Transposition

Unexpectedly, Qin Sang's eyes showed not a flicker of emotion, nor did his figure pause in the slightest. His right fist clenched tight, a spiked gauntlet formed of condensed spiritual power surfacing over his knuckles, before smashing violently into the yet-unformed ice wall. *Boom!* The ice wall shattered into pieces. A bolt of lightning streaked through the flying shards of ice. Even amidst the flurry of action, Qin Sang had not forgotten to disguise his abilities. Forming the gauntlet from spiritual power was meant to mislead them into thinking some divine ability had broken the ice wall rather than the raw strength of his physical body. Especially with Old Man Hunmo watching, hiding any trump card he could might well yield unexpected benefits down the line. *Whoosh!* Qin Sang raised his hand with a beckoning gesture. The instant he moved to recall the Jinchen Sword, his expression shifted slightly. His brows knit, taking on a peculiar look. A streak of sword light flew back to him. Qin Sang stowed it away at once. Besides the Jinchen Sword, there was an extra transparent ice bead the size of a mung bean, pressed beneath the sword blade and brought back without anyone else noticing. Glancing aside, he cast an impassive look at Chen Yan. His figure never slowed, sweeping away into the distance under the varied gazes of the onlookers. Before departing, Qin Sang gave a sinister, rasping cackle, his low voice laced with cold fury. "Hmph! Ambushing and attempting to rob and murder this old man along the way, while repeatedly claiming it was all a misunderstanding—since when has Xuantian Palace grown so shameless? When I have the time, this old man will certainly demand an explanation from Yin Changsheng in person!" Yin Changsheng was the Palace Master of Xuantian Palace. His renown shook the North Sea, making information about him effortless to come by. Yet hearing such a tone... The cultivators of Xuantian Palace were momentarily stunned, the exact same thought flashing through their minds. *Does he have some connection to the Palace Master? Just which old monster from the Boundless Sea is he?* "Junior Sister, are you alright?" Seeing that the demon had finally been driven off by the two elders and Chen Yan, Shi Xue breathed a sigh of relief, shuddering with lingering fear. This was the first time she had ever faced such mortal peril. At the memory of the overwhelming pressure that demon had exerted on her just moments ago, she could not help trembling. Just then, she noticed her junior sister standing frozen in place, holding the phoenix-shaped sword in one hand with her eyes tightly shut. Something seemed amiss. Shi Xue hurried over to support her, her face full of worry. Chen Yan shook her head. Her eyelids fluttered before she forced them open with difficulty. Turning toward the south, her gaze followed the lightning-fast escape light, her eyes flickering as she fell into deep thought. Another Xuantian Palace Nascent Soul cultivator flew over. Seeing how exceptionally weak both Shi Xue and Liuli were, he was secretly startled. Elders Mei and Lan ordered him to protect Shi Xue and Liuli, then set off in pursuit. After getting a brief account of what had transpired, this man was even more astounded. Unable to help himself, he looked ahead and cried out in alarm, "The two elders have been shaken off!" Shi Xue looked over and saw that it was indeed true. That man was simply too fast! Unable to beat him in a fight and unable to catch him in a chase, such an opponent was truly terrifying. ... Over the surface of the sea. Accompanied by his black-robed eldest disciple, Old Man Hunmo sped forward, his figure bobbing in rhythm with the rolling waves. Having realized the elders of Xuantian Palace had gone missing, they had ventured out from the island to search for them. Drawn by the abnormal phenomena, they discovered a fierce battle underway and drew closer to observe. From a distance, the black-robed man saw that four Nascent Soul cultivators of Xuantian Palace—including two elders—seemed completely helpless against a single person. His mouth hung slightly agape, looking dazed. He believed his master possessed such power, but his master was the foremost expert of the Boundless Sea. Who was this person? No wonder Xuantian Palace had sought cooperation with his master; they were hunting such a formidable opponent. Yet what puzzled the black-robed man was the absence of Xuantian Palace's Grand Elder. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for this man to swagger about with such brazen impunity. "Master, Xuantian Palace's Grand Elder doesn't seem to be here?" the black-robed man transmitted cautiously. Old Man Hunmo gave an "Mm" and swept his gaze around. He had not sensed any trace of the Grand Elder's aura along the way either; in all likelihood, the elder had other designs. Just then, Qin Sang moved with lightning swiftness, instantly shaking off the encirclement and sweeping away without a scratch. Seeing this left the black-robed man dumbfounded once more. He could not help evaluating the man's strength in his mind, using Old Man Hunmo as his benchmark. Although this person had used a bit of cunning—exploiting Xuantian Palace's desperate urge to save their own to seize the initiative at every turn—the sheer feat was proof enough of how terrifying his might truly was. At this sight, Old Man Hunmo's eyes narrowed sharply. Then, Old Man Hunmo said in a grave voice, "He spotted me." The black-robed man froze for a moment before grasping what his master meant. That person had not been driven off by Xuantian Palace at all; he had chosen to flee only after noticing his master's presence! Which meant... this wasn't even the full extent of his strength. "This person..." A glint of cold light flashed in Old Man Hunmo's eyes. That the stranger could pierce his stealth reminded Old Man Hunmo of his failed sneak attack before the Thousand Buddha Wall at Jinghai Sect, a failure that had triggered an entire chain of subsequent mishaps. And now, this person had demonstrated astounding movement arts. Figures of such caliber were few and far between in the entire North Sea. Old Man Hunmo recalled the battle for treasure in the Buddha Hall as well. That person's speed had also been top-tier; no sooner had Hunmo pursued him into the secret passage than the thief had already fled into its depths and detonated Chi Yan's seal. Although that person had cloaked himself in black spiritual fire to conceal his aura, it did not stop Old Man Hunmo from connecting the dots. How could there be so many coincidences in the world, all crossing his path? These clues were enough for Old Man Hunmo to draw a conclusion. At the very least, it was worth a shot! Sounds of tearing air echoed from behind. More Nascent Soul cultivators from Xuantian Palace were arriving. Old Man Hunmo glanced front and back. Seeing how useless the two Xuantian Palace elders were, he snorted. With a shrug of his shoulder, the ghost spirit floated out from behind him. Caught by the eerie, indifferent gaze of the ghost spirit, the black-robed man felt an inexplicable chill and hastily lowered his head. Old Man Hunmo forced out a drop of essence blood, fed it to the ghost spirit, and barked in a low voice, "Go!" He also abandoned all concealment. Planting his black bamboo cane, his body transformed into a streak of black light. Shi Xue, still anxious about the sacred relic, felt a tremendous aura erupt behind her, and her body went rigid. Elders Mei and Lan, watching helplessly as the sacred relic was carried away, were equally appalled to find Old Man Hunmo lurking nearby. Startled and uncertain, they quickly made way. The situation had long spiraled out of their control. What proved most shocking was the ghost spirit. Dissolving into a patch of ghost mist faintly tinged with blood, its speed was faster than both Old Man Hunmo and Qin Sang, etching a conspicuous trail across the void. Far in the distance. Having effortlessly shaken off the Xuantian Palace elders, Qin Sang immediately sensed the movements of Old Man Hunmo and the ghost spirit. *The old monster really made his move!* Qin Sang was shaken to sense the ghost spirit closing in with unimaginable speed. Then he noticed that as it hurtled forward, the patch of ghost mist shrank steadily and its aura grew progressively weaker, as if trading the combustion of its own form for speed. *What use is that?* Qin Sang wondered, secretly forming hand seals. The moment the ghost spirit entered his strike range, he decisively unleashed a blast of heavenly thunder! Yet his instincts warned him that something was off, so he did not strike with full force, merely testing the waters. *Crack!* Divine thunder descended from the heavens, striking true against the ghost mist. Qin Sang's pupils constricted. Old Man Hunmo, who had been lagging behind, actually stepped out from the exploding ghost mist!