Shrill, agonizing shrieks echoed far into the distance.
The beast packs around the sea of stone were thrown into utter panic. Some curled up trembling inside their dens, while others fled outright, dragging their entire broods along.
"Pin it down!"
Qin Sang did not even need to employ his magic treasures. Using only the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner alongside the Flying Yaksha, he had beaten the black flood dragon senseless.
At Qin Sang's command, the Flying Yaksha vanished into thin air. A heartbeat later, it reappeared beside the black dragon's head. Its massive hands spread open, pressing down on the dragon's head and slamming it savagely into the rock.
Pinned ruthlessly to the ground, the black dragon could not even cry out. Its body thrashed in resistance, whipping its long tail in an attempt to swat the Flying Yaksha away, but the yaksha easily dodged the blow.
By now, the black dragon's aura had grown exceedingly faint.
Qin Sang flashed to its side. Holding the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman, he pressed it squarely onto the black dragon's glabella, channeling spiritual power to awaken the secret talisman's might.
Adhering to the beast's forehead, the secret talisman blazed with brilliance, resembling a piece of translucent, flawless jade.
Yet to the black flood dragon, this fine jade was nothing less than a death-bringing Yanwang. The talisman's rays were like silver needles, inflicting harrowing agony.
The dragon's body began to spasm violently, but all its struggles were futile.
Qin Sang focused entirely on governing the secret talisman.
Before long, the black dragon's thrashing abruptly ceased. A mysterious, eerie glow surfaced at its glabella, followed by a palm-sized flood dragon spirit soul being drawn out inch by inch.
A look of delight crossed Qin Sang's face as he pulled the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman away.
A chain wrapped tightly around the flood dragon's spirit soul, binding it fast.
It let out an unwilling roar, yet could not break free of the chains in the slightest. Hauled by the links, it drifted slowly toward the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman, drawing nearer and nearer.
The spirit soul's resistance grew increasingly fierce. This was the most critical juncture. Wearing a grave expression, Qin Sang poured all his power into the talisman, devouring the flood dragon spirit soul bit by bit.
The light of the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman flickered erratically as the spirit talisman shuddered, the spirit soul still thrashing within.
At last, the spirit talisman gradually settled into calm.
"Whew!"
Qin Sang let out a long breath and brought the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman before his eyes to inspect it.
Sending his spiritual sense inside, he found that the flood dragon spirit soul had already submitted, resting quietly. Having devoured two flood dragon spirit souls, the talisman's power had climbed to another level.
Qin Sang nodded in satisfaction and drew the secret talisman into his dantian to nurture it. Turning his gaze, he looked toward the Flying Yaksha.
After this dragon-slaying battle, his confidence in the Flying Yaksha had grown even firmer.
The Flying Yaksha hauled the black flood dragon atop a boulder, where Qin Sang butchered it himself. A flood dragon's carcass was exceedingly rare and precious. By Qin Sang's appraisal, using it as the primary ingredient along with auxiliary materials could yield several fine, top-grade magic tools.
Now, however, his standards had risen. He no longer cared much for top-grade magic tools, and since the carcass was insufficient for refining a magic treasure, he felt little excitement.
After finishing the butchery, he stored both the Flying Yaksha and the baleful corpse stationed in the distance back into his corpse puppet pouch. Qin Sang then found an uninhabited spot to test the power of the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman, after which he immediately departed Wuya Valley, flying straight toward the region due north of Qingyang Market.
***
Hanshan City.
In truth, calling it Hanshan Fortress would have been more fitting.
Hanshan City was not large, and its population fell far short of major metropolises. It was built upon a hillside.
The city stood solitary and untouched by war, backed by an endless mountain range and fronted by a broad river. Bountiful in resources and detached from worldly strife, it resembled a paradise tucked away from the mortal realm.
Fortunately, the spiritual energy in this region was exceptionally barren, so powerful demonic cultivators could not be bothered to spare it a second glance.
Even so, the city lord of Hanshan City was actually an immortal cultivator, and the greatest clan within the city was this cultivator's family. The lineage had been passed down to this day without ever venturing out, ruling here as local monarchs.
This clan bore the surname Ji.
Ji Wu was the eldest son of the Ji clan's current patriarch.
On a peak in the distance from Hanshan City, Qin Sang stood amid the thickets, gazing toward the settlement. Hanshan City's walls were not high, but they were exceptionally thick, built to keep out wild beasts.
Inside the city, figures bustled about like ants.
Qin Sang's gaze shifted from the foot of the mountain toward its midpoint, pausing briefly on the most splendid palace before continuing upward.
With his keen eyesight, he spotted a path winding through the dense forest north of Hanshan City. Concealing his aura, Qin Sang kept his eyes fixed on that trail from afar, quietly moving forward.
The path wound all the way to a valley behind the mountain, where it vanished completely. Unhurried, Qin Sang swept his gaze across the terrain, unable to keep from admiring the scenic beauty.
The valley was blanketed in peach blossoms, blooming in perpetual, vibrant splendor like an embroidered carpet spread across the entire basin.
Deep within the blossoms, wisps of mist swirled, taking on a faint pink hue as they hovered suspended without dispersing.
This mist was in fact peach blossom miasma—exceedingly toxic. A mortal would perish upon the slightest contact, and even for an immortal cultivator, any carelessness that allowed the poison into their internal organs would prove perilous.
Through the lingering miasma, a few buildings could faintly be seen.
This was Daoist Jiupao's hiding place!
After Daoist Jiupao arrived at Hanshan City, he had recognized Ji Wu's exceptional talent and taken him on as a disciple. Since then, Daoist Jiupao had lived here in seclusion, receiving offerings from the Ji clan.
However, the Demon Flame Sect's headquarters was not located here.
Hounded by the Yuanzhao Sect until he had nowhere to run, Daoist Jiupao had become extraordinarily cautious.
Furthermore, he understood well the wisdom of a cunning rabbit keeping three burrows. This was merely one of his hiding places; exceedingly few people knew of it, and even the Four Demon Flame Emissaries might not have been privy to its existence.
Yu Hua's standing within the Kuiyin Sect had evidently been far higher than Qin Sang had imagined. By some incredible effort, he had mapped out Daoist Jiupao's background in exquisite detail, even uncovering several of his bolt-holes.
It was not that Daoist Jiupao had an eccentric fondness for planting peach trees around his dwelling, but rather that the Kuiyin Sect possessed an ingenious and subtle spirit formation capable of drawing upon natural peach blossom miasma, allowing it to be arranged invisibly in the surroundings.
An outsider who stumbled in would focus all their energy on fending off the toxic miasma, never suspecting that a spirit formation lay hidden within, and would walk straight into the trap unaware.
Several of Daoist Jiupao's hideouts employed similar formations.
Even Qin Sang could not be certain whether Daoist Jiupao was currently hiding inside the peach blossom miasma.
Yet according to Yu Hua, this place was Daoist Jiupao's most secretive haven—bar none—known only to Ji Wu.
Qin Sang reasoned that if Daoist Jiupao had obtained a healing elixir and needed a place to recuperate, this would be his prime choice. Hence, rather than wasting time elsewhere, Qin Sang had come straight to Hanshan City.
Unable to see clearly through the peach blossom miasma, Qin Sang could not confirm whether Daoist Jiupao was inside; he had to venture in and look for himself.
Having already pried the method for unraveling the spirit formation from Yu Hua, Qin Sang scanned the surroundings and easily saw through its shifts. Concealing his aura, he moved to the eastern flank of the peach blossom miasma, held his breath, and slipped silently inside.
Chapter 488