Chapter 114: Chapter 112: Talisman Skill 4.0

The earth-shattering series of explosions gradually died down.

The dark-green toxic flames and plumes of dust slowly dissipated.

The vast, muddy swamp, once rife with hidden dangers, had now been completely leveled.

The scorched earth was pocked with deep craters and littered with the remains of snakes. The air reeked of acrid smoke and foul viscera.

Under the precise micromanagement of his Divine Sense, each White Bone Skeleton that triggered a Corpse Explosion had landed in the most cunningly strategic position.

The shockwaves and toxic flames from the blasts overlapped and resonated, creating a terrifying destructive force that far surpassed any single explosion.

Upon reaching the Qi Refining Seventh Layer and condensing his Divine Sense, the first hints of a Magic Cultivator’s control and destructive potential with large-scale magic were becoming apparent.

Having effortlessly annihilated the reckless horde of Demon Snakes, Qi Yun wore an indifferent expression. He turned, ready to depart on his skeletal mount.

Just as his Divine Sense was receding like a tide...

...he keenly detected an extremely faint, yet peculiar thrum, one that stood out from the dead silence of his surroundings.

"Hm?"

Qi Yun paused abruptly and glanced back.

He swiftly formed a spell with his right hand. The Abyssal Iron Sand circling nearby surged, instantly morphing into two massive, pitch-black hands that dug furiously toward the source of the thrum, driven by tremendous force!

RUMBLE!

Earth and shattered rocks went flying.

The two giant hands of Iron Sand were incredibly efficient.

In a matter of breaths, they had dug dozens of meters deep.

With a soft CRUNCH, they seemed to strike something hard.

At a flicker of Qi Yun’s thought, the giant Iron Sand hands carefully lifted the object out of the deep crater.

The skeletal remains of a human!

The skeleton was in a terrible state, its bones covered in a web of fine cracks.

The sternum and long bones of the limbs, in particular, were unnaturally twisted and shattered, clearly crushed by an unimaginable force while the person was still alive.

What caught his eye was a Storage Pouch hanging from the skeleton’s neck. Though caked in mud and grime, it was completely undamaged!

’The flesh has rotted to bone, yet this Storage Pouch is completely unscathed... Its quality is quite impressive,’ Qi Yun thought, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

The miraculous properties of a Storage Pouch are entirely maintained by the Magic Patterns embroidered upon it.

The material of the pouch itself is typically not very durable and easily weathers and deteriorates over time.

Yet this Storage Pouch had been buried deep beneath this damp swamp for who knows how many years.

Aside from the filth, it showed no signs of damage whatsoever. It was clearly no ordinary item.

He directed the Iron Sand to carefully retrieve the Storage Pouch, wiped the grime from its surface, and then opened it.

VMMMM—!

The instant the pouch opened, a burst of light, a medley of different auras, rushed out and nearly blinded Qi Yun.

By the time he focused his eyes and saw what was inside...

...even with his composure, his pupils contracted sharply.

Talismans!

A dense pile of Talismans, stacked like a small mountain!

The entire space within the Storage Pouch was almost completely stuffed with all kinds of Talismans, each one shimmering with Dharma Light.

A quick glance suggested there were no fewer than a thousand of them, and judging by the Daoist Intent they exuded...

...their quality seemed to be quite high.

Qi Yun’s expression grew complex. He glanced down at the pathetic skeleton, then at the treasure trove of Talismans in his hand—enough to arm a small stronghold—and his brow furrowed deeply.

’With this many Talismans, how on earth did this guy die?’

Logically, with this many Talismans, he should have been able to handle more than just those strange snakes.

Even if ambushed by an equal number of Cultivators, a handful of Talismans should have been enough to send them scattering.

How could he have ended up crushed by immense force and buried in such a miserable state?

After a moment of thought, a strange look appeared on Qi Yun’s face. He glanced at the blasted snake corpses nearby and murmured to himself,

’Could it be... he fell into a trap set by these Demon Snakes?’

’But a trap that obvious... someone actually fell for it?’ Qi Yun shook his head. Though a sliver of doubt remained, it seemed the most logical explanation for now.

’After all, not everyone is as... exceptionally clever and experienced as we Cultivators of the Holy Sect.’

His gaze fell back upon the nameless skeleton, and Qi Yun let out a soft sigh.

’Fellow member of the Human Race, you died far from home, your bones left unburied.’

’Our meeting here today can be considered a stroke of fate.’

With a flicker of his thought, the Abyssal Iron Sand reshaped into a shovel and quickly dug a deep pit in a relatively dry, flat patch of ground nearby.

Qi Yun then directed the Iron Sand to carefully place the shattered skeleton into the pit and cover it with earth, finally laying it to rest.

"As for this bag of Talismans..." Qi Yun weighed the heavy Storage Pouch in his hand, a look of self-evident justification on his face.

’I’ll just consider this a small service fee for digging your grave.’

With that, he lingered no longer. His figure blurred as he mounted the Skull Meditation Mat, transforming into a Flowing Light that quickly vanished over the horizon.

