Similar scenes were appearing throughout Ziwei Palace with increasing frequency.
A Nascent Soul cultivator from the desert had met with an encounter much like Qin Sang's. But he had failed to notice it in time, took a wrong step, and blundered straight in. His figure vanished immediately after, leaving not the slightest ripple behind, his fate entirely unknown.
The lake water was limpid.
The bamboo grove was fragrant.
Qin Sang took a deep breath, yet from this tranquil scenery, he sensed a sliver of unease. He cautiously retreated, skirted around the small lake, and quickened his pace.
This Ziwei Palace was no longer the Ziwei Palace of old. From now on, even Nascent Soul cultivators might find every step fraught with peril.
Bypassing the ancient medicinal garden, Qin Sang hurried along for a while and soon came upon another familiar place: the Sword Path Main Hall where the teleportation formation was located.
This place was no exception, transformed beyond recognition.
The sight left Qin Sang stunned.
Standing on the ground and craning his neck high, he could barely catch a glimpse of the entrance to the Sword Path Main Hall deep within the five-colored auspicious clouds.
Originally, this mountain had not been prominent among the surrounding peaks.
Now, it had thrust up from the earth like a living thing, majestic and soaring, like a sharp sword piercing into the clouds, rivaling Tianshan in every way. Similar changes had occurred across several surrounding peaks, but none were as striking as this.
Surrounded by peaks, a solitary pinnacle stood preeminent!
The ebony sword gave a sudden thrum.
A familiar fluctuation drifted over, confirming that the restrictions of the Sword Path Main Hall remained unchanged and the ancient teleportation formation should still be intact.
The good news was that the entrance to the hall still resembled an ordinary cliff face with no outward anomalies; otherwise, this passage connecting the two realms would have been completely exposed.
*Has the Hall of Seven Kills been affected, or did the upheaval only occur in Ziwei Palace? Time is tight. Once things here are settled, I'll go check the other side.*
With his thoughts turning, Qin Sang never broke stride, heading straight for Sword Mark Mountain.
Traversing the myriad secret realms, both Qin Sang and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly remained on maximum alert. Experiencing several close calls without actual mishap, he finally reached Sword Mark Mountain.
From a distance, swirling clouds and mist surged over the mountain, enveloping the entire surrounding range. Drawing near, it was just as expected: the whole mountain range was under the influence of an illusory formation.
Qin Sang did not dare act rashly. He circled the outer boundary of the formation until he reached the position closest to the sword mark. After investigating, he could not help letting out a breath of relief.
The sword mark astounded the world; its sword intent endured through eternity!
The escaping sword qi continued to batter the illusory formation, yet it was also suppressed by the formation's power.
The two had been locked in conflict all along.
This ancient illusory formation was indeed battered and riddled with flaws. Although far more perilous than before, it was not insurmountable.
There was no one in sight.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out from his sea of qi and settled onto Qin Sang's shoulder, gently fluttering its wings. Arcs of lightning gathered within the heavenly eyes on its wings, growing increasingly agile and spirited.
The heavenly eyes were profound, as if an immaculate sky were contained within them.
With his head tilted, Qin Sang observed the illusory formation while communicating with the butterfly, quietly channeling Witch Clan secret arts to assist it in fueling its innate divine ability.
Amidst the chaotic illusions, Qin Sang picked out a path, though he could only clearly discern the first stretch. He could only take it one step at a time and adapt as he went.
To be safe, Qin Sang also summoned the Nascent Soul talisman puppet and ordered it to scout ahead.
Man and puppet began their ascent on foot.
The moment they stepped into the illusory formation, the surrounding scenery abruptly shifted.
The palaces upon Sword Mark Mountain vanished.
In their place lay a wide river of lava. Molten rock surged, washing a wave of scorching heat over him that felt undeniably real. The splashing waves radiated ripples of power whose sheer might startled Qin Sang.
However, not far upstream on the lava river, there was a visible fault line, as if two worlds had been stacked together and come into conflict.
With the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's help, Qin Sang easily found these flaws and navigated through the formation.
Everything went exceptionally smoothly, and Qin Sang silently kept count of the distance.
He should have already ascended onto Sword Mark Mountain. Barring accidents, it would not be long before he reached the alchemy chamber where the Nanming Primordial Fire was kept.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred. Ahead of him, the Nascent Soul talisman puppet stopped dead in its tracks. The crimson glow in its eyes faded at a visible speed, leaving behind a vacant stare.
At the same time, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's wings suddenly froze.
Qin Sang felt only a faint, blurry wisp of consciousness from the butterfly before the connection slipped away. Looking down, he saw the butterfly appeared fast asleep.
A jolt of shock went through him. If the butterfly and the talisman puppet were lost for the sake of the Nanming Primordial Fire, the loss would far outweigh the gain.
Steadying his mind, he swept his gaze across his surroundings. Finding nothing amiss, he turned his inspection inward.
He felt completely normal.
Looking back at the butterfly and the puppet, the bonds between them had not been severed, but both had fallen into a deep slumber. Just then, the puppet's eyes twitched slightly, as if struggling and resisting something.
*The jade Buddha again!*
Qin Sang roughly deduced the cause. It appeared this illusory formation also possessed the power to bewitch the mind. Most sinister of all, the anomaly gave no warning whatsoever, causing one to sink into sleep and lose oneself here without realizing it.
The jade Buddha had saved him once more.
Even an ancient illusory formation could not affect him.
Qin Sang breathed a sigh of relief. He felt ever more keenly that as his cultivation advanced and he encountered more methods targeting the soul, the jade Buddha's protection would only become more invaluable.
From here on, he could rely only on himself.
Qin Sang recalled the puppet and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, his guard raised to its highest level.
Passing through a stretch of pavilions, covered corridors, and water kiosks, a rustling sound suddenly drifted from ahead, as if something were moving through the thickets.
*Someone's there?*
Qin Sang paused.
On second thought, apart from Old Demon Ye, no one could have arrived here faster than him.
Why would Old Demon Ye come here instead of heading to Tianshan?
Qin Sang deemed that unlikely. Suppressing his aura, he crept forward a short distance and concealed himself in the shadows. After waiting a moment, he saw several red foxes emerge at the edge of the dense woods, frolicking and chasing one another. The rustling had come from them.
He had not expected to encounter living creatures here.
Qin Sang knew these red foxes could not be real, or Yunyouzi would have discovered them long ago. He channeled true essence into his eyes and stared intently for a moment. Sure enough, he noticed something.
Though the foxes appeared lifelike, strange ripples occasionally passed through their bodies, exposing their illusory nature. As expected, they were spirit beasts conjured by the ancient illusory formation. Because the formation was damaged, they too had weakened.
Yet the red foxes were exceedingly nimble and vivid.
Whoever laid the formation had surely created these beasts for a specific purpose. Even if the formation was broken, Qin Sang had no desire to test what they could do.
Yet this was the only path to the stone palace!
While Qin Sang pondered in silence, he suddenly noticed one of the red foxes stop its playing. Its pointed ears twitched slightly, as though sensing something.
Qin Sang's expression shifted, and he hastily retreated. The foxes' senses were far too sharp; had the formation's power not been drastically reduced, he likely would have been detected long ago.
Frowning deeply, he considered his options for a moment before turning his gaze to the other side.
The sword mark lay in that direction. Standing where he was, he could already feel the razor-sharp edge of the sword qi.
The red foxes were of unknown origin, and there was no need to force his way through. Taking advantage of the terrain to lure them toward the sword mark and letting the sword qi dispatch them was an alternative option, and one that would spare him considerable effort.
Chapter 1334