Pointing the Way

Old Man Dique was alive. Qin Sang could only hide in the shadows, not daring to show himself. If he did not want to be trapped to death within the volcano, jumping into the lava offered no guarantee that he could find an exit before his spiritual power ran out—not to mention the unknown dangers lurking within the molten rock. Even if he could find a way out, he had no idea where this ancient cultivator's abode was actually located or what kind of environment lay outside. If he had the misfortune of emerging deep in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, surrounded by spatial rifts, that too would be a dead end. Even if he managed to escape with his life, he would become a stray dog hounded by Old Man Dique, fleeing into the Devil Domain, or perhaps even forced to flee beyond the Lesser Cold Domain to find peace of mind. Even if he got away unscathed, having lost the backing of his sect, how likely was he to cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment, gather the resources needed for Core Formation, and successfully break through? As long as Old Man Dique was eliminated, every thorny problem would be resolved at once. Once Old Man Dique and Daoist Xuan Yu disappeared, Martial Uncle Che and the others would certainly ascend the mountain to investigate. Qin Sang would only need to wait at the crater, with plenty of pretexts ready to explain himself. Most importantly, he would not have to worry about the jade Buddha being exposed. And so, Qin Sang moved. Of course, time did not permit Qin Sang to ponder so meticulously. Daoist Xuan Yu had overdrawn his Golden Core, and the power he gained could not last; it dissipated with terrifying speed. If Qin Sang did not act soon, then once Daoist Xuan Yu's Golden Core power waned even slightly, it would no longer pose a mortal threat to Old Man Dique. By then, even an injured Old Man Dique would be far more than Qin Sang could handle. When an opportunity presented itself, failing to seize it decisively would leave only endless regret. Daoist Xuan Yu could not find Old Man Dique, but Qin Sang could lend him a hand. Daoist Xuan Yu's dying gamble combined with the endless swarm of firebirds meant there would never be a better opportunity than right now! Weighing the risks and discerning a sliver of hope for success, Qin Sang immediately made his move. He had already kept the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner in hand for self-defense. The Ten Directions Yanluo Banner suddenly unfurled, and in an instant, all the refined souls—including the main soul—were completely drained. The soul power transformed entirely into Yin soul silk. Ghostly fire flared brilliantly, and countless strands of Yin soul silk surged out like the hair of evil ghosts drifting up from the underworld, swarming toward the firebird Old Man Dique had disguised himself as. A complete Ten Directions Yanluo Array formed by six peak ghost banners possessed might greater than a talisman treasure. But Qin Sang, as the array master, had a colossal gap in strength compared to Old Man Dique—a gap that could not be bridged by a few magic tools. Fortunately, Qin Sang never expected the Ten Directions Yanluo Array to harm Old Man Dique; pointing the way for Daoist Xuan Yu was enough! The Ten Directions Yanluo Banner appeared far too abruptly, catching Old Man Dique completely off guard. His attention had been entirely focused on Daoist Xuan Yu, and disguised as a firebird, he could not utilize spiritual power or spiritual sense; his movements were far less nimble than before. By the time he sensed the Yin soul silk, it was already too late. Whoosh, whoosh... The Yin soul silk swept in, surrounding Old Man Dique tightly in an instant and scorching his origin soul. "The Ten Directions Yanluo Banner!" Old Man Dique clearly recognized the famed magic tool of the Kuiyin Sect and immediately thought of Qin Sang. He was overcome with shock and towering fury. An ant he could have crushed at will hadn't died, and had even lurked until now to stab him viciously in the back! When the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner appeared, the surrounding flocks of circling firebirds were startled by the ripples. They instantly flew into a frenzy, their cries turning sharply piercing. There were simply too many firebirds. Nothing remained in Qin Sang's ears but the shrieking of birds, his ears buzzing violently. Were it not for the protection of the jade Buddha, his origin soul would have shattered in an instant. Old Man Dique stood right at the very center of the screeching. Even with his