The grand army advanced to the foot of Mount Shuangjing.
At this moment, the scene atop Mount Shuangjing was exceedingly bizarre.
Swirling snow blanketed the lower half of the mountain, matching the weather outside. Divine consciousness could sweep across it unobstructed, clearly indicating that Sin Abyss had prepared no defenses here.
Toward the summit, however, the landscape changed abruptly.
An expanse of azure blue spread across the heights, shimmering with ripples of water.
It looked as though a vast lake had been upturned from the heavens, encasing Mount Shuangjing within.
Should anyone's divine consciousness or probing techniques touch those blue ripples, they would instantly be deflected back and kept out.
This was clearly an anomaly manifested by a spirit formation; Sin Abyss was already drawn up in battle array, fully prepared.
Qingjun lifted her gaze slightly, studying the grand formation for a moment before deploying the troops with consummate confidence, showing not the slightest hint of rustiness or hesitation.
Previously held back by an evil curse, she had not truly displayed her edge, yet she had never shirked her duties as a Xiaohan Realm cultivator. She had remained on the battlefield throughout, taking part in nearly every battle against Sin Abyss.
Qin Sang executed Qingjun's orders scrupulously, and the others naturally dared not voice dissent, each carrying out their assigned duties.
Just as Qingjun and the others were discussing how to breach the formation, a female cultivator from the Celestial Alliance suddenly stepped forward. "I have a plan that might just take out one of Sin Abyss's Nascent Soul cultivators."
The woman possessed a graceful figure and pictorial features; her every frown and smile held immense charm. Clad in a purplish-red qipao, she appeared serene and dignified, faintly enveloped by an alluring fragrance that was deeply refreshing.
In appearance, she looked like a gentle, mature woman.
Yet she was a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator.
She and her husband had once been an enviable pair of daoist partners, soaring together in harmony. Unfortunately, her husband had failed to overcome the threshold of the Nascent Soul realm, and she had never remarried for the rest of her life.
Yet as a solitary widow, rumors and gossip inevitably swirled around her.
"What brilliant plan does Madame Luo have?"
Hearing Madame Luo's words, everyone turned their eyes toward her.
Her prowess was not particularly outstanding among cultivators of the same rank, and her methods fell well within ordinary bounds. Over years of warfare, her performance had been solid and conventional, with few dazzling feats.
This was the first time she had ever stepped forward on her own initiative.
Madame Luo's beautiful eyes fluttered, turning toward Qin Sang. She covered her mouth with a light chuckle. "Hardly brilliant, but I do have a ploy. It all depends on whether Fellow Daoist Qin is willing."
Madame Luo was adept at the arts of youth preservation, and her temperament was far beyond that of ordinary women. Her smile radiated alluring charm, truly a delight to behold.
At these words, everyone grew even more curious, glancing at Qin Sang with ambiguous looks.
Qin Sang was naturally baffled; this was his first time meeting Madame Luo, and he had never had any dealings with her before.
"Please speak plainly, Madame Luo. As long as it is helpful, I will certainly do my utmost."
Madame Luo nodded. "Fellow Daoist Qin's fame has spread far and wide thanks to your startling battle record, but most Sin Abyss cultivators are still quite unfamiliar with you. If we take them by surprise, we will surely find an opportunity. I specialize in illusions and possess a Shape-Shifting Pearl here. It can allow Fellow Daoist Qin to disguise yourself as me, while I pose as you..."
With that, Madame Luo brought out a blue pearl—the Shape-Shifting Pearl.
Even without further elaboration, everyone understood her plan.
Sin Abyss would not be particularly on guard against Madame Luo. If she could lure out an early Nascent Soul cultivator, Qin Sang's strength would give him an excellent chance of taking them down.
However, this required Qin Sang to pose as Madame Luo, and neither his demeanor nor his techniques could display any obvious flaws.
Qin Sang's cheek twitched slightly.
"I had no idea Madame Luo possessed such a technique; we have never seen you use it before," Jinglin said in surprise.
Madame Luo lightly tapped her slender finger against the Shape-Shifting Pearl. Inside it appeared a miniature version of herself, rigid in expression but identical in appearance.
