"What is this?"
Qin Sang followed Jiang You into the back hall of the stronghold and saw a wooden frame twice a man's height standing on the ground. A bronze gong hung from its crossbeam.
There were three such bronze gongs in total.
With no one touching them, the gongs swayed on their own, emitting a faint yellow halo.
Qin Sang glanced around, sensing the pull of spiritual qi from nearby spirit arrays, part of which converged on the bronze gongs.
"This treasure is called the Seven Sounds Gong. It is a special Buddhist dharma artifact that the Hall Master purchased for a hefty sum after the incident at the last treasure exchange assembly."
Jiang You traced a Buddhist swastika in the air with his finger and flicked it toward the gong. It flashed and sank into the yellow light. The gong hummed softly and abruptly hung motionless, its glow retracting, yet its connection to the spirit array grew even more subtle.
"With the corresponding array laid out nearby, this treasure possesses an extraordinarily keen perception of qi fluctuations, preventing anyone from harboring ill intent during the auctions and treasure exchanges. It is especially sensitive to demon qi."
Qin Sang understood, inwardly amused that Six Prefectures Hall was truly a case of 'once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of well-ropes.'
The last time demons had infiltrated the treasure exchange assembly, Six Prefectures Hall had lost immense face and become the butt of jokes. If history repeated itself, they would become an outright laughingstock.
The mundane affairs of the hall were not Qin Sang's responsibility; he merely needed to show his face at the auctions and treasure exchange assemblies.
After seeing Jiang You off, Qin Sang lingered in his cave dwelling for a while before stepping out of Six Prefectures Hall's branch and wandering aimlessly around Rainbow City.
The first grand auction was to be held the morning after next, divided into two sessions for Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators. Auctions dedicated to low-level cultivators had already begun days ago in the southern district, with no limit on the number of sessions.
Every Nascent Soul cultivator entering Rainbow City received an invitation, and Qin Sang was no exception.
As of yet, no item list had leaked out, but given how boldly the Jinyu Sect had boasted, everyone was filled with anticipation.
Rainbow City was packed with people.
Qin Sang unwittingly found himself walking toward the main peak.
Nascent Soul Patriarchs, who were rarely seen on ordinary days, appeared several times shortly after Qin Sang ascended the main peak. There were even a few whose auras were veiled, suspected to be cultivators at mid Nascent Soul or beyond.
Rainbow City was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Rashly deploying divine sense to pry into others could easily trigger misunderstandings.
Treating the stroll purely as sightseeing, Qin Sang avoided interacting with anyone. He walked leisurely to the summit of the main peak and leaned against a balustrade, gazing out.
The main peak was the center of all the peaks north of the river, looking out west over myriad mountains and east toward the vast ocean, making all other peaks seem small in comparison.
Atop the summit stood a nine-story tower, inlaid with gold and jade. Standing out like a crane among a flock of chickens, it was exceedingly luxurious and known as Jinyu Tower.
Undoubtedly, Jinyu Tower was the property of the Jinyu Sect, and the grand auction the morning after next would be held right here.
Qin Sang had had little contact with the Jinyu Sect, but from past rumors and what he saw with his own eyes, he always felt they did not resemble an immortal sect; they cared more about pomp and extravagance than even merchant associations like Six Prefectures Hall.
Perhaps it was due to the Jinyu Sect's unique inheritance.
A cultivation technique could alter a cultivator's temperament, which in turn influenced the ethos of a sect.
Passing before Jinyu Tower, Qin Sang glanced at it with no intention of entering. Just as he was about to head in another direction, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
A moment ago, a prying gaze seemed to have fallen upon him.
With his divine sense having advanced greatly and his spiritual sense remarkably keen, Qin Sang knew it was definitely no illusion. This gaze was different from those of ordinary onlookers—the person was paying intense attention to him!
He swiftly took in the surroundings of Jinyu Tower in his mind.
To the right of Jinyu Tower.
A female Nascent Soul cultivator strolled toward him, her arm linked with a handsome young man.
The handsome man was merely at mid Core Formation and seemed unaware of the woman's true cultivation. His demeanor was frivolous and casual, while the female Nascent Soul cultivator played along charmingly, looking at him with eyes full of adoration.
