Chapter 157 – Using the Body as Talisman, New Skill: Illusory Reality Talismans

“Little Lu, do you think that sister can win?”

“Which sister?”

“The senior sister from Shangqing Dao Academy.”

Lu Chen glanced at Zuo Qiuzi, then looked at Xu Yangyang in the distance.

He calmly analyzed: “In terms of cultivation, Shangqing Dao Academy’s Zuo Qiuzi is at the fourth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage, while Shanhai Bureau’s Fellow Daoist Xu Yangyang is at the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Fellow Daoist Xu has the advantage.”

“Additionally, although I don’t know the quality of Fellow Daoist Xu’s Foundation Establishment, judging from the aura she exudes, she must have at least a sixth-grade Earth Dao Foundation Establishment.”

“Senior Sister Zuo Qiuzi should be similar to her, both having Earth Dao quality Foundation Establishment.”

“Therefore, purely from a cultivation perspective, they should be evenly matched.”

“But these are only surface appearances. In my opinion, even without using Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beasts, Senior Sister Zuo would still find it difficult to be Fellow Daoist Xu’s opponent.”

“After all, combat isn’t just about cultivation level. Experience, mastery of techniques and Divine Abilities, Magic Treasures and Magical Artifacts, Talismans and Elixirs—all these are key factors that determine victory or defeat.”

“In this regard, I believe Fellow Daoist Xu holds a significant advantage.”

“So this battle… should be one-sided.”

Hearing Lu Chen speak so highly of Xu Yangyang, Mu Xiaoye nodded in understanding.

Although she didn’t know how Lu Chen had made these judgments, she felt that since Lu Chen said so, there must be a reason for it.

And Lu Chen certainly wasn’t speaking without basis.

Although in reality he couldn’t observe strangers’ status panels as he could in the game, that didn’t mean he had no way to assess a stranger’s strength.

His method was quite simple: it was based on the number of ‘Azure Lotus Marks’ on a stranger’s body.

Although this judgment might not be entirely accurate—after all, the Azure Lotus Marks only represented the number of weak points in an enemy’s Spiritual Power—the number of weaknesses couldn’t precisely measure a person’s overall strength.

But Lu Chen believed that the more powerful a Cultivator was, the more they would pay attention to their own weaknesses.

Using this to judge an enemy’s strength seemed reasonable enough.

At first glance, Lu Chen could only see five weak points on Xu Yangyang’s body.

But on Zuo Qiuzi, he could see more than ten.

Which side was stronger and which was weaker was clear at a glance.

So from the very beginning, Lu Chen didn’t hold much hope for Zuo Qiuzi defeating Xu Yangyang.

However, he thought Zuo Qiuzi would have no problem passing this third trial.

After all, the requirement for the third trial was to hold out for more than five minutes against an official Mountain and Sea Walker.

As long as Xu Yangyang went a little easy, Zuo Qiuzi should still be able to pass the trial.

In the arena, under the curious gazes of the crowd, Zuo Qiuzi confidently took out her Magic Treasure.

It was a rather unique-looking Spirit Sword, seemingly crafted from some kind of spiritual wood through special techniques.

Holding her Magic Treasure, Zuo Qiuzi spoke: “This sword is named Purple Peach, forged from thousand-year-old Purple Peach wood through special methods.”

“Besides being impervious to water and fire, its greatest function is actually to enhance the power of my Talismans.”

With that, Zuo Qiuzi released the hilt of the Purple Peach Spirit Sword, performed a sword-control technique, and let it hover beside her.”You are a Talisman Cultivator, and I am also a Talisman Cultivator. I think you’d better summon your Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beasts, otherwise I doubt you’ll be my match.”

“After all, aside from my family’s inherited Talismans, my Swordsmanship is considered upper-middle tier even among the Sword Cultivator-gathered Shangqing Dao Academy.”

“Though I can’t compare to those monsters among the Academy’s Ten Seats, I’m still considerably stronger than ordinary cultivators.”

The Ten Seats—this was a unique title within the Dao Academy.

It referred to the ten most powerful individuals in an academy.

Currently, the top of Shangqing Dao Academy’s Ten Seats was Jiang Dongliu.

