Put away your magical powers now! Chapter 98
Chapter 98: The Divine Descent Talisman
The swiftest and most convenient method to journey from Jin Ling Prefecture to Harbor City was naturally by plane.
However… for Chen Yan, this option was out of the question.
Because Gu Qing Yi remained a “phantom in the records.”
Without an official identity, she couldn’t board a plane, nor could she take the high-speed rail, trains, or even long-distance buses. Every mode of transportation required identification, and crossing into Harbor City necessitated a travel permit.
The Dragon Nation had long since transitioned to an entirely digital registry, making document forgery nearly impossible—at least, beyond Chen Yan’s capabilities.
Thus…
The only feasible way for him to bring Gu Qing Yi along was by car.
The plan was to drive from Jin Ling Prefecture to Shen City, which neighbored Harbor City, and then cross the land border from there.
At the crossing, Gu Qing Yi would need to employ her sorcery to slip through unseen. Since it was a land route, sneaking over under the cover of night wouldn’t be difficult.
The journey from Jin Ling Prefecture to Shen City spanned roughly 1,400 kilometers, requiring around fifteen hours of non-stop driving.
For those who relished road trips, this might be tolerable.
For someone like Chen Yan, who loathed long journeys, it was nothing short of self-inflicted torment.
“I’m not going.”
Upon hearing Chen Yan’s plan, Gu Qing Yi declared her decision without hesitation.
Chen Yan blinked, momentarily stunned.
“If you’re not coming, I’ll be worried,” he admitted candidly. “This time is different from our visit to the He Family. Harbor City… I have a feeling there will be danger.”
That old schemer, Elder Zhong, was likely a formidable adversary.
His cultivation wasn’t weak, and his methods were steeped in insidious Southern Sorcery—like the curse that had afflicted Lu Si Si, a vile spell that stole a person’s fate.
Even Chu Ke Qing had warned him of Elder Zhong’s dark practices—rituals that involved boiling corpses into oil to nourish ghostly minions.
The mere thought of it was repulsive.
If his greatest shield, Gu Qing Yi, were absent, Chen Yan truly felt uncertain about what lay ahead.
Gu Qing Yi pondered for a moment, then sighed lightly. “Wait here for a moment.”
She rose and descended the stairs, heading toward the training chamber.
A few minutes later, she returned to the living room and slammed a talisman down in front of Chen Yan.
Chen Yan’s eyes brightened. “Another Mother’s Love-as-a-Mountain Talisman—ah, no, I mean, another Formless Cataclysm-Slaying Slash?”
Yet, upon closer inspection, he frowned. “Wait, the runes are different.”
The talisman bore a peculiar inscription, an arcane pattern he couldn’t decipher, jagged like a chaotic etching. In the center, a drop of crimson had been imprinted upon the parchment.
“This is the Divine Descent Talisman.” Gu Qing Yi exhaled slowly. “It is imbued with a single drop of my Essence Blood. Should you face mortal peril, burn this talisman, and a fragment of my Primordial Spirit will descend to your side, aiding you in battle.”
Chen Yan’s mind reeled.
Such an advanced technique? A Primordial Spirit Descent?
Gu Qing Yi continued, “However, remember this—this talisman can only sustain my Primordial Spirit for a single minute before it dissipates and returns to me. Moreover, my manifested self will only wield roughly thirty percent of my true strength. In this world’s terms, that equates to a cultivator at the Origin Stage.”
Chen Yan’s initial excitement dimmed.
A mere minute? And only at the Origin Stage? Could such a version of Gu Qing Yi still be considered Gu Qing Yi?
Reading his expression, Gu Qing Yi smirked coldly. “Do not measure my strength by your standards. When I was at the Origin Stage, I could already slay Platform Ascension experts—and not just of this mortal realm, but of the Domain Realm!”
“When I reached the Platform Ascension Stage, I fought a Celestial atop the Hell-Suppressing Platform and emerged undefeated.”
Chen Yan sucked in a breath.
Yes, she was still monstrously powerful.
