Decision

Boom! The sphere of ice and the azure light collided dead center. In an instant, shards of ice sprayed in all directions as a colossal shockwave swept outward. The ice sphere shattered on impact, and the Cold Lizard immediately recalled the snow pearl. Yet the azure light still carried residual power, shooting straight toward the cultivator surnamed Lu. Just as it was about to engulf him, a streak of black light sliced in with blinding speed—the Snake King's black saber magic treasure. Now, the might displayed by this black saber was worlds apart from when Qianji Demon King had wielded it. It cleanly shattered the remnants of the azure light, then arced backward in a flash of dark radiance, holding back the blood-colored torrent cast by the two Sin Abyss cultivators for a fleeting moment. Having bought this precious breath of time, the Snake King and his companions scrambled to shift aside. The next instant, a long shadow grazed past them with hairsbreadth precision—the evil spirit's lashing tail. Blow after blow followed without giving them a moment to breathe. Had it merely been a mindless evil spirit or just the two Sin Abyss Nascent Soul cultivators, they would have had little to fear even with Cultivator Lu wounded. But right now, their predicament was dire. All three of them felt a twinge of regret; their previous actions had been too reckless. It had taken them more than ten days, painstakingly following that tree vine, to unravel the ancient restrictions bit by bit. They had poured immense effort into it and were utterly exhausted. Upon successfully opening the great demon’s cave dwelling and seeing a chamber filled with treasures, they had naturally been ecstatic. Even in that state, the three had not completely let their guard down. Only after confirming there was no danger did they move in to claim the spoils. To their surprise, they had overlooked one vital point: this was no demon king's abode at all, but a cage imprisoning a terrifying evil spirit. Caught completely off guard, Cultivator Lu at the front took the brunt of the evil spirit's assault, coughing up blood from severe injuries on the spot. The Snake King and the Cold Lizard reacted quickly enough to shield themselves and escape disaster. The trio had initially intended to join forces to seize the treasures before making their exit, never anticipating the terrifying commotion the evil spirit’s attacks would cause. The resulting shockwaves had drawn the Sin Abyss cultivators over, causing them to miss their chance. By now, they had abandoned all thought of taking the treasures, knowing that staying any longer would only draw more Sin Abyss Nascent Soul masters. That "cave dwelling" lay just beneath them—a deep subterranean cavern that had already been blasted open during their clash. The three had made several attempts to plunge into the hole to flee, but were repeatedly intercepted. It seemed they would have to pay a steep price. Rumble... In a flash, everyone was entangled in battle once more. The battlefield shifted with dizzying speed. Qin Sang watched from afar. After a few exchanges, he had gained a clear picture of the situation. He wondered whether the Snake King and his allies had realized that there were not two Sin Abyss Nascent Soul cultivators here, but three! At the perimeter of the battlefield lurked another Sin Abyss cultivator, their aura masked, waiting in the shadows for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal strike. Unfortunately for them, it could not escape the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The reason Jiang Chenzi and his companion were so fearless, daring to block the Snake King with just the two of them, was precisely because of this hidden ally. The two out in the open were merely drawing attention. Qin Sang momentarily looked away from the battlefield, scanning the surroundings carefully until he was certain there were no others lurking. He now had two choices. The first was to pretend he had seen nothing, turn around, and leave. This was the heart of the Sin Abyss, where variables were far too unpredictable. Other Nascent Soul cultivators could be drawn here at any moment. Out of caution, staying clear of the trouble was a perfectly reasonable choice. The second was to intervene, seize the treasure, and rescue them at the same time. If he joined forces with the Snake King and the others, breaking away shouldn't be difficult as long as no unexpected mishaps occurred. Jiang Chenzi, his companion, and the one hidden in the dark were all merely in the early Nascent Soul stage. Without the evil spirit, the Snake King's side might even have been able to turn the tables and kill one or two of them. His greatest concern was the evil spirit. However, according to the cultivation