Never Yield!

"If you are constrained by notions of chastity and morality, my lady, there is truly no need. Those are merely the morals of mortals, meant to uphold mortal order. To Nascent Soul cultivators like us, anyone beneath the Nascent Soul realm is no different from an ant. So long as one does not slaughter cities and annihilate kingdoms on a whim, one can already be considered a good person. If you cannot see past even this, then your journey of cultivation has all been in vain." Employing both threats and inducements with practiced ease, Dongyang Bo was certain that Chenyan was intent only on saving her master, hoping to force her into a compromise. Just then, Chenyan caught Qin Sang's eyes. Like a streak of lightning, they pierced straight into her heart, giving her sudden pause. What kind of look was that? It seemed to be questioning her. When threatened and driven into a corner, do you accept your fate and yield, or do you seize even the faintest glimmer of hope to fight on without end, never submitting? In the next instant, a crimson sword light suddenly erupted within the bronze hall. Brighter even than the blood bead in Chenyan's hand, it was dazzlingly scarlet, yet tinged with a mournful, desolate beauty! Qin Sang, who should have been reduced to a cripple with his entire cultivation sealed by the talisman— From his Baihui acupoint flew a petite flying sword, shooting straight for the vajra ring! The vajra ring was Dongyang Bo's life magic treasure, kept by his side day and night and continuously refined over the years, a standout even among top-grade magic treasures. Compared to the vajra ring, this sword appeared frail and insignificant. Yet the blood-red light radiating from the flying sword made even Dongyang Bo pale! "Blood Filth Divine Light!" To prevent Chenyan from snatching Qin Sang, Dongyang Bo had used the vajra ring to imprison him, leaving almost no distance between them. With Qin Sang's sudden attack, even someone as powerful as Dongyang Bo could not recall his treasure in time! The divine ability of the Blood Filth Divine Light could only be used once within the Ziwei Palace. During the sneak attack by Sin Abyss, Leng Yuntian's magic treasure had been severely damaged, sparing Qin Sang from having to use this ray of Blood Filth Divine Light. In the battles that followed, he had faced either great demons or wandering spirits and lonely ghosts. The Blood Filth Divine Light had never found a chance to be unleashed, yet here it became Qin Sang's life-saving straw. Dongyang Bo's sealing talisman was extraordinarily powerful, completely locking down Qin Sang's physical body. Qin Sang had secretly attempted to break free countless times, but could not budge the talisman's power within him at all. However, his origin soul was shielded by the jade Buddha. The talisman had no effect on it, so he could still wield the ebony sword! His meridians and sea of qi were sealed, his spiritual power suppressed, and he could not even sense his False Core. Yet the killing talisman on the ebony sword was an alternative dantian in its own right, capable of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on its own to supply the spiritual power Qin Sang needed to control the sword. Moreover, his spiritual sense was entirely uninhibited. In truth, Qin Sang had been biding his time. Originally, Qin Sang had planned to wait until Dongyang Bo and Chenyan began fighting, then slip away amid the chaos. But the moment Dongyang Bo brought out the Stone Bridge Chan, Qin Sang knew he could wait no longer. To Dongyang Bo, he was a mere ant, and Chenyan was his only hope. If Chenyan truly accepted the Stone Bridge Chan and struck a deal with him, Qin Sang would never be able to escape. He could not give Chenyan time to deliberate; he had to gamble. Qin Sang's glance at Chenyan at that final moment was asking her: What will your choice be? *Shwoosh!* The vajra ring was engulfed in blood-red radiance. The Blood Filth Divine Light on the ebony sword was not overwhelmingly potent and could not ruin the vajra ring, but it still possessed the power to defile, briefly severing Dongyang Bo's control over it. Touched by the Blood Filth Divine Light, the ring's light indeed dimmed. Qin Sang felt the power binding him finally disperse. His eyes briefly locked with Chenyan's, and riding his sword, he bolted toward the exit of the bronze hall without looking back. Shaken by Qin Sang's gaze, Chenyan finally came to her senses. She had never expected that Qin Sang would find a way to free himself from Dongyang Bo's grasp. Yet that did not mean he was out of danger; his fate was tied to her choice. What should she choose? There was very little time left for Chenyan to think, but she did not hesitate for a second. Raising her phoenix-shaped sword, she thrust it viciously at Dongyang Bo. Within the ancient bronze hall, a great battle erupted! Meanwhile, having dashed out of the hall, Qin Sang sensed the shift behind him and felt a great weight lift from his heart. Chenyan had not disappointed him. At the same time, a map suddenly surfaced in Qin Sang's mind—Chenyan's guidance showing him how to escape along the secret passage by which they had come. Qin Sang clenched his fists. How to get out had been his greatest worry, and Chenyan had solved it for him. Even though he knew Chenyan was also doing this to eliminate the risk of being blackmailed by Dongyang Bo, Qin Sang still silently thanked her in his heart. *Whoosh!