Talisman Emperor

Chapter 1976 – Deducing Civilizations

Dao’s figure was twitching and trembling incessantly. He was like a ball that had a hole cut open on it, and the energy within his entire body was soundlessly and gradually weakening.

At this moment, he seemed to be extremely terrified and uneasy. He couldn’t help but howl. “Samsara! This is Samsara?”

Chen Xi nodded and said, “Yes.”

After he searched through Shaman and Martial’s memories, Chen Xi was fully aware that the energy of Samsara didn’t exist at all in the last 8 eras.

So, Dao’s terrified and uneasy display was really normal.

Dao roared with a trembling voice. “But... when exactly did you do it?”

“When you took those treasures of mine.” Chen Xi said calmly, “Even though you didn’t touch the Condemn Evil Brush and Netherworld Register, you were overcome by greed and took all of my treasures. It just so happens that I sealed the energy of Samsara within those treasures before I arrived here.

In an instant, Dao came to a complete understanding. An imperceptible scheme had descended onto his since the moment he killed Chen Xi!

However, even until now, he was still unable to figure out why the energy of Samsara would be so terrifying! Or why this energy allowed a little fellow who couldn’t even withstand a single blow from him to be able to possess the ability to turn the situation around!

Samsara!

What exactly was it?

Dao didn’t know the answer to that question. However, he could sense that all the energy within his body was being corroded and weakened, and it wouldn’t be long before his strength would dry up and he would perish!

“Can you tell me why this energy is so formidable before I die?” His entire body was trembling violently, yet his face that had warped from fear had actually revealed a rare wisp of a pleading expression.

It seemed like he was clearly aware that he couldn’t escape calamity, so he didn’t hope that Chen Xi would show mercy. He was only extremely disgruntled by this method of death.

Just the River Diagram and the energy of Samsara had completely crushed a peerlessly extraordinary figure like him. So, how could he not be disgruntled?

Even if he died, he would probably die with everlasting regret!

Chen Xi remained silent for a short while. He gazed at Dao who was ceaselessly weakening and aging before him, and then he shook his head and said, “Even I am unable to explain it.”

He really didn’t know the answer to that question. Because it wasn’t just surmounting a realm of cultivation to annihilate his opponent, it could simply be described as all-powerful!

However, Chen Xi was sure that if it was in the outside world, then the energy of Samsara would definitely not possess such formidable offensive ability.

In other words, the energy of Samsara was only able to reveal such terrifying strength within the Door of the Last Days or at this mysterious and deathly silent Land of Catastrophe!

Even Chen Xi didn’t know the exact reason behind all of this.

However, according to his deduction, there might be two reasons. The first was because of the Land of Catastrophe was unusual, and it allowed the energy of Samsara to possess a practically all-powerful ability to kill.

The second reason was that the energy of Samsara would only reveal such might of absolute destruction when it was utilized against the Saviors.

It was even to the extent that it might be a mix of both these reasons.

It wasn’t just Samsara; the River Diagram fragments were the same. They allowed Chen Xi to be like an overlord that decided on the fate of others and reigned supreme within the Land of Catastrophe.

Of course, Chen Xi would absolutely not explain all of these deductions.

“Even you don’t know.... HAHA!! HAHA!! You actually don’t know as well....” At this moment, Dao roared hysterically with laughter, and he seemed as if he’d gone mad while madness covered his warped face that was full of despair.

“A little bastard that doesn’t know anything was able to bring the River Diagram into the Door of the Last Days and even grasp the unprecedented and mysterious energy of Samsara.... Is this how the heavens play tricks on us all?

“Damnable heavens! If I knew this would have happened, I wouldn’t have stepped foot into this place and be played by you! Nine eras! I bitterly endured nine eras of loneliness and misery, yet this is the outcome that I got. All of you... deserve to die horrible deaths!”

His insane voice was like a thunderclap that surged through the world, and it carried extreme rage, hatred, despair, frustration, and dissatisfaction.

Bang!

His voice was still reverberating through the world when his body suddenly collapsed. His flesh and blood transformed into nothingness, and he perished.

At this moment, Chen Xi couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Dao was dead.

This meant that only Chen Xi remained within the Land of Catastrophe, and there was no force here that could threaten him.

Om!

Numerous mysterious symbols appeared in space, and every single one of them emanated an extremely unique aura.

Surprisingly, they were all Era Brands, and they respectively represented the Seal of the Dao, the Seal of the Buddha, the Seal of the Confucianist, the Seal of the Devil, the Seal of the Soul, the Seal of the Illusion, the Seal of the Martial, and the Seal of the Shaman.

There were a total of 8, and they represented the inheritance of 8 eras!

Now, they’d appeared successively before Chen Xi, and it caused Chen Xi to be unable to avoid feeling excited.

Whether he could find the true secrets of the Ultimate Path towards the Dao or leave the Land of Catastrophe to return to the Ancient God Domain both depended upon these eight Era Brands!

...

Chen Xi reclaimed his seized treasures first, and then he hid the Netherworld Register and Condemn Evil Brush within his body.

After that, he started to size up the eight Era Brands.

Earlier, Dao had said that fully refining and absorbing these Era Brands was like refining and absorbing eight completely different types of the Order of the Heaven Dao. It was absolutely not so simply. Even with Dao’s extremely terrifying cultivation, he’d been barely able to refine and absorb the Seal of the Buddha and the Seal of the

Confucianist after a few eras of time.

It was even to the extent that he’d almost suffered from qi deviation and perished while trying to refine and absorb the Seal of the Devil!

So, under such circumstances, Chen Xi didn’t dare be careless at all.

