With so many Nascent Souls gathered in the city, there was no way to determine how many more cultivators from Xuantian Palace had snuck in under disguised identities. They had assumed keeping a close watch on these three elders would be enough, yet the targets had vanished into thin air right under their noses!
"Master, forgive us!"
Terrified by the sight, the two disciples fell into panic.
Old Man Hunmo did not spare them even a glance. Reaching out to snatch a shard of the shattered ice sculptures, his figure transformed into a streak of black rainbow light and shot into midair. He scanned his surroundings, then stealthily slipped away.
"Junior Brother, summon our people and track down the disciples from Xuantian Palace's Disciplinary Hall. I will go assist Master," one of the black-robed men said in an undertone, hastily spurring his flying magic treasure to give chase.
The other man faded into the shadows.
***
Beyond Hunmo Island.
Elder Mei and Elder Lan of Xuantian Palace were concealed beneath the surface of the sea, cocooned inside an orb formed of thin ice.
They had already put some distance between themselves and Hunmo Island. This was not only out of caution against Old Man Hunmo meddling, but also due to their wariness of the faction backing the Myriad Demons Assembly.
If they made a move near Hunmo Island, breaking the rules and angering those figures, Xuantian Palace would still have to consider the long-term fallout even if they did not fear retaliation—unless their disciples were prepared never to set foot in the Boundless Sea again.
Over the years, countless precedents had proven that those people would indeed take savage revenge against anyone who crossed the line.
Inside the thin ice sphere, one elder sat while the other stood.
Elder Mei gazed intently toward Hunmo Island.
Having finally located the sacred relic, its retrieval was at hand, yet an inexplicable trace of unease lingered in her heart.
She mentally reviewed their arrangements and found no evident flaws.
The three ice sculptures maintained the illusion that they were still in the city. With most of Old Man Hunmo's attention drawn away by the sudden arrival of the Heavenly Peng Grand Sage, that modest deception was quite enough. Overdoing it would only risk painting legs on a snake, outsmarting themselves.
They had never expected to fool Old Man Hunmo for long; their sole goal was to buy enough time to recover the sacred relic before he could meddle. Once successful, all the Xuantian Palace disciples would regroup, and even a powerhouse like Old Man Hunmo would have no choice but to watch them depart.
The setup out here was even less cause for concern.
To avoid alerting the enemy, everyone was ambushing outside Hunmo Island.
At present, all the Nascent Soul elders of Xuantian Palace were positioned in every direction except the north, laying down an inescapable net.
The north was the route the Heavenly Peng Grand Sage and the various demon kings had to take on their return journey. Xuantian Palace did not wish to expose their identities and provoke strong foes, inviting unforeseen complications, so they had stationed only a single elder adept in breath-concealment arts there.
If the bearer of the sacred relic departed to the north, they would wait until the Heavenly Peng Grand Sage was far away before striking.
If they left in any other direction, matters would be far simpler.
To guard against the target taking circuitous detours, the ambushing elders could not move rashly. Relying on the resonance of the ice key, the two of them would rapidly close in on the quarry. If they could not catch up in time, the elder lying in ambush in that direction would reveal herself first to pin down the target.
They could arrive in mere moments, ensuring nothing went awry.
Even in the unlikely event that three Nascent Souls working together were no match for the foe, the elders ambushing in other directions would have already converged on the battlefield by then, leaving the target with no escape.
Still, Elder Mei considered that outcome highly improbable.
Even if that wretched traitor possessed heaven-defying fortune and had broken through to the mid Nascent Soul stage, Elder Mei was confident she could bring them down—unless their opponent was a late Nascent Soul cultivator.
Amid her racing thoughts, Elder Mei caught sight from the corner of her eye of light beginning to drift across the ice key. Her heart stirred. "Has the trade fair ended?"
The eight-fluted mystic ice key hovered before Elder Lan's chest, flickering erratically.
Elder Lan gave an affirmative grunt, closing his hand loosely around the ice key with his eyes half-shut. "The person is taking detours."
This was within their expectations.
The two elders remained patiently still, fixing their gazes upon the ice key. After a dizzying sequence of shifts, the resonance transmitted by the key settled, pointing due south!
"Due south!"
Elder Lan rose abruptly.
Their gamble had been wrong; they had stationed themselves on the western side of Hunmo Island, in the direction facing toward Xuantian Palace.
Elder Mei reacted even faster. With a rapid flick of her fingers toward empty air, a crisp crackle resounded as the thin ice forming the sphere shattered into countless shards, swirling through the air. In an instant, the shards gathered around them, transforming into a cloud of chilly mist that enveloped them both and tore through the void.
They had not flown far when Elder Lan suddenly gasped, "Not good! That person's flight speed is astonishing!"
They cultivated one of Xuantian Palace's supreme ice escape arts, rarely rivaled throughout the cultivation world, yet the target was moving even faster than they were!
Elder Mei's expression darkened. "The one guarding the south is Shi Xue. Order her to pin him down! She reached the peak of the early stage long ago and has been stuck at the bottleneck for years; even against a mid Nascent Soul cultivator, she has the strength to hold her ground."
"Understood!"
***
Outside Myriad Demons City.
Qin Sang exited the city smoothly. Immediately afterward, he sensed several Nascent Soul auras around Hunmo Island, undisguised and surging skyward with formidable might.
They were like guardians standing sentinel over every quadrant.
*Are these the Nascent Souls invited by the faction behind the Myriad Demons Assembly?*
Qin Sang grew thoughtful.
With these experts alongside Old Man Hunmo, few would indeed dare cause trouble on Hunmo Island.
However, they could only ensure the safety of the area immediately surrounding Hunmo Island. If a clash broke out beyond that perimeter, they would simply look on with cold detachment.
Qin Sang remained wary of these Nascent Souls; who knew if one of them was in league with Old Man Hunmo?
Concealing his aura, he found an opening to slip off the island, intentionally taking several detours along the way. Circulating his divine sense in coordination with his Heavenly Eye divine ability to confirm he was not being followed, he no longer hesitated once he was out of their sight. Transforming into a streak of lightning, he sped off into the distance.
*The Seven Masters' Buddhist Seal and the materials to temper the Jinchen Sword are both in hand, but unfortunately, the spiritual items required for the Spirit Ascension Rite could not be fully assembled. It seems Yuan Yin Water and Yin Nether Earth cannot be found outside Hundred Flowers Valley. No wonder Valley Master Mu remained so composed and never attempted to contact me. I only wonder how many Myriad Spirit Fruits I will have to part with...*
While remaining vigilant of his surroundings, Qin Sang weighed the gains and losses of this trade fair.
*Everything went relatively smoothly this time. Old Man Hunmo didn't try any tricks—whether because he chose not to or lacked the opportunity. The major factions behind the Myriad Demons Assembly are no pushovers and can keep him in check. It seems the dual preparations I made beforehand were completely unneeded, squandering a set of formation implements and three pill formulas for nothing.*
Not long after flying out, Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly.
Immediately after, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly transmitted a warning as well.
Thanks to his formidable divine sense, he had perceived the anomaly ahead even before the Heavenly Eye Butterfly did.
Of course, this was also partly because the other party's concealment technique was not particularly advanced. Otherwise, at such a great distance where divine sense could not easily detect them, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's role would have been irreplaceable.
*Who is it?*
Qin Sang cursed himself for jinxing things, while confusion arose in his mind.
He had not sensed any tracking marks placed upon him, so how had this person managed to pinpoint his route of departure so precisely?
*Could it be...*
A spark of realization flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and he thought of the mysterious ice chest inside the Qianjun Ring.
Even so, he had no intention of wasting breath on words.
Regardless of the person's origins or whether they had come specifically for him, lurking stealthily in the shadows was a clear sign of ill intent.
Without a word, Qin Sang feigned ignorance, silently incanting the Thunder Command Art as he raised a hand—unleashing a direct bolt of heavenly thunder!
Chapter 1447