The light from the sword star's explosion continued to expand.
Buffeted by the shockwave, the surrounding metamagnetic forces seemed enraged, surging in with wild abandon.
Tainted by the Nine Lands Metamagnetism, the starlight turned dim and heavy—less blinding, yet all the more perilous.
Mo Xingdao hovered at the periphery for a moment. Looking in the direction where Su Zinan had vanished, he hesitated briefly before choosing to abandon the pursuit.
The Poison King forced his way inside. Though his poison cloud could fend off the metamagnetic force, it proved far less effortless than Master Huaiyin's advance, and he gradually fell behind.
Qin Sang, Master Huaiyin, and Su Zinan formed the vanguard. The three figures split into three directions, lunging toward the depths of the starlight.
By this time, the Daoist nun had departed from the Hub Hidden Star, emerging at the outer edge of the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
Just moments ago, the trajectory of the sword stars and the Star Pavilion—even the timing of their collision with the Nine Lands Metamagnetism and subsequent explosion—had all been guided by her behind the scenes. Everything had unfolded naturally, giving the quarry no reason to suspect foul play.
Her only worry had been that there might not be enough treasures within the Star Pavilion, but the results had proven remarkably effective. All three factions had been drawn in by the treasures, plunging headlong into the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
A fierce clash of dragons and tigers was bound to follow; all that remained was whether she could seize the opportunity.
The corners of the Daoist nun's mouth curled slightly into a murderous smile. Her figure melted into the Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light and vanished in an instant.
Qin Sang knew someone had entered before him and was moving faster. Sheltered by the Gang Fire Shroud and flapping his phoenix wings in rapid succession, he charged through the turbulent metamagnetic forces.
With the Nine Lands Metamagnetism compounded by the explosion's aftershocks, the area was exceptionally chaotic, twisting both sight and perception. For a moment, even Qin Sang lost sight of his objective.
However, in the short term, the Star Pavilion's fragments were unlikely to drift away from the center of the starlight.
Speeding along like lightning, Qin Sang remained calm, contemplating how best to handle the impending confrontation.
Just then, the Fire Jade Centipede in his sleeve stirred once more, jolting awake and squirming restlessly.
Qin Sang could sense its excitement, coupled with... confusion.
The familiar reaction was recurring—for the third time!
Over the years, as Qin Sang's understanding of the Fire Jade Centipede had deepened, he had pieced together a general pattern: naturally formed treasures were usually what triggered its instinctive senses.
These included spirit herbs beneficial to spirit insects, such as Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold or Myriad Spirit Fruits, as well as specialized fire-attribute spirit materials or veins of fire-attribute ores.
Moreover, as the Fire Jade Centipede advanced in cultivation, its tastes had grown increasingly discerning. Taking it to an ordinary Fire Origin Stone vein now would not even earn a passing glance.
Consequently, anything capable of piquing its instincts was guaranteed to be of substantial value.
Nevertheless, if an artificial treasure was truly extraordinary and possessed a distinct aura, the centipede would also take an interest; the man-refined fire spirit in the Fire Phase Hall fell into this category.
Since entering the Five Elements Divine Restriction, the Fire Jade Centipede had reacted three times: at the outer perimeter restrictions, within the sword formation, and now in the Nine Lands Metamagnetism.
If it were a masterless, naturally formed treasure, how could it repeatedly appear and vanish in places like these?
Furthermore, all three occurrences were strikingly identical: the source seemed to be moving at high speed, making it impossible for the centipede to lock on, only leaving it thoroughly disoriented.
*What on earth is it?*
Unable to make sense of it, Qin Sang raised his vigilance another notch.
There was no time to ponder, for he had already pushed into the depths of the starlight, where the metamagnetic forces far surpassed those outside.
Outside, most of the Nine Lands Metamagnetism existed as mist, with only a small portion condensing into the yellow and grayish-black Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light. Here, however, divine light was everywhere.
The divine lights interlaced and collided, weaving a variegated world as dazzling as an aurora.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly finally spotted the sword star once more.
To be precise, it was the fragments of the sword star.
