Nine Lands Metamagnetism was born of earth veins, flowing deep within the subterranean strata.
Even cultivators proficient in earth escape techniques dared not delve too deep or travel recklessly through unfamiliar territory, lest they inadvertently stumble upon a convergence of Nine Lands Metamagnetism and be swept away by the power of metamagnetism.
The Wuxiang Immortal Sect had clearly done far more than merely channel the Nine Lands Metamagnetism. One look at the successive explosions of the sword star and the Star Pavilion revealed just how violent the metamagnetic power within the Earth-phase Divine Restriction was—not in the least inferior in danger to the Yang-Flame Divine Restriction or the Seven Mansions Sector Sword Formation.
The explosion of the bright star was truly like the tearing apart of a celestial body.
Two dazzling spheres of light emerged in succession within the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
Qin Sang's gaze was drawn to the second sphere of light.
The first bright star was an ordinary sword star, but this one was different; it was a Star Pavilion.
He had previously guessed that the Five Elements Divine Restriction and the mist tide outside together formed Dishou Mountain's mountain-protecting grand array, but his experiences after entering, along with certain signs within the divine restriction, gave him the feeling that this was not entirely the case.
Placing a Star Pavilion inside the sword formation struck him as even stranger.
Could it have been prepared for the sword cultivators of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect to cultivate in seclusion here and comprehend sword intent?
As thoughts flickered through his mind, Qin Sang clearly saw the entire process of the Star Pavilion's destruction.
First, the starlight was wrenched and contorted out of shape by the magnetic force.
The four swords hanging in the upper level of the Star Pavilion reacted to the crisis. Four striking beams of sword light could be seen within the sphere of light, standing like four pillars trying to protect the pavilion, but they too quickly began to warp.
Having broken away from the Seven Mansions Sector Sword Formation, this sword intent had become rootless duckweed; in its clash against the power of metamagnetism, its strength could only be depleted without being replenished.
The sword intent of the four hanging swords was formidable and could have held out for a time on its own, but unexpectedly, the shockwave from the first sword star's explosion swept over, shattering one of the hanging swords on the spot.
The other three swords could not hold out much longer either.
The forces inside the Star Pavilion lost their equilibrium. Deprived of the sword intent's support, the Star Pavilion shattered into pieces almost simultaneously with the final hanging sword!
Splinters and light rained down in wild abandon.
Qin Sang watched unblinkingly, fixing his eyes on the fragments of the Star Pavilion.
In the next instant, Qin Sang's pupils constricted slightly as a look of shock and suspicion flashed across his face. A figure had appeared among the debris.
It was a female cultivator clad in green robes, carrying a precious sword, her bearing extraordinary. One look told that she was a peerless sword cultivator, and her vivid features made her appear distinctly like a living person!
The Wuxiang Immortal Sect had been sealed for so long; one could well imagine how immense a shock the sudden appearance of a living person brought to any onlooker.
Just as Qin Sang went to examine her closely, the female cultivator's expression suddenly turned ferocious, and her limbs contorted violently. He froze for a moment before realizing this was the work of the power of metamagnetism.
Immediately after, her body exploded with a bang, following in the wake of the Star Pavilion.
"Not a living person!"
Qin Sang relaxed slightly.
Aside from special beings from antiquity like the ancient demon, Bai, and the Ghost Mother, Qin Sang had never seen anyone who could live for so long. The moment he had spotted the female cultivator, his vigilance had soared to its peak.
Fortunately, it was merely a corpse.
Yet the corpse was extraordinary in its own right. Though torn apart by the metamagnetic power, it had not been reduced to dust. Broken bones remained, remarkably harder than metal or stone. What was more, several points of treasured light had appeared alongside the corpse, even more eye-catching than the fractured bones.
Noticing those points of light, Qin Sang's expression shifted.
As expected, this woman was likely a cultivator of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect who for some reason had not fled and had perished here. Those points of light were undoubtedly her relics.
Thinking up to this point, Qin Sang immediately changed his mind and darted toward the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
Treasures were secondary.