Yet Qin Sang could detect the chilling coldness deep within her eyes. Recalling certain rumors regarding the demonic sect Futian Valley, he figured the young man's end would not be pleasant if he failed to come to his senses in time.
A Daoist stepped out of Jinyu Tower. Judging by his attire, he was an expert from Jingchan Mountain Villa. He glanced at the female cultivator without interfering, his footwork uncanny as he blended into the crowd and vanished from sight.
Two flights of stairs down, a pair of Nascent Soul Dao companions were whispering intimately to each other.
...
The images of cultivator after cultivator flashed through Qin Sang's mind, eliminated one by one.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was also quietly operating its divine ability.
Everything seemed normal, with nothing out of the ordinary!
"An illusion?"
Qin Sang did not believe his spiritual perception could be mistaken, yet that person had indeed disappeared, or perhaps their disguise was so brilliant that even he could not see through it.
Without changing his pace, he walked past Jinyu Tower unperturbed, toured the other peaks, and finally returned to Six Prefectures Hall's stronghold. By then night had already fallen, and the feeling never recurred.
Qin Sang set the matter aside and sorted through his Qianjun Ring.
Only one stick of Spirit-Calming Incense remained, while the skeletons of the two crocodile demons should fetch a fine price. The recipe for the Spirit-Calming Incense could also be sold, but good steel had to be used on the blade's edge.
From what he had observed, even in the fertile lands of Zhongzhou, gathering all the spiritual materials for the Spirit-Calming Incense was exceedingly difficult.
Those who could afford the price and possessed the ability to refine Spirit-Calming Incense were few and far between.
Qin Sang planned to gather the rarest of the spiritual materials first when he had the energy before considering selling the recipe.
The moonlight was like gauze.
Looking out at the quiet courtyard beyond his window, Qin Sang pondered inwardly.
Suddenly, a gong strike shattered the silence!
*Dong!*
All three bronze gongs chimed in unison.
The gong tones were crisp, ringing clearly across the entire stronghold.
The Seven Sounds Gongs!
Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. He sprang to his feet and appeared above the courtyard in the next instant.
At the same time, figures rushed out from everywhere. The experts of Six Prefectures Hall were all alarmed awake, and their eyes turned in unison toward the back hall.
That was the location of Six Prefectures Hall's treasure vault, guarded in person by Vice Hall Master Jiang You!
Yellow light soared from the back hall as the gongs sounded in rapid succession.
A white figure silently flickered within the yellow light, moving as gracefully as a swan goose, like a phantom.
From the back hall came Vice Hall Master Jiang You's thunderous roar: "Stop them!"
At the same time, panicked shouts came from within.
"Not good! The Tian Vault has been breached!"
"The restrictions have been broken through..."
...
The Tian Vault, Six Prefectures Hall's primary treasure vault, had been broken into without a sound, and only when the Seven Sounds Gongs sounded the alarm was the thief discovered.
*Whoosh!*
The white figure's movement technique was remarkably elusive, flashing across the void and escaping outside the mountain in an instant.
Only then did Jiang You burst out of the back hall, trailing strands of transparent silk-like threads. His Daoist robe was torn in multiple places, his appearance disheveled—clearly, he had been held back by the intruder's divine ability.
Infuriated by embarrassment and seeing the white figure fleeing into the distance, Jiang You hastily looked toward Qin Sang's cave dwelling. Seeing it empty, he felt a wave of relief and shouted urgently, "Pursue them quickly! Go assist Elder Qin!"
Leaving Jiang Mu and most of the personnel to guard the vault, Jiang You led the rest in hot pursuit.
The commotion alarmed cultivators across the neighboring peaks, and some busybodies secretly followed along.
Patrol cultivators from the Jinyu Sect also noticed the disturbance and hastily activated jade talismans to contact their sect's experts, urging their spirit beasts forward to converge on the area.
At the very front:
Elusive though the white figure's escaping technique was, shaking off Qin Sang was nothing short of a pipe dream. Not long after rushing out of Rainbow City, they were overtaken by Qin Sang.
"Where do you think you're going!" Qin Sang bellowed.
