of silk—it was truly a marvel.
At this moment, the Ghost Silk Cloud began to move. Initially, it was incredibly slow, but the speed gradually increased. The surrounding water vapor, controlled by the formation within the silk, was converted into propulsion and expelled towards the rear, leaving a clear trail in the clear sky.
The Ghost Silk Cloud could travel four hundred miles in an hour, roughly equivalent to the full-speed sprint of a Divine Connectivity cultivator. However, it required almost no personal energy expenditure. Despite its drawbacks—such as slow acceleration, sluggish speed transitions, vulnerability to fire, and inability to fly in thunderstorms—it was still a rare and valuable treasure.
This artifact was a spoil of war from when the old daoist Yu Zhou had defeated a cult that deceived mortals. The creator of the artifact was long forgotten, and the cult used it to impersonate immortals and deceive the common folk. Yu Zhou, appreciating its clever craftsmanship, took it back as a collectible, and later gave it to Bao Guang. Although it had no other uses besides transportation, it was unique within the entire Rifting Earth Sect.
At full speed, the Ghost Silk Cloud brought the two of them to the skies above Southern Frost Lake in just half an hour. During this time, Bao Guang had already recounted his previous blunders.
The young daoist had indeed been fortunate. Two days earlier, while gathering herbs at Southern Frost Lake, he had accidentally witnessed a Flat-feathered Bird change its form and blend in with a group of newly migrated wild ducks. Upon returning to the temple, he noticed a new announcement in the Hall of Collective Merit, which called for the capture of a Flat-feathered Bird.
Elated, Bao Guang rushed to the lake the next day, only to find that the Flat-feathered Bird was far more cunning than he had anticipated. Not only did he fail to catch the bird, but he was also deceived by its illusions, resulting in him being struck on the face and startling the flock of wild ducks. Such vigilant birds might change their habitat at any moment, and when that happened, the Flat-feathered Bird would surely leave with them. The thought of such a loss was unbearable to the young daoist, so he hurried back to seek help.
“Damn it, that feathered beast must have flown in from Six Barbaric Mountain.”
Bao Guang was still seething, which made Yu Ci laugh.
Six Barbaric Mountain was a famous mountain range located an unknown number of miles south of Broken Boundary Mountain Range. It was rumored to be the largest gathering place for demons and spirits in this world. Bao Guang’s comment was basically cursing the Flat-feathered Bird as if it had become a demon.
Standing on the Ghost Silk Cloud, the two looked down. Southern Frost Lake was nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, serene and quiet. The reed flowers had bloomed late this year, and from above, they still spread around the lake, creating a vast expanse of white, which was quite spectacular.
Bao Guang was not interested in the scenery; his mind was entirely focused on the Flat-feathered Bird. His eyes scanned the birds flying around the lake until he suddenly exclaimed with joy, “There, there, Brother Yu, look! It hasn’t flown away yet!”
Yu Ci had already spotted it before him. Indeed, a flock of gray-black wild ducks had emerged from the reeds at the edge of the lake, standing out against the mirror-like clarity of the water. But which one was the Flat-feathered Bird?
Bao Guang hesitated and then stammered, “It should be… it should be… my marker fell off!”
An awkward silence fell over the Ghost Silk Cloud.
Yu Ci looked at the hundred or so wild ducks playing on the lake and was momentarily speechless. These birds were not only highly alert but also incredibly fast flyers. If startled, they would scatter across the vast lake, making it nearly impossible for two people to catch one bird that had no obvious markers, was skilled in illusions, and was practically a spirit creature!
After a long pause, Yu Ci finally sighed and asked, “Are you sure it has to be captured alive? Wouldn’t a dead one suffice?”
He was contemplating using the Five Thunder Talisman to strike with lightning, which would obliterate both the wild ducks and the Flat-feathered Bird, though it would probably ruin their condition.
Bao Guang shook his head firmly, refusing to agree no matter what.
Yu Ci shook his head, remaining silent. He did have another option: he could deliberately scatter the flock of wild ducks repeatedly and use the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror to lock onto them for an extended period, eventually spotting the Flat-feathered Bird’s flaw. Once exposed, it could be captured in one fell swoop. However, revealing the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror for such a minor matter was not something he was willing to do, especially since his relationship with Bao Guang wasn’t close enough to justify such an action.
“Is there really no other way?” Bao Guang asked, disheartened. “If only we had Brother Li’s ‘Thousand Knots Yin Thunder Net’ from the sect. With that, we could cover a range of a mile, and no bird would escape.”
Bao Guang’s comment was casual, but it caught Yu Ci’s attention. He wasn’t concerned with Bao Guang’s unintentional slip of the tongue, but rather with the underlying idea it hinted at.
“A net… wait, let me think.” Yu Ci stood at the edge of the Ghost Silk Cloud, staring intently at the lake below.
Bao Guang scratched his head in confusion, “A net? You mean a fishing net? I doubt that would work. These birds are cunning, and an ordinary net wouldn’t be able to catch them.”
Yu Ci didn’t respond. After a long period of contemplation, he simply sat down cross-legged, his fingers subconsciously moving as if calculating something.
Seeing this, Bao Guang sensed the gravity of the situation and remained silent, only watching with wide eyes.
Eventually, Yu Ci retrieved a roll of silk cloth from his storage ring.
Bao Guang, unable to suppress his curiosity, leaned in closer.
What Yu Ci had taken out was the only cultivation text in his possession, the Celestial Qi Gathering Secret Talisman Manual, which he had acquired along with the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror from the sleeping chamber of Immortal Zi Lei years ago. For a long time, this talisman manual had been his sole guide on his path of cultivation.
Had he been with someone else or in a different place, Yu Ci might not have taken it out so openly. But after staying at the Heart Prohibition Temple for several days and interacting with its daoists, he had come to understand just how vast and powerful the Rifting Earth Sect truly was. With millennia of heritage, they had access to an unimaginable array of skills, secret techniques, and rare treasures. His talisman manual, which was precious to him, probably didn’t even register as noteworthy to the sect.
So, he had no reason to treat it as something to be guarded jealously. He took it out generously to study.
The talisman manual wasn’t in the standard jade slip format used by most cultivators, nor was it made of ordinary paper. It was woven from an incredibly durable type of silk, with tens of thousands of characters and thousands of talisman patterns intricately embroidered into it—each stitch meticulously placed, a testament to the immense effort that had gone into its creation.
As it was made of silk, the manual had no pages. It was usually rolled up and unfurled when needed. Yu Ci slowly unrolled the silk cloth, letting the text and images flow into his mind like water.
Beside him, Bao Guang let out a loud “Wow,” which Yu Ci found somewhat exaggerated. Without looking up, he made a gesture for silence and continued to unroll the cloth, searching for a specific talisman pattern he had in mind. It didn’t take long for him to find it.
“This is it… the ‘All Encompassing Demon Blinding Talisman.'”
Bao Guang also caught a glimpse of the talisman pattern. But after just a glance, his eyes nearly crossed from the complexity of the design, and he couldn’t help but gasp. “What is that for?”
“To weave a net!” Yu Ci replied.
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