Wordless Jade Wall

The demonic fire drifted toward the Gu King, forming a small ring of flame that encircled it. Unexpectedly, the Gu King was exceedingly ferocious. Without a master to suppress it, its savage nature was laid bare. Deprived of its prey by the demonic fire, the Gu King flew into a rage on the spot. Fury caused its wings to beat frantically, emitting an ear-piercing drone. Facing the onslaught of the demonic fire's aura, not only did the Gu King show no fear, but it gaped its mouthparts wide and sprayed torrents of toxic light, lashing back at the flames. "The toxic light is formidable, but it's overly feral and doesn't seem very intelligent! That fellow truly bred a vicious beast!" Qin Sang penned the Gu King in with the demonic fire without rushing to subdue it. Instead, he flashed over to the scar-faced man's Nascent Soul. Taking in the scar-faced man's condition, a look of profound astonishment crossed Qin Sang's eyes. In such a short time, the scar-faced man had reached an extremely critical state. His Nascent Soul was ashen, and its vital energy was already barely perceptible. The Gu King's toxicity was perhaps even more horrifying than Qin Sang had imagined! "Huh? Wait..." Sweeping his divine sense across him, Qin Sang was surprised to discover that only one toxin was wreaking havoc and threatening the scar-faced man's life. Its destructive power could only be described as terrifying, capable of killing someone in the blink of an eye! Having been struck in succession by the poison of Myriad Poison Mountain and the toxic light of the Gu King, the scar-faced man ought to have had two toxins in his body. *Could the two poisons have fused on their own?* A spark of insight struck Qin Sang, bringing a possibility to mind. The Gu King's aura closely resembled that of gu insects bred using Myriad Poison Mountain's Gu Classic. Myriad Poison Mountain regarded the scar-faced man as a mortal enemy, going so far as to gift an outsider a treasure to counter him; the Gu King had been their true objective all along! In fact, the Gu King might well have originally been carefully nurtured by Myriad Poison Mountain itself. Once the Gu King reached full maturity, if its toxic light fused with the poison of Myriad Poison Mountain's supreme treasure, the sheer virulence would skyrocket to an unfathomable degree, practically becoming the deadliest poison in the world. The two toxins possessed completely different properties. Had it not been for the coincidence of the Gu King's backlash and the two lethal poisons fusing within the scar-faced man's body, Qin Sang would never have uncovered this secret. *If such a virulent poison is successfully perfected, could it even threaten Deity Transformation cultivators? At the very least, Nascent Soul cultivators would have to steer well clear of the Poison King...* Qin Sang was secretly alarmed. The sects of Zhongzhou were indeed not to be underestimated; their foundations ran deep. Thoughts flashing in his mind, Qin Sang did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately moved to activate the poison bead, attempting to use the poison-warding glow to help the scar-faced man suppress the toxin and keep him alive a little longer. To his surprise, before Qin Sang could act, the light in the Nascent Soul's eyes rapidly faded, as if a savage beast were devouring his vitality from within. The scar-faced man had already been grievously injured by the lightning strike, and the fusion and eruption of the new virulent poison inside him yielded this disastrous result. Not only that, but Qin Sang noticed signs of the new poison creeping along his divine sense! Startled, he swiftly withdrew his divine sense. By this point, he had already used his divine sense to forcibly crack open the restriction on the mustard seed bag. Seeing what lay inside, his heart stirred, and he made no further superfluous moves. Meanwhile, the Seven Po Killing Array had successfully trapped Cave Master Qiling's remnant soul, which was another reason Qin Sang gave up on saving the scar-faced man. In a matter of moments, the scar-faced man's Nascent Soul was tortured beyond recognition, exuding a foul stench as it turned into an indescribable mass, before finally bursting into a cloud of blood mist and vanishing into nothingness! A major threat had been eliminated. Qin Sang looked around. To say Bingyi Palace was altered beyond recognition would be an understatement. Earlier, despite the chaos, the main structure of the palace had still stood. Now, it was completely leveled, and then frozen over by the frigid chill escaping from the azure celestial light, forming an ice sheet even larger than Bingyi Palace that continued to expand outward. The wind was bone-chilling. Though the accumulated energy of the azure light had been released, the pillar of light remained, refusing to disperse for a long time. Such a striking anomaly could likely be seen throughout the entire Wuxiang Immortal Sect; people were bound to be rushing toward this place. *I cannot linger here!