Above hung the rosy clouds formed by the Five Elements Divine Restriction.
Below, clouds and mist surged like a tide.
Only the central square appeared to be the calmest and safest place. Aside from the avatar, no other figures were visible around, nor could the slightest anomaly be felt.
The avatar's nerves were taut, sharp light gleaming in his eyes as his gaze swept every corner.
He had not released the Fire Jade Centipede.
The centipede had rendered great service this time; he had never expected its ability to perceive treasures could also serve as a warning. Had it not been for the creature, the avatar might have already fallen prey to an ambush.
This was critical information and could by no means be exposed before an enemy.
Once the enemy recognized the centipede's origin, deduced how their whereabouts had been compromised, and used some isolating divine ability to seal that treasure, depriving him of early warning, the avatar would find himself in extreme peril.
Even the faintest rustle of foliage set his mind on edge.
As it turned out, those were merely natural movements, devoid of any hostile presence; it felt as if he were matching wits with thin air.
Yet the Fire Jade Centipede remained intensely restless, its head swaying incessantly, unable to pinpoint the treasure's location. He could not tell whether it was suffering from interference or if the enemy was moving at extreme speed.
Although the avatar remained on the periphery, he could see that the Five Elements restriction here was magnificent in scale and sternly structured, far beyond anything the remnant array of Fire Rhinoceros Island or the Jinghai Sect's crumbling protective sect array could match. It might very well be impairing the centipede's perception.
If it were the latter, the enemy's speed had already reached a degree that alarmed Qin Sang.
When things were abnormal, there was bound to be foul play afoot!
The hidden foe possessed unknown strength and an exceedingly profound cloaking ability, having already slipped in close without the avatar noticing in the least.
Qin Sang knew full well that the first batch to enter Dishou Mountain consisted almost entirely of Great Cultivators of illustrious backgrounds who were not to be underestimated. Knowing too little about them, he could not guess which one it might be.
Had the other party seen that the avatar's cultivation was not high, traveling alone, and harbored malice?
This thought flashed through the avatar's mind.
With his true body absent, he sought only self-preservation. Keeping his protective divine light active, he gave a slight tremor of his arm, and a small seal wrapped in cold light flew above his head.
The spirit treasure appeared; the Tengshe emerged!
The Fourfold Tengshe Seal hovered overhead as the Tengshe swirled and danced around the avatar. Flitting shadows of cold light resembled flakes of cold flame burning in the void, an imposing spectacle.
Sheltered by the Tengshe, the avatar's figure turned faint and indistinct.
With both the spirit treasure and divine light guarding him, no matter how high the other party's cultivation was, they would have to weigh whether they could easily subdue him and whether making a move here was worth the cost.
Within the Five Elements Divine Restriction.
The Daoist nun silently appeared.
She stood suspended among the rosy clouds, her skirts fluttering lightly, ethereal as an immortal. There was not the slightest ripple of Daoist arts or true essence upon her, yet she remained untouched by the ubiquitous Five Elements restriction.
Gazing across the clouds at the avatar, her eyes flickered with a strange glint upon seeing the spirit treasure above his head.
Then she glanced toward the boundary between the rosy clouds and the outside world—the very edge of the Five Elements restriction. Recalling how she had been forced to reveal herself when attempting to step beyond that boundary just now, as well as the uncomfortable sensation that followed, her dark brows knitted tightly in evident displeasure.
She either could not or disdained to conceal it; every emotion was displayed openly on her face.
Tilting her head, the nun seemed to weigh her gains and losses, then abruptly faded from sight.
At the same moment, the avatar noticed the Fire Jade Centipede suddenly settle down.
Inside his sleeve, the centipede wriggled its plump body, raising a segment of its frame with great effort and swaying back and forth, its tiny eyes brimming with confusion. But it would not waste its mind on such matters, soon curling back down to doze off.
*Gone?*
The avatar grew suspicious.
Under normal circumstances, the Fire Jade Centipede had not been exposed, so it was impossible for the enemy to identify where the flaw lay and make amends so quickly.
Most likely, they had been frightened off by the spirit treasure.
