Chapter 1754: Symbols and Talismans

To some extent, these men could be considered the most formidable in this world, yet all of them, surprisingly, harbored grudges against Jing Teng.

The thought of what they would face next immediately gave Zu An a headache.

"However, I heard that the leader of the Divine Firmament Sect disappeared many years ago," Zu An said. "For years, the remaining high-ranking members of the Divine Firmament Sect have been fighting tooth and nail for the position, yet there's still no resolution." Zu An had spent these days learning everything he could about this world, hoping to find Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen as quickly as possible.

"As the largest cultivation sect in this world, the Divine Firmament Sect naturally has an obsession with becoming immortal," Jing Teng said, her voice cold. "The reason he instigated conflict between Zang Ao and me back then wasn't for so-called 'exorcising demons and defending the righteous path,' but simply to uncover some secrets about the Immortal Lord Baopu from me. Later, he did gain some benefits, and coupled with his already top-tier cultivation level in this world, he even began his celestial tribulation after progressing further."

"Celestial tribulation?" Zu An and the others were astonished. Celestial tribulation was a legendary event, often an essential threshold on the path to immortality.

It was known that despite Zhao Hao's cultivation level, whether due to the influence of the world's laws or something else, he had never been able to take that final step, and thus naturally couldn't begin his tribulation.

Jing Teng sneered, "The path to immortality in this world was cut off long ago in ancient times. How could it be so easy to undergo tribulation? Naturally, he was later struck dead by the supreme lightning tribulation, his body disintegrating into the sea without a trace. The Divine Firmament Sect doesn't know this past event; they only think he disappeared. Furthermore, because they couldn't find the three *registers* he carried, no one could truly command respect as sect leader, which is why they've been fighting for so many years and still haven't chosen a leader."

"Registers?" Qiu Honglei asked, somewhat puzzled.

Jing Teng explained, "People often mistake charms and registers as the same thing, but charms and *registers* are actually two completely different items. Charms are used to summon celestial soldiers and generals, much like a military tally in the mortal world."

Zu An was surprised, "Are there really celestial soldiers and generals in this world?"

Jing Teng shook her head slightly. "No one knows if they are truly soldiers from the Celestial Palace. People simply refer to them that way out of respect. The Immortal Lord once mentioned that these 'celestial soldiers and generals' are more likely manifestations of some of this world's fundamental laws."

She continued, "A register, on the other hand, is proof of identity for the person who uses charms. Only those who have received a register can use the corresponding charms. Otherwise, if any ordinary person without cultivation could simply imitate and draw those charms to summon the power of heaven and earth for their own use, wouldn't chaos ensue?"

"Sun En carried the three most powerful registers, passed down through generations of the Divine Firmament Sect. To some extent, these three registers also served as proof of the Divine Firmament Sect Leader's authority."

"I see!" Zu An and Qiu Honglei exchanged glances. In their world, charms and registers seemed to function somewhat differently from here.

They had seen Xie Daoyun and Yan Xuehen use some charms and registers, but their primary use was in array formations, not for summoning 'celestial soldiers and generals.' Furthermore, they had never heard of them needing to receive registers.

"In any case, Sun En is dead, so we don't need to worry about him," Jing Teng said. "We just need to be careful of the Ghost King and Zang Ao."

"From what you're saying, you intend to go to that ancient tomb?" Qiu Honglei asked, her brows furrowed.

"That's right. My true form was buried somewhere in that ancient tomb back then," Jing Teng said, her voice holding a trace of melancholy as she spoke of the past. She was already exquisitely beautiful, and this made her even more pitiable.

Qiu Honglei inwardly praised her, then sent a telepathic message to Zu An: "Ah Zu, I think we should check out that ancient tomb. For such a significant matter, I believe Master, if she can't find us, will most likely go there to investigate the situation as well."

Zu An nodded slightly. "Indeed. Judging from our previous experience in the secret realm, one often needs to resolve some specific issue before being able to leave. It seems that ancient tomb is likely the key. Since Jing Teng is connected to the Immortal Lord Baopu, having her with us might help resolve some problems."

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but look at him with a mischievous smile. "Oh dear, she's so beautiful, what man could refuse to help her? You don't need to find so many excuses!"

Zu An was speechless.

Was he being wronged? He was merely stating the facts.

The group quickly reached an agreement. They would continue to escort Jing Teng to Zhichuan, and in return, she promised to provide some relevant information.

***

In a certain dilapidated mansion, a pitch-black ancient well stood. Countless long strands of hair streamed out of the well's opening, seemingly covering everything.

An ordinary person witnessing this scene would likely faint on the spot. However, at that moment, the terrifying long hair seemed to have encountered something even more terrifying, trembling and frantically retreating.

