Chapter 57

(For the three newly born alliance leaders, an additional chapter is added)

In the clans and sects, talisman weapons can be forged.

The scale horses, bronze chariots, giant crossbows, and the armor worn by the Canglan warriors, all bear mystic talisman inscriptions that can harness the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, endowing them with various extraordinary abilities. These can all be considered talisman weapons and armor forged by the clans, which are exceptionally powerful and far surpass ordinary weapons and armor.

However, apart from the relatively simple mystic talisman inscriptions on the front and back of the Heavenly Gang talisman coins, the mystic talisman inscriptions and secret scripts on the scale horses, bronze chariots, giant crossbows, and talisman armor are extremely profound and complex, and cannot be identified by ordinary people.

Chen Xun, who had not had the opportunity to closely examine talisman weapons before, except for the two Heavenly Gang talisman coins he possessed, thought that this trial iron plaque could also be considered a rather extraordinary talisman weapon in Canglan City.

This trial iron plaque, when carried by the tribal descendants into Canglan City, not only allows them to become disciples of the academy but also serves as a seal of identity when carried with them, with various wondrous uses that will only be taught after entering the Canglan Academy.

Just this trial iron plaque alone is worth the tribes fighting over.

Chen Xun gathered his thoughts, handed the trial iron plaque to Zong Ya to keep close, and saw that the menacing gazes around him had shifted from him to Zong Ya, as if they wished to tear Zong Ya apart on the spot.

Zong Ya was also unafraid, his right arm resting on the black-sheathed long sword at his waist, calmly looking at the people around him with ill intentions.

After the harsh winter, although Zong Ya's left arm had been bitten off at the elbow by a wolf and could not be repaired, his mind had truly matured. From his resolute and steady face, it was hard to see any trace of the naivety of a fifteen-year-old.

Chen Xun smiled inwardly, and from the expressions of the people around him, he knew that only a very few could truly sense the residual soul of the wild beast within the trial iron plaque. But even these few would be their main opponents on this journey, with cultivation levels mostly at the peak of the sixth level of the Savage Martial stage.

Indeed, only after reaching the peak of the sixth level of the Savage Martial stage would the savage soul begin to develop a thread of consciousness.

According to the rules, once they leave the Tianma Lake fort, the trial begins.

The tribal descendants participating in the trial must set out on their journey to Canglan before the dawn covers the land the next morning. All the Savage Martial warriors escorting the tribal descendants to the Tianma Lake fort for the trial must remain for three days before they are allowed to leave.

Tribal descendants were gradually leaving the fort, disappearing into the mountains and forests.

It was still dusk, and if Chen Xun and his group were to leave the fort with the trial iron plaque, they would surely become targets. The tribal descendants from Heishan and others who had obtained the trial iron plaque, like Chen Xun, were sitting on the parade ground, quietly waiting for night to fall.

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To avoid drawing attention, Chen Xun no longer spoke much to his grandfather Zong Tu and the others. He sat cross-legged on the mud ground of the parade ground, closing his eyes to focus his mind.

In the extreme silence, his soul sea suddenly opened, and the spiritual senses he emitted clearly perceived the locations of the other four trial iron plaques, like bright stars in the dark, silent night.

Although his spiritual senses could only detect faint auras up to six hundred meters away, the residual souls of the wild beasts confined in the trial iron plaques were so fierce that he could sense them even from ten to twenty miles away.

If he could sense the trial iron plaques in others' possession, others could certainly sense the trial iron plaque in Zong Ya's possession.

Chen Xun, with his eyes closed, could clearly sense the dozens of menacing gazes.

With some time before nightfall, Chen Xun, having nothing else to do, asked Zong Ya to show him the trial iron plaque, holding it in his hand and examining it carefully.

The mystic talisman inscriptions and secret scripts carved on the small seal were even more profound and complex.

Chen Xun examined it for a while, feeling dizzy and unable to identify them.

Chen Xun thought that no matter how profound and complex the mystic talisman inscriptions and secret scripts were, they were still within the scope of the laws of heaven and earth. He focused his mind, entered his soul sea, and tried to draw the blood and qi to etch the extremely complex mystic talisman in his soul sea.

However, as soon as he started a few strokes, a few faint lines condensed in his soul sea, and he felt a great drain on his mind, with his spiritual senses on the verge of collapse.

Chen Xun quickly dispersed the few faint lines, recited the Dragon Binding Sutra, and the mystic bell sounds of the Dragon Binding Sutra rippled in his soul sea, stabilizing his mind on the verge of collapse.

Chen Xun recalled that Su Tang had said that the cultivation of spiritual senses was the foundation for using talisman weapons and spells, which was indeed true.

He had practiced the Dragon Binding Sutra for a short time, and his spiritual senses were only as fine as a thread. The profound mystic talisman on the trial iron plaque was far beyond his current ability to control.

Chen Xun, in front of everyone, hid the trial iron plaque in his own chest, took out a Heavenly Gang talisman coin, and sat cross-legged to meditate...

The mystic talisman inscribed on the Heavenly Gang talisman coin was much simpler, and he could form it in his soul sea by drawing a little divine essence from his blood and qi.