* Qin Sang flashed about, erasing traces of the battlefield as best he could. The shockwaves of the collapsing array had just swept through, mostly ruining the battlefield anyway, so it did not take much trouble. His incarnation was not idle either. Channeling what little true essence remained, it charged into the ice palace, pressing against the azure celestial light to find the hidden hall amid the ruins. The place where the hidden hall had stood had turned into a deep crater, the palace above razed. However, though the ice platform was covered in cracks, the mysterious ice disc remained intact. Before the ambush, the incarnation had already identified several key nodes of the spiritual array, deducing that the mysterious ice disc would not be compromised by the destruction of the banner array. For such an important treasure, the array's original creator would certainly have taken this into account to prevent the ice disc from being destroyed here. *Whoosh!* He recalled the ice disc. The incarnation inspected it closely and clicked its tongue. Though the ice disc was intact, the cold fiend qi within had thinned considerably. The expenditure was heavy and would take a long time to replenish. However, the original body was still far from Deity Transformation, and having memorized the structure of the ice platform, he could simply find a suitable grotto later to set up the array again and restore the ice disc. There was nothing left to regret. The incarnation struck out, thoroughly destroying the hidden hall, then returned to the battlefield with the mysterious ice disc. The Second Nascent Soul retreated back into the original body to rest and recover. By this time, Qin Sang had subdued Cave Master Qiling's remnant soul. Returning to the Gu King, he found the creature too ferocious to tame immediately, so he simply wrapped it in demonic fire and took it along. After Qin Sang departed, the azure celestial light waned from its peak, its pillar gradually scattering and slowly fading away. The lingering aftermath left a thick layer of ice over the ruins of Bingyi Palace, with no telling when it would fully thaw. A short while later, a figure appeared at the southeastern edge of the ice sheet. Gradually solidifying, it was none other than Su Zinan. Su Zinan surveyed the surroundings but could make neither head nor tail of it. Raising his right hand, he forced out a puff of blood mist that coalesced into a blood shadow, preparing to send it beneath the ice to investigate. Just then, sensing something, he abruptly looked up toward the northwest. Seeing two streaks of light flying straight toward him without any concealment, his expression darkened, but a look of surprise soon flashed in his eyes. "What fine leisure! What fine methods, Daoist masters!" As the streaks of light drew near, Su Zinan remarked with a half-smile, leaving it ambiguous whether he meant praise or mockery. The arrivals were none other than Daoist Zilei and Daoist Hegao. Given his intellect, seeing the two Daoist masters of Bajing Abbey appear here was enough to let him guess the general reason. Yet, having not participated in the battle for the array, there were details he did not know, giving rise to many doubts in his mind. *Whoosh! Whoosh!* The two Daoist masters also halted at the edge of the ice sheet, facing Su Zinan from across the expanse. Daoist Zilei looked down at the ice sheet, observing it intently. Daoist Hegao seemed to harbor an old grudge against Su Zinan and threatened him unceremoniously, "Su, how dare you collude with the remnants of Wuxiang Immortal Sect! Aren't you afraid of exhausting what Old Demon Lu left you?" Su Zinan responded with a cold laugh. "Su has long wished to experience the divine abilities of the Daoist sects..." Before he could finish, Su Zinan's right ear twitched slightly. His expression turned extraordinarily marvelous, and after clicking his tongue in marvel several times, he glanced around. "Where is Sect Master Yue? He couldn't have been killed by Old Demon Zhu, could he?" Daoist Hegao's face fell. He abruptly turned to glare at a distant hilltop, barking sternly, "What petty scoundrel hides his head and shows his tail? Get out here!" Yet