Carrying his true body, the avatar escaped Dishou Mountain and plunged into the sword array, only to suddenly feel an icy prickle on his back. Looking up, he saw billows of demonic Qi rolling in the distance—the demon host had arrived!
At the forefront was a white silhouette with a ferocious, ghastly countenance, humanoid in shape, with long, slender limbs and needle-thin fingers. It resembled a mountain demon or a chang ghost, wrapped in rolling, bone-white vapor that seemed woven of ghost Qi and yin souls, deepening the chilling terror that surrounded it.
Wherever the white silhouette passed, even the daylight darkened. It was none other than the true form of Great Sage Bai Xiao, who had directly revealed his demon form to carry out the Saint King's orders. At his sides were two demon kings exceptionally skilled in movement techniques, while the rest trailed closely behind.
One was a fleshless bone bird, with a few withered yellow feathers sticking out sparsely from the crevices of its skeletal wings; the other was a four-winged blood serpent covered in crimson scales.
All were grotesquely bizarre demon beasts. The gaze the avatar had felt came from Bai Xiao. His piercing glare shot toward Qin Sang and the avatar. Having seen Qin Sang and the avatar flee into the sword array with his own eyes, there was no way Bai Xiao would let them slip away unscathed.
Bai Xiao let out a shrill, sinister laugh and churned his arms violently. Drawn by some unseen force, the white smoke around him converged swiftly toward the center, forming a slender bone sword before him.
The four-winged blood serpent and the bone bird had followed Bai Xiao for years and were in perfect sync. Grasping the Great Sage's intent, one instantly spat out a blood bead, while the other flapped its skeletal wings to loose three demon feathers.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
The three attacks shot forth together, turning into three streaks of light over the sword peaks—white, yellow, and scarlet—as swift as thunder.
*Boom!*
Cyan light surged into the sky above the sword peak. The grand array that Qin Sang had just broken into violently destabilized. The blood bead and demon feathers slammed into the barrier ahead of the bone sword, triggering simultaneous eruptions of bloody radiance, turbid yellow light, and cyan brilliance, shaking the nearby earth and mountains.
The bone sword arrived right behind, with impeccable timing. Finding the weak point with pinpoint accuracy, it trailed a long plume of white smoke, shooting down like a falling comet.
The avatar felt a stinging pain across his entire body, as if pinned down by a genuine, lethal blade. His expression tautened. Sweeping an arm back, he sent vast, surging white chill unfurling into a river behind him.
*Pfft!*
The bone sword plunged forcefully into the river of chill, yet barely stirred a ripple.
In the next instant, the expression on Bai Xiao's face froze slightly. The bone sword had vanished into thin air. Moreover, he had not felt the slightest impact from it. It was utterly bizarre, leaving him shocked and enraged.
What onlookers could not see was that the moment the Ice Soul Divine Light was unleashed, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly perched on the avatar's shoulder spread her wings and shot forth a beam of Heavenly Eye Divine Light.
The bone sword was originally formed of a divine ability and had flown from afar; upon touching the Heavenly Eye Divine Light, it naturally dissolved. At this moment, Qin Sang was desperate to find a place to heal and had no desire to entangle himself with Bai Xiao.
The Ice Soul Divine Light not only concealed the Heavenly Eye Divine Light, but also provided cover for his movements. Masked by the chill, the avatar cast a sweeping glance, sank into the ground, and flickered rapidly through the sword peaks.
*Crash!*
At an unnamed sword peak, the avatar carried the true body into a valley. A violent wind swept past, snapping trees and flattening vegetation in a mess of debris.
A clear spring flowed through the valley, beside which stood a crude wooden cabin, likely the former residence of some sword cultivator—and certainly ownerless now.
The avatar hurriedly set the true body down. The true body's injuries were worsening by the moment, the backlash of swallowing two Boiling Snow Pills in succession now fully manifesting.
