Chapter 9: The Killing Talisman Array (Part 2)

Master Ling said, “If that’s the case… I’m withdrawing!”
Yan Ruodai declared firmly, “I’m leaving too!”
Juehu Miluo echoed, “I’m out as well!”
Feng Xilong’s smile froze instantly. Stammering, he said, “W-what… you guys?”
Guo Shieru inwardly praised them—truly top professionals with rapid reactions and clever tactics of retreating to advance.
Master Ling added, “I’d rather explore other places than touch some mysterious natural talisman array. It’s far too dangerous.”
Yan Ruodai said, “I don’t know what’s inside, so I can’t judge whether it’s worth the risk.”
Feng Xilong’s plans fell through, leaving him furious. But he quickly calmed down and said, “Alright, you win. I’ll… tell you first, and then you can decide whether to go or not.” He had no choice but to yield—just his strength, Shi Yanxilong’s strength, and Bao Chengyong’s weren’t enough to deal with this natural talisman array; they needed these people’s help.
Only then did Master Ling ask, “Go ahead. What is it that makes you go to such lengths?”
Feng Xilong replied expressionlessly, “Gu Mu Lian!” He was quite annoyed to be forced to reveal his trump card, feeling frustrated.
Master Ling trembled and asked in disbelief, “Gu… Gu Mu Lian? Is that true?”
Seeing Juehu Miluo’s hand shake, Guo Shieru didn’t ask further and immediately searched through the ancestral memories. There were thousands of materials in the world, and millions alone in the ancestral memories. He couldn’t know them all, but with the ancestral memories, he could search and check at any time.
The ancestral memories had already been categorized by Guo Shieru, so he quickly found the relevant information.
The search was easy because Gu Mu Lian ranked among the rarest species and was found right away. This even shocked Guo Shieru.
Gu Mu Lian—
A natural treasure created when a secret realm formed. Neither a plant nor metal or stone, it was one of the finest materials in such realms. It served as both a natural sacrificial treasure and altar, highly compatible with souls. Known as a “soul treasure,” it possessed universal attributes and could be used by any professional.
Guo Shieru also noticed two notes: First, Gu Mu Lian was unique—once it bonded with a certain professional’s soul, it became inseparable. Second, it had spiritual properties, and acquiring it depended on chance.

Guo Shier was filled with amazement, but he had no delusions. Not to mention that everyone here were top professionals, even if it were just the few of them left, it would still be very difficult to obtain it. The Ancient Ink Lotus was a sentient treasure that couldn’t be taken just by wishing for it.

Feng Xilong said, “That’s right, it’s the Ancient Ink Lotus! As you all know, it’s sentient. We’ll see who has the chance to obtain it. But first, I’ll set a rule: since I brought everyone here, my partner Shi Yanxilong and I have the right to claim it first. Only if we fail can it be your turn. How does that sound?”

Yan Ruodai said, “No, we’re in number and can contribute more effort. You two can take one spot first; give us the second.”

Ling Zhenren said, “One spot goes to one of you two. We’ll draw lots for the rest to avoid conflict.”

Feng Xilong shook his head. “That won’t work. Obtaining the Ancient Ink Lotus is extremely difficult. With just one spot, our chances of success are slim. We’d need two spots to have any hope…”

Yan Ruodai said, “There are four of us against you two. If we want to enter the natural talisman array, we’ll definitely put in more effort than you. If we have no chance at all, why go in? Hehe, how about you two enter first, and the four of us find our own way in? Whoever gets in first gets to claim it!” Her words were powerful, hitting Feng Xilong’s weak point right away.

Shi Yanxilong tried to defuse the situation. “We want the first spot, and we’ll draw lots for the rest. If I get the second spot, I hope you won’t object.”

Ling Zhenren replied firmly, “Alright, I have no objections.”

Juehu Miluo also said, “I have no objections either.”

Yan Ruodai wanted to stir things up further, but seeing that both Ling Zhenren and Juehu Miluo had agreed, she realized she couldn’t succeed alone and nodded. “Alright, let’s wait for Bao Chengyong to return.”

They ignored Guo Shier and the others sitting on the altar, not even considering whether they had a chance.

To everyone’s surprise, Bao Chengyong returned in a disheveled state. As soon as he stopped, he started cursing loudly on the altar, “You damn Feng Xilong! You’re such a scoundrel! This isn’t just a natural talisman array—it’s a killing array, a super-large array covering hundreds of kilometers…”

He took a breath and continued, “It’s a half-natural, half-manufactured massive killing array! Whoever says it’s purely natural… I’ll go crazy!” He cursed furiously, clearly having suffered a heavy loss and looking rather embarrassed.

Yan Ruodai called out, “Bao Chengyong!”