All that remained was the new grave, standing lonely on the scorched earth that was once a swamp.

...

Handful after handful of Talismans, brimming with Spiritual Light, were treated like cheap paper in Qi Yun’s hands as the Magic Technique Panel rapidly absorbed their inherent spiritual nature and Dao Rhyme.

They immediately turned to ash, dissolving with a faint rustle.

With this massive infusion of "Resources," the update progress bar for [Talisman Skill] shot upward segment by segment at an unprecedented speed.

In a mere three or five minutes.

[Talisman Skill], which had always progressed the slowest among his various forms of Magic, had finally accumulated enough power to undergo another transformation.

[Magic automatic update complete. This is a minor version update. Magic effects adjusted as follows:]

[Talisman Skill 4.0: New Talisman added—Thousand Crane.]

"Oh?" A flicker of surprise crossed Qi Yun’s eyes.

The last two updates to his [Talisman Skill] had focused on improving his success rate and the quality of his finished products—a consolidation of the basics.

He hadn’t expected this update to directly create an entirely new category of Talisman.

’Time to give it a try.’

A curious expression on his face, Qi Yun flipped his hand and retrieved a long-unused Talisman Brush and Spiritual Ink from his Storage Magic Bracelet.

He then spread out a pre-cut, bright yellow sheet of Talisman Paper.

In that instant, a brand-new, complex, and profound method for drawing this Talisman appeared in his mind, as if poured directly into his consciousness.

His wrist, guided by an invisible Spiritual Light, brought the Spiritual-Ink-laden Talisman Brush down onto the paper.

The brush moved with the grace of dragons and the flow of water.

In the space of a single breath, a new Talisman—exquisitely structured, with fluid, living strokes, and entirely different from any he had made before—was perfectly born beneath his brush.

The moment the Talisman was complete, a faint, clear chime echoed as its Spiritual Light was sealed within.

Qi Yun picked up the [Thousand Crane Talisman], still fragrant with fresh ink.

He channeled a wisp of pure True Qi into it.

HISS!

The Talisman spontaneously combusted, instantly becoming a soft, brilliant ball of Dharma Light.

Then, under Qi Yun’s focused gaze... 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

...from within the Dharma Light, a paper crane—only the size of his palm, yet so lifelike that every single fold was clearly visible—gracefully spread its wings and fluttered out!

Its entire body glowed with a faint Spiritual Light. It landed silently on Qi Yun’s shoulder and cocked its "head," as if awaiting a command.

Qi Yun closed his eyes, his Heart and Spirit instantly linking with the tiny paper crane.

A peculiar sensory-sharing experience washed over him.

It was as if he had gained a second pair of eyes, floating above his shoulder, allowing him to clearly "see" the view behind him.

He could even vaguely hear the subtle currents of air.

At the same time, the faintest surrounding sounds were magnified several times over and transmitted into his Sea of Consciousness.

’A reconnaissance-type Talisman?!’ A sharp glint flashed in Qi Yun’s eyes.

The [Thousand Crane Talisman] itself possessed no offensive or defensive abilities.

Its sole purpose was to summon this paper crane, which was imbued with spiritual nature.

The crane was linked to the Caster’s Heart and Spirit, allowing it to transmit everything it saw and heard back in real time.

It was practically a mobile surveillance probe that could be placed anywhere.

If that was all, the Talisman’s value, while unique, wouldn’t be astonishing.

But when Qi Yun perceived its full capabilities, his heart couldn’t help but tremble.

The paper crane could completely detach from the Caster, roam freely within a hundred-li radius, and conceal its presence.

Furthermore, it could last for a full three days.

"This..." Qi Yun took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

The combination of three factors—"a hundred-li radius," "a three-day duration," and "unrestricted movement"—

caused a qualitative change in its strategic value.

Imagine if such Talismans could be mass-produced. When needed, hundreds or even thousands of paper cranes could be silently deployed...

In that case, everything within a hundred-li radius of Qi Yun—the terrain, enemy movements, any and all changes—would become as clear as the lines on his own palm, completely under his surveillance.

Anticipating the enemy’s moves, perceiving the finest details, avoiding their strengths and striking their weaknesses...

The tactical advantages this offered were simply terrifying.

Qi Yun gazed at the quiet, obedient paper crane on his shoulder, and the corners of his lips slowly curled into a smile.

This update might not have directly increased his combat power, but the convenience it provided was immense.

As a Magic Cultivator, with his growing Cultivation and Realm, most of his future Magical Combat would involve long-range, beyond-visual-range exchanges.

Having access to sufficient information and intelligence beforehand would undoubtedly create an excellent casting environment for him.

’And I’ve never even heard of a Talisman like this before. Was it created by the Magic Technique Panel?’

As he contemplated the Talisman’s Spiritual Light in his mind, a thought occurred to Qi Yun.

The [Gathering Form and Scattering Qi] and [Nanming Sword Demon] from the last major update had been like this too...