"Yin Demon Spikes... Could it be the Grand Elder of Tianhao Tower?"
Qin Sang had turned the tables on Old Demon Fan to use him as cover, smoothly crossing the cloud square. At the very last moment, he caught a glimpse of Fan's figure, though he could not make it out clearly.
However, the Yin Demon Spikes were renowned demonic weapons across Zhongzhou and the easiest to recognize.
Tianhao Tower's Old Demon Kurong should currently be attending the dharma assembly in Jinyu Prefecture; even if he received word, he would never make it in time.
Old Demon Kurong had once said that Sect Master Yu was at a critical juncture in cultivating a divine ability and in secluded cultivation, while Grand Elder Old Demon Fan had other pressing matters. As it turned out, Fan had come to Nanzhou.
Whether it was by chance or for some other reason remained unknown.
Qin Sang now suspected that, besides Bajing Abbey, Tianhao Tower had also meddled in this affair; among the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, there might very well be a spy from Tianhao Tower.
Though he had inadvertently offended the Grand Elder of Tianhao Tower, Qin Sang harbored no regrets. If given another chance, he would make the exact same choice.
Seeking cooperation with a demonic cultivator was no different from asking a tiger for its skin.
If Qin Sang needed to contest something against Bajing Abbey and the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, he might have considered it.
Yet his objectives were crystal clear: cultivation methods came first, followed by relics of the Deity Transformation stage. At present, it seemed these would not create any conflict of interest with either faction.
If and when a supreme treasure of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect actually emerged and required a struggle, it would not be too late to make his choices based on the unfolding situation.
"Careful!"
Qin Sang heard someone shout behind him.
The cultivators of the two sects attacking the stone pillar's restriction immediately ceased their assault, forming a tight perimeter before the restriction as if facing a formidable enemy, guarding against the theft of the Blue Cloud Grass.
Unexpectedly, Qin Sang showed no sign of slowing down. He did not spare the Blue Cloud Grass a single glance, shooting straight through an open gap across the square without lingering for even an instant, disappearing into the sea of clouds in the blink of an eye.
"What a fast escape art! Late Nascent Soul! Who is that?"
An elder of the Taiyue Sect exclaimed in shock.
Searching his memory, he could not recall any such figure existing anywhere near Nanzhou.
The emergence of the celestial phenomenon had shaken the world, and top experts would inevitably flock to Nanzhou.
Yet this person had arrived far too swiftly, even overtaking them to step into the Wuxiang Immortal Sect first.
Daoist Zilei and Yue Lingtian had gone on ahead, leaving the rest under the leadership of Hua Chenzi and a junior martial brother of Daoist Zilei.
Daoist Zilei's junior brother led people out to investigate, while Hua Chenzi stood guard over the Blue Cloud Grass.
Drawn by the lightning, Hua Chenzi wore a pensive look. Even with his vast experience, he could not identify the person's background. Could there really be a reclusive expert in Nanzhou whom he did not know?
A foreboding feeling suddenly welled up within him.
For this person to happen to be traveling nearby was far too coincidental!
They had believed themselves to be the mantis-stalking oriole behind the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, with ample time to slowly explore its depths, which was why they had chosen the safest, most deliberate approach, advancing step by step.
Now that an unexpected variable had emerged, he could only hope the situation would not spiral out of control.
Hua Chenzi felt a mounting sense of urgency. Seeing that Qin Sang had no designs on the Blue Cloud Grass, he was about to signal the others not to pursue when he suddenly received a transmission from Daoist Zilei's junior brother: "There is someone else here!"
Old Demon Fan had been exposed.
Hua Chenzi's brow furrowed slightly. He had assumed the previous person was merely making noise to seize the chance to enter the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, never expecting someone else was lurking outside.
'What is the relationship between these two?'
Hua Chenzi wondered. But no sooner had the thought surfaced than warning bells shrilled in his mind. He shouted a warning as his sleeves shook, sending a streak of dark yellow light shooting forth.