The woman's identity and any information contained within her relics were what Qin Sang valued most.
He had only entered the formation a short while ago, without having caught even a glimpse of the Wordless Jade Bi, yet the Five Elements Divine Restriction blocking his path was already this formidable. There was no telling how many hardships and obstacles lay ahead.
If he could find useful information from her relics, he would seize the upper hand.
From another direction, Su Zinan and the others had observed the whole affair just as Qin Sang had. All being decisive individuals, upon seeing the corpse and relics, they made the same choice as Qin Sang.
As the three factions surged forward, the debris of the Star Pavilion collided with the fragments of the first sword star, converging into a chaotic torrent pulled by the metamagnetic force toward the depths of the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
At the same time, the two sword stars that had originally escaped disaster were sucked back in due to a chain reaction caused by the Star Pavilion's explosion distorting the metamagnetic power. Perhaps because the debris ahead absorbed the most violent surge of the metamagnetism, they did not immediately detonate.
The suction of the metamagnetic force was immense, and the torrent and sword stars drifted at astonishing speed.
Whoosh!
Qin Sang arrived at the boundary between the sword formation and the Nine Lands Metamagnetism. His figure paused slightly, a pensive look crossing his face as he glanced into the distance.
Just now, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had sent an alert: the Nine Lands Metamagnetism to his right had fluctuated, likely triggered by someone. Thinking about it, that was only natural; anyone within the sword formation would surely be drawn over by the bright stars.
However, the other party had been one step faster than him, previously shielded from his sight by the enormous sword stars.
Evidently, they were also after the female cultivator's relics.
Though he did not know who they were, Qin Sang had no intention of backing down. To see who would claim the prize, they would have to compete.
The metamagnetic force, however, was tricky.
Nine Lands Metamagnetism held a great counter against Five Elements treasures. This was also his first time encountering a divine restriction integrated with Nine Lands Metamagnetism, and he was unsure how much of his strength he could bring to bear within it.
Having gone through the Yang-Flame Divine Restriction and the Seven Mansions Sector Sword Formation, the intensity of the metamagnetic force likely would not exceed them by too much, and this suppression was bound to have its limits.
Qin Sang took a step forward. The moment he came into contact with the Nine Lands Metamagnetism, his body sank heavily as a powerful suction locked onto him. Beyond his control, he was instantly dragged several fathoms inward, accompanied by the sensation of being torn apart by the metamagnetic force.
With a shift of his thoughts, he channeled the Nine Nether Demonic Fire into the Mani Pearl. The astral fire barrier hummed and vibrated, black fire drifting across its surface to counter the Nine Lands Metamagnetism. Qin Sang swayed slightly before forcing himself to a stable halt.
Looking at the astral fire barrier around him, a flicker of delight surfaced in his eyes.
While the Nine Nether Demonic Fire provided the bulk of the barrier's power, after being converted by the Mani Pearl, the barrier's nature was no longer purely spiritual fire, having formed a kind of unique divine astral qi.
Through this transformation and under the protection of the astral fire barrier, though Qin Sang could not move entirely as he pleased, he suffered far less interference than others.
Smiling silently, Qin Sang flapped his phoenix wings and gave chase.
When Qin Sang entered, Su Zinan and the other three were already inside the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
However, the two parties had kept their distance the entire time, and after entering the Nine Lands Metamagnetism, the pull of the Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light had drawn them apart to different sides.
Neither side intended to regroup.
Earlier, both groups had wanted to break the sword formation as quickly as possible; sharing a common objective, they could cooperate temporarily. But once they entered the hub of the sword formation, discovered a way to break it, and then saw rare treasures appear, such a temporary alliance became difficult to maintain.
Both sides were top-tier experts wary of one another, and they tacitly used the metamagnetic force to part ways.
The Poison King still traveled with Master Huaiyin.
This time, however, Master Huaiyin took the lead.
Master Huaiyin's aura had changed dramatically.
