"Senior Sister Qiao, I'm very sorry!" He Pingsheng said, "If possible, I can give you everything else!"
"I have great use for this Dao Talisman!"
A Dao Talisman is a special kind of Talisman.
He Pingsheng had learned about it in "cultivation notes."
Take ordinary Talismans, for example; they have a Rank division.
A First Grade Talisman has an upper limit.
Even the Talismans He Pingsheng has, such as the Fireball Talisman, Ice Arrow Talisman, Stubborn Stone Talisman, and Heavenly Lightning Talisman, cannot kill any Foundation Establishment Stage Disciple.
Because the Talisman is First Grade, its energy upper limit is too low.
To kill a Foundation Establishment Stage Disciple, one must use a Second Grade Talisman.
However, there's a problem when Qi Refinement Stage Disciples use Second Grade Talismans: they are not easy to activate.
Let's put it this way: a Qi Refinement Stage Disciple activating a First Grade Talisman only takes less than a breath.
If they were to activate a Second Grade Talisman, not only would it consume a large amount of spiritual power and Divine Thought, but it would also take a long time; they wouldn't be able to activate it without three to five breaths of time.
This is a big problem.
When two sides are facing off, if such an over-Rank Talisman is to be used, it must be because the enemy is particularly strong.
Do you still have three to five breaths of time at that moment?
In most cases, no.
But the Dao Talisman is different!
The power of a Dao Talisman can Breakthrough the Rank limit of Talismans.
For example, the Dao Talisman seized from Xiao Bufan is First Grade.
However, its power can reach the power of a Second Grade Talisman.
Why?
Because to create a Dao Talisman, a particularly strict condition is required: the Talisman Maker must be at the Nascent Soul Stage.
After a Cultivator Breakthroughs to the Nascent Soul Stage, their cultivation method changes.
The reason the Nascent Soul Stage is powerful is, on one hand, due to high cultivation, and on the other hand, because Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators have begun to come into contact with and comprehend Dao.
The reason why the Dao Talismans created by Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators can Breakthrough the limit of Talisman Ranks is that they can infuse their own Dao into them, using Dao to imprison energy.
Thus, when the Talisman is activated, the energy explodes, releasing power that transcends its Rank.
This small First Grade Dao Talisman can sometimes severely injure a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.
Of course, Dao Talismans, these great killing weapons, are not common in the Cultivation World.
Because when these items are made, they can harm the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator's own Dao.
Therefore, unless it's for their closest relatives, a Nascent Soul powerhouse will absolutely not make them.
For He Pingsheng, this item has another important use: there is a Foundation Establishment Stage Yu De waiting for him outside, and if he has a Dao Talisman, especially a strengthened one, he will have an extra chance to survive.
"Alright!" Qiao Huizhu nodded, saying, "This thing was originally optional for me. If it's of great use to you, then take it!"
"Thank you, Senior Sister Qiao!" Since Qiao Huizhu said so, He Pingsheng naturally didn't stand on ceremony. With a wave of his hand, he put the item away.
"Here's the Storage Pouch for you!" He Pingsheng pointed to the bag.
Qiao Huizhu pouted and said, "I wouldn't dare take this bag!"
"The Ice Peak Sect's Head Disciple is dead; his Master must already be on her way. If you leave with the Storage Pouch now, what do you think will happen?"
He Pingsheng nodded and said, "Senior Sister is right!"
"Then..."
He thought for a moment and asked, "What is the cultivation of this Ice Peak Sect's Head Disciple's Master?"
Qiao Huizhu said, "Golden Core Stage!"
He Pingsheng didn't show any fear. He just gently nodded and said, "Alright, I'll deal with this Storage Pouch!"
"Then the rest of the items are for you, Senior Sister!"
He Pingsheng naturally wouldn't give things away for no reason; he had something to ask of Qiao Huizhu.
Qiao Huizhu put away the Spirit Stones and other items.
He Pingsheng said, "Senior Sister, did I save your life?"
"Of course!" Qiao Huizhu said, "There's no doubt about it!"
He Pingsheng said, "I am also in mortal danger now. Can Senior Sister lend this junior a hand?"
Qiao Huizhu looked surprised: "You? Mortal danger?"
"Yes!" He Pingsheng nodded and said, "Senior Sister doesn't know, but I killed a fellow Disciple, and as far as I know, her grandfather is waiting for me outside the Secret Realm. He is at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so once I leave the Secret Realm, I will surely die!"
"Ah?" Qiao Huizhu was stunned: "This... alright, how do you want me to help you?"
He Pingsheng said, "This is my plan: later, I'll use a Disguise Talisman to cross-dress as a woman and leave the Secret Realm with you!"
"At that time, you can just say I'm a Disciple of your Tianfu Mountain, and then take me away!"
"Can you?"
"No problem!" Qiao Huizhu nodded and said, "The Elder leading our Tianfu Mountain this time is my biological aunt, so taking you away is naturally no problem!"
"However, was the Disguise Talisman you mentioned purchased from our Tianfu Mountain?"
"Yes!" He Pingsheng said.
"Then it won't work!" Qiao Huizhu said, "The Disguise Talisman I sold you can only deceive Qi Refinement Stage Disciples after disguise. Your enemy is at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Although they can't see through it at a glance, if they look closely, they will still spot clues!"
He Pingsheng said, "It doesn't matter, this is the only way. Life and death depend on fate!"
He Pingsheng decided to take a gamble.
First, his Disguise Talisman had been strengthened, so Yu De might not necessarily see through it.
Besides, when disguised, as long as others don't use Divine Thought to examine closely, even a Golden Core Stage Cultivator wouldn't be able to spot clues.
He was just afraid of others using Divine Thought.
This greatly increased the possibility of evading Yu De's search.
"Very well!" Qiao Huizhu nodded, then asked, "There are still four days until this Secret Realm closes. How do you plan to spend them?"
He Pingsheng gave a bitter smile and said, "How else can I spend them? My Divine Thought injury is severe; I plan to rest and recuperate."
"Alright!" Qiao Huizhu said, "I'll go out and see if I can find an Opportunity. Regardless of whether I find one or not, I will return on the last day, and we'll leave this place together!"
"I'm going!"
Qiao Huizhu stood up, waved at He Pingsheng, and left.
After about a dozen breaths of time, she returned.
"Senior Sister Qiao, what's wrong?" He Pingsheng asked.
Qiao Huizhu asked, "When you were unconscious earlier, did you feel anything amiss?"
He Pingsheng looked confused: "No... My head hurt, and I was extremely thirsty. I felt uncomfortably hot all over, like I was in a Desert!"
"Oh!" Qiao Huizhu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Three li to the left outside the cave, there's a clear stream. If you feel sticky and uncomfortable later, go wash yourself in that stream!"
"Remember, your Divine Thought is injured, don't run around unnecessarily!"
"Rest assured here and wait for my return!"
After saying this, Qiao Huizhu directly activated her paper crane, which soared into the sky.