Within the glow was a lamp, seemingly carved from rough stone. Inside the lamp basin, there was neither oil nor wick.
Without Hua Chenzi making any discernible movement, a flame suddenly sprang to life within the lamp. Though the flame was small, its yellow glow was exceptionally dazzling, illuminating the entire area around the stone pillar.
Within the illuminated space, an inscrutable force rippled through the void.
Still uneasy, Hua Chenzi wasted no time releasing two spirit beasts—a pair of rare Mountain-Burrowing Giant Earthworms.
The earthworms swelled wildly in size, their slender bodies rivaling flood dragons. Flanking him on the left and right, the two beasts swayed their heads and tails, emitting strange humming cries as they prepared to fly toward the lamp.
Only then did the others react.
Though they had not sensed anything amiss, they trusted Hua Chenzi's judgment and brought out their respective magic treasures and divine abilities. However, they had no idea where the target was or what direction to attack.
Just then, their vision flickered between light and dark. Focusing their eyes, they saw shadowy demonic silhouettes appearing one after another within the lamp's light.
Myriad demonic shadows charged into the illuminated zone. Though they suddenly came under immense pressure and flickered erratically, their demonic flames blazed even more rampantly. Disregarding everyone present, they lunged frantically toward the Blue Cloud Grass.
"Myriad Demons Yin Scripture! Old Demon Fan!"
Hua Chenzi's eyes flashed brilliantly. Another uninvited guest!
"Haha..."
Countless demonic shadows laughed wildly in unison, Old Demon Fan's arrogant voice echoing from everywhere. "Old Ghost Hua, many thanks for finding the Blue Cloud Grass for me! Hurry up and present the spirit medicine to this old man!"
Qin Sang's assault had indeed caused trouble for Old Demon Fan, but it had also shown him an opportunity. Qin Sang barging into the Wuxiang Immortal Sect while ignoring the Blue Cloud Grass was precisely when Hua Chenzi and the others were at their most relaxed.
It was also because Old Demon Fan was both exceptionally skilled and daring that he could seize such a fleeting opening; anyone else would never have dared to take such a risk.
***
'So Old Demon Fan had his eye on the Blue Cloud Grass...'
Sensing the disturbance behind him, Qin Sang paused briefly, a look of realization dawning on his face.
Ahead lay the endless sea of clouds.
Qin Sang turned back for a glance, having no intention of intervening in the fight. His gaze shifted, sweeping over the two magnificent sculpted cloud dragons.
The cloud dragons stood guard like sentinels flanking the entrance of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
Their restrictions were not active, leaving it unclear what powers they possessed. Yet when Qin Sang had drawn near them earlier, his heart had inexplicably tightened, warning him not to take them lightly.
Unexpectedly, this backward glance revealed an unusual detail.
After crossing the cloud square, the chaotic turbulence had not subsided; on the contrary, it intensified, continuously surging forth from ahead and ceaselessly battering the cloud dragons.
At the limit of what his Heavenly Eye divine ability could perceive, along two claws of the cloud dragon, multiple inner scales were shattered, and fine cracks had formed.
While the cloud dragon appeared solid as a whole, it already harbored hidden flaws and could not remain stable for much longer.
'If the cloud dragons collapse, what will happen here?'
The thought popped into Qin Sang's mind, and as he glanced back toward the cloud square, the idea became impossible to suppress.
'I am already inside; it shouldn't affect me much!'
Having made his judgment, Qin Sang angled his escape light and flew horizontally toward the dragon claw. He found that although the claw was not clutching anything tangible, an invisible force clearly supported the cloud dragon there.
After a careful inspection, Qin Sang hesitated not a moment to summon the Sun God Tree.
The Second Nascent Soul retreated into his true body.
First storing his incarnation away, Qin Sang pulled back some distance. With a slight stir of his mind, flames danced upon the Sun God Tree, and three Sun God Birds spread their wings in unison, darting toward the cracks in the dragon claw.
