A Deal

After waiting for a while, the young woman could no longer restrain herself and crept quietly in that direction. She was extremely careful, not approaching rashly, and continuously deduced the changes of the illusion formation. In the end, she was surprised to discover that it was indeed a safe path. She was not sure whether the other person had noticed her. Two choices lay before her: either leave via this path, or deduce another path herself, for there was more than one safe path in the illusion formation. Following behind risked walking into an ambush. Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from the nearby woods. "Inside an illusion formation, you and I should each go our own way. Yet Fellow Daoist is tailing me—I wonder what your intentions are?" The young woman was startled, but surprisingly, she did not retreat immediately. Looking toward the direction of the voice, her expression remained calm as she said, "Fellow Daoist, please do not misunderstand. Having been trapped here for so long, I grew anxious. Seeing that Fellow Daoist had found a safe path, I merely hoped to borrow your strength to escape this place. I had not expected that Fellow Daoist had not yet departed." After a brief silence, the voice came from the woods once more. "Fellow Daoist holds a Life Talisman in hand, yet you fear a mere illusion formation?" Behind an ancient tree, Qin Sang watched the young woman coldly. He knew that his noisy charge through the formation would inevitably alert others. Unwilling to have a little tail following behind him, he had feigned leaving, while in truth waiting here in ambush. Yet what surprised him was this young woman's identity. Before the trial began, a Nascent Soul Patriarch had traded his own spot for a Life Talisman and given it to this very girl. Qin Sang did not know the talisman's full capabilities, which was why he had refrained from acting rashly. Something obtained by a Nascent Soul Patriarch at the cost of his own entry qualification was certainly extraordinary; perhaps it possessed power surpassing the Core Formation stage. Events proved that his caution was justified. Although the young woman was in the late Core Formation stage, judging by her aura, her combat strength was hardly top-tier. Yet, facing a possible ambush from the shadows, she remained completely composed, looking as if she had nothing to fear. It was either a treasure bestowed by a Nascent Soul senior or the confidence lent to her by the Life Talisman. There was more than one portion of Soul-Cleansing Liquid in the Trial Realm. Qin Sang did not wish to clash with someone like her; scaring her off would be the best outcome. Yet the young woman showed not the slightest intention of leaving. She even lowered her cloud sleeves, which had initially been raised in a defensive posture, and said, "There is something Fellow Daoist does not know. The Life Talisman can indeed preserve my life, but inside this Thousand Mountains Formation, it cannot be of much use. What troubles me most right now is how to break free of this Thousand Mountains Formation as quickly as possible, lest others beat me to the treasure and render my grandmaster's efforts in vain." Frowning slightly, Qin Sang said coldly, "Whether you obtain the treasure and whether your grandmaster's efforts were in vain have nothing to do with me, do they? Fellow Daoist quietly tailed me—do you not find that inappropriate? You are my competitor to begin with; do you truly expect me to help you?" Hearing this, the young woman curled her lips into a faint smile. Changing the subject abruptly, she asked, "My name is Mingwei. May I know how to address Fellow Daoist?" "My surname is Qin." Qin Sang said indifferently, "This is merely a warning. There will not be a second time. I hope Fellow Daoist does not bring about your own ruin!" With that, he turned to leave. Mingwei's expression tightened with urgency, and she said hurriedly, "Fellow Daoist Qin, please wait! I have a proposal and wish to make a deal with you. Why not hear me out before making your decision?" At her words, Qin Sang's interest was piqued. Pausing, he said, "What deal? Does Fellow Daoist intend to hand the treasure over to me on a silver platter?" "Hand it over on a silver platter? That is utterly impossible!" Mingwei shook her head. "However, we can cooperate. The fact that Fellow Daoist could reach this place so quickly shows that your strength is extraordinary, and you are surely interested in the Soul-Cleansing Liquid as well, aren't you? There is more than one portion of Soul-Cleansing Liquid, so why can't we join forces to claim the treasure? The disciples of the great sects have all come in groups. Fighting alone puts people like you and me at a severe disadvantage." Qin Sang sneered disdainfully, "There may be more than one portion of Soul-Cleansing Liquid, but there certainly won't be many. You cannot even cross the Thousand Mountains Formation. I need only press forward to leave you far behind. Why would I create another competitor for myself out of thin air?" Mingwei felt secretly irritated and embarrassed. Gritting her teeth, she retorted, "It's not that I cannot get through! Deducing the shifts of the illusion formation simply expends too much mental energy and time! If not for seeing that you are exceptionally adept with illusion formations, do you think I would need your help? If not for running into this bizarre place like the Thousand Illusions Formation, I would have left you in the dust long ago!" "Why dwell on hypothetical nonsense? There are no 'what-ifs' in this world," Qin Sang said, stroking his chin. "Cooperating with you is not out of the question, but what can you offer me?" "The Life Talisman is not limited to me alone—it can protect you as well! As long as it is activated within the Trial Realm, any danger can be averted. Is that enough?" Mingwei lifted her chin, brimming with confidence. "Any danger?" Qin Sang was secretly surprised. No wonder that Old Ghost Mu was willing to pay such a heavy price to trade for a Life Talisman—he was paving the way for his junior. Barring any mishaps, a Life Talisman was practically equivalent to a portion of Soul-Cleansing Liquid. "Indeed! We will swear an oath upon our inner demons: you guide me through this trial, and once we reach the final trial, we work together to secure the Soul-Cleansing Liquid. In moments of peril, I will activate the Life Talisman to protect us both. You surely know how dangerous the final trial is. However, I have one condition..." Mingwei's tone grew grave, and she paused before continuing, "If there are two or more portions of Soul-Cleansing Liquid, naturally there will be no need for us to fight over them. But if only one portion remains, you must yield it to me!" Mingwei spoke in an unquestionable tone. Yet Qin Sang refused flatly without the slightest hesitation. "No!" "You..." "Even without you, I am just as confident in seizing a portion of Soul-Cleansing Liquid. I truly want to see what those disciples of the major sects are capable of," Qin Sang sneered. "I only agreed to cooperate with you as a precaution. Handing over the Soul-Cleansing Liquid on a silver platter is equally out of the question. However, we can agree in advance: if circumstances truly come to that pass, our agreement will be void, and whoever gets the Soul-Cleansing Liquid will rely entirely on their own abilities. How about that?" The reason Qin Sang agreed to Mingwei's proposal was that he considered her to be Old Ghost Mu's direct disciple and clearly held in high regard; she was bound to know more about the Trial Realm than others. He himself knew far too little about the Trial Realm, putting him at a distinct disadvantage compared to the disciples of those sects. With Mingwei to assist him, he could avoid many detours. Qin Sang's confidence stemmed not only from his own strength, but also from the fact that Bai could aid him from the shadows. When the time came, even if Mingwei had the Life Talisman, it would be of little use in the contest for the Soul-Cleansing Liquid. Hearing his words, Mingwei fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Very well, I accept your terms. We shall swear upon our inner demons right now. After leaving the Thousand Mountains Formation, once we enter the final trial, we will rendezvous at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion." "Fine!" The two then discussed the details and swore the oath together. Her expression easing, Mingwei looked deep into the dense fog. "Fellow Daoist can reveal yourself now, can you not? There is no time to lose; we must press on as fast as possible." The mist churned. Wearing his mask, Qin Sang darted out. The two sized each other up briefly, then set off together.