Intrusion

"Senior Brother Sun, fellow Daoists, I might not be able to make it to our next gathering, so allow me to offer my apologies in advance." Qin Sang raised his wine cup and toasted everyone around him. The expression of a green-robed swordsman shifted slightly. Leaning forward, he asked, "Is Fellow Daoist Qin about to make a breakthrough?" Qin Sang nodded with a smile, immediately prompting a wave of congratulations and envy. Ever since joining Shaohua Mountain, he had never slacked off. A few days ago, he had finally sensed the signs of an impending breakthrough to the tenth layer. Over the past two days, he had paused his cultivation to compose his mental state, preparing to enter seclusion tonight upon his return to attempt the breakthrough. Once he broke through this time, he would be eligible to return to Shaohua Mountain to claim a Foundation Establishment Pill. However, Qin Sang had no intention of taking it right away. Given his aptitude, taking it too early would merely squander a Foundation Establishment Pill. Having cultivated for this long, he had the patience to wait until he broke through to the thirteenth layer. Unfortunately, the Kuiyin Sect had made its move too soon. Had he waited a few more years, he would have had two Foundation Establishment Pills. Sun De was also exceptionally delighted. Raising his cup toward the bright moon, he called out loudly, "Then here's wishing Brother Qin a speedy breakthrough so that we can celebrate your success!" ... Upon returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang completed a patrol of Dichen Cave, reported in to his sect via voice transmission talisman, and set up the Soul-Bewildering Mirror at the entrance as usual. He then sat down on his water-heart bamboo futon, chanted silently several times until his mind became as still as water, and sank into deep meditation, circulating his cultivation method. The bottleneck of the tenth layer was just as difficult to breach as that of the ninth layer, yet there was a clear path to follow; all it required was painstaking, gradual effort. In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days passed, and Qin Sang successfully broke through to the tenth layer. Though wild joy surged in his heart, he did not stop, remaining in deep meditation to consolidate his newly broken-through and yet-unstable realm. As days slipped by, Qin Sang still did not emerge from seclusion, but more than a dozen voice transmission talismans gathered outside his cave dwelling. Dichen Cave was deathly still and desolate. Plumes of yin baleful qi surged from underground, attempting to break through the blockade of the restrictions, and the escaping yin baleful qi ceaselessly eroded the surrounding mountain forests and vegetation. On this day, a figure silently entered this area and stood at the rim of Dichen Cave's entrance. Staring down into the cavernous maw, his gaze shifted unpredictably. This person wore the Dust-Cleansing Robe of Shaohua Mountain—it was actually Sun De! Sun De stared at Dichen Cave for a moment, a contemplative look appearing on his face as he murmured, "A month should be enough. I hope you've shown some promise, Junior Brother Qin." With that, Sun De glanced left and right, then darted swiftly forward, slipping into Dichen Cave through a nearby fissure in the ground. He seemed intimately familiar with Dichen Cave, knowing its winding chasms and passages like the back of his hand. His figure flickered repeatedly, and before long, he appeared before Qin Sang's cave dwelling. Seeing the voice transmission talismans hovering outside the dwelling's restrictions, Sun De counted them—not a single one was missing. An eerie smile appeared on his face, and with a wave of his hand, he gathered all of them up. *Thump, thump...* Standing before the entrance, Sun De knocked twice on the stone door. Hearing no response, he impatiently pressed his palm against the door. Spiritual power surged from his hand, and the cave dwelling's restrictions immediately began to unravel. Inside the cave dwelling, Qin Sang was both startled and enraged. Awakened by the knocks, he had just steadied his vital energy and blood and opened his eyes. He was still wondering who would come looking for him at this time when he noticed that the person outside was actually breaking down the restrictions. The cave dwelling excavated by the sect had been left with formidable restrictions, making it difficult for an ordinary rogue cultivator to force their way in. It was only to ensure total safety that Qin Sang had laid out the Soul-Bewildering Mirror as an added safeguard. Yet the