Still, the avatar dared not let down his guard. Looking left and right, he moved away from the conspicuous square, found a secluded spot within a patch of mountain woods, maintained the spirit treasure's defense, and laid down layers of protective wards around himself.
He intended to wait and see whether the enemy had truly given up or merely feigned a retreat before considering his next move.
The surging mist made the mountain wind grow ever sharper, setting the woods rustling.
Sitting cross-legged, the avatar seemed almost to enter deep meditation amidst such surroundings.
Soon, there was no need for him to hesitate; sensing his true body hurrying over to rendezvous, he simply waited in place.
Having shaken off his pursuers, Qin Sang's true body swiftly broke free of the Yang-Flame Divine Restriction and continued outward, arriving before long at the edge of the rosy clouds to step back onto the square.
The moment he entered, his steps came to an abrupt halt.
On one of the jade stairways leading out from the square, two figures happened to emerge from the misty tide.
Six eyes met, all caught off guard.
The newcomers were none other than the Poison King and Master Huaiyin.
Entering the array together, their journey had naturally been far easier than that of Qin Sang's avatar, but with no one guiding them on the mountain, they had misjudged their direction inside the array several times.
Thus, although they had entered at the same time as the avatar, they were a step slower.
Catching sight of Qin Sang, the Poison King sized him up and let out a soft exclamation of surprise. In a flash, he appeared on the square directly before Qin Sang and cupped his hands slightly. "Greetings, fellow Daoist."
Master Huaiyin followed close behind, bringing his palms together in salute. Unfamiliar with Zhongzhou experts, he stood half a step behind the Poison King so as not to overstep his host.
Qin Sang's expression was lukewarm as he casually returned the courtesy, though he inwardly marveled—two more Great Cultivators!
While greeting Qin Sang, the Poison King also observed the surroundings. Seeing the rosy clouds barring the way above, with only Qin Sang present on the square and nearby, he realized they had arrived late.
However, according to Old Demon Fan's message, should anything arise, he would continue leaving guidance for them. Yet there was nothing here; he had clearly gone back on his word.
A so-called alliance was merely an expedient measure, exceedingly fragile. The Poison King had long prepared for Old Demon Fan tearing up the agreement and was not in the least surprised.
Thoughts raced through the Poison King's mind, yet none showed on his face as he observed proper courtesy.
Setting aside his stray thoughts, the Poison King looked at Qin Sang with curiosity. "Fellow Daoist looks rather unfamiliar?"
The corner of Qin Sang's mouth twitched, his tone flat. "The Poison King's illustrious fame has long thundered in my ears. It is only natural that an obscure figure such as myself would fail to catch your eye."
Looking at the exquisite features before him—a countenance that rivaled any beauty in the mortal world—Qin Sang felt quite surprised, not expecting to cross paths with the Poison King so soon.
Rumor had it that the Poison King was overwhelmingly beautiful and indistinguishable in gender, a reputation that truly held up.
Whether the Poison King was a man or a woman had always been a favorite topic of conversation in the cultivation world.
Revered as the master of Myriad Poison Mountain, for him not to be in Jinyu Prefecture at this time meant he had likely pursued the scar-faced man here.
Remembering that the jade beetle the other party yearned for was currently asleep in his dantian, Qin Sang could not help hesitating slightly, quietly sizing up the monk.
The monk was burly, his vitality and blood so vigorous that it was rare in this world.
Qin Sang, who also dabbled in the path of body refinement, could tell this man undoubtedly cultivated a top-tier body refinement method and possessed profound mastery, at least superior to his own.
He clicked his tongue in wonder, running through the famous Buddhist masters of Zhongzhou in his mind, yet none matched him.
"Merely an empty name, fit only for laughter."
Unaware of Qin Sang's thoughts and seeing his cold demeanor, the Poison King did not press further, taking the initiative to introduce his companion. "This is Master Huaiyin, a holy monk from the Western Lands. We happened to be traveling together in the Southern Prefecture when we witnessed the celestial phenomenon and came along. Even now, there is much we do not understand, and we have a few questions to ask of fellow Daoist."
