Chapter Sixteen: The Thousand-Crane Talisman

When Yuanmu saw Yuansen take out that talisman, he finally nodded in relief. He beckoned over Ying, who was still standing aside, silently criticizing her boss, and said, “Miss Ying, could we trouble you to guard us for a moment?”

Ying looked puzzled. “Guard you?”

“Yes, my brother and I need to perform a spell, and we can’t be interrupted. We hope you’ll protect us, just for a short while.” Yuanmu’s response was calm, his composure and his brother’s at odds with men who had just lost a loved one. Did they not care deeply for their brother?

Impossible—just moments ago, they’d looked utterly dejected.

Ying looked more closely, and suddenly the phrase “facing death with equanimity” came to mind. Her gaze shifted downward, and when she saw the large talisman in Yuansen’s hand, her eyes widened. “Is that...”

“You’re right, it’s the Thousand Crane Talisman.” Yuanmu, seeing that Ying recognized it, decided to explain.

Ying was shaken.

The Thousand Crane Talisman—cultivators called it the Ascendant Talisman, while immortals revered it as the Heaven-defying Talisman!

Its most prized function was to dramatically accelerate the recovery and absorption of spiritual energy for those who carried it. Among the three brothers, only the youngest, Yuansen, had relatively weak cultivation, so they’d decided he should carry the talisman, to boost his cultivation and increase his chances in the tribulation.

Yet, if that were all, it would not be worthy of being called the Heaven-defying Talisman.

Cranes are known for their intelligence, and the Thousand Crane Talisman was forged from the essence of a thousand immortal cranes.

In the immortal realm, these cranes were as renowned as the Treasure-seeking Mouse—both were equally rare and precious.

The difference was, the Treasure-seeking Mouse could provide material treasures, while the Thousand Immortal Cranes bestowed internal ones—a far greater temptation for cultivators.

A single Thousand Immortal Crane, a mid-level immortal beast, possessed power on par with a late-stage immortal.

One day, as a Thousand Immortal Crane was sunning itself, the three brothers encountered it. Overcome with excitement, they ignored the perils of their tribulation and tried to capture the crane.

Despite the crane’s lack of magical attacks, they underestimated its strength and were soundly defeated—their treasures and flying swords destroyed. If not for Gu Linglong, who happened to be passing by to assume her official position and intervened at the critical moment, the brothers would have perished beneath the crane’s beak and wings.

With their combined strength, the four finally brought the crane down, though only after exhausting themselves.

The three brothers were deeply impressed by Gu Linglong’s character. Had any other immortal witnessed their plight, they would likely have stood by or waited to pick up the spoils after the brothers fell.

From that day on, the brothers followed Gu Linglong faithfully. When they learned she was going to battle, they did not hesitate to join her, regardless of the danger.

The City Lord’s virtue was beyond reproach!

But they had not anticipated the battle would be so brutal. Their second brother, Yuanlin, had his nascent soul destroyed, with no hope of survival. The others were locked in desperate combat. The two remaining brothers knew that, at their level, stepping forward would only mean pointless death. Thus, they decided to use the talisman to help their comrades escape.

Whoever could escape, so be it—they only hoped their lord would survive. Yuanmu prayed silently.

He nodded resolutely to Ying and Yuansen and began the Heaven-defying ritual.

The Thousand Crane Talisman’s other critical power, besides enhancing cultivation, was the transfer of spiritual energy.

Cranes are intelligent—and immortal cranes, even more so.

The talisman, refined from the very essence of a thousand immortal cranes, could absorb one person’s spiritual power completely and transfer it to another.

Of course, the caster and recipient had to be blood relatives. For brothers born together like Yuanmu and his siblings, it was ideal. The beneficiary would gain immense power, but the caster would lose all cultivation, never to cultivate again.

It could raise an ordinary cultivator to the level of an immortal in an instant.

This was why it was called the Ascendant Talisman, and why immortals called it the Heaven-defying Talisman.

But to ascend in a single step, one had to endure the tribulations of both the mortal and immortal realms.

Ying, observing the brothers, realized what they were about to do. She felt sorrow for them, but a quiet joy for Gu Linglong.

On the battlefield, the Six-winged Angel sensed the surge of spiritual pressure Yuansen was generating, its intensity rising rapidly. He was deeply alarmed.

These cultivators weren’t especially powerful, but they were all so fiercely resolute, each knowing some self-destructive spell. Even when attacked by someone much weaker, the resulting explosions were hard to withstand.

Damn it, this is cheating, the Six-winged Angel thought bitterly. Who fights like this?

In no time, half of Yuansen’s spiritual power had already flowed into the Thousand Crane Talisman.

The Six-winged Angel was terrified. He dreaded these people might be crafting something else that could explode. He wanted to rush over and stop them, but a beautiful woman was pressing in relentlessly, forcing him into a desperate defense.

Frustrated, the Six-winged Angel struck Gu Linglong away with a fierce blow. Before she could attack again, he shouted, “Hurry, a few of you, stop that man!”

Several angels immediately broke from battle to head for Yuansen and his group.

Ying grew anxious—her own cultivation was only at the Soul Division stage, and with so many enemies coming, she was no match for them. But she could not interrupt the brothers, so she gritted her teeth and stood firm.

As the angels closed in, a severely wounded cultivator charged into their midst and self-destructed his nascent soul, obliterating several angels instantly.

Most cultivators did not understand what Yuanmu and his brother were attempting, but those close to them quickly realized. With a sigh, they broke off from the fight to shield the brothers, others following suit.

For a moment, the angels were left bewildered. These men had just been fighting to the death—why were they now protecting someone else?

“Damn it, hurry up!” The Six-winged Angel could feel the spiritual pressure swelling to an unimaginable degree. He shouted, filled with unease, though he didn't know exactly what was happening—only that he sensed a looming catastrophe.

It was a feeling he trusted—a feeling of doom, one that sent a shiver down his spine.