"This secret treasure of mine can be used for disguise, but it has significant limitations. It is easily seen through, and it cannot be used on Daoists Zhenyi and Tongyou, whose cultivation exceeds mine. Fellow daoists of the same stage aren't much stronger than me, and while Fellow Daoist Xiang claims to be capable of fighting above his rank, we all know there is still a noticeable gap, making it hard to achieve much. Since this trick can only be used once, I kept it hidden as a trump card, waiting for the right moment. At last, an anomaly like Fellow Daoist Qin has appeared—one who could slay Old Demon Ye's avatar while in the early Nascent Soul stage! It is bound to achieve miraculous results!"
Madame Luo smiled faintly at Qin Sang. "Remember, Fellow Daoist Qin, when the time comes, ask Fellow Daoist Leng to use a spirit formation to cover for you. Once you encounter a Sin Abyss Nascent Soul cultivator, strike without hesitation and under no circumstances alert your opponent. Furthermore, we must coordinate closely and mimic each other's mannerisms. If we give ourselves away on that front, all our efforts will come to naught."
...
Qingjun led the army up the mountain.
The two armies faced each other in a standoff; Mount Shuangjing remained deathly silent.
Qingjun ordered the men to lay out a grand formation for the final preparations while shielding them from the prying eyes of the cultivators atop the mountain. Under everyone's cover, Qin Sang and Madame Luo slipped secretly into a snow cave.
Qin Sang parted his lips, about to say something, when Madame Luo raised her hand. A streak of white light flew out of the Shape-Shifting Pearl, condensing into an illusory silhouette of Madame Luo.
As the phantom flew toward him, Qin Sang shifted his mind and suppressed the true essence within his body.
Once the phantom attached to him, he felt nothing unusual, but upon condensing water into a mirror, he discovered that his appearance had transformed completely, turning him into another Madame Luo.
It was just that his demeanor and expression were far too stiff and unnatural. Even without using the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, one could tell it was fake.
Subconsciously touching his chest, Qin Sang found the sensation remarkably soft, indistinguishable from the real thing. What an exquisite illusion!
Turning his head, he noticed that Madame Luo had already disguised herself as him at some point, staring back with a bizarre expression.
Qin Sang cleared his throat, looked over Madame Luo, and praised, "Fellow Daoist Luo looks quite handsome."
Madame Luo covered her mouth and giggled. "Fellow Daoist Qin looks quite glamorous."
With the awkwardness dispelled, the two began mimicking each other's mannerisms.
Qin Sang was easy to imitate. Madame Luo did not need to make any expressions—she only had to play the cold-faced gentleman standing beside Qingjun, assisting her in directing the spirit formation, and no one would suspect a thing.
However, the boundless feminine allure Madame Luo had cultivated over the years was not something easily imitated. Furthermore, Qin Sang would have to charge into the Sin Abyss camp himself to seek out an opponent, leaving zero room for flaws.
Fortunately, Nascent Soul cultivators could control every inch of their bodies with extreme precision. Qin Sang learned patiently, and with Madame Luo's dedicated guidance, he made rapid progress.
Just as Qin Sang was striking poses and mimicking feminine gestures, Qingjun walked in unannounced.
Her gaze shifted, immediately recognizing that the Madame Luo before her was Qin Sang. Her beautiful eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. "Junior Brother, what fine looks you have."
"Thank you for the compliment."
The real Madame Luo shook with laughter, leaning back and forth.
"To play the part, we must go all the way. This is the magic treasure I commonly use, the Qilin Hairpin. Fellow Daoist Qin cultivates wood-element true essence, just as I do. Through the talisman seal I left on it, you can unleash about seventy percent of its power without specially refining it, and you can activate it at will before the power of the talisman seal runs out. It's only natural to be cautious inside an enemy formation, so they shouldn't suspect anything..."
Madame Luo handed Qin Sang a jade hairpin. Overall, it resembled an ordinary phoenix hairpin, except that one end was carved with a lifelike, azure auspicious qilin beast.
Chapter 1280