Dire Peril

Bang! Qin Sang dodged with all his might, but was still clipped by the radiant light. He was sent flying like a rag doll. A tearing agony flared across his back—flesh ripped open, drenched in blood, and giving off the scent of roasted meat. Gritting his teeth, he bounded back to his feet before even hitting the ground and fled once more. This was not the first time Qin Sang had been hunted by a Nascent Soul-level expert. Just as when he faced Demonic Qingzhu in the past, he lacked any power to fight back. Rumble! The instant Qin Sang sprang up, a streak of light came screaming in, blasting a deep crater into the earth. The Nine Phoenix King watched Qin Sang's desperate struggle to survive with cold detachment, sauntering forward like someone strolling in a courtyard, steadily herding him out of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain. Qin Sang knew full well that he could never let her succeed. Once forced beyond the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, he would face the encirclement of all the demon kings. Any one of them could toy with him in the palm of their hand—that would be true despair. What should he do?! Qin Sang's mind raced, searching frantically for a way out. Bai was also trying to come up with a plan, but without the gray qi's protection, he could not leave Qin Sang to act on his own. Having already used the Star Conch, Bai had no stronger methods left. The trusted subordinates of the Demon Lord and Lingzhuzi were nowhere to be seen. Even such a massive disturbance had failed to draw them, which likely meant they were on the opposite side of Yitian Peak. Old Devil Mou had deliberately chosen a route to avoid them, making it impossible now to divert disaster onto others. It seemed the only hope was to drag things out as long as possible, gambling that the power within the Nine Phoenix King's long plume was limited and could not be used indefinitely. Crack! A massive boulder shattered into powder. Qin Sang shifted sideways, dodging another strike by a hair's breadth. The Nine Phoenix King's attacks were simply too fierce. Feeling their terrifying might, Qin Sang broke out in a cold sweat. Just then, as he tore through a patch of woods, a glimmer caught the corner of his eye deep among the trees. To his surprise, it was a lake. "A poison pool!" Qin Sang suddenly remembered Ning Wuhui mentioning that the poison ground of the Secluded Valley originated from places within called poison pools. The pools held severely toxic water, places that made even Nascent Soul Patriarchs turn pale with fright—they were the very source of the venom. The Inner Hall was desolate. Since entering, this was the first body of water Qin Sang had seen. It could only be a poison pool! "An opportunity!" Qin Sang's eyes lit up. Yet hesitation immediately followed. The toxicity of the Secluded Valley was already on par with the core region of the Purple Mist Deathland. If the poisons drifting in the air were already this potent, how terrifying would the source itself be? Could the fat silkworm hold out? Yet he was virtually at a dead end now with no other choice. Hardening his resolve, Qin Sang instantly changed course and hurtled straight toward the poison pool. He swallowed all the Snow Toad Pills Ning Wuhui had given him in one gulp, activated every poison-warding treasure he had prepared, and simultaneously ordered the fat silkworm to condense the Poison-Warding Armor. Seeing Qin Sang's movement, the Nine Phoenix King arched an eyebrow. Qin Sang was not far from the pool, and it was already too late to invoke the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather to intercept him. Shielded by countless layers of barriers, Qin Sang reached the edge of the poison pool, shut his eyes, and leaped in. Crack! The moment he entered the pool, a poison-warding jade pendant shattered on the spot. Secretly alarmed, Qin Sang hastily drew together his protective barriers, merging them with the fat silkworm's Poison-Warding Armor to resist the venomous water, and plunged downward at top speed. Within the poison pool, divine sense could not extend beyond the body. According to Ning Wuhui, the poison pools were interconnected in an intricate network of waterways; as long as he could hold out until he broke from the Nine Phoenix King's sight, he would have a chance to escape. As he dove deeper, he monitored the fat silkworm's condition. One after another, his poison-warding treasures exploded under the strain. The fat silkworm wriggled out of Qin Sang's inner armor and perched on his shoulder. Its body was taut, arched high as it breathed out mouth after mouth of multicolored halos to bolster the Poison-Warding Armor, its breathing hurried and labored. Fortunately, it still seemed capable of enduring. Qin Sang's tense heart eased slightly. Above the pool. The Nine Phoenix King arrived in a flash, staring fixatedly into its depths. She did not know the origin of this pool, but instinctively sensed danger, recognizing that it was connected to the lethal toxins of the Secluded Valley. However, she was not skilled in warding off poisons, having previously relied on the Flood Dragon King for protection. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator would not dare linger long in such a poison pool. How long could a mere Core Formation stage cultivator possibly endure? With a cold snort, the Nine Phoenix King condensed a fiery barrier around herself and plunged into the poison pool right after him. Sizzle! As she entered the pool, the toxic water boiled, and her barrier instantly began to burn furiously. The Nine Phoenix King frowned. The poison inside was far more vicious than she had imagined; she had to capture that man as quickly as possible! The pool ran deep. Qin Sang was fraught with anxiety. He did not know how much longer the fat silkworm could hold out, yet that madwoman was still pursuing him relentlessly. At that moment, Qin Sang finally caught sight of the pool's bottom, where he discovered a massive subterranean river. Ahead lay pitch-black darkness, leading to who knew where. He slipped into the subterranean river, and the Nine Phoenix King pursued him into it without hesitation. Not long after entering the river, an unexpected change suddenly occurred. Qin Sang had been watching the fat silkworm, preparing to pull out various potent tonics to restore its strength. Suddenly, his whole body seized up. He had inadvertently tumbled into a massive undercurrent, his body dragged uncontrollably toward the depths of the underground river. Yet when Qin Sang circulated his true essence to steady himself and break free of the undercurrent, he discovered it was not an underground current at all, but an inexplicably enormous suction force. Even with his cultivation, he could not break free! Qin Sang's heart sank. The poison pool had always been utterly still; why would such a bizarre suction appear? He struggled frantically, but to no avail. The suction was far too powerful, binding him fast like shackles and dragging him violently inward. Behind Qin Sang, the Nine Phoenix King was also caught in the undercurrent generated by the pull. At first she paid it no heed, but when she realized that even she could not break free, her expression finally changed. She had no idea where the underground river led or how deep it went. This eerie suction filled her with dread. Moreover, swept along by the current, if she failed to fend off the deadly poison, she would melt into a puddle of foul slush, perishing without a trace alongside Qin Sang. She wanted to capture Qin Sang and seize his treasures, not entomb herself along with him. Decisive as ever, the Nine Phoenix King unleashed the full power of the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather. The true feather erupted with power, finally allowing her to break free of the pull. Not daring to linger for an instant, she swam against the current and surged out of the poison pool, only to discover that nearly half the pool's water had vanished in that short span, with the rest draining away at rapid speed. By the time she reached the bank, the poison pool had completely run dry! This bizarre sight left the Nine Phoenix King thoroughly bewildered, uncertain if this was just a normal occurrence for the poison pool. She glanced down at the dried pool bed, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. Dragged down into the depths, that boy stood almost no chance of emerging alive. She had expended the power of the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather for nothing. The suction grew ever stronger. Qin Sang possessed no supreme treasure like the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather. He and Bai struggled frantically, but were utterly helpless to resist as the current swept them through one waterway after another, carrying them toward the unknown. Along the way, he slammed repeatedly into stones and rock walls, but thanks to the toughness of his physical body, he managed to endure the impacts. The fatal crisis, however, was that the fat silkworm was beginning to slow in breathing out its multicolored halos—it could no longer maintain the Poison-Warding Armor!