Chapter 76: Mysterious Inner Landscape, Wu Ma Appears (Request Subscription)

Dark, faint mystic light arose in the shadowed chamber; within the True Martial Gate, one beholds the true self.

The instant viscous, stinking fleshy tendrils pierced Zhang Fan’s chest, a terrifying pressure erupted from within him—horrendous ripples surged like furious tidal waves, shaking the very soul.

“Impossible… the orthodox Daoist sect, the supreme talisman… that is a core secret… how could you possess it?!”

Shen Xiangrong’s twisted face grew even more grotesque, his bulging eyes filled with profound disbelief.

The art of talismans is touched by all Daoist sects, especially the Ten Great Daoist Mountains, who consolidate myriad talismans into one—similar to the [Mystic Mirror Sacred Scripture], yet they do so openly, as orthodox Daoist lineage, not this kind of aberrant filth.

That is the core talisman art of the Ten Great Mountains, the supreme secret talisman—like the ancestral master’s great law, never leaving the sect’s gates.

It is both shackle and key!!!

“Little ghost, who are you?” The aged face shrieked wildly, the massive fleshy mass quivering and contorting as if trying to retract the tendril.

Hum…

Zhang Fan would not let him succeed—he seized the tendril at once. The strange talisman markings, like nourishment, flowed through the tendril and seared into Zhang Fan’s body.

Boom…

In an instant, his Nascent Soul felt as if linked to a central server…

“This is…”

“Inner Landscape?!”

Shen Xiangrong and Shen Yinfeng’s Nascent Souls stared at the alien environment, their eyes brimming with shock.

Around them, darkness was formless and void—not a single glimmer of light could be seen, save for a faint, ethereal mirror-glow before them, offering only a glimpse.

That mirror-glow was the radiance of the [Mystic Mirror Sacred Scripture].

“Grandfather, is this the Nascent Soul’s Inner Landscape? That little ghost’s Inner Landscape?”

Shen Xiangrong’s face was covered in shock; facing the unfathomable darkness, he felt unprecedented terror—his Nascent Soul trembled instinctively.

“Impossible…”

Shen Yinfeng’s aged skin quivered involuntarily; faced with such an eerie Inner Landscape, a conclusion seemed to surge within him.

“Great Night Unlit?!”

“How could this be?!”

Shen Yinfeng and Shen Xiangrong exchanged glances, unable to believe it.

If a Nascent Soul enters Great Night Unlit, it is doomed to have no connection with cultivation—indistinguishable from mortal flesh—how could it possibly wield Daoist arts?! “Who exactly are you?” Shen Xiangrong murmured softly.

That day, he had barely glanced at Zhang Fan and paid him no mind—but now it seemed… the deepest secret hidden within the Shen family was this man.

“Whoever you are… if you block my Immortal ascension, you will die!”

Shen Yinfeng’s eyes flashed with ruthless intent—he thrust out his right hand and seized Shen Xiangrong’s Nascent Soul directly.

“Grandfather, what… what are you doing?”

“You will eventually merge with my Nascent Soul… now, offer yourself to the Shen family.”

As he spoke, Shen Yinfeng ignored Shen Xiangrong’s screams and shoved his Nascent Soul into the mirror-glow before him.

Boom…

Suddenly, the once-faint mirror-glow blazed fiercely—and from within leapt forth a colossal fleshy worm, its body covered in strange talisman markings like erupting veins, grotesque and terrifying.

This was the original talisman of the [Mystic Mirror Sacred Scripture].

At this moment, it appeared within Zhang Fan’s Nascent Soul Inner Landscape.

Roar…

The fat worm let out a deafening roar; the gale it stirred seemed ready to overturn the black night itself.

Crack… crack…

At that moment, a grating chewing sound erupted—the fat worm began devouring Zhang Fan’s Inner Landscape.

“Eat… eat… devour it all… even his Nascent Soul…”

Shen Yinfeng’s aged face trembled violently, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

His Nascent Soul had long fused with the original talisman—growing together, thriving together. Within this Inner Landscape, the original talisman could do as it pleased—just as he could.

“Little ghost, I don’t care who you are—today, you will perish utterly.” Shen Yinfeng spoke coldly.

Three generations of the Shen family had labored to forge this original talisman—he was utterly confident.

Roar…

At that moment, an alien roar echoed from the boundless darkness, causing Shen Yinfeng’s gaze to tremble.

He looked up—and heard the sound of rushing water. Then, under the dim mirror-glow, golden light surged and coalesced, forming a colossal entity as if crawling from the depths…

Turtle shell, round body, black serpent, dark abyss—both entwined as one.

“This… this is…”

Shen Yinfeng’s eyes bulged—he could not believe it.

