Talisman Emperor

Elder Lie Peng gave the final verdict.

Up until the point she left the Sword Evaluation Hall, Baili Yan's mind was still slightly muddled, and she seemed as if she'd gone mad. She muttered to herself all along the way and kept repeating the same time. "How could it be possible? How could it be possible?"

The hearts of the nearby disciples from Eternal Spirit Mountain constricted, and they sighed without end.

They'd paid visits to many powers all along the way after they entered into the world this time, and every single encounter was smooth. They were respected as distinguished guests and were received with the grandest ceremony.

This caused the arrogance in their hearts to flourish, and they felt that besides a small portion of powers within the Unknown Lands and the Secluded Paradise, the other powers within the entire world didn't deserve being mentioned.

But never had they imagined that they would repeatedly encounter roadblocks upon entering the Nine Radiance Sword Sect, and they suffered setbacks repeatedly. Not only were their two senior brothers, Fang Jinglue and Lu Ping, defeated miserably at the hands of their opponent, even Princess Baili had paid a heavy price because of this and even had to put down her pride and admit her mistakes to Lie Peng. All of this caused them to feel as if there was a needle pierced within their hearts, and their pride suffered an unprecedented defeat.

Most distressing and horrifying of it all was the supreme inheritance of their sect had actually been leaked out, and if news of this were to be spread back to the sect, it would surely arouse the fury of the sect's higher-ups, whereas they would be unable to avoid being affected and suffer punishment…

When they thought up to here, the expressions of all these disciples dimmed down to the extreme, and they were dispirited like lions that had lost a battle.

All of this was caused by a single person — Chen Xi!

It was even to the extent that they firmly believed that if that damnable Chen Xi wasn't present for the battle in the Sword Evaluation Hall seven days ago or the bet today, this entire string of frustrating events wouldn't have occurred!

"How could this be possible? How could this be possible?" Up until the point they left the Nine Radiance Sword Sect, Baili Yan was still muttering with a blank expression, and she seemed dazed as if her mind had wandered off far away.

"Princess, are you alright?" Finally, someone couldn't refrain from asking.

Baili Yan was shocked and awoke from her deep thoughts. Her expression was stern and carried a fierce and resolute feeling. "I've decided that if I'm unable to investigate how Chen Xi comprehended the Eternal Dao Insight this time, then I swear not to return to the sect!"

…

Chen Xi sized up the Nethermist Feathered Armor in his hand, and he sighed endlessly with admiration in his heart.

This Immortal Artifact was refined from the immortal material, Nethermist Spiritglow Threads, and it had 36 restrictions placed upon it by an expert. Not only was it capable of transforming into clothes of various different designs upon wearing it, it possessed an extremely shocking defense capability, and it was capable of resisting the full forced strike of an Earthly Immortal Realm expert without cracking!

All of this was from the contribution of the materials used in this Immortal Artifact. The Nethermist Spiritglow Threads were produced by the primeval divine insects, Nethermist Silkworms. Nethermist Silkworms only had a lifespan of a day, yet their strengths were extremely terrifying. At the instant they were born, they possessed the might to tear apart the heavens and the earth, causing them to be exceedingly miraculous and terrifying.

At the instant before they died, a type of silk thread would be formed within their corpses, and it was fine like a flowing ray of light and less than 10cm long. But it was an extremely rare immortal material that couldn't be damaged by the elements and was extremely tough. It didn't require any refinement before it could easily slice a Quasi Immortal Artifact in half!

Moreover, if this sort of silkworm thread wasn't gathered in time, it would vanish within the time of three breaths. So this sort of immortal material was extremely difficult to find and exceedingly rare.

The preciousness of this Nethermist Feather Armor was obvious from this.

"Chen Xi, what do you think of it?" The nearby Lie Peng combed his beard as he smiled.

"A priceless treasure." Chen Xi replied seriously.

