Chapter 14: Sister, Save Me!

A flurry of Fire Bullet Talismans sliced through the Spiritual Qi Hand conjured by the Object Retrieval Talisman. The bindings on Huo Zhi loosened immediately, and then she felt a tight grip on her shoulder as she was yanked upward.

Linlang was back!

Tears welled up in Huo Zhi’s eyes in an instant!

Linlang had risked her life to come back and save her!

Their bond was a two-way street!

Sob, sob, I didn’t spoil my daughter for nothing!

“You… Why did you come back? You’re so foolish!” Huo Zhi was both moved and filled with regret. Now they were both trapped!

The flow of Spiritual Qi in Huo Zhi’s body was still sealed. She couldn’t even get agitated enough to disrupt her Qi and let her ears pop out. As long as the seal remained unbroken, she couldn’t activate any talismans and was essentially a mortal.

Linlang did not speak. She flapped her wings rapidly, carrying Huo Zhi away.

After that initial massive volley of Fire Bullet Talismans, Linlang released even more as she beat her wings, concentrating them all on Qin Ceyi.

After that wave, Linlang flew higher. As Huo Zhi was pulled upwards, she looked down, her eyes widening.

Below was a sea of flames. Qin Ceyi and the area surrounding him were on fire.

How did Linlang have so many Fire Bullet Talismans?!

Linlang’s success rate had been just over ten percent. Out of the 1,500 blank talisman papers Huo Zhi had given her, only about two hundred should have been successful. Huo Zhi had kept fifty in her own Storage Bag to use against Qin Ceyi and left the rest with Linlang to break the Barrier.

She had already used many to break the Barrier.

How could there be so many left?!

Before Huo Zhi could analyze further, Linlang flapped her wings and unleashed another salvo of Fire Bullet Talismans. But this time, unknown assailants appeared from nowhere and intercepted them.

Linlang repelled that group and kept flying in an S-shaped, spiraling path, aiming for both height and distance.

The Mountain Protection Grand Array had limits in height, length, and width. Linlang was fleeing in both directions.

Only a few possessed Flying Talisman Artifacts, so they soon stopped pursuing.

Linlang’s speed had increased. Her wings glimmered faintly with red light, which Huo Zhi could see when she looked up—a sign that she was pushing her spiritual energy to its absolute limit.

“My daughter is so clever and powerful! How can there be such a good daughter? Wuwu, I was supposed to save my daughter, but instead, my daughter had to save me. This Mama is so useless!” Huo Zhi thought to herself, feeling a mix of pride, affection, and shame. She focused intensely on directing her own Spiritual Qi within her Qi Sea to chip away at the Spiritual Qi Seal on her body.

At that moment, Linlang was still in her Cinnabar Bird form. Her expression was unreadable, but her crimson eyes were vigilant and coldly fixed on their surroundings, her Spiritual Sense extended to its maximum range.

When Huo Zhi had told Linlang to leave earlier, Linlang had truly left. Theoretically, she would never form another emotional attachment to anyone.

Centuries of cultivating the Ghost Path had long since frozen her heart. Even though her time with Huo Zhi had slightly changed her perspective and her actions had touched her, making her reluctant to leave, she attributed it all to the Love Poison Talisman. She felt no lingering attachment and certainly didn’t plan on living or dying with her.

But she hadn’t flown far when the Love Poison Talisman Seal on her Origin Soul within her Sea of Consciousness flickered to life again. It was as if an invisible force from Huo Zhi’s direction was pulling at her, affecting her speed, trying to drag her back to Huo Zhi’s side.

Moreover, the Mother-Child Talisman was transmitting something—a palpable sense of fear, and it wasn’t her own.

In her previous life, when the Love Poison Talisman had fully activated, Linlang couldn’t stray too far from Mo Zhenfeng without severe discomfort. She hadn’t expected this effect even before activation.

Linlang glanced down. With her night vision, she could clearly see Huo Zhi being pulled by that Spiritual Qi Hand towards the disgusting Qin Ceyi, fear written all over Huo Zhi’s face.

Linlang felt a bone-deep, irrational hatred for that large hand holding Huo Zhi captive.

Perhaps she could have resisted the discomfort and kept flying, or found a corner to hide in temporarily. But none of these options occurred to her.

Seeing the situation, her body dove back down before she could think twice.

As for having so many Fire Bullet Talismans… the success rate of just over ten percent she had shown Huo Zhi was a lie. She had become much more proficient as she continued drawing, reaching a sixty to seventy percent success rate. She had secretly kept the surplus.

She didn’t have just over two hundred talismans; she had over six hundred. This act had fully exposed her.

