Jade Smoke Flying Stream

*Snap!* With a sharp crack, the sword talisman disintegrated, its physical form shattering to pieces. Yet the light of the talisman condensed rather than dispersed. Looking closely, one could see a green glyph within the azure glow, as though branded upon the empty void, shaped like a green eye staring intently at Qin Sang. "Bajiguan?" Qin Sang's mind rapidly combed through the contents of Xiaoxiangzi's jade slip. Xiaoxiangzi's writings had been free and rambling, never intended as a deliberate record of Zhongzhou's factions, mentioning them only when tied to some anecdote. The jade slip contained no mention of Bajiguan. The green glyph remained locked onto Qin Sang, making no attempt to conceal its threat. Judging by this posture, if Qin Sang dared to take a single step out of line, disaster would surely follow. *Clearing the field, are they...?* Qin Sang gave a dry chuckle inside, yet deep confusion remained. Since the other party had found him, they must have sensed the ferocious beast's terrifying strength. To dare appear nearby even after seeing the beast and to throw out a sword talisman as a warning meant their cultivation was certainly formidable. Bajiguan was probably quite renowned in Zhongzhou. Could they have deliberately lured the beast away to save him? If they intended to save him, why issue a warning with a sword talisman? Was it because he had inadvertently led the beast to intrude upon their cave dwelling, forcing their hand and leaving them disgruntled? Or was it... *It couldn't be...* A possibility suddenly struck Qin Sang, and he found it utterly inconceivable. Just then, the beast's roars abruptly turned shrill once more. Immediately after, Qin Sang saw blood-red light soar to the heavens deep within the storm. Having failed to claim its first prey, the monster had clearly grown impatient. Pursuing the long-bearded Daoist and seeing how swiftly he fled, its savage eyes glared in fury. The piercing crimson glare linked between all four of its eyes, resembling a gaping, bloody maw tearing open. *Pfft!* A pillar of blood-red light pierced through the void. It was the exact same sight Qin Sang had witnessed earlier. Only this time, the target had become the long-bearded Daoist, and Qin Sang was relegated to a spectator. To evade the beast, Qin Sang had fled continuously, and warding off its attacks had severely depleted his True Yuan. Even so, he was reluctant to simply walk away. He glanced at the green glyph. Hesitating briefly, he chose not to act rashly and remained in place, commanding the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to push its Heavenly Eye divine ability to the fullest to observe the battlefield from afar. By now, the long-bearded Daoist's figure had vanished, replaced by an immortal crane with snow-white wings. Without doubt, the crane was the Daoist's transformation. Spreading its wings with a gentle beat, the crane vanished and reappeared at the far edge of the void. With a few flickers, it plunged deep into the storm belt—an exceptionally profound escape technique. Though not quite on par with Qin Sang's Thunder Escape, it was not far off. However, if even Qin Sang had failed to evade the beast's attack, the crane naturally could not escape it either. The bloody light bore down upon it. The crane's figure screeched to a halt. Its wings snapped inward, its white feathers turning nearly transparent, before a plume of white smoke billowed up from nowhere, returning him to the long-bearded Daoist's true form. Having seen the beast strike from a distance, the Daoist understood that the bloody light's power was far more than mere brute force; it concealed bizarre transformations that had nearly ensnared the cultivator before him. He could not afford complacency—seizing the initiative was the only way! With a cold snort, the long-bearded Daoist flicked his sleeve, sending forth a puff of wispy smoke. The smoke appeared airy and weightless, as though a single wave of the hand would scatter it. Only upon closer inspection could one tell it was not actual smoke, but an ultra-fine mesh. How powerful could a fine net as light as smoke truly be? In truth, this was the long-bearded Daoist's signature magic treasure, bearing an otherworldly name: Jade Smoke Flying Stream! Still as jade smoke, swift as a rushing stream. "Go!" Clenching and releasing his palm, the Daoist caused the Jade Smoke Flying Stream to contract inward before shifting instantly from absolute stillness to explosive motion, shooting forward. In this instant, its former weightlessness vanished without a trace. Wherever it