Although Zuo Qiuzi wasn’t one of the Ten Seats, she possessed absolute confidence in her own strength.

This wasn’t arrogance, but rather unshakable conviction forged through countless battles.

In response to Zuo Qiuzi’s words, Xu Yangyang simply said calmly: “No need to worry about me. Just give it your all.”

Though her tone was placid, Zuo Qiuzi found the words distinctly unpleasant to hear.

She felt Xu Yangyang wasn’t taking her seriously at all.

Otherwise, she definitely wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to not even summon her Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beasts.

Thinking this, the proud Zuo Qiuzi decided to show Xu Yangyang exactly what a Disciple of the Zuo Family was capable of.

“Wind!”

With a wave of her right hand, Zuo Qiuzi immediately released a series of special purple Talismans.

These Talismans swirled around the Purple Peach Spirit Sword the moment they appeared.

An invisible fierce wind immediately began whirling through the arena with Zuo Qiuzi at its center.

“Fire!”

As another stack of Talismans flew out, numerous Talismans transformed into talismanic flames that converged upon the Purple Peach Spirit Sword.

They quickly combined with the preceding gale, evolving into a fiery vortex.

The scorching heat waves radiating out forced some observing Cultivators to retreat several steps.

But some remained unaffected.

Among them were not only Yu Tianqi and the others, but also Lu Chen and Mu Xiaoye.

Lu Chen, possessing the special innate gift·Fairy Lotus Womb,

caused any embers approaching his body to instantly transform into pure Spiritual Power, directly absorbed into his system without any effect.

Mu Xiaoye, due to her ‘Crimson Phoenix Calamity’ Innate Divine Ability, was naturally immune to most fire damage.

Thus, she completely disregarded Zuo Qiuzi’s talismanic flames.

Meanwhile, Zuo Qiuzi in the arena wasn’t finished with her talismanic technique.

“Mountain!”

Under Zuo Qiuzi’s control, another stack of enormous Talismans encircled the Purple Peach Spirit Sword, quickly coalescing into a small hill seven to eight meters tall.

“Forest!”

As the final stack of Talismans flew from Zuo Qiuzi’s hand, numerous special trees sprouted from the flaming mountain suspended in midair.

Wind fanned the flames, wood amplified their power, mountain gave them form, and the sword served as their foundation.

Though this was merely the opening talismanic technique, Zuo Qiuzi had already displayed her formidable strength before everyone.

Without a doubt, Zuo Qiuzi’s assessment of Xu Yangyang wasn’t as casual as her words suggested.

She had essentially gone all out from the very start.

This combined talismanic skill ‘Wind-Fire-Mountain-Forest’ was clearly something Zuo Qiuzi had practiced extensively.

Facing Zuo Qiuzi’s aggressive combined talismanic technique, Xu Yangyang—who had remained stationary until now—finally took action.

She drew a goat-hair brush from her robe and began tracing patterns in the air.Before long, streams of talismanic script materialized around Xu Yangyang.

Unlike conventional air-drawing talismans, these inscribed characters didn’t immediately transform into specific spells. Instead, they hovered around her like adhesive decals, coalescing into a distinctive talismanic wall.

Observing this, Lu Chen seemed to have discovered something intriguing and immediately began watching attentively. After all, this unique talisman technique was something he had never witnessed before.

Just as Xu Yangyang completed her talismanic wall, Zuo Qiuzi from nearby finally launched her assault.

“Descend!”

Under Zuo Qiuzi’s control, the flaming mountain plummeted from the sky, crashing directly toward Xu Yangyang. The earth-shattering spectacle left surrounding trial participants gaping in astonishment.

Putting themselves in Xu Yangyang’s position, they wondered whether they could withstand such a terrifying talismanic inferno. Their conclusion was unanimous: even if they survived, they would inevitably sustain severe injuries.

This prompted murmurs of admiration among them. Truly worthy of Dao Academy disciples – any random student possessed such staggering power. And she was merely an ordinary student, not even one of the famed ‘Ten Seats’. Had a Ten Seats member made a move, the commotion would likely dwarf Zuo Qiuzi’s current display.

BOOM!