Lie Peng had given this armor to him. In other words, from this moment onward, he would possess an extremely formidable layer of defense, and it was no different than possessing a second life. After all, this was an Immortal Artifact!

"This Snowray Immortal Sword…," said Lie Peng.

He hadn't finished speaking when he was interrupted by Chen Xi who revealed a firm attitude. "Martial Uncle, I can't accept this sword!"

Lie Peng was stunned, and then he sighed with emotion. "Little Fellow, you have a sense of limits, you're righteous, and possess such shocking natural talent. Since I, Lie Peng, have assumed the position of Enforcement Elder in the Nine Radiance Sword Sect, I've never seen such an outstanding disciple like you."

As he spoke, he patted Chen Xi on the should. "Stay within the sect and cultivate during this period of time because no matter how great the storm is outside, it can't blow into our territory."

Chen Xi was stunned, and the he nodded.

…

Three days later, the Sect Master, Wen Huating, returned, and he gathered all the elders for a meeting at the peak of True Martial Peak.

On that very day, all the disciples of the Nine Radiance Sword Sect found out that the Xeno-race had reappeared in the Dark Reverie, and it seemed like an omen foretelling the upheaval of the three dimensions, causing it to shock the world. The 10 great immortal sects, six lineages of the immortal sect, and even some of the sects in seclusion had launched a string of actions and deployed experts to patrol the world and search for the whereabouts of the Xeno-race.

At dusk, Chen Xi was summoned and headed over to True Martial Peak.

Only Wen Huating was present within the grand hall. He wore a high crown and ancient clothes, his brows arching like peaks, and divine lights flowed within his eyes that were deep like an abyss.

After Chen Xi greeted Wen Huating, he stood respectfully at the side, yet his heart was rather restless.

He knew that since the Sect Master had summoned him upon returning, it was surely related to his father, Chen Lingjun!

Sure enough, Wen Huating didn't waste his breath and directly handed over a jade slip to Chen Xi. "This was left for you by your father, take a look."

Om!

Chen Xi activated the jade slip, causing a figure to swiftly float up into the air.

The background was a dark and quiet space, and that figure stood proudly within it as if he was standing within the eternal night and pitch black background that emanated an oppressive feeling.

This was a middle aged man with brows that were shaped like swords and a manly appearance, and he stood with his hands behind his back while emanating an alone and immovable aura.

At the instant he saw the appearance of this man clearly, Chen Xi thought about Chen Hao in his daze because Chen Hao's appearance was simply created from the same mold as this man, and besides their different bearings, they were shockingly similar in other aspects!

A strand of excitement that couldn't be restrained erupted like lava and surged into his heart, causing Chen Xi to be unable to help but clench his fists as he stared fixedly at the lone figure before him. He knew that this was his father — Chen Lingjun!

This was the first time he'd seen his father's appearance since he could remember things, and the extremely complicated feelings he felt from this caused his mind to go blank and faintly feel as if he didn't know where he was.

That figure had an icy cold and indifferent expression like a block of ice that wouldn't melt in a million years. But at this moment, the corners of his mouth were curled up slightly to reveal a gentle arc, and his emotionless eyes revealed a wisp of sadness and gratification.

He only said a single sentence, "Wait until I bring your mother back."

Some things were absolutely impossible to be explained briefly, and some things were bound to cause others to feel even more worried if spoke before these things were completed.

So he only spoke a single sentence.

His tone was calm, yet revealed a firm and resolute feeling, and there was even a trace of guilt and consolation to his own flesh and blood within it.

Chen Xi was able to discern all of this because he was just like this in the past. He was sparing in speech, so he was even more capable of understanding the meaning contained within his father's words.

Crack!

The jade slip cracked apart, whereas the figure was like a shattered ripple that vanished without a trace.

Chen Xi raised his head and asked. "Sect Master, can you tell me exactly what sort of person he is?"

The he here naturally pointed to Chen Lingjun.