passed, it left a white streak in the void, surging with torrential momentum like a roaring river. Before the bloody light could engulf the long-bearded Daoist, the Jade Smoke Flying Stream intercepted it ahead. A massive net abruptly unfolded, each thread transparent like jade and as fine as a strand of hair. A thousand illusions of pearlescent radiance, vast as the open sea. A violent rumble erupted. Without the slightest pause, the bloody light plunged entirely into the pearlescent radiance conjured by the Jade Smoke Flying Stream. Space distorted. Like a sword piercing straight through a hall, the bloody light detonated at the heart of the pearlescent radiance. Its ferocious onslaught and astonishing impact caused the radiance to tremble violently. The Jade Smoke Flying Stream pulled taut, emitting ringing clangs like vibrating swords. Anchoring heaven and earth, the colossal net firmly caught the bloody light, actually curbing its momentum. However, not the slightest ease showed on the Daoist's face, for the beast's true lethal technique had yet to arrive. Just as he anticipated, a blood-colored vortex surfaced before the giant net. The killing strike hidden within the bloody light finally manifested. Yet this time, no sooner had the rudimentary vortex appeared than its shape shifted, turning into a crimson horn that pierced the pearlescent radiance, poised to thrust through the Jade Smoke Flying Stream. The long-bearded Daoist's expression changed drastically. Forming an incantation gesture with one hand, he struck toward the Jade Smoke Flying Stream from afar. This treasure could be supple or unyielding! The pearlescent radiance shattered into specks of light. With a flash of spiritual brilliance, the giant net vanished from view. In an instant, billowing clouds and mist filled the sky, locking down the void with immense heaviness—a form entirely different from before. *Pfft!* The horn plunged into the mist. With a muffled, thunderous roar, half the clouds and mist were instantly stained blood-red, showing signs of collapse. With a resounding boom, a streak of light shot out from the clouds—the Jade Smoke Flying Stream, curled into a tight ball. Meanwhile, the Daoist turned deathly pale. As if struck by a heavy blow, he was thrown backward, his feather crown askew, nearly swept away by the gales. Forcing himself to stabilize, he caught his breath, grabbed the Jade Smoke Flying Stream, and fled at top speed without looking back. Though he appeared in disarray, neither he nor his treasure had suffered actual damage, successfully defusing the beast's ranged strike. Far in the distance, Qin Sang watched the entire encounter, taking in every bizarre phenomenon. "The aura of those clouds and mist... a pseudo-spirit treasure!" Qin Sang's expression grew solemn. Without question, the person fighting the beast was a great cultivator. No wonder he dared issue a warning with a sword talisman; he truly possessed the authority to back his words. To encounter a great cultivator before even stepping foot in Zhongzhou—and one who had refined his natal magic treasure to the level of a pseudo-spirit treasure at that. Qin Sang realized that the Origin Sacrificing Technique, or some similar secret technique, was likely no secret in Zhongzhou. Ever since obtaining the Origin Sacrificing Technique, Qin Sang had made numerous attempts to refine the Wandering Sword with it to accelerate the gestation of its true spirit, but every effort had ultimately failed. His divine consciousness already met the technique's requirements; the deficit lay in his cultivation depth. After all, he had not reached the middle Nascent Soul stage long ago. Though he had received some medicinal pills from Xuantian Palace and increased his cultivation after refining them, he had never had the time for quiet, dedicated seclusion. Once he found the Buddhist bone relic, Qin Sang intended to secure a refuge in Zhongzhou and enter secluded cultivation until breaking through to the late stage. As for a cave dwelling, he had no definite goal yet, planning to first grasp the general situation of Zhongzhou before trying to search with the aid of the secret lore mentioned by Xiaoxiangzi. As his thoughts turned, the ferocious beast roared wildly, chasing the long-bearded Daoist farther and farther away. That Bajiguan cultivator was certainly no match for the monster. Yet the direction he chose to flee was not toward the cultivation realm, and he seemed in no hurry to shake his pursuer off. *Something is strange!