A sword arc leaped from the Qianjun Ring. The Jinchen Sword shot like a shooting star, abruptly erupting with a thousand-zhang sword light as a torrent of sword qi ripped through the void, plunging straight down.
The white figure seemed to glance back at Qin Sang. Facing the sword light overhead, they flicked their sleeve. Without revealing any dharma treasure, gale-force winds howled through the void as visible wisps of gray astral wind gathered into a mass, transforming in the blink of an eye into an ominous, murky gale that blotted out the sky.
*Boom!*
The river of sword qi plunged unceremoniously into the strange wind like a red-hot iron, unstoppable in its momentum, illuminating the heart of the gale with dazzling sword brilliance. The bizarre wind boiled as gray currents lunged wildly at the sword light, turning into nearly solid shackles that coiled around it layer upon layer.
"Late Nascent Soul!"
Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly; only now could he ascertain the opponent's cultivation.
Although Six Prefectures Hall's vault contained many treasures, no supreme treasures capable of moving a great cultivator would be stored here.
For a great cultivator to lower themselves to steal these meager treasures in person and even get caught red-handed was somewhat absurd.
"The treasures our hall brought to Rainbow City were meant for auction in the first place. If Fellow Daoist needed something, a single word at our door would have sufficed—it would be no trouble to gift it freely. Why go through all this trouble!" Qin Sang called out in a resonant voice.
To befriend a great cultivator for the sake of a mere few treasures, he believed Hall Master Mu certainly had such courage and vision.
"Whatever I want, I've always taken it directly!" The white figure snickered.
The final chuckle sounded slightly distorted, for when Qin Sang saw that the sword light failed to halt the white figure, he shifted sword incantations. The Jinchen Sword vanished into thin air, and the void turned dim and somber, turning the tables by enveloping the bizarre wind within.
Once the Seven Po Killing Array emerged, the strange wind lost its target and darted about the sword array like headless flies. Shattered beneath the strangling onslaught of sword filaments, it collapsed into disarray, dissipating in vast swaths.
The sword filaments flared brilliantly, instantly strangling the last clump of strange wind. Before the white figure could break away, the filaments blanketed this expanse of space, trapping the intruder within by a hair's breadth.
Stealing a moment, Qin Sang glanced behind him.
This commotion had grown quite large.
Aside from Jiang You and his companions, numerous fleeing lights flew out together, illuminating the night sky outside Rainbow City, left far behind by the two of them.
Qin Sang noted several golden escape streaks among them flying at high speed—the unique escaping technique of the Jinyu Sect. He nodded inwardly; they were precisely whom he was waiting for.
With someone causing trouble in Rainbow City, the Jinyu Sect was duty-bound to intervene.
Qin Sang had stepped in solely to fulfill his duties as a guest elder. He had no desire to fight to the death against a great cultivator for the sake of Six Prefectures Hall; stalling the opponent and waiting for reinforcements to arrive was already doing more than enough.
Moreover, Qin Sang recalled the feeling of being watched during the day.
That very night, a great cultivator had infiltrated Six Prefectures Hall.
Was it a coincidence?
Qin Sang commanded the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to secretly stay vigilant toward their surroundings, detecting no anomalies for now.
"A fine sword array, but what a pity your execution is so poor! Your swordsmanship isn't even up to par!"
Trapped within the sword array, the white figure showed not the slightest panic. Instead, a derisive laugh came forth, laced with mockery.
Before Qin Sang could reply:
Whistling sounds tore through the air within the sword array as transparent threads shot wildly from the white figure—identical to those clinging to Jiang You earlier.
The white figure had clearly held back when dealing with Jiang You.
The threads wove an astonishing spectacle around the white figure. Countless strands fused together, remarkably coalescing into a lake suspended in midair.
The water of the lake was crystal clear, looking just like an actual lake.
*Crash!*
The water's surface surged upward as a giant formed of water climbed out from the lake. Its hollow eyes glared at the sky-filling sword filaments, and it roared toward the heavens, raising an arm. Twisting its torso violently, it hurled a heavy punch directly into the sword array!
The fist struck like thunder.
In an instant, the sword array shuddered, throwing it into sudden turmoil.
