Mountain River Bead

"Who is that?!" Great Sage Tianpeng's enraged roar reverberated across the sea of fire, jolting the demons and fiends awake. What followed filled everyone with shock and fury. A streak of black light burst from the clouds and mist. Utterly heedless of the blasting waves of fire, it went against the tide, darting like lightning toward the Linglong Treasure Pagoda! Looking closely, one could see that the black radiance was a type of spiritual fire. Within the flames, two figures were faintly visible. They were none other than Qin Sang and Liuli. From the emergence of the Linglong Treasure Pagoda to Qin Sang's arrival at the circular platform, mere moments had passed. Qin Sang still did not know what kind of place the Linglong Treasure Pagoda was, nor whether the stupa pagoda in his hand could take full control of it, or to what extent. Even so, his previous discoveries were enough to justify taking the gamble! The Linglong Pagoda was encircled by flames even fiercer than those below, yet the stupa pagoda in his grasp could ward off fire. Rather than an obstacle, the flames served as a natural barrier to hold back pursuing enemies. Furthermore, Qin Sang had noticed that the pagoda's entrance had no doors, only a golden wall of light. Barring any surprises, holding the stupa pagoda should grant passage through the barrier. Qin Sang had a faint premonition that he would be able to control the Linglong Treasure Pagoda with the stupa pagoda, but exactly how to accomplish it would only be known once he stepped inside. At this moment, the formation of demons and fiends had fallen into disarray as they defended against the fiery shockwaves, creating a momentary opening. Once they regained their footing, forcing a way through right before their eyes would become vastly more difficult. Regardless of the risks, it was worth an attempt. The opportunity was fleeting. Decisive as ever, Qin Sang acted without hesitation. Wrapping himself in the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, he sent a mental message to Liuli, deployed the Fourfold Tengshe Seal, gripped Liuli by the hand, and unleashed Thunder Escape, bursting forth from the clouds. The demons were watching like hawks. As exquisite as Thunder Escape was, approaching the Linglong Treasure Pagoda without opposition was out of the question. Whoosh! Looking straight ahead, Qin Sang sprinted onward amidst the furious roars of the demons. Catching sight of the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, Old Man Hunmo flew into a towering rage. "It's you!" Having clashed with Qin Sang more than once, he knew him far too well and instantly recognized the Nine Nether Demonic Fire. Among the assembled demons, perhaps he alone understood why this situation had arisen. Back during the battle for treasures on the Golden Peak, he had been within arm's reach of the seven-tiered stupa before Qin Sang snatched it away. Old Man Hunmo had sensed back then that it lacked the stone-tablet-like vibrations carried by the lingzhi ruyi, never anticipating it would play such a pivotal role here. It turned out that obtaining the lingzhi ruyi from the Jinghai Sect had been no coincidence. Both treasures preserved by the Jinghai Sect shared deep, profound origins with the Sacred Ground of Xuantian Palace! Yet neither the history of Xuantian Palace nor the legends surrounding the Jinghai Sect contained any mention of this connection. If there was an ancient bond, why had Xuantian Palace dispatched no one to investigate when the Jinghai Sect reappeared? One was the hegemon of an entire realm, the other a reclusive Buddhist sect—what link could there possibly be between them? Qin Sang had rejected his invitation, only to inexplicably appear here now. Old Man Hunmo was both shocked and furious. There was no time to ponder why Qin Sang was present; a single thought consumed his mind—stop him! "Block him!" Old Man Hunmo barked fiercely. He gripped his black bamboo cane tight, surging with layers of demonic light to withstand the fiery blast waves. By now, the momentum of the blast waves had waned considerably, nearing its end. The Hunmo Token, which had been suspended above Old Man Hunmo's head as a protective ward, was now freed. The palm-sized token shot forth like black lightning, conjuring a hundred-zhang illusory projection. With world-shaking momentum, it forcibly plowed a path through the sea of fire. Carrying the weight of ten thousand jun, it crashed toward Qin Sang! On the other side, Great Sage Tianpeng relied on no magic treasure. The golden light radiating from his plumage acted like golden armor, shielding his entire body within the sea of flames without suffering a