The environment ahead made Qin Sang frown deeply.
Even before stepping inside, standing atop the mountain and observing the deep valley from a distance, Qin Sang felt a premonition of danger.
The fluctuations of the Yang Puppet Crystal were growing stronger and stronger, yet he could not tell whether the Ghost General was locked in combat with someone or had run into some peril within the deep valley.
No traces of magic treasures or divine abilities could be seen from outside, making it impossible to determine.
Facing this band of fiends and demons or venturing alone into an unfamiliar sea of clouds—Qin Sang feared neither on its own. But now, these two unfavorable circumstances had compounded.
Any unexpected turn of events could occur.
Qin Sang considered whether he should wait for Tong Lingyu and the others to arrive and enter the deep valley together.
As he pondered, his gaze shifted toward the depths of the sea of clouds.
The cluster of treasure light was flickering far too rapidly; ripples disturbed the sea of clouds, and it seemed the cloud sea would soon be unable to suppress the treasure, which could emerge at any moment.
In all likelihood, Hunmo and the others had done something inside to provoke this anomaly of treasure light.
By the looks of it, this place was unlike Danxiang Pavilion, where things could only be looked at and not touched.
With the fiends and demons gathered here, barring any surprises, this was likely the very heart of the entire stone tablet space. If those demons and fiends took full advantage of being there first, it would be too late by the time Qin Sang and his companion went in.
With this in mind, Qin Sang had Liuli stay behind while he concealed his presence and went ahead alone.
The jade steps descended straight down.
Stepping along the jade stairs, Qin Sang noticed that the ancient restrictions on the surrounding cliff walls were far thinner, not as perilous as before. Though referred to as a deep valley, it was actually vast, resembling an expansive open basin between two mountains.
This was likely why the demons and fiends had not set up any obstacles here.
A single flight of jade stairs might have been sealed off with a formation.
However, locking down such an enormous area would require far too much time and energy, and it might not even hold back Xuantian Palace—it simply was not worth the effort.
Qin Sang simply stepped off the jade stairs and descended slowly along the rock face, scrutinizing their surroundings. He found no hidden perils, but he did discover traces of battle.
Swish!
Concealed, Qin Sang landed before a patch of rocky flats.
Among the scattered rocks, clear scorch marks were visible, along with three furrows several zhang deep cutting across the grassland, exposing the yellow earth beneath.
The marks were black.
Only upon closer inspection could one notice that these marks were not from fire; the rocks appeared to have been corroded by some unknown power, crumbling into black powder at the slightest touch.
The three furrows lay neatly parallel, sharp at both ends, gouged out by a sharp claw. A broken feather clung to one of the edges.
"A demonic cultivator and a demon king fought here. It wasn't fierce—they exchanged only a single blow before breaking off in haste, or perhaps they fought while charging into the sea of clouds..."
Qin Sang made his assessment.
There were a few other traces around, but none left by Old Man Hunmo.
At the very least, it showed that the fiends and demons were not in harmony.
Qin Sang sent a signal and waited for Liuli to catch up.
Liuli knew even fewer demonic cultivators from the Boundless Sea than Qin Sang did, and could not identify who had left these marks either.
The two crossed the rocky flats and soon arrived near the deep valley.
A faint breeze blew out from within the deep valley.
The clouds and mist seemed constrained here by some power, forming a wall of clouds. A light mist brushed against their skin, imparting a faint chill.
Viewed from outside, though desolate, the deep valley appeared serene and peaceful.
Qin Sang and Liuli exchanged a few words, then stepped into the deep valley one after the other.
Whoosh!
The moment they set foot inside the deep valley, dense fog rushed toward them.
However, their vision inside was not as restricted as anticipated. Secretly on guard, Qin Sang swiftly scanned the surroundings, then narrowed his eyes slightly.
The instant Qin Sang and Liuli entered, a cluster of gray light surged ahead, followed by cracking noises from the ground.
