Cultivation: I Have a Golden Talisman-Chapter 53: The Hunt

Fang Cheng paused for a moment before saying, "Fellow Daoist Dong, please remove the Talisman Array."

With that, he lowered his Escape Light and approached the Dong Family’s Talisman Array.

Qian Shaoning hovered in mid-air, a faint smile on his face as he watched Fang Cheng and the Dong family.

Dong Fangyu remained wary of Qian Shaoning. As he secretly gave instructions to the other Dong family disciples, he slowly deactivated the Mountain Talisman Array.

Fang Cheng walked up to the Trial Stele, carved a mark onto his Talisman Decree, and turned to leave.

Just then, Qian Shaoning suddenly laughed. "Don’t be in such a hurry to leave, Fellow Daoist Fang. I have a grand gift for you. Congratulations on your new marriage!"

With a flick of his hand, he threw a Thunder Pill that landed right between Fang Cheng and the Dong family members.

"A Taiyi Thunder Pill! Watch out!"

Dong Fangyu’s expression changed drastically. With a sharp cry, the light of the Talisman Array flared brilliantly!

BOOM! 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

A deafening peal of thunder resounded through the heavens and the earth.

In an instant, blinding Thunder Light flooded the surrounding area. The lightning arced and crackled, emitting a heart-stopping aura.

The instant he saw the Taiyi Thunder Pill, a ring of pure black Demonic Light erupted around Fang Cheng!

Then, with a flicker of movement, he took cover behind the Trial Stele.

The Thunder Light surged like a tide, flooding every inch of the surrounding space.

Around Fang Cheng, the Thirteen Layers of Resentful Demon Light flickered unsteadily, continuously collapsing and regenerating as they protected him.

However, the Magical Power in his body was being consumed at an alarming rate...

He didn’t dare attempt to withstand such ferocious lightning with the Celestial Fire Body Refining Technique.

Meanwhile, a cold sneer touched Qian Shaoning’s lips. His figure moved, and he stepped into the Thunder Light. Like a Thunder Deity walking through a storm, he effortlessly completed the sensing of the Trial Stele.

A moment later, the Thunder Light covering the ground finally began to dissipate.

The Talisman Array near the Stone Stele had vanished. Dong Fangyu and his people were either dead or injured, lying strewn across the ground.

A single strike had claimed the lives of seven of the nineteen Dong family disciples!

They had failed to maintain the Talisman Array and had been incinerated by the Thunder Light.

Dong Fangyu was also severely wounded. He glared at Qian Shaoning, his face a mask of pure hatred.

’He had been on guard for a move like this from Qian Shaoning all along!’

’If all nineteen members of the Dong family had been fully focused, their minds, Magical Power, and Talismans perfectly integrated with the Talisman Array, they might not have been able to stop the Taiyi Thunder Pill, but no one would have died.’

’But Qian Shaoning’s timing had been too perfect; he’d struck suddenly while speaking with Fang Cheng.’

’At least seven of them had been distracted, and it had cost them their lives.’

Dong Fangyu then realized that Qian Shaoning had likely been reluctant to use the Taiyi Thunder Pill because he hadn’t wanted to waste his trump card.

’But if it meant he could eliminate Fang Cheng—the one who had stolen his fortuitous encounter—at the same time, then it was more than worth it!’

The ground around the Stone Stele was now a scorched, blackened field, covered in the scars of lightning strikes.

The Trial Stele, made of some unknown material, was completely unharmed and stood as tall as before.

Dong Fangyu was a decisive man. He immediately barked, "Retreat!"

All the Dong family disciples immediately took out their Trial Talismans and crushed them.

Before Qian Shaoning could make a move, everyone was enveloped in white light from the crushed talismans. One by one, they shot into the sky and flew straight toward Cloud Whale Mountain in the north.

Qian Shaoning watched Dong Fangyu and the others flee with a sneer, but his expression suddenly shifted as he glanced toward the side of the Stone Stele.

"Fang Cheng?!"

The only answer was the clear ring of a sword!

A Three-foot Flying Sword, its edge as sharp as autumn frost and its chill sinking to the bone, appeared before Qian Shaoning in an instant. A halo of light swirled around the blade, radiating a dreamlike luminescence.

With no time to wonder how Fang Cheng had survived, Qian Shaoning summoned the Bronze Shell Leaf, which flashed into existence before him, blocking the sword light.

CLANG!

A sharp clang of metal rang out as the Bronze Shell Leaf was slammed into Qian Shaoning’s chest. His body shuddered violently, and with a look of horror, he was sent flying backward from the force of the blow.

The sword light was relentless; it deftly maneuvered around the Bronze Shell Leaf and shot toward Qian Shaoning’s neck.