Two realms below, yet capable of slaughtering those above—
And this world did not even possess Celestial Stage cultivators.
“So you’re saying that even with just an Origin Stage incarnation, you could rampage freely in this world?”
Gu Qing Yi shot him a look and scoffed.
Chen Yan gazed at the talisman in his hand, his eyes gleaming. “This is a treasure! Little Madam Gu, why not draw me a few more?”
Gu Qing Yi glared at him. “Do you think these are as common as cabbage? This is a Divine Descent Talisman, summoning a fragment of my Primordial Spirit! You think I can split myself infinitely?”
Chen Yan’s grin faltered. He scratched his head and relented. “Alright, alright…”
“Remember,” Gu Qing Yi warned, “do not use this talisman unless it is truly necessary.”
Her expression turned serious. “Your cultivation is no longer weak, but your combat experience is sorely lacking. I would rather you temper yourself through your own struggles. When I was at your level, I could take on ten of you with one hand.”
She sighed softly, lowering her voice. “Besides, Chen Yan, I won’t always be here. One day, I will leave this world. If you continue to rely on my Formless Cataclysm-Slaying Slash, or on me acting as your personal enforcer… what will you do when I’m gone?”
Chen Yan’s heart trembled slightly.
He looked at Gu Qing Yi, deep in thought.
Gu Qing Yi shook her head and said, “The Venerable One has imparted to you such supreme techniques, along with talismans and spells… Yet, in all these days by your side, I have found your cultivation lackluster. You devote little time to training and even less effort to the study of magic arts.
Do you not realize? If someone in the Domain Realm were to obtain such divine teachings, they would abandon food and sleep, forsaking all rest just to refine their craft ceaselessly.”
Chen Yan gave a bitter smile and muttered under his breath, “But this world is not the Domain Realm. Here, I have no need to fight or struggle. The techniques left by the Old Madam lack a method to refine my Primordial Spirit. Perhaps she, too, never intended for me to enter the Domain Realm. Perhaps she only wished for me to remain here, leading a peaceful life of comfort and wealth.”
Gu Qing Yi was momentarily stunned by his words.
A long silence followed before she sighed once more, whispering words she had already spoken more than once in recent days.
“This world of yours truly… is beautiful.”
That Gu Qing Yi would refuse to accompany him to Harbor City caught Chen Yan by surprise. Moreover, he sensed something peculiar in her demeanor, as though she were concealing something. Her words held an unspoken meaning, a hesitation beneath the surface.
Chen Yan suspected she had her own reasons for staying behind—reasons she would not share, and ones he could not fathom.
That night, her attitude toward him was distant, her demeanor strange. She retired early to her chambers, leaving Chen Yan alone with his thoughts.
And for once, he did not indulge in idleness. Instead, he stepped into the training chamber.
Though he had spoken of peace and comfort, Gu Qing Yi’s words had stirred something deep within him.
For two hours, he honed the Vital Qi Variation of the Six Veins Divine Sword, then spent another stretch of time meticulously practicing two new spells he had recently learned.
Only after three in the morning did he finally settle into meditation, cycling his Vital Qi Circulation Method to cultivate. As was his habit, he would guide the vital qi into his body until it reached full capacity, then use the jade thumb ring to transfer qi in and out, increasing the efficiency of his circulation.
The emerald thumb ring left by the Old Madam remained a bottomless abyss, endlessly devouring the qi he poured into it—no matter how much he channeled, its capacity seemed boundless.
Yet, he had yet to uncover whether this treasure held further secrets.
Still…
There were two artifacts of note in his possession.
One was the Half White Candle left behind by the Old Madam. Unfortunately, since the departure of Little Kid Brother, it had lost its purpose. Back when he was still present, he had named it The Departed Flame Candle.
Gu Qing Yi had examined it before. Though she lacked proficiency in spellcraft or artifact crafting, her noble heritage from the Domain Realm endowed her with keen discernment. She had informed Chen Yan that this was a mystical artifact of the Ghost Race, capable of summoning ghostly flames. Such flames were essential to Ghost Cultivators, as ordinary cultivators absorbed vital qi, whereas ghost cultivators required these flames to temper their spectral bodies.
