Chapter Thirteen: Acrophobia

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A towering mountain gate stood before him, with a massive plaque inscribed in bold regular script: "Ten Thousand Talismans Converge."

Yet within the gate, the mountains were barren rock, as though this were nothing but a desolate wilderness.

With a whoosh, a streak of silver light shot down from the sky. As the brilliance faded, it revealed a young man astride a horse. The young man glanced at the characters "Ten Thousand Talismans Converge" and smiled, revealing small tiger-like teeth.

This was Lei Xiang. At that moment, he tapped his hand, and the white horse instantly shrank until it became a tiny toy horse, barely an inch tall.

"The mount I got from Skybreak Master is certainly impressive. Using it to travel saves so much effort, though it does require spirit stones for energy, which is a bit troublesome. Luckily, I have the Blue Lotus Plate and can replicate a few spirit stones. Not everyone can afford this mode of transport."

Suddenly, the air distorted, and two men appeared out of thin air outside the mountain gate. One of them, a young man in purple robes with his chin raised, spoke: "This is the sacred ground of the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect. Outsiders, leave at once."

Lei Xiang saw that this man was at the same level as himself—merely at the eleventh level of Qi Refinement. "Elder Zhang summoned me. I have come to see the Sect Master."

"You country bumpkin, you think you can sneak in here?" The purple-robed youth curled his lip. "Elder Zhang? He disappeared years ago. How am I supposed to know if you're telling the truth?"

"I have a token as proof."

The purple-robed youth didn't even look. "That's not going to work. First, tell us what business you have, and then hand over something valuable. Maybe then my brother and I might let you in."

Something valuable? Must one offer bribes just to enter the mountain gate?

Feigning ignorance, Lei Xiang replied indifferently, "I am here to deliver Elder Zhang’s message directly to the Sect Master. If you delay important matters, can you bear the consequences?"

The purple-robed youth squinted at him. "You? The Sect Master is in seclusion and won’t see visitors—"

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes going wide, for Lei Xiang had suddenly pulled out a crumpled talisman, slapped it onto his body, and instantly vanished into thin air.

An Invisibility Talisman?

That was a secret art of the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect, only bestowed upon key personnel and core disciples. In the entire Eastern Yue Kingdom, there were likely fewer than ten such talismans in circulation—so this person must truly be one of their own.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion resounded from behind the mountain gate, followed by the clanging of gongs echoing through the mountains. "Enemy attack!" The two men, startled, forgot all about Lei Xiang and hurriedly activated the mountain-protecting formation with a green stone. Lei Xiang slipped inside with them.

Within the gate stood dozens of elegant buildings encircling a vast plaza, now crowded with people.

The explosion had occurred at the very center of the plaza. Amid blazing flames, a red flower burst forth, its petals scattering in all directions.

Blood splattered everywhere!

Only then did the crowd realize the "red flower" was composed of dozens of human ears, the crimson stamen shooting upward before blossoming into another flower.

As the petals drifted down, they saw this time it was dozens of human noses.

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The stamen rose again, another red flower exploded, and blood sprayed all around.

Eight times the red flower burst forth, and eight blossoms filled the air, scattering thousands of "petals" in all—ears, mouths, noses, eyeballs, and more. The congregation of the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect recoiled in terror, many turning away to vomit.

"They thought it was a fireworks display, but who could have guessed it would be such a monstrous thing?" The sniper's temperament allowed Lei Xiang to regain his composure almost instantly.

The red flower now soared over thirty feet high. It ceased to rise, and from its heart emerged a single talisman.

As the talisman floated upward, it exploded—not with blood and organs this time, but with a shrill, owl-like voice that pierced the air:

"With each bloom, the Cursed Bamboo rises higher—no one will escape alive!"

The voice was not particularly loud, but it carried an overwhelming aura of dread. Hundreds stood frozen on the square, as if hearing the death knell, the summons of the Reaper.

A moment passed. In the silence, a purple-robed youth collapsed with a thud, blood pouring from his seven orifices, clearly beyond saving.

Lei Xiang saw plainly that the man had been frightened to death, but he couldn’t fathom how such a macabre display could kill by terror alone.

He quietly asked the two gatekeeping disciples. The arrogant purple-robed youth now lay wilted on the ground like a frostbitten eggplant, while the other sighed, "You must not know—this is the Death's-Bloom Talisman of the Heaven-Deficient Sect. Whoever receives it—be it person or sect—faces annihilation within three days. No one has yet escaped this fate."

The Heaven-Deficient Sect again!

The man continued, "Especially their leader, Gao Tiancan, a true monster. He delights in bizarre and cruel methods, torturing his enemies to the point where death would be a mercy. Around here, just hearing his name puts people in bed for three months—they call it 'Gao-Phobia.'"

Lei Xiang remarked coolly, "For it to become an illness shows just how terrifying he is. Judging by this so-called Cursed Bamboo Blooming higher with each flower, you can sense his depravity."

"Exactly. This is the sect's highest death talisman. Who knows how we provoked them this time? Unless the Sect Master emerges from seclusion, our annihilation is certain."

Just then, a cool, clear voice rang out—not loud, yet it stilled the chaos of the plaza entirely. "The Sect Master commands: do not panic. When soldiers come, generals meet them; when water floods, earth contains it. Activate the defensive formation. All disciples, prepare to defend your positions."

The voice seemed to possess a special magic. Hundreds gradually calmed, withdrawing in an orderly fashion. Soon, a series of rattling sounds echoed as the mountain-protecting formation fully activated.

