Seeing the two figures drawing closer and closer, Qin Sang could already sense that their cultivation bases were not particularly high. If he activated his ebony sword, he would have a chance to escape.
However, this was the most critical juncture of the astral-fiend core clash. If he used the ebony sword in combat and exhausted too much energy, he might lose control over the three clashing forces, causing all his efforts to come to naught.
Countless thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind in an instant.
If he still did not realize that the anomaly had been triggered by the Qingyang astral essence in his grasp, he would be a fool. There was definitely a secret on Divine Astral Peak that he was unaware of!
For such a ferocious Ancestral Holy Fire to be bound atop Divine Astral Peak, it likely had everything to do with these jade-like pieces of Qingyang astral essence.
Qin Sang stared at the thread-like stream of fire as it drifted slowly toward him, getting nearer by the moment.
After his initial shock, Qin Sang calmed down and realized that this stream of fire was not the true body of the Ancestral Holy Fire, but merely a physical manifestation evolved from some of its escaping power.
The grand formation binding the Ancestral Holy Fire would not be damaged so easily; its true body remained firmly suppressed at the mountain summit.
As long as it was not the true body of the Ancestral Holy Fire, that was fine. Though this power was formidable, there was still some room to maneuver!
With that realization, a plan sprang to Qin Sang's mind. Hardening his resolve, he made his decision. He slammed his palm against the ground and wrenched out the Qingyang astral essence!
By now, the piece of Qingyang astral essence had been absorbed until only a tiny fragment remained. As Qin Sang gripped it forcefully, a crisp cracking sound rang out.
Immediately afterward, wisps of incredibly dense astral qi surged from between Qin Sang's fingers, and he absorbed every last drop into his body without leaving a single trace!
Hearing the sound of astral jade shattering, the two cultivators from the Qingyang Demonic Sect both blanched!
"Insolence!"
"How dare you!"
Furious, the two shot forward like bolts of lightning. They saw only a lone figure hiding inside a stone fissure with his back turned toward them, completely disregarding their warning as he absorbed the astral jade for himself.
Though they could only see his back and not his face, the two immediately determined that the person destroying the astral jade was not one of their sect brethren!
Someone was stealing the Qingyang astral essence!
"Who are you?!"
Shocked and enraged, the two barked harsh interrogations. Never had they imagined that an outsider could silently infiltrate Divine Astral Peak, a restricted sanctuary of their sect!
If this person had not destroyed the astral jade and triggered an anomaly, the entire sect might still have been kept in the dark.
Unexpectedly, the figure acted as if he had heard nothing. Still without turning around, he remained wholly focused on drawing in the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi. The astral qi swirling around his fingertips grew thicker and thicker as he did everything he could to absorb the fragments of the astral jade.
"Courting death!"
With furious shouts, the two exchanged glances and immediately channeled their Qingyang demonic fire. The two streams of demonic fire coalesced into a pair of fiery spears that shot toward Qin Sang's back almost simultaneously, like two cyan dragons lunging viciously for his heart.
*Sizzle!*
The fire spears flew with startling speed, hurtling forth like lightning. With Qin Sang entirely undefended from behind, he was on the verge of being skewered.
Just then, Qin Sang suddenly moved.
This stone fissure ran through the middle of a massive black boulder. The boulder had cracked in half down the center, but neither half had toppled over, creating a winding gap wide enough for three people to walk abreast.
The Qingyang astral essence had been embedded in the ground within this very fissure.
Before Qin Sang had even finished absorbing all the astral qi, he gripped the fragments of the Qingyang astral essence and sprang forward with his legs. Still holding his cross-legged posture, his body lunged forward like a toad with a sharp whoosh, moving even more nimbly than the fire spears.
His figure flickered and weaved, easily evading the fiery spears, and plunged into the depths of the stone fissure in the blink of an eye.
"Halt!"
How could the two let Qin Sang escape? Without hesitation, they gave chase.
However, just after the pair entered the fissure and crossed the spot where Qin Sang had been sitting, an ear-piercing sword hum suddenly rang out ahead, followed by a flash of sword light illuminating the depths of the fissure.
The sword light bore down directly upon them, arriving right before their faces in a split second.
Feeling the sheer power carried by the flying sword, the two turned pale with fright.
"A magic treasure!"
The pair cried out in alarm. In a flustered panic, they hurled their Qingyang demonic fire to ward off the flying sword, both hastily retreating in unison.
They had not sensed any particularly imposing aura from Qin Sang. Who could have guessed he was capable of wielding a magic treasure? With their cultivation bases, they certainly did not dare clash head-on with a magic treasure.
Immediately afterward, an astonishing scene unfolded before their eyes.
*Boom!*
The flying sword clashed violently with their Qingyang demonic fire.
With a crisp clang, the flying sword was actually knocked flying back by the Qingyang demonic fire, utterly unable to hold its ground. It tumbled to the ground, only to wobble back into the air and fly unsteadily in reverse.
For a moment, they thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. Only then did they realize that this flying sword was nothing more than an embroidered pillow—impressive on the outside, but completely devoid of substance!
The only thing that had not disgraced the name of a magic treasure was its material; its body remained entirely unscathed even after forcibly enduring the brunt of two blasts of Qingyang demonic fire.
At this sight, the two cultivators' faces flushed between green and pale with humiliation and fury.
Suddenly, they sensed something amiss. Hurriedly looking up, their expressions froze.
The swirling vortex of wind and clouds above was descending at high speed. The spot they were standing in happened to be where the astral jade had been located, and the center of the vortex was aimed directly at them!
Deep inside the vortex, the stream of fire had shattered at some unknown point.
The vortex was saturated with dense cyan light, which fluctuated erratically alongside the turbulent storm, lightning, and clouds, looking like flickering cyan flames to the naked eye.
Carrying terrifying might, the cyan light descended alongside the swirling vortex, instantly tearing apart the black boulders on both sides of the fissure and grinding them into powder.
In an instant, an appalling pressure bore down. Their bodies went taut as they found themselves trapped as if in a quagmire, completely unable to move!
"Not good! Raise the fire banner quickly!" one shouted in panic.
The other jolted awake as if from a dream. Hurriedly rummaging through his mustard seed bag, he pulled out a triangular cyan banner as tall as a man and planted it between them. Joining forces, the two poured their Qingyang demonic fire into the fire banner without holding back.
The cyan banner was patterned with motifs resembling demonic flames, which flared to life as the genuine Qingyang demonic fire was channeled inside.
At this moment, neither of them had any attention left for Qin Sang; preserving their own lives was all that mattered.
*Whoosh!*
The fire banner blazed with brilliance, abruptly casting a protective canopy of fire that enveloped the two of them.
The next instant, the cyan light crashed down, completely obliterating the surrounding terrain—a testament to its horrifying power.
On the ground, only a massive vortex remained spinning ceaselessly, churning up gravel and rubble of all sizes with a deafening roar. It was impossible to see what the center of the vortex had become.
Qin Sang stood at the edge of the vortex of wind and clouds.
To think that mere cyan light manifested from the Ancestral Holy Fire's residual might possessed such destructive power!
By now, Qin Sang was certain that the Ancestral Holy Fire and the Qingyang demonic fire shared the same origin. Relying on their fire banner, those two had managed to preserve their lives.
Qin Sang did not know the Qingyang demonic fire, so he could not force his way into the cyan light; provoking the Ancestral Holy Fire would only bring disaster upon himself.
However, as long as the cyan light did not dissipate, they could not escape, nor could they send any message out.
Chapter 527