"Let fluids rise through all a hundred forms, seven spirits brim with light.
Pouring down upon your five limbs, glorious brightness of Jade Clarity!"
Shi Xuan's clear, resonant voice rang out.
Accompanied by the chant, the spiritual talisman before him gradually took full shape. Light and pure, it drifted through the air like shimmering ripples of water.
Shi Xuan flicked a finger toward Shen Huo, who was charging at the vanguard, and the talisman trembled and shattered.
Simultaneously, a torrent of water cascaded from above Shen Huo's head, as though a stretch of the heavenly river had been severed to pour straight into the crown of his skull.
Shen Huo and Shi Xuan were bosom friends and had long prepared for this, so Shen Huo's forward momentum never slowed for an instant.
In the next breath, Qin Sang sensed the moisture in the surrounding heaven and earth drawn by some potent attraction, surging rapidly toward Shen Huo until a soft blue halo radiated from his body.
As the water vapor gathered thicker and denser, it outlined the silhouette of a human figure, encasing Shen Huo in protective armor that resembled the condensed essence of Guishui.
At the same time, Shen Huo's aura swelled tremendously. Like a fierce tiger bounding from the mountain forest, he cleared the cliff top with a single leap.
Looking down upon the temple on the precipice, Shen Huo's face was masked in murderous intent. Both hands gripped the dark iron greatsword tightly as the flesh and sinew of his arms swelled, glowing with faint blue light. Bolstered by Shi Xuan's talisman, an even more formidable strength seemed to course through him.
"Hah!"
A thunderous roar shook the surrounding mountains.
Raising the greatsword high, Shen Huo plummeted like a bolt of lightning, slashing ferociously toward the temple.
The temple was exceedingly crude, with hardly any furnishings worthy of notice. It lacked entirely the ornate, solemn grandeur of shrines governed by the Daoist Court, looking scarcely better than the ghost-folk hamlets at the foot of the mountain.
However, the stone blocks used to build it had been polished as smooth as mirrors, and its square layout was impressively neat.
Inside the temple.
A blue fox was currently lounging lazily on a daybed.
Occupying the largest chamber in the temple, its exalted status was readily apparent.
Beside the daybed stood a white jade statue with the head of a fox and the body of a human—the very deity worshipped by the ghost-folk below.
Yet this statue was far more exquisite and lifelike. One could easily tell it was modeled after this blue fox, merely beautifying its fox form into a human body.
Half-asleep, the blue fox lazily watched the pack of minor demons below.
These minor demons were currently sharing the offerings presented by the ghost-folk. Not yet having attained sapience and driven entirely by instinct, they inevitably squabbled and brawled in a chaotic mess.
The prize they fought over was a cluster of wicker baskets filled with blood-food from the ghost-folk.
Not only did they contain the flesh and blood of demon beasts the ghost-folk had risked their lives to hunt,
but from several baskets came faint, muffled weeping. Catching that scent, the minor demons could no longer restrain themselves and instantly fell into a scuffle.
To them, what lay inside those baskets was unquestionably a supreme delicacy.
Yet the ghost-folk lived in tight-knit packs and were not to be trifled with. Normally, these minor demons lacked the power to seize such blood-food, but now the ghost-folk obediently offered it up on their own.
It was entirely thanks to their king's ingenious stratagem that they could savor such exquisite morsels so easily!
The demons that managed to snatch a share devoured it ravenously, their reverence for the king on the daybed reaching an absolute peak.
Just then, the explosive roar thundered from outside the temple.
The blue fox snapped upright, its gaze tightening. Leaping backward in panic, it smashed straight through the wall with a deafening boom.
The rest of the minor demons reacted half a beat too late. Turning around in dazed confusion, they gaped at a dark silhouette descending from the sky, brandishing a sword in a downward cleave!
Boom!
A cloud of dust billowed over the cliff top.
The dark iron greatsword struck right down the temple's central axis, sinking into the earth and carving a deep sword mark into the ground.
An invisible shockwave surged outward along the trench. Every stone room collapsed instantly, and the sword wind swept across the rubble, grinding the stone blocks into fine powder and obliterating the minor demons inside along with them.
