Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Vertical Earth Golden Light Talisman
Cangwu Mountain was majestic and towering, its peaks reaching into the clouds.
On its highest peak lay a hundred-mu plateau known as the Star-picking Platform.
It was covered in lush, green grass, and a third of it was taken up by the clear, vast waters of Ping Lake. From a distance, the light reflecting off the water and the floating clouds in the sky above merged, creating a silvery glow.
Peach, plum, and osmanthus trees—blossoms for all four seasons—were planted in clusters of varying density along the lakeshore, all blooming in unison.
On the west side stood a grove of over ten thousand verdant bamboo stalks. Most were over a foot in diameter, and they soared so high into the sky that they resembled a sheer, green cliff face—a truly spectacular sight.
Lush, otherworldly grass carpeted the lakeside, where rare and beautiful flowers bloomed in profusion. A particularly ancient plum tree stood there, its trunk so thick a person couldn’t wrap their arms around it. Its canopy shaded a wide area, its branches heavy with thousands of blossoms. The tree exuded a cool, elegant fragrance that soothed the soul, and its gnarled, ancient form possessed a wondrous, spiritual quality.
A magnificent, golden-roofed palace sat on the lakeshore.
This was none other than Madam Ye’s Cave Mansion.
On the eastern shore of Ping Lake, flowering trees of varying heights grew among an assortment of strange rocks. One massive stone, over a hundred feet across, jutted out into the water. It was covered in green bamboo, and nestled within the grove were a Jade Table and Stool. A zither lay across the table, an incense burner placed before it.
The composition of water and stone was one of refined beauty, lending the scenery an ethereal quality.
Wisps of incense smoke drifted upwards.
A mature, beautiful woman in simple robes, her bearing dignified and elegant, sat before the Jade Table. Her slender, fair hands moved nimbly as she prepared an exquisite tea set, brewing a pot of floral tea that filled the air with its sweet aroma.
Fang Cheng and Ye Yan sat across from the beautiful woman, waiting for their tea.
On closer inspection, Madam Ye had a graceful, slender, and curvaceous figure. There was an indescribable, bewitching allure in her features, and she exuded a warm, soft, and enticingly sweet aura.
Today, she was not wearing her Feathered Robe, nor were there any swaying hairpins or jade pendants in her hair. As a result, she lacked some of her usual regal splendor but seemed all the more approachable for it.
Fang Cheng, for his part, was wearing the Cloud-Soaring Patterned Profound Robe of a Yinluo Sect Outer Disciple. With its wide sleeves and broad sash, he had the bearing of a disciple from a great sect.
Madam Ye’s lovely eyes shone as she sized Fang Cheng up. She saw that he was tall and well-built, with broad shoulders and a strong back. His face was chiseled, with sword-like brows and star-like eyes that gave him an air of fortitude and determination. She couldn’t help but nod to herself in approval.
"You don’t need to worry about the Feng Family," Madam Ye said, her voice soft and pleasant, instantly putting one at ease.
"Now, drink your tea."
As she spoke, she poured two cups of tea for her daughter and son-in-law.
Fang Cheng knew that Madam Ye was originally from the Feng Family and had only married into the Ye Family as part of an alliance.
But her Cultivation was so profound that the upper echelons of both families had to show her a certain degree of deference.
For any other Loose Cultivator or Servant Disciple, this would have been a catastrophe.
But with Madam Ye, the matter was dismissed with a single, casual sentence.
Fang Cheng felt his worries ease. He then asked, "I heard that Qian Shaoning had some connection to the Mad Daoist of Fallen Thunder Island... Mother, I was wondering if you know anything about this Mad Daoist?"
Upon hearing the two words "Mad Daoist," Madam Ye’s elegant brows furrowed slightly before she let out an exasperated laugh. "You certainly have a knack for finding trouble."
She mulled it over for a moment before saying, "That Mad Daoist has a bizarre disposition, and his actions are often unpredictable. However, over a decade ago, he was severely wounded by a Peak Master from the Yinluo Sect. He’s been in seclusion to recuperate ever since, so he shouldn’t be coming out any time soon..."
Ye Yan glanced at Fang Cheng, then turned to her mother with a wheedling tone. "But Mother, you just said the man is unpredictable! What if he comes looking for trouble for my husband? What would we do then?"
Madam Ye gave a slight smile. "If you’re so concerned for your husband’s safety, then perhaps you should advise him to be more discreet in his daily affairs. Even when he must kill, he shouldn’t do it in front of so many people."
Ye Yan pouted, about to say more, but Fang Cheng stopped her.
