Published at 9th of June 2026 6:56 am

Chapter 969: Ancestral Talisman Transformation

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Its a pity, Mu Qi was destined to be disappointed. Just as the golden light on Ning Fans body showed signs of dispersing, an even stronger golden light emanated from within him, easily defending against the three overlapping chimes.

Like a mighty tree unafraid of ants shaking it, or a hill unmoved by the gentle breeze, he remained steadfast!

With his attack ineffective, Mu Qis expression changed, quickly retracting the azure light spheres from the sky, as if fearing that Ning Fan would snatch them away. In his mind, he was filled with bitterness. He had used his strongest attack, but to no avail against Ning Fan. What should he do now?

"Is this all the Jianmus Essence that the Ming Luo Tree has?"

Seeing Mu Qi hastily retract all the essence, Ning Fan felt quite regretful.

Mu Qi retracted the Jianmus Essence so quickly; he had no time to seize it before it was taken back...

Forget it, after all, this is the territory of Daoist Wood Pine, and this tree spirit is nominally Wood Pines senior brother. Forcing him too much would not be appropriate in the end.

Ning Fan shook his head slightly, no longer paying attention to Mu Qi. Compared to the Jianmus Essence in Mu Qis hand, Ning Fan was more interested in comprehending the Dao Principle of Wood here.

He meditated like an old monk, completely ignoring the chimes ringing in his ears. Even though the chimes were as loud as thunder, to him, the world grew increasingly silent.

Mu Qis startled noise became inaudible to him; the chimes heard from the heavens also gradually quieted. The whole world was peaceful, no sound could reach his ears!

This was the Second Realm of Tianren, already in harmony with the world. If he wished to meditate, no one could disturb his heart spirit even slightly! Unless he was forcibly attacked and pulled out from this meditative state, but unfortunately, the God-Extinguishing Shield would not allow others to attack its master!

"He... the Rain Monarch can forcibly enter meditation under the true essence strike of the Seventh Elder and the three overlapping chimes!"

"To my knowledge, even the Great Emperor Cang, despite being able to easily block the chimes, cannot meditate to such an extent when the chimes ring chaotically in the ears!"

"My master once said that being able to achieve All sounds of the world are silent, only the bell and chime sounds remain under the Fumo Bell signifies a peerless hero, qualified to vie for the Immortal Emperor Realm! But somehow, I feel the Rain Monarchs meditation is even more profound than that state..."

"No doubt, seeing the expression of the Rain Monarch with closed eyes and silence, I fear even the chimes are absent from his ears... Could this be the highest Buddhist realm of the [Six Senses Purification]!"

"The Five Aggregates Emptiness, Six Senses Purification... these are legendary Buddhist realms! Unexpectedly, today, we are fortunate enough to witness it firsthand!"

All the members of the Mu Dao Gate watched Ning Fans meditation intently, hoping to discern some method or gain insight into the profound method of the Six Senses Purification.

Unfortunately, they didnt know that Ning Fan was not a Buddhist cultivator and had never learned the Six Senses Purification.

This was not the Six Senses Purification, but a rarer Second Realm of Tianren. In the vast world, those who could enter this realm were few!

"That azure light sphere, is it called Jianmus Essence... This essence is indeed commendable, but compared to it, the Buddha Talisman intrigues me even more..."

Though Ning Fan did not open his eyes, in his mind, the scene of Mu Qi drawing the seventy-two strokes of the Buddha Talisman played over and over.

Mu Qi was an ancient Buddha cultivator, and he had inscribed all his insights of the Dao Principle of Wood into the seventy-two strokes of the Buddha Talisman.

The Buddha Talisman and the Symbol of Devil Raising seemed extremely similar...

I possess Mo Luos Ancestral Talisman, yet Ive never inscribed any Dao Principle into it...

Ning Fan suddenly had a moment of spiritual insight. Could he inscribe the Dao Principle into his Ancestral Talisman like Mu Qi?

Is this perhaps the way, the method for ancient demon cultivators to comprehend the divine skills of the Dao Principle...

"Come to think of it, how many strokes does my Mo Luos Ancestral Talisman contain... It seems Ive never paid attention to this matter."

