As time passed, the Tianhao Ancient Mirror was no longer merely clinging to the seal's surface. It had embedded itself entirely and continued to sink deeper within.
Throughout this process, it provoked neither ripples nor retaliation from the seal. Silent as spring rain nourishing the soil, it was a testament to the mirror's wondrous divine abilities.
When the Tianhao Ancient Mirror penetrated into the seal's interior, the scene within proved entirely unexpected. Instead of the anticipated riot of five-colored radiance, it was a world devoid of light.
Dark and oppressive. Through the Tianhao Ancient Mirror, this sensation transmitted directly into Old Devil Fan's mind, making him inwardly tense.
Soon, the mirror's reflection revealed that this was not absolute darkness; there was indeed a light source. At the very center of the gloom flickered a solitary point of radiance.
Divided into five colors, it harmonized with the seal. The Tianhao Ancient Mirror immediately moved toward it, and the reflection of a five-colored crown appeared upon its surface.
The ancient mirror came to a halt beside the Five-Colored Crown. From within the mirror, the nether lotus slowly drifted outward. As it floated, its tightly closed petals unfurled outward layer by layer, returning to the form of the Ten Thousand Illusory Nether Lotus.
At the center of the lotus, a churning mass of black qi rose and fell, gradually coalescing into a humanoid silhouette—it was none other than Old Devil Fan! At this moment, Old Devil Fan was in an extraordinary state. His true body had not entered directly; rather, he had utilized a secret art to transform into an illusory demon body and possess the treasured mirror, using the Tianhao Ancient Mirror as a vessel to carry this illusory demon form inside.
Though this was not his true body and was subject to certain limitations, many of his divine abilities could still be executed through the illusory demon body.
*Swish!* Old Devil Fan opened his eyes. They were pitch-black, and within his pupils seemed to float two nether lotuses.
"Is this that spirit treasure?"
His dark pupils shifted as a hint of doubt surfaced in Old Devil Fan's gaze. Here, the five elements converged and qi dynamics churned in turmoil. His eyes fell upon the Five-Colored Crown. Just as he was about to scrutinize its energy veins, the crown suddenly trembled.
A brilliant five-colored radiance instantly illuminated the ten directions. Old Devil Fan felt a strange impression: though the crown's outward form had not changed at all, it was now utterly different from before. A peerless, supreme treasure was awakening.
In fact, Old Devil Fan could palpably sense that something deep within the Five-Colored Crown was stirring to life... and that thing seemed to be... consciousness!
A consciousness... awakening? Such a sensation, never experienced before, left Old Devil Fan stunned on the spot. Yet that feeling grew only clearer, proving it was no illusion.
In an instant—perhaps not even that—an even more visceral sensation arose.
It was the feeling of being watched!
The source of that gaze was precisely the Five-Colored Crown. Though an illusory demon body was impervious to cold and heat, at this moment it shuddered violently. A chill shot straight through the crown of his head, nearly making him cry out in horror,
"An artifact spirit!"
An artifact spirit! The Five-Colored Crown had actually birthed an artifact spirit! In truth, Tianhao Tower's Tianhao Ancient Mirror and Eight Views Abbey's Bajing Palace Lantern were both spirit treasures. Whether a sect possessed a spirit treasure to anchor its fortune was one of the defining marks of a top-tier sect, and Ganlu Zen Monastery naturally had its own as well.
Yet spirit treasures differed not only in their abilities, but also in strength. When distinguishing the might of spirit treasures, their spirituality was a factor that could never be overlooked.
When spirituality was nurtured to the absolute limit and an artifact spirit was conceived, the spirit treasure underwent yet another qualitative metamorphosis. The Tianhao Ancient Mirror and the Bajing Palace Lantern had never clashed head-on, nor would either sect voluntarily disclose such secrets, but one thing was certain: both were still very far from birthing an artifact spirit.
The time span required was difficult to quantify; it might take hundreds or thousands of years, or an artifact spirit might never be born at all.
For even when spirituality reached its pinnacle, it remained in a chaotic state and might not necessarily coalesce into a spirit. This hurdle was known as the Spirit Shaping Barrier, and its difficulty was no less daunting than a cultivator breaking through a major cultivation bottleneck.
