A Name Shakes the World – The First Sight of a Jade Talisman

Chapter 734: A Name Shakes the World – Seeing a Jade Talisman for the First Time

After hearing Han Li’s words, Ancestral Master Linghu’s brow furrowed. He said nothing for a moment, instead slowly picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

“Everything Fellow Daoist Han says—do you think I don’t know it?” Linghu replied. “But I am not like you. I have spent over a thousand years in the Yellow Maple Valley Sect. My attachment to it goes far beyond what an outsider could understand. Naturally, I would not want to see its inheritance severed the moment I pass away. It seems that fame and profit truly hold no appeal for you.” Then, to Han Li’s great surprise, Linghu suddenly added, “But if you are willing to accept the position of sect elder here, I would be prepared to bequeath a portion of my personal holdings to you upon my passing. Among them are many rare treasures I have collected over the years, which would be of great use to your future cultivation.”

“Leave your belongings to me? If I recall correctly, you have disciples of your own, do you not?” Han Li’s heart stirred at the words, but he instinctively narrowed his eyes before asking calmly.

“My disciples’ highest cultivation is merely mid-Core Formation. Leaving such treasures to them would only invite disaster. Even if you had not appeared, I would have disposed of most of those treasures elsewhere. They would not remain in Yellow Maple Valley,” Linghu said with a cold laugh.

Han Li rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.

To say that Linghu’s words had not affected him would be a lie. But he was equally aware that accepting the position of Yellow Maple Valley elder would immediately confront him with a series of thorny issues involving the Six Sects and the Nine Nations Alliance. These were not matters that could be resolved quickly. Moreover, as the sect’s sole elder, he would wield great power, but he would also lose the freedom he currently enjoyed in the Falling Cloud Sect.

More importantly, there was the difficult question of how it would involve Nangong Wan and the Moon-Masking Sect.

“I appreciate your generous offer. But let us drop the matter of joining Yellow Maple Valley,” Han Li said after a long deliberation, shaking his head.

Linghu showed no anger at this refusal. His face merely wore an expression of helplessness.

“If such terms cannot move you, it seems you truly have no desire to wade into the muddy waters of our Six Sects. In that case, let me modify the terms,” Linghu said with a sigh.

“How?” Han Li asked, his expression shifting with curiosity.

“You need not become an elder of Yellow Maple Valley. Instead, I will give you three great treasures, in exchange for your promise to aid Yellow Maple Valley three times within your lifetime—but only within the limits of your ability, of course,” Linghu said with a wry smile.

“To render aid three times within my ability—that is not an unreasonable condition. I can agree to that.” Han Li considered it briefly, then nodded his assent.

A faint smile appeared on Linghu’s face. He reached into his waist pouch and withdrew three items, placing them on the table. The gesture suggested he had prepared them in advance.

Han Li said nothing. His gaze fell on the three objects and studied them.

One was a small, azure-glinting crystal shield. One was a red jade bottle. The last was a pitch-black jade pendant.

Without ceremony, Han Li first picked up the azure shield.

As soon as it touched his hand, it felt warm, soft, and extraordinarily light—as though it weighed nothing at all. Han Li was startled. Even with his current level of knowledge, he could not identify the material it was made from.

“This is an ancient treasure I acquired in my early years. I have carried it for a long time. I call it the Azure Light Shield. Its power is considerable, and it is especially effective against fire-attribute attacks. You will know I am not exaggerating once you try it,” Linghu said, a trace of reluctance in his eyes as he looked at the shield in Han Li’s hand.

Han Li ran his fingers over the shield’s surface once, then set it back on the table. He knew this treasure was no ordinary item, and the old man had not lied.

Next, he picked up the red jade bottle.

“Inside that bottle is a grade-seven Iron-Winged Eagle demon beast inner core I obtained after venturing deep into the Moulan grasslands and killing the beast alone. It is an extremely rare material, whether used for alchemy or other purposes,” Linghu explained.

“A grade-seven demon core…” Han Li’s face betrayed no emotion, but inwardly he sighed. Although a grade-seven core was rare in the Heavenly South, to him, it was little more than a chicken rib.

He smiled and opened the bottle for a brief glance, then re-sealed it and returned it to its original place. His gaze finally settled on the last item.

This time, Linghu did not speak to introduce it. Instead, he gave a strange smile.

Han Li fixed his gaze on the jade-like pendant, his eyes flickering as he remained silent.