Bao Chengyong was a bit afraid of Yan Ruodai and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Yan Ruodai asked, “Do you know there’s an Ancient Ink Lotus inside?”
Bao Chengyong replied casually, “What Ancient Ink Lotus… I don’t know…” Suddenly he realized what she meant, his mustache twitching as he exclaimed, “What? Ancient Ink Lotus! You mean… there’s an Ancient Ink Lotus in this talisman array!”
Yan Ruodai said, “Yes. What are your thoughts?”
Bao Chengyong’s mustache trembled as he said, “What else can we do? Let’s go in and take a look!”
Feng Xilong said, “Alright, since everyone is ready to enter, let’s draw lots.”
Bao Chengyong asked, “Draw lots? What kind of lots?”
Feng Xilong patiently explained. Bao Chengyong’s expression shifted repeatedly; he knew the Ancient Ink Lotus was extremely difficult to deal with, and everyone was relying on luck. After a while, he said, “Fine, drawing lots is good too. It’s fairer that way.”
It was simple for professionals to draw lots—just use a stack of blank talismans and add the required numbers to quickly determine the order. Feng Xilong was first, Bao Chengyong second, Ling Zhenren third, Shi Yanfeng fourth, Juehú Míluó fifth, and finally Yan Ruodai.
Yan Ruodai was so angry that her face turned red. She had tried hard for so long, yet her luck was so poor that she was fuming.
Bao Chengyong began to explain the structure of the natural talisman array. He said, “This talisman array is very complex. I’m sure there are human-made traces in it; otherwise, it wouldn’t be so precise. It’s best to investigate further. I think Ling Zhenren is the most suitable—his research on talisman arrays is the best among us all.”
Ling Zhenren didn’t refuse. He said, “Let’s go together. If we work together, we might discover more.”
Everyone agreed. At this moment, collective effort was indeed needed. Guo Shier and the others sat on the altar and followed them. He was very eager, hoping to learn a lot from this opportunity.
Not only Guo Shier was eager to learn, but Eagle Demon, Luo Zhan, and Zhou Xiaoling were the same. This was a rare chance—so many experts studying a large-scale talisman array together. As long as they compared it with their own traditions, they could learn a lot of knowledge that required deep understanding.
The altars of the six of them hovered in one place.
It was a place with rapidly flowing black mist, where several naturally formed talisman pillars could be faintly seen, standing hundreds of meters tall. Ling Zhenren examined them carefully for a while before saying, “That’s right. There are indeed human-enhanced ancient runes that connect the natural talisman patterns to form new spells, gradually changing the entire area. What a clever tactic.”

Guo Shier could only understand a little; most of it was baffling, and he couldn’t grasp its mysteries. After the six of them circled the natural talisman array once, he could vaguely piece together some clues and realize that this large array was a killing array. Comparing it with his own inheritance knowledge, he managed to learn something.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle, what’s the name of this talisman array?”

Juehu Miluo’s face turned slightly red, but fortunately, the dim light made it impossible for anyone to see clearly. He said, “You don’t need to know about this kind of talisman array. It’s useless unless you’ve advanced to a physical altar.”

Ling Zhenren turned around and said, “This is the Eight Orifices Blood Fiend Array. With the addition of sixteen ancient runes, it forms this powerful talisman array.”

Guo Shier quickly said, “Thank you, senior, for your guidance.”

Yan Ruodai sneered. Of course, she knew Juehu Miluo didn’t understand this array, but after Ling Zhenren revealed its name, the others showed a hint of relief. Once they knew what kind of array it was, they could understand most of its mysteries. After all, they all had the ability to decipher talisman arrays, unlike Guo Shier and the others who knew almost nothing.

After hearing the name of the talisman array, Guo Shier immediately searched his inherited memories. His inheritance came from the ancient Miluo family and was quite complete, with a lot to learn. But this time he was disappointed because such a large-scale talisman array was indeed beyond his current reach. Without having an altar, he still couldn’t learn it.

Still, Guo Shier was quite happy. Having seen it or not made a huge difference. Once he had seen it, he would have a clear idea when learning it later, making it much easier to master.

For two full days, everyone observed the Eight Orifices Blood Fiend Array. Ling Zhenren occasionally sent out virtual talismans to test its operation, gradually uncovering its mysteries. Finally, they stopped moving outside the array.

Ling Zhenren said, “It’s almost time to break the array. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to share them.”

Feng Xilong took out a talisman and threw it at Ling Zhenren, saying, “Take a look. This is an ancient record that might help us break this array.”

Ling Zhenren waved his hand lightly, and a chain formed from a virtual talisman swept up the talisman. After taking a quick look, his expression turned serious. “A dual array?”

Feng Xilong said with a wry smile, “I don’t know much about arrays. I can’t figure out its mysteries.”

Yan Ruodai said, “Let me see it.”

Elder Ling waved his hand and threw the talisman; Yan Ruodai caught it quickly, examined it, and shook her head, saying, “Feng Xilong, this is an ancient talisman array, right? It’s actually a set of arrays… I wonder why you didn’t bring it out earlier.”
Shi Yanxilong replied, “The authenticity of this talisman hasn’t been confirmed yet… We’re just guessing.”
Elder Ling said, “It’s real… No wonder I couldn’t control certain aspects; dual arrays are much more troublesome.”
Feng Xilong asked, “Can it be broken?”
Elder Ling sighed and said, “No.”
Feng Xilong immediately grew anxious and said, “Can’t break it?”