However, the formed mystic talisman was dim and lifeless, hanging in the empty soul sea like a dead object.

A savage soul could be released through the body and mind of a savage warrior, infused into fists, feet, and weapons, with great power.

How could the power of the mystic talisman be activated?

Chen Xun recited the Dragon Binding Sutra, and as the mystic bell sounds of the Dragon Binding Sutra rippled in his soul sea, the mystic talisman was shattered by the mysterious power of the Dragon Binding Sutra, scattering into countless tiny fragments that dispersed into his bones.

Chen Xun's blood and qi were now pure, and he could form ten mystic talismans in his soul sea without exhausting himself.

Even if the mystic talisman was shattered by the Dragon Binding Sutra and the divine essence scattered into his bones, it still had a refining effect. He repeatedly formed and shattered the mystic talisman.

After consuming a considerable amount of the Yuan-gathering ointment equivalent to several Black Python Pills, the mystic talisman Chen Xun etched in his soul sea became more solid. Although the mystic bell sounds of the Dragon Binding Sutra made it tremble and the light distorted, it did not shatter but hung precariously in his soul sea, subtly exerting a slight suction on his dormant spiritual senses.

Chen Xun realized that he had initially mastered this simplest mystic talisman and used the Dragon Binding Sutra to inject a bit of spiritual sense into it.

The mystic talisman immediately emitted a radiant light, shining brightly in his soul sea, and his mind seamlessly merged with it, making the entire mystic talisman in his soul sea come to life.

Chen Xun's spiritual senses were only as fine as a thread, and he did not know the corresponding incantation for the mystic talisman, so he could not yet master the corresponding talisman technique...

Chen Xun felt a bit regretful. Even if he mastered this mystic talisman, he could not use its power, and his combat strength had not been substantially enhanced on this journey.

Chen Xun sensed that the tribal descendants sitting around him were beginning to move, knowing that it was already dark and they were preparing to set out on their trial journey under the cover of night. He also decided to stop meditating, pack up with Zong Ya, and prepare to set out.

However, as Chen Xun's mind was about to withdraw from his soul sea, the radiant mystic talisman did not scatter into tiny fragments and disperse into his bones as it usually did, but continued to shine brightly in his soul sea.

Chen Xun quickly understood that this was the difference between talisman techniques and the cultivation of savage souls.

Savage warriors cultivate savage souls, and their bodies cannot store true essence. They rely entirely on pure blood and qi and a strong physical body. When fighting, they instantly visualize the savage soul and instantly use savage soul combat techniques.

Without the consumption of spiritual medicines, once the blood and divine essence are exhausted, their combat strength is completely depleted and cannot be sustained.

The mystic talisman, however, can remain unextinguished in the soul sea. In practice, during regular cultivation, the blood and divine essence can be stored in the soul sea in the form of mystic talisman true essence.

The more powerful the mystic talisman, the more abundant the divine essence and true essence it can store. Even without spiritual medicines, relying on the accumulated cultivation, they can exert double or even multiple times the combat strength when fighting.

Chen Xun opened his eyes, and although his mind was no longer in his soul sea, he could still sense the mystic talisman existing in his soul sea, unextinguished.

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The sky was now dark, with rolling clouds. Only the pine resin torches were crackling and burning brightly, illuminating the parade ground.

Ge Yi stood on the tower, watching Chen Xun and his group pack up and prepare to leave the Tianma Lake fort.

"Thirteenth Young Master's chosen youth is indeed extraordinary. I didn't expect him to refuse Thirteenth Young Master's favor and be determined to bind himself with the Black Python tribe. Will Thirteenth Young Master be a bit hurt when he finds out?" Lou Li, with fingers as delicate as green onions, laughed casually beside Ge Yi.

Ge Yi had long known that Chen Xun was not cultivating the Black Python's Nine Nether Savage Soul, but when he saw Chen Xun stop meditating and stand up, with a faint mystic cold aura still emanating from his body, he was secretly alarmed. With his knowledge, he did not know what Chen Xun's "family-transmitted mystic technique" was, but he could see its extraordinary nature.

A youth of only thirteen or fourteen years old to have such pure cultivation was truly remarkable. Even among the direct descendants of the Su clan, few could achieve this.

However, Lou Li's words were very grating to Ge Yi, who sternly said, "The Black Python tribe has taken him in. If he were to abandon the Black Python tribe and save himself, even if he could enter the academy, I doubt Thirteenth Young Master would like it..."

Hearing the subtle hostility in Ge Yi's words, Lou Li smiled and said, "Oh, is that so?"

Seeing Lou Li, with a man's face, imitating a woman's coquettish smile, Ge Yi felt disgust. Although he was not afraid of Lou Li, he did not need to offend him, so he said, "I will accompany the tribal descendants south. Everything here in Tianma Lake will be left to you, Commander..."

"That's easy. For the sake of Canglan, Lou Li will certainly be diligent," Lou Li said with a smile.

Ge Yi did not say anything more. When the last batch of tribal descendants participating in the trial left the Tianma Lake fort and disappeared into the night, he and his attendants led out the scale horses and slowly rode into the night...

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