there was no movement from that direction. Su Zinan gave a low, cold laugh. Not intending to linger, he flipped his palm to retrieve the blood shadow and darted away, not forgetting to leave behind a few sneering words before departing: "Su shall wait and see just how you intend to cover the sky with one hand here!" Seeing Su Zinan flee, Daoist Hegao looked toward Daoist Zilei. Daoist Zilei acted as though Su Zinan did not exist, flying over to the former site of the hidden hall on his own and staring down for a long time. Daoist Hegao therefore refrained from pursuing. Shadows danced among the trees of the mountain forest. Su Zinan sped there and ducked into the woods. A figure stepped out from behind a tree; it was Mo Xingdao. "Fellow Daoist Mo!" Su Zinan cupped his hands. He did not explain why he had acted alone, nor did Mo Xingdao pry. The two exchanged a few brief words. Mo Xingdao looked somewhat surprised. "The one who destroyed the Water Phase Palace wasn't you, Fellow Daoist Su?" Su Zinan denied it. "I was also drawn here by the light pillar... I do not cultivate water-element divine abilities; what use would the Water Phase Palace's legacy be to me? It was likely that white-robed fellow clashing with the other one. Neither is anywhere to be seen now, and the traces of battle were leveled by the collapsing array. There's no telling what treasure they fought over, nor who won or lost." Pausing, Su Zinan asked in turn, "Apart from me, who else didn't appear at the summit of the precipice?" "The centipede-faced man who accompanied Cave Master Qiling is also nowhere to be found..." Mo Xingdao held nothing back. "However, during the fight over the teleportation array, apart from the Daoist sects, an uninvited guest appeared who wasn't aligned with them. He was adept with sword arrays, and his sword techniques practically suppressed Yue Lingtian..." Upon hearing Mo Xingdao's description, Su Zinan's pupils shrank slightly. "Could it be him? Old Demon Zhu thought his movements were discreet, but they were full of flaws and had long been targeted by the Daoist sects. It wouldn't be surprising if a few more mantises stalked the cicada. I've long suspected Fire Demon was the Fire Phase successor..." Before he could finish, Mo Xingdao cut him off, "In my view, you would do best to set your grudges aside for now, Fellow Daoist." Su Zinan paused, then continued listening to Mo Xingdao's account, only then learning that Zhu Wudao had traded secrets regarding Dishou Mountain for assistance. Not only were there countless rare treasures in the mountain, but an opportunity for Deity Transformation as well! "The Wordless Jade Wall!" Su Zinan murmured to himself, his eyes glittering with vibrant light. Pondering for a moment, Su Zinan suddenly said, "Such an opportunity is precious, and our opponents are numerous. Seizing it will be no easy feat; there is no need to rush. I have a secret treasure that must be refined beforehand. Should a clash occur, it will greatly increase our chances! I hope you can wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Mo, and stand guard for me!" Mo Xingdao frowned, but ultimately agreed. The two Daoist masters and Yue Lingtian were undoubtedly the strongest, while Cave Master Qiling and the centipede-faced man advanced and retreated together. Though Zhu Wudao appeared to be on his own, he was privy to many secrets of Wuxiang Immortal Sect. Mo Xingdao's strength alone was limited after all; joining hands with Su Zinan was the wiser choice. Overjoyed, Su Zinan opened up a temporary cave dwelling right on the spot. He laid down restrictions to ward off detection. Sitting cross-legged, Su Zinan summoned the Three Corpses God-Perishing Banner. The demonic banner fluttered, its luster becoming increasingly restrained. Fixing his gaze on the banner, he shifted his thoughts, and two figures drifted out from its surface. One was Old Wu, and the other was Old Man Yanshan. Old Man Yanshan had ultimately failed to escape calamity, becoming a main soul within the banner. Su Zinan gently beckoned to Old Man Yanshan. Having become a main soul, Old Man Yanshan obediently flew before Su Zinan, his expression wooden as he blankly watched Su Zinan raise a hand and press it toward his glabella. The next instant, Old Man Yanshan's features suddenly contorted. At the same time, Su Zinan felt a force of resistance from Old Man Yanshan. Under his influence, even Old Wu showed signs of restlessness. It was not that Old Wu had yet to be fully refined by the demonic banner, but rather that the three main souls of the banner shared a close connection. Their