Too Long

Perhaps the sacrifice of the three baleful corpses had taken effect. To Qin Sang's pleasant surprise, Daoist Jiupao's resistance began to weaken. His demonic energy showed signs of scattering, finally allowing Qin Sang a clear look at Daoist Jiupao's true body. His condition was even more wretched than the Flying Yaksha's. His aura was feeble, and against the aggressive onslaught of Qin Sang and the Flying Yaksha, he showed every sign of exhaustion. Defeat and death were only a matter of time. Yet before Qin Sang could breathe a sigh of relief, an abrupt change occurred. With a loud roar from Daoist Jiupao, the surging demonic energy suddenly collapsed inward at a startling speed. At the center of the demonic energy, a black whirlwind rapidly took shape, brewing a terrible tempest. The whirlwind whipped up the vast demonic energy. Qin Sang faintly sensed an incomparably violent aura emanating from it, possessing astonishing power. Even on the outer fringes of the battlefield, Qin Sang still felt a shiver run through him. An uneasy premonition rose in his heart, and he realized this had to be Daoist Jiupao's final, desperate gamble. Just as Qin Sang was about to order the Flying Yaksha to attack fiercely, he discovered that without any urging, it threw itself recklessly into the storm. *Bang! Bang!* Deafening booms echoed incessantly from within the tempest. The valley floor collapsed, and boulders tumbled down. A look of surprise appeared in Qin Sang's eyes. At this critical juncture, the power of the corpse core inside the Flying Yaksha erupted, allowing it to withstand the terrifying storm and hold its ground. Inside the demonic tempest, it stood like an anchoring pillar, forcefully suppressing Daoist Jiupao and denying him the slightest opening. No matter how Daoist Jiupao struggled, he could not shake off the Flying Yaksha. His roars grew increasingly frantic, even tinged with despair. Even as excitement surged within him, Qin Sang felt a pang of heartache. The price of the Flying Yaksha displaying such might was that it could not dodge, having to take every single one of Daoist Jiupao's counterattacks head-on. This cost was far too great. The Flying Yaksha, already heavily injured, was in an increasingly dire state. Not a single patch of intact flesh remained on its body, and a deep palm print was sunken into its abdomen, nearly punching right through it. Its limbs had suffered varying degrees of damage. Only because the Flying Yaksha possessed no consciousness and had a formidable physical body could it endure under such conditions and maintain impressive combat strength. As power was continuously drained from the corpse core inside it, clear signs of overexertion had already appeared. The corpse core's luster had dimmed, its circulation sluggish. Qin Sang had no idea what state the Flying Yaksha would end up in once this battle concluded. Even if it could recover, it certainly would not happen overnight. Yet Qin Sang dared not have the Flying Yaksha hold back. As long as he could obtain Daoist Jiupao's golden core, he would not hesitate even if the Flying Yaksha was destroyed here! "Die!" Daoist Jiupao suddenly let out a furious roar. It was like the final, desperate bellow of a trapped beast, laden with earth-shattering hatred, sounding scarcely human. Qin Sang was startled, only to see the demonic tempest suddenly freeze. The next instant, it abruptly detonated! *Rumble!* In a flash, the valley plunged into darkness, as though eternal night had fallen. Violent demonic energy blasted in all directions. Tense to the limit, Qin Sang stared fixedly at the center of the battlefield and finally spotted two dark figures hurled through the air. The Flying Yaksha smashed violently into the adjacent mountain, embedding itself deeply within the rock wall. Without sparing the Flying Yaksha a second glance, Qin Sang immediately fixed his gaze on the other dark figure. Daoist Jiupao had cratered the ground, but then his body suddenly bounced up, leaping out of the deep pit and stumbling forward in an attempt to flee. *Not dead yet?* Qin Sang's brow furrowed. Without waiting for the Flying Yaksha, he immediately manipulated the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner to intercept him. Unexpectedly, Daoist Jiupao had not flown far before his body suddenly stiffened, crashing heavily to the ground. He tried to crawl, but could not get up. It was as if someone were fighting him for control of his physical body; his limbs spasmed, entirely beyond his command. Daoist Jiupao shrieked in panic. "What are you doing!" "I am your master!" ... Seeing this, Qin Sang's heart stirred. *Bang!* Daoist Jiupao's abdomen suddenly exploded, tearing his body in two as flesh and blood splattered everywhere. A streak of brilliance shot out from his dantian—he was abandoning his physical body once more, attempting to manipulate his golden core to flee. That was not all. The moment his golden core flew out, an illusory soul-shadow suddenly surged from the severed flesh, desperately entangling and tearing at Daoist Jiupao's origin soul, clutching at his golden core. Qin Sang flashed forward to block his path, waving a hand to guide his attack. The Nine Nether Demonic Fire descended, engulfing Daoist Jiupao's golden core. Instantly, a bloodcurdling scream rang out from within the demonic flames. "Who on earth are you! I have no grievance or enmity with you—why kill me!" Torn apart by Ji Wu, Daoist Jiupao was reduced to a remnant soul. Incapable of even detonating his golden core, he continued to howl in indignant defiance. Qin Sang looked at him coldly. "Do you still remember the myriad wronged souls beneath the Yin Baleful Abyss? They have been waiting for you all in the Netherworld. You have already lived for far too long!" With that, Qin Sang let out a cold snort and clenched his fist in the air. The Nine Nether Demonic Fire utterly devoured Daoist Jiupao's remnant soul. *Tap!* *Clink!* Accompanied by those two crisp sounds, peace finally returned to the valley. Yet the scenic beauty was no more, leaving behind only ruins. Qin Sang recalled his magic treasure and the Ten Directions Yanluo Array. Feeling a wave of weakness wash over his body, he forced himself to stay alert and swallowed two medicinal pills. Looking at the ground, he discovered that beside Daoist Jiupao's golden core lay a dark iron ring. The iron ring was similar in shape and size to an archer's thumb ring, looking exceedingly ordinary, as if forged from a piece of common dark iron. It even bore a few patches of rust. A cursory sweep of his spiritual sense revealed nothing peculiar about it, making it easy to overlook. However, having survived this great battle, kept at Daoist Jiupao's side the entire time, and not forgotten even when fleeing for his life, this thumb ring was certainly not as simple as it appeared. Qin Sang walked over and was about to crouch down for a closer look when he suddenly sensed a faint gaze watching him. Looking up, he discovered that Ji Wu was actually still alive. His body was severed in two, his blood nearly drained, staining the ground red in a sight too gruesome to bear. His aura was faint to the absolute limit, yet he still strained his eyes wide, looking at Qin Sang, clinging to life solely through sheer willpower. Seeing Qin Sang take notice of him, a pleading look flashed across Ji Wu's eyes. His lips moved slightly, but he no longer had the strength to make a sound. His gaze became exceedingly urgent. Qin Sang met Ji Wu's gaze for a moment, understanding the meaning behind his eyes. He let out a soft sigh and said, "Rest assured. I have no grudge against Hanshan City, and I will not take action against the Ji clan." The luster in Ji Wu's eyes rapidly faded. Finally, he closed his eyes and drew his last breath. Looking at Ji Wu's corpse, lost in thought, Qin Sang stood in place for a short while before crouching down to focus his attention on the two spoils of war. A golden core differed greatly from a demon core. It was equally magnificent, but lacked any intimidating demon qi. Even so, the pressure belonging to a Core Formation expert remained. Moreover, since Daoist Jiupao had just died, luster flowed across this golden core, dazzling and brimming with spirituality—a sight utterly mesmerizing.