Waking the Gu King inside his body had indeed been an immensely risky gambit.
Although Qin Sang had guided the toxic light toward the giant demonic soul and activated the Poison Pearl, using its poison-warding halo to erect a barrier for himself, he still could not completely prevent the residual poison from seeping into his body.
On top of that, the Sun God Tree had instantly drained his true essence, nearly causing the toxins to erupt uncontrollably within him.
Qin Sang had been mentally prepared for the Sun God Tree's massive consumption. The moment he struck, he had swallowed a Boiling Snow Pill, and right afterward, he experienced an extreme plunge followed by an explosive surge.
His true essence depleted, he had plunged into a state of weakness he had never experienced since his breakthrough.
Immediately afterward, the Boiling Snow Pill dissolved in his body, its medicinal potency converting into extremely pure origin qi. Yet unlike ordinary pills, its potency was far from gentle—it virtually detonated.
Like an avalanche or a surging river breaching its dikes, the medicinal power treated Qin Sang's body as a flood channel, sending a torrential deluge of origin qi roaring into his four limbs and hundred bones.
His meridians were instantly battered by the massive impact of origin qi. Even with Qin Sang's late Nascent Soul cultivation, it exceeded his limits.
This was the first time Qin Sang had witnessed such a violent medicinal pill. The recipe's description of its effects had been no exaggeration at all. Excruciating pain tore through his meridians as multiple pathways ruptured, his flesh tore open, and his entire body trembled violently.
Replenished by the medicinal power, he would soon recover from his weakened state.
Yet Qin Sang had no time to spare for sorting out the origin qi in his body. He could only forcibly stabilize a fraction of it to suppress the residual poison and appease the Gu King.
Compared to the toxic light invading his body, the Gu King was the true danger. If the Gu King felt threatened and spat out a few more blasts of toxic light, Qin Sang would be in dire straits.
He held his breath and did everything in his power to stabilize his qi sea, ensuring the Gu King remained undisturbed and did not detect his weakness.
Not a trace of blood could be seen on the Gu King's body. The pure white, lustrous beetle looked more like an artwork carved from jade; no one would ever imagine it was an incomparably dangerous venomous insect.
The Gu King's eyes rolled slightly, filled with a hint of bewilderment. Jolted awake just moments ago by the sudden, razor-sharp sword intent, it had lashed out on instinct. But upon waking fully, it found everything around it calm and normal, without any fatal threat.
Its wings fluttered gently.
The Gu King clearly sensed the sword intent of the Wandering Sword. Unlike the murderous sword intent from earlier, this one was gentle, though it carried the Wood-phase aura it dreaded most. Ever since its spiritual consciousness first sprouted, it had been suppressed by the scar-faced man's divine abilities, an imprint etched deep into its very marrow.
Around it was also a seven-colored haze enveloping it, carrying an aura it hated just as much.
Blinking once, the Gu King wrapped its wings around its body in a posture of self-preservation and settled back into slumber.
"Whew..."
Only when the Gu King fell asleep did Qin Sang breathe a long sigh of relief.
Though the move had been risky, the outcome was favorable, and at the time he had had no better choice.
Next, Qin Sang immediately mobilized the power of the Poison Pearl to suppress the remaining poison within him.
Throughout this process, his true body was constrained by the Gu King and hindered in movement. It was his incarnation who followed up and struck Su Zinan. Of course, Qin Sang had also seen that Su Zinan was engulfed in spiritual fire and could not possibly escape, meaning there was no need to take further risks, though he had remained secretly vigilant all along.
The incarnation had shattered the Qianhuan Mirror and smoothly captured Su Zinan's remnant Nascent Soul.
Yet an unexpected mishap had still occurred.
When the six divine birds erupted, their power had exceeded all expectations. Far from merely damaging the formation, they had shaken the spiritual array's very foundation and torn open the Seven Mansions Division Sword Array in a single stroke!
One had to understand that the Five Elements Divine Restrictions had been laid down by the collective might of the entire Wuxiang Immortal Sect. Every sword star in the sword array had been meticulously tempered by top sword cultivators of the Metal Phase lineage, sustained by the mutual generation of the five elements and linked to the earth veins to endure for myriad years.