Without waiting for the divine birds to strike the claw, Qin Sang pushed his escape light to full speed and fled the scene.
*Rumble!*
Just as Qin Sang plunged deep into the clouds, an earth-shattering explosion erupted behind him.
Secretly startled, Qin Sang did not turn his head, merely letting the Heavenly Eye Butterfly observe behind him. He saw a ball of crimson light erupt, only to be instantly swallowed by dazzling white light.
Struck at its most fragile spot, the cloud dragon's claw finally severed completely.
Immediately following, the colossal dragon body shook violently and tilted outward.
In the process, the relentless torrents of turbulence lent additional force. Amid deep rumbles, this cloud dragon finally collapsed, like a celestial dragon plunging into the sea.
Amid towering waves, the dragon's body snapped into several segments, the white light erupting precisely from the fractures.
The white light was actually a phenomenon manifested by the imbalance of the cloud dragon's internal power. Once destabilized, the cloud dragon disintegrated with unstoppable force.
Countless rays of white light merged, leaving no other color visible in this space. Even more terrifying was the shockwave accompanying the white light.
If anyone looked down from above at this moment, they would see a white ripple exploding outward from where the cloud dragon fell, expanding at an astonishing speed, the spreading wave of clouds clearly visible across the sea of clouds.
Terrifying cloud waves soared into the air.
On the cloud square, Old Demon Fan and Hua Chenzi's group were locked in combat over the Blue Cloud Grass. Sensing the cataclysm, horror gripped every heart. Before they could dodge, they were submerged by the billowing wave.
Immediately afterward, the other cloud dragon was also affected and collapsed in turn.
Qin Sang had long since escaped the vortex of trouble. Sensing the ever-intensifying phenomenon and staggering ripples behind him, he too was deeply astonished.
He had anticipated that the collapse of the cloud dragon might cause some trouble for Old Demon Fan and the others, but he had never imagined it would trigger such enormous upheaval.
At this moment, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly could clearly see that the two cloud dragons had been replaced by a boundless wall of clouds.
The cloud square was undoubtedly blasted to pieces as well.
The cloud wall bore not a single gap, spanning across the void, churning with chaotic forces and continuing to expand.
Just then, a group of people arrived—the remaining successors of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
Having lost the protection of the altar and possessing weaker cultivation than Zhu Wudao and his core cohort, the rest had fallen behind.
Harboring their own hidden motives, they were far less unified than Bajing Abbey and the Taiyue Sect, and had actually lagged behind Hua Chenzi's group in speed. Diverted into different directions by the passage's turbulence and restrictions, the two sides had not clashed, which spared them what would have been an unavoidable fierce battle.
The group stared blankly at the cloud wall before them, their faces turning ashen.
They could not fathom what had happened here, but it was obvious the cloud wall had not existed when Zhu Wudao and the others entered. They were one step late and now barred from entry.
Any latecomers wishing to enter the Wuxiang Immortal Sect would first have to find a way through the cloud wall, and judging by its sheer ferocity, doing so would certainly be no easy feat.
Qin Sang clicked his tongue, never expecting that he had created a natural chasm, severing the path for those behind him. If Old Demon Fan and the others hadn't died, they were surely cursing him to high heaven.
For Qin Sang, this was undeniably a good thing.
He did not know whether the Wuxiang Immortal Sect remnants or Daoist Zilei's group had noticed the flaws in the cloud dragons. Perhaps they had noticed as well, but because their companions were still behind, they had held back.
Qin Sang, on the other hand, was entirely on his own and had no such reservations.
The fewer helpers others had and the fewer people there were to divide the spoils, the more advantageous it was for him.
Qin Sang looked back a couple more times, but catching no glimpse of Old Demon Fan or the others, he assumed they were all struggling within the cloud waves. Without lingering any longer, he strode away.
***
Deep in the sea of clouds.
Zhu Wudao and his companions remained in the lead.
With the top experts joining forces, the obstacles within the passage had posed no great trouble to them, and not a single one was injured.
