Chapter 76: Afraid of the Soul‑Settling Talisman? A Sky‑Full of Talisman Rain!

Xiao Zhangqing arrived at the gate and finally saw clearly, under the faint moonlight, what kind of monster was standing in his own courtyard.

It was wrapped in black mist, like a demon emerging from the abyss; its face was pallid, without any blood color, its jet‑black eyes shone with inhuman brilliance, only boundless ferocity and brutality, making anyone who meets its gaze be haunted by nightmares.

But when it looked at him, a strange smile slowly spread across its face, as if it had seen a delicious prey.

"Not even in the Foundation Establishment Realm?" Mu Renjie stared at Xiao Zhangqing with his coal‑black eyes, his voice dripping with evil intent: "Yet a Qi Refining Realm cultivator possesses such a powerful soul, rare indeed. I suppose ingesting it would have a special flavor."

Xiao Zhangqing finally understood why this person suddenly shifted his target, abandoning the hunt for the mysterious Foundation Establishment and turning to him.

It was because his Soul Transformation was so strong!

Had he known, he would have removed the Imprisoned Dragon Bracelet today! Xiao Zhangqing regretted deeply.

The Imprisoned Dragon Bracelet, thanks to the effect of a Superior Water Spirit Root, had become Xiao Zhangqing's permanent equipment, almost never taken off.

And possessing a Superior Water Spirit Root doubles the Soul Transformation's strength.

Originally, Xiao Zhangqing's Soul Transformation at the ninth layer of Qi Refining was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary Qi Refining Grand Perfection cultivator, reaching a radius of fifteen zhang.

After the Imprisoned Dragon Bracelet's doubling, it directly reached thirty zhang! Even a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator would be considered above average!

But now, regret is useless, pleading is useless.

Even if Xiao Zhangqing summoned Mu Chunfeng, it would probably have no effect! The bizarre Mu family patriarch before him treated him as "food", madly intent on devouring his soul! The only option was a life‑or‑death gamble! As his thoughts turned, a Second‑rank Talisman Script from his storage bag materialized in his hand, mana flowing. While Mu Renjie was still probing him with amused interest, Xiao Zhangqing struck first, activating two Second‑rank Attack Talisman Scripts, which, guided by his divine sense, turned into thunder and sword qi, attacking Mu Renjie from left and right.

At the same time, a Second‑rank Defensive Talisman Script was activated, forming a golden shield around Xiao Zhangqing.

Since the opponent's killing intent was set, he could not spare Xiao Zhangqing, so Xiao Zhangqing naturally would not retrieve the Imprisoned Dragon Bracelet from his inventory now.

A Soul Transformation comparable to a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, while wielding three Second‑rank Talisman Scripts, was no problem.

Snort! Snort! The two Second‑rank Talisman Script attacks landed on the black mist, like a mud cow entering the sea; the briefly stirred bubbles were silently extinguished.

Xiao Zhangqing felt a chill in his heart.

Indeed, a second‑rank inferior Attack Talisman Script could do little against the rumored Mu Renjie, whose strength rivals late Foundation Establishment.

Moreover, Mu Renjie now seemed far more terrifying than usual! Yet Xiao Zhangqing did not give up; clenching his teeth, he forced out five more Second‑rank Attack Talisman Scripts, hurling them at Mu Renjie as if money were being tossed.

"So many Second‑rank Talisman Scripts?" Mu Renjie swung his arm, casually deflecting each script, a mocking grin on his face: "I know who you are. The genius Symbol Master of Nanshan Fang, Xiao Zhangqing, right? Your Soul Transformation is strong, and you have so many Second‑rank Talisman Scripts. Does that mean you have secretly advanced to Second‑rank Symbol Master? Unfortunately, no matter how many Second‑rank Talisman Scripts you have, they're useless to me. Prepare to meet death… huh? What's this script?"

Originally Mu Renjie's face bore a teasing smile, cackling like a cat toying with a mouse, about to play Xiao Zhangqing for his amusement.

But before he could finish his sentence, as he was about to nonchalantly block another Second‑rank Talisman Script—

—the energy released by that script was not the usual thunder, fire, water, sword force, but an invisible power targeting the soul!

When the black mist enveloped that energy, Mu Renjie thought it would still be easily extinguished.

Yet the black mist, as if meeting its natural enemy, swiftly contracted.

Boom! The intangible soul‑path force spread toward Mu Renjie; even though he cloaked himself in black mist, it was of no help.

"Ah…"

Mu Renjie cried out in pain, the blackness in his eyes receded in an instant, and countless hidden demons within the black mist dissipated.

"This is… a Soul‑Settling Talisman!" Xiao Zhangqing, who had been on the brink of despair, widened his eyes, exclaiming with surprise: "Can the Soul‑Settling Talisman suppress him?"

He had unintentionally set a willow that grew into shade.

Facing Mu Renjie's overwhelming pressure, step by step, even if he decided to gamble with his life, he would be flustered, randomly pulling Second‑rank Talisman Scripts from his storage bag and smashing them, never expecting they could truly suppress Mu Renjie.

And

According to what Ruan Qingzhu and Zhu Youlong had said before, the Soul‑Settling Talisman only works against ghosts and evil spirits; against cultivators or Evil Cultivators, its killing power is weak, not as effective as most attack‑type scripts.

