685: Chapter 685 The Talisman Explodes! Explodes! Explodes! (Part 2)

The sound of discussion boiled over.

The valley, filled with tens of thousands of people, fell into a state of fervor.

Shock was written all over everyone's faces.

Talismans.

That was something that had already been lost since ancient times.

In legends, a Talisman Master could outline the power of heaven and earth with every stroke, sealing terrifying power within a thin sheet of yellow paper.

When used, one only needed to inject a trace of true qi to unleash power that could destroy heaven and earth.

But this skill had already been lost hundreds of years ago during the Dharma-Ending Age.

In today's world, people who can draw Talismans almost do not exist.

But today, they witnessed the power of a Talisman exploding with their own eyes.

Moreover, the owner of that Talisman was a young woman in her early twenties.

Where did she get it from?

Who drew it?

Below the stage, everyone was utterly stunned.

On the stage, Yan Qingwu was currently panting heavily, a slight smile appearing on her pale face.

She looked down at the Talisman in her sleeve that had already turned to ash.

In the next second.

She raised her head and looked at the man below the stage wearing shorts and flip-flops, still holding an iced Coke.

Hmph!

That bastard, pulling such a prank on people!

Just now, she really thought she was finished!

She was even...

About to self-detonate!

If the Talisman hadn't had a dual effect, she probably would have been dead.

Yan Qingwu took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Immediately after.

She struggled to stand up, picked up the ink dragon sword from the ground, and turned to look at the referee.

"I won, right?"

The referee's mouth twitched several times before he laboriously raised his hand.

"Group Eight... the winner, Yan Qingwu!"

...

At the same time.

The Group Twenty-Three arena.

Jiang Daoxuan's opponent was a middle-aged man with a sinister gaze.

The opponent's strength was extremely terrifying, having already stepped into the Peak Tianyi Realm, only one step away from the Golden Core Stage.

The two had exchanged less than ten moves when Jiang Daoxuan was sent flying by a palm strike, three of his ribs broken, and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Too strong.

This opponent's strength was far above his own.

Although he was also in the Tianyi Realm, the opponent was at the Peak Tianyi Realm; the gap was not just a little bit.

More importantly, the opponent's cultivation technique and style were bizarre, not at all the strength someone of his apparent identity should have.

A substitution!

Just as the Sect Leader had said, there had definitely been a substitution.

Jiang Daoxuan gritted his teeth and pulled out that Talisman from his robe.

Without hesitation.

He directly bit the tip of his tongue, spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Talisman, and threw it at his opponent.

"BOOM!!!"

Golden light exploded, and the middle-aged man's body shook violently. He bled from his seven orifices, and his entire body went stiff as if struck by lightning, falling straight down.

A large crater was blasted into the arena floor, with rubble flying everywhere.

The entire crowd was in an uproar again.

Another Talisman!

Yet another Talisman!

However.

It wasn't over yet!

On the forty-second arena, a wave of golden light also rippled out.

"BOOM!!!"

Shu Yuan's opponent was a thin man. As the golden light exploded, he was sent flying directly off the stage, crashing into the cliff wall of the valley and becoming embedded in it.

Exactly the same as Sect Leader Meng Canghai yesterday.

The entire audience completely exploded.

"Holy shit? It's another fucking Talisman! Since when did Talismans become so common?"

"Haven't you noticed? It's always the disciples of the Ancient Tomb Sect using them!"

"Heavens! Is the Ancient Tomb Sect that amazing? Using Talismans like they're nothing? Even in the Kunlun Ruins, there are very few of those left!"

"Is the Ancient Tomb Sect recruiting? I want to join! As long as there are Talismans, I'm in!"

...

Sounds of discussion!

Exclamations!

The sound of people gasping!

All of it intertwined at once, and the entire valley was boiling.

However.

The shocking scenes were not over yet.

Because Shen Qingyi was also being pushed into a corner by the bald donkey at the Peak Celestial Master Realm opposite her.

To the point that...

After seeing the situation on Yan Qingwu's side, she threw her Talisman toward the bald monk without hesitation.

"BOOM!!!"

Golden light exploded, and the bald monk's expression suddenly changed drastically.

He subconsciously circulated his power to block, but the Talisman's power was too strong—so strong that his protective true qi was torn apart like wet paper.

In the next moment.

Sprinting a mouthful of blood, the bald monk's body was like a spring, smashing a hole in the ground before bouncing up and crashing further back, creating another crater.

Finally, he fell heavily outside the arena.

The fourth Talisman.

The fourth person sent flying!!!

High atop the platform.

The representatives of the five major powers of the Martial Arts Alliance had varying expressions.

Wang Tianlong and Daoist Priest Qingfeng both breathed a sigh of relief.

Because they had also seen that there was something wrong with the opponents in the face-offs.

And all of this was likely targeted at Ye Chen.

But now...

The plot had been broken, so they naturally felt at ease.

Only Master Huineng's face was ashen.

However, that touch of ashen color was quickly suppressed by him.

Next.

He pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist name; no one knew what he was thinking.

Perfected Person Qingxuan and Abbess Juechen exchanged a glance, both seeing deep shock in each other's eyes.

Talismans.

Talismans that had been lost for hundreds of years had actually appeared four times at once today.

And they were all in the hands of people from the Ancient Tomb Sect.

What did this mean?

It meant that the Ancient Tomb Sect either had a sufficient heritage of Talismans or someone who knew how to draw them.

It meant that although the Ancient Tomb Sect had few people, everyone held a trump card sufficient to turn the tables.

Any opponent who encountered them would be unlucky.

The crowd of tens of thousands finally fell into a dead silence.

Countless people were dumbfounded.

It had to be said...

Today's match was the most shocking one they had ever seen!

What kind of sane person would use up Talismans, which countless powers regard as treasures, just to win a match?

It's too fucking extravagant!!!

"It's a violation!"

Just then, a sharp voice exploded from the crowd.

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound.

They saw...

An old man wearing a gray Daoist robe walking out from the crowd, his face ashen and eyes full of rage.

He was Vice Sect Leader Wu Shan, the Vice Sect Leader of the Mount Tai Sect!

Yesterday, their Sect Leader had been slapped into a cliff wall by Ye Chen, and they had spent over three hours digging him out.

He was still lying in bed now. Even the people from Medicine King Valley shook their heads after seeing him, saying he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least a year or so.

The Mount Tai Sect hated this result.

Therefore.

He was the first to stand up.

Vice Sect Leader Wu Shan pointed at the four people from the Ancient Tomb Sect on the arena and spoke with righteous indignation.

"The rules of the Martial Arts Tournament prohibit the use of hidden weapons and poisons!"

"Although a Talisman is not a hidden weapon or a poison, it is essentially an external force!"

"Is it fair to win using external force? Is it reasonable?"

"This humble Daoist suggests disqualifying the four members of the Ancient Tomb Sect!"

The crowd was in an uproar.

Some nodded, some shook their heads, and some remained silent.

Vice Sect Leader Wu Shan's words were half-right.

The Martial Arts Tournament indeed prohibited hidden weapons and poisons, but Talismans had been lost for hundreds of years, so there were no rules regarding their use.

But now that Talismans had appeared and were so powerful, if you said they were a violation, it wasn't written in the rules.

If you said they weren't a violation, this thing really was a bit like bullying.

For a moment, there was much discussion, and no consensus was reached.

Seeing the crowd hesitate, Vice Sect Leader Wu Shan added more fuel to the fire.

"Everyone, think about it!"

"If everyone used Talismans, would the Martial Arts Tournament still be called a Martial Arts Tournament?"

"It would be called a Talisman Tournament!"

"Cultivators not relying on their own strength but winning with a piece of paper—this is a desecration of the martial spirit!"

These words were spoke with passion and resonance.

Many who were originally wavering completely sided with him after his speech.

In the next second.

Countless people nodded one after another, feeling that Vice Sect Leader Wu Shan's words made sense.

"Fellow Daoist Vice Sect Leader Wu Shan is right! Using Talismans is cheating!"

"They must be disqualified, otherwise it is a desecration of the martial world!"

"The Ancient Tomb Sect's victory is dishonorable! It's unfair!"

...

Public indignation was aroused, and the waves of noise grew louder and louder.

On the arena, Yan Qingwu's face was as pale as paper, but she gritted her teeth and spoke word by word.

"The rules don't say you can't use Talismans. On what grounds are you disqualifying us?"

"Exactly!"

Shu Yuan also stood up, his voice booming, "The rules were set by you. If it's not written, it means it can be used!"

Jiang Daoxuan and Shen Qingyi didn't speak, but their attitudes were exactly the same.

The words of Yan Qingwu and the others were like a pebble thrown into a lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

To the point that...

The surrounding curses became even more intense.

"If it's not in the rules, it can be used? Then I'll bring an AK47 tomorrow and mow you all down. Would that make me the champion?"

"Exactly! The power of those Talismans is even greater than hidden weapons. If this isn't cheating, what is?"

"Does the Ancient Tomb Sect have no shame? Using Talismans when they can't win—what kind of skill is that?"

"Disqualify them! They must be disqualified!"

"Right! If they aren't disqualified, we'll withdraw from the competition! We might as well not participate in such an unfair tournament!"

"Withdraw! Withdraw! Withdraw!"

...

These people weren't just shouting slogans.

Because some people had already started packing their things, making a show of being about to leave.

Those sect leaders who were close to the Mount Tai Sect fanned the flames even more, pushing the atmosphere to a higher climax.

Vice Sect Leader Wu Shan stood in the crowd, arms crossed, a cold smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

This was the effect he wanted.

As long as he muddied the waters and blew up public opinion, the Martial Arts Alliance would be forced by pressure to disqualify the Ancient Tomb Sect.

When that time came, his goal would be achieved.

As for whether Talismans actually counted as a violation?

That wasn't important.

What was important was that everyone now *felt* it was a violation.

That was enough.