29: Kill the fake pill

This soft armor, made from the hide of an unknown Yao Beast, felt cool to the touch.

Engraved with heavy earth-attribute runes, it appeared unremarkable.

An adjacent Jade Slip provided an introduction: "Heavenly Crystal Earth Spirit Armor, a High Grade defensive Magical Artifact, crafted from the back shell of a thousand-year-old Black Tortoise, refined with subterranean Evil Qi. Its defensive power is astonishing, it can self-repair, and it possesses a breath-concealing effect."

"This is the one," Chen Xu thought to himself.

The attributes of this soft armor perfectly matched his low-key style, capable of both preserving his life and concealing his Aura.

It was practically tailor-made for him.

Having selected the first item, Chen Xu then walked towards the Formation area.

Although the Chen Family Mansion in Ninghai Town had the Inverting Five Elements Array Restriction he had set up,

it was still somewhat insufficient against truly powerful Cultivators.

He needed a more potent protective Formation.

Soon, he found what he was looking for.

It was a palm-sized black Formation Plate, carved with the patterns of the Four Divine Beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

"Four Symbols Guardian Formation Plate, a High Grade Formation-type Magical Artifact, containing the Four Symbols Guardian Great Formation. Once activated, it can cover an area of ten li. It cannot be broken by a Golden Core Immortal Master's full power."

This Magical Artifact, combined with the Inverting Five Elements Array!

Would be enough to transform the Chen Family Mansion into a true fortress.

For the last item, Chen Xu chose a Jade Pendant to protect his Divine Soul.

It was a warm, white ancient jade, named "Spirit Stabilizing Jade." Worn on the body, it could nourish the Divine Soul, resist Heart Demon invasion, and defend against Divine Sense attacks.

For a Talisman Master who needed to maintain a clear Divine Sense at all times, the importance of this treasure even surpassed that of an offensive Magical Artifact.

After selecting the three Magical Artifacts, the Elder carefully put them away for Chen Xu and then led him to another, more central hall—the Rune Pavilion.

This was a vital repository for the Taiyi Merchant Alliance's collection of Talisman Dao classics.

The pavilion was guarded by a powerful Formation.

One could sense several Golden Core Immortal Masters' Auras secretly standing guard, indicating its importance.

"Another reward for the champion, the complete refining method for the Advanced Low Grade Talisman, the Divine Decree Talisman, is stored here."

The Elder's expression also grew serious: "This is a secret not to be passed down by the Merchant Alliance. Fellow Daoist Chen, please make a Heart Demon oath to never divulge it to anyone outside the Merchant Alliance."

Chen Xu naturally understood the rules and immediately made a Heart Demon oath.

Only then did the Elder nod in satisfaction, taking out an ancient beast-skin scroll from a jade box wrapped in multiple Restrictions.

Chen Xu took the scroll, and as his Divine Sense probed it, a profound and complex Talisman structure diagram flooded his mind.

The Divine Decree Talisman, with a divine decree, could temporarily bind an opponent's Divine Soul, causing them to lose control over their body and magical power instantly.

In a life-or-death struggle, this single instant could decide everything.

"What an overbearing Talisman!" Chen Xu exclaimed in his heart.

The value of this Talisman far exceeded the three High Grade Magical Artifacts.

After putting away the Divine Decree Talisman, the Elder continued: "According to the reward, you also have three days to freely browse the first floor of the Rune Pavilion. It contains various Intermediate Talismans collected by the Merchant Alliance over thousands of years, including some ancient Talismans that have long been lost."

This was equally a generous gift.

Chen Xu did not stand on ceremony. He entered the Rune Pavilion and was immediately awestruck by the sight before him.

Rows of bookshelves dozens of zhang high.

They were filled with various Jade Slips and beast-skin scrolls, vast as the sea.

He wasted no time, using his vision as an Advanced Talisman Master to quickly sift through the massive collection of classics.

He did not choose those powerful offensive Talismans.

Instead, he specifically selected some auxiliary Talismans that were rare on the market but had extremely high practical value.

For example, the "Sweet Dew Universal Salvation Talisman," which could restore injuries over a large area!

The "Fog Concealment and Tracking Talisman," which could create large illusions for trapping enemies or providing cover, and also the "Midas Touch Talisman," which could temporarily raise the grade of a Magical Artifact.

