Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Sealing Talisman

As Lin Xiao approached the strange mountain, he could feel the malevolent energy subtly yet increasingly wrapping around him. Sensing the growing intensity, he immediately halted his steps, not daring to advance further.

He speculated that whatever was behind this malevolent energy likely resided within the eerie mountain.

Standing by the small lake, he realized he was close enough. Without hesitation, he took out the talisman given to him by Liao Pantu and activated it with his spiritual power.

Instantly, a barely perceptible wave radiated outward from Lin Xiao, spreading in all directions. Every living being that felt this wave trembled in fear, except for Lin Xiao himself, who was at the center and holding the talisman. However, even he could feel the immense, oppressive force weighing down on him.

"So this is the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator…" Lin Xiao couldn't help but gain a small sense of the strength associated with this level of cultivation.

He recalled the leader of the recruitment team from Shangyang Sect he had seen in Cuifeng Town not long ago. Compared to the oppressive force he felt now, that man's presence had been far weaker. Reflecting on his current cultivation level, Lin Xiao estimated that the man was likely only at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

No wonder that man had been so unsteady in controlling the spiritual ship back then.

After releasing Liao Pantu's Nascent Soul pressure, it didn't take long for Lin Xiao to notice the malevolent energy retreating like a receding tide. Soon, it became faint, once again confined to the small area around the mountain, barely leaking into the nearby Tomb Mountain, as if too frightened to expand further.

As the malevolent energy dissipated, the effect of the Nascent Soul pressure talisman also gradually faded.

Although Lin Xiao longed to rush in and tear apart the culprit behind his mother's death, he knew that the malevolent force was merely cowed by the Nascent Soul's might. If he, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, were to confront it now, not only would he fail to avenge his mother, but he would also be offering himself as a sacrifice.

For now, the most pressing matter for Lin Xiao was to rapidly increase his cultivation. He needed to be strong enough to face this malevolent force before it fully recovered.

Just as he was about to return to the village, Lin Xiao felt uneasy relying solely on the talisman's deterrent effect. He glanced back at the pitch-black mountain and thought, "If only I could seal it…"

With that in mind, he opened the Marketplace.

In the recommended section on the homepage, the top item was a Earth-Tier Sealing Talisman. The description read:

[Earth-Tier Sealing Talisman: Instant activation contact-based sealing talisman. Must come into contact with the target to seal. The duration of the seal decreases based on the target's cultivation level. Upon successful sealing, the user will know the duration of the seal. Note: If the sealed target is attacked during the sealing period, the talisman will lose its effect.]

Lin Xiao checked the price—seventy-five spiritual stones. Not bad; with over three hundred spiritual stones, it was within his budget. He immediately purchased it.

He thought it best to seal the source of the malevolent energy now while it was still subdued by the Nascent Soul's pressure. Otherwise, he feared he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully at night.

However, the sealing talisman required contact with the target… which was risky. But Lin Xiao decided to take the chance.

Of course, he wouldn't just rush in blindly.

Using Concealment, Lin Xiao quietly approached the dark mountain. Given that he had anti-detection abilities, combined with the talisman's effect and the fact that the malevolent force had been weakened, he believed it wouldn't easily notice him despite its higher cultivation level.

Carefully, Lin Xiao reached the mountain's summit and hid behind a rock. He then took out the Two Elements Life and Death Array from his inventory.

After placing the array disk, he began infusing it with spiritual energy. Now that he was at the early Foundation Establishment stage, it no longer took an hour to activate the array's 108 nodes like it did during his Qi Refinement period.

It took only two breaths to activate the first node. At this rate, he could fully activate the array in just one incense stick's time.

Indeed, advancing to Foundation Establishment was a qualitative leap.

After one incense stick's time, Lin Xiao successfully activated the Two Elements Life and Death Array. He then felt a connection to the array, as if he could control it at will.

The array covered an area of about a hundred meters in radius, with a massive yin-yang diagram forming in the center. For now, only Lin Xiao could see it. The diagram contained nine life gates and ninety-nine death gates, all ready to be manipulated by him.

He could clearly sense that with the addition of one hundred spiritual stones, the array would instantly activate, allowing him to control the fate of any creature caught within.

Feeling more confident, Lin Xiao decided that if the sealing failed, he would retreat to this spot. If he could lure the malevolent force into the array, he might even have a chance to destroy it.

To further prepare, Lin Xiao purchased a set of linked talismans and a teleportation talisman from the marketplace. He placed the primary talisman on the array disk, ensuring that if he couldn't reach the array in time, he could teleport there instantly.

With all precautions in place, Lin Xiao finally made his way toward the source of the malevolent energy.

Cautiously, he stepped into what looked like a volcanic crater. Standing on a rocky ledge, he peered down into the vast pit, realizing that it had hollowed out the entire mountain. The bottom was over a hundred meters deep.

At the bottom of the pit lay a pool of pitch-black liquid.

The surface of the liquid was eerily calm, like a dark, reflective mirror. It was impossible to tell how deep it went.

Uncertain whether this black liquid was the true form of the malevolent force, Lin Xiao decided to test it with the simplest method. He tossed a fist-sized stone into the pool.

To his surprise, the stone didn't make a splash. Instead, it landed with a splat, sticking to the surface of the black liquid.

Unable to gauge the liquid's depth, Lin Xiao felt a twinge of disappointment.

But then, suddenly, he saw it—a massive, vertical pupil like a black jade gemstone slowly opened on the liquid's surface.

The pupil glanced at the fallen stone with a cold, indifferent gaze. Though its expression showed no emotion, it radiated a chilling malevolence.

As the eye casually swept in Lin Xiao's direction, a wave of cold terror washed over him. Despite the fear gripping his body, Lin Xiao's mind remained calm.