intruder had unraveled the restrictions with such ease—who on earth could he be? Qin Sang racked his brain. Ever since entering Shaohua Mountain, he had kept his head down and minded his own business, never picking fights with anyone; he shouldn't have offended anyone. Could it be an outside rogue cultivator who had stumbled into Dichen Cave, found an immortal cultivator's dwelling inside, and harbored wicked intentions? Regardless of the intruder's identity, breaking into his cave dwelling without permission meant ill intent. With the person right outside the door, any talisman sent to summon help from the sect would undoubtedly be intercepted. Qin Sang's thoughts raced. Looking at the mirror array ahead, he felt a little reassured. The mirror array was set right in front of the door; as long as he activated it, the intruder would trigger it the moment he opened the dwelling. If the enemy proved too powerful, Qin Sang could take advantage of him being trapped by the mirror array to flee and send a talisman for help. He was equipped with top-grade magic tools; even if he couldn't win, holding out until sect reinforcements arrived shouldn't be difficult, not to mention that black bead he possessed. If the intruder was weak, killing him with a single sword strike wouldn't draw any blame either—Dichen Cave was an ideal place to destroy a corpse and erase all traces. With that thought, Qin Sang quickly calmed down. Looking at the fluctuating restrictions before the door, he produced an avatar to sit on the futon while his true body concealed itself in a corner. Then, he summoned his ebony sword. Having already broken through to the tenth layer, his inner spiritual power was profound, allowing him to command the sword to slay foes without relying on spirit stones for replenishment. However, unleashing sword qi consumed an immense amount of energy; without prior preparation, he wouldn't be able to sustain it for long. To be safe, Qin Sang took out a middle-grade spirit stone nonetheless, quietly storing up spiritual power. Moments later, a sharp snap came from the cave dwelling's entrance. The light of the restrictions flickered before dissolving completely, and the door was pushed open from the outside. The moment Sun De opened the cave dwelling, darkness fell over his eyes as he triggered the mirror array's ambush. He was completely enveloped in black mist, yet there was not the slightest trace of panic on his face. Glancing around at the billowing black mist, a smile curled at the corners of his mouth. "A baleful artifact personally forged by Old Ghost Yi... Junior Brother Qin truly is cautious. No wonder you managed to survive until now. Unfortunately, you are destined not to escape your fate of becoming a sacrifice." As he spoke, Sun De traced a mysterious talismanic rune in the air before him and drove it into the black mist. Immediately, the black mist showed signs of dispersing. From outside the array, Qin Sang saw things even more clearly. Shortly after Sun De entered the mirror array, the physical Soul-Bewildering Mirrors all began to vibrate violently, emitting faint snapping noises. Fine cracks began spreading across their surfaces, looking on the verge of destruction, while the black mist within dispersed at a startling speed. Discovering that the intruder was Sun De had taken Qin Sang completely by surprise, making him wonder if this was some misunderstanding. Naturally, Qin Sang had no intention of holding back. Sun De had broken into his cave dwelling; whether it was a misunderstanding or not, it could only be sorted out after subduing him. Otherwise, he would be the one in danger. Seeing the Soul-Bewildering Mirror dismantled so easily by Sun De, Qin Sang was horrified. Daring not hesitate in the least, he silently recited the sword incantation. Sword qi flared on the ebony sword as it plunged into the black mist in an instant. "Aaargh!" A shrill scream erupted from the black mist, followed by Sun De scrambling out of the mirror array in utter disarray. His left arm was severed clean at the shoulder, blood gushing forth. His smug smile had long vanished, leaving his face as pale as paper. Clutching his wound with one hand, Sun De's eyes met Qin Sang's cold stare. His eyes bulged abruptly, his face filled with sheer shock as he cried out in disbelief, "The tenth layer! You're actually still alive?!" Qin Sang's brows furrowed tightly. Thinking it a pity that the strike hadn't been fatal, he raised a hand and unleashed a blast of Yin Thunder, then sent a mental command to reverse the ebony sword's trajectory, driving it straight toward Sun De's vitals.