Chapter 1758: Red Glow Yellow Talisman

Both women frowned simultaneously. They had initially thought asking for his help would be very difficult, so it was unexpectedly smoother than they had imagined. Yet, they couldn't bring themselves to be happy.

Xie Daoyun thought for a moment and said, "But we need to find our companions. I'm afraid we won't have time to help you."

This world was so treacherous and constantly changing. How could they have the leisure to do other things with someone else? Moreover, something even Wang Youjun found tricky was bound to be dangerous. It was best not to get involved.

Wang Youjun laughed heartily and said, "You can rest assured about this. This matter should be resolved in as short as three days or as long as seven or eight days."

Seeing the two women still silent, he added, "Without my guidance, finding your companions would be like searching for a needle in a haystack; you wouldn't find them even with more days. As long as you help me, I will not only guide you to your companions' location but also provide you with the Wang family's top-tier flying boat."

"You should also be aware that flying is impossible in this world, but with our flying boat, you can save a significant amount of time."

The two women exchanged glances, both realizing he had a point.

Xie Daoyun was about to agree when Yun Jianyue spoke first, "How about you first help us find out where our companions are? Otherwise, if we help you but you can't help us, wouldn't that be a wasted effort?"

Xie Daoyun secretly admired her, realizing Sister Yun still had more experience in the world.

"Hahaha, someone actually doubts my abilities," Wang Youjun said with a long laugh. "Fine, I'll let you witness it, so you don't slack off later."

He extended his hand, and above his palm, a special yellow talisman gradually appeared. It bore intricate runes drawn in cinnabar and emitted a faint red glow all around.

The two women's expressions changed slightly. This was the first time they had seen a talisman again since their encounter with Wang Neishi; these talismans seemed to possess a life of their own.

He then turned to look at the two women. "Who is the companion you are looking for, and what are their characteristics?"

The two women were about to answer, but Wang Youjun spoke first, "Don't mention your sworn brother or sister-in-law; tell me about the other one first."

His insight was clearly much sharper than his son's. He keenly realized that the relationship between these two and their so-called sworn brother was extraordinary, and it seemed he was the one they cared about most among the group. Naturally, he wasn't willing to give them clues at the start, fearing they might simply leave.

Yun Jianyue secretly cursed him as an old fox but still described Yan Xuehen's characteristics. After all, Xie Daoyun hadn't interacted much with Yan Xuehen and didn't know her as well as she did.

"Oh, Ice Maiden, Ice Maiden, I never thought that one day I would be the first to come looking for you."

As she spoke, Wang Youjun unfolded a piece of white paper. His brushstrokes were as if divinely guided, and he quickly sketched out Yan Xuehen's likeness based on her description. He effortlessly did all this with one hand; his painting skill was truly exceptional.

Yun Jianyue's expression changed. "What are you doing?" She thought of the scrolls she had seen upon arriving and was immediately alarmed and angry. Although she and the Ice Maiden were sworn enemies, she didn't want her to be ambushed in such a manner.

Wang Youjun smiled slightly. "Rest assured, young lady, this is not soul painting. It's merely a simple depiction of her appearance to make it easier to find her later."

Yun Jianyue was not reassured. She walked over to inspect it, and only after confirming it was indeed just ordinary paper and a drawing with no tricks involved did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Wang Youjun quickly finished the rest of the drawing. After he put down the last stroke, he couldn't help but be stunned.

"What's wrong?" Xie Daoyun asked worriedly.

"Nothing, I just didn't expect such a person to exist in this world, like a fairy descending to the mortal realm," Wang Youjun said, looking deeply at the two women with a sigh. "Both of you ladies are already as beautiful as celestial beings, and I didn't expect even your companion to be so breathtakingly beautiful. I'm even a bit curious what kind of magic that Zu An you're looking for possesses to have so many stunning beauties accompanying him."

"What nonsense are you talking about! He's just my sworn brother (friend)!" Xie Daoyun and Yun Jianyue exclaimed in unison.

Xie Daoyun thought to herself, luckily they needed his help now. Otherwise, with Sister Yun's temper, if she knew someone was saying she and sworn brother Zu were a couple, she would surely pull out their tongue.

"If you say so, then it is so," Wang Youjun said with a knowing look. Then he beckoned towards the empty space outside the door. "Come!"

Soon, a scroll floated in from outside. The two women had sharp eyes and recognized it as one of the scrolls they had seen on their way in.