Drawn together by the metamagnetic pull, the fragments of the sword star and the Star Pavilion had not blown apart. Instead, they gathered in clusters. Yet because of the crisscrossing metamagnetic divine light and chaotic magnetism, they were divided into several clumps scattered throughout the vast expanse.
As the Nine Lands Metamagnetic Divine Light shifted, these fragments continually drifted—some merging with one another, others torn apart by the magnetic pull to be captured by other clusters.
Qin Sang's gaze swept swiftly across the area, locking onto one of the clusters.
Fortune was on his side. The treasures that had flown out of the Star Pavilion had not been scattered by the explosion; most remained gathered together, including that Xinjin Source Crystal.
However, the moment Qin Sang spotted the treasures, he also noticed an uninvited guest.
With a golden dragon coiling around his form and an air of supreme dominance, a monk was actually half a step ahead of him!
"Master Huaiyin!"
Qin Sang's heart sank.
He had previously noticed the monk's surging vitality, and it turned out the man was indeed a rare body cultivator whose attainments far outstripped Qin Sang's own. The golden dragon was forged purely from blood vitality, and as it circled his body, any magnetic light drawing near warped and twisted.
He was confronting the metamagnetic divine light with nothing but his physical prowess!
*Whoosh!*
Master Huaiyin took a stride forward. The golden dragon roared, treating the dense barriers of magnetic light as though they were nothing as he bridged several hundred yards in a flash.
Wherever he passed, the magnetic light warped into a barrage of sharp swords. A portion was shattered by the golden dragon, while the rest struck Master Huaiyin's body, only to reveal golden light swirling across his skin like a suit of golden armor.
The magnetic light was deflected upon touching his skin, failing to impede him in the slightest.
Witnessing this, Qin Sang could not help but marvel. The monk's might was truly peerless!
Admiration aside, Qin Sang could not simply stand by and let Master Huaiyin claim the treasure. However, the Jinchen Sword could not be used amid the magnetic light, and summoning the Sun God Bird required caution. He silently formed a hand seal, preparing to call down heavenly lightning and unleash the true words.
Just then, an unexpected development occurred.
The sword star's detonation had not truly ceased. Amidst rumbling booms, a visible shockwave rippled out toward the cluster of fragments encasing the treasures, throwing the nearby magnetic light into turmoil.
Just as Master Huaiyin was about to seize his prize, a thick beam of magnetic light shone over from afar. Its overwhelming pull instantly dragged the cluster of fragments away.
Master Huaiyin reacted with remarkable swiftness, but his movement was obstructed, causing him to miss the prime moment to secure the treasures.
Above his head, a cloud of blood had gathered unnoticed.
The blood cloud carried no foul or metallic stench; it was remarkably pure.
Within the cloud floated a jade platter—a talisman disc. As it flipped toward Master Huaiyin, the blood light at its center flared brilliantly. Bizarre talismanic seals flashed across its surface in rapid succession, and several blood-colored chains shot forth furiously.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
The blood chains darted toward Master Huaiyin's limbs and neck, aiming to bind him hand and foot.
Master Huaiyin gave a cold snort that rumbled like thunder. His back snapped straight, and the golden dragon bared its fangs in a skyward roar. With his right arm bulging with corded muscle, he drove a heavy fist toward the sky.
*Boom!*
The blood-colored chains shattered inch by inch. The blood cloud billowed backward, and the talisman disc shuddered, nearly cracking apart.
The sheer terror of that single punch was staggering!
"Master, be at ease. Why don't we—"
Su Zinan's figure flickered deep within the magnetic light. Using a secret technique, he projected his voice in rolling waves.
He was pleased to see great cultivators fight to the death, but he preferred sowing discord and waiting for an opportune moment rather than taking risks himself. Besides, Master Huaiyin was a body cultivator and not his intended target.
Unexpectedly, mid-sentence, Master Huaiyin's ears twitched. He whipped his head around, just in time to see a mass of black fire burst from the magnetic light and hurtle toward the cluster of fragments.
The one lunging forward was none other than Qin Sang.
He had originally intended to intervene and stop Master Huaiyin himself. Since someone else had done the job for him, he immediately changed his plan. Now that the magnetic light was carrying the fragments straight toward him, there was no reason to refuse.