Had the sword array been on a smaller scale, it would likely have suffered far worse than a mere tear.
Qin Sang had anticipated that the sword array would not conceal the fluctuations of the Nanming Primordial Fire and that the Deity Transformation cultivators overhead would surely sense it. Had he not been directly exposed, it would only have aroused suspicion, perhaps leaving him some room to maneuver.
He had not expected the sword array to be ripped open, exposing him directly to everyone's sight.
On Dishou Mountain.
The five-colored glow had already engulfed half the peak. Within the vast expanse of radiance, a gaping hole abruptly appeared, spewing out torrents of fire.
Those unfamiliar with the array might have thought the Five Elements Divine Restrictions had clashed, with the Fire-phase divine restriction crashing inward.
When the Nanming Primordial Fire erupted, it was situated inside the sword array. Most of the spiritual fire vented within the array, but the portion that escaped after tearing through the array still produced an impressive display.
Inside the breach, at the edge of the raging flames, two figures flickered in and out of view—Qin Sang's true body and his incarnation.
The incarnation had just captured Su Zinan's Nascent Soul.
The true body seemed frozen, looking up at the sky. Anyone with sharp eyesight could tell that his condition was extremely abnormal: his face was pale and sickly, his body soaked in blood, and his aura was in utter disarray—all clear signs of severe injury and uncontrolled true essence.
"What is that in his hand?"
South of Dishou Mountain, three figures hovered above a palace resembling a temple.
The three had been working together to crack the restrictions on the palace when the commotion on Dishou Mountain drew their attention. They all looked over; two gazed at Qin Sang's true body, while the eyes of the third, a Daoist-robed man, were drawn to the incarnation.
"It looks like... a Nascent Soul..."
His companion turned his gaze over and spoke in a raspy voice.
Anyone who dared linger on Dishou Mountain at this moment was by no means weak, yet this person had met such a tragic end, having even their Nascent Soul captured and unable to escape.
The remnant Nascent Soul was stowed away by the incarnation. In that fleeting glimpse, they could not make out the soul's face, only catching sight of smoke rising from it as if it had been roasted by fire.
The Daoist-robed man had once met Su Zinan and seemed to discern something, struck by an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"That remnant soul looks like..."
He opened his mouth, then froze, not daring to utter the name because it felt too preposterous.
At the Metal Phase Palace.
The old nun stared fixedly at the Suspended Lake, her expression tense.
First had come Daoist Purple Thunder's heavenly tribulation, followed by the appearance of Deity Transformation cultivators. She had originally planned to lead her disciples in an immediate withdrawal from the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, but unexpectedly, her junior sister sent word that they had discovered a vital secret hall within the Metal Phase Palace, though it would take some time to break the formation.
With the Deity Transformation cultivators held up by the ancient demon, extra time was bought for them. The old nun decided to take the risk, ordering her junior sister to breach the formation as quickly as possible while she kept watch on the battle in the sky. If the situation turned sour, she would have to retreat decisively and bear the pain of abandoning the treasures.
Liuli's whereabouts also weighed heavily on the old nun's mind.
With Deity Transformation cultivators taking up residence in the immortal estate and formidable powerhouses appearing in droves, the Wuxiang Immortal Sect had become a hotbed of trouble. Remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect like them could afford to stay least of all. She wondered where Liuli was now and whether she would make it back in time to retreat with them.
When the clouds split open and scarlet fire soared into the sky, the old nun was startled as well. She instinctively glanced over, but her gaze lingered on the mountain for only a moment before turning toward the western horizon. Seeing a familiar streak of light speeding toward them, she relaxed slightly.
The newcomer was indeed Liuli.
Flying swiftly on her sword, Liuli stared at the figures in the fissure of the divine restriction, her expression solemn.
After parting from the old nun to search for the immortal palace, she had followed the old nun's guidance to two locations. She had first gone to the northern forbidden area, but upon venturing deep inside, she found it could not possibly be a passage to the immortal palace. Retreating from the forbidden area, she rushed to the peak of the precipice, only to find a ruined teleportation array.
