Right then, the two Nascent Soul cultivators seemed to have finished their discussion.
They split to both sides, pressing close against the cliff faces and standing opposite each other. Simultaneously raising both hands, boundless spiritual power surged forth and converged between them.
Gradually, the spiritual power coalesced into a translucent, crystalline orb, which expanded at a pace visible to the naked eye.
Qin Sang could not feel the orb's aura, but he could tell just how much spiritual power was contained within an orb of that size. Had it been him, he could not have supported its inception before his sea of qi was sucked dry.
Yet the two Nascent Soul cultivators remained completely at ease, the orb swelling rapidly with no sign of stopping.
The gulf between him and Nascent Soul cultivators was plain to see.
In the blink of an eye, the orb reached its maximum expansion and began to distort, stretching vertically until it transformed into an enormous sword of light. It then collapsed inward, compressing at last into a human-sized sword with light tightly contained, solid as a physical object.
Inverted with its tip pointing downward, the sword suddenly vanished from sight.
The next instant, Qin Sang felt the ground tremble faintly.
Immediately after, an endless stream of glowing multicolored rays erupted from the chasm between the two mountains, surging skyward toward the two Nascent Soul cultivators.
To his astonishment, even those Nascent Soul figures had to shift and dodge when facing these rays.
Unexpectedly, more and more rays poured forth, behaving like living creatures. No matter how the cultivators dodged, the rays clung to them with uncanny agility, sticking like maggots to bone.
Just then, one of the Nascent Soul cultivators failed to evade in time, and half of his robe's hem was torn away by the glow. Seemingly provoked by the relentless entangling rays, he abruptly splayed his large hand, and a black circular object shot out from his palm.
The object spun rapidly, ballooning as the wind caught it.
Only then did Qin Sang and Yunyouzi see clearly that it was a black tortoise shell!
The shell was pitch-black and carved with extraordinarily mysterious patterns. Because they were so far away, they could not tell whether it was a magic treasure or some kind of wondrous oddity.
Seeing this, the other Nascent Soul cultivator shook his head and refrained from striking, instead leaping to his companion's side to draw all the multicolored rays upon himself.
The tortoise shell hung horizontally in midair, radiating intense dark light as it descended over the rays like a cowl. The rays struggled fiercely, yet fell back step by step, ultimately suppressed by the tortoise shell into nothingness.
Merely watching this silent battle set Qin Sang's heart pounding with tension. The way that Nascent Soul cultivator brought out a tortoise shell and effortlessly annihilated the seemingly terrifying multicolored rays left Qin Sang filled with awe and yearning.
The rays were extinguished.
That Nascent Soul cultivator retrieved the tortoise shell, while the other plunged downward into the chasm.
A moment later, he returned. Having obtained whatever treasure lay within, the two seemed to exchange a few words before dashing toward the depths of Wuya Valley, departing swiftly into the distance.
An hour later.
Only after confirming the two Nascent Soul cultivators were far away did Qin Sang and Yunyouzi dare show themselves from the hillside.
"Senior, did you recognize their identities?" Qin Sang asked, glancing sideways.
It was hard to tell whether the two Nascent Soul cultivators were intentionally concealing their identities; not only were their entire bodies shrouded in black robes, but they had also used no incantations when breaking the restriction. Only at the very end had the one who grew impatient with the entangling rays brought out the tortoise shell, which might offer a clue.
Yunyouzi shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Brother Qin overestimates this old Daoist. With my meager cultivation, I only hear rumors and hearsay; how could I know the secrets of the Nascent Soul realm?
"Still, the true Nascent Soul experts in our Lesser Cold Domain can be counted on one's fingers, and I hear their relations are far from harmonious. I wonder what kind of treasure could compel two of them to join forces...
"Never mind, such matters have nothing to do with us, nor are they for us to pry into. Fortunately, their route leads away from ours. Let us keep moving."
Qin Sang nodded, glanced back once, and followed Yunyouzi, still turning over the earlier clash in his mind.
Beset by countless perils and hindered by their weak cultivation, they could not travel quickly.
More than half a day passed in this manner.
Rounding a mountain ravine, Yunyouzi caught sight of the scenery ahead. A trace of joy surfaced on his face, and he halted. "Brother Qin, this is the place."
Ahead of them lay a small patch of dense jungle—a sight rarely seen in the fractured inner valley.
Qin Sang's taut nerves relaxed slightly as he narrowed his eyes to inspect it.
Towering ancient trees were sparse in the jungle, with human-height shrubs dominating the undergrowth, allowing one to see across to the other side at a glance. It was exceptionally tranquil inside, devoid even of insect chirps, as though no living creature existed there.
"This place is actually an exquisitely crafted illusion, but if you cannot find the way to break it, everything here is real!"
Yunyouzi remarked with no small admiration. Striding forward, he navigated through the jungle with practiced familiarity, making no effort to avoid brushing against the vegetation.
An illusion?
Qin Sang was astonished. Reaching out, he snapped a tree branch; milky-white sap oozed out, exuding the fresh scent of greenery. It felt entirely genuine!
Yunyouzi stopped in the middle of the jungle, his gaze shifting as if searching for something.
Moments later, his eyes focused. He walked over to an ancient tree, crouched down, and examined an inconspicuous sprig of grass growing at its base.
He raised his hand and covered the grass, spiritual power surging from his palm and pouring into it.
The next instant, the jungle vanished, and the surroundings transformed abruptly!
...
A mountain, cleaved down the middle, formed a valley.
The shear was as smooth as a mirror, making one wonder whether the mountain had been split open by a single blade strike.
Countless fresh flowers bloomed in the valley.
These blossoms of varied colors and shapes were all in full bloom in the very same season, forming a vast sea of flowers swaying gracefully in the gentle breeze.
At this moment, a person wearing a gray robe and a bamboo conical hat was walking through the sea of flowers.
Confronted with these delicate, vivid blossoms, the gray-robed figure showed no inclination to admire the scenery. His expression was extraordinarily grave, as though man-eating beasts lurked beneath the petals.
Whenever the blossoms brushed together and shook pollen loose, he would dodge frantically, not daring to let a single speck touch his body.
No one knew how long this person had stayed in this sea of flowers; he knew the blossoms intimately, and his dodging movements were practiced to perfection.
Just then, the gray-robed person brushed against something unseen. Beside him, a flower transformed drastically, turning into a malevolent ghost that opened a bloody maw and lunged forward with razor-sharp fangs, biting viciously at him.
The gray-robed figure reacted with blistering speed, darting back in an instant. Even as he retreated, both palms unleashed streaks of spiritual power.
These streams of spiritual power did not harm the relentlessly pursuing ghost; instead, they gently suppressed and soothed it until the evil ghost's eyes turned dazed, reverting back into the shape of a flower.
Having expertly defused the crisis, the gray-robed figure was about to proceed when he suddenly sensed something. He looked up, staring into the multicolored sky in the distance.
A look of surprise crossed his face.
After a moment's contemplation, the person instantly dissolved into a wisp of azure smoke, darted out of the sea of flowers, and vanished into the depths of the layered restrictions.
Only an astonished murmur lingered, slowly fading away.
"A Heart-Devouring Insect?"
Chapter 381