Zhu Wudao led the way at the front.
After speeding along for a time, they finally spotted something truly tangible in the sea of clouds.
A flight of stone steps came into view.
The steps were constructed of white stone slabs.
Along the entire flight, not a single slab remained intact; even the best-preserved were covered in cracks, moss growing from the fissures, exuding a scent of decay.
Yet upon seeing the dilapidated steps, Zhu Wudao broke into a joyful smile. "We've arrived!"
The group hastened their pace when a tremor suddenly sounded from behind. Halting in their tracks, they turned to look back.
Though they could not witness the celestial phenomenon from here, they could sense the unusual ripples; an astounding upheaval must have occurred back there.
"Is it those two cloud-sculpted dragons?"
The odd-faced man pondered for a moment, then glanced sideways at Zhu Wudao.
Though he was the successor of the Wood Phase, he actually knew little about the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, far less than Zhu Wudao.
Zhu Wudao nodded gently. Seeing everyone looking at him inquiringly, he explained, "I don't know the exact nature of those two cloud dragons either. Otherwise, if this old man could directly control them, wouldn't I be able to run rampant through the Wuxiang Immortal Sect? They are likely similar to mountain-guarding golems, but they must have suffered damage during that ancient catastrophe as well. Now that the Wuxiang Immortal Sect has reopened and the turbulence has battered them, they were utterly destroyed. It isn't a bad thing, though. With the cloud dragons collapsed, others will be prevented from sharing the spoils, and we can explore at our leisure."
"It will only stop some second-rate rabble," Su Zinan scoffed disdainfully, repeatedly urging Zhu Wudao to lead the way.
Zhu Wudao's figure flickered repeatedly before he stepped onto the stone steps.
Behind him, escape lights flashed as the others landed one after another. Looking around, they realized they were on the slope of a mountain, with the stone steps winding upward, seemingly leading straight to the summit.
"This is the Wuxiang Immortal Sect?"
The sword-carrying man looked thoroughly disappointed.
As far as the eye could see lay patches of desolate forest and ruin on all sides.
The mountain peak was hidden in clouds and mist, obscured from view.
"Fellow Daoist, don't be hasty. To truly enter the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, we must continue forward," Zhu Wudao raised his head slightly, his gaze following the stone steps. "Have you all noticed that the space here is far more stable?"
Prompted by Zhu Wudao, the group realized that this place was indeed different from outside.
"It shouldn't be that simple, right?" the white-robed man hesitated.
Zhu Wudao nodded. "Fellow Daoist is sharp."
Before his voice had faded, Zhu Wudao dashed up along the stone steps.
The others hurriedly followed.
After sprinting for a while, Zhu Wudao suddenly tapped his foot and vaulted into the air, flying toward the high skies.
At first, nothing happened.
Yet when Zhu Wudao reached a height of ten feet, ripples abruptly stirred within the clouds and mist. Accompanied by a piercing screech through the air, a flying sword materialized without warning, thrusting straight toward the center of Zhu Wudao's brow.
At the same time, Su Zinan and the others noticed an abnormality overcome Zhu Wudao. His protective true essence fluctuated violently, as if subjected to an invisible crushing pressure.
Zhu Wudao had prepared for this. With a wave of his sleeve, a Golden Light Mirror appeared before him.
*Thud!*
The center of the Golden Light Mirror bulged outward, but the flying sword failed to pierce through.
The ripples in the sea of clouds grew increasingly turbulent; clearly, there was more than one flying sword.
Zhu Wudao flickered back down to the ground and said, "You all saw that. After entering the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, it is best not to fly too high."
The group nodded, thanking Zhu Wudao for the warning.
The grand array of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect was masterless.
They had ways to briefly circumvent flight-prohibiting restrictions and were capable of dealing with the flying swords, but the combination of both was far more difficult to manage and could trigger further unforeseen variables. It was best to stay obediently on the ground.
Following behind Zhu Wudao, the group ascended the steps and climbed toward the mountain summit.
Chapter 1618