For a ghost cultivator, ghostly flames were a supreme nourishment.
Unfortunately, this artifact was of little use to Chen Yan—unless he wished to end his mortal existence, abandon his flesh, and embark on the path of a spectral being. Only then would he find value in the Departed Flame Candle.
The second artifact was the Eight-Cornered Alchemical Furnace gifted to him by You Su Yi.
However, Chen Yan lacked knowledge of alchemy, and the manuals left by the Old Madam contained only elementary overviews, not detailed instructions on the craft.
Gu Qing Yi had once remarked that the Ghost Race was unskilled in alchemy. It stood to reason that the Old Madam herself had little proficiency in the art.
Thus, the Eight-Cornered Alchemical Furnace remained largely useless in Chen Yan’s hands.
Besides, alchemy held no appeal to him. Back in school, he had despised chemistry.
Even so, Gu Qing Yi had appraised the furnace, recognizing that it was crafted from Thunder Stone—a material formed from rocks struck by celestial lightning, tempered by Heavenly Fire. This made it an ideal material for forging alchemical furnaces.
Furthermore, she noted that the furnace had been used by a past owner who relied on the Inner Core Fire of a Heavenly Mortal Realm Demon Cultivator to refine pills.
Only a Heavenly Mortal Realm Demon Cultivator could purge their inner fire of demonic impurities, rendering it pure enough to aid in alchemy.
This meant that the Eight-Cornered Alchemical Furnace had already endured the baptism of such refined fire. The Thunder Stone had undergone further tempering, making it exceptionally resilient.
At least in this mortal world, there were few forces capable of damaging it.
The furnace could be manipulated with an incantation, allowing it to shift between its miniature and normal forms.
In its miniature state, it shrank to the size of a finger.
In its full state, it stood over a meter tall.
Though Chen Yan lacked the skills to refine pills, he had found another practical use for the furnace—storage.
The interior of the furnace was roughly the size of a suitcase. By placing items within and then shrinking it to its compact form, he could carry it effortlessly. When needed, he could restore its size and retrieve his belongings.
Alchemy may have been beyond his grasp, but at the very least, the Eight-Cornered Alchemical Furnace made for a convenient storage vessel.
Chen Yan had resolved to make a trip to Harbor City, seizing the opportunity to retrieve as much as possible from Old Madam’s bank vault. With the Eight-Sided Alchemical Furnace now serving as his personal storage artifact, he no longer had to worry about smuggling gold, jade, and other valuables past customs.
However, Gu Qing Yi had once suggested a rather unconventional use for the furnace.
“You could use it as a weapon,” she had said, her tone filled with whimsical mischief.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan had fallen into silence.
In truth… the idea was not entirely without merit.
The furnace’s size could be altered at will, and if he hurled it at an enemy before instantly enlarging it, the impact would be devastating. Given that it was forged from Heavenly Thunderstone, its full form weighed over three tons—comparable to an SUV crashing down from the heavens.
Such a technique, however…
It would be a rather bizarre sight.
The fabled Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King waged battle with a sacred tower in hand, yet here he was—Chen the Great Philanthropist—lugging around a furnace as his weapon of choice? Instead of a mighty celestial warrior, would he not resemble some lowly blacksmith flinging his stove in desperation?
Besides, the furnace was not an offensive treasure by design; it lacked any accompanying martial incantations. Using it in combat would require nothing more than sheer force and accuracy. It had no means to entrap enemies, nor did it possess spiritual techniques to aid in battle. Only after his cultivation reached new heights might he have the ability to refine and repurpose it into a true artifact of war.
Perhaps, one day, he would become known as Chen the Furnace-Bearing King.
By the afternoon of the following day, Chen Yan, Chu Ke Qing, and her assistant, Little Cai, stepped out of the airport into the warmth of Harbor City’s winter. Compared to the chill of Jin Ling Prefecture, the temperature here was a comfortable twenty degrees. Before disembarking, Chen Yan had already shed his thick down jacket and sweater, opting instead for a simple long-sleeved sweatshirt.