Previously, he had been reserved, composed, and taciturn, appearing like a follower of the Poison King; were it not for the vigorous blood and vitality within him indicating his extraordinary nature, he could have easily been overlooked.
At this moment, Master Huaiyin was bathed in golden radiance, his skin seemingly gilded in gold leaf—plainly displaying a Buddhist golden body divine ability.
Even more astonishingly, his blood and vitality churned within him, steaming off his body. His blood, heavy as quicksilver, was dyed gold, as if bathed in Buddha-light.
When the Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light touched his golden body, it warped and was even deflected. Master Huaiyin strode forward with dragons' pace and tigers' steps, striding swiftly like a golden Arhat!
His Buddhist eyes flashed like lightning, locking onto the torrent of debris. His steps were heavy, leaving deep marks with each pace, yet though appearing slow, he moved with great speed, wielding some unknown movement technique.
It was the utmost simplicity of the Great Dao, exceedingly brilliant.
Giving chase from behind, the Poison King actually found it somewhat arduous.
Master Huaiyin was a body cultivator who did not rely on external items, allowing him to remain composed even within the Nine Lands Metamagnetism, whereas many of the Poison King's magic treasures were unusable here.
Left with no choice, the Poison King summoned his poison cloud once more, merging himself into it.
The outer perimeter of the poison cloud churned ceaselessly, constantly torn at by the Nine Lands Metamagnetism, but as each layer was depleted, a new one replenished it, so for the short term, there was no fear of it being breached.
"What is it that has made the master so urgent?"
The Poison King called out, full of suspicion and confusion, having never seen Master Huaiyin lose his composure before.
"Amitabha."
Without halting his stride, Master Huaiyin's voice boomed back, "This poor monk just saw a Xinjin Source Crystal! That treasure is something I must obtain; I have sought it for many years."
On the other side, four words also surfaced in Qin Sang's mind:
"Xinjin Source Crystal!"
When the Star Pavilion collapsed and several points of treasured light flashed into view, Qin Sang had caught a fleeting glimpse of a golden bead the size of a longan. Finding it familiar, he racked his memory and recalled the treasure's name—it was none other than the rare Xinjin Source Crystal.
Xinjin was Yin-metal, the counterpart to Gengjin, naturally existing in the form of golden beads.
However, Xinjin was soft, mild, and moist, pliant in texture; even a little force could alter its shape. Just moments ago, when the Xinjin Source Crystal flew out of the Star Pavilion and encountered the metamagnetic force, it had been stretched grotesquely out of shape. Were it not for its unique nature—soft on the outside yet rigid within—it likely would have been torn apart on the spot.
This further confirmed Qin Sang's judgment.
Gengjin was an extraordinarily precious spiritual material, supremely rigid and robust, making it the finest choice for forging spirit swords.
The Xinjin Source Crystal could naturally also be used in artifact refining, but that was not its best application; its true worth lay in healing.
If a physical body suffered severe injuries, even to the point of disintegrating into pieces, refining a Xinjin Source Crystal into the body could mend the flesh and grant swift recovery.
It was said that if a body cultivator refined Xinjin, they would also gain considerable benefits.
These secrets were precisely what Qin Sang had read in ancient texts regarding body cultivation.
He practiced body cultivation as an auxiliary path and had always paid attention to collecting texts on the subject. Though he practiced demon clan methods, he could learn by analogy, yet he lacked a complete heritage, and the texts were vague regarding the supposed "benefits."
Qin Sang did not know, but Master Huaiyin knew clearly.
When a body cultivator refined a Xinjin Source Crystal into their body, their flesh would acquire a certain supreme pliancy, which was immensely beneficial in combat and slaughter.
However, for Master Huaiyin, the reason the Xinjin Source Crystal was something he must obtain lay in another use.
His temple possessed a secret art that required a Xinjin Source Crystal to practice.
Legend had it that the world went from the Wuji to creation through the Five Xiantian Stages, giving birth to material substances, and then with the initial division of Yin and Yang, all things evolved, while various forms of Qi drifted freely throughout the void.
