Harboring Malice

"Yes!" The handsome youth secretly produced a talisman, about to make his move. Granny Jing seemed to overhear their exchange. From the bright, luminous moon, a stream of moonlight suddenly cascaded down like water. It appeared gentle and soft, yet moved with uncanny speed. Like the Milky Way pouring from the heavens, it flowed right before the handsome youth in the blink of an eye. "Petty parlor tricks!" Old Man Star-Grasper snorted coldly. Reaching up as if plucking stars from the sky, like a general deploying his troops, he instantly arranged the celestial bodies above into the pattern of a killing array. Starlight radiated in all directions, no longer merging into a single body, but condensing into a starry net. The net of stars cut like blades, severing the moonlight. The silvery river conjured from moonbeams shattered into pieces. Still, Old Man Star-Grasper had been half a beat too slow to sever the moonlight entirely, blocking only half of it. Even so, the remnant that slipped through was hardly a threat—the handsome youth's cultivation was more than enough to handle it. Holding his sword horizontally with both hands, the handsome youth unleashed a blaze of sword light to withstand the impact of the moonlight. With a muffled grunt, his face flushed deep red. Unexpectedly, the moonlight transformed into a long whip, lashing violently against his blade. A tremendous force crashed over him, catching him off guard. Though he was not wounded, he was hurled backward tens of yards before he could barely dissipate the momentum. At that very moment, Qin Sang, who had been watching from the periphery, suddenly moved. Catching Granny Jing's glance and discerning her intent, he called out without hesitation, "Leave this one to me! Focus on the other two, Senior!" He had remained because escape was impossible. From the moment the three from the Yuanshen Sect laid eyes on him, he and Granny Jing had been grasshoppers tied to the same string. No matter what, all three of them had to die! He trusted Granny Jing was not a reckless fool. If she dared to intercept and kill Leng Yuntian, she had to have some degree of confidence. Even so, Qin Sang had not rashly intervened in their battle, waiting instead for a clear signal from her before stepping in. Seeing that she wanted him to deal with the handsome youth rather than either of the two Core Formation cultivators, Qin Sang breathed an inward sigh of relief. If he went all out and used both of his magic treasures, he could probably stall one of them for a short time, but it would be fraught with danger. Qin Sang was not arrogant enough to think he could best a Core Formation cultivator, even one whose realm was suppressed. If it truly came down to the wire, his life was what mattered most, and he would not hesitate to expose his magic treasures. Fortunately, Granny Jing possessed absolute confidence, daring to take on two Core Formation cultivators alone. By comparison, the handsome youth was far easier to deal with. Against a fellow Foundation Establishment cultivator, Qin Sang truly feared no one. The Cold Metal sword led the way! A chilled gleam of sword light radiated extreme cold, thrusting straight toward the handsome youth's back. Qin Sang followed closely behind, moving swift as thunder, clutching the Yin-Yang Compass as light flickered across its surface. His timing was impeccable. Having been whipped away, the handsome youth was in a wretched state, tumbling backward and unstable, his back completely unguarded. Yu Shanting was entangled by the qingluan. Old Man Star-Grasper was orchestrating his star array, focusing entirely on Granny Jing. No one could come to the youth's aid. In an instant, the Cold Metal sword was practically upon him. As the finest of top-grade magic tools, its power spoke for itself. Shrouded in sword qi, a layer of white frost formed over the handsome youth's body, stiffening his movements. It seemed he was about to perish beneath the blade. Suddenly, the handsome youth glanced back at Qin Sang with a cold, mocking sneer. Spreading his right palm, he swung it vigorously behind him. *Swish!* Countless flecks of light scattered into the air. Amidst the shredded talisman paper, an unassuming black gleam flashed past—a petite black hammer. A talisman treasure! The black hammer moved with startling speed, bypassing the Cold Metal sword and hurtling straight for Qin Sang. In Qin Sang's eyes, the hammer expanded rapidly, its shape coming into sharp focus. Both ends tapered into sharp points like chisels. Qin Sang had no doubt that if struck, a bloody, gaping hole would be bored into his skull. The youth had been guarding against him all along. That was hardly surprising. With Qin Sang and Granny Jing appearing together in this vast plaza, none of them would believe they were not accomplices, so they were bound to stay vigilant against him. When he had stood by watching earlier, they had not actively attacked, but rather laid a trap, secretly preparing a talisman treasure to eliminate the weakest link in one fell swoop before focusing entirely on Granny Jing. Perhaps the youth being whipped away by the moonlight had even been a calculated ploy to lure him in. Had Granny Jing's prowess not exceeded their expectations—holding her own against two foes without yielding ground and preventing them from dividing their attention—Qin Sang would likely be facing more than just this handsome youth right now. Qin Sang sighed inwardly. Had he not been tempered by years on the battlefield, he might well have fallen for it. *Whoosh!* Confronted by the black hammer, Qin Sang remained composed in the face of peril. Raising the Yin-Yang Compass, he shot forth a beam of white light. The quality of the Yin-Yang Compass certainly fell short of a talisman treasure, but no matter how potent a talisman treasure was, it could not entirely disregard a top-grade magic tool. Furthermore, Qin Sang had no intention of relying on magic tools alone. Struck by the white light, the black hammer's speed did not diminish under the pulling force, but its trajectory was deflected by a fraction. That was enough! Prepared well in advance, Qin Sang flickered repeatedly in place, evading the sneak attack, and glared coldly at the handsome youth. The Cold Metal sword naturally failed to connect as well, and Qin Sang recalled it to his side. "Oh?" The handsome youth had not expected Qin Sang to slip away from a talisman treasure's ambush so easily. He looked over in surprise, toying with the black hammer as he sneered, "It seems you're not just an empty name after all. You actually have some tricks! Shadowless Sword... let me see just how capable you really are, daring to show disrespect to Senior Brother!" Qin Sang now knew who this Senior Brother was. Miao Xinglan. Reputed to be the foremost master of the Yuanshen Sect, his cultivation was formidable, and he was the one the sect had dispatched to Heaven-Pointing Peak. Due to Senior Qingzhu, an irreconcilable feud existed between Shaohua Mountain and the Yuanshen Sect, coloring relations between their disciples. Qin Sang had no desire to involve himself in these old grievances, nor did he wish to make enemies, but after being targeted repeatedly by Yuanshen Sect disciples, he naturally would not endure it indefinitely. Even a clay idol has some temper. He had thus seized an opportunity to coordinate with Senior Brother Rong and teach Miao Xinglan a lesson. Though neither side suffered substantial injury, a grudge was firmly established. The handsome youth seemed quite close with Miao Xinglan, which explained his immediate hostility. *Whoosh!* The black hammer shot forward once more. Qin Sang retreated rapidly, putting away both the Yin-Yang Compass and the Cold Metal sword. At the same time, a point of blue light rose smoothly from his palm, ultimately expanding into a round mirror. Another talisman treasure! This talisman treasure had been seized from a False Core cultivator of the Heaven-Traversing Alliance. The handsome youth harbored malice, and Qin Sang was hardly an innocent saint. He had secretly prepared his own talisman treasure long ago. Unfortunately, while the handsome youth's words were arrogant, he was by no means careless in battle. Qin Sang had found no opening for an ambush with his talisman treasure and, pressed by the black hammer, could conceal it no longer. The round mirror soared high into the air to meet the incoming black hammer. *Bang!* Neither talisman treasure yielded, parting the instant they clashed. After that brief collision, they turned into two streaks of light—one blue, one black—chasing each other in a fierce dance between Qin Sang and the handsome youth.