Even so, Qin Sang acted with extreme caution, harboring his own considerations.
He recognized that blood talisman disc, seeing at once that it was Su Zinan's work.
From Su Zinan's tone, the two seemed to have spoken earlier. Qin Sang could not afford to grant Su Zinan and Master Huaiyin time to negotiate terms, or he would be placed at a disadvantage.
Above all, what Qin Sang guarded against most was the mysterious enemy hiding in the shadows.
Just as Master Huaiyin was about to take the prize, the magnetic light had abruptly shifted, pulling the cluster of treasures directly toward Qin Sang. Rather than feeling lucky, Qin Sang felt that the timing was far too coincidental!
In the space of a spark, there was no time to weigh every angle, but Qin Sang struck regardless. Sweeping up the treasures directly would be ideal; if not, it would merely confirm his premonition.
"It's you?"
"How dare you!"
Su Zinan and Master Huaiyin shouted almost simultaneously.
Enveloped within the Gang Fire Shroud, Qin Sang's features were hidden from Su Zinan, but Su Zinan recognized the demonic fire.
Meeting once more, Su Zinan did not hesitate in the slightest. Drawing a talisman seal in midair, he flashed it into the talisman disc. The disc trembled and tilted slightly, its center aligning with Qin Sang's flight path.
Above Qin Sang, a blood-red character for "Death" materialized!
The talisman disc grew ethereal, while the character blazed brighter. Radiating an astonishing intent of death, it pressed down through the air toward Qin Sang.
Against Qin Sang, Su Zinan showed no mercy.
Having already laid bare his murderous intent, their conflict was irreconcilable. Given the chance, he would strike to kill and eradicate any future trouble.
At the same time, he did not forget to shout, "Master, why haven't you struck? Let us bring this man down!"
Master Huaiyin had no prior dealings with Su Zinan, but having heard of his reputation from the Poison King, he harbored no fondness for him and would never heed his words.
Yet even without Su Zinan's incitement, how could Master Huaiyin allow the Xinjin Source Crystal to fall into another's hands? Stamping his foot heavily, his body seemed to weigh like a mountain, sending tremors through the void. Charging forward, he clenched both fists and threw a straight punch at Qin Sang.
The fist wind surged as the golden dragon roared with abandon.
His blood vitality poured forth, plunging straight between his fists and merging completely into the punch imprint.
The next instant, a golden dragon condensed of sheer fist intent detached from his body, carrying a world-rending momentum that seemed capable of crushing all beneath heaven. Even through the Gang Fire Shroud, Qin Sang could feel the terrifying, savage force, and his heart tightened.
With the "Death" seal above and the dragon fist ahead, even shielded by the Gang Fire Shroud, Qin Sang's nerves stretched taut.
Little did he know that Su Zinan and Master Huaiyin were equally unsettled, stunned by the power of the Gang Fire Shroud.
Though the seal and the dragon fist had not yet struck Qin Sang, their shockwaves had arrived. Under the dual impact, the Gang Fire Shroud only warped slightly—even with the ubiquitous magnetic light pressing from all sides.
With such a protective treasure, it was no wonder this man dared to fish in troubled waters.
Su Zinan's gaze darkened. Qin Sang's demonic fire and Sun Divine Fire were formidable, but both were offensive arts—and hardness was easily broken. Su Zinan had believed that with careful planning, an opening could be found.
Only now did he realize that the demonic fire could also be converted into a defensive technique. Combining offense and defense into an all-around mastery, the difficulty of dealing with him had skyrocketed.
Su Zinan felt a twinge of regret over picking Qin Sang as a vessel for his demonic banner, but the enmity was already etched in stone.
His eyes darted, thoughts racing.
Master Huaiyin's thoughts, by contrast, were exceedingly straightforward.
In an instant, Qin Sang had become the target of two great cultivators, locked down by two overwhelming assaults.
Yet what suddenly drove Qin Sang's guard to its absolute limit was not these attacks, but the fact that the Fire Jade Centipede's agitation had simultaneously intensified. The mysterious expert in the dark was also closing in on him!
*Did this person plan this all along, or is it pure chance? Or perhaps...*
Thoughts flashing through his mind, Qin Sang made an instant decision.
Though the cluster of fragments lay right before him, Qin Sang halted abruptly, his figure freezing before he pulled back and retreated.
Advance and retreat, executed with utter decisiveness.
Seeing Qin Sang fall back so easily, both Su Zinan and Master Huaiyin were taken aback.
Equally startled was the Daoist nun lurking in the dark. Merged with a beam of magnetic light, she cursed Qin Sang for a coward as he pulled back; she had been on the verge of striking.
Now that Qin Sang had withdrawn, she had no choice but to shift her target, fixing her gaze once more on Master Huaiyin.
At this moment, regardless of Qin Sang's motives, Master Huaiyin moved like lightning. Fortune favored him; drawn by the magnetic light, the cluster of fragments shifted again, flying straight toward him.
Qin Sang's retreat had created distance, and Master Huaiyin did not pursue him relentlessly; the golden dragon's fist intent simply grazed past Qin Sang.
Opening his eyes to look again, Master Huaiyin was already exceedingly close to the cluster of fragments.
With a slight flicker of expression, Qin Sang swiftly pinched an incantation seal.
A clap of thunder sounded from a clear sky.
Amid the gloomy palette woven of yellow and grayish-black magnetic light, a bolt of lightning tore through the dusk as the Lightning-Wielding Technique was unleashed.
Though this technique was not as lethal as the sword formation or the demonic fire, it was by no means weak; confronting it purely with his physical body, Master Huaiyin would undoubtedly have to treat it with caution. Still, Qin Sang felt it was not enough. While casting the Lightning-Wielding Technique, his nascent soul stirred the Thousand-Knot Divine Net, releasing the Soul Absorbing True Words alongside it.
*"Heng! Ha!"*
The twin true tones of soul absorption rang out in tandem with the thunderclap, echoing directly inside Master Huaiyin's mind.
On the other side, Su Zinan knew full well how troublesome Qin Sang was. Shaking off idle thoughts, he refocused on the treasures. Refusing to let Master Huaiyin claim them unopposed, he launched an attack as well.
His mastery over the blood path had long reached the pinnacle.
Merging two demonic shadows did more than merely help him resist the magnetic light; it enhanced his divine abilities and drastically increased his control. With a simple shift of will, the "Death" seal that was about to miss its mark was forcibly reeled back, its trajectory snapping around to point straight at Master Huaiyin.
In a breath, the tables turned, and Master Huaiyin became the focal point of the combined assault.
Facing this pincer attack, Master Huaiyin remained unhurried. Extending a palm as broad as a cattail-leaf fan, his blood vitality formed a golden vortex in his hand, its suction locking onto the cluster of fragments.
At the same time, the blood-vitality golden dragon surfaced across his body once more. Amid the dense golden radiance, a faint Zen chant resonated alongside the dragon's roar.
Buddhist light converged behind Master Huaiyin's head, manifesting the illusory phantom of an arhat.
The arhat's visage was identical to Master Huaiyin's. The moment the phantom appeared, the golden dragon lunged into it, merging as one, while tangible Buddhist radiance completely enveloped the monk.
Master Huaiyin transformed into a golden-bodied arhat, making both the "Death" seal and the heavenly lightning appear dwarfed by comparison.
The very next instant, a sudden upheaval erupted!
The expanse of magnetic light throughout the sky stirred violently. Guided by an unseen force, endless ribbons of magnetic light converged frantically upon Master Huaiyin.
In a heartbeat, the magnetic light coalesced into a colossal pillar of radiance, drowning Master Huaiyin in terrifying metamagnetic power. The golden-bodied arhat phantom shook violently, and as the heavenly lightning and the "Death" seal poured down upon it, countless fissures tore through it on the spot.
A roar like a thunderclap ripped out from within the magnetic light.
Inside the brilliance,
Master Huaiyin stood like an enraged Vajra, a slender, delicate hand plunged straight through his back and piercing out from his chest, drenching his monastic robe in blood.
Chapter 1660