Chapter 327: Chapter 221: Sword Talisman Displays Its Might (Part 2)
A bizarre, ever-shifting Blood Talisman, seemingly containing all the forms in existence, slowly condensed and began to emit a heart-pounding pulse.
"Is this... the legacy of the Ten Thousand Forms Resentful Demon Monarch?"
Ming Zhan shot to his feet.
"Damn it, is he actually going to make a comeback?" Sun Miao cried out.
The Ten Thousand Forms Blood Talisman transformed into a streak of light and slammed into the Demon Stele.
The Demon Stele erupted with an unprecedented, blinding crimson light as its patterns flared wildly!
Six Patterns, Seven Patterns, Eight Patterns...
The crimson light finally solidified, revealing nine distinct, brilliantly glowing patterns!
"Qin Xuan, Purgatory Level Sword Talisman, Ten Thousand Forms, Nine Patterns!"
Ming Zhan’s voice trembled slightly, now tinged with solemn gravity.
"Qin Xuan actually took first place?"
"What kind of bullshit luck does this kid have to actually earn the favor of the Ten Thousand Forms Resentful Demon Monarch?"
All eyes were locked on Qin Xuan, filled with utter disbelief.
"And that original Demon Slayer Sword Talisman of his actually has Eight Patterns."
"This makes no sense! Logically, he’s only in the Purple Mansion Realm. His Sword Talismans should be at the lowest Netherworld Level!"
Sun Miao’s face was livid.
Ming Zhan gave Qin Xuan a meaningful look, then announced the final rankings in a grand voice.
"Qin Xuan, twenty-one patterns, first place."
At his words, the crowd below erupted in discussion.
Sun Miao sneered. "Heh, while the Sword Talisman is powerful, the karmic entanglement is immense. The Ten Thousand Forms Blood Talisman from the Ten Thousand Forms Resentful Demon Monarch is considered top-tier even among Purgatory Level Sword Talismans."
"Even a Venerable Divinity Transformation wouldn’t want to get involved with that kind of karma. How could it possibly be easy to master?"
Another Demon Cultivator nodded in agreement.
"That’s right. The Sword Talisman Prison is mainly a test of our karmic connections with the past Demon Monarchs of the Holy Sect."
"Too much karma is actually a bad thing. He’d better be careful not to get hit by the backlash before he can even harm an enemy."
"Besides, the Illusion Heart Prison tests one’s actual foundation in the supplementary arts. That’s what’s truly fundamental!"
Clearly, while most people were shocked by Qin Xuan’s Ten Thousand Forms Sword Talisman, they didn’t truly see him as the greatest threat. Instead, they felt he had taken an unorthodox path fraught with hidden dangers.
Qin Xuan took a deep breath, thinking to himself.
’Now that I’ve revealed the Ten Thousand Forms Blood Talisman, my path in the Holy Sect is going to be difficult.’
He also had the Purgatory Level Blood Talisman, Divine Blade, in his sleeve—a legacy from the Divine Blood Refining Truth Demon Monarch, Dugu Hao.
The karma tied to that Sword Talisman was even greater.
Qin Xuan knew he had already drawn enough attention; there was no need to reveal all his trump cards.
Dugu Hao was the ancestor of Dugu Hong, the current Vice Sect Leader of the Blood Demon Sword Sect.
If he were to use it, his score might improve, but he could forget about ever having a peaceful life in the Holy Sect again.
"The Breaking Gold Blood Talisman, the Ten Thousand Forms Blood Talisman, and the Demon Slayer..."
Ming Zhan smiled, his gaze landing on Qin Xuan. His voice had lost some of its earlier chill.
"Kid, in a thousand years, I have rarely seen anyone with such deep karmic ties to the predecessors of our Holy Sect."
"I hope you will refine it diligently and not disappoint the expectations of the Ten Thousand Forms Resentful Demon Monarch."
Qin Xuan bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your guidance, my lord. I understand."
"Mm." Ming Zhan gave a slight nod and flicked his sleeve.
A quaintly styled Token, its edges carved with dark gold Demon Patterns, transformed into a streak of light and shot toward Qin Xuan.
"This is the reward for taking first place in the Sword Talisman Prison: the Reincarnation Demon Order. With this order, not only are you exempt from missions, but you will also receive one extra opportunity for a ’Reincarnation Deduction’ in the Illusion Heart Prison."
"It will allow you to either correct a mistake or optimize an outcome."
Qin Xuan reached out and caught the Token.
It felt cool in his hand as a profound aura flowed into his palm. His heart stirred, and a look of gratitude appeared on his face.
"Thank you for the Order, my lord."
This Demon Order had come at the perfect time. While it couldn’t directly increase his strength, it would be an incredibly practical tool to assist him in the upcoming trial. For Qin Xuan, it was the most suitable reward he could have asked for.
Ming Zhan said no more. His gaze swept over the crowd, his voice booming like a great bell.
"The Sword Talisman test is complete. You have one incense stick’s time to rest. Afterward, you will enter the Illusion Heart Prison!"
...
「One incense stick later.」
Everyone passed through the Light Sect and stepped onto the third floor of the Reincarnation Tower.
The Illusion Heart Prison was a vast, boundless, and bizarre space where light and shadow flowed freely.
The sky was an ever-changing Star Sea of talismans, and a dense fog of Spiritual Qi swirled beneath their feet. The space was divided by an unseen force into several massive, independent regions.
The scenery within each region evolved at a breathtaking pace.
Within the Array Domain, phantoms of mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars constantly appeared and vanished. Countless basic Array Flags and High-Tier Spiritual Materials hovered in the air, free for the taking.
In the Artifact Domain, Refining Flames of every attribute—Earth Lung Fire, Nine Heavens Thunder Gang, Cold Ice Profound Qi, and more—blazed furiously.
All kinds of metals, jades, and Spiritual Materials were piled as high as mountains.
The dazzling array ranged from common Profound Iron to the rare Star Sand and Void Crystal Stone.
Inside the Pill Domain, hundreds of phantom Pill Furnaces of all shapes and sizes drifted about.
The rich fragrance of medicines was so thick it was almost tangible.
Countless lifelike, virtual Spirit Herbs and Medicines of every variety and ancient age grew in abundance.
Among them were many rare treasures nearly impossible to find in the outside world.
In addition to these, there were also the Talisman Domain and the Magic Domain... each was largely the same, providing a nearly infinite supply of resources to be used at will.
"Hiss... What an incredible setup!"
A Demon Cultivator couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, "You can’t take these virtual Spiritual Materials with you, but their feel and properties are identical to the real thing. Practicing here is equivalent to ten years of hard cultivation in the outside world!"
Jiang Cheng’s eyes burned as he looked toward the Array Domain, and with a flash, he darted over.
Wei Qingyi smiled faintly and walked leisurely toward the Pill Domain.
As a cultivator of the Poison Dao, his skills were naturally transferable to Alchemy.
Luo Li frowned before ultimately choosing the Talisman Domain, intending to create some powerful offensive Demon Talismans.
Sun Miao shot Qin Xuan a cold glare, then strode quickly into the Magic Domain.