At this moment, the person depicted in the scroll seemed to have sensed something and suddenly struggled desperately, emitting silent roars from their mouth. Because within the painting, no matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free.

Wang Youjun drew the painting closer to him, then mumbled a strange incantation. The talisman in his palm suddenly glowed intensely red. The mysterious cinnabar pattern on it lit up, and the red light enveloped the scroll.

The figure's face on the scroll completely distorted. Then, as if directly sucked up by something, it turned into a wisp of green smoke, flew out of the painting, and instantly entered the glowing red yellow talisman. As if nourished by soul power, the talisman trembled, seemingly dancing joyfully.

The scroll, meanwhile, became empty. There was nothing in the place where the figure had been, as if he had never been on the painting.

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun's expressions changed. They, of course, knew what had happened: in almost the blink of an eye, a soul had been devoured just like that.

Then Wang Youjun pointed at Yan Xuehen's portrait and said he wanted to find her whereabouts. The talisman flew into the sky, buzzing as it circled around, then stopped, emitting a red light that shot towards the northwest. Then the red light receded, and it returned to normal, settling back into his hand.

Wang Youjun nodded. "That Miss Yan is in the northwest, roughly tens of thousands of miles away. Hmm, that area is the territory of the Adventurers' Guild headquarters. You can go there and ask around when you arrive."

Yun Jianyue said in a deep voice, "Is this all it can do? The northwest direction is so vast. How can we find our companions?"

Xie Daoyun was also somewhat dissatisfied. After so much effort, getting such rough information felt truly not worth it.

"Don't worry," Wang Youjun replied, "I'll give you a few disposable imitation talismans then. Use one every thousand *li*, and each time it will guide you to a new direction. After a few uses, you'll be able to determine the approximate range of your target. Given your abilities, finding the person afterward won't be difficult for you."

"Do your imitation talismans also require devouring souls to activate?" Xie Daoyun asked, her expression displeased. She was from a proper, righteous background, and the talisman just now seemed practically an evil artifact.

"No, they don't," Wang Youjun replied. "And their power is not as strong as the original. Those imitations are destroyed after one use and can only guide within a range of about a thousand *li* each time."

Xie Daoyun's expression eased slightly. Looking at the special talisman in his palm, she couldn't help but ask, "I remember Second Young Master mentioning that talismans don't require energy. Why does your talisman need to absorb human souls to work?"

"That second son of mine spends all his time chasing women; how would he know such things?" Wang Youjun said with a look of disappointment. "Who said talismans don't require energy? Talismans and Zhaijiao – why are Zhaijiao listed alongside talismans?"

"In the mortal world, emperors and generals often offer various animals in sacrifice to beg for blessings and protection from heaven or certain mysterious entities. Our Divine Firmament Sect, however, practices fasting and purification, offering vegetarian dishes and fruits to the entities behind those talismans. These daily offerings serve as the talismans' energy. The more devout the offerings and the more the Zhaijiao aligns with the wishes of those entities, the better the effect of the talismans."

"So that's how it is!" After listening to his explanation, Xie Daoyun suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment, increasingly sensing the mystery of talisman arts in this world.

"My talisman is quite special; it likes the power of souls," Wang Youjun said with a hint of pride. "For one of high rank, the requirements are naturally higher." With a clench of his hand, the yellow talisman disappeared.

Yun Jianyue muttered to herself, "This talisman must be from the evil alignment, right?"

"May I ask what exactly you need our help with, and please state any potential dangers beforehand."

"Mainly, we need Miss Xie's help to break some tricky defensive formations," Wang Youjun said with a smile. "As for other monsters and demons, our Wang family will handle them. And as for danger, with me and other Wang family experts present, and Miss Yun assisting nearby, I believe Miss Xie won't encounter any danger."

Feeling the disdain in his tone, Yun Jianyue thought he had a point; with the two of them allied with the Wang family, they shouldn't encounter too much trouble no matter what they faced. Her only fear was that the Wang family itself might be the danger...

But given the situation, she couldn't worry about that much anymore. "When do we depart?"

"Everything else is ready," Wang Youjun replied. "We've been waiting for a formation prodigy, and now that the conditions are favorable, I'll give the order; we'll depart in one hour." He took out another talisman, gently tapped it, and soon an invisible ripple enveloped the entire Wang Family Estate.