The Incursion

Over the past few days, Qin Sang had also been keeping an eye on the situation. Perhaps due to the imminent emergence of Ziwei Palace, Sin Abyss truly appeared ready to beat a retreat and cease hostilities. Not only at Sandie Pass, but reports arriving from other fronts told the same story: there were only minor skirmishes. Even so, the more peaceful it seemed, the less one could afford to let down their guard. *** Inside the tall tower, Qin Sang was completely focused. Reflecting the killing talisman into the sword soul was already complete. The next step was fusing the sword soul with the seven corporeal souls. Souls and spirits... Cultivators of the present day frequently spoke of them, but they generally treated them as synonymous with the divine soul or origin soul. Even soul-splitting secret arts merely severed a sliver from the divine soul. Dividing them finely into the three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls remained, to Qin Sang, a realm of unfathomable mystery. He had encountered various interpretations in Daoist scriptures. Certain canonical Daoist texts recorded: Of the three ethereal souls, one is named Taiguang, one Shuangling, and one Youjing. The seven corporeal souls are Shigou, Fushi, Queyin, Tunzei, Feidu, Chuhui, and Choufei—all turbid ghosts dwelling within the body. Yet all of this was confined to scriptural exposition and mythological lore; he had never seen any cultivation method associated with it. Fusing each sword soul with one of the seven corporeal souls was even more unheard-of. Qin Sang had no idea where to begin on his own. He could only focus his mind to comprehend it, circulating the cultivation technique again and again until a faint resonance stirred in the unseen depths. Guided by the technique, he began to fuse the sword soul bit by bit. The process was slow and fraught with complications. However, Qin Sang possessed ample patience. Days slipped by one after another. With no one to disturb him, Qin Sang meditated on the technique inside the tower without distraction. Finally, he saw a glimmer of progress: one sword soul showed a tendency to merge with his origin soul. After that, the pace quickened, and the second sword soul began to show similar signs. "It looks like they are both fusing with my origin soul, but the powers merged into these two sword souls seem subtly different..." Qin Sang fell into deep thought. He felt this vaguely in his heart, yet it was difficult to articulate. "Unless this technique merely adopted these terms as figures of speech, the three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls might truly exist in this world! If so, could the Underworld, the Yellow Springs, King Yama, and even the Six Paths of Reincarnation and rebirth into new lives be more than just legends...?" Qin Sang pondered for a long time, then slowly shook his head. Even if they did exist, they were far beyond his current realm. Putting aside these stray thoughts, he was about to resume his cultivation when a sudden, urgent chime of bells startled him. His expression changed slightly. A ring from the cold bells meant trouble was brewing. Qin Sang swiftly halted his cultivation, pushed open the door, and walked out of the quiet room. He found that Si Di and Jinglin had already arrived, both looking grim. "Successive reports from several watchtowers indicate massive activity from Sin Abyss cultivators. This time it doesn't look like a feint. I have already ordered them all to withdraw..." Jinglin spoke in a low voice, sharing all the intelligence with Qin Sang. Qin Sang glanced outside the tower. Streaks of light flashed incessantly across the sky; the army had already begun to assemble. "Do the two of you plan to dig in and defend Sandie Pass?" Qin Sang asked. "Indeed," Si Di nodded. "We cannot yet discern Sin Abyss's intentions—whether, as Fellow Daoist Zhenyi suspected, they are preparing for a desperate, all-out gamble before Ziwei Palace emerges, or if this is just business as usual. The safest choice is to hold our ground inside the pass and await word from Mount Shiqu, making our move only after the situation becomes clear." Jinglin added, "We are also worried that sallying forth rashly might lead us straight into a Sin Abyss ambush. Fellow Daoist Si Di will head out immediately to organize the forces. Normally, I would be the one operating the Cold Bell Grand Array, but with Fellow Daoist Mingyue holding the fort, I can conceal myself behind the scenes and spring a surprise on the enemy when the opportune moment arises!" Hearing this, Qin