Within the medicinal garden.
While the Poison King and Qin Sang had chased each other away, Daoist Hegao unexpectedly chose not to follow Daoist Zilei, venturing deeper into the garden instead.
Su Zinan chose to stay as well.
Mo Xingdao had acted even faster, already pillaging the grounds on a massive scale.
Though the medicinal garden was vast, the actual number of spirit herbs inside was limited.
First, spirit herbs were delicate and extremely demanding. Different species easily clashed, requiring intricate formations and restrictions to alter the environment to meet their growth requirements, which often consumed vast stretches of land.
Second, those selected to be planted on Dishou Mountain were all of immense value or exceptional rarity; even within the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, such herbs had never been plentiful.
Third, when the demonic tribulation struck in ancient times and the sect faced destruction, most of the herbs had been harvested to concoct pills for the war effort, leaving nine out of every ten formations bare.
Of course, the spirit herbs were secondary. While harvesting herbs, both men kept part of their attention fixed on Daoist Hegao, monitoring his every move.
Though a blood feud existed between Mo Xingdao and Su Zinan, both managed to exercise restraint for now.
Thus, Daoist Hegao remained at the very front.
He wove continuously through the medicinal garden. Hailing from a prominent and renowned sect, his standards were noticeably more discerning; only once in a while did a spirit herb catch his interest and prompt him to break a formation.
In this manner, Daoist Hegao circled nearly the entire perimeter of the garden.
He kept searching for spirit herbs on his own, turning a blind eye to the two figures trailing him at a cautious distance.
Gradually, doubts crept into the minds of Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao. They suspected they might have been played for fools by Daoist Hegao, who seemed to be leading them in circles on purpose.
They had not only been tailing Daoist Hegao, but also examining the formations and restrictions of the medicinal garden and sensing the surrounding aura, yet they detected nothing out of the ordinary.
Mo Xingdao had no other ambitions; obtaining these spirit herbs was enough to satisfy him.
Su Zinan, however, had forsaken the chance to fish in troubled waters around the Poison King and the Fire Demon. Although his plan to collect souls with his demonic banner had already been exposed and everyone was on guard against him, making his chances slim, he could not help feeling anxious.
Su Zinan glanced toward the mountain summit and thought of Daoist Zilei. A suspicion took root: Was Daoist Hegao putting on an act to stall everyone here so that no one would cause trouble for Daoist Zilei?
The supreme treasure was actually at the summit!
Yet what were Old Devil Fan and Old Devil Zhu doing?
The situation was utterly chaotic. Who could truly see the whole picture?
Deciding to waste no more effort pondering, Su Zinan crossed hundreds of yards in a single stride, slipping past the formations and restrictions to approach Daoist Hegao, asking bluntly, "What exactly are you searching for, Daoist?"
Daoist Hegao seemed to notice him only now. Casting him a glance, he replied indifferently, "This poor Daoist is merely gathering spirit herbs to replenish my own sect's garden. What business is it of yours? You have tailed me for so long—could it be that you have taken a fancy to my Nascent Soul?"
His tone made no effort to conceal his scorn, sparing no courtesies.
Su Zinan had two souls trapped in his banner, and in the distance, Mo Xingdao and a late Nascent Soul puppet watched on. Had they not turned against each other, Daoist Hegao would have had to proceed with great caution; but as things stood, though he remained wary, he was far from terrified of Su Zinan.
Su Zinan's face twitched. Just as he was about to speak again, a furious roar echoed.
The roar reverberated across Dishou Mountain, clearly audible even in the medicinal garden.
All three men froze in astonishment.
While Su Zinan was searching for the source of the roar, he suddenly sensed a disturbance before him. In an instant, the cry of a crane shook the heavens as Daoist Hegao transformed into the silhouette of a crane, throwing himself headlong into a spirit formation.
The Five Elements spiritual energy within the formation was unbalanced, with earth-attribute energy being the most prominent, whipping up a perpetual storm of yellow sand inside. From this, one could infer the nature of the spirit herbs once cultivated here. Unfortunately, no herbs were visible; it was an empty formation.
Whoosh!
No one knew what divine ability Daoist Hegao had employed, but when the crane silhouette struck the spirit formation, his figure hitched only slightly before slipping inside with ease.
By the time Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao rushed over, they saw only swirling wind and sand, a murky yellow blur, and the silhouette of a crane soaring across the sky, vanishing in a flash.
Boom! Boom!
Without prior coordination, Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao struck at the same moment.
The attacks from the demonic banner's primary soul and the puppet struck the spirit formation almost simultaneously. Combined with the strikes from their true bodies, the sheer might of this single assault rivaled the united force of five late Nascent Soul cultivators.
The barrier formed by the spirit formation let out an agonized groan and collapsed on impact. The violent sandstorm was blasted open by the shockwaves, revealing a gaping hole, through the depths of which Daoist Hegao's hazy silhouette was faintly visible.
Amidst the chaos, the two men exchanged a glance.
An irreconcilable feud lay between them, yet here they were joining hands once more—a supreme irony.
***
Inside the seal.
Having hurled the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand, Old Devil Fan knew he had courted disaster.
Immediately after, he saw the Five-Colored Crown's radiance dim. The black tide surged with immense ferocity, abruptly altering its course to rush straight toward him. In sheer terror, his illusory demon body dissolved into mist and retreated into the heart of the lotus.
The Ten Thousand Illusory Nether Lotus shot backward, fleeing into the Tianhao Ancient Mirror.
Boom!
The black tide followed hot on its heels, instantly submerging the ancient mirror.
The mirror shook violently as brilliant light erupted from its center, tearing open a long fissure. The black tide drilled frantically into the crack, threatening to force it wide open and invade within.
Snap!
The ancient mirror shattered, its fragments vanishing in a flash like a phantom bubble.
The black tide grew even more turbulent, scouring the area back and forth to no avail. Radiating an indignant will, it suddenly coalesced back together and threw itself frantically against the Five-Colored Crown.
Outside the seal.
Daoist Zilei had manifested the Thunder Sovereign Dharma Body, holding all the thunder of heaven and earth in his grasp.
The tempestuous purple lightning served in his hands like chains of heavenly retribution.
Transformed into the Thunder Sovereign, executing judgment on behalf of the heavens!
Rumble...
Daoist Zilei looked down upon Zhu Wudao, his aura as imposing as a towering mountain, as abyssal as an ocean of lightning. With a wave of his hand, thunder rained down in a torrent, shattering the golden rainbow of the sword inch by inch.
The Demonic Eye of Violet Pupils following closely behind the golden rainbow was Zhu Wudao's true killing stroke.
Yet thunder possessed an inherent power to vanquish evil. Having manifested the Thunder Sovereign Dharma Body, Daoist Zilei wore thunderous robes and an imperial crown, surrounded by ceaselessly circulating purple lightning.
Cast through Zhu Wudao, the Demonic Eye of Violet Pupils was already separated from the Demon Son by a layer of remove, and facing these numerous barriers, its power was greatly diminished. Any attempt to shake Daoist Zilei's tempered mind was an exercise in futility.
Though aided by the Demon Son, Zhu Wudao was thoroughly shaken. The aura pressing down from above made his scalp tingle. He simply discarded the spirit sword, withdrew the violet pupils, and silently chanted a scripture.
The center of his brow split open, a speck of black light brewing within as though opening a third demonic eye.
Whish!
The black light vanished in an instant.
When it reappeared, it was already inside the lantern's illusory world, taking the form of a small black demonic blade. Compared to the sky full of purple lightning, it appeared insignificant and utterly faint in aura.
In truth, this was the manifestation of intent restrained to the absolute extreme. Wherever the demonic blade passed, the stellar vault conjured by the illusory world collapsed back into primal chaos. The Bajing Palace Lantern spun rapidly, scattering streams of lantern fire to repair the illusion, yet it could no longer halt the demonic blade.
In an instant, only lightning remained between Daoist Zilei and the demonic blade.
Undaunted in the face of peril, Daoist Zilei gathered purple light before him. It formed a thunder seal identical in shape yet vastly different from before, bearing far more complex talismans, for this time it had been coalesced through the imperial crown.
As the thunder seal descended, the surrounding purple lightning converged into it, causing it to swell several times over in a breath. The massive thunder seal met the demonic blade head-on with absolute precision.
It was not that Zhu Wudao did not wish to alter the blade's trajectory, but that he had no opportunity to do so!
The thunder seal and the demonic blade clashed, annihilating each other.
The next instant, the two formidable forces fused together into a sphere of violet-black light, hanging for merely a breath before erupting violently.
Only then did a deafening roar reverberate through the mountain cavern.
Daoist Zilei had anticipated this, shrinking the lantern's illusory world beforehand to shield it from the shockwaves while brushing the imperial crown to dissolve the purple thunder into the illusion.
The illusory world shifted in a flash.
By the time Zhu Wudao came to his senses, he was already surrounded by pervasive lightning.
Zhu Wudao's brows twitched violently. Though he had expected the master of the premier Daoist sect to possess formidable skill, he had not imagined Daoist Zilei's strength would be so overwhelming. Even borrowing the Demon Son's might had failed to grant him the upper hand.
Fortunately, the demonic blade had bought him enough time.
Zhu Wudao had been laying out his preparations in secret and had finally completed the spirit formation. With a flick of his wrist, an idol flew from his grasp and descended into the center of the formation, settling in an upright, seated posture.
The idol was blood-red throughout, exuding an eerie, bizarre aura.
The completion of the spirit formation coincided with the blood sacrifice outside reaching its zenith. Thick bloody vapors practically seeped from the idol's surface, yet its eyes were dyed jet-black.
What should have been an inanimate object blinked at this very moment. Two beams of black light shot toward Zhu Wudao, transferring a mighty aura that poured directly into his body.
A rapid succession of cracking sounds rang out—both the popping of Zhu Wudao's bones and the twisting groans of his golden armor.
Zhu Wudao threw his arms wide open, his hair and beard thrashing wildly as towering demonic qi surged!
Daoist Zilei sensed a lethal threat radiating from him, and his expression shifted slightly.
Yet at that moment, doubt rose within Zhu Wudao himself. The power channeled from the Demon Son was far greater than anticipated. Even though the passage had formed, it should have taken time for the Demon Son to truly escape the seal through a gradual transfer.
Communicating with the Demon Son through his intent, Zhu Wudao quickly grasped the cause and let out a wry chuckle.
He truly had Senior Brother Fan to thank for this.
With this unexpected turn of events, the road ahead would be far smoother!
Right at that moment, a groan of pain sounded from the summit, and a figure tumbled down.
To evade the black tide, Old Devil Fan had decisively shattered the projection in the ancient mirror and made a hasty retreat. The mirror talisman before him trembled violently, coming within a hair's breadth of breaking.
His illusory demon body had also been affected, forcefully expelled from the mirror talisman to reveal his true form on the spot, injured in the process.
With the illusory world deployed, the disturbance in the mountain cavern could not escape Daoist Zilei's notice.
Sensing Daoist Zilei's blade-sharp gaze, Old Devil Fan took the initiative, barking harshly, "Old ox-nose, look at what you've done!"
The moment his shout rang out, Old Devil Fan checked his fall, spun around, and prepared to flee.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Daoist Zilei snorted coldly. The Bajing Palace Lantern soared high, its illusory world expanding rapidly. Before Old Devil Fan could stabilize his mirror talisman, he had already been drawn into the lantern's illusion.
It was not that Daoist Zilei wished to take on multiple foes at once, but rather that unforeseen events had piled up one after another. Daoist Zilei felt an increasingly ominous foreboding, yet too much remained shrouded in mystery.
For Old Devil Fan to emerge at this exact juncture meant he had clearly done something in secret.
Upon entering the illusory world, Old Devil Fan saw the changes in Zhu Wudao. Connecting this to his encounter inside the seal, he deduced the entire picture, realizing that Junior Brother Zhu had hidden himself far deeper than anyone had imagined.
Old Devil Fan looked up and sighed toward heaven, transmitting the truth to Daoist Zilei through divine sense.
In an instant, both men turned their gazes in unison toward the idol within the formation!
Below.
Zhu Wudao paid no heed to their communication. His sole priority was to ensure the Demon Son's escape from the seal and prevent anyone from attacking the idol to sever the passage.
Had the entity on the other side been the Lord Sacred Sovereign, summoning his advent—even with a fraction of his might—would have rendered Zhu Wudao invincible. But now, he had to proceed with utmost caution.
Otherwise, all his efforts would fall short at the final step!
Zhu Wudao shifted slightly, appearing directly above the idol to block their line of sight. Demonic qi converged in his palms, using the two spheres of demonic mist as footholds to unfold a murky canopy over his head, concealing everything beneath.
At this moment, the worldly origin energy stirred faintly.
A similar phenomenon had occurred when the lantern's illusory world unfolded earlier. Following this disturbance, the dark canopy grew steadily thicker.
Inside the seal.
The black tide showed no sign of pausing, crashing against the Five Elements Crown in wave after relentless wave.
Though the Five Elements Crown's radiance had dimmed somewhat, supported by the Five Elements Divine Restriction, it remained stable, anchored firmly at the heart of the black tide, immovable as a mountain.
The artifact spirit had already detected the passage between the idol and the Demon Son.
However, the Five Elements Crown had first been defiled and destabilized, and now faced the Demon Son's frenzied counterattack. For a time, the artifact spirit was entirely at a loss. Furthermore, that passage was exceedingly profound; its foundation lay not here, but tens of millions of li away, anchored by countless blood-drenched idols. With power steadily pouring in, it could not be easily severed.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The ceaseless impacts were accompanied by the Demon Son's threats and cajolery.
"You cannot devour me!"
"Why not join hands with me to spread demonic taint across an entire realm!"
"If we fight, others will only reap the rewards!"
"Have you forgotten how they enslaved you, how they controlled you? Do you truly wish to return to that?"
"An artifact spirit! Who wouldn't be tempted?"
"Help them seal me, and your fate will be no different! They will never grant you the chance to perfect your true nature! Even if they agree, they will control you first—a trap awaits you!"
"You've dealt with them before. Every one of them is cunning and ruthless. Do you truly believe that with your intellect, you are their match?"
"Only I, cornered at the brink of death, sincerely offer to join hands with you!"
"Undo the seal, and I shall swear a soul covenant with you, imparting the True Art of Spirit Shaping so that you may come and go as you please!"
"Otherwise! Once I break free, I will surely claim you!"
Voice after voice seeped into the Five Elements Crown, battering the artifact spirit's mind.
The mocking words stirred fury within the artifact spirit.
Yet she could not refute a single word.
When she had inhabited the Daoist nun, any of the people on this mountain placed in her position could have exploited the mutual animosity among the others to orchestrate an even tighter, deadlier trap, taking control of everything. Yet she had bungled it completely.
Nevertheless, from beginning to end, the artifact spirit uttered not a word and made no reply. Paying no mind to anything else, she focused entirely on her true body. Layer upon layer of five-colored radiance rippled outward, washing away the Filthy Yin Phosphorous Sand clinging to the Five Elements Crown, slowly restoring its luster.
As the Demon Son relentlessly battered the seal, the flaw in the Seven Mansions Sector Sword Formation was abruptly magnified, rippling rapidly through the entire Five Elements Divine Restriction, which in turn affected the seal.
The cycle of mutual generation among the Five Elements was still maintained, so the divine restriction would not collapse so quickly, but anomalies had begun to manifest.
The anomaly surfaced first upon the boundary. Built upon the power of the seal, the boundary integrated the mountain's other formations and restrictions; any shift in the seal transmitted here before anywhere else.
Qin Sang, the Poison King, the trio in the medicinal garden, and the cultivators outside Dishou Mountain—
At this moment, all of them watched as fissures spread across the boundary, tainted by wind fiends like terrifying pythons crawling across its surface.
Standing amidst it all, Qin Sang and the others heard a thunderous roar echoing throughout Dishou Mountain, shaking their very souls.
Just as Qin Sang was about to investigate the source of the upheaval, surprise suddenly flashed across his face. Raising his left hand, he saw the Blood Moon imprint glowing faintly, pulsing with a gentle, burning heat.
Chapter 1672