Control

Everyone understood that now was not the time to settle scores with the Flood Dragon King. The crimson crystal barrier clearly originated from the blood coffin, crafted by none other than the ancient demon's true body. What plot did the ancient demon harbor in dragging them all in here? The situation was bizarre and elusive. The power of the sword qi and the blood coffin had already intertwined, giving off terrifying ripples that made one's heart tremble. Not a single person dared take half a step closer to the raised platform. It appeared to be locked in a stalemate, with no one knowing who would ultimately prevail. If the sword qi were worn away by the blood light, they would be left facing the ancient demon's true body. None present would likely escape alive, and the entire Canglang Ocean would plunge into turmoil. Everyone turned their gaze toward the ancient demon's split soul. They saw that the split soul was standing right beside Qingzhu, whose condition looked bizarre. ... Right when they were dragged into this space, the moment Qingzhu appeared, the true demonic qi drifting from the blood coffin surged straight into his body. The clarity in Qingzhu's eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by utter bewilderment, while his aura climbed steadily. At this moment, Qingzhu's demonic soul was already under the control of the ancient demon's true body. Qingzhu had originally suppressed the demonic soul and was on the verge of reclaiming his physical body, yet all his efforts were shattered in a breath by the ancient demon's true body, coming to naught. With his body falling into the ancient demon's grasp, Qingzhu's original soul had no power to resist. "As expected!" The ancient demon's split soul glanced at Qingzhu. He had suspected all along that the reason his demonic restriction had failed was that the true body had tampered with it. He turned his head toward the blood coffin and snarled at the true body, "You still don't trust me!" The true body was using a secret technique to forcefully infuse Qingzhu's body with true demonic qi. If this true demonic qi had been given to him, his own strength would have soared immediately as well. "Cut the crap!" An anxious, furious roar from the true body echoed in the split soul's ears. "I am consuming the sacred coffin's source energy! Hurry up and kill them, lay down the Blood River Grand Formation, and taint the sword qi! This sword qi has also been eroded by time; it is far from what it once was. These people will barely suffice! Otherwise, if that sword qi strikes down, you and I will be reduced to ash together!" The split soul was startled, and upon sensing the sword qi's aura, a flicker of dread crossed his face. ... Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Qin Sang quietly moved toward the edge of the crimson crystal barrier. The young boy and girl were not far from Qin Sang. Having received their grandmaster's orders, they were just as cautious as Qin Sang, hiding in a corner without daring to make a sound. Once the battle began, even a stray shockwave could cost them their lives. Qin Sang exchanged glances with them, remaining silent as he secretly communicated with Bai, asking about Yagu's condition and discussing a plan. "That girl truly went all out. Her consciousness is currently in a deathly slumber. The fat silkworm is slightly better off; it merely overexerted its physical strength and is now asleep inside her body." Bai sighed. "Originally, by unraveling the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, there was a high chance she would wake up. Now, it's hard to say. Fortunately, you fed her the Soul-Cleansing Liquid, along with the vitality of the Jade Liquid and the Soul-Nurturing Wood. At least her condition won't deteriorate. Her fate is up to fortune now... How did you run into so many ferocious figures again?" Bai's tone was filled with resentment, bordering on despair. Qin Sang was deeply troubled as well. Touching the crimson crystal barrier, he discovered that the crystal wall did not physically exist; it was the manifestation of a profound boundary technique. Seeing that even the Demon Lord and the others were helpless against the crimson crystal barrier, he knew he couldn't slip away amid the chaos. Out of the tiger's den, straight into the wolf's lair. The only silver lining was that these people held no grudges against him, and right now, no one cared about an inconspicuous minion like him. "It's likely the ancient demon's scheme. Hopefully they can defeat it," Qin Sang murmured in helplessness. No matter what desperate straits he had faced in the past, he had never given up, always fighting desperately to forge a path to survival. But now he was truly powerless; he could only blame