"Fellow Daoist Mingyue, do not let down your guard. Part of the reason Sin Abyss has been able to press us so hard is precisely these Nether Crystal Pagodas. They can be moved at will, yet possess power comparable to a spirit array, along with many subtle uses. This allows Sin Abyss's army to advance and maneuver with great flexibility. Our meticulously arranged defensive grand arrays would normally require several times our numbers, or for them to identify weak spots in the spirit array and find a way to break it. Yet because Sin Abyss possesses these Nether Crystal Pagodas, breaking our arrays has become far easier..." Jinglin warned.
Qin Sang recalled the information he had gathered regarding the Nether Crystal Pagodas.
Back in the Demon Sea, he had experienced the demon race laying siege to Dahuang Island. Though he had quickly found a way to escape, he had witnessed some of humanity's methods, yet none of their treasures could rival these Nether Crystal Pagodas.
Such an object was unquestionably a devastating weapon on the battlefield; no wonder Sin Abyss held the upper hand. Even if the Two Realms Alliance possessed similar treasures, they fell far short of the Nether Crystal Pagodas.
"Did Sin Abyss suddenly bring out these Nether Crystal Pagodas after the war began last time? Had they never appeared before?" Qin Sang inquired carefully.
There was no demonic qi on the Nether Crystal Pagodas, so he did not know whether they were connected to ancient demons.
Sin Abyss also possessed a secret realm known as the Sin God Palace, which was said to conceal many treasures. It was entirely possible that Sin Abyss had gotten lucky and unearthed the Nether Crystal Pagodas from there.
Jinglin was taken aback for a moment, then remembered. "Ah! Fellow Daoist Mingyue only reached the shapeshifting stage not long ago, so you probably weren't paying attention to the struggles between the Three Realms back then. In fact, before the sneak attack on Ziwei Palace, Sin Abyss had been restless and stirring up trouble, frequently raiding our borders, and we fought several engagements against them. At that time, they already displayed something similar to the Nether Crystal Pagodas, but neither their power nor their numbers could compare to what they have now. In the years since, Sin Abyss might have researched new methods or excavated more materials..."
"Did you never consider replicating such a treasure?" Qin Sang asked.
Jinglin smiled wryly. "Of course we wanted to replicate it! Fellow Daoist Zhenyi joined forces with Patriarch Chifa of the Xiaohan Realm to set a trap. They lured a Sin Abyss Nascent Soul cultivator into it and captured his nascent soul alive. Only after extensive interrogation did they learn that the method for refining the Nether Crystal Pagodas is a top secret in Sin Abyss, known to few besides Old Demon Ye. We also captured a Nether Crystal Pagoda before, but to this day, we haven't even figured out what material it's made of, let alone replicated it."
Their divine sense exchange had taken only a few breaths.
As they spoke, Sin Abyss had already been advancing step by step.
"Found him—that's Old Demon Tan!"
Jinglin instinctively ducked his head, conveying the location to Qin Sang.
Qin Sang had already noticed the cultivator flying at the vanguard of Sin Abyss's battle formation. Flying through the air, the man had a red flame cord wrapped around his left arm, and the surrounding cultivators treated him with immense reverence.
"Old Demon Pei has hidden himself, but since he needs to control the Nether Crystal Pagodas, he won't be far from them."
Jinglin searched in secret, but found no trace of Old Demon Pei.
Qin Sang was looking as well.
At that moment, behind the Nether Crystal Pagodas, two figures were concealed in the shadows. Around them floated an imperceptible ripple, encircling them like a transparent gauze curtain.
Other cultivators brushed past them, causing the veil to ripple only faintly, completely oblivious to their presence.
"With Daoist Chanling reinforcing us this time, we will surely take Sandie Pass!"
One of them looked at the sea of mist ahead and spoke with supreme confidence. This person was none other than Old Demon Pei, whom Jinglin was searching for.
Beside him stood an emaciated Daoist with a refined, austere air.