Liuli knew about the immortal palace's ascension; seeing this, she could basically deduce what had happened.
Top powerhouses appearing one after another on Dishou Mountain confirmed that an unexpected disaster had also struck the Zhongzhou immortal palace.
The matter of the immortal palace could only be set aside. Liuli then began planning for herself, recalling that she had noticed something unusual when venturing deep into the northern forbidden area, which seemed to hold an opportunity, so she turned back toward it.
Just as she was about to enter the forbidden area, the ancient demon broke its seal, and Deity Transformation cultivators made their presence known.
To her surprise, Liuli spotted a familiar figure from a distance—Qin Sang's incarnation, who had been left behind by Saint Huiguang. Only then did she realize Qin Sang was here too.
She did not know whether the incarnation was acting alone or if Qin Sang's true body was also trapped on Dishou Mountain.
Being targeted by Deity Transformation cultivators left one's fate perilous and unpredictable; losing even an incarnation here would be a crushing blow. Although Liuli had entered the Buddhist order because of the imprint and deliberately distanced herself from Qin Sang, she knew in her heart that he was not to blame.
She had braved life and death alongside Qin Sang and journeyed with him through storms for decades; under no circumstances could she stand by and watch him die. Decisively abandoning her plan to enter the forbidden area, Liuli turned back on her sword to see if she could lend any aid.
Sure enough, before she even arrived, Qin Sang's true body had already appeared, causing quite a commotion in plain view of everyone.
"It's the Sun God Birds..."
Liuli recognized the scarlet fire.
Judging by its power, it far exceeded the simultaneous release of three divine birds in the past. It was evident that Qin Sang had definitely broken through, and not recently either, or he would not have been able to mobilize even more Sun God Birds.
After hiding for so long, to be exposed now of all times!
Liuli's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her flying speed surged by thirty percent.
The Suspended Lake was dyed an inky black.
The demonic body unleashed boundless ferocity.
Five-colored spiritual light shot out incessantly in utter chaos. Demonic claws flashed repeatedly within it, sometimes as small as a human hand, sometimes large enough to hold up the heavens, their power virtually identical—to graze them was to be wounded, to touch them was to die.
The several great cultivators were exhausted from coping, harboring fury they dared not voice.
Ever since breaking through to late Nascent Soul, when had they ever been in such a sorry state?
Yet while the demonic body's power was terrifying, the demonic spirit had fallen into madness. Its attacks lacked any rhyme or reason, relying purely on brute force. Though dodging remained immensely difficult, as time passed and they grew familiar with the demonic body's methods, they gradually gained some measure of confidence.
Amid the chaotic melee, everyone tensely watched the progress of repairing the Demon Sealing Stake.
Enveloped by Saint Huiguang's mind-fire, the Demon Sealing Stake was no different from being tossed into a furnace. Mind-fire flowed over its surface, making it look as though the stake were melting.
In truth, this was merely an illusion; the Demon Sealing Stake itself remained completely intact.
The restrictions within were stimulated by the mind-fire, radiating a faint dark light that was thickest at the break. This indicated that Saint Huiguang had already devised a plan and begun activating the restrictions.
The fracture on the Demon Sealing Stake was exceedingly smooth, fitting together seamlessly.
Now, a prominent gap appeared between the two pieces of the Demon Sealing Stake. The invisible mind-fire seeped along the fissure, some of it even penetrating deep inside the stake.
At this moment, the lotus throne beneath Saint Huiguang shifted form. Dense runes surfaced across the lotus petals; had Qin Sang seen them, he would have found them remarkably familiar.
They closely resembled the array that Senior Sister and Bai had deduced years ago to complement the Demon Binding Rope—the Demon Subduing Array Saint Huiguang had spoken of.
Lacking an array diagram in hand, Saint Huiguang could only divert his focus to temporarily inscribe it onto the lotus throne. This act carried deep intent: the moment the Demon Subduing Array was completed, the Demon Sealing Stake's luster brightened noticeably, resonating with the array.