With a sharp crack, the forward edge of the cliff gave way under the immense impact, tumbling into the river below.
"Who dares destroy my divine shrine!"
A shrill, furious shriek echoed from the dust.
Then the wind and smoke churned as claw shadows filled the sky, razor-sharp gales slashing like knives to instantly engulf Shen Huo.
"What manner of feral beast dares call itself a god!"
Shen Huo mocked without the slightest fear. With an effortless lift of his arm, he wrenched the dark iron greatsword from the earth, snapped his wrist, and split the weapon into three sword phantoms that lashed out in swift succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The seemingly cumbersome dark iron greatsword proved extraordinarily nimble in his grasp. The claw shadows shattered in swaths, falling into complete disarray.
With a muffled grunt, the blue fox stumbled back a great distance. Just as it prepared to counterattack, it clearly saw Shen Huo and the figures behind him. Its expression warped in horror, and it threw back its head to unleash a piercing, prolonged howl.
Knowing it was calling for reinforcements, Shen Huo did not stop it. Rolling his wrist, he sneered, "Better to summon all the evil gods in the area. That way, we can wipe you all out in one sweep!"
Before his words finished echoing, Shen Huo vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already beside the blue fox, lunging forward with a thrust.
The howl, infused with the blue fox's innate divine ability, resonated through the mountains in an instant.
Deep within the peaks, the roars of dragons and tigers sounded almost simultaneously. Demonic qi soared skyward, whipping up gale-force gusts and dark clouds that tore through the air.
Shen Huo ignored them entirely, his eyes fixed solely on the blue fox.
The fox dodged sideways, causing Shen Huo's thrust to miss, but he pressed on relentlessly. Flipping the flat of the heavy blade, he struck outward with crushing force.
Sensing disaster, the blue fox attempted to dodge once more when a soft shout rang in its ears: "Freeze!"
A spiritual talisman materialized above the fox's head at some unknown moment. Seeming slow yet arriving with deceptive speed, it drifted down and affixed itself directly onto the crown of its skull.
As if bearing the weight of myriad jin, the blue fox froze in place, unable to twitch a muscle, panic filling its eyes.
Bang!
The greatsword descended with savage momentum, striking the blue fox squarely. Its bones shattered instantly, reducing it to a pool of minced meat.
Yet no pride showed on Shen Huo's face. His gaze suddenly shifted toward a dense thicket ahead, and he let out a cold snort. Just as he moved to give chase, a figure darted past him at even greater speed.
It was Qin Sang.
Channeling the Lotus Seal of the Seven Masters Buddhist Seal, Qin Sang moved like smoke, ethereal and elusive. In a flash, he appeared at the edge of the woods and reached out into thin air, surprisingly dragging another blue fox out from the void.
His grip clamped around the blue fox's neck like an iron vise.
The fox's eyes were bloodshot as it thrashed frantically.
Snap!
Qin Sang tightened his fingers slightly. The blue fox's eyes bulged, its body stiffened, and its breath dwindled to a thread.
"Splendid!"
A gleam of admiration flashed in Shen Huo's eyes, deeply impressed by Qin Sang's sharp grasp of combat opportunities. Leveling his greatsword, he turned toward the depths of the mountains.
Qin Sang tossed the limp blue fox back to Shi Xuan and looked in the same direction.
However, what drew his attention was not those visible plumes of demonic qi; instead, his gaze quietly swept across the distant peaks.
***
Deep inside a distant mountain, the belly of the peak had been hollowed out into a hidden chamber.
Within the dark chamber rested a spherical jade orb emitting a faint glow that illuminated a radius of barely three feet.
A voice spoke from the darkness: "Brother Jiu, people from the Daoist Court have arrived."
A moment later, a figure stepped beside the jade orb. He was an extraordinarily burly man with a panther-like head and round eyes, his build rivaling that of Shen Huo before his incantation.
However, a striped tiger tail swayed behind him.
He cast his eyes downward at the jade orb, which displayed the scene unfolding at the blue fox's shrine.
Before long, a tall, gaunt figure emerged from the shadows.
This person had a hooked nose and a pair of wings folded behind his back, covered in thick, sleek grey feathers that could easily be mistaken for a grey cloak at a casual glance.
