Trap

"A trap!" The scar-faced man's expression darkened. After entering Bingyi Palace, they had first contended with the Qilin screen wall and then breached the Ice Palace. Finding no unusual traces along the way, they had assumed they were the first to set foot inside. Little did they expect someone had beaten them to it—someone whose understanding of Bingyi Palace surpassed all imagination, capable of manipulating its grand formation! A dreadful, freezing wind wailed eerily, turning heaven and earth a stark, ghastly white. The waters of the ice lake formed dragons of water, surging upward into the sky. Deep within the freezing gale, the shadows of banners faintly emerged. Towering like palaces, they stood between heaven and earth. As their pennants fluttered, the frigid wind grew fiercer and fiercer. These banner shadows were projections of the treasure banners situated at the array eye. The cold fiend qi radiating from them stirred the ethereal blue sky-light, thoroughly awakening the remnant formation's might across the ice lake region. Yet in Qin Sang's plan, this power alone was not enough! Deep within the sky full of blue light, violent tremors soon erupted in rapid succession. Anomalies appeared wherever the sky-light shook, one spatial vortex manifesting after another. Within the vortexes, light and shadow coalesced as new banner silhouettes flickered into view in turn. The banner silhouettes were the nodes of the Ice Palace's grand formation. Though projected from damaged banners, dilapidated and on the verge of collapse at any moment, they would release their final power before meeting destruction! *Rumble...* The spectacle above the Ice Palace could only be described as a cataclysm. In an instant, the blue sky-light lost all semblance of tranquility, turning fiercely turbulent. Layers of surging light crested over row upon row of palaces, continuously crashing toward the ice lake with staggering momentum. Plumes of white mist rose across the Ice Palace—in reality fine ice shavings, the heralds of crumbling architecture. The protective wards on many of the palaces had long faded, leaving them standing solely by virtue of the blue sky-light. With the sky-light disrupted, peace vanished from Bingyi Palace. Countless structures were caught in the upheaval, toppled and crushed by the waves of light, leaving the palace grounds in utter ruin. *Boom!* *Crash!* Collapsing roars sounded without end. The chaos spread toward the ice lake from every direction, ultimately converging right here! At this moment, anyone watching closely could see that the waves of light rushing toward the lake were only a portion of the blue sky-light—specifically, the areas where the remnant banners' projections stood. It was, after all, only a remnant formation. Where no remnant banners stood, even with the ice disc in the incarnation's hands, nothing could be done with them; those portions of sky-light merely shook from the collateral shockwaves and could not be commanded. Otherwise, this battle would have been far easier! Every remnant banner stirred in unison, driving the surging light forward in an all-out rush toward the ice lake. In an instant... Above the ice lake, blue and white intertwined as the freezing gale and the ethereal blue sky-light converged and fused. Amidst the chaotic expanse, a forest of banner shadows stood tall. The remnant formation's might was instantly pushed to its zenith. *Boom!* The banner shadows descended together, plunging straight into the ice lake! Standing upon the jade bridge, the scar-faced man and Cave Master Qiling saw the terrifying celestial phenomenon wrought by the remnant formation. Their breath caught in their chests. An invisible pressure bore down, and a profound sense of crisis suddenly surged in their hearts. Right then, a piercing buzz sounded before the scar-faced man. The wooden bead floating before his chest blazed with brilliance, then shot skyward, discharging dense green radiance. With the wooden bead as its core, the green radiance formed a barrier of light above the scar-faced man's head. The upheaval unfolded in a mere breath. The sudden change in the ice lake's scenery reflected in the scar-faced man's eyes. Seeing the jade bridge that connected to the main hall, he secretly counted himself fortunate. Had they not been drawn to Wuxin Pavilion and inadvertently taken a different path, they would have been standing on that very bridge right now, completely besieged by the banner shadows and trapped in the formation. Yet the mastermind was still straining to control the remnant formation. The