instinctive resistance was something that had to be weathered each time a new soul was subdued. Consequently, refining a second main soul was far more difficult than the first, leaving Su Zinan no choice but to enter seclusion right where he was. Su Zinan was not in the least worried that the main souls would turn on him. He simply reinforced the restrictions around the cave dwelling with a few more layers, and then, amidst Old Man Yanshan's shrieks, pressed down forcefully upon his glabella. *** "The Wordless Jade Wall!" Those same four words echoed inside another cave dwelling. Having put distance between himself and Bingyi Palace, and after confirming he was not being followed, Qin Sang had also found a secluded spot to open up a cave dwelling and enter seclusion to adjust his breath. Before he could even take inventory of his spoils, he discovered something was amiss with Cave Master Qiling's remnant soul. Having suffered brutal torment before being forcibly thrust into the spirit wood body by the scar-faced man, Cave Master Qiling had already been at the end of his tether. Once imprisoned by Qin Sang, his soul qi rapidly deteriorated. Left with no choice, Qin Sang had to perform a soul search immediately. Performing a soul search on a Great Cultivator's remnant soul was still no easy task. Qin Sang succeeded only by relying on the strength of his divine sense and by avoiding overly detailed, intricate information. What he cared about most was the Deity Transformation opportunity in Dishou Mountain, the intelligence regarding which he had successfully obtained. *A trip to Dishou Mountain is inevitable, but...* Qin Sang recalled the tribulation-transcendence array. The ice disc and some of the Ice-Fire Tokens were in his hands, and he had memorized the array of the Taiji Immortal Platform, but he still lacked a crucially important component: the fire-element treasure corresponding to the ice disc. Qin Sang suspected that treasure was overseen by the Fire Phase Palace, meaning he would definitely have to visit Fire Rhinoceros Island. *We'll have to act separately again...* Qin Sang glanced at his incarnation, which was engrossed in adjusting its breath. Unwilling to miss out on either, he had no choice but to split up once more and send his incarnation to Fire Rhinoceros Island. Qin Sang flipped his palm and retrieved two jade bottles, each containing a Boiling Snow Pill. He had already learned of the pill's effects. *If the incarnation takes a Boiling Snow Pill, escaping won't be an issue even if it encounters a Great Cultivator. As long as it flees to the foot of Dishou Mountain, I can provide backup.* Preparing for the worst, Qin Sang handed one pill to the incarnation. By this time, the battered remnant soul finally dissipated. He had slain two Great Cultivators in succession without even using a single Boiling Snow Pill. Watching the remnant soul vanish, Qin Sang felt a measure of self-satisfaction, but also could not help sighing with emotion. During the soul search, he had also uncovered a few of Cave Master Qiling's secrets from the memory fragments. This man had been proficient in the ghost dao, excelling above all in cunning, and his escape techniques were exceptionally brilliant. Alas, having been pulled into the banner array by Qin Sang, he had been unable to display many of his methods. Had Cave Master Qiling and the scar-faced man traded places, Qin Sang truly could not guarantee he would have been able to keep him from escaping. Cave Master Qiling's belongings had been destroyed inside the banner array. At the time, Qin Sang had needed to eliminate a formidable foe swiftly; he could not hold back for the sake of material possessions, as letting the scar-faced man escape as a result would have been penny-wise and pound-foolish. However, Qin Sang had unexpectedly learned that Cave Master Qiling was skilled in the art of nurturing spiritual plants. He had established a large medicine garden in his grotto, boasting many rare spiritual herbs that flourished remarkably. The man had blazed an unusual path, irrigating spiritual herbs with refined souls, referring to them as "blood medicine." His ability to reach his current level of cultivation was closely tied to this blood medicine, making him something of a demonic genius. He had controlled several "disciples" scattered across various regions to gather refined souls for him, but the art of spirit nurturing was a closely guarded secret that he had always performed personally. Now that Cave Master Qiling was dead, the medicine garden was left masterless, destined to become Qin Sang's windfall.