Linlang’s mood was foul. Diving down to save Huo Zhi must have been a moment of insanity. Why was this so troublesome, and why was this woman so incredibly heavy?!

“The Love Poison Talisman’s effects are still present. If the Mother Talisman’s host dies, the one with the Child Talisman will be affected. Besides, this woman has a good talent for talisman drawing…” Linlang gave herself a reason to persevere.

Huo Zhi, oblivious to this, followed Linlang on a heart-pounding flight through the darkness, the wind whistling in her ears.

“Yuheng, you can’t escape. I’ve placed a Positioning Talisman on you. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I will find you! Come back now, and I won’t punish you.” Qin Ceyi’s voice, haunting as a ghost, echoed again. This time it was laced with anger, sharp and stern.

Freed from the attack, Qin Ceyi immediately gave chase. His robe was a Talisman Robe, so it was relatively unharmed, but his head and face were blackened from the Fire Bullet Talismans, his hair singed. He looked disheveled, and his eyes were filled with malice. He accelerated to his maximum speed.

Huo Zhi heard the whizzing sound of wind and realized several arrows were shooting towards them from behind.

Qin Ceyi was using ranged weapons, aiming directly at Linlang!

Linlang sensed the same threat. She beat her wings, releasing Fire Bullet Talismans to detonate some of the arrows, and continued flying with Huo Zhi.

But Linlang’s speed gradually decreased. Huo Zhi felt something warm and damp drip onto her cheek, a coppery scent of blood filling her nostrils. Looking up, she saw an arrow embedded at the base of Linlang’s wing.

“Linlang, you’re injured! Put me down and save yourself! My Spiritual Qi is sealed; I’m useless!” Huo Zhi cried out, her voice nearly breaking.

Carrying someone as large as Huo Zhi, even at her previous speed, Linlang couldn’t escape Qin Ceyi’s perception range, let alone now that she was injured.

The Positioning Talisman on Huo Zhi was also a problem, with a range even greater than Qin Ceyi’s Spiritual Sense.

Without Huo Zhi activating the Ice Escape Talisman, escaping his perception was nearly impossible!

“Don’t move!” Linlang’s cold voice rang out. She kept flying, diving from high altitude. They were now outside the Sky Mist Sect’s borders; the Mountain Protection Grand Array hadn’t been activated in time.

Below were mountain forests and river valleys. Staying low would prevent Qin Ceyi from using the Object Retrieval Talisman on them again in the open air.

“Linlang, let’s head towards the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm, at Vermilion Flame Mountain, southeast direction!” Huo Zhi recalled a location Zhu Cui had mentioned.

The Vermilion Flame Secret Realm was a Secret Realm for Foundation Establishment cultivators to train. It opened every twenty years and only Foundation Establishment cultivators could enter. It was jointly opened by the Sky Mist Sect and several nearby sects. Each session lasted half a year, and it had opened less than a month ago.

In the original story, Mo Zhenfeng and his group had Teleportation Talismans and escaped thousands of kilometers away in an instant, leaving Qin Ceyi’s perception range, so they hadn’t gone there.

However, the talisman brush Mo Zhenfeng later acquired—the one that could increase talisman-drawing success rates and allow the installation of different elemental Spirit Stones to draw various talismans—originated from this realm.

Huo Zhi wasn’t hoping for that brush. She just wanted a place to hide, let Linlang recover from her injuries, and draw more talismans.

If only Foundation Establishment cultivators could enter the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm, Qin Ceyi couldn’t follow. The Positioning Talisman would be useless there. It seemed like a good option for them now.

Hearing Huo Zhi’s words, Linlang also remembered this place. Injured and with pursuers behind them, it was indeed a viable option.

Linlang had originally considered another location, a place where yin energy gathered. Ordinary cultivators wouldn’t dare enter, but she couldn’t guarantee Qin Ceyi wouldn’t. However, it would allow Linlang to use her Ghost Path Secret Arts, giving her an additional defense.

Huo Zhi’s suggestion of the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm was at a similar distance but sounded safer. It was worth a try.

With the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm as their target, Linlang pushed through the pain and increased her speed.

Qin Ceyi was incredibly fast, and soon entered the perception range of Linlang and Huo Zhi.

Huo Zhi tensed up, but then she heard Linlang emit a few loud, clear, and prolonged cries.

Immediately, the mountain forest below erupted with the calls of countless birds. From the dense woods, masses of birds flew out, gathering in flocks and heading in one direction. Like a solid wall, they charged towards Qin Ceyi.