In the meditative state, Ning Fan suddenly lifted his right index finger, sketching a stroke in the air.

He had never seriously contemplated his Ancestral Talisman, this was the first time he had the urge to thoroughly study it.

The previous path of cultivation was too rushed, too hasty, sprinting all the way, dashing all the way, thus missing many necessary stages and insights.

One stroke, two strokes, three strokes... seven strokes!

Mo Luos Ancestral Talisman comprised of four designs: Giant Devil, Six Wings, Mist Horn, Ghost Eye.

The initial design of the Ancestral Talisman was a Giant Devil, but with only seven strokes, Ning Fan found that he could not sketch the outline of the Giant Devil. It seemed an unimaginable barrier existed between him and the Ancestral Talisman, making it impossible to draw the eighth stroke.

In the end, when he forcibly drew the eighth stroke, the magic talisman with eight strokes cracked with a ka-cha sound and dispersed into countless fragments of light.

He couldnt draw his own magic talisman!

"Is the Rain Monarch sketching his ancient demon magic talisman? I wonder how many strokes the Rain Monarchs ancient demon magic talisman has..."

"The Rain Monarch seems to find it difficult to draw the eighth stroke. Its said that after stepping into the Heavenly Demon Realm, ancient demon cultivators must remake their magic talisman; otherwise, a barrier exists between the person and the talisman that cant be broken. Has the Rain Monarch not experienced this magic talisman remaking yet? Otherwise, it shouldnt be so difficult to draw this magic talisman."

Among the members of Mu Dao Gate, there were many experienced old monsters whose understanding of the ancient demon ways was deeper than many cultivators outside. Thus, even witnessing Ning Fans failure in drawing the talisman, none underestimated him; instead, they understood the reason behind it.

Mu Qi was different. Seeing Ning Fan fail to draw the magic talisman, he immediately laughed heartily without reserve, and his wanton ridicule considerably lessened the frustration of failing to shake Ning Fan with the chimes.

"This little ancient demon cant even draw his own magic talisman? What a disgrace to the ancient demons! Haha, its killing me with laughter!"

"This child, although he hasnt finished drawing the magic symbol, I can see some clues from the few strokes already made. It seems to be an outline of a Giant Devil Totem. Judging from the strokes trajectory, this childs magic symbol is either a twenty-two stroke Giant Armor Clan symbol or a twenty-four stroke Cangti Clan symbol. Hmm, it might also be a minor clans symbol with fewer than twenty strokes, but its definitely not a profound symbol..."

Mu Qi sneered incessantly. The magic symbols starting with a Giant Devil stroke are mostly low-grade symbols, not on the same level at all compared to his seventy-two stroke Wooden Buddha Talisman.

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Ning Fan raise hi hand again, seemingly wanting to try once more to draw the magic symbol.

"Seven strokes are my current limit for drawing magic symbols... However, this limit is not unbreakable!"

"After entering the Heavenly Demon Realm, my magic symbol seems to have changed. The reason I couldnt complete it might lie here. Unfortunately, Ive been too busy increasing my cultivation, neglecting the attention my internal ancient devil magic symbol needs, missing this point... Since Ive discovered this flaw today, no matter what, I must redraw this magic symbol!"

One stroke, two strokes, three strokes... eight strokes!

This time, Ning Fan still failed at the eighth stroke, but compared to the first time, the sense of estrangement was much less.

"Haha, this child failed again! It seems no matter what, he cant draw the eighth stroke! Its no wonder, the process of reconsolidating a magic symbol is just like reconsolidating a Buddha symbol, requiring a lot of time. Back then, I spent three hundred years reconsolidating my Buddha symbol, and this child wants to complete it between dawn and dusk, its nothing but a delusion!"

Before Mu Qi finished speaking, Ning Fan raised his hand for the third time to draw the magic symbol.

Mu Qi was convinced that Ning Fan would again fail at the eighth stroke, but an unexpected event occurred.

In this third drawing, Ning Fan made it to eleven strokes before failing, a significant improvement from the previous eight strokes!

"This child could grasp the knack of reconsolidating the magic symbol in just a few breaths!"

Mu Qi was quite astonished, and many Mu Island sect members were also expressing their amazement.

