Chapter 20: The Kiss Part 2

“Thank you, Sister! This is a talisman artifact that can activate a protective barrier. It’s for your protection, Sister. It can withstand the spiritual power attacks of Core Formation stage cultivators, but not physical attacks, so still be careful. I have other talisman artifacts. Sister saved my life; please don’t be so polite!” Ji Shuling said, knowing the situation. Huo Zhi had not only saved her but also saved other members of the sect. Ji Shuling was very grateful.

“Thank you. You be careful too.” Huo Zhi didn’t refuse. She nodded and continued waking the rest.

When half the people present were awake, the Fire Scale Flood Dragon, lying at the front as if digesting, seemed to sense something. It raised its head and let out a sharp shriek. The surroundings instantly seemed to shift.

“Host, the Fire Scale Flood Dragon is activating its illusion-inducing skill! Bite the tip of your tongue to stay clear-headed, don’t fall into the illusion again.” 006 reminded Huo Zhi. Huo Zhi hurriedly transmitted the warning to the others.

With preparation, not many fell into the illusion again this time. However, after shrieking, the Fire Scale Flood Dragon didn’t stay peacefully digesting. It raised its head and slithered down.

Huo Zhi and some awakened people didn’t dare move, afraid of being discovered.

The Fire Scale Flood Dragon seemed to be choosing someone it wanted to eat. As it slithered beside a man, it opened its mouth to snatch him away. At that exact moment, a metal whip lashed through the air onto the Fire Scale Flood Dragon’s body. It was Ji Shuling who had attacked.

“I’m sorry! It was going to eat my brother! I can’t let it eat my brother!” Ji Shuling yelled an explanation to the others while whipping the Fire Scale Flood Dragon.

Enraged by Ji Shuling’s attack, the Fire Scale Flood Dragon spat fire-imbued red Fire Bullets at her. Ji Shuling had a protective barrier on her, so she wasn’t afraid for the moment, and fought with the Fire Scale Flood Dragon.

Once the Fire Scale Flood Dragon moved away, someone immediately rushed over to wake the male cultivator there. It was Ji Shuling’s older brother, Ji Boxu.

After waking, he charged with his own talisman artifacts to deal with the Fire Scale Flood Dragon.

The rest of the people were split: some busied themselves waking the remaining unconscious ones, others joined the fight.

The Fire Scale Flood Dragon’s body was extremely tough. The ordinary talisman artifacts they brought couldn’t even wound it. Conversely, cultivators struck by the red Fire Bullets the Flood Dragon spat all cried out in agony. Their armor was corroded, and any skin touched by the substance festered and rotted.

Huo Zhi was dumbfounded. This was far more brutal and fierce than fighting those ordinary cultivators before.

Truly getting hit by one of those would be painful enough to kill you.

The Fire Scale Flood Dragon was incredibly fast and massive. Its head and body were over twenty meters long. Slithering over someone could simply crush them to death. Its physical attacks were already very strong.

Most people were dodging the Fire Scale Flood Dragon. Those engaging it head-on were mainly Ji Shuling and her brother Ji Boxu.

The scene was chaotic for a moment, cultivators running wildly. Huo Zhi gritted her teeth and also ran, searching for Linlang while running.

They had split up earlier to wake people. Now with the chaos, she couldn’t see her anymore.

Huo Zhi remembered the Fire Scale Flood Dragon’s weakness 006 had mentioned earlier and hurriedly shouted towards Ji Shuling and her brother.

“Everyone use Binding Talismans! On my command, let’s immobilize the Fire Scale Flood Dragon first!” Ji Shuling’s brother shouted, directing everyone’s cooperation.

Binding Talismans could emit Spiritual Qi ropes. With strength in numbers, immobilizing the Flood Dragon and then attacking its seven-inch spot was indeed a good plan.

Everyone activated their Binding Talismans one after another, and Huo Zhi activated one too.

After being tied up, the Fire Scale Flood Dragon struggled fiercely. Several cultivators who had bound it first were thrown off.

Ji Shuling was also thrown off. Huo Zhi saw that Ji Shuling was very close to her, so she swung the Spiritual Qi rope originally meant for the Flood Dragon towards Ji Shuling, stabilizing her body and pulling her over.

The Fire Scale Flood Dragon, having been struck many times by Ji Shuling’s whip, held a deep grudge and didn’t intend to let go. Its tail whipped over, but it struck Huo Zhi’s back, sending both Huo Zhi and Ji Shuling flying out.

On Linlang’s side, she had been observing the Fire Scale Flood Dragon, wanting to use the Nether Soul Thread when an opportunity arose. Instead, she saw Huo Zhi, holding Ji Shuling, get sent flying by the tail strike.

Huo Zhi’s back had been hit squarely!

Linlang felt her heart clench violently. Not caring about any jealousy over Huo Zhi saving Ji Shuling, she hurriedly ran over.

“Host, are you okay? I have unfortunate news. Linlang’s Happiness Value dropped by six hundred.” 006 transmitted to Huo Zhi.

“Do I look okay to you?” Originally seeing stars from that Flood Dragon strike, her back in agonizing pain, Huo Zhi directly coughed up blood upon hearing this news.

Maintaining her technique was too taxing, and now injured, Huo Zhi felt like she was dying, unable to move at all.

