CHAPTER 149: CHAPTER 147: BIZARRE CORPSE! THE POWER OF THE EXTRAORDINARY EVIL WARDING TALISMAN_1

"At last, success!" Jia Ren infused the Cloud Light Inscription into the embryo of the Boat, simplifying the Flying Boat refinement and achieving success. "The quality even surpasses the previous one." Forge purified the material impurities, while Shuilian melded them together. The two different methods of refinement, when mixed, improved the Proficiency Level of each. The combination of Shuilian and Forge resulted in a Magic Artifact whose quality was far superior to one created solely through Earth Fire refining. The durability of the Boat’s body improved significantly, and the inscribed Inscriptions were most effective. This was his most satisfying work to date.

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough materials to improve the Proficiency Level. Jia Ren desired to increase the Proficiency Level of the Cloud-Surpassing Flying Boat, making it even stronger and more reliable. Plans, however, couldn’t keep up with changes; the Earth Fire chamber of the Artifact Refinement Department had been tainted, leaving no opportunity to continue improving and advancing in skill.

What followed was the crafting of the Flowing Fire Flying Box to provide power and the Thick Earth Seal to reinforce the Boat’s body; none could be spared. These materials were relatively common, and Jia Ren had already collected and prepared them in advance.

Artifact Refining with Shuilian is too slow; I’m afraid there isn’t enough time... Jia Ren took out a large amount of Sunfire Wood. His fire-controlling pill art directed the fire to converge at a single point, forming a flame tinged with a faint cyan light. The temperature was nowhere near that of Earth Fire, but it was barely usable. The flame processed the materials rapidly, and after four hours, all the materials for the Flowing Fire Flying Box were finally refined.

Before he could muster his energy to complete the forging, the Spirit Insect issued a warning.

Another major event?

The Evil Warding Talisman, placed close to his chest, ignited, creating a light purple halo protecting him.

Bizarre Demons! The White-dress Bizarre that the Gathering Stars Trade Association had once drawn in with the Gathering Bizarre Red Candle, how could it have come to the Great Wilderness? The White-dress Bizarre was at least dozens of miles away from the Great Wilderness. The Gathering Bizarre Red Candle could only attract Bizarre Demons within a certain range. The precise placement by the Gathering Stars Trade Association meant that its range of movement was restricted to a specific area. Why would it come to the Great Wilderness Market? Another masterpiece by the Black Blood Bizarre?! From the initial breakdown of the protective Formation, to the nocturnal attacks of Magical Beasts and beast tides, had it now escalated to Bizarre Demons personally visiting within just a few days?

Danger was approaching step by step, leaving him little time. Jia Ren discreetly stayed hidden in his dwelling, continuing to refine the Flowing Fire Flying Box. The Flowing Fire Flying Box was simple to refine, but to enhance the results, he performed extreme modifications to boost its propulsion. It could exert the power of two Flowing Fire Flying Boxes, but the cost was that it couldn’t be used for an extended period, becoming scrap after just a few uses. After completing the first one, he immediately began refining the second. The power of four Flowing Fire Flying Boxes was needed to push the Cloud-Surpassing Flying Boat to a height of tens of thousands of feet, without any compromise.

"At last, success!" The power provided by the two modified Flowing Fire Flying Boxes was comparable to four regular ones, barely meeting the minimum requirements. To ensure stability and prevent accidents, it was best to add a few extras as backup. An additional Flowing Fire Flying Box was added to the rear for propulsion, increasing the flight speed of the Cloud-Surpassing Flying Boat.

Another one to forge.

No sooner had Jia Ren finished processing the materials than the Evil Warding Talisman on his person ignited, and the Yun Luo Illusion Array at his residence was activated, trapping the target within.

A Bizarre Demon at my doorstep? He utilized the Spirit Insects on guard outside to clearly see the face of the intruder. It wasn’t the White-dress Bizarre, but a man with a stiff body and a strange smile on his face. Jia Ren was not unfamiliar with this smile. Those who died at the hands of the White-dress Lady Bizarre would maintain this smile indefinitely. Was this a Bizarre Demon’s minion? Jia Ren’s face darkened; he hadn’t expected the White-dress Lady Bizarre to have such a strange ability. Could the Cultivators killed by it still be at its behest? Disgusting! I wonder what its strength is?

