Chapter 159: Chapter 137: The Life Talisman Is the Foundation of the Great Dao

When they finally learned that Wen Qianqian had become the big winner behind the scenes, they all sighed with mixed emotions.

"Back in Purple Cliff Cave, I often saw her secretly hiding away alone in a Quiet Chamber. So it turns out she was comprehending the Inheritance Stele," Ye Yan said with a smile of sudden realization.

Die’Er said regretfully, "It’s a shame Purple Cliff Cave was destroyed. I really miss those days. Brocade Cloud Stream had the best scenery in Netherworld Valley, and now it’s become a market..."

Fang Cheng spent a few tender days with the two women before entering seclusion.

Before his seclusion, he kept the Holy-Grade Celestial Dew and gave all the other Celestial Dew to Ye Yan.

Aside from the Third-Grade Top-Grade Celestial Dew, which was for Ye Yan to condense her Life Talisman, the rest was to be given to Madam Ye by Ye Yan.

For him, Celestial Dew was just a one-time consumable; having more was useless.

But for Madam Ye, it was a vital tool for cultivating trusted subordinates.

If she could use it to cultivate a few more Life Talisman Cultivators, she would have a few more trump cards in her game against the Ye Family Elder, Ye Huang.

According to Ye Yan, many of the Ye Family’s Sensing Realm disciples were also exploring the remnant tower, but unfortunately, most were still lingering on the first and second floors.

Even an outstanding disciple like Ye Junxian had only reached the third floor.

Compared to Fang Cheng’s gains, it was a world of difference.

In the Quiet Chamber, Fang Cheng sat cross-legged. The faint sound of a tide rose and fell within his body.

The *Netherworld Sword Technique* was divided into two parts. The first part was the Heart Method, focused on cultivating Nether River Magical Power, which formed the foundation.

Fang Cheng had already refined ninety-nine drops of Nether River Magical Power, which had long since transformed into a vast, unending river of magical power within his Qi Sea.

In truth, the foundation of his cultivation was far inferior to that of Wang Yuntian, Qiao Kui, and Yang Zhe. However, he had expanded his Qi Sea with the Joyful Zen Skill and received the aid of Upper-Grade Spirit Stones. This was how he had obtained his current surging magical power, ensuring he wasn’t at a disadvantage in terms of power during the fights in the remnant tower.

Now, he was in seclusion to condense the Nether River Magical Power in his Qi Sea into a Sword Talisman!

But before that, he wanted to see what his limits were.

Normally, ninety-nine drops of Nether River Magical Power was the limit for the Sensing Realm. However, his Qi Sea was different from an ordinary person’s—it was a full two times its previous size!

At this moment, he held an Upper-Grade Spirit Stone and circulated his Heart Method. The Nether River Magical Power surged around him, generating a massive suction force that began to refine the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

The Upper-Grade Spirit Stone flickered, and dense Spiritual Qi began pouring into Fang Cheng’s body.

A few days later, a brand new drop of Nether River Magical Power slowly took shape within his Qi Sea!

「Cangwu Mountain Peak, Star-picking Platform.」

Inside a magnificent Cave Mansion, Madam Ye looked at the numerous vials of Myriad Manifestations Celestial Dew arranged before her, an irrepressible smile gracing her dignified and beautiful face.

"Excellent! I truly didn’t choose wrong in a son-in-law!" she exclaimed emotionally.

Fang Cheng’s performance this time had truly exceeded her expectations.

She had thought it would be impressive enough if he managed to snatch a few bottles of Top-Grade Celestial Dew. Who would have guessed he would even obtain Holy-Grade Celestial Dew!

This way, Ye Yan could use the Top-Grade Celestial Dew to condense her Life Talisman, and the remaining Upper-Grade and Middle-Grade Celestial Dew could be used to cultivate trusted subordinates.

She had witnessed all of Fang Cheng’s growth over the past three short years, but she still felt a sense of awe.

It was as if she were personally witnessing the birth of a titan of the Demon Dao.

Even for someone like Madam Ye, who had experienced the vicissitudes of life, her heart surged with emotion.

She looked at Ye Yan and said slowly, "Yan’Er, do not speak of the Celestial Dew to outsiders. We will discuss everything after he has advanced to the Life Talisman Realm."

Ye Yan nodded in agreement.

Madam Ye added, "You should enter seclusion as well. During this time, I will keep a constant watch on Cyan Demon Cliff and act as your Guardian."

East of the Abyssal Marsh, after several thousand li of vast mountains, the terrain gradually flattened out. Rivers and lakes dotted the land, marking the territory of the Jiujiang Alliance.

Traveling another ten thousand li east from the Jiujiang Alliance, a mountain range rose up, stretching so far from north to south that it nearly bisected the entire Yun Country.

This was the Celestial Cloud Mountain Range.

The Yun Country was named after these mountains.

The Celestial Cloud Mountain Range was also where all the major Spirit Veins of the Yun Country converged. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi it contained was exceptionally dense. The vegetation within the mountains was lush and vibrant, and its depths were home to countless Spiritual Beasts and Immortal Birds, as well as a great many Spirit Herbs and Immortal Elixirs.

In the central part of the range, the mountains became majestic and precipitous, soaring high enough to pierce the heavens. They were perennially shrouded in clouds and mist, their peaks appearing and disappearing, adding to their mystique.

