The ebony sword reaped a swarm of yin souls and swept back.
Shielded by the sword radiance, an object silently dropped into Qin Sang's palm.
At the same time, a murmured voice transmission sounded by his ear.
Qin Sang's movement hitched for a brief instant as a result.
The others sensed the anomaly.
Daoist Canghong asked with concern, "Fellow Daoist Qin, what is the matter?"
"The blood infants' counterattacks are growing increasingly ferocious," Qin Sang said, shaking his head to brush it off.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he peered deep into the ghost mist. The surrounding space had once again filled with endless yin souls and ghostly fiends. The voice just now had come from Bai, though he could not determine which direction it had originated from.
Bai was acting with utmost caution, on guard against something.
Suspecting nothing amiss, Daoist Canghong nodded with a worried expression. "After that massive roar, the blood clouds and yin souls have only multiplied. Old Demon Ye has clearly noticed us. His intention is obvious: do everything he can to stop us from approaching the altar. That earth-shattering boom earlier was colossal; the anomalies in the Inner Hall have likely escalated to an extreme pitch. If nothing unexpected happens, Old Demon Ye's plot should soon surface..."
Qin Sang listened quietly to Daoist Canghong's words, noncommittal.
A subtle glint flashed deep in his eyes. He tightened his grip; the object felt chillingly cold, and a thin cord now rested in his palm.
Bai had manipulated a yin soul to quietly return the Demon Binding Rope to him!
Afterward, Qin Sang maintained his composure and continued to clear the path ahead with his sword as if nothing had happened, though he had already raised his vigilance to the absolute limit.
Blood clouds loomed thick and heavy.
Ghostly shrieks rose in wave after wave.
Just as Daoist Canghong had anticipated, their group drew most of the evil array's might, and Old Demon Ye drove more and more yin souls and ghostly fiends toward them.
The cultivators were completely encircled by blood clouds. Everything in sight was dyed crimson, the clouds so dense that vision could not pierce through.
Beset by the endless swarm of yin souls and ghostly fiends, everyone felt as if they had been hurled into a crimson hell, the pressure weighing on them mounting by the moment.
The blood clouds clung to their movements like living creatures, churning ceaselessly.
Boom!
The Nascent Soul talisman puppet dispersed a cluster of blood clouds, surging forward with ferocious momentum.
This scene had repeated countless times without any sign of abnormality.
That they could advance so swiftly owed much to the Nascent Soul talisman puppet.
Yet at that very instant, Qin Sang—constantly on high alert—felt his pupils constrict violently. Warning bells blared in his mind, and without hesitation, he executed the sword incantation he had long prepared.
Buzz!
The sword cry shook the heavens!
Startled, everyone looked toward Qin Sang, only to see the ebony sword's radiance surge like a dragon and its sword qi sweep across the air, instantly butchering countless yin souls and fiends in the surroundings.
Boom!
Radiance blazing with utmost brilliance, the sword slashed toward the empty void directly before Qin Sang!
Shock and bewilderment gripped the crowd. Before they could discern what was happening, an upheaval abruptly broke out around them. Amid roaring rumbles, the heavy blood clouds crashed down, sweeping along countless yin souls and ghostly fiends to charge brazenly into their ranks!
Chaos erupted.
For a moment, the cultivators could barely keep their footing. Their formation collapsed instantly as they were submerged in the blood clouds, frantically channeling their magic treasures to fend off the onslaught.
In front of Qin Sang.
Sword radiance tore through the void and plunged from above.
Beneath the sword radiance, a figure quietly materialized—none other than Jade Bone!
Jade Bone twisted his neck, his bones clicking with a sharp clatter. Raising a single hand, he blocked the sword radiance with effortless ease. The ghostly flames in his eye sockets flickered with disdain. "Heh heh. A mere early Nascent Soul cultivator able to see through my concealment art... no wonder that kid Ye is so wary of you."
"Who are you?" Qin Sang demanded coldly, keeping his composure.