method's descriptions, the Seven Po Killing Formation possessed a certain restraining power against spiritual entities of this sort. Qin Sang estimated that if he struck, the chances of snatching a treasure from within the evil spirit's body were quite high. Still, he could at most claim one of the three items, and there would be no time to examine what it did. Though his eyes lingered covetously on the blood jade and the broken axe, his primary target had to be the white bronze. Given how strongly it attracted the Fire Jade Centipede, it would at least guarantee that what he risked his life for was no useless junk. The longer he hesitated, the greater the risks. In almost a heartbeat, Qin Sang made up his mind: he would act. Boom! Another earth-shattering collision erupted. Across the battlefield, azure light, serpentine shadows, chilling frost, the black saber, and the blood-colored torrent clashed and interwove in a chaotic spectacle, one power surging as another receded. Qin Sang approached in secret. While still a short distance from the battlefield, the moment the collision took place, he merged his body with his sword without hesitation, transforming into a startling rainbow that pierced straight through the gloomy clouds! Thunder Escape and Sword Escape became one, accompanied by an unbroken roar of thunder. Everyone was stunned. The Sin Abyss cultivator hiding in the dark had been watching the fight with rapt attention, waiting for the right moment to strike. They had never expected someone else nearby to act first, and their hesitation cost them a beat. On the battlefield, expressions varied wildly. The Snake King was the first to recognize Qin Sang, instantly overcome with shock and delight. "Bright Moon Demon King!" His expression shifted repeatedly as countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Back at Sandie Pass, he had paid a personal visit to fervently invite the Bright Moon Demon King on this treasure hunt, offering lavish promises. The man had flatly refused, yet here he was suddenly appearing in the Abyss Ruins. How could the Snake King not be suspicious? If the Bright Moon Demon King had been with them from the start, they certainly would not have ended up in such a wretched state. At first, the Snake King suspected that the Bright Moon Demon King had been tailing them in secret all along, refusing openly while harboring ill intent. Yet on second thought, both he and Fellow Daoist Lu possessed higher cultivation than the Bright Moon Demon King. Even if the latter possessed some concealment art, it was impossible for him to track them all the way from the Tianxing Plateau to the Sin Abyss without them noticing a thing. Then he wondered if the Bright Moon Demon King could be a Sin Abyss spy. That made even less sense. In plain view of everyone, the Bright Moon Demon King had slain Old Demon Pei in an array battle. For the Sin Abyss to sacrifice a genuine Nascent Soul ancestor just to plant a single demon king near the Tianyao Mound was sheer nonsense. That left only one possibility: the Bright Moon Demon King also had important business, had similarly snuck into the Abyss Ruins, and, upon sensing the ripples of battle here and recognizing them, had stepped in to help. That explained everything. No wonder the Bright Moon Demon King had refused him so flatly back then. He could only blame his own ill-timed invitation for running into the man's prior plans. It was a wonder the Snake King could piece together so much in a single breath. Immediately after, Qin Sang's voice transmission sounded in his ear with a warning, confirming his deductions. Although Cultivator Lu and the Cold Lizard had never met Qin Sang in person, they had heard the Snake King speak of him more than once. Hearing the Snake King's startled cry, though still puzzled by the details, they knew an ally had arrived. All three were renowned experts. Seeing Qin Sang's streak of light darting straight toward the treasures inside the evil spirit's body, they instantly guessed his intent. None of them blamed Qin Sang for still thinking about seizing treasure at a time like this. Without any benefit, why would anyone risk their neck to come to their rescue? Qin Sang heading straight for the snake spirit happened to relieve them of their greatest burden. If they still couldn't break free under these conditions, they might as well slit their own throats. One side rejoiced while the other despaired. With this sudden turn of events, the two Sin Abyss Nascent Soul cultivators—who had believed victory was already in their grasp—were caught entirely off guard, instantly consumed by shock and rage. The other Nascent Soul cultivator could no longer bother hiding either. Hastily unleashing a magic treasure, they stepped out from the shadows.