Chapter Forty-Nine: The Talisman Treasure

Ge Qian realized that the myna bird had indeed fallen into his trap. Not daring to be negligent, knowing this opportunity would come only once, he immediately formed a spell and cast “Switch the Beams and Pillars.” Suddenly, the sequence of jade tokens was thrown into chaos, their positions scrambled, and the formation was severely disrupted. With a thunderous roar, all the jade tokens erupted in dazzling lightning.

The myna felt a stabbing pain in his spirit and thought, “This is bad!” He tried to recall the tokens, but it was already too late. With a deafening explosion, a crater ten yards wide appeared in the ground.

Dust billowed out; the acrid smell of burning filled the air. There was no trace left of the pale cultivator—he was likely blown to pieces by the blast. The explosion unleashed a shockwave of immense power, sweeping in all directions.

Though Ge Qian had prepared for this, he still underestimated the force of the blast and had no time to dodge. With his physique, even if wounded, his life would not be in danger. But on the ground beside him lay the beautiful Ying Xue. Both out of conscience and confidence in his own abilities, he could not simply leave her there.

Ge Qian dropped to the ground, gathered Ying Xue in his arms, and rolled away from the blast. The myna, his spirit linked to the jade tokens, spat blood as the shockwave reached him. With a scream, he was hurled over twenty yards away, crashing through a shrub as thick as a bowl.

Because she was rolling on the ground with Ge Qian shielding her, Ying Xue was unharmed. Yet as she regained consciousness, something felt very strange—at once novel and oddly pleasant. Opening her eyes, she discovered she was being held by that rascal Ge Qian, tumbling together on the ground. Furious, she bit down hard on his shoulder.

Ge Qian felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and reflexively pushed Ying Xue away. She got to her feet, ready to lash out, but suddenly remembered she had nearly been struck dead by lightning. How was she still alive now? “Could it be that wastrel Ge Qian saved me? Impossible. But if not him, then who? There’s no one else around! Wait—if he’s not the wastrel, does that make me even more useless?”

Ge Qian sprang to his feet and darted into the shrubs. With a flick of his hand, he unleashed a flying needle spell, finishing off the myna, who was clinging to life by a thread, and swiftly retrieved the storage pouch.

He glanced at the jade tokens, now shattered and reduced to worthless scraps, their spiritual energy completely gone.

Clearly, they had been destroyed in the explosion, which pained Ge Qian greatly. He had hoped to claim this treasure, but altering the formation’s rules at will had rendered it useless. Still, it was a valuable lesson—formations were profound and complex; meddling without understanding could lead to disaster.

Ge Qian summoned a fireball and reduced the corpse to ashes.

Watching Ge Qian efficiently collect the storage pouches, looking every bit the destitute miser, Ying Xue’s eyelid twitched. He showed no intention of sharing, not even saying a word to her.

Ying Xue asked coldly, “Junior Brother Ge, how did these people end up like this? Did you kill them all by yourself?”

Ge Qian finished tidying up and replied with a slight smile, “Sister, you give me too much credit. I’m not that skilled. For some reason, they all started fighting, arguing over who came first, and in the end, they really fought to the death. I just happened to benefit from their squabble.”

Ying Xue recalled the argument she’d overheard earlier, blushed, and realized she had guessed pretty accurately. Her eyes darted slyly as she said, “Oh, I see. Just now, I pretended to be unconscious to let them turn on each other, then planned to strike and finish them off myself. Who knew you’d snatch the prize in the end?”

Ge Qian found her claim amusing but didn’t expose her. He feigned sudden understanding and said, “I didn’t expect Senior Sister to be not only powerful but also so resourceful. You put me to shame. I hope you’ll guide me more in cultivation when there’s a chance.”

Ying Xue, feeling awkward, replied, “Of course. But right now, there’s something more important. How did the pill refining go?”

“Don’t worry, Senior Sister. It’s already a great success,” Ge Qian said.

Ying Xue’s eyes sparkled with delight as she flashed to his side. “Really? Excellent. I knew I was right to trust you. That’s a great accomplishment. How many pills did you make?”

“Five,” Ge Qian replied offhandedly.

Ying Xue’s expression shifted several times before settling into calm. She extended her fair, delicate hand and said, “Hand them over. Such important things are safer with me.”

Ge Qian had no desire to hold onto this hot potato without benefit, especially since he had already kept two pills for himself. He tossed the jade bottle into her hand. “Here you go, Senior Sister. See if the pills pass muster.”

Even if he didn’t say so, Ying Xue would have checked them herself. The legendary Beauty Rejuvenation Pills—she took the bottle, removed the stopper, and a rich fragrance wafted out, instantly refreshing her mind.

Ying Xue inhaled the scent deeply, almost like an addict, then reluctantly stowed the bottle in her storage pouch. “Not bad. We shouldn’t linger here, though, lest trouble arise. I’ll take you back myself.”

Ge Qian readily agreed. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Ying Xue immediately produced a talisman, which shimmered in her hand as she formed a spell. The talisman floated into the air, transforming into a seven-foot-long spirit vessel inscribed with shifting runes.

Ge Qian was secretly amazed—this was the legendary talisman treasure. It was said that when cultivators at the Core Formation stage realized they could not advance to Nascent Soul, they would refine a spiritual talisman for their successors, nurturing it ceaselessly with their essence fires until it was complete.

He hadn’t expected Ying Xue to possess a flying talisman treasure. Usually, these were offensive in nature; flying ones were rare indeed.

Though surprised, he dared not hesitate and leaped onto the spirit vessel. Ying Xue warned, “This boat is very fast. Brace yourself.”

She formed a spell, and in a few blinks, they vanished into the distant sky.

In the cave dwelling atop Firewave Peak of the Celestial Star Sect, a breathtakingly beautiful and elegant woman sat in a grand chair, her slender hand cupping her cheek, eyes closed in repose.

Ying Xue and Ge Qian, just returned, stood below, not daring to breathe too loudly, waiting respectfully.

Seated above them was Dai Yue, Master of Firewave Peak, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, and Ying Xue’s grandmaster.

After a long while, Dai Yue opened her eyes and stretched. Her long, curled lashes and large eyes flashed like lightning as she glanced at Ge Qian.

Though Dai Yue suppressed her aura, appearing as ordinary as any mortal, her very presence inspired awe—a fear that reached the soul itself.

Sweat beaded on Ge Qian’s hands; his body trembled slightly. Under Dai Yue’s gaze, he felt as if he had no secrets left.

He almost lost his composure, but Ge Qian’s resolve, honed by far more than Ying Xue’s brief years, was not so easily shaken.