Seeing Jade Bone's appearance, Qin Sang could not help feeling a chill rise in his heart.
In the battle at the Blood Lake, had Jade Bone faked his death, or had the demon from Sin God Palace possessed his body to be reborn?
Jade Bone's flesh had completely shriveled away, leaving him looking no different from a skeleton. Yet he was still alive, and possessed such terrifying strength. Even with Bai's advance warning and being on guard beforehand, Qin Sang had nearly failed to unleash his sword in time.
Tensed to the absolute extreme, his hand clutching the Demon Binding Rope was nearly slick with sweat.
As expected, that sword strike had not inflicted the slightest harm on Jade Bone.
Even as he asked his question, Qin Sang did not hesitate for an instant. His sword seal shifted again, and the ebony sword transformed into a sword array, instantly draping the void in gloom.
"Courting death!"
Sensing the ripples of the sword array, the ghostly flames in Jade Bone's sockets flared violently. With monstrous fury, he let out a thunderous bellow and vanished into thin air.
The next instant, countless skeletal claw shadows exploded forth!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shock filled Qin Sang's expression.
The methods Jade Bone displayed were unlike anything Qin Sang had ever seen. Even with the aid of the Heavenly Eye divine ability, he could only barely distinguish which claw shadows were illusions and which were real.
Yet that was utterly pointless—he simply could not react in time. Unable to even keep up with the shifting claw shadows, how could he counter them?
Qin Sang did everything he could, shifting his array formations repeatedly, but to little effect.
Rays of sword radiance were extinguished one after another.
Bang!
The ebony sword let out a wail, battered by a tremendous force that nearly knocked it flying.
In the blink of an eye, a faint ripple stirred the void directly before Qin Sang, and a skeletal claw burst out. Radiating a dreadful, bone-chilling cold, it lunged straight for the point between Qin Sang's brows!
I cannot even withstand a single clash against him!
The thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind.
Crack!
Thunderclaps boomed.
The phoenix wings snapped open with a swoosh.
Lightning coursed between the plumage, highlighting the wings' dazzling brilliance and breathtaking splendor.
Qin Sang instantly transformed into a streak of lightning and shot backward.
Rip!
The skeletal claw shredded Qin Sang's head effortlessly—yet no blood spurted, for it was only an afterimage left behind.
Yet the ghostly claw was relentless. Without the slightest pause, it chased after Qin Sang, determined to tear him to pieces, moving even faster than Qin Sang's Thunder Escape!
Qin Sang felt a stinging pain between his brows.
Right at that moment.
Two vortexes churned within the blood clouds, and two figures emerged in unison—none other than Daoist Canghong and Daoist Zhenyi!
They were the first to break free of the blood clouds, and witnessing Jade Bone hunting Qin Sang, they were stunned by the power Jade Bone put on display.
"Heaven-Breaking Finger!"
Seeing Qin Sang in mortal peril, Daoist Canghong did not dare hesitate for a moment. Lowering his eyelids, he chanted softly under his breath while his hands formed an intricate seal.
Around him, a cluster of green light circled, vibrant with emerald vitality.
Inside the green glow grew a vine. Rootless, it sprouted straight from the void, twining up Daoist Canghong to the crown of his head. Layers of leaves overlapped, trembling gently.
The vine's main stem was hidden beneath the foliage, the layers of leaves forming a suit of green armor.
The blood clouds and yin souls surged back madly, shattering countless leaves, yet green light flashed in the next instant as fresh leaves sprouted forth, keeping them from drawing close.
The vine was evidently an extraordinary defensive treasure.
With his defense assured, Daoist Canghong concentrated entirely on casting his secret technique, an ancient, boundless aura emanating from his body to shake the soul!
Blinding white light surged behind him.
In an instant, the white light dissipated, and an enormous figure stepped forth from the void. Looking at its facial features and physique, it was an apparition of Daoist Canghong himself.
The apparition stood a hundred zhang tall, towering between heaven and earth!
Chapter 1344