Sang understood the outline of their strategy. Sandie Pass was second in importance only to strongholds like Mount Shiqu, and the Cold Bell Grand Array was exceptionally intricate. Only when operated personally by a Nascent Soul cultivator could its true might be brought to bear. Between the two Nascent Souls, one would anchor the formation while the other led the forces into battle. Now that one of them was freed up, if they could seize the chance to ambush and gravely wound one of Sin Abyss's Nascent Souls, victory would essentially be assured. This was what had been agreed upon before Qin Sang arrived. However, Qin Sang thought for a moment and proposed an idea: "Do you have any way to keep the Cold Bell Grand Array running without my direct control? This king would also like to venture out and witness the divine abilities of Sin Abyss's Nascent Souls." "You are willing to join the battle in person, Fellow Daoist?" Both men were overjoyed. They understood the terms of their agreement and had never dared hope that these demon kings would voluntarily lend a hand without additional benefits. Qin Sang taking such an initiative was completely beyond their expectations. Qin Sang nodded. "If Sin Abyss succeeds, I fear our demon race will hardly remain unaffected. I have long wished to do my part. Furthermore, I consider myself somewhat adept at movement techniques. Even if I am outmatched, preserving my life will be no problem." The two exchanged glances. Si Di mused, "I can go out first to draw one of their experts, while the two of you stay hidden in the shadows. Striking together by surprise, we might even have a chance of destroying the enemy's Nascent Soul alongside their body!" Since the start of the Three Domains War, very few Nascent Souls had fallen on the battlefield. Every Nascent Soul cultivator was a cunning, seasoned figure who acted with extreme caution. More importantly, once a Nascent Soul separated from the physical body, it possessed the power of teleportation and astonishing speed, making it exceptionally difficult to pin down. The three alliance masters of the Three Great Merchant Alliances in the Canglang Sea had simply suffered terrible luck in encountering an unpredictable and eerie ancient demon. Otherwise, even if their physical bodies were lost, their Nascent Souls would have managed to escape. "Even if we cannot kill their Nascent Soul, destroying their physical body will still weaken Sin Abyss's strength! Finding a suitable body for possession is no easy feat, and their power will inevitably plunge. If we truly succeed, we will certainly claim merit on Fellow Daoist Mingyue's behalf!" Jinglin beamed with delight. Si Di's expression remained calm as he considered a difficulty. "Though the array implements can be entrusted to Core Formation juniors, the grand array is far too intricate. There is a noticeable difference in power between whether it is operated by us or by Core Formation juniors. Over all these years, Sin Abyss has grown intimately familiar with the Cold Bell Grand Array, so deceiving their eyes will not be easy. Once they notice an anomaly in the array, they will surely be on guard." "You have a point, Fellow Daoist. This does require careful thought." Jinglin set aside his smile and pondered for a moment before saying, "At the very beginning, the Cold Bell Grand Array will mainly adopt a defensive stance. As long as Sin Abyss hasn't committed their full strength, the array's performance won't show any obvious disparity." Si Di hesitated. "That window is too short; it will likely be difficult to find an opportunity." "In any case, it does no harm to try. Even if we cannot kill their Nascent Soul, slaying a few Core Formation cultivators before I return to control the Cold Bell Grand Array—without compromising the overall battle—will still be of help to you..." Qin Sang said. His primary aim was to make close contact with Sin Abyss's Nascent Souls. Ever since he had suffered that ambush by Sin Abyss, the three-headed, six-armed phantom of an ancient demon had cast a lingering shadow over his heart. If Sin Abyss truly had ties to ancient demons, he would need to prepare an escape route and plan for the long term. The three discussed many more details and finalized their plan. In secret, Jinglin summoned a peak Core Formation cultivator from his own sect, handed over the array implements for him to control, and gave meticulous instructions to maintain the facade at all costs. Afterward, Si Di went out to deploy their forces and await the approaching onslaught of Sin Abyss's army.