Serving as a guide, the Demon Subduing Array aided in comprehending the Demon Sealing Stake's restrictions. Saint Huiguang's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and his fingers turned like a wheel, continuously casting intricate Buddhist seals.
The Buddhist seals transformed into streaks of golden light that sank into the Demon Sealing Stake.
Initially, there was no obvious phenomenon. But as time went by, faint golden light welled up within the fissure, and the Demon Sealing Stake's aura underwent a transformation.
"If this continues, holding out until Saint Huiguang repairs the Demon Sealing Stake should be feasible."
This was what Old Demon Fan and the others thought. Seeing Saint Huiguang's smooth progress, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Azure Fox Saint King had an even firmer grasp of the situation and was more optimistic than they were.
The Suspended Lake had turned almost completely inky black, looking like a demonic lake tainted by malice. Even the heavenly pillar formed by the phoenix hairpin was enveloped in demonic qi, obscuring its original appearance.
All of this had been done deliberately by Azure Fox Saint King. As the saying went, channeling was better than damming. After steadying the front, she attempted to intentionally expose flaws and dangle bait, creating opportunities for the demonic body.
While seemingly fraught with peril, dealing with it was actually far calmer and more manageable than at the start.
Those present were battle-hardened top experts who executed Azure Fox Saint King's will flawlessly. Naturally, they could afford to do so because of the Demon Sealing Stake, giving them the confidence to entangle the demonic body regardless of the cost.
The bright moon remained pristine and pure; that luminous moon was the true cornerstone of the Suspended Lake. Her sleeves fluttering, Azure Fox Saint King stood high in the void, remarkably close to the bright moon, resembling an immortal maiden stepping out of the moon.
She commanded the overall situation, watching the demonic body's every move—until the sudden change on the mountain.
Qin Sang looked up. Even across the Suspended Lake, he met those alluring, bewitching eyes. He suddenly felt a stinging pain in his eyes as if his very mind had been seen through in an instant, and his heart thudded violently.
Spotting the clusters of scarlet fire tearing through the clouds, Azure Fox Saint King raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes, a glint of chilliness flashing within them.
Next, Azure Fox Saint King glanced toward Saint Huiguang from the corner of her eye.
Saint Huiguang sat in deep meditation on the lotus throne, completely single-minded as he channeled the mind-fire, seemingly oblivious to the disturbance unfolding below.
The Nanming Primordial Fire was rootless fire after all.
After ripping through the Seven Mansions Division Sword Array, the scarlet fire flagged, soon ceasing to erupt. While boulder-sized fireballs still danced in the void, the five-colored clouds had already begun to push back.
In particular, the Earth-phase and Water-phase divine restrictions flanking the sword array seized upon the array's disarray to press inward. Continuous rumbles echoed through the mountain; under the violent impacts, the summit had already begun to tilt, on the verge of collapsing.
The fissure in the clouds was about to close in the blink of an eye.
Qin Sang's true body seemed to sense something. A flicker of unease crossed his eyes; forcibly suppressing the chaotic origin qi within him, his body quivered, and he plummeted toward the depths of the clouds alongside his incarnation.
Azure Fox Saint King's gaze shifted, a cold sneer surfacing at the corner of her mouth.
Three fox tails suddenly detached from her body, transforming into three streaks of flowing light that shot downward at blistering speed. They were aimed not at the demonic body, but straight through the Suspended Lake toward the fissure in the clouds.
At the same time,
a cold rebuke rang out for all to hear, causing everyone's faces to pale.
"So it's you! You slaughtered this King's disciple and gravely wounded my beloved general—and you still dare appear before me!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The streaks of light plummeted.
The clouds flanking the fissure suddenly froze for an instant.
In that instant, an astonishing pressure descended from the sky. The three streaks of light reverted to fox tails, yet with a single shimmer, they transformed into three figures. Each was enchanting, curvaceous, and brimming with charm, identical in appearance and attire to Azure Fox Saint King herself.
The figures appeared somewhat ethereal, resembling a divine ability akin to a dharma body, yet the pressure they exuded was no different from a true Deity Transformation cultivator arriving in person.
Composed in expression and effortless in posture, they stepped into the fissure in the clouds.
Chapter 1686