*He actually hails from the Western Lands—I wonder if he has ever seen the Ghost Mother?*
Qin Sang nodded to the monk and said lazily, "Myriad Poison Mountain holds sway over Man Prefecture. Could it be that the esteemed Poison King does not know what place this is?"
"I have only deduced that these are the ruins of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect..." Before the Poison King could finish, Qin Sang cut him off.
"That is enough! What other purpose could there be in coming here besides hunting for treasures? I know no more than you do, and cannot resolve your doubts." Qin Sang spread his hands, making a move to leave.
The Poison King knitted his brows slightly, exuding a peculiar charm.
Had Qin Sang's cultivation been a bit lower, the Poison King would not have minded capturing him first. But with the enemy's whereabouts unknown, rashly offending a Great Cultivator was unwise.
Seeing Qin Sang about to depart, thoughts churned rapidly in the Poison King's mind, and he hastily called out, "Pardon my intrusion, but I would like to inquire about someone from you. Specifically, this person..."
As he spoke, the Poison King channeled true essence to condense a water mirror, revealing a figure whose face was covered in centipede-like scars.
As expected.
Qin Sang's expression remained unchanged. Seemingly glancing at the mirror in passing, he let out a cold snort. "You still dare claim total ignorance? That person is one of the conspirators behind opening the ruins!"
"To be honest with fellow Daoist, we truly knew nothing of this," the Poison King shook his head frankly. Realizing Qin Sang had not grasped his intent, he simply asked outright whether Qin Sang had seen this person on the mountain, expressing his willingness to offer a reward for information on his movements.
Qin Sang merely shook his head and strode away.
The Poison King sighed softly, unsure whether Qin Sang's shake of the head meant he did not know or had not seen him. Exchanging a glance with Master Huaiyin, he turned to inspect the Five Elements Divine Restriction.
Qin Sang sped out of the square. After covering some distance and confirming that no one was following, he darted into the mountain woods.
The Poison King's swift arrival had exceeded his expectations.
Deep down, Qin Sang was unwilling to return the jade beetle.
Such an extraordinary insect was unique in the world.
He would rather tame it himself, or have the poison bead devour it. Enhancing the Poison-Warding Armor was secondary; he eagerly anticipated whether the poison bead would undergo some transformation after consuming this peerless, ferocious bug.
If he could master the jade beetle's venomous light, he could also use it to cultivate the Heaven-Severing Soul-Purging Divine Needle, which was equivalent to acquiring two supreme poison divine abilities at once.
*I'll play it by ear!* Qin Sang thought to himself.
Back then, he had disguised himself when visiting the Seven Fragrance Pavilion, so there should be no flaws left behind.
Turning over these thoughts, Qin Sang concealed his presence and quietly drew near the avatar's hiding place.
Sharing a mental link, he was already aware of what the avatar had encountered.
Before long, Qin Sang appeared at the avatar's side.
Under the Heavenly Eye, everything was laid bare; no hidden enemies lurked nearby.
*Just who could it be?*
Qin Sang wondered. Counting them through, it could not be Su Zinan's or the Poison King's groups, while Zhu Wudao was being watched by the two Daoist masters of Bajing Abbey. The one under the greatest suspicion was Old Demon Fan.
The demonic path's divine abilities were bizarre and uncanny, which fit Old Demon Fan's style of conduct.
Or perhaps other unknown experts had entered the mountain.
Unable to figure it out, Qin Sang wasted no more effort. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he took the lotus throne from the avatar. The avatar then dismissed his wards and flew up to high ground to observe the shifts in the Five Elements Divine Restriction, paying particular attention to the direction of the Metal-phase divine restriction.
Old Demon Zhu held the Metal Phase Token; the Metal-phase divine restriction was the most likely to experience complications.
Before taking action, Qin Sang wanted to see what secret lay within this newly acquired treasure.
At this moment, he held the lotus pedestal in one hand and the Ruyi Pearl in the other.
The depression within the lotus pedestal matched the size of the Ruyi Pearl perfectly—far too coincidentally!
Qin Sang narrowed his eyes. Thinking of the relationship between the Jinghai Sect, Xiaoxiangzi, and the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, he brought his hands together, turning the hand holding the lotus pedestal slightly so the depression lined up with the Ruyi Pearl.