The time needed for reconsolidating magic symbols or Buddha symbols depends entirely on the cultivators enlightenment.

Its like the same Buddhist principle, where some Buddha cultivators suddenly attain enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, while others spend their entire life gradually understanding it. Mu Qi took three hundred years to reconsolidate his Buddha symbol, yet Ning Fan gained insight in mere breaths, which only means Ning Fans enlightenment far surpasses Mu Qi.

"Eleven strokes are still not enough... This Mo Luos Ancestral Talisman is an ancestral symbol with over a hundred strokes. Eleven strokes cannot even complete the first form of the Mo Luos four concepts, the Giant Demon form..."

The scenes of running rampant through the Endless Sea of the Rain World replayed in Ning Fans mind.

He seemed to recall the moments he cultivated in his youth, the various scenes of slaughter and bloody mist throughout his life. The more he recalled, the thinner the barrier between him and the magic symbol became.

Is redrawing the magic symbol about channeling ones lifetime understanding of the Demon Dao into the symbol?

Ning Fan remembered the snow of the Giant Devil Clan of the Endless Sea, remembered a little snowman called Feng Xueyan, remembered many, many things...

Looking back on past events, he didnt think of the hardships of the Demon Blood Path but rather felt a gentle warmth, even a slight smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

As this smile appeared, the devil intent of his magic symbol underwent some changes.

The devil intent of the previous magic symbol was somewhat similar to Mo Luo the Great Emperors, but now it was gradually aligning with Ning Fans Dao and intent.

For the fourth time, he raised his right hand and, before the magic symbol dissipated, drew a total of fourteen strokes.

In his fifth attempt, he drew seventeen strokes.

In his sixth attempt, he drew twenty-two strokes!

In his seventh attempt, he drew twenty-nine strokes, presenting a somewhat complete Giant Devil pattern to everyone!

This Giant Devil appearance was different from Mo Luos four forms back then, still giving off a sense of overwhelming Demonic Qi. Yet, if examined closely, one would find a gentle smile on the Giant Devils face.

Such a smile could never appear on Mo Luo the Great Emperors face, only Ning Fan could smile so brightly and relievedly!

"Its neither a Giant Armor Clan magic symbol nor a Cangti Clan magic symbol! This childs magic symbol seems unfamiliar... Ive already combed through the library of Junior Mu Song, I recognize almost all magic symbols of the Demon Clan in the Ancient Demon Abyss aside from the nine ancient devil ancestors symbols! However, this childs magic symbol is not among those I know... Could this be some magic symbol I overlooked?"

"However, it only has twenty-nine strokes, qualifying merely as a middle-ranked magic symbol, not a high-grade one... Compared to my Buddha symbol, its not just a minor gap."

Mu Qis face was filled with pride, having a seventy-two stroke Buddha symbol gave him ample reason to be proud.

Then, Ning Fan raised his hand for the eighth, ninth, and tenth times, each time increasing the complexity of the magic symbol on the Giant Demon pattern, causing Mu Qis gaze to become more and more solemn.

"Thirty-four strokes, no, its thirty-five strokes! This child is actually adding a Magic Wing Totem to the magic symbol..."

"Forty-two strokes! A magic symbol that simultaneously possesses a Giant Demon and Magic Wing Totem only belongs to the Dark Wanderer Clans thirty-six stroke magic symbol and the Tread Sky Clans thirty-eight stroke magic symbol... Clearly, this magic symbol is neither of them..."

"Forty-six strokes! The strokes can actually increase!"

Ning Fan was unaware of the outside world, unaware that his action of drawing magic symbols was continually shaking Mu Qis perception.

At this moment, he only wanted to do one thing, and that was to focus on drawing the Six-Winged Totem.

He recalled the scene of competing for the Devil Statue Slate with King Lan Ling in the Six-Winged Clan, thinking how he was so weak back then, once even considering King Lan Ling who hadnt reached the Void Fragmentation stage as a life-long enemy...

He remembered the Devil Concubine he captured in the Six-Winged Clan, whose name seemed to be Fen Chi...

With the number of strokes in the magic symbol he was drawing continuing to increase, by the sixteenth attempt, he had drawn a total of sixty-two strokes, completing the Six-Winged Totem.