Under normal circumstances, a great cultivator taking even a single Boiling Snow Pill had to seek treatment immediately. The damage to the meridians and qi sea was only part of it; being infused with boundless true essence that did not belong to oneself, with no buffering whatsoever, struck straight at one's Dao foundation. The slightest hesitation risked shaking it to its core.
The true body had endured purely by relying on his formidable physical body and spiritual sense far superior to peers of the same realm to stabilize his flesh and Dao foundation.
In truth, the true essence within the true body had not run dry, and the medicinal potency of the pills could not be dissolved in a single breath. The compounded effects of two Boiling Snow Pills inevitably left residues behind.
Yet it would have been better had this essence not been there at all. At this moment, the true body lacked the ability to control it, needing every ounce of concentration just to stop his injuries from deteriorating.
To make matters worse, the dormant toxins within him grew restless, taking advantage of his weakened state. Even though the toxic core's halo kept them in check, that still required Qin Sang to possess the capacity to suppress them.
The true body was deathly pale, his brows knit tightly in a deep furrow, his aura chaotic and feeble. Flapping its wings, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly rose from the avatar. It was thanks to her divine ability that they had been able to untangle the pathways of the Metal Phase Palace's grand array so quickly.
Landing on the true body's shoulder, she brushed her soft wings lightly against Qin Sang's cheek, trembling as if sharing in his agony. A hazy, faint blue mist rose from the eye patterns on her wings.
The avatar flashed behind the true body and pressed a hand against his back. As one and the same entity, the true body could safely let the avatar's power enter his body to help comb through his chaotic essence.
With the avatar's assistance, the internal situation improved somewhat. The agony on the true body's face eased slightly, though the injuries remained severe.
The avatar continued his efforts, hastily pulling out several bottles of healing pills and feeding them to the true body. Just then, the surroundings shook violently.
Looking up, demonic figures were already hovering in midair.
Bai Xiao and the other two demons hovered aloft, their gazes like lightning. Quickly spotting clues, the four-winged blood serpent let out a shrill shriek and flashed with blood light atop the sword peak, lashing its long tail violently outward.
*Boom!*
Blood light burst apart. Even through the sword array, the fierce impact churned up a hurricane of origin energy below, rushing back toward the sword peak and thoroughly plowing the valley bare.
The wooden cabin collapsed, exposing bare earth and rock. Qin Sang was nowhere to be seen.
Sensing danger, Qin Sang had fled the valley in advance, suppressing his aura with all his might. Though he appeared to be scurrying about like a headless fly, he was actually following the flow of the array, guided by his understanding of the sword formation and the Heavenly Eye divine ability.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Explosions echoed continuously.
Tracking him through the grand array was difficult, so the demon kings resorted to indiscriminate bombardment. Bai Xiao, the four-winged blood serpent, and the bone bird attacked in turns, leaving Qin Sang no room to pause.
At last, Qin Sang grasped the general shifts of the surrounding array and unexpectedly sensed a hidden chamber, slipping into it without hesitation.
*Thud!*
The dark subterranean chamber welcomed long-absent light. Evidently, the original master had cut corners back then; the restrictions of the chamber were built upon the mountain-protecting grand array, sharing its pathways and drawing upon its might.
It was precisely because of this that Qin Sang had been able to enter so easily. The subterranean chamber had simple furnishings and did not seem to be an important location.
Gaining a rare moment of respite, the avatar resumed soothing the true body's essence, but his heart grew heavier as he worked. The true body's condition was far more troublesome than anticipated.
This trip to the Wuxiang Immortal Sect had yielded tremendous gains, far exceeding Qin Sang's expectations. But all of that was meaningless unless he survived to enjoy it.
In truth, depleted true essence was not an issue; without Boiling Snow Pills, he still had supreme-grade spirit stones. When facing the Saint King, the avatar had never had a chance to attack, so he had been taking other pills to slowly restore his true essence.
The supreme-grade spirit stones were reserved for the true body. The moment his condition improved slightly, he could absorb their spiritual energy.