Just then, he felt an indistinct sensation that the two treasures seemed to attract each other.
Stirred, Qin Sang was about to join them when a thought struck him. Sweeping his divine sense into the Qianjun Ring, several streaks of light flew out, forming a flag array that sealed off all four directions to prevent any bizarre phenomena from drawing outside attention.
Only then did Qin Sang press the Ruyi Pearl into the lotus pedestal!
*Snap!*
With a crisp sound, the Ruyi Pearl embedded into the lotus pedestal, fitting seamlessly as expected.
The pearl sat precisely half above and half below.
A completely harmonious whole!
Qin Sang watched intently, noticing that the moment it snapped into place, a ring of red flame inside the lotus pedestal seemed to expand slightly before instantly returning to normal, circling the Ruyi Pearl and lending its luster an even deeper sheen.
Aside from that, there was no other sign.
Hesitating briefly, Qin Sang sent a wisp of divine sense inside and was surprised to perceive that the Ruyi Pearl's name had changed, a new name surfacing in his mind—the Mani Pearl!
Clearly, this was its true name; the name "Ruyi Pearl" had likely been inscribed into it by later generations after the treasure was separated.
The Mani Pearl was something Qin Sang had come across in Buddhist scriptures, where some texts described it as a treasure of the Buddha endowed with extraordinary divine powers.
Yet many Buddhist cultivators who refined magic treasures also liked to draw names from scriptures through far-fetched associations, making it impossible to determine the treasure's origin purely from the name.
Now that it was restored to completeness, was it still a defensive magic treasure?
Probing it closely, Qin Sang grew even more astonished.
Previously, he had been unable to determine the Ruyi Pearl's grade.
Now, not only could he not determine the Mani Pearl's grade, he was not even certain whether it could still be called a magic treasure; it diverged radically from Qin Sang's understanding.
In fact, Qin Sang felt that calling it a magical instrument would somehow make sense as well.
It sounded somewhat absurd, but the cultivation world never lacked unusual oddities, and unique magical instruments were not unheard of. Still, Qin Sang dared not make a definitive judgment regarding the Mani Pearl.
"It seems my attainments in the art of artifact refinement are still too shallow."
Qin Sang shook his head. Pouring true essence into it, he activated the Mani Pearl using the method for wielding the Ruyi Pearl.
The next instant,
golden light flared around Qin Sang.
The familiar astral barrier manifested.
The protective ability remained, feeling slightly heavier, but it seemed no different from the Ruyi Pearl. Could the fully restored Mani Pearl truly possess no other power?
Qin Sang found it strange. Sizing it up for a moment, his gaze fell upon the illusory flame at the center of the Mani Pearl. Recalling that this treasure originated from the Fire Phase Palace, a sudden flash of inspiration struck his mind.
Subconsciously, Qin Sang summoned the Golden Lotus of Fire Seeds and guided a wisp of demonic fire into the Mani Pearl.
A bizarre scene unfolded.
The Nine Nether Demonic Fire encountered no resistance whatsoever, merging effortlessly into the Mani Pearl.
At the center of the crystal-clear pearl, a cluster of black flame abruptly appeared, dyeing the pearl black. Then, the red fire on the lotus pedestal flickered, giving off a peculiar vibration, while the golden light of Qin Sang's protective astral barrier suddenly dimmed, a layer of black flame having merged into it unnoticed.
In an instant, the protective astral barrier transformed into a protective fire barrier!
Qin Sang felt none of the demonic fire's familiar violent ferocity from the protective fire barrier; instead, it conveyed a profound sense of heaviness. He quickly drew more demonic fire from the fire lotus, all of which was devoured whole by the Mani Pearl.
The more demonic fire entered, the heavier and sturdier the protective fire barrier became.
Splitting his attention, Qin Sang commanded the Jinchen Sword to strike at himself. He discovered that although the protective fire barrier possessed purely defensive capabilities, it was already vastly superior to the Ruyi Pearl—and the more demonic fire poured into it, the more impregnable it grew!
Chapter 1655