These Talismans, whether used for Family development or sold later, could create immense value.

Three days passed in a flash.

Chen Xu memorized all the selected Talismans and then walked out of the Rune Pavilion with satisfaction.

When he returned to the Taiyi Merchant Alliance's reception hall,

Xu Zhengyue and Shen Wuyi had already been waiting for a long time.

Xu Zhengyue looked at Chen Xu, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration.

In these past few days, Chen Xu's name had spread throughout Tianyuan City!

Even she, the President of the Shangya Prefecture branch with her Wisdom Eye for talent, had gained significant recognition among the headquarters' high-ranking officials.

The frustration previously suppressed by Qian Li was completely swept away.

Shen Wuyi stood to the side, his expression complex.

He looked at Chen Xu, without a trace of his former arrogance in his eyes.

It was replaced by a deep reverence.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, we have already arranged the flying boat, and we can return to Shangya Prefecture at any time," Xu Zhengyue said, her tone carrying a hint of urgency.

Chen Xu was now a hot commodity.

Countless forces in Tianyuan City were watching him; it was better to leave this place of trouble sooner.

Chen Xu nodded, about to speak, when he saw a group of people enter through the door.

Leading them was the gloomy-faced young man in black, Yue Guanshan.

As soon as he entered, his gaze locked onto Chen Xu.

His eyes were like a venomous snake staring at its prey.

"Chen Xu..." he slowly spoke, his voice hoarse and cold.

"What advice does Fellow Daoist Yue have?" Chen Xu calmly met his gaze.

"You took the Heavenly Talisman Assembly's reward," Yue Guanshan walked step by step, his Aura becoming increasingly sharp: "However, that Legacy of the Divine Decree Talisman should have been mine."

Shen Wuyi's face changed, and he instinctively stepped in front of Chen Xu, shouting: "Yue Guanshan! What do you want to do? If you lost the competition, are you going to try to snatch it?"

Yue Guanshan didn't even glance at him, his gaze still fixed on Chen Xu: "I won't make a move on the Taiyi Merchant Alliance's territory. I'm just here to tell you that what belongs to me, I will personally take back, sooner or later."

With that, he gave Chen Xu a deep look and turned to leave.

A disturbance dissipated invisibly, but Xu Zhengyue's expression became serious.

"This Yue Guanshan has a perverse Heart-Nature and holds grudges. You must be more careful in the future."

"Thank you for the reminder, President Xu."

Chen Xu's expression remained unchanged.

The group no longer delayed and immediately boarded the flying boat returning to Shangya Prefecture.

On the flying boat, Shen Wuyi hesitated for a long time.

Finally, he walked up to Chen Xu and bowed deeply to him.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, I was ignorant before and offended you greatly. I hope you can forgive me."

His face was filled with shame.

Chen Xu smiled and helped him up: "Fellow Daoist Shen, you are too serious. We both serve Shangya Prefecture and should support each other."

Receiving Chen Xu's forgiveness, Shen Wuyi breathed a sigh of relief, but the Battle Intent in his eyes rekindled.

He said solemnly: "Before, I always thought I was the number one Genius in Shangya Prefecture. Now I realize I was a frog in a well. Fellow Daoist Chen, from today onwards, you are the goal I, Shen Wuyi, will pursue. One day, I will challenge you openly and honorably!"

... The flying boat sped along, and several days later, arrived at Shangya Prefecture City.

After bidding farewell to Xu Zhengyue and Shen Wuyi, Chen Xu did not linger in the Prefecture City, setting off alone on the road back to Ninghai Town.

He was eager to return, only wanting to see his wife and children soon.

However, as he reached a secluded dense forest, his steps suddenly halted.

It was too quiet around him.

The chirping of birds and insects in the forest, the rustling of leaves in the wind—all vanished in that instant.

The air seemed to solidify, and an invisible pressure enveloped the surroundings.

"A Formation?" Chen Xu's face showed a cold smile, and his Divine Sense quietly spread out.

The next moment, the scene before him abruptly changed.

The familiar dense forest disappeared, replaced by the Chen Family Mansion in Ninghai Town.

Inside the mansion, flames soared into the sky, and Bu Yifan and several concubines were surrounded by a group of black-clad individuals.