"Sixty-two strokes! This childs Xiang is not much weaker than my own Fu... if it werent for my own opportunities, my Fu wouldnt have exceeded sixty strokes..."

Mu Qis expression was grave, and he no longer dared to underestimate Ning Fans Xiang one bit.

A Xiang with sixty-two strokes could not possibly remain unknown in the cultivation world. Why had he never heard of Ning Fans Xiang?

He initially thought sixty-two strokes was the limit for Ning Fans Xiang, but unexpectedly, Ning Fan raised his hand for the seventeenth time, continuing to draw the Stormhorn Totem on the foundation of the Six-Winged Totem.

Recollecting the past, he remembered how he had taken a Devil Concubine named Su Yan from the Mist Horn Clan... that place also held his memories...

Those memories blended into his fingertips, drawn into the Xiang, gradually etching the intricate double horns on the mighty demon in the pattern.

When the Stormhorn Totem was finally drawn, the strokes of the Xiang increased to an astounding ninety-nine!

"A Xiang with ninety-nine strokes! In the current Ancient Demon Abyss, only the Xiangs of the nine great devil ancestors have stroke counts exceeding a hundred. This childs Xiang surely ranks first below the nine ancien ancestors!"

Mu Qi struggled to calm himself, for compared to Ning Fans ninety-nine stroke Xiang, his Fu was nothing but trash!

"I never expected, never expected to witness this childs moment of re-conceiving the Xiang! And its a profound Xiang with ninety-nine strokes; this might even affirm my path of ancient Buddhism... Isnt this receiving the grace of the Little Ancient Demon? In this way, would I not owe the Little Ancient Demon a karmic debt?"

Mu Qi quietly calculated in his mind, unsure if the Jianmus Essence he gave to Ning Fan could repay this cause and effect...

"Theres still the Ghost Eye Totem to be drawn..."

Ning Fan concluded his recollection, drawing a third ghostly eye in the forehead of the totem.

One hundred and nine strokes...

One hundred and seventeen strokes...

One hundred and twenty-nine strokes...

One hundred and forty-one strokes...

When Ning Fan finally withdrew his finger, his Xiang had gathered all of Mo Luos Four Aspects, reaching a terrifying one hundred fifty-two strokes!

He slowly opened his eyes, gazing softly at the Xiang before him.

No one knew that he wasnt looking at the Xiang, but at the past of himself cultivating the Ancient Demon Bloodline, as if a youth looking at his younger self.

The venue was filled with dead silence! Mu Qi had long ceased ringing the bell or releasing the Buddha Light, for fear of disturbing Ning Fans enlightenment!

Before this, no one had anticipated Ning Fans Xiang would reach the terrifying count of 152 strokes!

A stroke count like this could only be achieved by ancestral-grade Xiangs; there was no doubt that Ning Fans Xiang was of ancestral talisman-level!

In the Dreamland Realm, those who possess an ancestral-grade Xiang, besides the Ancient Great Demons who vanished with the Demon-Sealing Peak, are only the nine great devil ancestors who are suppressed!

Is Ning Fans ancestral talisman the ancestral talisman of the nine great devil ancestors, or the ancient devil talisman of the Demon Peak? Or, is it an ancestral talisman passed down from the Immortal Domain?

"Trouble. This karma I owe is considerable indeed... Among the disciples of Daoist Wood Pine, there are no ancient Buddhists, so its impossible to gain any insight. I do not owe this childs karma, yet it is different for me. My cultivation has been stuck at the Second Calamity Immortal Lord Realm for nine million years; witnessing this childs Xiang gathering gave me a hint of breakthrough... If I break through, I will become an Immortal King! How do I repay karma that aids in my ascent to an Immortal King..."

Mu Qis mind raced, recalling how Ning Fan showed a keen interest in Jianmus Essence.

Years ago, Daoist Wood Pine planted the Seven Pines tree, and after enlightening them with spiritual awareness, divided the last drop of Jianmus Essence into three parts, granting insight to the Seven Pines.

