Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 259: The Talisman Array

Qin Sang hid among the Firebird flock, not daring to breathe loudly.

This was because, standing before the stone hall on the platform, was none other than Daoist Master Xuanyu!

Daoist Master Xuanyu raised one hand, palm open, as hundreds of spirit talismans hovered in the air, glowing brilliantly like stars. Together, they formed a grand and imposing talisman array.

Azure qi coiled around the area, with dots of light from the spirit talismans resembling a starry curtain draped over the stone hall.

Fearing that Daoist Master Xuanyu might sense his gaze, Qin Sang did not look directly at him. Instead, he observed the talisman array from the corner of his eye. Even so, he felt dizzy and could make no sense of its intricate patterns.

Such was the vast disparity in their cultivation levels.

Qin Sang couldn’t even discern the original appearance of these spirit talismans. All he could see in his vision were threads of azure qi—some extending downward like vines, others pooling together in clusters, elusive and enigmatic.

These threads of azure qi probed the stone hall, suggesting that Daoist Master Xuanyu was attempting to break the hall’s barrier but had not yet succeeded.

From the outside, it was impossible to tell what the stone hall’s purpose was.

This crude yet ancient-looking structure, radiating an air of primal grandeur, resembled a site for ancient rituals rather than a cave dwelling of an ancient cultivator.

It seemed that a fierce battle had once taken place here, destroying the circular barrier that had sealed the lava and leaving the stone hall in a state of severe disrepair, on the verge of collapse.

Perhaps as a result of the same battle, the previously hidden barrier that blocked the Fire Spirit Beasts also became exposed. For the first time, Qin Sang saw its true form.

At the edges of the hemispherical space, a faint, shimmering barrier flickered in and out of existence. The entire barrier was composed of countless totems shaped like Firebirds, each vivid and lifelike, identical in appearance to the real Firebirds.

Strangely, although the circular barrier sealing the lava had been almost completely destroyed, these totems remained entirely unscathed.

Soon, however, Qin Sang noticed something peculiar.

Whenever a Firebird collided with the totems, a trace of fiery energy would be absorbed by the totems. Instead of being damaged, the totems seemed to grow stronger, reinforcing the barrier.

This led Qin Sang to suspect that the totems were not designed to imprison the Firebirds.

The overwhelming fire-elemental energy in this place manifested only as Firebirds—this singular form of Fire Spirit Beast—due to the influence of the totems.

It was possible that the Firebirds were part of the totems themselves!

While Qin Sang pondered this in silence, Daoist Master Xuanyu suddenly pointed a finger, and the previously restless spirit talismans froze in place.

The talisman array erupted with radiant light. All the spirit talismans began to tremble gently, projecting phantom images. These phantoms converged at Daoist Master Xuanyu’s fingertips, merging into a single spirit talisman the size of a dou. Within the blink of an eye, the talisman transitioned from an ethereal state to a solid form.

The spirit talisman was extraordinarily intricate and shrouded in profound mystery, glowing as brilliantly as the midday sun.

In that moment, the crimson lava paled in comparison to the spirit talisman’s radiance.

"Go!"

Daoist Master Xuanyu’s eyes sharpened as he thrust his finger forward.

The spirit talisman appeared to move slowly but arrived instantly, colliding with the large bluestone slab blocking the hall’s entrance.

Boom!

The spirit talisman shattered on impact, its fragments striking the slab with tremendous force like a heavy hammer.

Yet the stone hall remained completely unshaken!

Even hidden among the Firebirds and at such a distance, Qin Sang could clearly feel the terrifying power of the collision between the spirit talisman and the stone hall’s barrier. He even noticed residual shockwaves rippling outward. Alarmed, he quickly retreated to avoid them.

For the first time, he began to doubt his earlier assumptions—perhaps the hall’s dilapidated appearance was its original state.

Despite Daoist Master Xuanyu’s repeated talisman attacks, the seemingly fragile stone hall remained as stable as a mountain. The barrier over it, fully revealed by the spirit talisman’s impact, was intact and showed no signs of crumbling.

