A Ruse

Beyond his shock, these revelations sent a thrill of wild joy through Qin Sang. If what Yunyouzi said was true, then this Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid had most likely been seized from Xuanpu Palace by the founder of the Yuanzhao Sect. Otherwise, Yi Tiannie would never have pursued it with such relentless tenacity! During their time in Dichen Cave, Yi Tiannie had secretly taken control of the Flying Yaksha. He could easily have slipped away while Qin Sang was absent, biding his time to erase Qin Sang's soul imprint, refine the Flying Yaksha's origin soul, and thoroughly claim the physical body for himself. Yet he had risked staying behind—undoubtedly for the sake of the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid! Qin Sang noticed that with every word Yunyouzi spoke, the gloom in Yi Tiannie's eyes deepened a fraction. Finally, Yunyouzi let out a soft chuckle and said casually, "Brother Qin, since this fellow possesses news of the Three Light Jade Liquid, why should you fear him destroying the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit? The Three Light Jade Liquid is hailed as a sacred medicine for healing; mending the hidden damage to your foundation will be as easy as turning your palm. What need do you have of some Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit? Take this man down at once!" Yunyouzi suddenly let out a resounding roar. Yi Tiannie's expression changed drastically. He had never imagined that Yunyouzi would see right through his hand so effortlessly. In just a few words, the roles of attacker and defender had completely reversed. Instead, he had become the prey. Dark qi abruptly churned in Yi Tiannie's palm. Corrosive corpse qi enveloped the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit tree, intending to obliterate it on the spot. It was only when sorting through the relics of Patriarch Kuiyin that Yi Tiannie had discovered an ancient bamboo slip brought out from Ziwei Palace, which was how he had learned about Xuanpu Palace and the Three Light Jade Liquid. Later, he had inadvertently caught wind of a secret affair that had occurred in Ziwei Palace, from which he deduced that the palace likely still harbored Three Light Jade Liquid. Learning of this had immediately ignited a fire in his heart, reminding him of the Yuanzhao Sect's Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid. The Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid was precisely what Patriarch Yuanzhao had seized from Xuanpu Palace, though it was the lowest-ranking of the heaven-and-earth treasures once housed there. Back then, Patriarch Kuiyin had contested Patriarch Yuanzhao for the herb and knew full well that its maturity was deficient. Even so, although the plant was unripe, it remained an extraordinary treasure. At worst, waiting a few centuries might yield another Nascent Soul expert for the sect. After Patriarch Yuanzhao met an unexpected demise, Patriarch Kuiyin had contemplated seizing it. But when the Wuji Sect—one of the Eight Righteous Sects—issued a stern warning, and considering that the Yuanzhao Sect was not to be trifled with, he ultimately abandoned the pursuit. He had no use for it himself; in a few centuries, his own bones would have long turned to dust. Moreover, the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid did not guarantee successful Nascent Soul formation, making it foolish to antagonize the Wuji Sect over it. Yi Tiannie, however, was already nearing the end of his lifespan, standing with one foot in the grave. Driven to madness by his obsession with Nascent Soul formation, he was willing to sacrifice everything—even staking his entire sect without hesitation. Thus, upon learning of the Three Light Jade Liquid, he had immediately begun his preparations. Not only did he scour for any weakness in the Yuanzhao Sect's mountain-protecting grand array, but he also practiced a Ghost Dao secret art left behind by Patriarch Kuiyin. That way, if he failed to find longevity herbs and his lifespan ran out before Ziwei Palace opened, he could transition to the Ghost Dao to prolong his existence. The Du'e Pill helped one cross the tribulation of breaking through realms. It was not only useful for human cultivators; demon beast shapeshifting, ghost cultivator advancement, and spirit insect metamorphosis could all benefit from its aid. In truth, Yi Tiannie knew very little about the Three Light Jade Liquid. Everything he knew came from that damaged ancient slip left by Patriarch Kuiyin, and he was not even certain whether it could heal Qin Sang. Yet Yunyouzi spoke with absolute conviction, appearing to understand Xuanpu Palace, the Spirit-Gathering Alms Bowl, and the Three Light Jade Liquid even better than he did. Yi Tiannie was gripped by profound suspicion and doubt. He realized that this threat was doomed to fail. Qin Sang had already formed an external core, possessing strength no less than that of the Flying Yaksha, and wielded a magic treasure—killing him was out of the question. Thus, the thought of retreat sprouted in Yi Tiannie's mind. Yet ruthless as he was, he intended to destroy the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit tree first, ensuring Qin Sang would never obtain its fruit in the future. *Whoosh!