“Did Linlang get hurt?” Hearing Linlang’s Happiness Value drop, Huo Zhi looked up and urgently searched for Linlang. But she saw Linlang rushing towards her and Ji Shuling, actually hugging the tail of the Fire Scale Flood Dragon as it swept towards them again! The Fire Scale Flood Dragon, its tail held by Linlang, tried to shake her off, changing the direction of its sweep towards Huo Zhi and Ji Shuling.

Ji Shuling hadn’t been hit directly just now and quickly pulled Huo Zhi back a few steps.

“Sister, you’re injured!” Ji Shuling saw the blood at the corner of Huo Zhi’s mouth and was so anxious she cried, pulling a Healing Talisman from her Storage Bag to use on Huo Zhi.

Ji Shuling’s Healing Talisman was naturally not a basic one like Huo Zhi’s kind. Once applied, Huo Zhi noticeably felt much better.

Worried about Linlang, Huo Zhi kept her attention on that side. She saw that after Linlang hugged the Fire Scale Flood Dragon’s tail, the Flood Dragon’s movements somehow became somewhat sluggish. The other cultivators, under Ji Shuling’s brother’s command, used Binding Talismans to tie up the Flood Dragon, exerting force in one direction.

Now that everyone was contributing strength together, the Flood Dragon wasn’t easily shaken off like before. Linlang also dismounted from the Flood Dragon’s body. Only then did Huo Zhi breathe a sigh of relief.

“Sister, you saved me again.” Ji Shuling looked at Huo Zhi with tear-filled eyes.

“Don’t cry. It’s nothing. Didn’t you already use a Healing Talisman on me? If you want to repay me, how about agreeing to one condition?” Huo Zhi looked at Ji Shuling and said.

“What condition? As long as I can do it.” Ji Shuling said.

“Later, when there are treasures, let me pick first, okay? Just one chance. The two of us contributed too. That’s not too much, is it?” Huo Zhi said.

“Okay, no problem.” Ji Shuling nodded repeatedly.

Now with a strategy, everyone exerted their strength together. They found the specific scale 006 mentioned. Ji Shuling’s brother used his sword to break it open and stabbed directly downwards. The Fire Scale Flood Dragon writhed violently for a long while, then slowly ceased moving.

Everyone’s spiritual energy was basically exhausted. After the Fire Scale Flood Dragon died, they all collapsed weakly on the ground, recovering individually.

Ji Shuling ran to check on the injured Ji Boxu. Huo Zhi let out a long-held breath, her legs going weak. She wanted to sit down on the ground to rest but was scorched on her bottom by the ground’s heat. As she bounced up, someone supported her arm.

“Are you hurt anywhere? I can use a Healing Talisman on you.” Huo Zhi looked up, saw it was Linlang, and quickly asked.

“No.” Linlang looked at Huo Zhi, her hand gripping Huo Zhi’s arm tightly.

She didn’t know what to think in her heart right now. She could only temporarily act on instinct.

“This Fire Scale Flood Dragon actually has a dual-technique Beast Rune Talisman! It can not only breathe fire but also create illusions! Its Lifebound Beast Rune Talisman, I want it. My Senior and Junior Brothers and I put in a lot of effort just now. Anyone who disagrees, come and challenge me!” Before the next matters were even arranged, someone yelled out first, impatiently using a talisman to recover spiritual energy, wanting to snatch the goods.

Not all of these people were from the Artifact Talisman Sect. Quite a few were cultivators who had accidentally been sucked in later. Some hadn’t really exerted themselves fully but were now very proactive in claiming credit.

The Fire Scale Flood Dragon was fire-attributed. Breathing fireballs was normal, but causing illusions was a special technique. That meant its Lifebound Beast Rune Talisman had two functions. This was very rare.

The patterns of such innate techniques were extremely complex, impossible for a Talisman Master to draw.

A demon beast’s Lifebound Talisman was generally imprinted on the head or heart region. After a cultivator killed the demon beast, this talisman could be absorbed by a human using special methods for their own use, becoming a technique the cultivator could use without relying on external talismans.

“Fight over it? This secret realm’s underground palace was opened by the Artifact Talisman Sect. Everything here belongs to the Artifact Talisman Sect. I say who gets what! Anyone who has ideas they shouldn’t have, don’t blame me for being impolite!” At this moment, Ji Shuling’s brother Ji Boxu shouted. The long sword in his hand, shimmering with spiritual power, slashed out. Sword light instantly struck the palace wall, carving a deep gash.

“Obey the Young Sect Master’s orders!” The Artifact Talisman Sect members stood up to bolster Ji Boxu’s authority. The others, seeing the Sect’s battle array, didn’t dare shout anymore.

“Brother, just now a fairy sister saved me twice. I promised her that when we choose items, we’d let her pick first.” Ji Shuling transmitted to Ji Boxu.

“Alright.” Ji Boxu glanced at his sister and nodded.

“Thank you, Brother.” Ji Shuling said happily.

“The reason we were able to wake up was all thanks to these two fairies. Otherwise, we’d have long been buried in the Flood Dragon’s belly within the illusion. This Fire Scale Flood Dragon’s Beast Rune Talisman should rightfully go to these two fairies.” Ji Shuling wanted to ask Huo Zhi if she wanted the Fire Scale Flood Dragon Beast Rune Talisman, but she heard her brother Ji Boxu shout this instead.