Dongyang Bo was certain Qin Sang would not dare strike in broad daylight before everyone.
As long as he remained cautious, he had little reason to fear whatever tricks Qin Sang might try.
Sure enough, Qin Sang had already removed his mask.
Dongyang Bo keenly noticed that the others treated Qin Sang with a telling attitude—a subtle mix of wariness and deep respect. Such was the standing commanded by sheer strength.
Upon learning what had unfolded inside the Blood Gate, Dongyang Bo was even more shaken.
Qin Sang's performance had exceeded his expectations by far. Destroying an avatar of Old Demon Ye was an unprecedented feat for the Two Domains Alliance!
Just then, Qin Sang raised his eyes slightly and met Dongyang Bo's gaze.
Neither showed the slightest ripple of emotion in their eyes, parting glances the instant they touched.
Qin Sang could guess much of what was running through Dongyang Bo's mind. Dongyang Bo had withheld the truth of their clash, first because he did not want to tear away all pretense in public and force the others to take sides right now, and second to cover up his own shameful act of plotting against an ally.
Bringing it out into the open, even if Dongyang Bo tried to counter-accuse him, would hardly convince anyone.
Sometimes, the truth did not matter.
Having obtained the Nascent Soul talisman puppet, Qin Sang naturally had no intention of bringing it up either.
Qingjun was the only one who knew the inside story. Watching the two act as if nothing had ever happened, she could only marvel at how evenly matched two cunning minds could be.
At that moment, Demon Monarch Tongyou returned from scouting the blood mist and said in a heavy voice, "The monsters resemble flesh puppets and possess comparable strength, yet they are far more berserk and bloodthirsty. This place is fraught with peril. What do you all propose?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
Earlier, each had harbored their own designs.
Some wanted to return to the Black Pagoda Array to explore the ruins and seek treasures.
Others wanted to search for Boundless Blood Mulberry fragments...
None of that was possible now. If these monsters roamed everywhere instead of returning to their slumber, opportunities to enter the Blood Lake again would be few and far between.
After conferring quietly with Qingjun, Qin Sang decided to leave.
Jingyu had not found the Boundless Blood Mulberry in the blood pool, and the Blood Lake was vast; searching for it here would be like looking for a needle in the sea.
Without the Reversible Nine Palaces Array, the situation was rife with variables.
If surrounded by the monsters, even an extraordinary escape art might not save him.
He had plenty of time, and opportunities would come again.
Demon Monarch Tongyou saw through everyone's thoughts. After consulting Qin Sang and a few others, he said coldly, "Whether to leave or remain is for each of you to decide. However, mark my words: the moment there is any sign of the monsters attempting to break out of the Blood Lake, we will seal it immediately!"
A stir ran through the crowd.
The strongest among them were unwilling to take such risks.
No one knew where the treasures were, leaving them to search aimlessly. If they missed their window, even if they managed to survive, they would be trapped in the Blood Lake forever.
Unless they possessed Jingyu's extraordinary fortune of waiting until help arrived, who would dare stay behind?
Casting lingering backward glances toward the Black Pagoda Array, everyone sighed inwardly and agreed to retreat.
Dongyang Bo stepped into the Reversible Nine Palaces Array.
Taking turns operating the jade talismans, with Dongyang Bo leading the way, they skirted the territories of the monster chieftains and darted swiftly through the blood mist in search of a path out.
Fortune was on their side. The monsters they encountered along the way were manageable, and they joined forces to dispatch them before alerting others.
As they were about to exit the basin, however, an argument suddenly broke out among the master and disciples of the Taiyi Dan Sect.
"Master, you must not! The ancient restriction there is extraordinarily powerful and perilous..."
Si Di cried out, darting forward to bar Daoist Chongyi's path.
Everyone looked over. Ever since leaving the Blood Gate, the three of them had been whispering among themselves, and no one knew what had prompted this.
"Impudent!" Daoist Chongyi scolded sternly, assuming the full dignity of a master. "Does your master need your permission to do anything? Though I failed to break through before, the ancient restriction was shaken when the seal was shattered. There is no better opportunity than now!"
The other disciple, whose Daoist name was Yaojing, saw that Daoist Chongyi's mind was set and said, "Senior Brother and I will accompany you, Master."