The gray light was extremely thick, but dissipated in a flash.
Not far ahead, an iron sword had appeared on the ground, thrust tip-down into the earth.
The iron sword was as tall as a man, bearing no inscriptions—just an ordinary broadsword, its surface mottled with rust and steeped in the vestiges of time.
Around the iron sword stood four statues.
The statues depicted four demon beasts they had never seen before, their heads turned toward the iron sword as though guarding some sacred object. Their bearing was more akin to vicious beasts, their gazes fiercely menacing.
Qin Sang could sense a thick, ominous malice radiating from the statues—they were definitely not benign!
Looking closely, one discovered that the statues of the vicious beasts were carved not of wood or stone, but of some kind of beast bone. The stark white bone heightened that sinister impression even further.
Sensing the presence of intruders, the heads of the four vicious beasts swung around in unison, fixing upon them with eyes brimming with murderous intent, on the verge of awakening.
A sudden turn of events!
Thinking that this boded ill, Qin Sang flicked his mind, and the Jinchen Sword shot forth.
The surroundings instantly grew dim and gloomy.
Qin Sang directly deployed the Seven Po Killing Array, enveloping the two of them within it.
Liuli also held her phoenix-shaped treasure sword in hand, deep blue light gathering in her eyes, ready to immediately unleash the Ice Soul Divine Light to assist Qin Sang should the situation worsen.
Though the two had rarely fought side by side, their coordination was remarkably seamless.
Whoosh!
Just as the sword formation took shape, a gray shadow pounced forward with astonishing speed, even surpassing Qin Sang's Thunder Escape, instantly charging into the sword formation.
It was the vicious beast closest to them—a four-hoofed creature with horns atop its head, shaped like a deer.
What Qin Sang felt from it was not demon qi, but pure killing intent.
Hua!
Within the sword formation, sword threads stirred in unison, weaving a dense sword net in the dim space that tore toward the beast from every direction.
The beast threw open its maw in a soundless roar. The sharp horns atop its head suddenly blazed with light, discharging a sphere of white radiance.
Upon touching the white light, the sword threads dissolved like snow before a blazing sun. Paying no heed to its surroundings, the beast charged headlong toward Qin Sang and Liuli.
Meanwhile, three more gray shadows plunged in one after another.
All four vicious beasts had been roused.
The remaining three beasts possessed divine abilities different from the first, and their speeds varied as well.
One was shaped like a python; a sweep of its long tail sent out a streak of azure light no less potent than the white radiance.
Another bore a tortoise shell upon its back, remarkably resilient.
The last resembled a qilin, blazes roaring across its entire body.
Besieged by four vicious beasts, the situation appeared perilous, yet Qin Sang relaxed after a brief probe.
The strength of these beasts was within acceptable limits, and they possessed no intelligence.
Transmitting his findings to Liuli via divine sense, he flicked his finger toward the Jinchen Sword, driving the Seven Po Killing Array to its utmost power.
Liuli held back the Ice Soul Divine Light and tossed her jade-like hand upward.
The phoenix-shaped treasure sword vanished in a flash, fast as a shooting star, stabbing directly toward the brow of the first beast.
With only intruders in its eyes, driven by instincts to kill, the beast met danger with brute force alone. White light gathered at its sharp horns and erupted into a thick beam of radiance, slamming into the oncoming sword light.
Crack!
White light and sword light collided, scattering radiant sparks in all directions.
The phoenix-shaped sword revealed its true form, shuddering slightly as the white light arrested its advance.
Right at that moment, sword threads above the beast coalesced at blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into a gray blade aimed directly at the back of the beast's neck, cleaving downward with effortless grace.
Slash!
Before the beast could gather more white light, it was already too late. Its head was severed cleanly at the shoulders and tumbled to the ground, its headless body still carrying its forward momentum.
In the next breath, the beast's head and body vanished into thin air. Before the iron sword, a new statue appeared, crouching in place with no sign of rising to attack again.
