As it turned out, not all magical creations were as convenient as the Nail World, which came with a built-in developer console right out of the box. Researching the real-time summoning of elemental creatures—or rather, researching how to summon SPW members using the Nail World as a foundation—still had a long way to go.
Magical research was the kind of thing that easily made one lose track of time. Zenith didn't snap out of his trance until his phone rang.
Since the era of smartphones hadn't arrived yet, Zenith's little device had an unbelievably long battery life. By combining a bit of technology with magic, the phone's standby time had reached an absurd one year.
Basically, by the time it ran out of battery, technology would have already iterated, and he could just buy a new phone.
"Hello? Jade, why are you calling me?"
"I got your number from the dean, Mr. Zenith! It's an emergency! Uncle Jackie turned into a green-skinned monster and is planning to team up with Shendu! We can't stop him!"
*'?'*
*'Jackie Chan teaming up with Shendu? Am I awake right now?'*
*'It would be possible if the evil Jackie was split using the original Tiger Talisman's yin-yang separation ability, but the Tiger Talisman from the Minecraft mod doesn't even have that function.'*
*'That thing's only purpose is to toggle the states between Zombie Pigmen and Pigs, or Zombie Villagers and Villagers.'*
*'Wait a minute. Jade said Jackie turned into a green monster... Doesn't that mean he's a Zombie Villager?!'*
"Hang tight, I'll be right there!" Zenith hurriedly hung up the phone. "Serie, can we use our mana to sustain the existence of the magical items and books here now?"
Zenith didn't understand the world of academic geniuses, but one look at Serie's eyes told him it was a done deal. As expected of a super old-timer who had lived for millennia, Serie's efficiency was off the charts.
Serie stated that she wanted to stay and continue her magical research. The various items Shendu had collected were incredibly rare. Among the pile of treasures, she had even discovered a crystal ball harboring the power of time.
This item allowed for free travel across the timeline without creating parallel universes—a feat that, in her original world, could only be achieved by the Goddess's Monument.
That meant Zenith had to act alone. He locked onto Jade's pixelated avatar, confirmed she was at Uncle's antique shop, and teleported directly to her side.
"When I say 'right there,' I mean it." Zenith casually ruffled Jade's hair, then walked over to Uncle. "Busy, Uncle? How many Talismans did Jackie take? Looks like he's about to rendezvous with Shendu."
Uncle was concocting a magic potion with a deadpan expression. As the saying went, Uncle was a late bloomer; he wouldn't truly start flexing his magical muscles until the Demon Sorcerer arc. Therefore, the potions he brewed right now were basically unreliable.
"Do not disturb Uncle! Uncle is making an antidote to turn Jackie back!"
At times like this, Jade was the reliable one. She trotted over and tugged at the hem of Zenith's shirt. "He took all twelve Talismans, Mr. Zenith. The Tiger Talisman turned Uncle Jackie into a bad guy. We can turn him back, right?"
Of course they could. Even without shining the Tiger Talisman on him again, a Potion of Weakness plus a Golden Apple would revert Jackie back to normal.
"Stop researching, Uncle. I have the cure right here. I'm going to see what Jackie is up to now. You guys coming?"
Uncle paused his movements. He felt he really needed to brush up on his magic, otherwise he'd have to keep relying on others to save people.
Zenith had the two of them drink Invisibility Potions with him. Without any flashy special effects, the three of them instantly appeared outside the window of Valmont's office.
"Jackie should know that the Talismans stored in Section 13 are fakes, yet he still brought them to Shendu. I'm guessing he has some other plan in mind," Zenith whispered.
"Could Uncle Jackie still be good, and he's just putting on an act for Shendu?" Jade asked.
Uncle shook his head, rejecting Jade's theory. "The act is real, but him turning bad is probably real too. Jackie is surrounded by a terrifying dark chi. If we don't deal with it in time, he might evolve into a dark chi wizard, and then not even the gods could save him."
The three stopped talking, preparing to watch Jackie's performance.
They didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes later, Jackie arrived in the office carrying an aluminum briefcase. "The Talismans are all here. Where is what I asked for?"
Valmont was grinning from ear to ear. Once Shendu gathered all twelve Talismans, he would fulfill his promise and hand over the lost treasure of the Golden Horde—an agreement established since his ancestor's era.
Valmont had been severely misled by his ancestors. He would never have guessed in a million years that Shendu never kept his promises.
Shendu was even more thrilled. A Shadowkhan ninja emerged from the shadows holding a scroll, making a clean trade with Jackie.
A wise man seeks power from within. Even after turning into a zombie, Jackie hadn't forgotten this principle. What he demanded from Shendu was the ultimate martial arts manual that the demon had collected in ancient times.
It was worth noting that Shendu had originally been sealed by Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals. Let alone martial arts, if it weren't for the fact that this was the wrong type of universe, it wouldn't be surprising if he whipped out a manual on how to achieve true immortality.
The Shadowkhan handed the briefcase of Talismans to Valmont, who began embedding them one by one into Shendu's stone body.
"Levitation, super speed, super strength, healing, immortality, dragon blast, heat beam, invisibility, shape-shifting, astral projection, animation, spiritual balance... I am free! Hahaha... Wait, something is wrong with these Talismans. Jackie Chan, you tricked me!"
The twelve Talismans transformed into a halo of light, swirling endlessly within Shendu's abdomen.
Although they weren't the originals, their powers were the real deal. Shendu regained his flesh and blood, but it was a pixelated version.
His towering, multi-meter-tall body was covered in blocky pixel textures, with a purple health bar floating right above his head. His sharp fangs and claws were all present, but every single one of them was sharply angular and blocky.
"Well, I didn't see that coming, but it makes perfect sense!" Zenith chuckled.
The pixelated body made Shendu extremely uncomfortable. Realizing he had been played by Jackie, he opened his jaws and violently spewed out a blast of purple dragon's breath.
*'The Dragon Talisman from the Minecraft mod comes from the Ender Dragon, so it breathes Ender Dragon's breath. Makes sense!'* Zenith thought.
As he kept breathing fire, Shendu realized that this purple dragon's breath seemed even more useful than his original flames.
Aside from its intense heat and explosive power, the purple dragon's breath had a lingering effect. The breath would stay on the ground for a long time before dissipating, which could greatly restrict an opponent's movement space.
"Jackie Chan, you can't escape now! Let's see how much room you have left to dodge!"
It was time. Zenith crashed through the window and drank a bucket of milk to remove his invisibility status. "The hero of justice always arrives at the critical moment to step up and smite evil!"
A Potion of Weakness appeared in Zenith's hand, and he spun around, smashing it directly onto Jackie.
Shendu froze for a second before letting out a cold sneer. "It's too late, Zenith! No matter what you say or do now, it won't change the fact that you betrayed me! I'm going to turn you into a dog and keep you in my palace!"
Zenith sneered right back. "You delusional lizard, you don't actually think I threw weakness on Jackie to suck up to you, do you?"
Right after the Potion of Weakness came the Golden Apple, which would convert Jackie back into his human form.
"Fire Resistance, Resistance, Strength, Night Vision, Swiftness—you're powered up, get in there!"
Having just regained his human identity and not yet fully processing the situation, Jackie stumbled forward and plunged headfirst right into the purple dragon's breath.