*Whoosh...*
A bleak, chilling wind swept across the wilderness.
First, a silvery-white sword beam streaked high across the sky, followed shortly after by a green flash.
As the two streaks of light flew past, the vegetation on both sides swayed, and two silhouettes flashed by along the flanks.
With Real Person Zhijian leading the way, Qin Sang and his companions kept a certain distance between one another to avoid being caught off guard by any sudden contingencies.
In fact, it had only been three days since they entered the Sin Plains; normally, they would not encounter a Deity Transformation-level ferocious beast here. This formation was merely habitual caution.
Formidable ferocious beasts basically roamed only in the depths of the Sin Plains, rarely appearing on its periphery, and incursions into Jushan Diocese were rarer still.
If Deity Transformation-level ferocious beasts frequented the border, even a power as mighty as the Daoist sects would find it a massive headache.
Although Zhongmao Diocese, Baishi Diocese, and Jushan Diocese were contiguous, vast stretches of their borders still bordered the Sin Sea and the Sin Plains, suffering frequent incursions from ferocious beasts.
From what Qin Sang knew, among the mountain gods and river deities under the Dao Court's jurisdiction, the highest cultivation level was merely at the Transformation stage.
Unless the Dao Court dispatched all immortal officials of the fourth rank and above to guard the borders, there would never be peace within its territory.
*Thump!*
Qin Sang pressed a palm to the glabella of an ape demon, and it slumped silently to the ground.
Without pausing in the slightest, he drifted past, his gaze sharp as lightning as he surveyed the surroundings.
Along the way, though ferocious beasts were numerous, he rarely needed to act.
Ferocious beasts were not entirely devoid of reason. Rather, as their cultivation advanced and time passed, they were gradually corrupted by the Six Heavens' ancient qi until they lost themselves completely.
Low-tier ferocious beasts were merely slightly fiercer, more cruel, and bloodthirsty than regular demonic beasts, not differing by much.
Even true ferocious beasts retained their instinct to seek fortune and avoid calamity; sensing the aura Qin Sang and the others radiated, they scattered in all directions.
Similarly, cultivators entering the Sin Plains could not possibly lose their minds in a short span of time.
Even if one stayed in the depths of the Sin Plains for over a decade, they would not lose their sanity.
However, once the threshold of one's talismanic altar was exceeded and the Six Heavens' ancient qi took root in the essence soul, it became exceedingly difficult to purge. This corruption was insidious and gradual; a cultivator might temporarily feel nothing amiss and suffer no hindrance to their cultivation, yet a hidden danger had already been sown.
As their cultivation deepened, it would inevitably erupt when it was already too late for regrets.
Therefore, cultivators entering the Sin Plains either planned their trips meticulously in advance or prepared an ample supply of spirit pills.
At first, the four of them occasionally communicated via voice transmission, but what followed was a dull, monotonous journey.
After traveling for over a month, the deeper they ventured into the Sin Plains, the wilder the surrounding landscape became.
"There is a mountain ahead. Beyond it, ferocious beasts comparable to our cultivation may begin to appear. The surroundings here are relatively quiet, so let us regulate our breath for a while."
Real Person Zhijian's voice transmission came through. He abruptly accelerated, and the others followed suit, soon arriving before the mountain.
Seeing the sight atop the peak, a look of surprise flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. Real Person Zhijian and the others, however, seemed accustomed to it, leaping up to the summit and each finding a rock to sit on in meditation.
Qin Sang arrived last, alighting on a black stone beside them.
The black stone beneath him was square with distinct edges. Spreading his divine consciousness, Qin Sang found that there were quite a few such black stones around, though most were severely damaged and scattered across the slopes.
Such black stones could not have formed naturally; they were clearly man-made.
Observing the traces atop the peak, Qin Sang made a further discovery. *This looks like... the ruins of a Daoist temple or shrine...*
This surprised Qin Sang considerably. This place was nowhere near Jushan Diocese. Four Deity Transformation cultivators had traveled for a whole month, even if they had not traveled at full speed due to various precautions.
