Chapter 1: Coercion (Part 2)

Guo Shier was very happy. Last night, he felt that the strength of the Giant Perch Dragon was gradually increasing, advancing toward the power level of an eighth-grade mutated talisman beast. Due to being turned into a tangible talisman, the strength of the mutated Giant Perch Dragon had declined significantly. After relentless hunting the previous day and absorbing a large amount of spiritual essence and flesh essence, its strength was recovering rapidly.
The Giant Perch Dragon could now communicate with Guo Shier and understand his commands without the need for spells. This also seemed incredible to Guo Shier—he seemed to be able to communicate with spirits naturally. The Ancient Flame Sparrow Talisman, Dark Winged Demon Scorpion Talisman, and Giant Perch Dragon Talisman he had obtained so far all worked well with him, offering far greater power than when driven by spells.
The group arrived at the edge of the withered forest and waited quietly. Guo Shier glanced back accidentally and saw Sun Min’er covered in sweat. He smiled and said, “Don’t be afraid. Once you get through this trial… you won’t think mutated talisman beasts are that scary anymore.”
Sun Min’er replied, “It’s not fear… it’s the heat that makes me sweat!” He wiped the sweat away, but as soon as he lowered his hand, more sweat appeared densely. How could he not be afraid? He was terrified inside, but he had to hold on. He knew well that from the Eagle Demon to the Blue Coral, everyone was almost running out of patience. If he failed again, they would definitely abandon him.
Peng Yuanwang was also terrified. Although there were five masters, including one intermediate-level grand talisman caster, he had no confidence at all. He also understood that this was their last chance—there would be no second attempt.
Soon, the Giant Perch Dragon drove a mutated talisman beast over. After a night of hunting, its body appeared even more solid, its scales more vibrant, glowing with blue light. Its dragon-like eyes were sharp, with vertical pupils that exuded a sense of pressure. It slowly herded a large brown bear. It was a fourth-grade mutated brown bear, one of the most powerful among mutated talisman beasts, but lacking any talisman-based attack capabilities.
The mutated brown bear ran in fear, trying to escape the Giant Perch Dragon, but speed was never its strength. Fortunately, the Giant Perch Dragon did not attack but only kept driving it along. The mutated brown bear had to follow the path it was forced to take, otherwise it would be struck by the Giant Perch Dragon’s massive tail.
From a distance, Guo Shier saw it was a mutated brown bear and couldn’t help but smile. “Not bad, not bad. Such prey is excellent—it will allow them to train thoroughly. Mutated brown bears are strong but not agile. Apart from their strength, they have no other attack methods… Great! The Giant Perch Dragon can even understand my thoughts—excellent!”

The Eagle Demon shouted, “Go! Sun Min’er! Go… Wangwang!”
Guo Shieru almost burst into laughter. He also yelled, “Wangwang… Go! Xiao Lanzi… Go! Haha!” He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Sun Min’er, Peng Yuanwang, and Lan Hu each held a talisman bow and rushed forward quickly. They formed a triangular formation, using their talisman bows to draw the mutated brown bear’s attention. Their archery skills were good, as they aimed at the bear’s eyes and nose. The mutated brown bear roared in pain as the arrows struck it, flailing its paws frantically in front of its eyes as if trying to swat away flies.
Yang Pangzi shouted, “This is our chance! Xuan Ai, use the Heavenly Hammer; I’ll use the Spinning Horn attack!” He tapped his life talisman book, and a series of red triangles flew out.
Xuan Ai also released her own life talisman book, pointed at it, and shouted, “Heavenly Hammer!”
The poor mutated brown bear howled in agony as arrows kept hitting it. No matter which way it turned its head, arrows kept coming. Its fur could withstand the attacks of the talisman arrows, but its eyes and nose were weak points, so it could only use its thick paws to block them.
The more terrified Sun Min’er and Peng Yuanwang were, the more hastily they shot their arrows. Lan Hu, who was a bit calmer, tried to make up for their shortcomings by finding gaps in the arrows aimed at the mutated brown bear. Unable to avoid the attacks, the bear simply lay on the ground, holding its head, thinking it couldn’t be pierced by the arrows anyway.
This was a rare opportunity, and Xuan Ai’s Heavenly Hammer descended with a roar.
Yang Pangzi didn’t use the Spinning Horn attack because he knew it couldn’t break through the bear’s fur defense. His target was the bear’s head.
The huge mutated brown bear lying on the ground, holding its head, looked so clumsy that even Guo Shieru felt a bit sorry for it.
Boom!
Howl!
The Heavenly Hammer was heavy enough to make the mutated brown bear howl in pain. It stopped trying to hide its head and suddenly leaped up. At that moment, Yang Pangzi shouted, “Go!” A hand seal was formed, and red triangles spun rapidly, emitting a buzzing sound as they rushed toward the bear’s face. Unlike the talisman arrows, these spinning triangles were only the size of a palm but came in large numbers, like wasps attacking.
The mutated brown bear roared loudly and swatted with one of its paws, shattering seven or eight of the spinning triangles. But a few still managed to get through, grazing lightly but causing it to lose one eye. The bear went wild instantly, charging forward straight at Yang Qi.
Sun Min’er and the others were at a loss. Lan Hu shouted, “Stop it!”