The light from the blade was icy, radiating palpable killing intent!

Abandoning the Bronze Shell Leaf, Qian Shaoning’s body flashed with Thunder Light as he tried to escape.

But the sword light was faster, appearing before him in the blink of an eye.

Just as Qian Shaoning was about to be decapitated, his body abruptly dissolved into nothing, and the Bronze Shell Leaf bizarrely materialized in his place.

In that split second, he had switched places with the Bronze Shell Leaf.

The Cold Wave Radiance Sword, its momentum undiminished, circled the Bronze Shell Leaf, emitting a harsh grinding sound.

Both Magical Artifacts were Tier One Top Grade and possessed extraordinary qualities, making it impossible to determine a victor in that moment.

In the distance, Qian Shaoning wore a grim expression. He formed a hand seal for a Spell, and the Bronze Shell Leaf abruptly curled, attempting to envelop the Cold Wave Radiance Sword.

Then, Thunder Light erupted from it, attempting to obliterate the Divine Sense Spiritual Mechanism Fang Cheng had attached to his Flying Sword.

Just then, a beam of pure black Demonic Light silently struck Qian Shaoning.

"Mr. Qian, this is my gift in return," Fang Cheng’s indifferent voice drifted over.

Qian Shaoning felt a violent, tyrannical demonic will surge into his sea of consciousness. Then, a strange black Demon Fire ignited, burning him both inside and out.

Under this Demon Fire, his Magical Power and physical body became like flammable grease, instantly bursting into flames.

He grunted in pain as a phantom image of a Thunder Deity materialized in his sea of consciousness. BOOM! A great clap of thunder echoed through his mind, momentarily restoring his clarity.

The next moment, his body flared with brilliant lightning, managing to suppress the burning of the pure black Demon Fire.

’Run!’

A look of terror crossed Qian Shaoning’s face; he had never felt so close to death.

In the span of a thought, he transformed into a streak of Thunder Light and shot away.

A few moments later, the Bronze Shell Leaf unfurled, flashed with Thunder Light, and vanished.

Fang Cheng stepped out from behind the Trial Stele. He recalled the Cold Wave Radiance Sword with a gesture, then took out an Essence Supplement Pill and swallowed it.

His aura surged as he refined the pill in mere moments, and a dense wave of Spiritual Qi spread out from his Dantian Qi Sea.

His Magical Power began to slowly recover.

He stared into the distant sky and said coldly, "You think you can run?"

The next moment, with a flash, he transformed into an incomparably sharp streak of sword light and shot into the sky, giving chase to Qian Shaoning.

...

Atop Cloud Whale Mountain, there was a stunned silence, which after a moment erupted into a clamor of discussion.

"Qian Shaoning lost again!"

"I can’t believe he used a Taiyi Thunder Pill this time and still lost to the Cyan Profound Sword!"

"What Divine Technique was that pitch-black Demonic Light?"

"No idea... but Qian Shaoning seemed completely powerless against it."

"Probably one of the Ye Family’s Great Divine Techniques. Man, that’s incredible!"

Aboard the Cyan Jade Flying Ship, Die’Er’s pretty eyes were wide as she watched, both nervous and excited.

Ye Yan, however, was thinking to herself, ’When did my husband cultivate such a Divine Technique? Its power seems to be on par with the nine great foundational arts of the Yinluo Sect...’

...

Fang Cheng, man and sword as one, transformed into a sharp beam of sword light, relentlessly pursuing Qian Shaoning.

In that short time, Qian Shaoning had somehow managed to suppress the Demon Flame on his body.

The distance between them was only about half a mile.

Qian Shaoning possessed a Seventh-Layer Sensing Cultivation and was an expert in the Thunder Light Escape Technique, so he was incredibly fast.

Even though Fang Cheng was pursuing with his Sword Escape, he could only maintain the current distance, unable to close the gap for the time being.

The two of them—one chasing, one fleeing—were heading directly for the fourteenth Trial Stele.

It seemed Qian Shaoning had also mastered the method of using the Sensing Stone Steles.

Soon, they both spotted the Trial Stele.

More than ten people were gathered at the base of the Stone Stele. Upon seeing Qian Shaoning approach, they actively made way for him, allowing him to sweep past the stele, complete the sensing, and continue on his way.

Then, Fang Cheng arrived.

"Who’s chasing Qian Shaoning so hard that he’s in such a sorry state?!"

Shocked, the group brazenly rose into the sky, unleashing a barrage of various Magic to intercept Fang Cheng.

They had been instructed upon arrival that no one was to approach the Stone Stele, with the exception of Qian Shaoning and a few other disciples from prominent families.