powerful origin soul, he could not ignore such an onslaught. The flames covering him fluctuated violently, revealing the outline of his fleshly body. Once he struck out to defend himself, there was no turning back. More and more startled firebirds swarmed over, surrounding him completely. Feeling the sonic shockwaves skyrocket in power, Old Man Dique felt his origin soul teetering on the brink of collapse, horrified beyond measure. To make matters worse, Daoist Xuan Yu on the outside noticed the disturbance as well. The Tiangang Saber Talisman turned, locked onto Old Man Dique, and flashed through the air. Daoist Xuan Yu was already resolved to die; he did not care in the slightest whether the path ahead was a dead end. "You court death!" Old Man Dique hated Qin Sang to the bone. At such a critical juncture, knowing there was no retreat, he actually turned back and threw out a bolt of spiritual power, aiming to kill Qin Sang first! Qin Sang's heart sank. Without hesitation, he tapped his corpse puppet pouch. Baleful corpses and zombies flew out in unison. The moment the zombies appeared, they were obliterated by the spiritual power, while the two baleful corpses joining forces lasted only a brief moment. Following that, several beams of light shot out from his mustard seed bag—various magic tools Qin Sang had accumulated over the years, all possessing defensive properties. Any magic tool deemed worthy of Qin Sang's collection was by no means weak, yet they were dismantled like rotting wood. Qin Sang's expression remained exceptionally calm, the corners of his eyes constantly monitoring the surrounding situation. The firebirds also noticed his presence. As flaming gales swept in one after another, Qin Sang did not dodge; instead, guarding his vitals, he threw himself into one of the flame currents. Agony racked his entire body, plunging him into grievous injury, yet relying on that massive momentum, he managed to evade Old Man Dique's strike. The blast of spiritual power grazed Qin Sang's back, effortlessly tearing away a large patch of flesh to expose the bone beneath. Compounding injury upon injury, Qin Sang drew in a sharp breath of cold air. Immediately afterward, dazzling white light flooded his vision. The firebirds were engulfed in white light, their shrill cries laced with an undercurrent of panic. And amid the screeches of the firebirds came Daoist Xuan Yu's furious shout and Old Man Dique's frantic, crazed roar. It worked! Qin Sang rejoiced inwardly. Ignoring the excruciating pain across his body, he hastily recalled the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner. At the final instant, reckless audacity surged in his chest—galvanizing the Yin soul silk, he made a swift scoop right into the center of the white light before flying backward in retreat. Not a single patch of intact flesh remained on his body. Whether the fiery hurricanes whipped up by the firebirds or that single strike from Old Man Dique, either was enough to kill him. Reflecting on the peril he had just faced, Qin Sang felt lingering fear. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he hurriedly swallowed one of Old Man Dique's healing pills, erased the scent of blood from his body, and went into hiding once again. After stowing the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner, Qin Sang discovered that wrapped inside was actually Old Man Dique's mustard seed bag! His heart leapt with joy. His gamble had not been in vain—those refined corpses and magic tools had been well worth the loss! The mustard seed bag bore Old Man Dique's restriction, but with Old Man Dique dead, it had become an unowned object. More importantly, Qin Sang discovered that this restriction was formed from the power of the Thousand Illusions Divine Sound. Thanks to Old Man Dique's coercion, his attainments in the way of restrictions had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he was extraordinarily familiar with the Thousand Illusions Divine Sound. With some effort, he should be able to break it. Qin Sang suppressed his excitement and put away the mustard seed bag, cautiously observing the surroundings. Just then, he saw a streak of white light flash out from the flock of firebirds—Daoist Xuan Yu's strength was formidable indeed, for he wasn't dead yet. The white light dimmed, revealing the tattered saber talisman within and a Golden Core covered in fissures. Crack! The Golden Core and the saber talisman shattered together, turning into specks of light that dissipated into nothingness. Daoist Xuan Yu's origin soul flew out, ethereal and faded to the extreme.