"Only a few juniors with the Dongshen ritual rank have come. There isn't even an immortal official from the Daoist Court,"
the burly man said, lifting his head.
Brother Jiu remained silent. After watching the jade orb for a moment, he suddenly pointed toward Qin Sang within the projection. "I faintly sense a threat from this man."
The burly man started slightly, studying Qin Sang closely before frowning. "Brother Jiu's innate divine ability allows him to perceive danger, and Marquis Liu specifically dispatched you here, so your premonition is unlikely to be wrong. Still, could the Daoist Court have produced an immortal official who cultivates the Dragon-Tiger Altar as well?"
"Who says the Daoist Court would definitely send an immortal official?"
Brother Jiu countered. "If we grow complacent and try to casually dispose of these juniors, wouldn't we walk straight into their trap?"
The burly man nodded thoughtfully. "To make you sense danger, this person must be a master on par with a Grand Altar Master at the very least. For the Daoist Court to make such a fuss over a few minor demons posing as evil gods among the ghost-folk, you and I can return to report our mission to Marquis Liu. If it is the same elsewhere, it proves the path we have spent years preparing is correct; otherwise, our first move would not have provoked such intense vigilance from the Daoist Court."
While they spoke,
further changes unfolded on the battlefield.
Though the blue fox had sent out a distress call, it had been captured alive before reinforcements could arrive.
Yet the evil gods rushing to its aid were not deterred. Soon, seven or eight plumes of demonic wind converged at once, accompanied by eerie shrieks.
Within the gale, phantoms of jackals, wolves, tigers, and panthers flickered faintly. Most bore auras stronger than the blue fox, all of them demon beasts of the Demon Core stage.
Sand flew, stones rolled, and overcast clouds churned.
Qin Sang and Shen Huo stood side by side.
Shi Xuan lagged slightly behind, while Luo Yin stood at the very rear.
By this point, Luo Yin had also summoned her register altar.
Unlike Shi Xuan, Luo Yin cultivated a Soldier-Horse Altar, having been bestowed soldiers and horses by her sect from the very start of her path.
The Daoist soldiers bred by Jiuhua Cave Heaven were mostly aquatic clans, every one of them an elite.
The troops under Luo Yin's command were uniform in appearance—blue sharks, each a zhang long, deploying into formation high above.
Though there was no water in the sky,
the blue sharks spewed mouthfuls of essence that dispersed through the air, creating what seemed like a suspended lake.
"Qi of mountains and rivers, essence of a hundred elegances.
Forming into a canopy, caverns exhaling into clouds!"
Luo Yin's voice was clear and melodious. Standing upon her register altar, she paced the Big Dipper, executing a few nimble turns.
The blue shark battle array shifted in response, their movements tracing an array diagram as the collective might of the demons influenced heaven and earth.
Layers of white clouds suddenly billowed in the high skies.
At first, it was merely wispy mist, but as the clouds accumulated, they spread across the heavens like an unfurled canopy, overshadowing everything below.
Just then, the approaching demons swept into the area, instantly overwhelmed by a suffocating pressure. Looking up at the sky, they exchanged glances and roared in unison.
In a flash, they revealed their true forms and unleashed their divine abilities, splitting up with a single shared objective—Luo Yin!
Though they had only recently been enlightened, they instinctively sensed that Luo Yin, who cultivated the Soldier-Horse Altar, posed the greatest threat to them.
Shen Huo let out a hearty laugh, casually picked a target, and swung his sword in a fierce slash.
Shi Xuan flashed forward to shield Luo Yin. The Golden Seal Altar before him rotated slowly as another spiritual talisman flew forth.
"Divide the River!"
The talisman vanished with a flicker, and a massive river abruptly materialized across the sky, its source unknown and its destination unseen.
Like a celestial chasm, the river surged past Shi Xuan, barring the demon pack on the opposite bank.
Luo Yin remained entirely focused on her incantation, paying no heed to the ferocious adversaries before her.
Before long, sharp cracking sounds erupted as torrential rain poured over the surrounding peaks.
Amidst the storm, raindrops linked together like pearls, morphing into razor-sharp water swords.