Nascent Soul cultivators would certainly not dare linger here for long. Who would build a Daoist temple in a place like this?
Moreover, Qin Sang noticed that the ruins were ancient—an ancient temple. The marks indicated that after being abandoned, it had been occupied by a ferocious beast, though for some reason, the lair was now deserted again.
*Could it be that cultivators lived in the Sin Plains in the past?*
Qin Sang's thoughts raced. He even suspected that like Jushan Diocese, this place had originally been part of the Daoist sects' sphere of influence.
With this hypothesis, further speculation naturally arose.
Since there had been a Daoist temple, it proved this place was once suitable for cultivators to cultivate. Why, then, had it become the Sin Plains?
At that moment, Real Person Zhijian turned his gaze over and said, "Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, take care to stabilize your mind and soul hereafter."
"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. This poor Daoist is well aware of the danger."
Cupping his hands slightly, Qin Sang dismissed his stray thoughts and sat down cross-legged.
With the jade Buddha's protection, he had nothing to worry about, but he still had to put on an act and occasionally take a spirit pill upon venturing deep into the Sin Plains.
After regulating their breath, the group resumed their journey.
To their surprise, not long after leaving the mountain, they encountered their first Deity Transformation-level ferocious beast!
*Roar!*
A roar came from ahead, sounding somewhat muffled perhaps due to the great distance.
Yet the formidable might contained within the roar set off alarm bells in all four of their hearts, and they came to an immediate halt.
It was just nightfall.
The moonlight flowed like water.
To the north, the wild mountains were steeped in gloom. Dark clouds seemed to billow across the sky, churning with the rising wind as they slowly pressed down toward their direction.
Real Person Youhuang flicked a slender jade finger. A green beam flew from her fingertip and morphed into the phantom of a talisman in midair, vanishing into an ancient tree on the ground with a flash.
The ancient tree withered instantly, and from the desiccated trunk leaped an illusory wooden figurine. Others could hardly sense its aura—or rather, its aura had blended into the mountain forest.
The wooden figurine bowed to Real Person Youhuang, then burrowed into the ground and vanished without a trace.
Noticing Real Person Youhuang's technique, Qin Sang could not help looking twice.
The ferocious beasts they had encountered earlier had mostly been disposed of in passing by him and Real Person Guyun, giving Real Person Youhuang little opportunity to act.
Now, she had cast a divine talisman without manifesting her talismanic altar.
"That divine talisman is one of Real Person Youhuang's natal true talismans, best suited for scouting. We will have results shortly..." Real Person Zhijian explained via voice transmission.
Only divine talismans bearing a talismanic register were called natal true talismans. Real Person Youhuang had received a third-rank talismanic register, so she possessed three natal true talismans.
Qin Sang pondered briefly and voiced the question in his mind.
In their eyes, he was an itinerant cultivator who had broken through by sheer luck; having limited knowledge was only natural.
Real Person Zhijian explained, "You will understand once you receive a third-rank talismanic register, Fellow Daoist. Upon reaching the Dongxuan Dharma rank, one's talismanic altar gradually stabilizes. As long as one has mastered the talisman or incantation, one does not need to summon the altar even when casting a natal true talisman. However, if one has not thoroughly comprehended it, one must call forth the altar to draw upon its power. Of course, this applies only to the Golden Seal Altar..."
Hearing this, Qin Sang nodded inwardly. No wonder he had not seen Real Person Zhijian summon his altar earlier.
One advantage of the Golden Seal Altar over the Soldier and Horse Altar was that there was no need to deploy troops beforehand; an incantation triggered the moment a thought arose.
"However," Real Person Zhijian changed his tone, "it is said that when one cultivates the Soldier and Horse Altar to profound depths, one can also bypass the step of summoning soldiers and horses, directly communicating with them inside the altar to form formations instantly."
Real Person Guyun sneered. "This poor Daoist has never seen such an expert. Who knows if it is true or false?"
As they spoke, a green shadow sprang from the ground and sank into Real Person Youhuang's palm.