The heart-wrenching cries of children could be heard.

"Petty tricks, daring to show off before me," Chen Xu snorted coldly in his heart, his expression unchanged.

With his Divine Soul strength, having achieved Major Achievement in the Spirit Manifestation Art,

this level of illusion could not shake his Heart-Nature at all.

Just then, within the illusion, dozens of sharp black lights broke through the air.

They went straight for his vital points.

Fireball Talismans, Ice Cone Talismans, Wind Blade Talismans... In an instant, an overwhelming barrage of Talisman attacks completely engulfed him.

If it had been an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, facing this sudden illusion and deadly move,

they would probably have lost their composure and been instantly blasted to smithereens.

But Chen Xu merely stood calmly in place.

His right index and middle fingers were joined, and a Talisman shot out!

"Defend!"

Visibly, the Talisman transformed into a giant spiritual energy shield, instantly forming.

It blocked all attacks completely.

Boom, boom, boom!

Amidst violent explosions, the shield remained unmoving.

"Break!" Chen Xu pointed again in the air, and another Talisman flew out!

It directly struck a certain Void Realm within the illusion.

Crack!

A sound like shattering glass rang out, and the sea of fire and the mansion before him collapsed with a roar.

The familiar dense forest scene reappeared.

Under a large tree not far away, a black figure emerged, it was Yue Guanshan.

At this moment, his face was filled with shock and disbelief.

Chapter 38

One must know that the Illusionary Killing Great Formation he had meticulously set up was one of his trump cards, combining illusion, trapping, and killing Formations, enough to blast ordinary Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators into smithereens the moment their Heart-Nature was lost.

He had originally thought that even if this Formation couldn't kill Chen Xu, it would at least make him flustered and embarrassed.

Thereby probing his true background.

But he never expected that the other party hadn't even moved a single step from beginning to end.

He had only casually flicked out two Talismans.

And so effortlessly broken his killing array.

"How could you... find the Formation core so quickly?" Yue Guanshan's voice was full of shock; he couldn't understand.

To prevent it from being forcefully broken,

he had deliberately set the Formation core extremely secretively and obscured it with layers of illusion.

Chen Xu looked at him and smiled faintly: "Your Formation has too many flaws."

He wasn't lying.

With his Divine Soul tempered by the Spirit Manifestation Art,

the spiritual energy flow trajectory of Yue Guanshan's Formation was as clear to him as lines on his palm.

The so-called illusion was nothing more than a child's scribble, full of holes.

"Impossible!" Yue Guanshan roared sharply.

He clearly couldn't accept this fact.

He held himself in high regard, and in the Talisman Dao, apart from those old monsters who had already made a name for themselves, he never believed anyone of his generation could surpass him.

His failure at the Heavenly Talisman Assembly had already been considered a great humiliation by him.

"Stop being so mysterious!"

Yue Guanshan's eyes sharpened, and he stopped talking nonsense.

He slapped his Storage Pouch, and five streaks of black light shot out, landing on the ground and transforming into five black Formation Flags, instantly enveloping a hundred-zhang radius.

"Since illusions are useless against you, then taste the flavor of my 'Five Ghosts Soul Locking Array'!"

Before his words finished, rolling black smoke erupted simultaneously from the five Formation Flags, a chilling wind howled, and the wails of ghosts rose all around.

Within the black smoke, five giant black pythons, formed from spiritual energy, condensed into shape.

Each one was as thick as a water barrel, their crimson tongues flickered erratically, carrying a strong corrosive Aura, as they lunged at Chen Xu from five directions.

Each of these five spiritual energy pythons was equivalent to the full power of an Intermediate High Grade Talisman.

With all five pythons unleashed, and with the Formation's enhancement, their power doubled.

Yue Guanshan was clearly serious, intending to suppress and kill Chen Xu here in one fell swoop.

Facing such a fierce attack, Chen Xu still stood in place, his expression unchanged.

He simply raised his hand and flicked a finger.

A yellow stream of light flew out, and after landing, it quickly transformed into a thick wall of light, protecting him within it. It was precisely the half-finished "Profound Shield Talisman" he had refined at the Heavenly Talisman Assembly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The five black giant pythons violently crashed against the wall of light, producing deafening roars.