In an instant, tens of thousands of inverted swords hung suspended above the demons' heads, an aura of lethal intent piercing the sky.
Luo Yin opened her eyes slightly, her gaze brimming with killing intent as she glared at the pack. The myriad water swords swept through the air, plunging down in a frenzied barrage.
Qin Sang was not idle either. He selected a target for himself—a white tiger lingering at the rear of the pack.
This white tiger possessed the highest cultivation, and it had been the one to devise the strategy of targeting Luo Yin just now.
Having observed everything, Qin Sang formed the Lotus Seal and slipped through the demonic pack like a wraith.
The white tiger's eyelids twitched violently. Crouching low, it let out a furious roar as dark shadows emerged from its flanks—two chang ghosts.
Both chang ghosts were wolf demons slain by the white tiger, having possessed cultivation at the Demon Spirit stage in life. Together, they pounced toward Qin Sang.
Still maintaining the Lotus Seal, Qin Sang flickered and slipped right between the two chang ghosts. His hand seal shifted abruptly into the Demon-Subduing Seal, pressing toward the center of the white tiger's brow with the force of thunder.
Terrified, the white tiger let out a yelp. Not daring to clash head-on with Qin Sang, it spun around and fled, while the two chang ghosts scrambled back to protect their master.
Having driven the white tiger back in a single move, Qin Sang neither switched targets nor showed any urge to capture it immediately. He pursued the beast at an unhurried pace, always appearing just one step away from catching up.
***
Beside the jade orb in the hidden chamber,
the burly man watched the scene with a puzzled expression.
"Brother Jiu, this person..."
Brother Jiu's brow furrowed tightly as he stared at Qin Sang. A moment later, he suddenly noticed the path of the white tiger's flight. His expression warped drastically, and he shouted in alarm, "Quick, run!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth
than the Qin Sang within the jade orb suddenly looked up in their direction. A faint smile played at the corner of his lips, and a spiritual sword appeared before him, its light flashing and vanishing in an instant.
The burly man reacted with incredible speed. Warned by his companion, he retreated deeper into the cave without hesitation.
Boom!
The Grey Oriole Sword pierced clean through the mountain wall's array restrictions, striking the jade orb embedded within with pinpoint accuracy.
Its momentum unbroken, the sword chased after the two demons.
Qin Sang arrived right on its heels.
Moments ago, he had felt an inexplicable sensation of being watched. Commanding the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to employ its divine ability, he discovered a masterfully concealed array restriction hidden in this mountain, and drawing closer, he sensed two formidable auras.
In such a remote region, there were actually demon kings suspected of being in the Metamorphosis stage lying in wait.
With Qin Sang's shrewdness, it was easy to deduce that he had stumbled into yet another conspiracy. Having already stepped into the fray, it was too late to withdraw. Moreover, he intended to achieve great deeds in Jushan Diocese; unless the enemy proved hopelessly overwhelming, he had no reason to turn away.
Even if there were no conspiracy, capturing two great demons would yield considerable merits.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two demons retreated in haste, terror etched across their faces.
The sword qi unleashed by the Grey Oriole Sword chilled them to the bone, though fortunately they were not without a fallback.
When deciding to set up their surveillance here to test the Daoist Court, they had already prepared an escape route by constructing a small-scale teleportation formation.
Having sensed danger just now, Brother Jiu directly activated the formation.
"Go!"
Stepping onto the teleportation formation, Brother Jiu reached out to grab the burly man as spiritual light flared from the array.
At that moment, Qin Sang appeared at the entrance of the cave. Seeing this, his brow furrowed slightly, and the speed of the Grey Oriole Sword surged drastically.
Just as the two demons were about to vanish, the spiritual sword skewered the burly man's chest, pinning his corpse to the stone wall behind.
The spiritual light dissipated, and Brother Jiu was gone.
Qin Sang strolled over, frowning slightly as he looked at the spent teleportation formation. Recalling the sinister, venomous glare the demon had given him in that final instant, he knew he had made another enemy.
However, he did not care.
The adversary had been exceptionally alert. Striking on such short notice, managing to slay the tiger demon was already a fine result, even if it was a pity he had failed to take it alive.
Chapter 1756