Standing with his hands behind his back, the azure gauze curtain was a treasure he had activated, flawlessly concealing the figures and auras of both men inside.
The two gazed into the sea of mist for a moment, and Old Demon Pei sneered, "As expected, that fellow surnamed Si has come out to fight. I know his divine abilities like the back of my hand. Aside from that magic treasure of his called the Yuejin Mirror, the rest are of no concern. This time, Fellow Daoist Tan has devised ways to counter him. As long as we lure him over and strike together at the right moment, we can at least severely injure him and take Sandie Pass before their reinforcements arrive..."
Sin Abyss's Nascent Soul cultivators surprisingly harbored an idea similar to Qin Sang and his allies'.
"Sandie Pass is not particularly important; what matters more is the outcome of Fellow Daoist Ye's side... As long as the two of you are confident, that is enough."
Daoist Chanling nodded slightly. "With three Nether Crystal Pagodas here, they will surely know Fellow Daoist Pei is present as well. You might as well activate the Nether Crystal Pagodas to launch a direct attack to dispel any suspicions Si Di and Jinglin may have. Meanwhile, I will remain hidden beneath this Lightless Gauze and sneak across."
Old Demon Pei was somewhat worried. "They are bound to hole up inside the Cold Bell Grand Array and refuse to come out. If you enter the Cold Bell Grand Array directly, Daoist, will you be detected by the one controlling the array...?"
Daoist Chanling smiled faintly. "My Lightless Gauze is as gentle as water, excelling at drifting with the current and adapting to circumstances. Even if I slip into the grand array, it will not be so easy to expose me. Unless someone on their side possesses divine sense surpassing my own, they will never be able to see through my whereabouts. However, I must exert my full strength to control the Lightless Gauze to achieve this effect, which means there will be a brief hesitation when I strike. This is the flaw of the Lightless Gauze, and that brief moment is enough for an opponent to react, requiring close coordination between you and Fellow Daoist Tan."
Hearing this, Old Demon Pei's eyes brightened. "Daoist, you are at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. In the Two Realms Alliance, those whose divine sense surpasses yours can be counted on one hand, and none of them would be here at Sandie Pass!"
The two conferred via voice transmission for a moment.
Light flashed around Old Demon Pei, and he vanished into thin air.
Meanwhile, Daoist Chanling drifted slowly forward like a specter, cloaked in the Lightless Gauze.
After flying some distance, Daoist Chanling seemed to sense something. His brow furrowed slightly as he peered deep into the sea of mist. After sweeping his gaze across it and finding nothing, he gave a slight shake of his head and continued according to their plan.
Inside the sea of mist, Qin Sang's heart skipped a beat.
Daoist Chanling's methods of concealment were extraordinary, but they could not fool the eyes of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.
A single glance had yielded an unexpected discovery!
As Qin Sang carefully searched the battle formation, he found this Daoist at the same time he located Old Demon Tan, which startled him: Sin Abyss had sent three Nascent Soul cultivators.
When he attempted to have the Heavenly Eye Butterfly push its divine ability further to get a clear look at the man, he was nearly detected. The other party's divine sense was very likely far superior to his own!
An ominous premonition rose in Qin Sang's heart.
"Fellow Daoist Jinglin..."
Qin Sang spoke with grave seriousness, immediately informing Jinglin beside him of the situation.
"What? Three Nascent Soul cultivators?"
Jinglin gasped. After hearing Qin Sang's description, a figure immediately came to mind. "It's him! His Daoist name is Chanling, a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator! He has a rare concealment magic treasure that has caused us severe losses before, and we've never found a good counter for him. He has always operated around Wangdong City to the east, yet he has actually appeared here. It seems Sin Abyss intends to break through our lines at Mount Shiqu!"
"Mid-Nascent Soul stage?"
Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly.
He was not panicked by the opponent's cultivation level, but Daoist Chanling was clearly targeting Si Di—the exact same plan his own side had formulated.
In a direct clash, their side would gain no advantage. They would likely have to change their strategy.
Chapter 1181