Jia Ren first confirmed that the purple evil-warding light on his body was stable and he was safe. Inside the Yun Luo Illusion Array, the Cultivator with the strange smile appeared slightly rigid, emitting a faintly bizarre aura. After death, the Spiritual Power from this person had dissipated, leaving only a shell tempered by Spiritual Power. His strength was not substantial and posed no threat to a Cultivator. The only troublesome aspect was the bizarre aura emanating from the Bizarre Corpse. It was the source of contamination, constantly spreading bizarre power in all directions. Without protective measures like an Evil Warding Talisman, it was utterly unstoppable.

It seems to be afraid of me... Ever since the Evil Warding Talisman was activated, the Bizarre Corpse acted as if it had encountered something terrifying, desperately trying to flee. Unfortunately, trapped within the Yun Luo Illusion Array, it could not escape and was left to spin in place. As Jia Ren gradually approached the Bizarre Corpse, reducing the distance between them to ten feet, purple flames rose from the corpse, burning fiercely. The bizarre aura was completely consumed by the flames, and the Bizarre Corpse, devoid of its sustaining power, collapsed heavily to the ground.

Dead? An Extraordinary Saint Level Evil Warding Talisman had such an effect? He had seen Grandmaster Level Evil Warding Talismans before; at most, they had a very strong repelling effect on Bizarre Demons, but they lacked significant lethality. Otherwise, the name would not be Evil Warding Talisman, as it only had the effect of Warding Off Evil. After two limit breaks, reaching Extraordinary Saint Level, the halo of the Evil Warding Talisman changed from red to purple, adding a lethal effect. Far beyond my expectations. This was the best news he had received since being trapped in the Great Wilderness.

How’s the situation outside? Using the Spirit Insects he had dispatched, Jia Ren observed that within the Market, there were over a hundred Bizarre Demon minions, each surging into the stone houses. The Bizarre Demons hadn’t discovered him specifically; it wasn’t targeted action against him. Instead, they were indiscriminately attacking, sparing no Cultivators.

"Get away! Damn bastard!" A Cultivator, radiating a faint red halo, fled from his residence, screaming in panic as he ran towards the distance. Others attacked the Bizarre Corpses with Magic Artifacts, smashing them to pieces. Under the influence of their strange power, even though their bodies were shattered, the Bizarre Corpses continued to relentlessly pursue those fleeing. The Cultivators trapped in the Market were on the verge of collapse, unable to escape; facing the indestructible Bizarre Corpses, their hearts were filled with fear and despair. Ordinary Evil Warding Talismans were ineffective against Bizarre Demons, unable to even deal with the Bizarre Corpses subordinate to the White-dress Lady Bizarre.

Similar situations were not uncommon. Not far away, the Zhang father and daughter were also forced out. As a Talisman Maker, Master Zhang had no shortage of Evil Warding Talismans, so their safety was temporarily assured.

Big trouble! Jia Ren, seeing the Zhang Household members being chased by several Bizarre Corpses, promptly took action. He considered Master Zhang his master and couldn’t stand idly by. Moreover, Master Zhang had the Yunling Miasma and Icy Fog Veil that he had exchanged for him—both Magic Artifacts were crucial to leaving the Great Wilderness, and no losses could be afforded.

Activating the Light Body Skill, he left his dwelling and flitted around like a ghost. Purple flames erupted on several of the Bizarre Corpses following Talisman Master Zhang and Zhang Pengpeng, and they crumbled heavily to the ground. Dead?! Had the Bizarre Corpses died? How was that possible?!

