Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 574 - 569: The Dead Revived? Tracing Bizarre Talisman_1
"I’m just passing by, Junior Brother; don’t misunderstand."
Jia Ren recalled that his status within the Sect was that of a deceased person, dead for over two hundred years. It was only logical for the Sect to reclaim his Cave.
The fact that this person chose such a secluded place and was full of vigilance upon seeing me likely means he has a secret.
Having more pressing matters at hand, I have no desire to pry into others’ secrets and should leave quickly.
Yao Chaoyuan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Jia Ren leave.
He returned to his Cave, where his fingers transformed into countless fine roots that burrowed into the ground beneath the Lingbao Sect...
Jia Ren then visited the Caves of his Seventh Senior Brother Qing Ge and Second Senior Brother Zong Wu, but found them empty.
It’s highly probable that several of my senior brothers are out searching for Master.
I hope nothing untoward has occurred... If Ancestor Ji Kong has been possessed by the True Dragon Evil, what could my senior brothers do even if they find him? They have absolutely no strength to fight against it.
"Senior Brother Zhen, let’s talk in private."
Just then, Ma Tianbao flew over from the direction of the great hall, heading straight toward Jia Ren.
Jia Ren nodded and did not refuse.
Ma Tianbao was nominally the adopted son of Ancestor Ji Kong, and their relationship went beyond that of an ordinary disciple. This is an opportunity to learn more.
The two of them ended up at Ma Zhongyuan’s Cave.
"Brother Jia, I never thought I’d have the chance to see you again in this lifetime."
Ma Zhongyuan stood at the entrance of his Cave, waiting. Upon seeing his son and a man with an unfamiliar face, he paused briefly before smiling and greeting them.
As the three entered the Cave, Ma Zhongyuan looked at Jia Ren with a mix of emotions.
The Lingbao Sect was in turmoil, and its eradication seemed imminent; I had expected to go down with the Sect.
However, the Sealed Land had broken open, and not long after, the Xuantiandao Sect and Beyond the Heavens both retreated. Without strong external enemies, many first-rate and top-notch sects came to the Lingbao Sect, requesting assistance in crafting Evil-Warding Treasure. Thus, the Sect began to flourish again.
If we can seize this opportunity, the Lingbao Sect, by capitalizing on the crisis of the Bizarre Demons, could easily birth a Mahayana Stage Cultivator and resume its peak stature.
"I didn’t think I’d be able to return to the Sect so soon and meet old friends again; indeed, it’s an auspicious event."
The group talked and exchanged news. There hadn’t been much change in the Lingbao Sect, and their lives hadn’t altered much from before. Ma Tianbao and Ma Zhongyuan were very interested in the affairs of the Source Treasure Cave Heaven, knowing that it was rich in nature’s spiritual energy and abundant in treasures, which naturally aroused their envy. Their conversation stretched into the night, without any sense of the detachment that usually comes from centuries of separation.
"Has Ancestor Ji Kong shown any anomalies?" Jia Ren hadn’t forgotten his primary purpose and posed the question. "When he injured fellow Sect cultivators, did any Dragon Evil Qi appear?"
Ma Tianbao’s expression turned complex as he murmured, "My foster father went out to destroy the Xuantiandao Sect’s base and returned severely weakened.
"After recovering from his injuries, he headed straight for the treasure vault. The Sect Master believed he was looking for elixirs to heal himself; he had made great contributions to the Sect and could come and go as he pleased.
"Unexpectedly, my foster father fled with the Azure Dragon Giant Beast Treasure Formation, claiming that with this item, he could solve the crisis of the Lingbao Sect.
"The Sect Master and the Elders realized something was off with Ancestor Ji Kong. When the Seventh Elder stepped forward to stop him, my foster father transformed into an Evil Dragon, injured him, and used his yet-to-be-sealed Identity Token to escape the Sect."
Ma Tianbao was privy to a lot of information, and he narrated the events in detail.