Wen Huating was stunned, and he seemed to have never expected that Chen Xi would use the word 'he' to replace the word 'father,' and then he ordered his thoughts before he said after pondering briefly, "A very charming and extremely strong person."

Chen Xi continued. "Then exactly how strong is he?"

Wen Huating shook his head. "Immeasurably. At the very least, ordinary Earthly Immortal Realm experts are utterly not a match for him."

Chen Xi puckered his lips and his clenched fists couldn't help but tighten to the point his fingers turned pale while his nails sunk deep into his flesh.

The more he understood his father, the more he felt indescribable rage.

Why!

Why did you have to leave me, grandfather, and Chen Hao?

If you didn't leave, then would grandfather have died? Would Chen Hao and I have suffered such humiliation and hardships?

You possessed such a formidable cultivation. Could it be that you couldn't help grandfather and the clan slightly?

Why?

There were too many questions, too much bitterness, and too much rage in Chen Xi's heart. Earlier, when he found out his father was still alive and wasn't as ordinary as he'd imagined, there had always been questions in his heart.

As the one and only pillar of support of the family, why did father disregard everything and leave while the clan was destroyed, grandfather was heavily injured, I was young, Chen Hao was still in his infancy, and everything was filled with misery and poverty?

How could he be so ruthless?

Why!?

Chen Xi was furious to the point his entire body trembled. Even if he knew that his father had left for the sake of rescuing his mother, he was still unable to forgive all of this!

Perhaps, as a husband, his actions were very acceptable. But as a father and the son of Chen Xi's grandfather, his actions were too disappointing!

"Perhaps there are some reasons you don't know hidden. It's useless to be angry now, and it would instead disturb the cultivation of your Dao Heart." A voice that was resonant like a bell suddenly sounded out by his ears, causing Chen Xi to instantly awaken from his furious state, and his consciousness recovered greatly.

Only now did he notice that he almost lost control of his Dao Heart and allowed himself to be taken control of by inner demons because of the jade slip his father left him!

"Thank you, Sect Master, for your guidance." Chen Xi cupped his hands and spoke with gratitude.

Wen Huating smiled with a warm expression, and he carried the bearing of a senior. "Enlightenment immediately brings you on the right path, just like getting lost will make one sink forever, everything is decided by a single thought. How can one ascend without first falling and gaining enlightenment?"

This was a Daoist saying. It meant that man wasn't a plant or rock, so it was impossible to be emotionless. Yet if one's emotions were too strong, it would cause rash actions. If one's desire was too strong, it would cause infatuation. All of this would disturb one's heart towards the Dao. So one should put one's mind in order and stay composed because only in this way would one stay untainted by external elements.

Chen Xi nodded. "Thank you for your guidance."

Wen Huating exploded into laughter. "Don't be serious or try too hard, just act normally before me."

As he spoke, his expressions suddenly turned serious. "Chen Xi, there's another thing I called you over to tell you. Junior Brother Yue Chi…has betrayed the sect!"

As he finished speaking, even with his self-restraint, a wisp of fury couldn't help but suffuse his face.

Chen Xi's eyes focused. "Did he seek refuge from the Heavenflow Dao Sect?"

"Probably." Wen Huating sighed. "Martial Uncle Xuan Kun agreed to stand up for you and punish Yue Chi, yet no one expected that he would still be a step too late, allowing Yue Chi to get wind of the matter and flee."

Chen Xi went silent. He was trying his best to digest this shocking news because if this news were to spread into the outside world, then it would surely cause the entire cultivation world to be shaken.

After all, Yue Chi was a higher-up of one of the 10 great immortal sects, the Nine Radiance Sword Sect, and the Master of East Radiance Peak that possessed monstrous authority. How could the sudden betrayal of such a great figure not cause a huge storm?

Before he could recover from his shock, Wen Huating spoke of another shocking piece of news. "There's another matter. Bing Shitian will be personally paying the sect a visit three days from now!"