"Mother is right," Fang Cheng said earnestly. "This time, I was carried away by the heat of the moment, thinking only of killing my enemy as quickly as possible. Next time, I will consider things more carefully before I act."
Madam Ye nodded in satisfaction. With a flip of her fair hand, a dazzling golden Talisman appeared in her palm. She handed it to Fang Cheng, saying, "If you encounter the Mad Daoist in the future, remember to activate this Talisman immediately. It will save your life."
"A Vertical Earth Golden Light Talisman?" Ye Yan’s eyes lit up in delighted surprise.
Madam Ye looked at her daughter with a doting smile. "Precisely. This Talisman is condensed with my full Magical Power. That Mad Daoist’s thunder techniques are impressive, but even he won’t be able to catch up to this Talisman."
Fang Cheng had also heard of the Vertical Earth Golden Light Talisman; it was one of the fastest Escape Talismans in the entire Cultivation Realm.
When activated, the talisman would transform into a streak of golden light and carry its user away, covering thousands of miles in an instant. It was an invaluable treasure for escaping and survival.
’I can’t believe Madam Ye knows how to craft this talisman!’
’And it’s a Tier Two Talisman containing her full Magical Power... Crafting it must have taken an immense amount of her effort.’
After accepting the Talisman, Fang Cheng stood, bowed deeply, and offered his sincere thanks.
Madam Ye said, "Since you and Yan’Er are dao partners, you’re family. There’s no need for such ceremony. Just be more cautious in the future, lest you make Yan’Er sick with worry."
"Thank you for your guidance, Mother," Fang Cheng quickly replied.
In the end, Madam Ye had Fang Cheng stay for a few more cups of tea before sending him on his way.
Ye Yan reluctantly bid Fang Cheng farewell, as she had to remain behind to continue practicing her Magic.
Fortunately, their two Cave Mansions were not far apart. As long as Madam Ye granted her leave, Ye Yan could return home anytime...
Fang Cheng returned to the Jade Tower, entered his Quiet Chamber, and began to sort through his gains from the outer sect trial.
’The main thing is the storage bags from the twelve Zhou Family members!’
He removed the seals on each storage bag one by one, sorting their contents by category.
’Disciples from prominent families really are wealthy!’
Fang Cheng was especially surprised by the sheer number of treasures he found on Zhou Huaijin, a core disciple of the Zhou Family.
After sorting through everything, he had obtained a total of 23,000 Spirit Stones!
Nineteen Tier One Middle Grade Magical Artifacts and four Tier One Upper Grade Magical Artifacts.
Twenty-eight bottles of Tier One Elixirs and thirty-three assorted Tier One Talismans...
’It’s a shame. Aside from the Spirit Stones, I can’t sell any of this for the time being!’
Fang Cheng felt a pang of frustration as he looked at the treasures spread all over the floor.
The Zhou Family disciples who participated in the outer sect trial had been completely wiped out. The family was probably searching everywhere for the killer right now.
’All of these items are clues... I’ll just have to keep them for my own use for now.’
’With this many Spirit Stones, I have enough to fuel my cultivation with elixirs for two years.’
Ever since he’d transmigrated, every major increase in his Spirit Stone supply had come from killing.
This had more or less made Fang Cheng abandon the idea of developing a side profession to earn Spirit Stones.
He had considered cultivating a trade skill, like Artifact Refining, Talisman Crafting, Alchemy, or the Puppetry Technique...
But for the next two years, at least, he wouldn’t have to worry about Spirit Stones.
Next, it was time to formulate a cultivation plan.
Now that he was in the Outer Sect, tradition in the Yinluo Sect dictated that he would have to spend three years tempering himself and accumulating enough merit points before he could undertake the "Earth Abyss Trial" and become an Inner Sect Disciple!
’Cyan Yuan Demon Tree Skill, Cyan Profound Sword Technique, Li Hen Demon Light, and Celestial Fire Body Forging Technique... I have to advance all four at the same time!’
’Also, I need to refine a few of those Taiyi Thunder Pills like the one Qian Shaoning had, just in case.’
’As for the Poison Gu and Vajra Gu, I should cultivate more of them to have another trump card up my sleeve.’
’In between cultivation, I can take on some missions to accumulate merit points.’
In just a few moments of thought, Fang Cheng had laid out a clear plan for the next three years.
He just had to wait for the three years to pass, enter the Yinluo Sect’s "Earth Abyss" for the trial, and become an Inner Sect Disciple. Then he could cultivate one of the nine ultimate legacy techniques of the sect!
...