"Follow me!" After dealing with several Bizarre Corpses, Jia Ren sent a voice transmission and led the two back to his dwelling. Only after ensuring that no other Cultivators or Bizarre Corpses were following them did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Jia Ren didn’t continue fighting the Bizarre Corpses; using his Extraordinary Saint Level Evil Warding Talisman, he could have easily dealt with them. But... behind the Bizarre Corpses was the White-dress Lady Bizarre, a trouble he could not handle. To stand out so conspicuously would be like painting a target on his back. Was he trying to provoke the Black Blood Bizarre into targeting him? He was not yet strong enough; he should focus on taking care of himself. Let others be the saviors.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for the rescue." Jia Ren had long since altered his appearance, so they naturally did not recognize him.

"Master Zhang, have you obtained the Yunling Miasma and Icy Fog Veil? They’re extremely important." His appearance rapidly changed, transforming into Shi Bai. This shocking skill of changing faces left the Zhang father and daughter wide-eyed and speechless. Master Zhang had long known that Shi Bai was his disciple Zhen Yi and must have mastered the art of changing appearances. Even having witnessed it himself, he was still deeply shocked.

"The exchange wasn’t difficult," Master Zhang said. "Some old fellows are trying to curry favor with me. Exchanging Magic Artifacts was easy." He took out the Yunling Miasma and Icy Fog Veil, two Defense Artifacts, and handed them to Jia Ren. Neither of these Magic Artifacts could compare to the Superior Defensive Artifact, the Thick Earth Seal. Yet, when combined, their defensive abilities could arguably be on par. This was also one of the best alternatives, apart from the Thick Earth Seal. Jia Ren would not abandon the Thick Earth Seal; he had the necessary materials on hand, and refining it wouldn’t be difficult. The only problem was... did he have enough time? The Yunling Miasma and Icy Fog Veil were Jia Ren’s backup measures; an additional layer of Defense Artifacts would enhance safety.

"Zhen... Shi Bai," Talisman Master Zhang asked, "why is your Evil Warding Talisman purple? And it can combat Bizarre Demons?" As a seasoned Talisman Maker, Talisman Master Zhang recognized at a glance that the glow emanating from Jia Ren was from an Evil Warding Talisman, just of a different color and strength. Normal Evil Warding Talismans could only defend against Bizarre Demon attacks; at most, they would make the Bizarre Demons loathe them, thus achieving a repelling effect. He had never heard of an Evil Warding Talisman inflicting lethal damage on Bizarre Demons. As a Talisman Maker himself, he was itching to know the secret and couldn’t wait for an answer.

"Master Zhang, it’s not that I want to keep it to myself, but... I simply can’t teach you."

Can’t teach... Does one need to reach Grandmaster Level to craft it? Talisman Master Zhang hadn’t even reached Master Level; the realm of a Grandmaster Level Talisman Master was an unattainable dream. But... even if he couldn’t reach it, his disciple had! That is the charm of the master-disciple tradition; he had a competent successor, and that brought him honor.

"Good," Master Zhang exclaimed, "my disciple surely did not disappoint me!"

Zhang Pengpeng had been listening silently the entire time, her expression indifferent, as if she were just a spectator, not saying a word. In the Great Wilderness, where life was a precarious day-to-day struggle, muddling through was how everyone coped. To live another day was all that mattered. It wasn’t until she heard the word "disciple" that a flash seemed to streak across her awareness, and her eyes sparked with an enigmatic light. She finally understood her father’s special treatment towards Shi Bai; he was the missing Junior Brother Zhen Yi.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, Master Zhang quickly shut his mouth, but the smile on his face could not be contained.

"Great! So you two have been keeping secrets from me!" Zhang Pengpeng glared at Jia Ren. "And you—I thought you were dead! I shed quite a few tears over you!" Her gaze was reproachful, making Jia Ren feel uncomfortable. She didn’t lash out, but the corners of her eyes crinkled with the joy of their reunion.

Shi Bai, Zhen Yi, which one is truly you? Or are they both just masks you wear? Zhang Pengpeng was full of doubt but, in the end, didn’t ask.

"Do you want to leave the Great Wilderness?" Jia Ren asked them. "Keep watch for me tonight. I need to refine a Magic Artifact."

The Great Wilderness is no longer safe! I must refine the final Flowing Fire Flying Box as soon as possible.