Such was also the case for Gengjin Qi.
When Gengjin Qi accumulated to a certain level, it coalesced into Gengjin; otherwise, it would continuously flow through heaven and earth.
However, compared to the boundless heaven and earth, this Gengjin Qi was far too thin. Cultivators could not perceive it at all, let alone collect it.
By cultivating this technique, one could refine the Xinjin Source Crystal into the bone marrow, and then, utilizing the principle of Yin and Yang attracting each other, use the Xinjin Source Crystal to draw the world's wandering Gengjin Qi into the body.
Gengjin was supremely rigid and robust; using it to temper the skeleton throughout the body, one could attain bones of Gengjin at the pinnacle of cultivation.
At that point, shattering magic treasures with bare fists would be effortless.
This secret technique held extraordinary significance for Master Huaiyin's Dao path as well. Alas, Xinjin Source Crystals were even rarer than Gengjin, seldom appearing even in Zhongzhou. Among the holy monks across generations in his temple, those blessed with such an opportunity could be counted on one's fingers.
After entering the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, Master Huaiyin had originally possessed little desire to vie for treasures, but having discovered a Xinjin Source Crystal here, he could not let it slip away no matter what.
Listening to Master Huaiyin's brief explanation, the Poison King knew the master was determined to obtain the Xinjin Source Crystal and agreed without hesitation to do everything in his power to help him win it.
As they spoke, everyone pursued the Star Pavilion deeper into the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
At this moment, the two trailing sword stars finally could no longer hold out. Their sword intent surged, and they exploded together!
Pulled together by the Nine Lands Metamagnetism, their simultaneous detonation was not a matter of simple addition; its fury was far more terrifying than the previous single star explosions.
Boom!
Dazzling light erupted within the Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light like a great sun suspended aloft, engulfing the torrent of debris.
In an instant, centered on the sword stars, the surrounding Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light became violently turbulent.
The metamagnetic force there ran rampant, and the danger instantly escalated by more than a single level.
Qin Sang paused slightly upon seeing this. Without hesitating for long, he unreservedly poured all the spiritual fire from his fire lotus into the Mani Pearl. The astral fire barrier grew noticeably thicker, and he plunged straight in.
On the other side, Master Huaiyin and the Poison King were also forced to a halt.
The Poison King was secretly alarmed. It had not felt so severe from a distance, but up close, he truly felt just how astonishing the force of the sword stars' explosion was.
Sensing the rampant metamagnetic force inside, the Poison King could not help hesitating. Immediately, however, he heard the bones within Master Huaiyin popping with loud cracks. His vital essence and blood boiled, a layer of golden light flowed across his skin, and Buddha-light flared brilliantly around his body.
This was the manifestation of dense blood and vitality.
Then, before the Poison King's astonished eyes, that blood and vitality transformed into a golden dragon coiling around Master Huaiyin.
Master Huaiyin raised his arm to wield the heavenly dragon. As the heavenly dragon roared, the Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light could not come near him at all. Without waiting for the Poison King, he strode fearlessly toward the center of the chaos, vanishing into the starlight in the blink of an eye.
Unable to manage it as effortlessly as Master Huaiyin, the Poison King could only slow his pace and advance cautiously, step by step.
Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao were not far from them, moving at a similar speed, but separated by the ubiquitous Nine Lands Metamagnetism, they could only vaguely sense each other.
When the sword stars exploded, Su Zinan narrowed his eyes to observe, but his figure did not pause.
Arriving nearby, Mo Xingdao frowned and, like the Poison King, slowed down and came to a stop.
Su Zinan nodded to him and pushed forward. The dragon sinew net above his head twanged and hummed, seeming near its limit and on the verge of snapping at any moment.
Once out of Mo Xingdao's perception, Su Zinan secretly summoned his demonic banner. The two demonic shadows of Old Wu and Old Man Yanshan surfaced before him, turned insubstantial, and both plunged into Su Zinan's body.
His face flushed crimson, Su Zinan retracted the dragon sinew net and remarkably held his ground!
Chapter 1659