As Zuo Qiuzi’s talismanic mountain struck the ground, the terrain instantly fractured into countless debris. These fragments, ignited by the mountain’s talismanic flames, transformed into hazardous fiery projectiles, forcing ordinary trial participants to retreat further.

Some less capable participants had no choice but to summon their Magical Artifacts and Magic Treasures for protection, avoiding collateral damage from Zuo Qiuzi’s technique.

Lu Chen, however, remained completely unperturbed. With a casual wave through the air, a talismanic barrier instantly materialized before him and Mu Xiaoye, deflecting the incoming fiery debris.

When the aftershocks subsided, the trial participants began buzzing with discussions.

“That… that examiner named Xu Yangyang must be injured, right?”

“With such a terrifying talisman technique, I doubt she emerged completely unscathed.”

One participant gazed toward Xu Yangyang’s position buried beneath the flaming mountain and couldn’t help voicing his thoughts. Others nearby nodded in agreement, assuming Xu Yangyang must have suffered significant damage.

But soon, what unfolded before their eyes left them utterly stunned.

CRACK!

A fissure appeared at the base of the flaming mountain. More cracks rapidly propagated from this epicenter until they webworked across the entire talismanic construct.

BOOM!

Xu Yangyang emerged from the fiery wreckage completely unharmed. Lu Chen now noticed the peculiar transformation on her body – intricate talismanic scripts covered her skin like living tattoos, granting her specific enhancements while providing formidable spell resistance.

This method of using one’s own skin as talisman paper to inscribe protective scripts truly broadened Lu Chen’s horizons.

Zuo Qiuzi seemed to recognize this unique talisman technique, exclaiming in surprise, “The Liuzhou Xu Family?”

Hearing this, Xu Yangyang nodded in confirmation, acknowledging her identity as a disciple of the Liuzhou Xu Family.After receiving this reply, Zuo Qiuzi immediately adopted a serious expression and said, “I’ve long heard from my elders that the Liuzhou Xu Family’s Talismanship is quite unique, capable of transforming one’s body into a talisman. However, I’ve never encountered a cultivator from the Xu Family before, so I naturally couldn’t experience your body-to-talisman transformation. Today, I finally have the opportunity.”

In response, the usually taciturn Xu Yangyang spoke up.

“Three minutes. You have three minutes left.”

Zuo Qiuzi waved her hand, summoning her Spirit Sword back into her grasp.

Holding the Spirit Sword, she pointed it at Xu Yangyang not far away and declared, “Within three minutes, I will definitely force you to summon your Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beasts.”

As she spoke, the Aura around Zuo Qiuzi instantly shifted.

Then, a Sword Intent emanated from her.

Just as Zuo Qiuzi had claimed, aside from her considerable skill in Talismanship, her Swordsmanship was also quite impressive.

The Sword Intent of the Entering Dao Realm—this was Zuo Qiuzi’s confidence.

Facing her Sword Intent, Xu Yangyang calmly raised the brush in her hand.

In the next moment, amidst a swirl of light, her brush transformed into a peculiar Spear.

With the Spear in hand, the Aura around Xu Yangyang also abruptly changed.

A sharp Spear Intent radiated from her, beginning to confront Zuo Qiuzi’s Sword Intent.

Zuo Qiuzi’s Sword Intent seemed related to autumn, with a silent, desolate Concept enveloping her surroundings.

Xu Yangyang’s Spear Intent, on the other hand, appeared connected to “illusion techniques,” surrounded by strange, flowing lights in seven colors, resembling glazed glass.

“Spear Intent of the Entering Dao Realm? I thought you only knew Talismanship.”

Hearing Zuo Qiuzi’s words, Xu Yangyang replied calmly, “My main profession is Talisman Cultivator, with Spear Cultivator as a side pursuit.”

At this, Zuo Qiuzi made no further comment.

After all, wasn’t she herself skilled in both Talismanship and Swordsmanship?

Wasting no time on pleasantries, the two quickly engaged in combat after releasing their Sword Intent.

Though both were clearly Talisman Cultivators, their fighting style resembled that of Body Cultivators.

Each move and stance was powerful and heavy.

Watching their battle, the surrounding trial participants fell silent.

They realized that merely lasting five minutes against Xu Yangyang and Yan Lei might not be an easy task.