As the tree spirit of the Seventh Pine, Mu Qi has the authority to allocate these Jianmu Essences at will. What needed to be comprehended has been understood, rendering these Jianmu Essences relatively useless; gifting them to Ning Fan wouldnt be a loss!

"Little Ancient Demon, no, no, Little Ancient Demon Friend. Little Ancient Demon Friend, since you desire this old mans Jianmus Essence, this old man shall gift it all to you..."

Throughout his life, Mu Qi detested the ancient demons, yet now he forced a smile at Ning Fan.

Unfortunately, even though Ning Fan opened his eyes, they were only filled with the Xiang, still engrossed in his enlightenment, completely ignoring Mu Qi.

This enlightenment was not yet complete!

Re-conceiving the Xiang was merely something he had left unfinished after reaching the Heavenly Demon Realm.

He still had further tasks: to inscribe his realized Dao Principle of Wood into the Xiang!

This task was far more challenging than re-conceiving the Xiang, but if successful, it would further increase the strokes of the Xiang, boosting its power!

"What is wood? In the eyes of a thousand people, there are a thousand principles of wood. The tree spirit Mu Qis true form is a pine, thus his comprehension of the Dao Principle of Wood is also rooted in the pine. His Fu has seventy-two strokes, depicting an ancient sturdy pine..."

"Mu Qi paints the pine as a Fu, seemingly taking its meaning of being aloof and unapproachable... The pine needles, like thorns, are painful to touch; their barbs convey a ruthless authority. Because of this ruthlessness, Mu Qi dismissed me as an ancient demon without acceptance, his attitude harsh..."

"Mu Qi sees the pine needles as cold and distant, but I perceive their defiance as daring to pierce through everything. They dare to stand upright, reaching the sky without fear; they dare to stand alone against the cold, breaking the wind and snow without yielding. These barbs wont harm others, but serve as a warning: If wronged, vengeance will be inevitable; if bullied, there will be consequences, even unto mutual destruction! The pine surely has its own fervor..."

At this moment, although Ning Fan realized the principle of the pine, his mind flashed back over his rebellious past experiences.

Upon first stepping onto the cultivation road, he dared oppose the Moksha Emperor; even when he was still a butterfly, he had dared to destroy the Eye of Affection Control.

Not that I cannot tolerate, but I simply cannot compromise. There are too many things in this world, not a single step can be retreated...

I raise my hand towards the firmament, not necessarily to pluck the stars, but simply to maintain an upward, never-yielding stance...

"From this perspective, indeed I am only fit to cultivate the Yin Yang Transformation, not Buddhism. Buddhist disciples emphasize accepting what comes, while demoness refuse to suffer even the smallest loss. Buddhists speak of Five Aggregates Emptiness, requiring one to abandon all external distractions, not to dwell on them in the heart, yet I stubbornly insist on preserving all my convictions. Buddhists advocate doing good deeds, but I, like an Evil Sect, slaughter in all directions, infamous across the realms. Few in the world respect me, but many fear me, yet I have never sought worldly admiration..."

"The pine drawn by Mu Qi consists of seventy-two strokes; among them, sixty-four strokes form the foundation, only the last six strokes incorporate the power of the Dao Principle of Wood..."

Those last six strokes replay ceaselessly in Ning Fans mind. These six strokes contain Mu Qis countless years of wood insights and also his lifetime of Buddhist realizations.

"The wood insight in these six strokes, I can absorb, and integrate into my Symbol of Devil Raising, but the Buddhist insight, I must oppose. I am an Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor, not an ancient Buddha. Buddha cultivates by opposing ancient chaos, and demoness arises by opposing the Buddhas path, these six strokes, I must take the principle honestly, but reverse the intent!"

Ning Fan raised his hand, adding the 153rd stroke after Mo Luos four slaves!

This stroke, if ones cultivation is insufficient, cannot perceive the mystery within.

Here, only Songguo, Songxi, Wu Laoba, and Mu Qi can discern the mystery within, especially Mu Qi, who almost widened his eyes.

With just one glance, Mu Qi recognized that Ning Fans stroke was clearly realized from his seventy-two stroke Buddha talisman!

Not only that, the stroke completely reversed the Buddhist intent within Mu Qis Buddha talisman and was assimiated into Ning Fans own thoughts.