* Qin Sang hesitated a moment. Looking at the green glyph, he refrained from rash action, yet he was reluctant to just leave like this. Following the beast's furious roars, he circled around at a wide distance. He dared not get too close, keeping his observations strictly from afar. Piecing together the Bajiguan cultivator's various actions, Qin Sang suspected that the man had drawn the beast away in order to hunt it! Hunting a Deity Transformation stage ferocious beast was an earth-shattering proposition. He had only just arrived at Zhongzhou, yet the local cultivators had already delivered him a humbling lesson. Xiaoxiangzi's praise for Zhongzhou had truly contained not a shred of exaggeration. Qin Sang dared not approach the beast and could only deduce from its attacks that it possessed Deity Transformation stage strength. But what if it were at the middle, or even late, Deity Transformation stage? Since they dared to hunt such a beast, they must have made exhaustive preparations, and the attacker would not be acting alone. Qin Sang even suspected a Deity Transformation cultivator might be lying in wait ahead! At the thought of having a chance to witness a clash between Deity Transformation combatants, even Qin Sang, prudent as he was, could hardly contain his anticipation. After weighing the risks, he decided to stay and watch. He understood the taboos of the cultivation world—neither side was one he could afford to cross. He would not approach the battlefield; merely sensing the scale of a Deity Transformation battle from afar would suffice, and he would depart before a victor was decided. With this intention, Qin Sang slowed his pace. Sure enough, he did not have to wait long. From deep within the storm came the shrieks of the beast, distorted with rage so that they no longer sounded like thunder. But then true thunder echoed, shaking heaven and earth! Even across such a vast distance, Qin Sang felt his heart tremble, adding a few more degrees of vigilance and caution to his mind. Before long, Qin Sang saw from afar that the sky deep in the storm had been dyed crimson, and feeling the waves of battle across the void, he came to a stop. At that moment, a fierce battle was underway at the ambush site of the Bajiguan cultivators. The moment the long-bearded Daoist lured the beast in, the purple-robed elder activated the Sword Jade Thunder Sound Formation. The cultivators drove the formation with all their might. Golden swords stood like heavenly pillars, anchoring the eight poles. Purple thunder poured down like rain, bringing apocalyptic ruin. Yet crazy as the beast was, its instinctual perception of danger was extraordinarily acute. At the final moment, it reacted with astonishing speed and avoided being trapped within the grand formation. Showing no intention of retreating, the beast launched a brazen attack. The bloody light thickened to its absolute limit. In the surrounding space, no colors remained save for purple and crimson. Pounded relentlessly by purple thunder, the bloody light not only showed no sign of dispersing, but surged backward against the assault, as though poised to engulf the purple lightning. All at once, the surrounding golden swords shuddered violently and the formation destabilized, leaving the cultivators horrified. "Not good! Quick, form the Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation!" The purple-robed elder's expression shifted drastically. With a hard thrust of his left hand, he hurled the golden bead forward. With a flash of golden light, the bead hovered above the beast, spinning rapidly. Simultaneously, in eight directions around the golden bead, the void twisted and golden light flared, conjuring identical golden beads that appeared remarkably solid. A shared aura linked all the golden beads together. The cultivators raised both palms toward the beads from afar, aiding the purple-robed elder. It was as though a vajra had descended into the formation. Buddhist hymns and sacred demon-subduing chants resounded. Each golden bead trembled continuously as bursts of golden light shot out rings of gold. Flashing with thunderous majesty, they struck toward the beast one after another. Every time a golden ring landed, it left behind a golden halo on the monster's body. ... Watching the battle from far away, Qin Sang could only judge the situation through the phenomena and spiritual senses. "No Deity Transformation cultivator?" Qin Sang narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a tinge of disappointment. Bajiguan's side was most likely relying on spiritual formations and similar methods. Though potent, without a Deity Transformation cultivator overseeing the fray, trapping and slaying the beast