The turbulent spiritual energy impact scattered, shattering all the surrounding trees.

Deep gullies were plowed into the ground.

However, the seemingly inconspicuous yellow wall of light remained motionless under the violent impact, only its glow dimming slightly.

"It blocked it?"

Yue Guanshan's pupils contracted.

He saw clearly that Chen Xu had only used an Intermediate defensive Talisman, and its quality was not even top-tier, so how could it block the combined attack of his five Talismans working with the Formation?

Just as he was filled with doubt, Chen Xu's voice leisurely drifted over: "Is your attack over? Then, it's my turn."

A strong warning sign rose in Yue Guanshan's Heart-Nature, and he was about to activate the Formation to change tactics.

But he suddenly felt a heat under his feet.

He looked down and saw that the soil beneath his feet had, at some point, turned dark red, emitting wisps of heat.

A smell of sulfur entered his nostrils.

"This is..."

Before he could react, the scenery around him began to change drastically.

The dense forest disappeared, replaced by a churning sea of magma and fire.

He was standing on a solitary reef in the center of the sea of fire.

The scorching heat wave rushed at him, making his breathing catch.

"Another illusion? Petty tricks!"

Yue Guanshan snorted coldly, thinking this was another illusionary Formation tactic from Chen Xu.

He fully spread his Divine Sense, attempting to find a flaw in the Formation.

But this time, no matter how he probed, he couldn't detect any trace of an illusion.

This sea of magma and fire was terrifyingly real.

"Don't waste your effort."

Chen Xu's figure appeared on another reef not far away, looking at him at his leisure: "Did you think I was really just watching when I broke your Formation just now?"

Yue Guanshan's expression changed drastically, and a thought that sent shivers down his spine surged into his mind.

"You... you laid down a Formation just now?"

"Not too stupid."

Chen Xu smiled: "Welcome to my Inverting Five Elements Array."

"Impossible! How could you silently lay down another Formation under the cover of my Formation!"

Yue Guanshan couldn't believe it.

"Your 'Five Ghosts Soul Locking Array' focuses on offense but is lax in perception."

"And I, the moment you activated your Formation, had already buried the Formation Plate underground."

Chen Xu said calmly.

The High Grade Formation Magical Artifact, the "Four Symbols Guardian Formation Plate," that he had obtained from the Heavenly Talisman Assembly.

Before coming here, he had already replaced it with the Inverting Five Elements Array Formation Plate that he had personally refined.

He had long since mastered this set of Formations, and his Formation-laying techniques were even more superb.

The moment Yue Guanshan activated his illusionary killing Formation, believing he had control of the entire situation.

Chen Xu had already secretly completed his arrangements.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

"Damn it!"

Yue Guanshan roared, refusing to believe he would lose so completely.

He violently activated the spiritual energy within his body.

A layer of black Protective Aura appeared, and he was about to force his way out of this sea of fire.

Seeing this, Chen Xu simply raised his hand gently and pointed into the air.

"Fire Element, rise!"

Splash!

The surrounding churning magma seemed to receive an order and instantly surged.

Transforming into several giant magma fire Dragons, they roared and pounced towards Yue Guanshan.

The scorching temperature distorted the air.

Yue Guanshan's expression changed drastically; he felt a deadly threat from the magma fire Dragons.

This was definitely not an illusion!

He dared not delay and quickly conjured a black bone shield to block in front of him.

Hiss—

The magma fire Dragons collided with the bone shield, emitting a grating corrosive sound.

The bone shield's spiritual light dimmed at a visible speed.

The shield's surface was burned a fiery red.

A piercing pain came from Yue Guanshan's arm.

He looked down and saw that a few splashes of magma had landed on his Protective Aura, directly burning a small hole through the Aura!

Leaving a charred brand on his arm.

The intense pain instantly sobered him up.

This Formation was real!

This Chen Xu had been calculating him from the very beginning!

"Ah!"

Yue Guanshan let out an unwilling roar of anger. He knew that with his Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation alone, he would never be able to escape from this astonishingly powerful Formation.

At this point, he could no longer hide.

Boom!

A massive Aura, far exceeding the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, erupted from Yue Guanshan's body.

That oppressive force was like a towering mountain.

It actually forced back the pouncing magma fire Dragons by several zhang.