Only the bluestone at the entrance trembled incessantly. This was clearly the weak point, and there appeared to be a promising chance of breaking through.

Seeing this scene, Daoist Master Xuanyu’s expression brightened with delight. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly raised his hand and pointed toward the void.

Just as Qin Sang had previously observed in the illusion conjured by the Hidden Moth, Daoist Master Xuanyu brought his fingers together and began drawing in the air. As his fingers moved, a slender and tangible streak of azure light trailed behind. Gradually, his movements accelerated, the streak twisting and turning in increasingly complex patterns until, in the blink of an eye, a spirit talisman was completed.

The talisman hovered mid-air, its azure glow subdued.

The characters inscribed on it appeared to be ancient script. Before Qin Sang could discern their meaning, Daoist Master Xuanyu flicked the talisman into the talisman array.

Without pause, he continued to channel qi and draw more talismans.

One after another, the talismans emerged, and the array’s power grew steadily stronger, leaving Qin Sang awestruck.

Drawing so many talismans in one go was clearly taxing for Daoist Master Xuanyu. A faint mist of white vapor rose from above his head, and his breathing became visibly labored.

At last, as the final talisman merged into the array, the array abruptly contracted, shrinking to a fraction of its previous size.

In Qin Sang’s eyes, the now-compact array seemed to contain an entire universe within it, with nebulae forming and dissipating—a sight of unparalleled beauty.

Daoist Master Xuanyu tilted his head back to gaze at the array, nodding slightly in satisfaction before breaking into a smile. Yet instead of pausing to recover, he retrieved a pill, swallowed it, and then gave a low shout.

"Heavenly Blade Talisman—unleash!"

Before the sound of his voice faded, a sharp blade’s cry echoed throughout the space.

A moment later, a milky-white light shot out from Daoist Master Xuanyu’s body, instantly merging with the talisman array.

"Merge!"

With another powerful command, the array shattered with a thunderous roar. Instead of scattering, its fragments collapsed inward, all of them absorbed by the white light.

To Qin Sang’s astonishment, the white light turned out to be another spirit talisman, this one shaped like a blade!

The resonant blade sound jolted Qin Sang back to full awareness.

Heavenly Blade Talisman...

Qin Sang silently repeated the name, recalling rumors he had heard before. Among the four great secret talismans passed down by the grandmaster of the Shangyuan Tranquility Palace, one was said to be blade-shaped.

It was said that the four great secret talismans possessed power rivaling that of astra, each imbued with boundless mystery and unparalleled strength.

The Heavenly Blade Talisman was likely one of these four legendary talismans!

Already immensely powerful on its own, the talisman’s fusion with the array further magnified its might. Though only three cun long, its radiant blade emitted dazzling light and a continuous, sharp cry.

Even from a distance, and despite the Heavenly Blade Talisman not being aimed at him, Qin Sang felt an overwhelming sense of dread—as if his neck was exposed to an imminent, lethal strike.

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He shuddered inwardly at the sheer terror it invoked.

Daoist Master Xuanyu pressed his palm downward, and the Heavenly Blade Talisman floated slowly toward the bluestone slab. With each inch of approach, its aura grew ever more imposing.

Can the Heavenly Blade Talisman break the barrier on the bluestone? Qin Sang wondered briefly.

Another thought flashed through his mind—Di Que has yet to appear!

From the time Qin Sang had entered the volcanic crater, quite a while had passed. Given Di Que’s abilities, he should have already found a way to elude the Firebirds, yet he remained absent.

Frowning slightly, Qin Sang noted that controlling the Heavenly Blade Talisman required Daoist Master Xuanyu’s full concentration, leaving him no room to focus on anything else.

Is Di Que waiting for this moment?

Like a venomous serpent lurking in the shadows, biding its time to strike!

Without drawing attention to himself, Qin Sang scanned his surroundings. All he saw were dense clusters of Firebirds, making it impossible to distinguish which one might be Di Que in disguise.

With this realization, Qin Sang made a decision. He quietly began to retreat, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the stone hall.