scratch. Great Sage Tianpeng fixed his glare upon Qin Sang, murderous intent surging sky-high. His spiritual sense was even sharper than Old Man Hunmo's, making him the first to spot Qin Sang's movements. Flapping his colossal wings, Great Sage Tianpeng deployed some unknown divine ability. His true form became scarcely discernible, turning into a great golden sun whose radiant beams pierced heaven and earth like swords. With boundless might, he cleaved through the fiery shockwaves, charging in reverse toward the Linglong Treasure Pagoda. Yet he was a step too slow; rapid as he was, he could not match Qin Sang's lead. At that moment, Great Sage Tianpeng snapped his sharp beak open and spat out a cluster of white light. Within the white light lay a bead the size of a longan fruit. Translucent and crystalline, the bead contained an illusory landscape of mountains and rivers, vast under boundless skies, carrying a magnificent presence. It was the rare treasure known as the Mountain River Bead. One black, one white, the Mountain River Bead and the Hunmo Token struck almost simultaneously. Whoosh! Refusing to be outdone, Qin Sang pushed the Nine Nether Demonic Fire to its absolute limit. Demonic flames surged to the heavens, in raw presence conceding nothing to the roiling fire around them. The two of them did not pause in the slightest. From the looks of it, they intended to brave the simultaneous strikes of two of the world's supreme powerhouses to force their way into the Linglong Treasure Pagoda. Swoosh! The Mountain River Bead slammed into the Nine Nether Demonic Fire first. Billowing mists spread abruptly across half the sky, revealing the phantom realm of mountains and rivers. Towering peaks stood majestic as rushing torrents plunged toward the void. With the descent of mountains and rivers, an uncanny pressure bore down! For a moment, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire fell under a suppressive force and grew slightly sluggish, the leaping flames seemingly drained of vitality. The Mountain River Bead was not a weapon forged for slaughter; its sole purpose was to suppress magic treasures! Demon cultivators cultivated their own bodies and bloodline divine abilities, placing little stock in external objects. The Nine Lives Black Tortoise, for instance, tempered its shell to rival or even surpass top-tier magic treasures in certain aspects. For a treasure to be collected by Great Sage Tianpeng, its might was self-evident. The Nine Nether Demonic Fire surpassed supreme-grade magic treasures in power and naturally would not truly be suppressed by the bead, but it nonetheless suffered a split-second pause. In a clash between masters, such a gap was fatal! For arriving alongside the Mountain River Bead was the Hunmo Token. How could Old Man Hunmo pass up such an opportune opening? The Hunmo Token clanged with a resounding tremor. Its hundred-zhang illusory projection cut through the phantom landscape like a gateway standing in the void, flashing with countless alternating talismans. Its power climbed steadily, shattering wave after wave of stagnant demonic fire as it bore down with terrifying speed. This single strike possessed enough force to crush both of them into paste. Crisis loomed. Yet Qin Sang showed no panic in the face of peril. Slightly raising his head, he looked toward the Hunmo Token with utter composure. Behind him, another figure had appeared at some unknown moment. His external incarnation wore an indifferent expression, focusing entirely on the Sun God Tree before it. Nearly half of its true essence was swallowed in a flash. At the peak of the Sun God Tree, the three divine birds blazed with light and spread their wings in rapid flight. Whoosh! In the blink of an eye, the divine birds transformed into a streak of crimson fire. Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng finally sensed that something was amiss, their expressions shifting in unison. By then, the solar divine birds had already closed in on the Hunmo Token and the Mountain River Bead. Boom! At that instant, all the demons felt as though a second eruption of flames had burst from within the circular platform. The might of a pseudo-spirit treasure struck the minds of the assembled demons like a heavy hammer. None remained unshaken! Bearing terrifying destructive energy, the crimson torrent of fire swept across everything in the void. The landscape conjured by the Mountain River Bead and the hundred-zhang illusory projection of the Hunmo Token were swallowed by the crimson fire in a flash, effortlessly pulverized and cleared away without a trace. Before the Nanming Primordial Fire, even the Nine Nether Demonic Fire seemed dim and lackluster.