Third Entry into the Hall of Seven Kills

Qin Sang trailed behind the crowd, communicating secretly with Bai. Before long, the cultivators arrived before the Storm Belt. None of the cultivators present were weak; without the slightest hesitation, they plunged straight in. Qin Sang unleashed sword radiance to protect himself, and with a flicker of his figure, entered the storm. Having previously been forced into the depths of the Storm Belt, Qin Sang was already well-practiced in weathering the gales. He traversed the Storm Belt with ease, second in speed only to the Nascent Soul cultivators, and was among the first group to reach the Hall of Seven Kills. Seeing the immortal formation of the Hall of Seven Kills once again, Qin Sang was met with a starkly different sight. Previously, the immortal formation's power had been stable, resembling a gray wall of wind whose might did not openly reveal itself. Now that the Hall of Seven Kills was emerging on its own, crashing against the immortal formation, the wall of wind had broken apart. The immortal formation seemed like the eye of a tempest; violent winds swept across every direction, spirit tides surged, and terrifying waves of wind churned tempestuously, bearing an aura that could tear anything to shreds. Its momentum was even greater than the ravaging spirit tides in the depths of the Storm Belt. Standing far off along the periphery, Qin Sang could still clearly sense the immensely violent power of the immortal formation. It was hard to imagine what sort of dangers one would face after breaking into it. Entering the Hall of Seven Kills truly demanded courage. At that moment, Qin Sang noticed a faint glint of crimson radiance emerge at the very center of the immortal formation, like morning glow bathed in the rising sun, slowly ascending from the seabed. Seeing this, Qin Sang felt a stir in his heart, recalling the rosy-cloud immortal restriction of the Inner Hall of the Hall of Seven Kills. He suspected the source of that glowing light was very likely the outward manifestation of the immortal restriction. "Is the Hall of Seven Kills about to emerge already?" Qin Sang lowered his head slightly, watching the glow. Ahead of him, two Nascent Soul Patriarchs stood motionless at the edge of the immortal formation, seemingly waiting for a particular opportunity. Qin Sang thus kept his patience and refrained from rushing into the formation. Time passed minute by minute. The crimson glow rose at an exceedingly slow pace. Qin Sang counted the time silently; a full seven to eight shichen elapsed before the glow finally rose from the seabed to eye level with Qin Sang, where it came nearly to a standstill. Right at that moment, the Nascent Soul cultivators ahead suddenly moved. One unleashed a flying sword that swirled around his body, simultaneously enveloping the two disciples beside him. Executing an exceptionally intricate sword incantation, he transformed into a fierce streak of sword light and vanished into the immortal formation with a flash. Around the other's body manifested a suit of black armor; taking a gentle step forward with an otherworldly air, he walked alone into the immortal formation. In other directions, the other Nascent Soul cultivators also moved in unison. After the two Nascent Soul cultivators left, Qin Sang flickered forward to the front of the immortal restriction. Feeling the power of the immortal restriction up close, a solemn expression appeared in Qin Sang's eyes. After pondering for a moment, his aura abruptly shifted, wings manifested upon his back, and he executed the Heavenly Demon Transformation. Next, he swept his divine sense through the Qianjun Ring, and the Heavenly Corpse Coffin flew out, transforming into a suit of battle armor that enveloped him securely. Having prepared all this, Qin Sang summoned the ebony sword as well. Feeling reasonably assured of his safety, he tapped toward the spirit sword, conjuring a sword wheel to blaze a trail, and darted into the immortal formation. Not long after Qin Sang left, two escape lights arrived one after another, descending upon the spot. "Senior Brother, did you see that? The person ahead didn't seem simple. His sword dao attainment is exceptionally high." One of the young men narrowed his eyes, staring intently in the direction where Qin Sang had vanished. He too was devoted to the sword dao; sensing the ripples of sword qi just now, his interest had been piqued, and he had changed his plans to rush over, only to arrive one step too late and miss the man entirely. The other said, "Could anyone who dares enter the Hall of Seven Kills alone be an ordinary figure? We should