With a solemn expression, Qin Sang hurriedly formed hand seals. The sword filaments shrank frantically inward, compressing the array's power to mend the flaw gouged by the blow.
Yet the white figure had already seized the moment. Suddenly appearing atop the water giant's head, the figure shot upward. Facing the strangling sword filaments surging forward, they remained calm and unhurried, pointing toward another section of the sword array and stating impassively, "This array shall serve my command!"
That spot was precisely where the water giant had struck, where the array's power had yet to recover and the sword filaments remained tangled.
At those words:
Qin Sang discovered to his horror that those sword filaments had severed their connection and slipped entirely out of his control. While it was not the entire sword array, but only that localized area, it was nonetheless a fatal opening.
Even more shocking, with a hook of the white figure's finger, those sword filaments fell under the figure's control instead, turning and lashing out at their 'companions.'
The interior of the Seven Po Killing Array was fractured, the filaments turning upon one another in violent conflict.
The white figure took their time, calm and composed.
"Riddled with flaws!" The figure's mocking sneer reached Qin Sang's ears.
Qin Sang was speechless, powerless to refute the claim.
Ever since the sword array had reached great accomplishment, trapped enemies had never been able to do more than desperately parry. This was the first time it had been dismantled through such bizarre methods.
The water giant was at least fathomable, but Qin Sang had no idea what kind of divine ability the white figure had used at the end.
It was completely unheard of!
*Whoosh!*
The white figure broke free from the sword array, completely unscathed.
Unexpectedly, they chose not to continue fleeing, but turned around and hovered in the void, fixing their eyes upon Qin Sang.
Startled for a brief moment, Qin Sang sensed danger and thought, *Not good!* The phoenix wings on his back flapped furiously, turning him into a streak of lightning that shifted laterally a thousand zhang away in an instant.
The instant he flashed away, the white figure appeared where he had just stood.
Qin Sang had experienced a similar scene once when battling the green-furred rat demon, but the white figure's movements were even more stealthy and effortless, nearly impossible to guard against.
*Roar!*
The water giant bellowed madly, smashing apart sword filaments punch after punch with astonishing force.
The white figure had only been able to control the filaments momentarily.
Qin Sang forcibly reclaimed control over the sword array to trap the water giant, then focused fully on dealing with the white figure. A black lotus manifested at his glabella, and the demonic flame dragon materialized anew, lunging straight toward the void to Qin Sang's left.
*Boom!*
A thunderous rumble erupted.
Faint ripples stirred in the void, revealing the outline of the white figure. Struck by the demonic fire, the entire figure shattered like a mirror, then was swept up and utterly obliterated by the flames.
The white figure had tried the same trick again, only for Qin Sang to turn it against them.
Yet there was no joy on Qin Sang's face. The white figure's divine abilities were so bizarre that killing them so easily was impossible.
With utmost vigilance, he scanned his surroundings.
The next moment, the small hill below shuddered violently as an enormous footprint appeared out of nowhere. The white figure materialized above the footprint, swaying slightly before drifting backward more than ten zhang and coming to a steady halt, sleeves fluttering in the wind.
They had actually used some sort of divine ability to dissipate the explosive force of the demonic fire!
The small hill suffered the brunt of it: the rocks at its summit were crushed beneath the footprint, and the entire peak cracked open centered on the footprint, a fissure plunging straight down to the base as spring water surged upward.
The two clashes between them had occurred in a mere breath.
While it seemed neither had gained the upper hand, Qin Sang knew all too well how terrifying the opponent was. Forced to deploy his demonic fire yet still restricted to defending himself, he could not help but harbor thoughts of retreat.
Having stabilized their footing, the white figure glanced back.
The pursuers were drawing near.
Seemingly unwilling to tangle further with Qin Sang, the figure ceased attacking and formed an incantation seal with one hand. The limbs of the water giant battling the sword array stiffened, and it melted into a pool of water.
Subsequently, light and shadow shifted across the white figure's face, features gradually growing distinct—revealing a beautiful woman in court dress.
The beautiful woman sized Qin Sang up from head to toe, her gaze settling on the jade pendant at his waist.
"You're quite capable. No wonder you could cross the storm and make it here from the North Sea."
Chapter 1602