Chapter 378: The Demon Emperor Will Unify the Eight Desolates and Four Seas
Shen Mo chuckled lightly, "Sword Sovereign, it's been a while."
Ji Ping quickly waved his hand, "Don't change the subject. Have you advanced in your cultivation again?"
"Moreover, I feel like both your spiritual power and blood energy have improved."
Shen Mo knew that Ji Ping harbored no ill will toward him and was instead full of goodwill, so he didn't hide anything and nodded affirmatively.
"I've indeed made some small breakthroughs."
Ji Ping clicked his tongue, "Small breakthroughs? You're not even releasing your aura, yet I can sense a hint of threat from you."
"If you were to go all out, I'm afraid I might no longer be your match."
Shen Mo smiled without responding.
Ji Ping's intuition wasn't wrong.
Although Ji Ping's cultivation was at the peak of the Divine Transformation stage, his body had aged significantly, and his lifespan was nearing its end.
In contrast, Shen Mo was still in his ascendant phase, with his spiritual power reaching the perfection of the Divine Transformation stage and his blood energy achieving the level of a Golden Crown Sovereign.
Against ordinary peak Divine Transformation cultivators, Shen Mo could completely dominate and kill them with ease.
Even against a seasoned and formidable peak Divine Transformation cultivator like Ji Ping, Shen Mo could firmly hold the upper hand.
Relying on his powerful martial skills and nearly inexhaustible spiritual and blood energy, Shen Mo could wear down his opponent to death.
From the very beginning of a fight, Shen Mo stood in an invincible position.
"Good, good! Excellent! I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"
Seeing Shen Mo's affirmative response, Ji Ping exclaimed excitedly like a child.
It was as if it wasn't Shen Mo who had advanced in cultivation, but himself.
Shen Mo was both amused and exasperated.
"Come, come, let's talk somewhere else. It's too crowded here," Ji Ping said, pulling Shen Mo along.
In an instant, the two disappeared from the streets.
In the blink of an eye, they appeared on a high mountain outside Jade Sea City.
The mountain wind was strong here, and in the distance, one could see the endless expanse of the East Sea.
The current calm seemed to foreshadow the coming storm.
Ji Ping handed over half a roast chicken, "You must have something important to discuss since you came to see me so suddenly. Speak."
Shen Mo took the roast chicken without hesitation and began eating heartily.
In just a few bites, he devoured the half of the glossy, succulent roast chicken.
"I heard that the Sword Sovereign enjoys collecting talismans?" Shen Mo suddenly asked.
Ji Ping nodded, "Indeed, I've always wanted to study something from those talismans."
"Unfortunately, I haven't succeeded."
"The power of talismans is immense, capable of crossing a major realm to fight enemies, so I carry all my talismans with me."
"What talisman do you need? Speak."
Shen Mo smiled and got straight to the point, "The Void-Locking Talisman. I need a Void-Locking Talisman."
Ji Ping looked curious, "The Void-Locking Talisman? That's one of the most useless talismans."
"I thought you might need something like the Divine Martial Talisman, which can temporarily enhance martial techniques, or the Divine Shield Talisman, which can block attacks of any level."
Shen Mo coughed lightly, "If the Sword Sovereign is willing to give me the Divine Martial Talisman or the Divine Shield Talisman, I wouldn't refuse. I could reluctantly accept them."
Ji Ping burst into laughter, "Sure, of course."
"However, Gu Ming must have ways to counter the Divine Martial Talisman and the Divine Shield Talisman. Are you sure you still need them?"
Shen Mo chuckled lightly.
In fact, based on the current trajectory of his life panel, whether Gu Ming also possessed talismans like the Divine Martial Talisman or the Divine Shield Talisman, Shen Mo could still defeat him.
However, after defeating him, Shen Mo couldn't kill him, as Gu Ming would use the Minor Teleportation Talisman to escape instantly.
What Shen Mo needed most now was the Void-Locking Talisman.
"If you're willing to give them, I'm willing to take them," Shen Mo said with a slight smile.
One could never have too many good things.
Nor too many trump cards.
Ji Ping pondered for a moment, then took out three talismans and handed them to Shen Mo.
The talisman papers of the three talismans were similar.
But the blood-colored patterns on their surfaces were completely different.
Looking at them for a while could even make one feel dizzy.
Ji Ping said solemnly, "These three talismans are the Divine Martial Talisman, the Divine Shield Talisman, and the Void-Locking Talisman. I'm giving them all to you."
Shen Mo accepted them with some surprise.
He truly hadn't expected Ji Ping to be willing to hand over all three talismans.
Ji Ping smiled faintly, "The power of these three talismans has significantly diminished after lying idle for thousands of years."
"Now, they can only exert about one-fifth of their peak effectiveness."
"However, that's still enough."
"As long as the timing is right, they can still deal a heavy blow to Gu Ming."
Shen Mo nodded slightly, "What does the Sword Sovereign need from me?"
Ji Ping gazed into the distance toward the east.
His vision seemed to stretch beyond the East Sea, reaching the farthest eastern lands.
"I have never forgotten the words left by our ancestor."
"He said that the demons are the root cause of the destruction of this world."
"He hoped that the royal family of Jing Kingdom, the descendants of the Ji clan, would shoulder the responsibility of protecting humanity and resisting the demons for generations."
"Unfortunately, I am too old, and the royal family has not produced another figure capable of taking on this great task."
Ji Ping sighed softly, "Consider these three talismans my final gift to you."
"In the future, you will inevitably be summoned by the Heavenly Dao to go to the Demon-Suppressing Sea."
"When that time comes, slay a few more demons there, and it will be enough to repay the three talismans I've given you today."
Shen Mo felt a slight stir in his heart.
This request was almost no request at all.
After all, by that time, Ji Ping would have long since exhausted his lifespan.
Whether Shen Mo fulfilled the promise or not would make no difference to Ji Ping.
Yet Ji Ping had still done this, not only giving him the Void-Locking Talisman but also the Divine Martial Talisman and the Divine Shield Talisman.
Clearly, Ji Ping trusted him.
Shen Mo nodded slightly, "I promise you."
"Good." Ji Ping showed a sincere smile, "Go now. I will wait, wait for your climactic battle with Gu Ming."
Shen Mo bowed to Ji Ping, then soared into the air, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Ji Ping smiled leisurely, sitting alone and drinking by the vast, boundless sea.
...
Jing Kingdom, Capital.
The largest city in Jing Kingdom was still bustling with lights and revelry.
The air seemed to be filled with the scent of powder and rouge.
The city guards, who should have been stationed on the walls and patrolling the capital, were now lying drunk and unconscious at their posts.
Shadowy figures clad in black moved through the night.
They converged, as if by unspoken agreement, at an unremarkable residential house.
Through the cellar of the house, they descended into a massive cavern a hundred zhang underground.
At its center lay a massive purple-black arm.
The arm's skin was covered in scales and fur, unlike a human's or any known beast's.
A transparent barrier encased the arm, isolating it from the outside world.
If one looked closer, they would see countless wisps of black energy brewing and swelling within the barrier.
It had reached its limit and was on the verge of exploding.
The black-clad figures removed their cloaks in unison, revealing their true faces.
Their identities varied.
Some were street vendors, some tavern owners, some city guard commanders, and even some were members of the royal family.
Under normal circumstances, these individuals, with their vastly different statuses, would never gather together.
But now, they had come together for a common purpose.
At this moment, their eyes all shone with the same fanatical and devout light.
"The Demon Emperor will surely unify the Eight Desolates and Four Seas!"
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