At that moment, Lei Xiang again heard the cool, clear voice in his ear: "Follow me. The Sect Master wishes to see you."

On the top floor of a three-story pavilion, the furnishings were elegant and exquisite. An elderly man, his face kindly, his bearing like an immortal sage, sat in a grand chair.

"Who are you? Has Elder Zhang already passed on? Speak."

Lei Xiang bowed. "Sect Master, I am Lei Xiang of Lei Family Fort. The day the Heaven-Deficient Sect attacked, Elder Zhang fell in battle. This is the Lotus Plate he entrusted to me."

The Sect Master—Fu Lintian—gazed at the Lotus Plate in Lei Xiang’s hand, not daring to touch it. He asked instead, "Is this the filthy old dog bowl? Can you control it?"

"This is indeed the treasure. I inadvertently restored its true form and, by chance, claimed it with a drop of blood. I can wield it, though I understand only a few simple functions."

Fu Lintian nodded in relief. "Good. This is a relic of the Celestial Meteor Shower. With your current cultivation, you cannot fully master it—indeed, even Elder Zhang, Elder Lei, and I studied it for years without success."

"A meteor shower? This is the first I’ve heard of artifacts from the cultivation world hidden within meteors."

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"This meteor shower occurs once every ten thousand years, a result of the ancient war between immortals and demons. Fragments of magical treasures fell to earth then. Last time, a few fragments landed in our Eastern Yue Kingdom, which brought centuries of bloodshed. Our founding ancestor obtained this dog bowl, fled far away, and established the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect, only revealing the truth on his deathbed. It took several generations before we returned here."

Fu Lintian continued, "I can see your character, and as you have bound the Blue Lotus Plate with your blood, it is now yours. The Heaven-Deficient Sect has placed their highest death talisman upon us. Within three days, the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect will fall. This treasure must not fall into their hands. You must take it and flee at once."

Lei Xiang bowed his head in thought. "I promised Elder Zhang that, for the sake of this Blue Lotus Plate, I would do something for the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect. Besides, since the Heaven-Deficient Sect has issued their death talisman, they must have laid an ambush. Even if I try to flee, I'll be discovered and hunted down."

Fu Lintian looked at Lei Xiang, who met his gaze steadily. "Sect Master, I swore to Elder Zhang that I would aid the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect to the best of my ability. Moreover, Elder Lei raised me—my life’s debt is to him. I’ve vowed to avenge him, so I will stay and fight to the death with you."

"Good!" Fu Lintian slapped his thigh and stood, his withered face suddenly flushed with color. "Good child, I did not misjudge you. A true man is clear in his debts of gratitude and vengeance! Placing the Blue Lotus Plate in your care puts my heart at ease." He shifted the topic. "But the Heaven-Deficient Sect never makes empty threats. Destruction is certain. Your cultivation at the eleventh level is of no help; they are not a force one can resist lightly."

"Even if you fight, you cannot overcome the Heaven-Deficient Sect?"

Fu Lintian smiled ruefully. "If it were the old days, my younger brother and I together might have stood a chance. But my powers have waned; now, at most, I'm at the peak of the fourteenth level of Qi Refinement. Even with my brother, facing two Foundation Establishment experts from the Heaven-Deficient Sect is beyond us. And their backer is the Blood Fiend Alliance—no one in Eastern Yue dares provoke them, not even the old monsters of the Infinite Continent."

"Two Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Fu Lintian sighed. "Gao Tiancan and his wife are both at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. With the Blood Fiend Alliance behind them, we have no hope."

Lei Xiang suddenly asked, "Why can't we relocate?"

"Relocate? Anyone targeted by the Heaven-Deficient Sect or the Blood Fiend Alliance has no hope of escape. But you can—and you must."

Lei Xiang gazed quietly at the old man and said nothing.

"I've already sent my brother to fetch our sect's entire legacy—the Ten Thousand Talismans Codex, which records all our methods and insights in talisman cultivation. You must take it and carry our tradition forward."

But Lei Xiang replied firmly, "No. I want to challenge Gao Tiancan."

Fu Lintian stared at the young man for a long while before speaking. "Child, I can see you've had some strange encounters and possess unusual talents. But this is a challenge across several realms of cultivation… Still, let us do this: we shall fight them, and you shall support us from behind. If we fall, seize the chance to escape—I will hold them off."

Seeing Lei Xiang nod, Fu Lintian waved his hand through the air. Instantly, a glowing map appeared, speckled with points of colored light representing various locations. "This is a complete map of the Infinite Continent. After you leave with the Blue Lotus Plate, seek out a place called Emerald Mountain and cultivate there alone."

Lei Xiang studied the map for a long while and asked, "Why isn’t Eastern Yue Kingdom on here? Is it too insignificant?"

Fu Lintian laughed. "To the Infinite Continent, our Eastern Yue is indeed minuscule. There is a vaster, grander world waiting for you to discover."

With a sweeping gesture, Fu Lintian sent the map merging into Lei Xiang’s mind. Lei Xiang promptly used his boundless spiritual sea to store it away.

A middle-aged man entered, handing Lei Xiang a storage pouch containing a dozen jade slips. "These are the Ten Thousand Talismans Codex…"

Suddenly, that night-owl voice echoed once more, sending chills down every spine: "The time has come. People of the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect, surrender the dog bowl and end your lives now. Don’t make Lord Gao waste his effort."

The voice wove through the air, eerie and haunting—sometimes seeming to come from outside the mountain gate, other times from overhead, and yet, if one listened closely, as if rising from beneath their feet—a dirge from the depths of hell itself.