As they exited the arrivals terminal, Little Cai walked ahead to converse with a middle-aged man holding a sign at the entrance.
“A friend of mine from Harbor City sent his driver to pick us up,” Chu Ke Qing explained. “He’s a businessman here and also serves as the vice president of a cultural exchange association. He couldn’t make it himself this afternoon, but he’ll meet us at the hotel tonight. He was also the one who helped me investigate my Third Senior Brother’s situation. He’ll share the latest findings when we see him.”
Chen Yan nodded without much reaction and followed them into a sleek black business vehicle.
Chu Ke Qing was a wealthy woman, and everything about her travel arrangements reflected that—first-class flight tickets and accommodations at the renowned Peninsula Hotel. Despite its slightly aged facilities compared to the newer luxury establishments, it remained a favored retreat for Harbor City’s old-money elite, its reputation unshaken by time.
Upon arriving at the hotel, their rooms were deliberately arranged on the same floor, directly opposite each other. Once inside, Chen Yan set down his belongings, took a moment to freshen up, and was just about to settle in when a knock came at his door.
Opening it, he was met with a sight that made him pause.
Chu Ke Qing stood there, her makeup subtly refreshed, but what truly caught him off guard was her outfit—she had swapped her usual attire for a sporty long-sleeved sweatshirt.
For as long as he had known her, she had always carried herself in a meticulously cultivated image—draped in elegant, form-fitting qipaos when out in public, or clad in flowing white robes within the academy, exuding an air of composed dignity and high-standing wisdom.
Yet now, seeing her in such casual, modern attire—it was a different kind of striking.
Chen Yan’s gaze lingered for a second too long, his mild surprise betraying his thoughts. Catching this, Chu Ke Qing let out a soft chuckle and spoke in a low voice.
“Senior, in Jin Ling Prefecture, I dressed like that to uphold the reputation of Elder Zi. But here? My name holds little weight, so there’s no need to maintain the act.”
“Ah… it suits you,” Chen Yan said after a brief pause, stepping aside to let her in. “Didn’t you say we’d meet your friend tonight? What’s this about?”
Chu Ke Qing walked in, taking a seat on the sofa in the suite’s small lounge. She composed herself before speaking.
“I just received a call from my friend—there’s been a new development.”
Chen Yan uncapped a bottle of water, passing one to her before opening another for himself.
“What kind of development?”
“It’s about my Third Senior Brother’s death.”
Her expression darkened. “He perished in a fire. That night, he was staying over at a woman’s house. Previously, my friend had only gathered rough details. But just now, he relayed something new—information about that woman.”
Chen Yan took a slow sip, watching her intently. “Something’s wrong with her?”
“Not just wrong. It’s bizarre.”
Chu Ke Qing exhaled slowly. “She survived the fire—but she has been in a coma ever since. The strange part? She sustained no life-threatening injuries. Not even any external trauma severe enough to explain her condition.”
A heavy silence filled the room as these words lingered in the air.
To this day, she remained unconscious—a most peculiar circumstance. The physicians speculated that it might have been the sheer terror of the blaze that cast her into this state, yet such an explanation felt flimsy at best.
Moreover, my associate had just received word—the hospital had made inquiries and found her condition rather unusual. If it was convenient for us, we were urged to visit without delay…
Chen Yan rose at once, letting out a quiet sigh. “I understand. We should go immediately and see for ourselves.”
He hesitated momentarily, his brows knitting together as he cast a glance at Chu Ke Qing. “In matters of such gravity, there’s no need to dance around the subject or speak in riddles. We are here to handle affairs. If you persist in treating me with excessive caution, it is wholly unnecessary.”
Chu Ke Qing nodded hastily. “I only feared I might impose upon you, Senior. You had barely disembarked and settled into the inn before I came asking for your assistance. I felt uneasy about it…”
“Work is work,” Chen Yan waved a hand dismissively. “Do away with such formalities in the future. Let’s go.”
