An Example

Qin Sang laughed heartily. He had already sensed a hint of this earlier, and after putting it to a bold test, it had proven true. Perhaps because his true essence contained Qingyang Divine Astral Qi, which shared the same origin as Qingyang Demonic Fire, he was entirely immune to the demonic flame; even if it clung to him, he could easily shake it off. The most dreaded technique of the Qingyang Demonic Sect cultivators was useless against him. To Qin Sang, Qingyang Demonic Fire was no different from ordinary spiritual flame. This not only allowed him to break through the formation without hesitation, but also meant he would no longer have to pull his punches in the ensuing battle against Wu Youdao, greatly increasing his chances of escape. Qin Sang checked the true essence within his corpse core. Though his clash with Wu Youdao had been brief, the essence was depleting rapidly. Unable to recover it in the midst of battle, he had to shake Wu Youdao off before it ran dry. Until then, he could not show the slightest hint of weakness or let Wu Youdao spot any flaws. Qin Sang broke through the flames and emerged. Everyone, Wu Youdao included, was stunned by the sight. The Azure Fire Banner Gate Formation was one of the strongest methods Qingyang Demonic Sect cultivators used to command Qingyang Demonic Fire. They had assumed it would at least impede Qin Sang's stride until Wu Youdao caught up, yet it had failed to do anything at all. None of them imagined it was due to Qin Sang's bizarre true essence; they simply assumed he possessed some fire-repelling treasure. Qin Sang swept his gaze across the area. With a flick of his finger, the ebony sword's sword qi surged violently. Transforming into a streak of flowing light, the blade slashed out at blinding speed. They immediately realized that Qin Sang was attempting to destroy the three azure banners. "Condense!" The three manipulating the azure banners remained composed under the crisis. The three banners suddenly converged, and towering flames flared across the fabric, erecting a blazing barrier. Qin Sang attacking the banners rather than fleeing played right into their hands. Though the Qingyang Demonic Fire gathered by the Azure Fire Banner Gate Formation could no longer burn Qin Sang's true essence, its intrinsic power remained formidable; it would not be destroyed easily. They only needed to stall for a moment, and Martial Uncle Wu would catch up. Unexpectedly, the ebony sword paid no attention to the azure banners at all. Skimming past the formation with a series of flashes, it shot straight toward the flying boat hovering above their heads! "Not good! The flying boat!" The cultivator surnamed Li reacted at once, crying out in alarm. They had just arrived when they received Wu Youdao's command to erect the Azure Fire Banner Gate Formation. Not daring to delay, they had never had the chance to retrieve the flying boat. *Boom!* The ebony sword blazed with ten thousand rays of sword radiance, striking the middle of the vessel like a rainbow piercing the sun. With a tremendous crash, the flying boat was blasted back dozens of yards, its spiritual light dimming abruptly. One could clearly see a shocking crack running along its port side, nearly piercing the entire magic tool and snapping it in two. Listing sideways, the vessel tumbled from the sky! After weighing his options, Qin Sang had resolved to destroy the flying boat first. Destroying the three azure banners would not solve the root problem; no one knew how many other members of the Qingyang Demonic Sect possessed such banners. However, a flying boat that allowed Foundation Establishment cultivators to pool their power and match the flight speed of a Core Formation cultivator was an exceptionally rare type of magic tool. It was exceedingly difficult to refine, requiring spiritual materials as precious as those used for magic treasures. Even Shaohua Mountain lacked such a vessel, and the Qingyang Demonic Sect was unlikely to possess a second. By wrecking the boat, those Foundation Establishment disciples would never catch up to him. Once he opened up some distance, he would only have to face Wu Youdao alone—otherwise, Wu Youdao would have an endless stream of helpers. The ebony sword succeeded with a single strike. Qin Sang dared not linger in place either, as Wu Youdao remained in hot pursuit. Having fallen for a feint once, Wu Youdao would not be bluffed away again unless Qin Sang was truly willing to detonate a Xutian Thunder. In such open space, a Xutian Thunder would likely do no more than tear the hem of Wu Youdao's robes. Without slowing his physical speed, Qin Sang abruptly dove toward the ground. He took an aggressive stance, intending to tear right through the Qingyang Demonic Sect disciples' formation and retrieve his mustard seed bag. His target was easy to pick, for he spotted an acquaintance. Wen Yanjie! The fellow was carrying a coffin on his back—far too conspicuous. Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Sang locked onto Wen Yanjie. His figure flickered several times, bringing him face-to-face with Wen Yanjie in an instant. Unfortunately, Qin Sang's current appearance was far too hideous for Wen Yanjie to recognize anything from his face. Wen Yanjie's cultivation ranked among the top five of these fellow disciples, yet he kept a very low profile. The person they were currently facing was an expert capable of trading blows with Wu Youdao at the Core Formation stage; had they not feared defying Wu Youdao's orders, they would have scattered long ago. The more one stood out, the faster one died. Wen Yanjie understood that truth all too well. He had thought Martial Uncle Wu could easily bring the intruder down. Never did he expect the situation to shift so rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the intruder had effortlessly shaken off Wu Youdao and charged right before them, leaving them no chance to flee. Moreover, out of so many people, the man had singled him out! Only at this moment did Wen Yanjie realize just how fragile he was. Overwhelmed with terror, Wen Yanjie heard the black coffin on his back detonate with a *boom*, and a dark figure shot out in front of him. Seeing Wen Yanjie attempt to use the very baleful corpse sold to him to block him, Qin Sang sneered inwardly. Transforming his right hand into a claw, he lunged even faster straight into the refined corpse's abdomen, piercing into its dantian. True essence surged wildly from his palm, instantly shattering the baleful corpse's sea of qi. In a flash, the two crossed paths, and the refined corpse was ripped to pieces. The next instant, Qin Sang casually batted aside Wen Yanjie's magic tool and seized him by the neck. His gaze turned icy and sharp as he cast an intimidating glance around him. Then he raised his other palm and brought it down hard upon Wen Yanjie's forehead. *Crack!* Wen Yanjie's head burst open like a watermelon. Without even a whimper, he was killed on the spot. White and red splattered in every direction. Tossing the mangled corpse aside like trash, Qin Sang said coldly, "Whoever dares stand in this old man's way will serve as an example just like him!" All of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, including the cultivator surnamed Li, blanched in shock. Drawing in a sharp breath of cold air, they instinctively took a step back. The Azure Fire Banner Gate Formation had given them the illusion that they could meddle in a contest between Core Formation cultivators. Only now did they understand that with merely three azure banners, they were at best qualified to provide peripheral support. If Wu Youdao could not pin the man down and he went all out to slaughter them, the formation would never save their lives. Not a single person dared to block Qin Sang again. He plunged into the mountain forest below and struck the earth with a palm, gouging out a trench. Wrapped in true essence, the mustard seed bag and several other treasures leaped out from beneath the soil. Scooping the treasures into his hands, Qin Sang's expression softened. He cast a glance over his shoulder, then continued fleeing forward. The Foundation Establishment disciples stood rooted to the spot, exchanging glances and not daring to pursue. Wu Youdao had still not given up. Transforming into an escape streak, he chased relentlessly after Qin Sang. The two streaks of light, one before the other, quickly vanished from everyone's view. Knowing these disciples would be of no help in the short term, Wu Youdao left behind a shout. "Li Qing, return to the mountain at once! Go to the core forbidden ground and see what on earth this person stole! Repair the flying boat as quickly as possible, and gather every disciple who holds an azure banner to come assist me!"