Although the mutated brown bear seemed clumsy, it could move at incredible speed over short distances when enraged. Xuan Ai swung her hammer twice in a row, but both hits landed behind the bear. Yang Pangzi tried using his rotating triangular blade, but it only managed to scratch the bear’s fur without penetrating it at all.

Sun Min’er knew they couldn’t fail this time. Gathering his courage, he took out a talisman shield and charged forward with a roar.

Both of them were fast. With a loud crash, Sun Min’er was flung backward. He still lacked experience—challenging a level-four mutated brown bear head-on. Even if the Eagle Demon stepped in, a direct collision would send it flying as well.

Sun Min’er spat out a mouthful of blood—the force was simply too great. Yet his attack did have some effect, slowing down the bear’s momentum. Soon after, Peng Yuanwang shouted, “I’m going all in against you! Ah…” He too pulled out a talisman shield and charged forward.

The Eagle Demon yelled, “Watch the angle!”

Bang!

Peng Yuanwang tilted his shield slightly and struck hard. The mutated brown bear roared and swung its massive paw at him. That punch sent Peng Yuanwang flying, shattering his shield. He kept spitting blood, but his goal had been achieved—the bear finally stopped moving.

Xuan Ai’s hammer came down again, this time hitting the bear’s head with a dull thud. The bear became dizzy and spun around helplessly on the ground. Xuan Ai shouted, “Its chest is the weak point—attack quickly!”

The hammer struck repeatedly, like hammering iron. Xuan Ai directed it fiercely, unleashing a barrage of blows.

Lan Hu drew a sharp talisman blade and swiftly moved in front of the bear, plunging the triangular blade deep into its chest. Before the bear could react, she was already gone—so fast that she didn’t even have time to pull the blade out.

The Eagle Demon nodded and said, “Lan Hu is good!”

As the blade pierced its body, the mutated brown bear let out a furious roar. Yang Qi aimed at the bear’s face and activated his rotating triangular blade again. The bear’s roar changed—both of its eyes were now blind.

Guo Shier said, “It’s done! This mutated brown bear is dead.”

The Eagle Demon was satisfied. “Not bad,” he said. He shouted, “A dying mutated talisman beast is dangerous—don’t get too close. Just wear it down slowly!”

Soon, the mutated brown bear was killed by everyone. Lan Hu cheered and exclaimed, “We won!”

Sun Min’er stared in disbelief at the bear’s corpse, wondering, “Did we win? This… wasn’t that hard… Haha, phh… cough, cough…” He spat out more blood, feeling much better immediately.

Peng Yuanwang sat on the ground, holding his chest and breathing heavily. He said, “I’m dead! Hehe, we won…”
Eagle Demon shouted, “I’m very satisfied with this operation, especially Sun Min’er and Yuanwang. If not for your desperate efforts to hold them back, Yang Qi would have died! Do you understand? This is the power of a team! Everyone must give their best. Today… although your combat skills still need improvement, you showed the spirit to attack. Most importantly, you’re no longer afraid!”
Whether it was Xuan Ai, Lan Hu, or Yang Qi and the others, all five felt their blood boil after hearing Eagle Demon’s words. Especially Sun Min’er and Peng Yuanwang, who experienced the joy of victory for the first time. It was a victory earned through their own efforts—a feeling they had never had before.
Guo Shier took out two talisman pills and said with a smile, “Eat these. These minor injuries will be fine by tomorrow.”
The two ate them without hesitation, and soon their faces turned rosy. Sun Min’er said, “Hmm, these are quite good talisman pills. Though they’re low-grade, their effects are excellent!”
The martial strength on the lower-tier continents wasn’t strong, but talisman pills were quite powerful. This was because professionals on these continents had detailed occupational classifications, and talisman pills were one of them. This classification had its drawbacks, but it also had its advantages—allowing people to specialize in a particular area. Talisman pills were like that, especially the mid-to-low-grade ones, whose effects were even better than those from the higher-tier continents.
Guo Shier said, “That attack just now shouldn’t have been a big deal for you, as great talisman martial artists. You can learn some techniques from Uncle Eagle Demon. His combat experience is far greater than yours.”
Sun Min’er stood up, her expression serious. “Shier, thank you!” It was a heartfelt gratitude. Once he overcame his psychological barriers, his future would be bright.
Peng Yuanwang also stood up. He supported Sun Min’er and said, “Shier, though you’re young, you’re stronger than me. Thank you for tolerating us… for giving us a chance!”
Seeing them express their gratitude so earnestly, Guo Shier felt a bit embarrassed. He knew in his heart that these people just lacked experience in combat. In reality, their strength wasn’t bad. Once they could face themselves honestly and were willing to fight desperately, their progress would be astonishing.
Eagle Demon said, “Rest today, and continue tomorrow!”

Guo Shier returned to his tent to continue his cultivation. The longer he stayed here, the more he could appreciate its advantages. This was a treasure land, a land for professionals. If it weren’t for Li Ran giving him this address, he would never have been able to enter here, so he cherished this opportunity greatly.
The Eagle Demon suddenly appeared in front of Guo Shier’s tent and said, “Shier, someone is coming!”