Yet the problem now was not true essence. Without first suppressing his internal injuries, the true body dared not move at all. Relying solely on the avatar, even if he used the Sun God Tree to repel the demon Great Sage, how could he withstand the encirclement of numerous demon kings?
Moreover, the enemy could easily surround without attacking, wearing him down while waiting for Azure Fox Saint King to free herself.
For now, he could only use the array to buy time, unsure whether he could hold out until the true body improved.
*Will I have to abandon either the true body or the avatar?* Qin Sang thought bitterly. If forced to make a choice, he would naturally prioritize sending the true body away, if at all possible.
...
At the edge of the Metal Phase Palace, the old nun felt a sinking dread when she saw Qin Sang flee in this direction. She did not know how much the destruction of the three illusory bodies had affected Azure Fox Saint King, but she had no desire to be dragged into their clash—to say nothing of the risk of drawing the wrath of a Deity Transformation expert.
The sect's top experts were all gathered here. If they were caught in the crossfire, the consequences would be catastrophic for the Moon-Veiling Nunnery.
Indeed, the other cultivators planning to explore the Metal Phase Palace were already scrambling far out of the way. She immediately crushed the jade talisman in her hand, issuing the order to retreat.
Fortunately, word came back from her junior sister that they had already cracked most of the secret palace's restrictions and claimed a portion of the treasures, yielding bountiful rewards.
Having received the warning, they dared not linger, hastily beating a retreat. When the old nun rendezvoused with her junior sisters and glanced back west, she found no trace of Liuli.
*Did she detour elsewhere after seeing the battle at Dishou Mountain?*
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a cool, detached voice came from the shadow of a nearby boulder: "Abbess."
Liuli had arrived at some point, stepping out of the shadows. Rather than flying openly on her sword, she was suppressing her aura as much as possible.
Having witnessed the battle between Qin Sang and the demon Deity Transformation cultivator, Liuli had hidden herself. The secret art Qin Sang had used to refine his avatar came from the Snow-Listening Tower, and the avatar cultivated the Ice Soul Divine Light, stemming from the same source. Its aura was similar to hers; if she did not conceal herself and the demon Deity Transformation saw through it, she too would be implicated.
"It's good that you're back!" The old nun's expression softened, and she said gravely, "We cannot stay here long! Though our gains fell short of expectations, this was still a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Once we return and quietly cultivate in seclusion, our cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds. Act decisively when it is time to cut our losses; do not let greed sway you."
She said this not only to Liuli, but also as a warning to the other junior sisters who were reluctant to leave.
Once the old monk subdued the ancient demon and freed his hands, he would surely turn his sights upon these remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect. Lingering until now was already taking a risk.
"What a shame! Just a little more time, and we could have broken that secret palace's final sword qi seal! Based on what we found earlier, there is definitely a top-tier sword cultivator treasure inside, of immense value—very likely the *Taiyuan Golden Astral Sword Scripture*!" a young nun protested indignantly.
"Junior Sister Ying, when you were exploring the Metal Phase Palace, you must have mapped out the mountain-protecting grand array, right? Hand the diagram to me; I will go to the secret palace and retrieve the treasure," Liuli said, extending her hand.
Her words surprised everyone.
The old nun waved her whisk, barring Liuli's path. "Junior Sister, do not be rash..."
Liuli cut her off, insisting, "Since joining the nunnery, I have received much care, yet I have contributed nothing. The cultivation methods and Daoist arts I practice do not belong to the Wuxiang Immortal Sect's heritage, nor does anyone know that I joined the Moon-Veiling Nunnery. I will not be targeted."
Hearing this, the others grew tempted. The young nun was particularly eager, having already pulled out a jade slip, her face filled with anticipation.
The old nun said nothing, staring intently at Liuli.
After a long pause, she looked back toward the Metal Phase Palace—though her gaze was not directed at the secret palace. She then glanced up at the suspended lake above, where waves had suddenly begun to churn violently. Turning to a lay Buddhist woman beside her, she said, "This place is fraught with peril; we cannot let Junior Sister Liuli take such risks alone. I will stay behind to support her. Junior Sister, lead the others out first."