Eight completely different eras that conflict with each other and are unable to coexist. If this is true, then how did Dao refine and absorb the Seal of the Buddha and the Seal of the Confucianist? There’s definitely a method to follow. After pondering deeply for a long time, Chen Xi locked his gaze onto the Seal of the Dao, and then he stopped hesitating and swallowed it into his body.

In an instant, an enormous and vast aura of inheritance that was accompanied by some memories surged into Chen Xi’s sea of consciousness.

Chen Xi stood there and calmly experienced all of this, and he searched the memories incessantly for the technique to refine and absorb the Era Brands.

After an entire three days passed, a wisp of bright light suddenly surged into Chen Xi’s eyes, and he muttered. “So, that’s how it was done. Even though they were completely conflicting with each other, they were all cultivation systems that sought the extremes of the Heaven Dao and to attain eternal life. If a similar characteristic between them can be found, then perhaps they can be linked together and be of use to me....

“When Dao refined and absorbed those two Era Brands, he found a method that allowed him to utilize the Dao Civilization to deduce the energy of those two civilizations. Why can’t I do the same?

“Replace.... Exactly how should I replace it? Amongst the forces I possess, I’m undoubtedly most skilled in the Talisman Dao and Sword Dao.... The formed is adept in deduction while the latter is skilled in slaughter. If I were to replace the energy of the other eras, then the Sword Dao is slightly insufficient....

“Can the Talisman Dao accomplish it?”

Chen Xi fell into deep though as he ceaselessly deduced in his mind. He seemed as if he’d been possessed, and he was completely unaware of the passage of time.

10 days.

A month.

A year....

During this period of deep contemplation, Chen Xi actually seemed as if he was comprehending the Dao, and a long time had passed while he still showed no signs of awakening.

The reason was that these Era Brands were too vast and obscure. They represented the civilizations of various different eras, and the secrets contained within them were boundless. However, Chen Xi was trying to fuse them together to be of use to him, so it was clearly extraordinarily difficult to accomplish.

Three years later, Chen Xi who was motionless like a clay statue had suddenly muttered....

“The Civilization of the Dao possessed the Marking of the Dao.

“The Civilization of the Buddha possessed the Scripture of the Buddha.

“The Civilization of the Devil possessed the Marking of the Devil.

“The Civilization of the Confucianist possessed the Marking of the Confucianist.

“Markings are the mark of the Grand Dao. They are displayed amidst the landscape and hidden within all things. For example, the path of a lotus leaf being blown by the wind or a floating lotus leaf are the mark of the Dao.

“Scripture is a record of experience. It transforms the invisible Grand Dao into a material form, and they describe the meaning of the Dao.

“Talisman markings can be derived from the markings.

“Scriptures can be accommodated into the form of talisman markings, and they can be called talisman scriptures.

“Even though the civilizations are different, the Dao leaves traces behind, and they can be transformed into markings which form talismans. So, the talismans can replace them!

“Even though their energies conflict with each other, they can be described in the form of scriptures, so they can be replaced as well!

“So, the secrets of the civilizations can be displayed through talismans!

His mutters grew louder and louder, clearer and clearer. In the end, it was simply like a huge bell that resounded through the heavens and the earth.

On the other hand, Chen Xi seemed as if he’d comprehended the Dao. An expanse of clarity resided in the space between his brows, and his entire body was imposing, clear, and solemn.

“All of them can be called as Dao Markings, Devil Markings, Confucianist Markings, Buddha Markings, Soul Markings, Illusion Markings, Martial Markings, and Shaman Markings!

“All of them can be combined into a Dao Scripture, a Devil Scripture, a Confucianist Scripture, a Buddha Scripture, a Soul Scripture, an Illusion Scripture, a Martial Scripture, and a Shaman Scripture!

“All of them can be combined through Talismans!”

As he finished speaking, Chen Xi suddenly opened his mouth and swallowed all the remaining Era Brands that were floating in midair.

Bang!

Numerous conflicting and terrifying energies of inheritance were like terrifying storms that suddenly charged into Chen Xi’s sea of consciousness.

Such a force was so terrifying. Even if Chen Xi had already prepared, he still felt a wave of sharp pain throughout his body, and his mind was on the verge of exploding!

Shit! Even though I understand the principle behind it, I don’t have the strength to control these eight Era Brand. I’m afraid my sea of consciousness will be destroyed, and I’ll suffer qi deviation once I try to refine and absorb them! In an instant, Chen Xi’s expression changed abruptly as he seemed to have realized something, and his entire figure stiffened. No matter how he prepared before this moment, he’d still overlooked something.

He’d overlooked that his current strength was utterly incapable of refining and absorbing the inheritances within 8 Era Brands at the same time!

Chen Xi’s heart fell to rock bottom. The sharp pain that ceaselessly extended further in his sea of consciousness reminded him that the consequences of not stopping this immediately would definitely be unimaginable!

...

Author’s Note: I have no choice but to provide further explanation on this. In the setting of the story, there have been 9 eras since the ancient times, and every single era gave birth to nine Saviors. However, only the 9th Savior of each era could open the Door of the Last Days and enter the Land of Catastrophe.

For example, Fuxi and Xuan were Saviors of the 9th era, and they were the 7th and 8th Saviors of the 9th era. So, they didn’t have the opportunity to enter the Door of the Last Days.

Besides that, I’ll be writing further about the relationship between the Door of the Last Days, the Land of Catastrophe, Samsara, and the River Diagram in the future. It will be explained around the end of the novel. So, there’s no need to be surprised by Chen Xi’s ability to annihilate the other Saviors while possessing the strength of a Third Star Region Lord.

Because since the beginning, it was never Chen Xi who was in battle. They were battles carried out by the River Diagram and Samsara against the Saviors, and it was done under special circumstances.

All of this was explained in the past chapters, and I won’t provide further explanations about this in the future.