his own weakness. Fortunately, there were heavyweights standing at the front. If he ended up devoured by the demon, having so many legendary figures buried alongside him would at least make for a glorious death. After tumbling in, Qin Sang had seen that Qingzhu was present as well, which had initially given him a glimmer of hope. But he soon realized that something was wrong with Qingzhu's state—he didn't look lucid at all. This extinguished Qin Sang's freshly ignited hope. What misfortune had befallen Senior Qingzhu now? Scanning the area, he secretly observed the situation. Seeing Su Nü possessed by the ancient demon's split soul, Qin Sang was not surprised. Back on the mountain, when the split soul had been in the hollow surrounded by drifting true demonic qi, Qin Sang had only dared peer from afar. He hadn't seen the split soul's true form with his own eyes, but he had already guessed part of the truth. Su Nü's premonition had been right: the Three Great Merchant Alliances harbored ill intentions toward her. Yet she was powerless to resist, ultimately meeting such an end. Qin Sang then took note of the blood coffin and the sword qi. This sword qi was exceedingly powerful, unlike anything he had ever seen in his life. Fairy Nangui's words also confirmed that the sword qi had been left behind by an ancient cultivator. A flicker of astonishment crossed Qin Sang's eyes. The sword intent contained within the sword qi actually gave him a sense of familiarity! Even with the same cultivation technique, different people walked different paths, yet their origins remained the same. Staring intently at the sword qi, Qin Sang perceived its distinctive sword intent. The person who left this sword qi had very likely cultivated the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter! The Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter truly had deep roots with the Hall of Seven Kills! The Outer Hall's Heaven Tower and the Inner Hall's Yitian Peak all attested to this fact. ... True demonic qi surged into Qingzhu's body. His expression twisted slightly, and the color of his eyes was replaced by crimson, turning into eerie blood-red pupils. Inside his body, another disturbance surfaced, silently roaring. Qingzhu's true soul had not yielded and was struggling with all its might, but could do nothing to stop it. Everyone exchanged glances, feeling a chill run down their spines. Although Qingzhu's cultivation was slightly below theirs, the gap was paper-thin. Yet he was utterly powerless to resist. Had it been any of them, they would likely have found it hard to withstand as well. Qingzhu's aura climbed in leaps and bounds, breaking through bottlenecks in an instant to reach the late Nascent Soul stage. What was more, it continued to soar with no sign of stopping, leaving everyone aghast. The ancient demon's true body possessed methods far more terrifying than the split soul. Without needing a word, once the Grand Shaman understood the situation, he immediately formed an alliance with the humans. If the ancient demon broke free, both races would suffer calamity. Right at that moment, behind the Flood Dragon King, who stood close against the crimson crystal barrier, a strange disturbance suddenly rippled forth. Crimson flames emerged. At the center of the flames lay a phoenix feather, one end clutched tightly in the Flood Dragon King's hand. It was none other than the Heavenly Phoenix Feather given to him by the Nine Phoenix King! With the appearance of the Heavenly Phoenix Feather, its tip pointed toward the crimson crystal barrier, enveloped in burning flames that seemed both real and illusory. In the next instant, the crimson crystal barrier actually warped, looking as though it were about to be breached by the Heavenly Phoenix Feather! The corners of the Flood Dragon King's lips curved slightly. Seeing all these formidable enemies appear one by one, he had naturally been shocked and enraged. Although he didn't know what had caused the upheaval or what was sealed within the blood coffin, he knew one thing: no matter what the outcome was, nothing good awaited him. He might even immediately find himself besieged. The Heavenly Phoenix Feather given by the Nine Phoenix King was proving its worth. Although it was inferior to a true feather, it still held a wisp of Heavenly Phoenix divine ability. He had secretly unleashed the Heavenly Phoenix Feather moments ago, and sure enough, it worked! Boom! The Nine Lives Black Tortoise had been communicating with the Flood Dragon King in secret all along. In a flash, he blocked in front of the Flood Dragon King, conjuring a tough tortoise shell to firmly shield them. With a wave of his arm, the Flood Dragon King lightly swept the Heavenly Phoenix Feather downward.