The laywoman froze in surprise.
Before she could respond, the old nun took the jade slip from the young nun's hands and urged them to leave in an unquestionable tone.
"There are too many eyes in the ancient manor. Do not head for the teleportation array; exit directly through the main passage. The other factions are either pinned down by the ancient demon or busy hunting for treasures; they should not obstruct you. Remember, do not stop."
Everyone understood that the teleportation array had to be reserved for the Abbess and Liuli, so the nuns raised no objections.
The young nun felt both anticipation and worry. "We found several secret paths in the Metal Phase Palace... Abbess, Senior Sister Liuli, please be careful."
The old nun spoke sternly, commanding in her authority as Abbess. The laywoman dared not disobey and immediately gathered the junior sisters. Bidding farewell to the two, they concealed their auras and sped toward the entrance of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
Watching the nuns disappear into the distance, the old nun looked back and handed the jade slip to Liuli. "Have you truly thought through the dangers within, Junior Sister?"
"Thank you, Abbess." Liuli took the jade slip, well aware that the Abbess might have deduced something.
Her joining the Moon-Veiling Nunnery had been a coincidence, which led to a friendship with the Abbess. Aside from not being allowed to wander outside freely, the nunnery had few strict rules, and the Abbess could assist her in studying Buddhist teachings. Since both suited her needs, she had accepted the invitation to join.
She harbored no deep attachment to the Moon-Veiling Nunnery, nor did she place high expectations on it. With a demon Saint King looming above, what right did she have to ask the old nun to wager the survival of her sect?
Regardless of what the old nun had in mind, her willingness to stay behind was truly sending charcoal in snowy weather. Thus, Liuli thanked her with utmost sincerity.
Liuli sank her mind into the jade slip. They had been exploring the Metal Phase Palace for some time, and combined with the ancient records already possessed by their sect, they had mapped out the general layout and flow of the mountain-protecting grand array. Many areas were detailed extensively and could be turned to her advantage.
By now, demonic Qi hung thick and foul over the Metal Phase Palace.
Unable to smoke Qin Sang out, and finding it exceptionally difficult to search through the mountain-protecting grand array, Bai Xiao simply led the demons to encircle a large cluster of sword peaks, penning Qin Sang inside.
The demons formed an array, each occupying a sword peak in a different direction, watching hungrily like hawks and wolves.
The four-winged blood serpent and the bone bird launched continuous attacks, while Bai Xiao ceased attacking. Instead, white smoke poured steadily from his body, drifting above his head to form a head-sized white cloud that gradually shifted into the shape of a massive eyeball.
The eyeball hovered in the air, spinning in every direction with eerie malevolence as it scrutinized below, preventing Qin Sang from sneaking away undetected!
In the next instant, the demons launched a coordinated assault on the grand array. Mountains shook, and the array flared violently.
By then, Liuli and the old nun had already slipped into the Metal Phase Palace. To the old nun's surprise, Liuli moved with clear purpose, quickly sneaking near the demon array, though she dared not draw too close with the demonic eye suspended above.
Then, Liuli came to a halt and quietly released her Ice Soul Divine Light.
Her Ice Soul Divine Light was already silent and traceless. Concealed further by the shockwaves from the attack on the array, it went entirely unnoticed, seeping along the array's pathways directly toward Qin Sang's hiding place.
Back in the North Sea, she had discovered that due to the hidden flaw of the evil technique, she could sense Qin Sang through the brand within a certain distance.
Earlier, Qin Sang had likely been inside Dishou Mountain, shielded by the Five Elements Divine Restriction, so the brand had not reacted.
Inside a dark chamber, the true body's aura was steadily stabilizing, showing signs of improvement. Just as he was pondering how to escape, Qin Sang opened his eyes in astonishment.
Chapter 1689