The next moment, a frosty chill appeared at the well's opening. This frost then spread rapidly across the long hair at a visible rate, and soon, all the hair was frozen solid into ice sculptures.

A flash of sword light appeared, shattering the entire ice sculpture completely. The hair seemed to vanish from existence.

A graceful figure, holding a long sword, lightly leaped out from the bottom of the well. Her long hair flowed freely, and her white clothes were like snow.

"Clap, clap, clap~"

A round of applause came from nearby. A middle-aged man in an adventurer guild uniform stood not far away. "I heard that the Adventurer Guild has gained a formidable new member recently, who eradicated eighteen troublesome vengeful spirits in a short period," he said. "Seeing you today, it's clear you're truly extraordinary."

He paused, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. "And so exquisitely pure and ethereal."

The woman in white was naturally Yan Xuehen. She cast a faint glance at the man, her gaze falling on the special pattern on his sleeve. Adventurer Guild staff used these patterns to indicate their rank and status.

The man before her outranked all the guild members she had seen previously.

"Is there something you need?" The man's compliments didn't stir even the slightest ripple in her heart. Her nature was always so detached and indifferent; perhaps only in front of that one person would she show a touch of warmth and vibrancy.

The man hadn't expected her to be so cold. However, remembering the previous intelligence he had received, which also mentioned this, he didn't take it too much to heart. "Allow me to introduce myself first," he said. "I am Zang Jiu, the Adventurer Guild's head for this region. This time, there's a top-tier mission for you."

"Not interested." Yan Xuehen turned and walked away. The reason she had come to the Adventurer Guild was to inquire about Zu An's whereabouts, not to actually work for them.

Zang Jiu paused, but quickly reacted, immediately saying, "This is a mission personally issued by our Guild Master, seeking the most formidable adventurers from all corners of the world. I heard from my subordinates that you're looking for someone. If you complete this mission, you'll be upgraded to the highest-ranking adventurer and gain unrestricted access to the Adventurer Guild's intelligence system. You won't have to work so hard on various tasks anymore."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, according to the Adventurer Guild's ranking system, no matter how many missions you complete, you must still undergo a long period of assessment. It's impossible to reach the highest rank in just a few years. However, this mission issued by the Guild Master is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Oh? What mission?" Yan Xuehen finally turned around.

"To explore the ancient tomb that appeared recently in Zhichuan, along with the Guild Master, and potentially capture a woman named Jing Teng," Zang Jiu said, waiting for her to ask for more specific details about the mission.

To his surprise, Yan Xuehen nodded. "Alright, I'll take this mission. Notify me through the local Adventurer Guild when it's time to depart."

Watching her graceful figure float away, Zang Jiu couldn't help but sigh. "This woman is truly unparalleled in grace and beauty, and she's a pure human," he murmured. "If Young Master had met her back then instead of that vine demon, he wouldn't have fallen into such a lovesick tribulation..."

"Hmm, this time, I might have a chance to bring her and Young Master together. Perhaps that will help Young Master finally move on."

***

Meanwhile, Xie Daoyun and Yun Jianyue were engaged in a fierce battle with a horde of malevolent spirits in a valley.

"This is ridiculous! The more we kill these evil spirits, the more of them appear," Yun Jianyue complained, casually dispersing a large cluster of ghostly figures.

"Sister Yun, could you please stop mentioning the word 'ghost'?" Xie Daoyun was almost in tears, as hearing that word now made her feel utterly uncomfortable.

For a while, they had been searching for Zu An and the others, but unfortunately, they had found nothing.

A few days ago, they heard about Wangjiawu nearby. The Wang family was a renowned clan of the current era, with many of its members holding official positions in various powers across the land. Additionally, the master of Wangjiawu, who remained there, was a high-ranking official of the Divine Firmament Sect, possessing immense influence and connections. As the Divine Firmament Sect was the foremost sect in the world, its intelligence network was exceptionally well-informed, so they decided to come here to gather information.

The two women were aware of the dangers of traveling at night during this period. However, eager to find Zu An and the others as soon as possible, and confident in their own cultivation, they decided to travel through the night, especially since Wangjiawu wasn't too far away.

Unexpectedly, an abrupt change occurred upon entering this valley. The previously quiet valley suddenly swarmed with countless ghostly beings, rushing towards them from all directions.

They killed one wave, only for another to appear; it was simply endless.

Fortunately, one of them possessed exceptionally high cultivation, while the other had profound mastery of runes. Together, they could still hold their ground. Had it been any other cultivators, they would likely have been overwhelmed by the ghostly horde swarming the valley.

However, they were now surrounded, and it was extremely difficult to leave.

Just then, a flying boat passed overhead.

"Which unfortunate soul entered this ancient battlefield in the middle of the night?"

"It's two such beautiful women!"

"Huh, we've never seen the runes that young woman is using! Quickly, go inform Young Master Two!"