A look of delight appeared on her face. "It is a wood flood dragon! Its aura is only slightly above ours, and there are no other demon-marquis-level ferocious beasts nearby."
"A wood flood dragon? Do you intend to take its demon core to cast an altar, Fellow Daoist?"
Real Person Zhijian guessed her intention.
The talismanic register Real Person Youhuang cultivated was precisely of the wood element.
To cast a third-rank talismanic altar, the required spiritual materials were either worldly rare natural treasures or the essence blood, skeletal remains, and demon core of a demon marquis.
How could a demon marquis of Guifang Kingdom be easily slain?
A ferocious beast that happened to fit the requirements was likewise something that could only be found by chance, so it was no wonder Real Person Youhuang was overjoyed.
"Mid-Dongxuan Dharma rank. What do you two think?" Real Person Zhijian looked toward Qin Sang and Real Person Guyun.
Real Person Guyun rolled his neck, erupting with intense battle intent, his stance speaking for itself.
Qin Sang also nodded in agreement.
All four were at the early Deity Transformation stage. Hunting a ferocious beast comparable to the Thunder Turtle should pose no danger.
"Thank you, fellow Daoists, for indulging me," Real Person Youhuang said with a beaming smile, offering a circular bow.
They immediately flew toward the ferocious beast. As they were discussing their plan, they suddenly sensed the presence of cultivators below.
Real Person Zhijian said in a deep voice, "Let us dismiss these people first."
They had come for the demon marquis and did not want their identities exposed prematurely.
...
Inside a cave.
Three Daoists were busily occupied, anxiety written on their faces.
One of them had summoned a talismanic altar and was continuously casting divine talismans toward the cave entrance, gradually forming a pitch-black wall of light across the opening.
Before the other two sat an incense burner. Under their joint activation, thick smoke filled the modest cave. Both the smoke and the wall of light possessed the ability to conceal one's aura.
All three were Shengxuan Real Persons.
"Senior Brother, that ferocious beast won't discover us, will it?"
To the left of the incense burner was a female cultivator, her voice trembling.
"Had I known, we wouldn't have ventured so deep! We didn't even have time to erase our tracks outside. Ferocious beasts of demon marquis rank rarely appear here," the Daoist busy sealing the entrance complained.
The last one, a middle-aged Daoist, sensed the aura outside before speaking, "Junior Brother, Junior Sister, do not worry. The stronger a ferocious beast is, the lower its intelligence. It is impossible for it to track us down through those marks. Once it flies past, we will be safe."
Before his voice had even faded, a cold snort rang out, accompanied by an astonishing pressure descending upon them. "You have great courage, daring to come here."
*Whoosh!*
The faces of the three drained of color as they abruptly rose to their feet. Yet they could see no one. The middle-aged Daoist bowed to empty air and said, "We did not know a senior was present here. In fleeing the ferocious beast, we disturbed Senior; we pray Senior will abate your anger. Once the beast flies away, we will leave immediately."
"There is no need to wait. Leave now. It will not notice you," the voice said coldly, brooking no argument.
The three exchanged glances, filled with resentment and anxiety, yet the invisible pressure crushed any thought of defiance.
Filled with sorrow, the three opened the talisman restriction at the cave mouth and walked outside, only to be called back by the mysterious figure.
"Wait! How long have you been here? Have you noticed anything unusual?"
The middle-aged Daoist took heart and said hurriedly, "We arrived ten days ago. Earlier, a large horde of ferocious beasts came stampeding out from the depths of the Sin Plains. We observed for several days, and seeing no other abnormalities, we took a gamble and did not retreat."
Midair, the four exchanged glances.
"That place is even further north. Could the effects have reached here so quickly?" Real Person Guyun asked skeptically.
"Perhaps someone struck midway? Without further ado, let us slay the wood flood dragon and set off as soon as possible," Real Person Zhijian commanded. The group dispersed immediately, each attending to their role.
Emerging from the cave, the three Shengxuan Real Persons saw the wood flood dragon change its flight path, indeed failing to detect them. Overjoyed, they fled the area without looking back.
"It's here!"