This is creating a Symbol of Devil Raising! Ning Fan actually created his own Symbol of Devil Raising on the foundation of the ancestral-level Symbol of Devil Raising!

As the stroke landed, the Dao Principle of Wood throughout Mu Island was activated by Ning Fans Symbol of Devil Raising, this Symbol of Devil Raising vaguely possesses the power of the Dao Principle of Wood!

This stroke is the inverted sound of differing paths of chaos and Buddha.

As this stroke was drawn, Ning Fans Symbol of Devil Raising underwent a qualitative change. To insist it was Mo Luos Ancestral Talisman would be inaccurate, as Mo Luos Ancestral Talisman did not incorporate wood transformations.

This is a different kind of Symbol of Devil Raising from Mo Luos Ancestral Talisman! With this symbol, Ning Fans Ancestral Blood Ancient Demon truly severed the connection with Mo Luo, achieving his own uniqueness!

"Only Ancestral Blood Ancient Demon can create a Symbol of Devil Raising! If the bloodline level is inadequate or lacks the identity of an Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor, there is no qualification to create a personal talisman or bloodline! This Little Ancient Demon can create a Symbol of Devil Raising, which only has one explanation...he is not only an Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor but has cultivated the Ancestral Blood of an Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor!"

"Unexpectedly in this Era of Decline...there actually exists an Ancient Demon Demon Ancestor!"

Although the path of Buddha is different from a demon, they also share common aspects.

To personally witness an Ancient Demon Demon Ancestor create a Symbol of Devil Raising is undoubtedly an immense gain for Mu Qi!

The karma just grows larger and larger...

He detested Ancient Chaos Grand Emperors the most in his lifetime, yet this time, he owes Ning Fan such massive karma.

Under Mu Qis complex gaze, Ning Fan added the second stroke, third stroke, fourth stroke to the Symbol of Devil Raising.

For the fifth stroke, Ning Fan took an entire two hours to complete.

For the sixth stroke, Ning Fan took a full four hours to complete.

At this point, Ning Fans ancestral talisman stroke count officially increased to 158 strokes, with an ancient pine standing tall beside the four slaves.

Though only six strokes were added to the Symbol of Devil Raising, its level is now significantly higher than the original Symbol of Devil Raising! It can utilize a portion of the power of the Dao Principle of Wood!

"Little Ancient Demon, I am convinced, truly convinced, youve shown me such an excellent performance, I shall hand over all Jianmus Essence in my possession to you. In doing so, Ill clear my karmic debt to you. Oh, and Ill give you a word of advice. My understanding of the wood Dao Principle is only six strokes; my six elder brothers have far deeper Dao Enlightenment. If you go to other forbidden sites, directly tell them you wish to see their Buddha talisman, to use it to comprehend your ancestral talisman, I believe theyll be glad to display their Buddha talisman for you to see... Theyve been stuck at the bottleneck for many years now, they wont miss this chance..."

Mu Qi sighed deeply, spat out dozens of green light clusters, sending them to Ning Fan.

Though he harbored ill-intent, it sparked Ning Fans insight, leading to self-creation of the Symbol of Devil Raising. Evil intent couldnt offset the karma Ning Fan provided. To settle karma, only Jianmus Essence could repay Ning Fan.

After all, Ning Fan brought considerable benefit, loosening the nine-million-year-old Immortal King bottleneck that Mu Qi faced, which was a great favor, making it appropriate to pay some price...

"Youre giving them all to me?"

Ning Fan was momentarily surprised.

Without even needing to seize Jianmus Essence, it delivered itself right to him, such fortune?

With a turn of thought, Ning Fan understood the reason behind it. Mu Qi, due to his own creation of talisman, gained insight and wished to repay the karma owed.

Throughout a Buddhists life, pursuit is of karmic completion. Planting good causes, reaping good fruits, owing karma, must repay it.

Considering thusly, he accepted Jianmus Essence with the confidence of righteousness.

Another matter that caught Ning Fans attention was Mu Qis advice.

Mu Qis six brothers with even deeper wood Dao Enlightenment?

Wonder if those insights can add a few more strokes to his Symbol of Devil Raising...

Share