"Nonsense! Your master already has one foot in the grave; my death is of no consequence! If you two are dragged down with me, what will all my centuries of toil have been for?"
Unable to persuade them, Daoist Chongyi roared in fury, "Fellow Daoists, bear witness! After I depart, if these two rebellious disciples dare take a single step forward, they are hereby expelled from the sect, never to set foot in the Taiyi Dan Sect again for the rest of their lives! Let this stand as proof, witnessed by heaven and earth!"
With that, Daoist Chongyi flicked his horsetail whisk, carving a deep trench into the ground.
Seeing their master's absolute resolve, Si Di and Yaojing shuddered, their faces overcome with grief.
Demon Monarch Tongyou and the others understood the situation and urged him to reconsider.
"It is far too dangerous here, Daoist. Pray think twice!"
Daoist Chongyi made a Daoist salute and said calmly, "The heavenly tribulation draws near, and my days are numbered. Rather than clinging to life in vain, I would rather stake everything on one final venture. Fellow Daoists, farewell!"
When news of the ancient cultivator first surfaced, he had thought a glimmer of hope had arrived, only for it to vanish like a dream.
Daoist Chongyi had devoted his entire life to his sect. Now that the Taiyi Dan Sect had two Nascent Souls presiding over it, he was finally free of burdens and could smile in the face of death.
Raising his whisk, he strode into the blood mist.
A faint song drifted back:
"In youth I climbed Mount Taiyi, styling myself immortal in reckless pride;
In the blink of an eye a thousand years have fled, a dream upon a golden millet pillow."
Everyone fell silent, watching Daoist Chongyi's retreating figure vanish into the depths of the blood mist.
Some among them had only recently attained the Nascent Soul stage and had yet to feel the crushing weight of the heavenly tribulation.
Others found themselves in a plight similar to Daoist Chongyi's, yet harbored too many misgivings to muster the courage for a desperate gamble.
Nevertheless, every person present could understand his feelings. Even Dongyang Bo, who had long been at odds with Daoist Chongyi, felt a heartfelt respect for the old man.
Together, they dissuaded Si Di and Yaojing from following and continued rushing toward the exit of the Blood Lake.
As they advanced, they discovered that the monsters were growing ever more numerous.
In grim silence, they finally made it back to the entrance of the Blood Lake's seal without further incident. Seeing that the monsters had not yet gathered here, they breathed sighs of relief and flew outside.
A few figures were keeping watch outside the seal, staring into the Blood Lake in terror, their nerves still rattled. They were the Core Formation cultivators who had followed them inside earlier; barely twenty or thirty percent of them had survived.
Upon emerging, the Nascent Soul cultivators did not leave, nor did they rush to restore the seal.
Without needing to confer, they moved together to cull the monsters wandering toward the breach, waiting for Daoist Chongyi. Stirred by his resolute departure, they displayed a rare unity of purpose.
Si Di and Yaojing guarded Daoist Chongyi's soul tablet, restless with anxiety.
Qin Sang observed the expressions of those around him.
The newly advanced Nascent Souls looked deep in thought; having only heard of it before without grasping its full weight, most were confronting the cruelty of the heavenly tribulation for the first time.
Qingjun remained placid. Her Dao heart was steadfast, her path long decided, unswayed by external matters or other people.
A flicker of relief passed through Jingyu's eyes. In exchange for two hundred years of imprisonment, he had ultimately achieved his wish by obtaining the Corpse Flower Blood Amber, securing himself a sliver of hope.
The older generation of Nascent Souls, including Daoist Tongyou, all wore solemn expressions, each facing the looming threat of tribulation to some degree.
Dongyang Bo stood alone on the outer perimeter, hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.
Minute by minute, time slipped away.
The Blood Lake grew increasingly chaotic.
Qin Sang joined the fray, and the group worked together to slay the monsters. Yet it was evident they could not hold out much longer; the monsters had noticed the breach in the seal and were beginning to converge upon it.
There was still no sign of Daoist Chongyi.
*Crack!*
A sudden faint snap resounded like thunder in everyone's hearts.
The soul tablet had shattered.
Chapter 1272