The terrifying colossal entity stomped the ground the moment it emerged—the entire Nascent Soul Inner Landscape trembled…

“Turtle and Serpent Spirits… you… you have the True Martial Mountain’s Jade Tablet?!” Shen Yinfeng cried out in shock.

Boom…

The terrifying colossal entity took a step forward—and before it, the giant worm shrank to the size of a worm.

In the next instant, the colossal entity raised its leg and lightly stomped—crushing the giant worm into a puddle of flesh, pulverizing it into dust. The monstrous tongue had barely emerged, still mid-roar, when it vanished into nothingness.

“No… who are you…?”

Shen Yinfeng’s face turned ashen. The Shen family’s three generations of effort crumbled before the True Martial Jade Tablet’s power—like clay chickens and earthen dogs. His Nascent Soul had fused with the original talisman; now that it was shattered, he could not endure.

“Little ghost…”

Shen Yinfeng’s eyes bulged, staring into the formless darkness—as if trying to see Zhang Fan’s Nascent Soul.

“Father, one day I will surpass the Long Hu Zhang family.”

His father’s words still echoed in his ears—he had sat by his bedside, watching over him, seeing him through his final breath, vowing to strive for this goal his entire life.

“Long Hu…”

Boom…

Before Shen Yinfeng could finish speaking, his Nascent Soul dissolved entirely into nothingness.

Golden light surged—the colossal entity manifested by the True Martial Jade Tablet grew ever more real, fully appearing within Zhang Fan’s Inner Landscape.

Clank… clank… clank…

At that moment, a heavy chain-rattle erupted from the depths of darkness—a thick chain lashed out, seized in the colossal entity’s jaws. It roared to the heavens and pulled with all its might, as if dragging forth something hidden in the dark.

Roar…

Suddenly, an equally powerful force surged along the chain, countering the colossal entity’s pull—the two forces balanced each other.

Simultaneously, a strange roar echoed—like thunder rolling, like tiger’s howl and dragon’s cry.

In the Talisman Forge, the viscous fleshy ball rotted and decayed at visible speed—the [Mystic Mirror Sacred Scripture] embedded on its chest cracked into fissures; the tortoise shell bearing the original talisman shattered violently…

In the next instant, the faintly pulsing talismans on the foreheads of the surviving talismanists dissolved into smoke.

With the mother destroyed, these subsidiary talismans had no foundation to cling to.

“We’re… saved…”

The survivors stared at each other, eyes glistening, finally exhaling a long, trembling breath.

They looked around in bewilderment—and saw, before the rotting flesh, a young man standing alone: Zhang Fan.

…

Boom…

Moments later, the main gate of the Talisman Forge opened again—and people burst out.

“Damn…” Qi Ji’s face darkened; he struggled to rise.

Jiang Hu had also awakened, ready for battle.

“We’re saved… we’re saved… we’re saved…”

The first group of talismanists burst out, screaming with the joy of survival.

Qi Ji’s brow twitched; he stared at them intently, observing with his Nascent Soul—but found no anomalies.

These people were ordinary—no talismans had been implanted in them.

“Did we fail?”

Shen Qingli watched the scene, murmuring softly, her beautiful face filled with sorrow and grief—but as she exhaled, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

“He… he actually did it?” Qi Ji stared at those who had escaped, his eyes filled with disbelief.

“Zhang Fan…”

Jiang Hu clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with unusual light.

Since joining, this seemingly clueless new recruit had given him too many surprises—just recently, he had mastered the Northern Emperor’s Art and, with Jiang Lai, stopped the Dragon Fang Sacrifice at Peach Garden Square.

Now, he not only saved these people—he saved Jiang Hu too, pulling him back from the abyss.

“Damn, who the hell is he?”

Jiang Hu’s eyes shimmered faintly; he couldn’t help but cry out in excitement.

“The Shen family is finished.”

At that moment, a light, weary sigh drifted past their ears.

“Master Qiu?!”

Jiang Hu turned—and saw Qiu Zhengdao approaching, draped in a coat, his arms still empty, his deep gaze fixed on the burning Talisman Forge.

“The new waves of the Yangtze push forward the old; there are always new faces replacing the old.” Qiu Zhengdao murmured softly.

“Jiang Hu, your friend is truly extraordinary.”

"Zhang Fan? He is indeed extraordinary," Jiang Hu nodded.

"All these years... you've grown a great deal," Qiu Zhengdao suddenly changed the subject.

"Huh?" Jiang Hu paused, then turned to look at Qiu Zhengdao beside him.

"Have we... met before?"

"Jiang Hu... didn't I tell you already?"

"One day, we will meet again."

Qiu Zhengdao turned around, a faint, enigmatic smile curling at his lips — that gaze, identical to the night at the mass grave...

"You... you are..."

"Wu Ma!?" Jiang Hu's eyes widened in shock as he cried out.

(End of Chapter)