And this was under the condition that they didn’t use their Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beasts.

If they were to summon those Mythical Beasts, the trial participants wouldn’t just struggle to last five minutes—they might be defeated in a single encounter.

Thinking this, many trial participants sensed that their trial journey was likely to end here.

However, two trial participants remained undaunted by Xu Yangyang’s strength.

These two were Lu Chen and Mu Xiaoye.

Mu Xiaoye watched the battling Xu Yangyang with eyes full of Battle Intent, looking eager to join the fray.

Lu Chen, however, was different.

His entire attention was focused on the talismans on Xu Yangyang’s skin, clearly learning something from them.

After all, before today, Lu Chen had never considered using his own skin as talisman paper to better retain the power of talismans on his body.

This opened up an entirely new horizon for Lu Chen in Talismanship.

His mind brimmed with many new applications for talismans.Lu Chen even pondered whether, since these talismans could remain on the skin, it might also be possible for them to linger on his Divine Manifestation.

After all, during this period, aside from delving into Swordsmanship, Lu Chen had also been studying his ‘Five Spirits Communion’ technique.

He felt that beyond using it as a Divine Manifestation for attacks, this technique held untapped potential.

Either by enlarging the Divine Manifestation of this spell,

Or by integrating more methods into it.

One of his earlier attempts was during his Tribulation Transcendence, when he used the Divine Manifestation to unleash the Mountain-Shaking Fist Intent.

The results were impressive, allowing his Mountain-Shaking Fist Intent to exert far greater power than usual.

Now, witnessing Xu Yangyang’s unique Talismanship, Lu Chen saw similar potential.

If he could inscribe these talismans onto his Divine Manifestation, it might address its fragility, which caused it to shatter upon impact.

As Lu Chen observed intently, he gradually grasped the essence of Xu Yangyang’s unique Talismanship, his right hand unconsciously tracing patterns in the air.

Simultaneously, a special notification appeared on his game panel:

【You have observed a unique form of Talismanship and learned a new skill… Ephemeral Runes】

【Ephemeral Runes: Beginner 1/2000】

【Effect: After activation, you can make ‘Ephemeral Runes’ linger on your body or Divine Abilities for an extended period. At Major Achievement, you can craft semi-permanent ‘Solid Runes.’】

“Huh?”

Zhong Yaojun, who had been watching the battle between Xu Yangyang and Zuo Qiuzi, noticed Lu Chen’s unusual behavior and voiced his surprise.

From Lu Chen’s subconscious movements, he caught a glimpse of the Xu family’s Talismanship.

Though Lu Chen’s actions were still clumsy, it seemed he had genuinely grasped some essence of the Xu family’s Talismanship from Xu Yangyang.

Was this kid’s Comprehension Ability truly so formidable?

With this thought, Zhong Yaojun began scrutinizing Lu Chen’s movements closely.

He noticed that Lu Chen’s rune-drawing techniques were becoming increasingly proficient.

This was reflected in Lu Chen’s panel as…

【Your insight into ‘Ephemeral Runes’ has deepened. Skill proficiency increased by 100 points…】

【Your insight into ‘Ephemeral Runes’ has deepened. Skill proficiency increased by 75 points…】

Watching Lu Chen’s increasingly refined rune-drawing, Zhong Yaojun couldn’t help but ask Yu Tianqi beside him, “Old Yu, has that kid you brought learned Talismanship before?”

“Huh?”

Yu Tianqi was taken aback and replied instinctively, “I don’t know. Has he studied Talismanship?”

Hearing this, Zhong Yaojun was speechless.

Didn’t you say you watched this kid grow up? How come you don’t even know if he’s learned Talismanship?

Are you pulling my leg?

Seeing Zhong Yaojun’s skeptical expression, Yu Tianqi grew genuinely puzzled.

He truly had no idea whether Lu Chen had studied Talismanship before!

Hearing Zhong Yaojun’s question, Yu Tianqi turned to look in Lu Chen’s direction.

Witnessing Lu Chen’s adept rune-drawing, Yu Tianqi was stunned.

Wait, when did you secretly learn this Talismanship skill?

Swordsmanship, Alchemy, and now Talismanship—where did you pick up all these skills???

(End of chapter)