"So they are immortal constructs—no wonder Hunmo and the others didn't destroy the statues. Fortunately, they don't attack continuously..."
Qin Sang realized what was happening. Just as he was about to join forces with Liuli to slay the other three beasts, he noticed something. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly transmitted a message to Liuli.
At the same time, the sword formation shifted dramatically, herding the other three beasts together.
Liuli started slightly, but the deep blue glow in her eyes instantly intensified, and the Ice Soul Divine Light swept out silently.
Crack, crack, crack...
The power of the divine light enveloped all three beasts at once.
Layers of ice armor suddenly coated the bodies of the three beasts, crystal-clear, locking them rigidly in place.
The moment Liuli restrained the three beasts, Qin Sang abruptly recalled the sword formation. The phoenix wings behind his back unfurled wide, and transforming into lightning, he sped past the iron sword in the blink of an eye and plunged deep into the mist.
Bang!
A streak of yellow light flashed, followed by a muffled boom.
Two silhouettes collided and parted instantly.
Qin Sang reappeared. Staring at the weasel before him, he exclaimed in surprise, "Huangmei?"
Just now, while he and Liuli were dealing with the vicious beasts, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had spotted an irregularity in the depths of the mist, and Qin Sang had struck without hesitation, intercepting the demon in time.
What surprised him, however, was that the peeping watcher was actually Demon King Huangmei.
Demon King Huangmei's cultivation ranked near the top even across the entire demon realm. He was no subordinate of Great Sage Tianpeng, having gathered at Mount Tianpeng only temporarily to pillage the human territories.
Keeping guard was hardly a task that required him to do it in person.
Demon King Huangmei's true form was a yellow weasel—diminutive in size, with rodent-like features, a tail twice the length of its body, and fur entirely yellow.
Yet this was not his true body.
Demon King Huangmei had been born with a breath of Primal Yellow Qi, which he constantly tempered throughout his cultivation. This weasel was formed from that very qi.
He had left the weasel behind merely to watch from the shadows, assessing the number and strength of any latecomers. Little did he expect Qin Sang to be so alert that a single glance gave him away, cutting him off here.
Qin Sang looked the weasel up and down, also noticing something peculiar about it; it did not seem like Demon King Huangmei himself.
Even so, encountering a lone weasel was an opportunity not to be missed—he had to capture it.
Having entered for so long, Qin Sang was still largely in the dark.
How on earth had Hunmo and Tianpeng opened the stone tablet space?
How many treasures had they already looted?
The weasel's eyes darted frantically, and it turned, seeking to flee toward the flank.
At that moment, the weasel noticed the surroundings abruptly turning dim and dreary.
Having just witnessed Qin Sang deploy the sword formation and knowing the terrifying might of the Seven Po Killing Array, panic filled its eyes. It let out a shrill shriek, its fur standing on end.
Whoosh!
In the next breath, the weasel vanished into thin air, darting away like a streak of yellow lightning to escape the bounds of the sword formation.
"Quite fast indeed!"
Qin Sang gave a cold snort. Lowering his joined fingers, he continued to deploy the sword formation in an unhurried manner.
In the direction of the weasel's escape, an illusory silhouette silently materialized—none other than his external incarnation.
Expressionless and fully prepared, the external incarnation raised both palms flat. Frigid chill converged before him into an Eight Trigrams mirror sculpted of ice, which suddenly flared with brilliant light, perfectly blocking the weasel's path.
Bang!
A loud explosion rang out.
The Eight Trigrams mirror shattered at once, but the weasel was also sent tumbling backward in disarray.
Before the weasel could clearly make out the incarnation's figure, it felt as though it had slammed into an unyielding wall. Terrified, it tried to flee again, but had already tumbled right into the sword formation.
Having struck successfully, the external incarnation did not linger to help the true body, instead turning back to aid Liuli in finishing off the vicious beasts.