In a valley, Qin Sang and Real Person Guyun stood on peaks flanking either side, watching the dark clouds press near.
Ahead of the dark clouds, a slender green figure flickered in and out of sight.
Real Person Guyun swept his arm across and gripped his hand. Black light flashed, and a spear suddenly appeared in his palm.
The spirit spear was pitch-black throughout with a cold, glinting luster, blood-red light faintly gleaming from its edge; one could tell at a glance that it was a peerless lethal weapon.
Gripping the spirit spear, Real Person Guyun's battle intent rose steadily, mounting layer upon layer.
Compared to him, Qin Sang was far more restrained. He did not activate his spirit wood body; golden light merely flowed across his skin as he circulated the Vajra Heavenly Armor Seal.
*Roar!*
A furious dragon roar tore through the air, deafening to the ear.
The dark clouds churned, and a slender silhouette burst forth. Nearly a hundred zhang long, its enormous eyes shot forth terrifyingly vicious light. A sharp horn crowned its head, and its entire body was covered in thick green scales.
*Swish!*
The wood flood dragon abruptly lashed its long tail, as though cleaving a green chasm across the void.
At that moment, the hearts of Qin Sang and Real Person Guyun thudded heavily, let alone Real Person Youhuang, who was directly facing the beast.
For Deity Transformation cultivators, with every increment in cultivation, the might of heaven and earth they could evoke grew that much more formidable.
Although the wood flood dragon was a ferocious beast, its every move instinctively harnessed the might of heaven and earth to suppress enemies, and every strike was unleashed with unreserved ferocity.
In Real Person Youhuang's eyes, this was no mere dragon tail.
In an instant, frightful pressure descended alongside the tail. Real Person Youhuang felt as though she had plunged into a quagmire; this strike seemed capable of shattering the void and wiping her from the world in the process.
Real Person Youhuang had prepared well beforehand. Unhurried, her body swayed and dissolved into the phantom of a talisman out of thin air.
*Smack!*
The tail swept past, and the talisman phantom shattered on the spot.
Simultaneously, countless fist-sized green motes of light floated up from the forest below. Converging, they reformed into a human figure—Real Person Youhuang.
She was completely unharmed, but the maneuver infuriated the wood flood dragon.
Roaring, the wood flood dragon swooped downward. The vicious glint in its eyes reached its peak, and both eyes turned stark white.
The next moment, pale-white flames ignited from within all the surrounding vegetation.
White flames surged to the sky, yet strangely, the forest within the sea of fire remained completely undamaged.
Real Person Youhuang's face turned slightly pale. She felt a bizarre force welling up incessantly within her, threatening to burn away her origin qi, and hurriedly cast a technique to suppress it.
At that moment, the wood flood dragon descended from the sky. The flames burned with immense intensity, enough to incinerate the heavens; its true body was hidden from sight, leaving only overwhelming white flames blanketing the world.
"Vile beast! Accept your death!"
A thunderous roar suddenly erupted.
Real Person Guyun glared at the white flames, his battle intent erupting completely. Leaping forward, he resembled a tiger freed from its cage.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the spirit spear ferociously, turning it into a streak of black lightning.
The spirit spear spun at high speed, its tremendous force forming a black vortex at the spearhead. The vortex grew larger and larger; merely grazing against a peak collapsed half the mountain.
Wind and thunder roared fiercely. In an instant, it plunged into the white flames, blasting open a black hole within the sea of fire.
The wood flood dragon was exposed within the breach.
Just then, a figure appeared beside the wood flood dragon—Qin Sang, hands forming the Demon-Crushing Seal.
At that instant, a strange look flashed in Qin Sang's eyes.
Being so close to the wood flood dragon despite being a tier lower in cultivation, he could not sense the suppression of heaven and earth's might from the beast at all!
*How is that possible?*
Qin Sang was exceedingly shocked. Even in peak condition, he had had to avoid meeting the Thunder Turtle head-on.
In a flash of thought, Qin Sang swiftly traced the source and discovered with astonishment that the power of the dharma idol within his body was vibrating.
Chapter 1783