So why can the Soul‑Settling Talisman now suppress Mu Renjie? Could his current state be due to evil spirits?

"If that's the case, I'll be treating you to a big feast today!"

Xiao Zhangqing, whose confidence had been fading, suddenly felt invigorated, his eyes bright.

His current script stock isn't large, but the most he has are Soul‑Settling Talismans and Demon‑breaking Talismans! "I will make you die in excruciating pain!"

After Mu Renjie's horrid scream, even his internal Nether Saint Stone was sacrificed, finally quelling the damage caused by the Soul‑Settling Talisman!

This further weakened his already depleted aura after the clash with Gong Wansheng, making his temperament even more diminished. He dropped the mocking demeanor, intending to use the most cruel method to torment Xiao Zhangqing.

Rolling black mist, like countless armies, carried innumerable demons, lunging at Xiao Zhangqing.

In Xiao Zhangqing's hand appeared three more Soul‑Settling Talismans, all Second‑rank!

Muttering incantations, mana surged; under Xiao Zhangqing's control, the Second‑rank Soul‑Settling Talismans fired consecutively at the attacking black mist.

"Ah… why do you have so many Second‑rank Soul‑Settling Talismans?"

When the Soul‑Settling Talisman fell into the black mist, it was like a red‑hot branding iron pressed to skin, instantly sizzling, the black mist continuously dissipated, and Mu Renjie's aura was steadily erased.

The intangible soul‑path force fell like mountains, crushing Mu Renjie! Even the Nether Saint Stone fused within his body was forced out, trembling constantly under the Soul‑Settling Talisman's power.

Mu Renjie clasped his head with both hands, wailing in agony, as if a new brain were emerging; the black mist on his body was repeatedly drawn away and re‑covered, a constant tug of war.

The Nether Saint Stone's power kept weakening, and Mu Renjie's gaze gradually cleared.

Buzz! With a resonant shock, Mu Renjie's coal‑black eyes faded, revealing his original expression, though filled with pain; his complexion regained some blood color, albeit twisted.

Because Mu Renjie regained clarity, yet he could not control himself, becoming like a puppet, completely manipulated.

The one manipulating him was the Nether Saint Stone he had relied on.

He had indeed refined it early on, and after repeatedly devouring the souls of Foundation Establishment cultivators and a great battle with Gong Wansheng, he merged the Nether Saint Stone…

—but the result was entirely different from his expectation.

It wasn't he who refined the Nether Saint Stone; it was the Nether Saint Stone that refined him! Not the stone merging into him, but him merging into the stone! The order was reversed!

His true nature was suppressed, lost, even annihilated.

If he truly became the Nascent Soul cultivator he pursued, fulfilling his wish, it would be as if Mu Renjie never existed in the world.

In his place would be a being neither man nor ghost, a puppet steeped in evil and brutality, tainted by ominous evil spirits! At this moment, under the effect of four Second‑rank Soul‑Settling Talismans, the Nether Saint Stone's wickedness and strangeness were temporarily restrained, allowing Mu Renjie's true nature to surface.

But he could do nothing; his mouth moved uncontrollably, emitting a mechanical, cold, high‑pitched sound like a whimpering cry.

"You've used up all your Second‑rank Soul‑Settling Talismans, right? If you have the guts, bring out more!"

"Mu Renjie" emitted a voice not his own, slowly stepping toward Xiao Zhangqing.

Now his condition is terrible, being afflicted by as many as four Second‑rank Stabilizing Talismans that almost cannot suppress Mu Renjie's own personality, and the malevolent spirit power is about to be shattered.

Even if he devoured Xiao Zhangqing today, he will need a long recovery before returning to his peak, and must now bide his time in seclusion for a while.

No matter what, even without using the evil spirit's power, seizing a cultivator at the Qi Refining Realm is as easy as turning one's hand!

As long as Xiao Zhangqing has no more Stabilizing Talismans in his hand, that's all that matters!

He thinks Xiao Zhangqing must have exhausted all his tricks.

Even if Xiao Zhangqing secretly advanced to Second‑rank Talisman Master and could draw Second‑rank Talisman Scripts himself, in a place like Nanshan Fang, first the materials for Second‑rank Talisman Scripts are hard to purchase, and second, even a Symbol Master would not absurdly keep dozens of scripts on his person; they are sold right after being drawn.

Having a dozen or so is enough.

Stabilizing Talismans are a niche variety among Talisman Scripts, rarely used in everyday situations.

Xiao Zhangqing has four Second‑rank Stabilizing Talismans on him, which is already a rare case, unlikely he has any stock left.

Mu Renjie barely manipulates the Nether Saint Stone, enduring the tearing of his Soul Transformation and weakness, gathering his last remaining power; the black mist noticeably thins, turning into a snarling evil ghost that lunges at Xiao Zhangqing again.

"Who told you I have no Stabilizing Talismans anymore?"

In Mu Renjie's bewildered expression, Stabilizing Talismans and Demon‑breaking Talismans appeared in Xiao Zhangqing's both hands.

The quantity is too great to count by sheets; it's two thick piles!

Without hesitation, under the pull of magical power and divine awareness, the two piles of Talisman Scripts rained down like droplets, engulfing Mu Renjie.

"Damn!"

The eerie, plaintive whine that sounds like crying and pleading under the endless rain of talismans now seems less terrifying.

(End of chapter)