An Evil Dragon form? This indirectly verified my speculation that Ancestor Ji Kong’s anomaly was indeed related to the True Dragon Evil. Unexpectedly, Master has been possessed by the True Dragon Evil. I wonder whether it’s possession or symbiosis. If it’s possession, then Master will undoubtedly die, and Ancestor Ji Kong’s Divine Soul will be completely extinguished. If it’s symbiosis, there’s still a glimmer of hope. As long as the parasitic True Dragon Evil can be dealt with, there’s a chance for Ancestor Ji Kong to return to his former self.
"Does the Lingbao Sect have any news of Ancestor Ji Kong?"
Ancestor Ji Kong and the Azure Dragon Giant Beast Treasure Formation are extraordinary. An Elder injuring disciples of his own Sect and fleeing with a treasure is no minor matter.
Ma Tianbao shook his head and said, "The Lingbao Sect, having been sandwiched between the Xuantiandao Sect and Beyond the Heavens, was stretched too thin to afford sending out cultivators to look for him.
"After the Xuantiandao Sect and Beyond the Heavens retreated, my senior brothers went out to look for our foster father. I’m not clear on their whereabouts."
"Thank you for the reminder."
Jia Ren stayed in Ma Zhongyuan’s Cave for a while before leaving for the area with the Teleportation Array.
"I’m heading to the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm."
The Jiao Dragon Secret Realm had officially opened a hundred years prior, becoming a place for Lingbao Sect Cultivators to train. The whereabouts of the True Dragon Evil are unknown, but the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm indeed holds the greatest suspicion. My senior brothers probably made it their first destination. I might even encounter Zhuo Chengdao and a few of my senior brothers there.
A new Identity Token was handed over. The person hesitated for a moment, as if receiving some instruction, before finally activating the Teleportation Array.
Jia Ren disappeared with the Transmission Light. Tian Lingzi and Ma Tianbao appeared, both fixedly watching the fading figure.
"Let him go!"
"Without Ancestor Ji Kong, his heart will not remain with the Sect."
「The Transmission Light vanished, and a new figure appeared in the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm.」
I hadn’t expected to re-enter the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm one day.
Upon his arrival, he used a preserved Sound Transmission Talisman to contact Zhuo Chengdao.
The Sound Transmission Talisman flew about erratically; perhaps the distance to my senior brother is too great, or he isn’t in the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm at all.
He transformed into an Escape Light, swiftly flying through the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm. There are not many Magical Beasts within the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm; some areas are even protected by Formations, seemingly indicative of the Lingbao Sect’s intent to shield the young Flood Dragons.
As he flew, he spotted a gigantic die soaring through the sky in the distance. The one wielding the Fortune Dice Spiritual Treasure was Senior Brother Zong Wu, whose Realm had reached the Early-stage of Void Refinement. He seems to be looking for something.
"Second Senior Brother!"
Zong Wu was taken aback. Looking toward the source of the voice, he saw an unfamiliar cultivator speaking to him. He was perplexed and did not recognize the person.
Jia Ren’s appearance shifted, changing back to his true form.
"Who are you?! Why are you impersonating my Junior Brother!"
Zong Wu was not pleased but instead alarmed, looking as if he was facing a great enemy. The Fortune Dice absorbed Spirit Stones, flashing with brilliant light as its power was fully unleashed. This Spiritual Treasure could not only enhance fortune but also consume Spirit Stones to amplify its power—its effect remarkably similar to Wang Fugui’s ’Wealth Connects to Divinity’ Treasure Coins.
"You think to use the Spiritual Treasure I created for you against me?!" Jia Ren said with a smile, his expression indifferent.
"Is it really Junior Brother Jia? Impossible! The Sect declared that you died from a cultivation deviation, and I, along with Master, personally cremated your body and buried you."
Zong Wu, having heard Jia Ren’s words, was still half in doubt. The shock of someone coming back to life was too great, and he couldn’t calm down for a long time.
Hearing this, Jia Ren’s face took on a peculiar expression. If I entered Xiao Mang Mountain, could I still find my own grave? The Lingbao Sect really prepared everything for our feigned deaths...
"My identity is related to a Sect secret, please keep it confidential."
"Are you looking for Master? Do you have any news of Master’s and Senior Brother Zhuo’s whereabouts?" Jia Ren didn’t waste time with explanations.