Among them, one magnificent, colossal mountain stood like a giant among its peers, dwarfing all the surrounding peaks.

—Taihao Mountain.

The mountain towered into the clouds, but halfway up its slope was an extremely wide platform. It had been built into a massive White Jade Plaza, upon which sat tall Immortal Tower Jade Pavilions. These structures were also predominantly white, glittering so brightly they could be seen clearly from over a hundred li away.

This place was not only the main gate of Taihao Mountain but also the cultivation ground for many Sensing Realm disciples.

Unlike a Demon Sect such as the Yinluo Sect, Taihao Mountain did not have as many rigid hierarchical ranks. As long as a cultivator entered Taihao Mountain’s gates, they were treated equally as disciples of the sect, all bound by the same rules and precepts.

If one broke through to the Life Talisman Realm, they could become a Taihao Mountain Elder, with the right to establish a Cave Mansion on the mountain and accept disciples to pass on their teachings.

Some Elders were content with taking three to five apprentices, while others remained unsatisfied even after taking a hundred.

It all depended on personal preference.

Although Pei Yuancheng was the Sect Leader’s son, he still cultivated here before reaching the Life Talisman Realm.

At this time, in a beautiful Jade Tower, Pei Yuancheng held a letter. After reading it carefully, he fell into silent contemplation.

After returning from Netherworld Valley, he had commissioned portraits of Fang Cheng, Wen Qianqian, and Feng Ling and had people make inquiries.

Now, he had news.

’A Loose Cultivator rose from a Servant Disciple to an Inner Sect Disciple in just a few short years. I fear it won’t be long before he becomes an Yinluo True Inheritance.’

’In the future, this person will be a major figure in the Yun Country!’

Pei Yuancheng mused.

Not long after, he also entered seclusion.

The matter of the Myriad Manifestations Celestial Dew had delayed him in the Sensing Realm for at least seven years. It was now time for him to break through.

「Two years passed in the blink of an eye.」

The remnant tower of the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect had receded back into the void a year and a half ago, disappearing without a trace.

All the cultivators who were still exploring inside had been forcibly ejected.

An elder from one of the great families predicted that after this event, a large number of Life Talisman Cultivators would emerge in the Yun Country within the next ten years!

The balance of power in many regions was set to change once again.

The Celestial Dew that had flowed out of the remnant tower was mainly of the lower and middle grades. While these two types of Celestial Dew were not beneficial for cultivating one’s Life Soul, they were holy-grade Spiritual Objects for increasing the success rate of condensing a Life Talisman.

Many Loose Cultivators who had been stuck at the Peak of Sensing for years seized this opportunity to brazenly break through, successfully forming their Life Talismans and soaring to new heights.

The same went for sect and family disciples, even more so.

Some busybodies even tallied the Divine Temple ruins within the remnant tower, proclaiming that the appearance of the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect’s ruins would bring over a hundred new Life Talisman Cultivators to the Yun Country.

Moreover, most of these cultivators came from places like the Yinluo Sect, the Flame God Palace, Taihao Mountain, Divine Pillar Mountain, the Jiujiang Alliance, and Netherworld Valley.

The great families and Loose Cultivators from other parts of the Yun Country who obtained them were few and far between.

And this was indeed the case.

Over the past two years, the bells of the Yinluo Sect had rung several times!

The first time was for Wang Yuntian’s promotion to the Life Talisman Realm, becoming a True Disciple.

The second was for Feng Ling.

Outstanding Inner Sect Disciples like Ye Junxian and Dong Fangyu also broke through one after another.

In two years, the Yinluo Sect had gained seven new True Disciples, which was more than in the previous fifty years combined.

For a time, Life Talisman Ceremonies were no longer a rare sight.

Outside of the four great families, some Inner Sect Disciples from smaller families and even servant backgrounds also broke through the bottleneck, leaping the dragon gate.

Moreover, many within the great families also broke through; they simply didn’t receive as much attention.

Cangwu Mountain, Cyan Demon Cliff.

Inside the Quiet Chamber.

Fang Cheng sat on a Jade Couch, his expression tranquil and composed, free of joy or sorrow.

He had been in seclusion for two years. During the first year, he continued to solidify his foundation, constantly refining his Nether River Magical Power and producing over ninety more drops of it.

An unprecedented Nether River now coiled within him, surging through his limbs and hundreds of meridians.

At this point, his magical power had reached its absolute limit!

He consumed the Holy-Grade Celestial Dew and began to condense his Life Talisman.

Originally, connecting formless and intangible magical power into an illusory talisman was an extremely difficult task.

It involved the grade of the Cultivation Technique itself, as well as the cultivator’s innate constitution, cultivation talent, and resources such as Spirit Veins, Spirit Stones, Spiritual Objects corresponding to the technique, medicinal pills, and so on.

The so-called Life Talisman was the foundation of a cultivator’s Great Dao!

It was the cornerstone of all future cultivation.

Only with a solid foundation could one build a tower ten thousand zhang high!

Countless cultivators were trapped at this step, unable to advance an inch for the rest of their lives.

However, after consuming the Celestial Dew, everything changed.

His magical power became pliable, its "malleability" greatly enhanced!

Fang Cheng discovered that whether he was condensing the Sword Talisman Life Talisman of the *Netherworld Sword Technique* or the Resentment Demon Light Life Talisman, he faced no obstruction whatsoever.

’It’s so smooth, it feels like cheating!’