banner shadows swept forward, carrying the remnant formation's fury to engulf the jade bridge beneath their feet! Decisive as ever, the scar-faced man flickered and retreated swiftly. At the same time, a field of flowers unfurled above Cave Master Qiling's head. At the onset of the anomaly, he had responded according to his previous experience, but he soon sensed something was amiss. His reflexes were exceedingly fast; he immediately urged his red flower treasure to protect him, while making the same choice as the scar-faced man—flying backward in retreat. Right at this moment, another sudden turn occurred! The whistle of a sword rang out from behind. Both Cave Master Qiling and the scar-faced man felt a sharp, stabbing pain at the back of their heads, and their expressions changed in unison. Not only was someone manipulating the remnant formation, but another person was lying in wait behind them! Doubts crowded their minds. Just who was ambushing them? At one end of the jade bridge... Qin Sang's true body appeared alongside the Jinchen Sword. His gaze was grave as he stared at their retreating backs, a down feather held secretly in the palm of his left hand. This feather had been bestowed by Ten Thousand Poisons Mountain. It was said to harbor the might of Ten Thousand Poisons Mountain's supreme treasure, which they claimed could trigger the scar-faced man's hidden ailment and deal him a fatal blow. Back when Su Zinan had opened Wuwang Hall, Qin Sang had noticed the scar on the man's face had faded; seeing him again now, it was even fainter than before. Under these circumstances, Qin Sang highly doubted how much of an effect the feather could have against the scar-faced man at his peak, and he would never stake his hopes entirely on an external item. In the end, Qin Sang did not immediately activate the feather, proceeding according to plan instead. *Swish!* The Jinchen Sword transformed into a rainbow of sword light, piercing through the air—not striking at either one of them directly, but hurtling right between them. Before the two could react, the sword light suddenly vanished. Light and shadow in the void grew dim, giving birth to countless slender threads of sword qi that crisscrossed through the air. The Seven Po Killing Array unleashed! And the killing array assailed both the scar-faced man and Cave Master Qiling simultaneously. Sensing the earth-shattering killing intent erupting from behind, the scar-faced man was inwardly alarmed. He struck his chest heavily with an upturned palm, sending a beam of green light flying out to wrap around an object. It was the very wooden armor that had once withstood the Fourfold Tengshe Seal. The wooden armor manifested, followed by a surge of vibrant green radiance representing the force of life. It vanished from the spot, replaced by the silhouette of a towering ancient tree that shielded the scar-faced man within. The ancient tree was emerald green, its branches lush with leaves, brimming with vitality. It was like a genuine great tree rooted firmly upon the jade bridge. Facing enemies on both flanks with the adversary's strength unknown, the scar-faced man immediately abandoned all thought of retreating. Planting his foot down hard, he leaped off the jade bridge toward the side. *Swish, swish, swish...* The sword threads converged in a lethal strangling strike, dimming the ancient tree's green light by several shades. Amidst an ear-grating screech of friction, the ancient tree swayed. Yet it was not pierced by the sword threads, nor were there any pronounced marks upon it. It seemed the sword array was fierce on the outside but weak within, its power falling far short of what the scar-faced man had anticipated. In that split second, the scar-faced man abruptly realized something and snapped his head around toward Cave Master Qiling. This had been Qin Sang's feint! Attacking the scar-faced man was merely a distraction to force him into self-defense, while the bulk of the sword array's true power bore down on Cave Master Qiling. "How dare you!" Furious and alarmed, Cave Master Qiling felt blood rush to his head, his eyes turning scarlet. The red flower treasure spun at extreme speed, its true form blurred into a crimson vortex in the void. Crimson light showered over the field of flowers. The centers of countless flower silhouettes split open, revealing anguished human faces with twisted expressions—evil spirits meticulously refined by Cave Master Qiling. *Snap!