His cultivation, at this moment, rapidly ascended, instantly breaking through the Foundation Establishment Bottleneck.

Steadily stepping into another brand new Realm.

False Core Realm!

"You forced me!"

Yue Guanshan floated in mid-air, spiritual energy surging around him, his eyes venomously staring at Chen Xu, "Originally, I just wanted to reclaim what was mine. But now, I've changed my mind. I'm going to kill you, then go to Ninghai Town, and slaughter your entire Chen Family!"

He finally revealed his strongest trump card.

He was a true False Core Cultivator!

To participate in the Heavenly Talisman Assembly, he had used a secret art to suppress his cultivation, disguising himself as a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.

He had thought he would surely win the championship and obtain the Legacy of the "Divine Decree Talisman," laying a foundation for him to condense a higher-grade False Core in the future.

But he hadn't expected Chen Xu to suddenly appear, ruining all his plans.

At this moment, pushed to a dead end, he no longer cared about hiding.

The pressure of a False Core Cultivator was fully released. He was confident that as long as he went all out, breaking this grand Formation in front of him was only a matter of time.

And a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator was nothing but an ant in front of him.

"Slaughter my entire Family?"

Chen Xu's eyes instantly turned cold.

Family was his inverse scale; touching it meant death.

"False Core Cultivator, is that so impressive?"

Chen Xu slowly raised his hand, and in his palm, a Talisman shimmering with purple lightning quietly appeared.

The Talisman's rune structure was complex, and its Aura was violent.

Far surpassing any Talisman that had appeared before.

It was precisely the perfectly crafted "Heavenly Vault Lightning Summoning Talisman" that he had personally refined in the final stage of the Heavenly Talisman Assembly!

"Advanced Spirit Talisman?"

Yue Guanshan's expression changed again when he saw that Talisman.

He could feel that the energy contained within that Talisman was enough to pose a fatal threat to him.

But he immediately sneered: "What if it's an Advanced Spirit Talisman? Activating it requires vast spiritual energy and exquisite control. How much of its power can a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like you unleash?"

"Even if you manage to successfully activate it, it can at most deliver one strike. After one strike, your spiritual energy will be exhausted, and won't you still be at my mercy?"

Chen Xu ignored his taunts and simply slowly injected spiritual energy into the Talisman in his hand.

"You're right, activating it does consume a lot."

Chen Xu looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips: "So, I need to prepare a few more."

As his words fell, he spread his other hand, and two more identical "Heavenly Vault Lightning Summoning Talismans," also shimmering with purple lightning and emitting a terrifying Aura, appeared in his palm.

Three Advanced Spirit Talismans!

Yue Guanshan's confidence and ferocity instantly froze on his face.

His eyes widened, staring fixedly at the three Talismans in Chen Xu's hand.

As if he had seen the most incredible thing.

"No... This is impossible! How could you have three Advanced Spirit Talismans!"

He shrieked, his voice filled with fear.

One, he might still be able to withstand it, even if heavily injured.

Three, he would surely die!

"Nothing is impossible."

Chen Xu said calmly: "I forgot to tell you, the champion of the Heavenly Talisman Assembly was me."

These words became the last straw that broke Yue Guanshan's psychological defense.

Fear instantly consumed his entire mind.

He no longer had the courage to fight, and he turned into a black streak of light.

He was about to desperately flee this grand Formation.

"Trying to leave now? Too late."

A murderous glint flashed in Chen Xu's eyes, and the first Heavenly Vault Lightning Summoning Talisman in his hand was instantly activated!

"Decree! Heavenly Vault Divine Lightning, descend!"

Rumble!

Above the Nine Heavens, the winds and clouds changed color, and a purple lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel tore through the sky, carrying the might to destroy everything, precisely striking the fleeing Yue Guanshan.

"No!"

Yue Guanshan felt the world-destroying power behind him and let out a desperate roar.

He frantically activated all the False Core power within his body.

He conjured all his defensive Magical Artifacts, forming layer after layer of protective shields, attempting to resist this fatal blow.

However, in the face of a true Advanced Spirit Talisman, all his struggles were futile.

As the purple Divine Lightning descended, his hastily deployed defenses shattered like paper, layer by layer.

The lightning instantly completely engulfed his figure.