Luo Mei Fang—that was the name of Third Senior Brother’s woman.
He had never married nor left behind an heir. But he was not one to eschew the pleasures of the flesh. After making his name in Harbor City, Third Senior Brother had amassed both fame and fortune, and naturally, women were never in short supply.
This Luo Mei Fang was someone he had taken in just last year, calling her his ‘girlfriend’—though to be blunt, she was little more than a gold-digger.
She was twenty-seven, once a model in her younger years, and he had placed her in one of Harbor City’s so-called ‘luxury apartments’—though in truth, it was merely a modest hundred-square-meter dwelling. Clearly, he had no long-term intentions for her. The property remained in his name, and over the past year, he had lavished over a million Hong Kong dollars upon her. Yet, even as he kept her, Third Senior Brother dallied with other women.
Such was his way—his dealings with women in Harbor City had always been transient, without permanence.
Luo Mei Fang was not a local; she had come from a small southern island nation, though she was of Dragon Nation descent. Even her name, ‘Luo Mei Fang,’ was one she had adopted after arriving in Harbor City—such individuals were not uncommon here.
From her photographs, she was of above-average beauty, though it was likely her figure that had been her strongest asset.
Being a foreigner, she had no kin in the city, nor was it clear if she had any remaining family in her homeland. When the fire erupted, she was hospitalized, but no one had come to tend to her. Not a single visitor. No one to settle her medical expenses, save for deductions from her insurance. Yet, as the days passed with her lying in an unbroken coma, her coverage had neared its limit. Had Chen Yan and his companions not arrived in time, in another two days, the hospital would have ceased treatment and handed her case over to the authorities, transferring her to a charity-run public hospital to sustain her care.
Chen Yan, accompanied by Chu Ke Qing and her assistant, Little Cai, took a carriage to the hospital.
As they stepped into the grand hall, they spotted a middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit, striding towards them with unmistakable purpose.
He was not particularly tall, his features marked by the distinct look of those from the southern regions—high cheekbones, narrow eyes, but sharp and perceptive. Though his skin bore a dark hue, his attire was immaculate, exuding refinement. Yet, the moment his eyes fell upon Chu Ke Qing, a distinct gleam flashed within them…
Chen Yan immediately surmised the man’s sentiments—he was likely an admirer of Chu Ke Qing.
“Miss Chu, it has been too long!”
The man approached with a broad smile, extending his hand. Though he spoke in Dragon Nation’s tongue, his Harbor City accent was thick.
Chu Ke Qing returned the greeting with a courteous nod and smile, stepping forward to shake his hand. “Mister Luo, it has indeed been a while. Thank you for your trouble this time.”
“Oh, how many times have I said it—calling me ‘Mister Luo’ is far too formal! Miss Chu, just call me Xin-ge instead!” His grin was warm, but he seemed to forget to release her hand.
Chu Ke Qing withdrew her hand without a trace of discomfort, then turned to Chen Yan. “This is Luo Shi Xin, Vice President of the Harbor-Canton Traditional Cultural Exchange Association.”
Then, she turned back to Luo Shi Xin and gestured toward Chen Yan. “This is a disciple from a fellow Daoist’s household. I brought him along as my assistant.”
Luo Shi Xin’s eyes flickered with mild surprise upon seeing Chen Yan. The young man stood tall, easily half a head above him, his features chiseled and handsome. More importantly, Luo Shi Xin had known Chu Ke Qing for some time, and in all their encounters, she had never once been accompanied by a young male assistant.
But he was a man of the world. He quickly masked his thoughts with a practiced smile. “A friend of Miss Chu must surely be from an esteemed Xuan Sect lineage! This young gentleman carries himself with extraordinary poise—an exceptional talent indeed!”
Chen Yan donned the reserved shyness of a young disciple, bowing his head slightly in a respectful greeting. “It is an honor to meet you, Mister Luo.”
Chu Ke Qing’s gaze remained impassive. “Mister Luo, what is the situation at the hospital?”
Luo Shi Xin sighed, his tone heavy. “The situation… is not good.”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation