Qin Sang's cultivation was vastly different from what it once was, and his comprehension of sword arrays had grown far deeper than during the early Nascent Soul stage.
As the sole sword array within the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter, the Seven Po Killing Array undoubtedly possessed the power to challenge foes above his level.
Even though Qin Sang was not wielding his natal spirit sword, the Yunyou Sword, but merely the high-grade Jinchen Sword, its might was still not to be underestimated.
More importantly, with the immense advancement of his divine sense, Qin Sang could control the sword array with greater composure and ease, and the domain it could influence had expanded significantly.
This was the reason he felt confident enough to execute a small gambit and trap two foes with a single sword.
Moreover, Qin Sang's objective was not to slay these two cultivators of the same realm.
Unlike him, his opponents had not recently broken through to the mid Nascent Soul stage; they were veteran powerhouses renowned for years, hailing from a distinguished sect, and inevitably possessed an arsenal of life-preserving treasures.
If the opponents put up a desperate defense, Qin Sang would be dragged into a protracted battle.
And the longer things dragged out, the more disadvantageous the situation became for him—something he had to avoid at all costs.
The Xuantian Palace experts who could arrive at any moment and Old Man Hunmo, who might be drawn to the commotion, both posed severe threats to him.
For precisely this reason, Qin Sang's goal had never changed: capture the green-robed woman alive, escape immediately, uncover the truth from her, and only then plan his next move.
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
Battle-hardened and richly experienced, Elder Lan and Elder Mei sensed something amiss and decisively fled in opposite directions to divide their foe's attention.
That way, even if one of them were trapped, the other could either come to their rescue or harass the opponent.
Yet, despite their lightning-fast reactions, they had still miscalculated.
Qin Sang's sword incantations shifted continuously, holding nothing back. The physical body of the Jinchen Sword vanished into thin air, and the Seven Po Killing Array formed in an instant, engulfing both Elder Mei and Elder Lan.
Both of their expressions filled with shock. The moment they were enclosed, they sensed the shift in their surroundings along with eerie fluctuations, and their eyes darted about.
A shroud of black gauze seemed to drape over the void.
Coupled with the lingering chill of the Midwinter Talisman, it truly felt as though they had been plunged into the dead of night.
In that split second, the silhouettes of their companion and their opponent turned exceedingly faint and illusory, making it impossible to tell truth from illusion. They felt as if they were sealed within an isolated space, completely cut off from each other.
Amidst the hazy shadows, countless slender sword threads barely visible to the naked eye emerged. The instant they manifested, they relentlessly converged to strangle them, accompanied by a soundless trembling.
A bizarre ripple diffused through the air.
"A sword array!" Elder Mei blurted out, her dread deepening.
Multiplying one sword into ten thousand and birthing a sword array was a feat only the pinnacle of sword cultivators could accomplish.
No wonder the sacred relic had fallen into this person's hands. One could only blame that wretch's rotten luck; after going through so much trouble to steal the sacred relic, he had managed to provoke such a terrifying powerhouse.
Since their opponent dared to attend the Myriad Demons Assembly while carrying the sacred relic, it indicated that he did not know the origin of the relic or the wretch; otherwise, he would never have been so incautious.
Having converted his cultivation into an ice demon body, that wretch possessed a solidified spirit body, making it exceedingly difficult for an ordinary cultivator to perform soul searching on him.
Having deduced the reason in a flash, Elder Mei and Elder Lan shouted in unison that it was a misunderstanding, seeking to defuse the fight.
Shi Xue had suffered a swift defeat, expending several treasures in rapid succession. With her true essence nearly depleted, she had virtually lost all combat capability.
Unless one possessed absolute certainty of slaying a powerhouse of this caliber on the spot, it was best not to make an enemy of him. Xuantian Palace was vast and established; an opponent this formidable and swift came and went without a trace. If he set his mind on harassing Xuantian Palace, they would be left in utter turmoil.
It would be far better to shift tactics and trade other treasures to retrieve the sacred relic.
They refused to believe that the vast Xuantian Palace could not satisfy this man's appetite!
There was no blood feud between them, and he had even taken care of the traitor on Xuantian Palace's behalf. Handled properly, this could sow goodwill and gain them a powerful ally.
In truth, they had considered this possibility and how to handle it beforehand.
They had simply never expected Qin Sang to open with heavenly thunder, granting Shi Xue no opportunity to speak.
Elder Mei and Elder Lan made their clever calculations, yet they had no idea what their opponent was thinking. Seeing his vengeful posture, neither dared to take the initiative to stand down.
Recognizing the sword array, Elder Mei flipped her hand as gray light flickered in her palm, producing a long needle the size of a hairpin.
The needle's surface was ash-white, carved from the bone of some unknown beast. Its pommel was sculpted into an intact skull, whose hollow eye sockets danced with ghostly flames. Its jaws opened and closed, spewing ghastly white fire—an exceedingly sinister sight.
This was none other than one of Elder Mei's renowned magical treasures, the Bone-Penetrating Needle.
If an opponent were pierced by the Bone-Penetrating Needle and the ghost fire invaded their body, they would suffer the agony of yin ghosts gnawing at their heart—one of the most agonizing torments in the world.
Additionally, the Bone-Penetrating Needle was remarkably effective at unraveling restrictions and formations, making it an extraordinary magical treasure perfectly suited to resolving their current peril.
Elder Mei gripped the Bone-Penetrating Needle. Hearing the wails of ghosts, she was just about to activate it when dizziness suddenly washed over her, and her consciousness grew faintly dazed.
*Not good!*
Elder Mei was appalled.
The sword array could actually assault the origin soul!
She bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, using the sharp pain to force herself awake. Reaching downward, she recalled the droplet of ice water. It vanished in an instant, and a suit of mystic ice armor materialized over her body, fully encasing even her head without leaving the slightest flaw.
*Clang! Clang! Clang...*
A barrage of sharp impacts rang out as countless sword threads seized the opening to lash out, carving visible sword marks across the surface of the mystic ice armor.
A wave of dread gripped Elder Mei's heart. Fortunately, she had reacted in time, keeping her mind from crumbling and shielding herself before taking injury!
Elder Lan found himself in a similar predicament.
He possessed a secret art to stabilize the origin soul. Sensing that the sword array could assault the soul, he activated the secret art without hesitation. Brilliant light flared from his eyes, steadying his spiritual platform.
Outside the sword array.
Having successfully trapped the two elders, Qin Sang immediately shifted his gaze toward his true target.
He had no intention of trapping and killing the two elders, so he did not bother with elaborate tactics. Decisively driving the sword array to unleash its full might while his foes were overwhelmed, he transformed into a streak of lightning, bypassed the sword array, and pounced straight toward Shi Xue!
Witnessing this, how could Shi Xue fail to understand Qin Sang's intention? Even in front of two elders, he still refused to let her go.
Worst of all, he truly possessed the strength to pull it off.
Trapped within the sword array, the two elders were unable to break free immediately.
"This madman!"
Shi Xue, who had believed herself safe once the elders arrived, felt her eyelids twitch wildly. Biting her lip fiercely, she was filled with boundless regret for inexplicably provoking such a terrifying enemy.
Mustering her remaining strength, she fled into the distance. Yet her speed was far inferior to Qin Sang's; she could only watch in despair as he rapidly closed the gap.
Right at that moment.
Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. He sensed another aura hurtling toward them, roughly on par with the green-robed woman—likely another cultivator at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage.
*Other Xuantian Palace experts are arriving one after another...*
Knowing that the opportunity was fleeting, Qin Sang ignored the newcomer. With a thought, he stirred the Ruyi Pearl within his sea of qi, encasing himself in a protective astral barrier, and surged forward even faster!
Just as he was about to overtake Shi Xue.
An inexplicable sense of unease suddenly welled up within Qin Sang's heart, as if some immense danger were rapidly approaching.
Chapter 1450