Huo Zhi turned to watch this scene. She hadn’t known Linlang had the ability to command birds. She didn’t know what Linlang’s bird language had said, but these birds were rushing to their aid just like that.

Suddenly, Huo Zhi found these birds both endearing and tragic. They had little to no cultivation. Flying out like this was no different from moths flying into a flame.

These birds stalled Qin Ceyi for a moment, allowing Linlang to speed up towards Vermilion Flame Mountain.

From a distance, Huo Zhi spotted the entrance to the Secret Realm: a vortex-shaped barrier glowing with crimson Spiritual Qi. It was the entrance to the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm.

Her heart leaped with joy. Once they entered this entrance, they would be temporarily safe!

Linlang also saw the entrance. Her wings, already incredibly heavy, beat with desperate effort as she flew forward, her body swaying slightly. Blood still seeped from the arrow wound.

“Put me down! I can carry you and run in!” Huo Zhi said to Linlang.

Linlang ignored her, tightening her grip on Huo Zhi’s shoulder.

Tears streamed down Huo Zhi’s face. She had to break the Spiritual Qi Seal quickly and use a Healing Talisman on Linlang!

Many cultivators were gathered near the Secret Realm entrance—people from several major sects.

The sects jointly managing this Secret Realm seemed to be the Sky Mist Sect, the Blissful Union Sect, and the Artifact Talisman Sect, among others. Huo Zhi didn’t have time to look; she focused entirely on breaking the seal.

Just as Linlang was about to carry Huo Zhi into the Secret Realm entrance, a violent fluctuation of Spiritual Qi surged around them. A dense, Spiritual Qi net materialized out of thin air, directly enveloping them.

Linlang hurriedly beat her wings, sending countless Fire Bullet Talismans flying onto the net. The net, now ablaze, burned with several holes. Linlang swooped through one of the gaps.

“Audacious! You dare steal an artifact from the Sky Mist Sect and then think you can seek refuge in the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm? Surrender now!” A righteous male voice boomed out. A short-bearded cultivator in a deep blue robe, wielding a long sword, stepped forward and blocked their path. He was at the Early Core Formation Stage.

Huo Zhi felt like spitting blood. At this critical moment, a random meddler had appeared!

In this cultivation world, Sound Transmission Talismans worked like phone calls. Qin Ceyi must have asked the cultivators near the entrance for help in stopping them!

“Wrong! I’m just an ordinary cultivator wanting to enter the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm to contribute to the sects. How can a Core Formation cultivator like you make such baseless accusations?” Huo Zhi said, desperately trying to break the last sliver of the Spiritual Qi Seal.

“Whether you stole something or not, come back to the Sky Mist Sect with me and explain yourself clearly. The sect will not wrong the innocent!” The man said. He had been instructed via a Sound Transmission Talisman to kill the Cinnabar Bird first. The talisman seals on his long sword flared brightly; it was a killing move. Several arcs of sword light shot towards Linlang.

Already exhausted, Linlang was hit by two of the sword arcs. Forced to falter and nearly fall from the sky, she lost her grip on Huo Zhi, who tumbled down.

“Wait! I submit! I won’t resist! Stop with the sword!” Huo Zhi hit the ground and immediately caught the falling Linlang, holding her steady. Seeing the wound on Linlang’s neck, she felt a great pang in her heart. She looked at the man, who was about to unleash more sword light.

Outnumbered and outmatched, her only option was to feign surrender.

She just needed a little more time. Her Spiritual Qi Seal was about to break! Then she could use the Ice Escape Talisman!

The basic Ice Escape Talisman only teleported ten meters. They were currently less than ten meters from the entrance. One would be enough!

“Hmph, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt if you’d surrendered earlier!” The man snorted and brought out another talisman. Huo Zhi recognized it as a Binding Talisman. He intended to tie her up. If this delayed them and Qin Ceyi arrived, she and Linlang were finished!

“Tsk tsk, the Sky Mist Sect is supposed to be a righteous and reputable sect. How can you be so brutish and rough, with no sense of pity or care for beauty? This is truly an eye-opener.” Just as Huo Zhi was panicking, a woman’s voice rang out. The tone was extremely soft and seductive, sounding as if one were engaged in some very intimate act.

“Sister Moyi, could you please help us? Let me enter the Vermilion Flame Secret Realm. I will definitely repay you doubly!” Huo Zhi saw the speaker, recalled the original plot, and quickly called out, her voice tinged with pleading and a coquettish tone.

In Huo Zhi’s arms, Linlang had been secretly releasing Nether Soul Threads, trying to temporarily stop the cultivator. The threads nearly snapped upon hearing this.