In fact, it was even harder! Naturally, all of this knowledge came from the ancient records Old Devil Fan had gathered through his sect. Cultivators in Zhongzhou were as numerous as crossing carp, with no lack of Deity Transformation grandmasters among them, yet there had never been any definitive record of a spirit treasure successfully passing the Spirit Shaping Barrier.
Cultivators in this realm who possessed spirit treasures were exceedingly few. Late Nascent Soul cultivators like them were still using various secret techniques to elevate their Natal Magic Treasures into pseudo spirit treasures, striving toward the threshold of true spirit treasures.
Who would dare entertain extravagant hopes for an unattainable artifact spirit?
At this moment, beyond his shock, Old Devil Fan experienced a sudden flash of realization regarding what the seal laid down by the Wuxiang Immortal Sect on Dishou Mountain was truly meant to suppress.
It was meant to suppress the artifact spirit!
Even an ordinary spirit treasure would actively choose its master and required the Tongbao Formula to control. With an artifact spirit present, how could it ever willingly submit to being enslaved by cultivators?
Back then, whenever the Wuxiang Immortal Sect wielded this treasure during the Demonic Calamity, it had always been accompanied by a grand array. Looking back now, while the arrays differed slightly each time, they had all implicitly conformed to the Dao of the Five Elements.
Presumably, one purpose was to wield the treasure, while the other was to suppress the artifact spirit and prevent it from running amok.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Old Devil Fan believed he had uncovered the truth, yet his mind remained strung taut as he felt the artifact spirit's gaze.
Its furious emotion was palpable.
This was the accumulated rage of several thwarted schemes, of being manipulated in turn, and of returning to find its very home invaded once it realized something was amiss!
Fixed by this gaze brimming with extreme wrath, Old Devil Fan's heart pounded wildly. Seeing the jade plaques upon the Five-Colored Crown burst with radiance, an abrupt sense of danger gripped him.
With no time to deliberate, he instinctively swung his right hand, sending a streak of dark green flowing light flying forth. Within the light, one could faintly discern glittering grains of dark green sand, their surfaces flickering with emerald brilliance like bone-chilling wisp-fires.
This was a treasure Old Devil Fan had refined by gathering various sinister and poisonous substances, named the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand, specifically designed to corrupt and defile magic treasures.
When manifesting the illusory demon body, one could temporarily transform a soul-linked treasure into a divine ability to bring inside. Old Devil Fan's objective was to vie for the spirit treasure and prevent it from falling into Zhu Wudao's hands, which would drastically augment the latter's strength. His foremost choice was naturally the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand.
Though he had not expected to encounter an artifact spirit, it was a fortuitous turn of events—the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand was ideally suited for this moment. Yet how much effect it could have against an artifact spirit was something Old Devil Fan had no confidence in.
Nor did he know how powerful the Five-Colored Crown would be with an artifact spirit awakened. Though he salivated over the Five-Colored Crown, he understood the principle of acting within one's means. He dared not seize the treasure outright; he had to proceed with measured steps.
Thus, the moment the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand was unleashed, Old Devil Fan retreated hastily toward the Ten Thousand Illusory Nether Lotus. He had no wish to sacrifice this illusory demon dharma body here.
*Swish!* Because Old Devil Fan was very close to the Five-Colored Crown, the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand enveloped it instantly. The fine sand transformed into specks of foul, phosphorescent fire, pouncing onto the crown's surface and abruptly clinging to it like mottled grime.
The Five-Colored Crown's luster turned murky, tainted by the dark green evil light.
Yet at this very moment, Old Devil Fan's expression changed drastically.
Just as the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand was about to strike the Five-Colored Crown, beneath the crown, a black tide that had been concealed for who knew how long suddenly erupted! Surging wildly, the dark tide carried a terrifying demonic will that struck dread even into an arch-fiend like Old Devil Fan, violently slamming into the Five-Colored Crown.
It was precisely this impact that caused the Five-Colored Crown to shudder violently, its five-colored spiritual light wavering unsteadily. Caught completely off guard, the artifact spirit was unable to react in time and was struck squarely by the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand.
The dark tide was what the seal was truly suppressing!
*I've been used!*
Old Devil Fan was both shocked and enraged. It was already too late to recall the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand, and countless questions surged in his heart.
What was the relationship between the artifact spirit and the dark tide? If the Five-Colored Crown was part of the seal, why hadn't the artifact spirit retaliated or issued a warning when he had penetrated deep inside?
***
Upon Dishou Mountain.
Qin Sang had engineered a diversion to lead the Poison King away while his true body relentlessly pursued the Daoist nun.
The combined strikes of the Sun God Tree and the Fourfold Tengshe Seal had landed several times. Although the boundary acted as a buffer, the nun was still jarred and her injuries worsened.
At the same time, she had to divide her focus to expel the sword intent Qin Sang had left within her body, leaving her with no choice but to flee with all her might, virtually powerless to fight back.
Even though his incarnation was not by his side, Qin Sang held the absolute upper hand, no longer needing to deliberately maintain the Astral Fire Shroud and maneuvering with effortless ease.
Viewed from outside the mountain, looking down the slopes of Dishou Mountain, blossoms of crimson and black fireworks bloomed at regular intervals.
The Jinchen Sword hung inverted above Qin Sang's head, its sword intent continually mounting yet held back without releasing. In one hand, Qin Sang brandished the Sun God Tree, while around his other hand coiled a demonic fire flame dragon, bombarding her in alternating waves.
Disregarding her internal injuries, the Daoist nun exerted every ounce of strength to suppress and expel the sword intent within her body. Finally, just before Qin Sang could force her true form into the open, she succeeded in expelling the last wisp of his sword intent.
Involuntarily breathing a sigh of relief, the Daoist nun suddenly shifted several tens of zhang across the boundary—only to freeze in dismay as the demonic fire flame dragon followed right on her heels.
*Boom!* A fierce tremor transmitted through the boundary into the nun's body, inflicting further trauma upon her already riddled flesh.
*It wasn't sword intent!*
*Just how is he detecting me?*
The Daoist nun was on the verge of madness, but Qin Sang gave her no time to think. The demonic fire flame dragon pursued like a shadow, and her mounting injuries served as a grim reminder that this physical body could not hold out much longer.
"The timing is about right."
Qin Sang had been constantly assessing her condition. The moment the thought formed, sword radiance surged like a dragon.
Wherever the Jinchen Sword reached, a sword array rose anew.
Right at this moment, an unexpected scene unfolded. From within the boundary, a roar of extreme fury abruptly erupted. Immediately following, a figure flickered, and the Daoist nun plummeted straight down, her eyes tightly shut and her breath entirely gone.
Caught off guard, Qin Sang nearly slashed her body to pieces. He hastily diverted the demonic fire and reined in his sword qi.
*Swish!* Strands of sword silk wrapped around the nun's corpse, floating her before Qin Sang.
"She's truly dead..."
Qin Sang sensed her state for a brief moment. All life force within her body was extinguished; she had genuinely perished, leaving him thoroughly bewildered.
He had not expected her to be so decisive, committing suicide on the spot the moment she saw the situation turn dire. He had patiently pursued her over such a distance precisely to capture her alive.
Regardless, his most crucial objective had been achieved. Qin Sang looked toward the nun's waist and ripped away the scarlet immortal pendant. Instantly, an aura of blazing sun seeped into his body, suffusing him with dry heat.
Its power was on par with the cold fiend qi of the mysterious ice plate.
"A fine treasure!" Qin Sang praised, feeling greatly elated. With this, the two most critical treasures for his tribulation-crossing array were finally assembled.
Next, Qin Sang swept his divine sense across the nun's body, yet found no storage artifact like a mustard seed bag. Had she gained nothing at all from the medicine garden?
Reflecting upon the various anomalous details and piecing them together, Qin Sang grew increasingly suspicious, sensing more and more that her suicide was far from normal.
Just then, a furious roar suddenly echoed.
The roar came from an unknown source. It seemed to originate from the mountaintop, yet also felt as though it came from the boundary itself. Though not deafeningly loud, it could not be ignored, carrying a sky-engulfing wrath that sent shivers down the spine.
Qin Sang looked around, his brow furrowed tightly.
***
Qin Sang was not the only one startled by the roar.
Behind his true body.
Having pursued the incarnation, the Poison King soon realized he had been duped. Sensing the commotion Qin Sang's true body was causing in the distance, he turned to depart.
Yet the incarnation was not merely acting as bait. The moment the Poison King moved, he felt a bone-chilling cold. Glancing back, he saw a Tengshe enshrouded in layers of chilling flames, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it tore through the wind fiends and lunged forward.
"Humph!" The Poison King's expression darkened. Waving his hand, the toxic clouds swirling around him gathered above his head, surging to meet the Tengshe.
The moment they clashed, the Poison King sensed something amiss and hastily unleashed his poison sand, shooting it into the toxic cloud. The cloud abruptly shrank, but became several times denser than before.
*Pfft!* The Tengshe collided head-on with the toxic cloud. The cloud shook ceaselessly, nearly torn apart by the Tengshe, but anchored by the poison sand, its structure held together without shattering. Only the poison mist on its surface was invaded by the chilling flames, congealing into multi-colored toxic ice.
*Bang!* The toxic ice shattered, and the poison sand carried the remaining toxic cloud back in retreat.
The Poison King drifted backward several tens of zhang, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed as he watched the incarnation return from the depths of the wind fiends.
"A spirit treasure?"
What first drew the Poison King's attention was the Fourfold Tengshe Seal above the incarnation's head.
The number of spirit treasures in Zhongzhou was limited.
The Poison King mentally counted through them, yet found none matching this one; nor was there any record of such a spirit treasure in texts related to the Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
Though this opponent possessed only the cultivation of the mid Nascent Soul stage, holding a spirit treasure made him a force that could not be underestimated. But why had a mid Nascent Soul helper appeared beside Qin Sang out of nowhere?
Recalling the abrupt fluctuation he had perceived from Qin Sang's side earlier, the Poison King's expression shifted.
"This is... your avatar? No, an external incarnation!"
Judging by how perfectly harmonious the incarnation's qi was, it was far beyond anything a common avatar could compare to.
With that, all his questions were resolved. Not only was this man's true body extraordinarily formidable, but he also possessed an external incarnation wielding a spirit treasure. Only this could explain why the traitor had fallen into his hands.
"First a late Nascent Soul puppet, and now an external incarnation. This place truly hides crouching tigers and hidden dragons..." The Poison King chuckled and sighed. "Does Fellow Daoist believe that a mere incarnation can stop me?"
Having his identity seen through, the incarnation made no futile attempts at concealment. However, he was more than happy to converse with the Poison King to buy time for his true body, saying calmly, "Why must the Poison King be so overbearing?"
"I only hope Fellow Daoist can give me an answer..." The Poison King repeated his earlier proposal, offering lavish benefits.
"Once the matters here are concluded and my true body has leisure, I will naturally contact you..." The incarnation spoke halfway before being abruptly cut off by the Poison King.
"Since an incarnation cannot make decisions, this King will simply seek answers from Fellow Daoist's true body in person!" the Poison King shouted, abruptly turning into an escape light to dart away.
The Poison King had already seen that the other party had little intention of returning the Gu King. Stopping now would be an utter joke—was he supposed to wait until the man resolved his troubles, returned laden with spoils, and took his time refining the Gu King? Or was he to beg for charity?
Only by creating more trouble for his opponent could he seize the initiative!
*Whew!* Just as the escape light appeared, the Tengshe swooped down aggressively. Unexpectedly, the Poison King came to a sharp halt; he had only feigned fleeing, turning back to face the incarnation and pouncing forward with even greater speed.
The incarnation was well prepared. His eyes turned stark white as a chilling, pale beam of cold light swept down before him, while his figure simultaneously launched backward.
The Ice Soul Cold Light was like an ice wall, swept downward without hesitation to form a barrier regardless of whether immediate danger was present.
The incarnation was cautious to the extreme, offering the Poison King no opportunity to deploy that caterpillar-like gu insect. He merely hovered at a distance, harassing him in alternating waves with the spirit treasure and the Ice Soul Divine Light, refusing to draw near.
Though he could not halt the Poison King entirely, stalling for time was well within his capabilities.
It was not until that furious roar resonated across the mountain that both sides pulled back in astonished pause.
Chapter 1671