Within the sword formation, the weasel scurried about restlessly.
"Answer a few questions, and I may spare your life," Qin Sang said.
Soul-searching a Nascent Soul cultivator or a shapeshifted demon king was extraordinarily difficult; most of the time, one could only extract scattered fragments. This was precisely why Qin Sang had sealed Hall Master Yin's Nascent Soul rather than immediately subjecting it to a soul search.
"Squeak, squeak..."
Baring its claws and teeth, the weasel replied only with shrill shrieks.
Qin Sang snorted coldly and made a gesture toward the Jinchen Sword.
Feeling the terrifying power of the sword formation, the weasel threw its head back and unleashed an ear-piercing scream. Its figure flickered, splitting into countless illusory silhouettes that fled in every direction.
Poof! Poof!
These phantoms were instantly shredded by the sword threads.
Meanwhile, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire crept silently toward the weasel.
Shua!
With the sword formation and the demonic fire attacking in tandem, the dual assault caused the weasel's expression to turn visibly dazed.
At this point, Qin Sang finally realized what was amiss with the weasel.
"It's not the true body, nor does it seem like an incarnation. How strange!"
Demon bloodlines were intricate and diverse, with natal divine abilities of every description, each possessing unique subtleties. The weasel manifested from Innate Primal Yellow Qi was indistinguishable from the real thing in both aura and form.
Smack!
Without offering any further resistance, the weasel's body was battered apart on the spot, dissipating into a puff of yellow smoke.
Qin Sang frowned tightly, feeling that matters could not be so simple. The weasel had vanished far too quickly and thoroughly, which was decidedly abnormal. His divine sense swept rapidly across the sword formation and the surrounding area, but detected nothing out of the ordinary.
Then, a cold smile crept onto his face.
The sword formation collapsed as the Jinchen Sword leaped forth. Wheeling swiftly, it aligned toward a specific direction, erupting in brilliant sword radiance that vanished in a flash.
In the distance beyond the battlefield, the terrain was rugged and strewn with rubble.
In an inconspicuous fissure in the ground lay a single slender strand of fur. Suddenly, it shifted into a faint wisp of yellow smoke, drifting quietly out of the crack, preparing to flee into the distance.
A beam of sword light plummeted from above, pinning it ruthlessly to the earth with thunderous speed!
Poof!
The yellow smoke burst apart completely.
Moments later, Qin Sang appeared above, glanced downward, and held out his hand to recall the Jinchen Sword.
The weasel's substitute death technique was indeed profound, but it could not deceive the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.
Wiping out the weasel would alert Demon King Huangmei deeper inside, but letting it return would have been like releasing a tiger back to its mountain.
Demon King Huangmei having the weasel guard near the iron sword had been a cunning move, nearly impossible for latecomers to bypass. Fortunately, the weasel was now destroyed and unable to relay any information back, so Demon King Huangmei likely still had no idea how many people had entered.
By now, Liuli and the incarnation had finished off the other three vicious beasts and caught up with him.
...
Deep within the clouds and mist.
The moment the yellow smoke burst apart, Demon King Huangmei's sallow complexion turned deathly pale. His body swayed; taking a deep breath, he spun around to gaze behind him, his face filled with murderous malice.
His strange reaction caught the attention of Great Sage Tianpeng.
"My strand of Innate Primal Yellow Qi has been destroyed!" Demon King Huangmei ground his teeth.
Such severe harm would require at least several decades of bitter cultivation to mend.
Great Sage Tianpeng's expression grew solemn. "Though worn down by the passage of time, the Iron Sword Beast Formation still possesses some power. Caught off guard by its appearance, ordinary cultivators would be thrown into disarray for a while. You hid your Primal Yellow Qi quite far off and even laid an extra contingency, yet it didn't even have a chance to withdraw? It seems Yin Changsheng and Tong Lingyu have finally arrived!"
Chapter 1505