* The evil spirits opened their eyes in unison. Their hollow sockets lacked pupils, revealing only stark white eyeballs. The anguish on their faces gradually settled into a dead, fixed stare at the Seven Po Killing Array and Qin Sang at the bridgehead, appearing far more sinister than before. An eerie, wailing din arose, deeply chilling to the bone, like the howling of evil ghosts. The flower silhouettes in the field twisted and fused with the evil spirits' faces, manifesting bizarre, half-human specters that bathed in the red light shed by the flower, as though drenched in blood. The next instant, Cave Master Qiling unlocked the spirits' shackles. *Whoosh!* The red flower carried a portion of the evil spirits high into the air to ward off the imminent banner shadows of the remnant formation. The majority of the evil spirits surged toward the Seven Po Killing Array, crowding together into a river of blood across the sky. The sight was akin to boundless evil ghosts drifting through the Yellow Springs. Above the jade bridge, the river of blood spanned the void, charging with overwhelming force into the killing array. *Flash! Flash! Flash!* The sword threads flared brilliantly, shredding the evil spirits. Yet the spirits seemed endless and utterly ferocious; fearless in death, they actively clawed and tore at the sword threads. From above came a thunderous roar as the red flower treasure collided with the banner shadows. Sinister red light and the overwhelming blue sky-light pressed against each other, carving a sharply defined boundary. Soon, the contrasting hues began to merge and devour one another, blurring the divide. Regardless of who held the upper hand, the outcome did not matter. Cave Master Qiling had divided his attention to block attacks from two sides solely to carve out a chance to break free and flee this dangerous place! His figure blurred, on the verge of vanishing in an evasive escape. Unexpectedly, a tremendous suction force suddenly erupted from beneath the jade bridge! Both the scar-faced man and Cave Master Qiling had been fully occupied by the spirit formation and Qin Sang. Neither had noticed a small cluster of white light hidden within the blue sky-light. Inside the white light lay a bone, around which wrapped a thin glove. The bone was warm and lustrous, gleaming like fine jade, its surface ringed by fine streaks of blood. Paired with the glove around it, it was exceedingly sinister—the blood crocodile bone hand. Having resolved to set an ambush, the incarnation had hidden the bone hand beneath the ice lake to prepare a trap. Originally, the intended ambush site had been the other jade bridge, which meant the true body had to summon it over, delaying its activation slightly. *Swish!* The glove refined from the demon core landed on the true body's hand, immediately followed by an earth-shattering roar. This was the first time Qin Sang had wielded this treasure in battle since its completion, but having faced the thousand-zhang giant crocodile in person years ago, the memory remained vivid; he had full confidence in this treasure. The roar was like thunder, shaking the jade bridge violently. Towering waves splashed across the lake's surface as a point of white light shot forth. Frigid bone aura erupted, and the silhouette of a thousand-zhang giant crocodile leaped from the bone, roaring toward the heavens with monstrous savagery. Beside the giant crocodile, even the banner shadows seemed small and delicate. The giant crocodile's form condensed, turning into a supreme ferocious beast crouching upon the ice lake. Lifting its head, it fixed its gaze upon Cave Master Qiling on the jade bridge, exuding pure, unadulterated killing intent. Opening its maw wide, a black vortex appeared in its gullet, and suction surged from within its body, sending visible ripples directly toward Cave Master Qiling. *Crash, splash...* The suction expanded continuously, rippling outward with Cave Master Qiling at the center. The lake surface suddenly bulged, and water flowed upward, swallowed into the crocodile's belly, immediately dragging the blue sky-light and freezing gales into its pull. *Snap! Crack!* The overburdened jade bridge finally collapsed, countless fragments spinning as they vanished into the crocodile's belly. And Cave Master Qiling was the true target of this suction! Hurriedly forced into battle and dividing his attention between the remnant formation and the Seven Po Killing Array, how could Cave Master Qiling have any strength left to resist this pull? His robes billowed wildly, rippling with rings of protective light. Suddenly, sword light flashed, severing his robes—the Seven Po Killing Array had wiped out the evil spirits and struck again. Terrified, Cave Master Qiling had no choice but to recall the red flower to protect himself. *Swish!