get moving as well, lest we miss our chance. Remember: if you ever feel your strength falling short, turn back immediately. Do not force yourself. If you and I are separated within the immortal formation, meet at Heaven Tower." "Understood!" Before the words completely faded, the two entered the immortal formation side by side. Similar scenes played out one after another. Unaware of the minor episode outside, Qin Sang was focusing all his efforts on weathering the onslaught of the immortal formation. Upon entering the immortal formation, Qin Sang felt like a lone skiff that had strayed into a tempestuous sea with howling winds and surging waves, entirely devoid of support. Without a jade talisman to shield him, he had to exercise extreme caution at every second; a single misstep could cost him his life. Free of stray thoughts, he cleaved through the waves with the sword wheel leading the way. Benefiting from an escape art far surpassing cultivators of the same rank, whenever a crisis arose, Qin Sang was able to detect and evade it in time—saving far more effort than those who withstood it through sheer force. As he ventured deeper, the power of the immortal formation grew increasingly chaotic and dense, leaving less and less room to maneuver. At the same time, Qin Sang felt an intangible pressure descending upon him, causing the true essence in his body to turn slightly sluggish, making him inwardly wary. Qin Sang had no choice but to push the ebony sword with all his might, sparing no true essence to forge a path ahead. Little did he know, the pressure faced by the Nascent Soul cultivators was even greater. In particular, those Nascent Soul cultivators who had to divert their attention to protect their disciples were actually moving slower than Qin Sang. Rumble... Rumbles roared constantly in his ears. Qin Sang had no idea how much longer it would take to breach the immortal formation, so he kept his head down and pressed forward with all his might. Before long, the surrounding pressure abruptly vanished. Qin Sang's heart stirred; driving the ebony sword to slash forward swiftly, he finally caught sight of what appeared to be the interior of the Hall of Seven Kills! Confirming there was no danger, Qin Sang darted inside. "Huh?" Qin Sang lowered his escape light and scanned his surroundings, looking surprised. "I didn't emerge at the Wilderness after all. This place... seems not far from Flower Immortal Lake?" He raised his head, only then realizing that the sky above the entire Outer Hall of the Hall of Seven Kills was shrouded in dense clouds and surging gales, a scene of sheer chaos. "Previously, it was akin to using external force to forcibly pry open an entrance in the immortal formation, and that wilderness was probably the formation's weakest point. Now, the Hall of Seven Kills is emerging on its own, shaking the outer immortal formation, so the entire Outer Hall can be regarded as the gateway. Entering from any point will deposit a person in a corresponding location, and leaving should be the same..." With a turn of thought, Qin Sang deduced part of the reason. He would not have to worry about being ambushed at an exit when returning, but if one were careless and accidentally dropped into an ancient restriction or a perilous land like Flower Immortal Lake, it would be dangerous. Concealing himself in the shadows and confirming there were no other cultivators nearby, he flickered toward a spot with the widest view and looked toward the depths of the Hall of Seven Kills to observe the Inner Hall. Heaven Tower soared high, clearly visible. Qin Sang gazed out as far as his eyes could see. The rosy-cloud immortal restriction blanketing the Inner Hall looked from afar like drifting fire at the edge of the sky, or like liquid colored glaze slowly flowing, dazzling and brilliant to the utmost. At this very moment, however, a gap had opened in it. According to Ning Wuhui, that was the entrance to the Inner Hall of the Hall of Seven Kills. A deep sense of familiarity welled up spontaneously within him. Qin Sang immediately spurred his escape light and flew in that direction. When he finally saw the sight clearly, he realized where this feeling came from. At the same time, he also understood why this secret realm was called the Hall of Seven Kills. At the entrance of the immortal restriction stood an ancient palace. Upon the palace hung a high plaque bearing three characters: Hall of Seven Kills! And the calligraphy of those three characters clearly shared the exact same origin as the "Ziwei Palace" inscribed upon the Heavenly Gate of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield!