Among these people, the origins of Qin Sang's avatar were the most obscure. Though Mo Xingdao was an itinerant cultivator, he had made a great name for himself long ago, whereas the avatar seemed to have popped out of a rock, which was why Saint Huiguang had asked.
The avatar explained his origins with a calm and composed look.
Even though he had spoken via secret voice transmission, he knew well that his identity as the Xie Clan Ancestor could not be concealed for long. Once the affair here concluded, the various parties would easily uncover the truth.
Saint Huiguang had merely asked in passing without any intention to pry deeply. He pondered briefly and said, "If that Demon Sealing Stake is as Benefactor described, merely broken across the middle while the restrictions within remain mostly intact, there is indeed a chance to repair it. However, this poor monk cannot be entirely certain without seeing the actual object first."
Upon hearing this, the avatar furrowed his brows with an uneasy expression, hesitating as if wanting to speak but holding back.
His concerns were written plain as day across his face. How could Saint Huiguang fail to notice? The monk chuckled softly and said, "If we can rely on the Demon Sealing Stake to suppress the ancient demon and halt this demonic tribulation, Benefactor will hold the greatest credit. This poor monk will certainly honor his promise and bestow the Five Elements Pill upon Benefactor. I trust none of our fellow daoists will object, either."
With that, Saint Huiguang's gaze swept across everyone present.
Naturally, the others had no objections.
In such a short time, the strength displayed by the demonic body had already terrified them to their cores. Right now, their foremost concern was no longer whether they could break through to Deity Transformation, but how to keep their lives.
Saint Huiguang was wounded, and one could easily imagine that once the Azure Fox Saint King showed signs of faltering, they would likely be forced to face the ancient demon head-on, without even a chance to flee the battlefield.
If the avatar could bring out a treasure that countered the ancient demon, they were only too glad.
Furthermore, they could also take this opportunity to see whether the old bald donkey's promise held any sincerity, and whether this fellow could truly walk away with the Five Elements Pill. As for whether the Five Elements Pill would stir up another storm later, that was a matter for another day.
Having obtained the promise, the avatar put away his feigned apprehension and hesitated. "To tell the two seniors the truth, years ago Junior obtained the Demon Sealing Stake by chance. Not knowing its origin at the time, I merely felt its restrictions were exceedingly wondrous and far from modern craft. I devoted years to studying it and comparing it with my own cultivation method, gaining considerable insights. Following the veins of its restrictions, I even integrated them into my own divine abilities, to the extent that it became intertwined with my Dao foundation. Junior is willing to present years of comprehension to assist both seniors in repairing the Demon Sealing Stake, but severing myself from this treasure in haste will inevitably shake my Dao foundation..."
*This kid wants to run!*
Old Devil Fan and the others cursed internally. Only a fool would believe nonsense like a treasure being intertwined with a Dao foundation.
Yet they could do nothing about it.
Putting themselves in his shoes, if they obtained the Five Elements Pill, they too would invent an excuse to slip away while Saint Huiguang was pinned down by the demonic body.
Saint Huiguang was obviously no fool. Even though the avatar spoke with utter earnestness, he would not fully believe it, treating it merely as another condition for offering up the Demon Sealing Stake.
Looking across the gathering, the avatar possessed the lowest cultivation and the weakest background, so having various misgivings was understandable.
He was merely a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator; his absence would not throw their battle array into chaos.
"As long as I lay eyes upon the Demon Sealing Stake, this poor monk should be able to judge whether it can be used. Benefactor need not worry."
Saint Huiguang agreed without hesitation. He separated the avatar from the Meditative Arhat Array, which reformed after a brief moment of disruption.
Having detached from the battle array, the avatar immediately felt the crushing pressure lift. Taking a deep breath, he used the excuse that his Dao foundation was of grave importance and could not suffer the slightest interference, requesting permission to find a cave dwelling on Dishou Mountain to safely cast his arts, which would not take long.
Saint Huiguang granted every request.
However, before he left, both Saint Huiguang and the Azure Fox Saint King openly placed a tracking mark upon him.
The avatar bowed in respect, leaped downward, and landed upon the mountain summit.
...
While the avatar was negotiating with Saint Huiguang, Qin Sang's true body had already brought out the demonic banners, arranging all of them before him.
Lightly brushing his fingers against the banners, a familiar bone-chilling cold seeped into his marrow and traveled to his heart.
He still remembered that the first genuine Ten Directions Yama Banner had been obtained shortly after he joined Shaohua Mountain, when he counter-killed a Kuiyin Sect remnant. That fellow seemed to have been named... Sun De?
Later, he had acquired the rest one after another, until he encountered his fateful chance in the Hall of Seven Kills within the Canglang Ocean, where he refined the other half of the Demon Sealing Stake into demonic banners. Commanding eighteen demonic banners, he had reigned supreme across the Beichen Realm.
Finally, by asking his senior sister for the remaining banners, he had assembled the complete Demon Sealing Stake.
From Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and even Nascent Soul, the Ten Directions Yama Banners had rendered him monumental service.
"Patriarch Kuiyin..."
Qin Sang clicked his tongue.
He had never acknowledged himself as a disciple of the Kuiyin Sect, but ironically, that he had reached this point today meant he had to thank Patriarch Kuiyin, whose legacy he was still enjoying to this day.
Thinking that the treasure that had accompanied him for so long was about to be traded away, Qin Sang actually felt a pang of reluctance.
Once it was handed to a Deity Transformation cultivator, Qin Sang had no intention of ever reclaiming it.
Whether Saint Huiguang kept it for himself or left it with his sect as a guardian treasure to prevent another ancient demon from running amok, he would never return it.
Perhaps in ancient times, the value of the Demon Sealing Stake far exceeded that of a Five Elements Pill.
Yet Qin Sang deemed it worthwhile.
The utility of the Demon Sealing Stake was too narrow; at least, it offered no aid to his cultivation.
Previously, it had merely served as a vessel to seal the demonic fire.
Only the source of the Nine Nether Demonic Fire remained unrefined, but Qin Sang also had the Mani Pearl. Upon obtaining that treasure, he had discovered that the Mani Pearl could serve as a container to hold the demonic fire's source.
As for what to do if he encountered an ancient demon in the future, that was not something he needed to consider right now.
This transaction offered two major benefits. First, it allowed his avatar to escape mortal danger.
Not only was the avatar itself a precious Dao Manifestation Tree, but it had also already sensed the opportunity for a breakthrough, and would soon advance to the late Nascent Soul stage. Wielding a spirit treasure and possessing the divine ability of the Ice Soul Divine Light, its combat strength would likely not fall short of his true body.
Moreover, the avatar was effectively a second life; if it could be saved, it had to be saved.
Second, he would obtain the Five Elements Pill.
Given the value of a Five Elements Pill, as long as word got out, there would be a chance to trade for a Spirit Consonance Immortal Fruit or any other miraculous elixir.
Furthermore, the world of immortal cultivation being overrun by demonic corruption and the living beings plunged into misery was something Qin Sang definitely did not wish to see. He was still far from reaching Deity Transformation and ascending, so he would not be able to escape the calamity either.
He could only sigh at how fickle and unpredictable the world was.
He had constantly pondered how to repair the Demon Sealing Stake after refining the demonic fire, even taking on an apprentice specifically for that purpose, never expecting that he would trade it away so soon.
The demonic banners sealing the spiritual fire stood upright, one by one.
A glint flashed between Qin Sang's brows, and the fire lotus spun into the air.
At the same time, the Mani Pearl flew out from his dantian, hovering beside Qin Sang.
The fire lotus gradually turned ethereal, transforming into demonic fire that drifted toward the banners, eventually forming a sphere of fire that enveloped them all.
Qin Sang's expression grew solemn as his hand seals shifted. Layer upon layer of fiery waves formed within the demonic fire, converging continuously onto the banners and condensing into a thick shell around them.
Following Qin Sang's movements, wisps of demonic fire origin were extracted from each banner. Gradually, one banner after another toppled over as all the demonic fire origin gathered into a single mass.
The demonic fire reconvened into a fire lotus. At the heart of the lotus, a longan-sized flame swayed gently.
It was likewise black, yet far more restrained and profound than the demonic fire Qin Sang normally controlled!
Even so, Qin Sang could sense an extraordinarily violent and astounding power within it. This power could not yet be controlled by him, kept calm solely by the resonance of their shared origin.
"So this is the source of the demonic fire..."
Qin Sang gazed at the flame and murmured to himself.
If he had not been stymied by this bottleneck, his divine sense would have broken through, and he would have been far more composed during this ordeal.
*Swish!*
The Mani Pearl drifted across. Guided by Qin Sang's mind, the fire lotus carried the demonic fire origin into the pearl. Then, the flame dispersed as wisps of origin seeped into the Ruyi Pearl.
In the end, the red fire around the outer ring of the Ruyi Pearl was tinged with a layer of black flame, where the demonic fire origin was sealed.
Beckoning it into his hand, he probed it briefly to confirm that both the demonic fire origin and the Mani Pearl were unharmed. Qin Sang nodded slightly, finding that the Mani Pearl looked more and more like a demonic artifact.
Next, Qin Sang tapped his fingers repeatedly, sending streams of light sinking into the demonic banners. A bone-piercing cold washed over him as the soul threads forming the banner surfaces unraveled one after another, ultimately dissolving into the world.
Qin Sang triggered the restrictions inside the Demon Sealing Stake, and the banner poles immediately underwent a massive transformation, reverting to their original forms.
In his hands rested two segments of the Demon Sealing Stake, resembling dark iron, with exceptionally clean break surfaces.
Qin Sang appraised them, rose to his feet, pushed open the stone door, and moved through the Five Elements Divine Restrictions toward one of the caves.
...
The avatar descended from the sky.
His movements drew the gazes of the others.
Seemingly picking a cave that had not yet been destroyed by the Five Elements Divine Restrictions at random, the avatar strode inside. Once through, he waved his hand to cast a protective restriction to block foreign perception. Out of caution, he wove the Ice Soul Divine Light into it, though he did not obscure the tracking marks on his body.
The two experts could track his whereabouts at any moment.
When the avatar stepped into the cave dwelling, the Demon Sealing Stake had already been quietly delivered to him.
Having obtained it, the avatar was in no hurry to return. After preparing his disguise, he walked back out of the cave, flew up into the air, and presented the treasure.
"It is indeed the Demon Sealing Stake!"
Saint Huiguang took it, his eyes shining with vibrant light. Sensing it carefully, he rejoiced, "The internal restrictions of this treasure have not suffered severe damage. If this poor monk refines it, though I cannot restore it to its pristine state, I should be able to temporarily mend the break and recover several tenths of its power."
The Azure Fox Saint King had been keeping a close eye on the proceedings. Hearing this, her expression noticeably relaxed.
"This poor monk must ignite my heart-fire to concentrate fully on refining this treasure. Time is short, and I cannot suffer any disturbance midway, so I can only leave behind a thread of instinctual consciousness to keep the Meditative Arhat Array stable. For the next phase, we must rely on fellow daoists and the Saint King to disperse the array, avoid its brunt, and engage the ancient demon in hit-and-run combat. Under no circumstances must you let the ancient demon escape."
As Saint Huiguang spoke, he communicated with the Saint King via divine sense.
"Old monk, you had better be quick. This king called upon the artifact spirit, yet received no response at all. Though the ancient demon has lost its sanity, the spirit treasure is still perfectly controlled by it, and its power is simply overwhelming. A single strike means death or grave injury; even if fighting on the move is easier, I doubt they can hold out for very long."
As the Azure Fox Saint King spoke, she removed the phoenix hairpin from her hair and tossed it upward.
The phoenix hairpin split into four, transforming into four celestial pillars that planted themselves around the edges of the suspended lake.
The surface of the lake expanded, providing room for everyone to maneuver.
In doing so, it highlighted all the more how terrifying the demonic body was. The demonic body roared repeatedly, and wherever the five-colored spiritual light swept, the lake waters surged backward, constantly threatening to tear apart, stabilized only by the celestial pillars.
The others avoided its direct brunt while helping the Azure Fox Saint King shoulder the pressure, doing everything in their power to maintain their formation.
Saint Huiguang acknowledged her words, then turned to the avatar, speaking in an easygoing tone. "Benefactor is truly a hero of this generation; no wonder Elder Lu is your close friend. Xingji has always spoken highly of Elder Lu—pure and flawless as fine jade, truly living up to his name. Alas, Elder Lu's aspirations were too high, and he chose a supreme secret art of Mount Bunian. Hampered by flaws in the secret art, he made no progress for many years."
Saint Huiguang was surprisingly well-informed about Mount Bunian and Lu Zhang.
In truth, Lu Zhang had long held the reputation of a genius in Mount Bunian, his fame rivaling Chengshenzi's back then. After Chengshenzi inadvertently damaged his Dao foundation, Lu Zhang was regarded as the undisputed candidate to succeed Sect Master Situ.
Toward such top-tier geniuses hailing from illustrious major sects, other factions would pay close attention. Regardless of the relationship between Mount Bunian and Ganlu Zen Monastery, they had certainly investigated Lu Zhang's background thoroughly.
Saint Huiguang possessed the ambition to influence the world. Upon his return, he had ordered Master Xingji to gather intelligence from all quarters, so being familiar with Lu Zhang's name was hardly surprising.
A trace of emotion flickered in Saint Huiguang's eyes, seemingly lamenting for Lu Zhang.
Listening to this, a chill ran down the avatar's spine.
He had claimed to be a bosom friend of Lu Zhang; had he not known these secrets, it would have been difficult to explain himself.
"It was not a flaw in the secret art, but the lack of an important spiritual item. Several years ago, Junior traveled through Nanzhou with Fellow Daoist Lu, where we captured a stone toad on the verge of maturity. After obtaining this spiritual item, Fellow Daoist Lu returned to the mountain to enter seclusion until now. Presumably, his cultivation will make great strides before long."
As he spoke, the avatar glanced out of the corner of his eye toward the Poison King's gray cocoon.
It was precisely because of that incident that he had been targeted by the scar-faced man, triggering the subsequent storm.
With the Poison King trapped, he could still swagger about under the identity of the Xie Clan Ancestor. Once the Poison King was rescued, however, his connection to his true body would be exposed.
Whether the Poison King used the situation to pressure him or exposed him to his face, it would spell trouble.
Extricating himself early was the best course of action!
"No wonder Mount Bunian sent no one to attend the Ullambana Assembly."
Saint Huiguang came to an understanding. He had been pondering earlier, and now seemed to recall something. "The Xie Clan of Mount Pu... this poor monk has some impression of them. Once a prominent clan in the Zhuo Prefecture region, after languishing for many years, they have finally welcomed a master of resurgence."
"Senior's erudition and memory are truly admirable; Junior is in awe. Junior lacks both talent and virtue, and dares not aim too high. However, Junior will never allow the bloodline of the Xie Clan to end with my generation, lest I have no face to meet my ancestors in the Netherworld. When the skin ceases to exist, where can the hair attach? In halting this demonic tribulation, Junior cannot shirk his duty!"
The avatar spoke in a solemn, deep tone.
"If all the cultivators under heaven possessed Benefactor's courage and breadth of mind, how could such great chaos ever have been stirred up?" Saint Huiguang sighed, then without further hesitation, flicked his wrist and sent a jade bottle flying outward.
The avatar hurriedly caught it with both hands. Popping the stopper slightly, he immediately sensed a faint, ethereal fragrance. Observing its color, taking in the scent, and carefully probing it, it was undeniably the Five Elements Pill.
"Many thanks, Senior, for bestowing the pill!"
The avatar stowed the Five Elements Pill. Once the two Deity Transformation experts removed their marks, he retreated into Dishou Mountain without hesitation beneath the peculiar gazes of the onlookers, seemingly in no rush to leave, as if he were truly seeking a secluded place to heal his wounds.
He did not notice that as he left, the Azure Fox Saint King cast a sidelong glance his way.
Watching the retreating figure of Qin Sang's avatar, a strange glint flashed in the Azure Fox Saint King's eyes. She glanced at Saint Huiguang, then withdrew her gaze.
The old monk's intentions were clear as day.
As long as the Demonic Voice of the Heavenly Dao was not purged, the Five Elements Pill was practically useless. No matter whose hands it fell into, it was all the same; there was no need to probe any further.
Those people did not know that the more opportunities they acquired and the closer they came to Deity Transformation, the faster they would die.
Giving out the pill could eliminate one, or perhaps even several, potential formidable rivals for Ganlu Zen Monastery. The old bald donkey truly possessed brilliant schemes.
The avatar returned to Dishou Mountain, his figure disappearing into the clouds as he entered the Seven Mansions Division Sword Array.
At this moment, Qin Sang's true body was lying low within the sword array, awaiting an opportune moment to slip away. Out of caution, he was in no hurry to rendezvous with the avatar.
Suddenly, the true body's expression shifted, and a fierce look flashed across the avatar's eyes!
Chapter 1682