would prove exceedingly difficult. Furthermore, this was the storm belt, where heavenly mechanics were chaotic—an inherently disadvantageous environment for cultivators. Thinking to this point, Qin Sang grew increasingly pessimistic about Bajiguan's prospects. After waiting a bit longer without seeing any Deity Transformation cultivator step in, Qin Sang hesitated and slowly backed away. He certainly did not want the beast to come looking for him again. By this time, a layer of golden light had spread across the beast's body, forming broad golden ripples that swayed like water. Seeing that the timing was right, the purple-robed elder shouted, "Bind!" The originally ethereal halos abruptly solidified into a massive golden hoop that tightly encircled the beast, constricting rapidly. At the same time, they pushed the Sword Jade Thunder Sound Formation to its limit. Purple thunder crashed down from the heavens, aimed directly at the beast's four eyes. Through their fierce battle, they had discovered that the eyes were likely the monster's vital weakness! The beast shrieked and tried to dodge, but bound by the golden hoop, its feral nature erupted in full frenzy. Its slippery, bloody skin heaved with bizarre ripples, then suddenly withered, exposing the craggy skeleton beneath. From its spine, a sword-like bone spike emerged, broke free from its flesh, and slammed its tip straight into the golden hoop. A bloody hole opened on the beast's body. The agony drove its roars even wilder, suffused with heaven-shaking murderous intent. The purple-robed elder sensed something amiss and attempted to drive the Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation further, but it was already too late. With a resounding clang of metal on metal, a blood halo erupted from the bone spike—a strange pulsation none of them had ever witnessed before—and the demon-subduing golden hoop snapped on impact. Its momentum undiminished, the bone spike pierced through the void and shot straight toward the Sword Jade Thunder Sound Formation. "Careful!" the purple-robed elder barked. *Clang!* Unable to dodge in time, one of the golden swords took a direct hit from the bone spike. A transverse crack immediately appeared across its blade, bringing it to the brink of snapping. A stifled groan rang out as a figure tumbled from above the golden sword. It was the Daoist nun, her face pale and bloodless, apparently having suffered no light injury. At this sight, the purple-robed elder drew a sharp breath. "Retreat!" Throwing his hand outward, he cast forth the purple veil he had been gripping, spreading it wide in midair. Moving with practiced coordination, the cultivators swiftly converged around him. In just that brief span, three golden swords had been damaged, and the Sword Jade Thunder Sound Formation could clearly hold no longer. *Rumble!* Thunderous light erupted, engulfing the group. At the final moment, they retrieved as many formation tools as they could. When the lightning dispersed, everyone had vanished from the spot, leaving only the ferocious beast's shrill cries behind. Having lost its targets, the beast fell into an uncontrollable rage, churning the sea and overturning the skies in the vicinity, rampantly destroying everything in its sight. Had this not been the deserted storm belt, it would have surely wrought a catastrophe. Ultimately, the beast failed to ferret out its foes, and after venting its fury, it departed in resentment. On the small island, the ward was sealed, plunging everything into darkness. The cultivators of Bajiguan held their breath, not daring to make a sound until the beast's roars gradually faded into the distance. Only then did they let out a breath of relief, exchanging glances filled with lingering terror. "This ferocious beast is even more terrifying than the last one!" the Daoist nun said weakly, fear still haunting her voice. "Indeed. This beast's physical body is visibly stronger. Although our execution of the Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation lacks the true power of Buddhist cultivators, for it to be broken so quickly was still rather unexpected," the purple-robed elder sighed softly, then turned to the long-bearded Daoist. "Did you record the battle just now?" The long-bearded Daoist nodded and revealed a crystal. Shadows and lights shifted inside it, playing back the scenes of the fierce clash. Only then did they realize that despite losing half of their Sword Jade Thunder Sound Formation, with several among them injured, and enduring such heavy losses, they had not even managed to see the beast's full appearance clearly.