* With nothing left to obstruct them, the banner shadows plunged straight down. Before Cave Master Qiling could break free from the suction, he was dragged into the remnant formation along with that entire stretch of water. The blue sky-light pressed down, burying all turmoil beneath it. "Save me!" Before vanishing, Cave Master Qiling left only this frantic cry for help. The scar-faced man hovered above the lake. Since neither Qin Sang nor the remnant formation had targeted him, he was completely unharmed. Turning to see Cave Master Qiling meet with disaster, he discreetly pointed at his wooden armor, which immediately transformed into a streak of light shooting toward Cave Master Qiling. The situation had become clear: one enemy was controlling the remnant formation from the shadows while another had launched a surprise attack. There were no further reinforcements. They had fallen into a disadvantage only because they had been caught off guard and knew nothing of their foe. If he could rescue Cave Master Qiling and escape the Ice Palace, neutralizing their enemy's geographical advantage, the victor would still be undecided! Yet at that very moment, a figure moved even faster than the wooden armor, hurtling straight toward the remnant formation—Qin Sang's true body. Pulling Cave Master Qiling into the remnant formation was not merely meant to trap him. Qin Sang's objective was to sever the scar-faced man's wings, and he naturally intended to seize this chance to slay him! The scar-faced man watched Qin Sang coldly, a sinister look surfacing on his face. His left hand clenched into a fist, where the jade beetle had been resting quietly in his palm, and he flicked it out in secret. The jade beetle spread its wings and took flight. By now, the blood-red tint in its eyes had completely faded, making it appear entirely harmless—none would imagine this was in fact a supreme, terrifying venomous insect! Sending the wooden armor to rescue Cave Master Qiling had, of course, been the scar-faced man's feint. Earlier, Qin Sang had been at the far end of the bridge, too distant, and with the sudden turn of events and unknown enemy, the scar-faced man had kept the jade beetle in his palm, enduring until now. Only at this moment did he strike to kill! Anticipating Qin Sang's flight path, the jade beetle's mouthparts parted slightly, spitting out a beam of toxic light. The toxic light was extraordinarily swift—thirty percent faster than when he had ambushed Lu Zhang—reaching its target in a flash. Had Qin Sang not known the man's methods beforehand, he might well have fallen victim to it. With the fat silkworm not by his side, even though he possessed the poison bead extracted from it, Qin Sang did not dare take the jade beetle's toxic light head-on and had prepared accordingly. His escape light abruptly halted, then snapped at a sharp angle, easily skirting the toxic light while continuing straight toward Cave Master Qiling. For all his cold cunning, the scar-faced man could not help but freeze in shock. He had absolute confidence in the Gu King's power. Once its toxic light was unleashed, death or grave injury was certain. Never had he imagined that his opponent would anticipate it so thoroughly, neutralizing the lethal strike with ease. The confidence in the scar-faced man's eyes evaporated. He hurriedly recalled the jade beetle, only to feel himself locked onto by a powerful aura. Startled, he snapped his head around toward the opposite shore of the ice lake, his pupils shrinking violently. "It's you!" The scar-faced man finally understood. No wonder he had sensed such pure wood-spirit aura here! No wonder the other party had anticipated the Gu King's toxic light! To think that the very person he had been yearning to find had appeared in the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, lying in wait to ambush him! The newcomer was none other than Qin Sang's incarnation. Having detonated the remnant formation's might, there was nothing more the incarnation needed to do, nor could he do anything further. The Ice Palace's grand formation had reached the end of its strength; forcibly triggered, it was blazing with its final afterglow. After this battle, the spirit formation would meet its demise. The incarnation stepped out from the secret hall and appeared by the ice lake. Looking down at the scar-faced man with cold eyes, he spoke in a chilling voice. "Fellow Daoist, I trust you have been well since we last met."