The Spirit Treasures Fire-Seeds Plan is still in progress, and unless absolutely necessary, I can’t reveal any information about it.
Zong Wu sighed and muttered, "Senior Brother Zhuo left the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm half a month ago. Only I remain here, persisting in the search.
"So far, I’ve found nothing."
Jia Ren seemed to think of something and couldn’t help asking, "Senior Brother, do you know where the True Dragon Evil resides?
"I have a way to find Master."
Indeed, I have thought of a method. However, it’s not the power of a normal cultivator, but rather a Bizarre power. On the eighth floor of the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower, the fused Tracking Shadow Bizarre—formed from the Shadow Bizarre and Tracing Bizarre—is sealed. I used the fusion of Bizarre Demons to research and create the Tracing Bizarre Talisman, which can be used to find people. This object involves Bizarre power, and I haven’t used it since entering the Mysterious Realm.
Upon hearing this, Zong Wu’s spirit was uplifted, and he quickly said, "I’ve been wandering through the Jiao Dragon Secret Realm for a long time, and there’s a place with a Formation that has Evil Qi leaking from it. I’ll take you there."
The two flew using Escape Light, with Zong Wu leading the way to a site where Evil Qi was rampant. The location of the Evil Qi had a sealing Formation that had been in place for hundreds of years. Without timely maintenance, it was inevitable that Evil Qi would leak.
"This is indeed True Dragon Evil!"
I’ve clashed with the True Dragon Evil before, so it’s easy to recognize its Evil Qi. The Sect must have deliberately preserved this place, perhaps wanting to save it for a day when it might be useful.
I don’t want to completely destroy the Formation, so I’ll opt for a gentler method.
"Ban-Breaking Finger!"
Jia Ren’s fingertips flickered with a ghostly light, touching point by point on the Formation’s foundation. One by one, key Formation Bases failed, revealing an entrance about thirty feet high.
Inside was a dark cave, where countless streams of azure-black Evil Qi moved about, coalescing into vague dragon shadows. The Heavenly Fire God Cover and the Fortune Dice lit up, resisting the corrosion of the True Dragon Evil Qi as the two stepped into the Cave.
The True Evil Qi isn’t very dense. Without the True Dragon Evil itself and the remains of the Azure Dragon, not many lesser True Dragon Evils could have been born from this land transformed by the True Dragon Evil.
No one had visited this place for a long time, and scattered bones remained inside the Cave. The majority of the Azure Dragon remains have exhausted their Spiritual Power and are worthless; otherwise, they wouldn’t have remained until today.
Jia Ren picked up a few Azure Dragon bones and collected some strands of True Dragon Evil Qi, finally using them to craft a unique medicinal plant that bore dragon-shaped fruits.
The True Dragon Evil Spirit Fruit! This must be why the Lingbao Sect preserved this place!
He glanced at the immature Spirit Fruit and had no intention of taking it.
"It’s time to leave, Senior Brother Zong Wu!"
Zong Wu followed behind. Several times he seemed about to speak, but then held back. After hundreds of years, the two had become quite estranged.
"Senior Brother Zong Wu, you go back and wait quietly for news. I’ll take care of finding Master."
The Tracing Bizarre Talisman is my secret and cannot be revealed, so it’s inconvenient to let Senior Brother Zong Wu know.
"I am your Senior Brother; it’s my responsibility to look for Master, isn’t it?"
"Do you think that just because you’ve reached the Lianxu Stage, you no longer need to regard your Senior Brother?" Senior Brother Zong Wu’s face turned ugly, his eyes flashing with anger.
"This is my unique method, and I have ways to conceal my identity. If you come with me, we will certainly expose our whereabouts.
"Master is likely possessed by the True Dragon Evil.
"If you act with me, you’ll only tip off the enemy, missing this hard-to-come-by opportunity."
Of course, I left one thing unsaid. With the True Dragon Evil empowered by the Azure Dragon Giant Beast Treasure Formation, even if it doesn’t have enough Spiritual Treasures to unleash the full power of the Formation, I’m likely not its match. First, I need to determine whether Jikong is possessed or coexisting.