* The corpse qi swept toward the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit tree. Just as this rare spirit tree was about to be swallowed by the corpse qi and ruined by the demon's hand, a burst of white light suddenly welled up from its roots. This white light shared the exact same origin as the luminescence Yunyouzi had invoked earlier, emanating from the demon king blood restriction. *Pfft!* The white light instantly enveloped the entire Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit tree, effortlessly scattering the corpse qi. As it turned out, when the demon king discovered the tree and laid down the blood restriction all those years ago, it had been done to leave a legacy for younger generations. First, it sealed the fruit's scent to conceal this treasured site from discovery by human cultivators. Second, it served to protect the tree itself, preventing squabbling descendants from brawling recklessly inside the stone chamber and destroying both the sanctum and the spirit tree in their greed. Yi Tiannie's attempt to destroy the tree had predictably triggered the demon king blood restriction. However, the demon king's intent had merely been to safeguard the tree, not to inflict harm. Once awakened, the restriction made no move to strike back at Yi Tiannie. Having failed in his strike, Yi Tiannie saw that the white light was not coming for him and quickly pieced together the reason. Decisively pulling back his corpse qi, he reached directly toward the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit. This time, the demon king blood restriction did not intervene. Yet just as Yi Tiannie's fingers were about to close around the spirit fruit, the faint silhouette of a pearl abruptly materialized in front of it—the Flawless Pearl! *Boom!* The pearl flared with blinding radiance, unleashing immense power that pushed back against Yi Tiannie's palm. Immediately afterward, it jolted open the light of the blood restriction, swept up the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit, and retreated in a flash. Shocked and infuriated, Yi Tiannie jerked his head around to look. Yunyouzi was clearly still curled up in the corner, another Flawless Pearl floating before him that was now slowly fading away. Despite his weakened state, Yunyouzi had stealthily slipped the Flawless Pearl right beside Yi Tiannie without the latter noticing in the slightest! By this point, Qin Sang had already sprung into action, lunging forward. Witnessing the scene, Qin Sang was also rather surprised. He had not anticipated that Yunyouzi would still have the strength to pilfer the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit; Qin Sang himself had already resolved to give it up. Looking back now, Yunyouzi's claim that the Three Light Jade Liquid could mend his hidden damage had almost certainly been a bluff. With just a few words, he had forced Yi Tiannie into complete disarray. Marvelling inwardly, Qin Sang had witnessed the miraculous wonders of the Flawless Pearl so many times that he was growing almost numb to it. He stared coldly at Yi Tiannie, a chill glinting in his eyes as though gazing upon a dead man. Yi Tiannie knew far too many secrets and harbored bone-deep hatred toward him. He could not be allowed to live! *Whoosh!* The Ten Directions Yanluo Banner planted itself firmly before Qin Sang. An unending torrent of guiding qi surged forth alongside the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, spreading across the chamber with reckless abandon. *Hiss...* The water in the lake boiled violently, and the lake bed dried up in an instant. Surging waves of fire swelled within the stone chamber, crashing toward Yi Tiannie in rolling layers. Having been thwarted once more, Yi Tiannie could only watch helplessly as the Flawless Pearl carried the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit into the distance. He cursed in fury, yet dared not give chase. He feared that if Qin Sang entangled him for too long, Yunyouzi would recover and invoke the demon king blood restriction once more to deal with him just as he had with the panther. Looking at the boundless sea of flames engulfing the chamber, Yi Tiannie, being intimately familiar with the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner, easily located a weak point in the inferno and darted toward it. *Bang!* A moment later, Yi Tiannie went flying backward in a wretched tumble. Immediately after, an exasperated roar tore from the flames: "How can your corpse core be this strong?!"