“Could this be a jade talisman refined by an ancient cultivator?” Han Li finally asked, though his tone betrayed some uncertainty.

A flash of surprise crossed Linghu’s face at these words.

“Has Fellow Daoist Han seen such a jade talisman before? As far as I know, this type of talisman—unique to the ancient era—has been lost in the Heavenly South for a very long time. Few cultivators here even know of its existence,” the old man said with curiosity.

“I happened to meet a fellow Daoist who was familiar with the subject. I heard a little about it,” Han Li said with a faint smile, glossing over the matter.

“This jade talisman was obtained during a perilous adventure—one in which I nearly lost my life. It is by no means an ordinary item. Although I have never mastered the correct method to use it and can only release a fraction of its true power, even that meager fraction is terrifyingly strong. I have used it to defeat powerful enemies on several occasions. It must have been a fine work, painstakingly refined by an ancient cultivator deeply versed in talisman arts.” As he spoke, Linghu waved a hand toward the black jade talisman on the table.

The talisman shot into his grasp with a soft whoosh. He then murmured a few ancient, guttural incantations and tossed it into the air. The talisman transformed into a mass of black light. A bone-chilling, icy wind swept through the room, and a monstrous, black-and-red hand suddenly materialized above Linghu’s head.

The hand was blackish-red and gleaming, its five fingers spread wide. It was several feet across, and dark Yin flames flickered around it. An inexplicable aura of chilling death filled the entire tavern as the monstrous hand appeared.

Han Li’s face tightened, and his heart grew cautious.

“This is the only ability I have managed to acquire after studying this jade talisman for several centuries. The Mysterious Transformation Ghost Hand it manifests can grasp almost anything, unless it is countered by an extreme Yang or pure steel treasure. Once caught by this hand, even slightly inferior ancient treasures will immediately lose their power and be captured without resistance. Top-tier treasures will also suffer a severe loss of spiritual nature and greatly reduced power.” As Linghu spoke, he moved his divine sense. The black hand suddenly doubled in size and reached for a nearby wooden table.

The dark Yin flames swept over it silently. The table dissolved into nothingness before it even touched the hand, as if it had never existed.

At this sight, Han Li drew a sharp breath.

This ability somewhat resembled the demonic path’s remarkable technique of dividing one’s spirit to attack enemies. But since this hand originated from a jade talisman, there was no risk of the user’s own spirit being harmed. Moreover, judging by the eerie nature of the Yin flames, the technique likely had other special properties.

“This jade talisman surely possesses other marvels. Unfortunately, I have little time left and no chance to unravel its secrets. Fellow Daoist Han, however, is still young and has a much greater opportunity. But I must warn you—most of the power contained within the talisman has already been expended. Please use it sparingly in the future,” Linghu said. He pointed at the black hand, which reverted into a beam of black light and flew back to the table, resuming its original talisman form.

A smile appeared on Han Li’s face, but his interest was now firmly fixed on the final item—the jade talisman.

Even if it were not as powerful as Linghu claimed, Han Li could still study this ancient talisman to glean insights into the talisman arts of ancient cultivators. That alone would be of great help in the future.

Once Linghu had finished his introductions, Han Li swept his sleeve across the table in a flowing motion. The three items vanished instantly, replaced by three gleaming white jade formation plates.

“These three formation plates were personally refined by me. No one else can replicate them. If Yellow Maple Valley encounters some trouble that I can resolve after your passing, I will not refuse to assist,” Han Li said calmly, looking up at Linghu.

“Good. That is enough for me. I have done what I can for what comes after.” Linghu smiled, his tone frank.

With the business concluded, Han Li had no reason to linger. He rose and took his leave.

Linghu did not press him to stay. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he watched Han Li descend the stairs and leave the tavern unhurriedly.

Once the sight of Han Li was gone, Linghu’s smile faded. He stared at the teapot on the table, utterly motionless, as though lost in deep thought.

Han Li, meanwhile, did not return to his lodging immediately after leaving the teahouse. He looked up at the sky and, finding a secluded corner, retrieved the jade slip given to him by the white-robed elder of the Heavenly Extremes Sect. After carefully scanning its contents with his divine sense, a flicker of hesitation crossed his face.

(That’s all for tonight. Things have been piling up the past couple of days. I’ve only had a few hours of sleep in two days—severely sleep-deprived!)