* Qin Sang unleashed his Sword Qi Thunderclap divine ability, flying toward the exit of this level with all his might. He moved with blinding speed as boundless black mist rushed past behind him. Just as the exit came into view, Dongyang Bo's furious roar echoed from the bronze hall: "Kill him! Tear him to pieces!" At that moment, Qin Sang caught a blurry glimpse of Mu Yifeng and the others. Mu Yifeng, Ji Qing, and Yu Wansen were all standing, staring toward him in astonishment, while only Qiu Mubai remained exceedingly weak, his breath feeble from severe exhaustion. Qin Sang's heart tightened. Even in the midst of battle, Dongyang Bo had not forgotten to order his death, commanding Mu Yifeng and the others to act! Wolves ahead and tigers behind. Qin Sang gritted his teeth, charging forward without hesitation. As the four caught sight of him and heard Dongyang Bo's command, they exchanged glances. The first to strike at Qin Sang was none other than Mu Yifeng! At Dongyang Bo's order, Mu Yifeng's eyes narrowed. Without the slightest hesitation, he summoned his Nine Fire Divine Blade, leveling it at Qin Sang and taking the lead. A chill gripped Qin Sang's heart. At Shaohua Mountain, Mu Yifeng had been one of his closest martial brothers; Qin Sang had even saved his life. Yet Mu Yifeng was striking at him without hesitation. In an instant, the eyes of the two former friends met. Catching the look in Mu Yifeng's eyes, Qin Sang froze in surprise. In the next moment, the ebony sword collided with the Nine Fire Divine Blade—and the Nine Fire Divine Blade shattered into pieces! "A magic treasure!" Mu Yifeng shouted in horror, his blade shattered and his defenses wide open. Qin Sang understood. Mu Yifeng had kept the Nine Fire Divine Blade by his side and tempered it for a century; it was far beyond ordinary magic tools. No matter how strong the ebony sword was, it could never have shattered the Nine Fire Divine Blade in a single blow. Mu Yifeng must have secretly destroyed his most relied-upon magic tool from within, staging a scene where he appeared to be overpowered before the others. This magic tool, which Mu Yifeng treasured more than his own life and intended to forge into his life magic treasure after reaching Core Formation, had been destroyed by his own hand. Time seemed to freeze in this instant. Qin Sang and Mu Yifeng could only communicate with their eyes. Mu Yifeng's gaze held an urging, a farewell, and a blessing. The ebony sword was about to plunge into Mu Yifeng's chest. Qin Sang gritted his teeth and did not hold back, because he knew that the more ruthlessly he struck, the more likely Mu Yifeng was to survive! He could not let Mu Yifeng's sacrifice be in vain! *Squelch!* The ebony sword pierced Mu Yifeng's left chest, injuring his heart, but at the final fraction of a second, Qin Sang imperceptibly deflected the sword qi just enough to avoid a lethal blow. Mu Yifeng was thrown back like a tattered rag, colliding right into Ji Qing. Ji Qing and Yu Wansen were both startled. That Mu Yifeng could not even withstand a single exchange against Qin Sang left them shaken and suspicious. Flustered, Ji Qing caught Mu Yifeng and, finding he was still breathing, hastily shoved an elixir into his mouth. Yu Wansen hesitated for a moment, and by the time he moved to attack Qin Sang, it was already too late. The ebony sword easily batted away Yu Wansen's magic tool, and Qin Sang shot through the exit like an arrow from a bowstring, vanishing from their sight. When Yu Wansen and Ji Qing ran out after him, they could no longer see even the gleam of his sword. The space inside the Black Pagoda was vast. Qin Sang dared not stop for a single breath, racing through floor after floor until he finally broke out of the Black Pagoda. He had no choice but to trust Chenyan. After getting his bearings, he fled all the way. The ancient hall, the walls—following Chenyan's directions, he unraveled the seal on the wall, slipped into the secret passage, traversed the Evil Ghost Path, and arrived beneath the small lake. As expected, this place allowed exit but not entry. Qin Sang leaped upward, breaking through the barrier, and emerged into the small lake. Swimming to the surface, he flew out of the lake and sped down Tianshan. There were no pursuers along the way; Dongyang Bo was indeed pinned down by Chenyan. When he finally escaped Tianshan, Qin Sang paused for a brief moment, looked back, and was suddenly struck with bewilderment. The world was vast, yet he had no idea where to go! Having spent nearly a century at Shaohua Mountain, he harbored some affection for it, but he could never return. He could not even return to the Lesser Cold Domain. Chenyan could hold Dongyang Bo back, but Qin Sang did not believe she could kill him. After all, Chenyan had only broken through to the Nascent Soul realm recently; if one of them were to fall, it would more likely be her. Most likely, they would compromise and call a truce. Before long, both Chenyan and Dongyang Bo would search for him with all their might. And if Chenyan decided to cultivate the Stone Bridge Chan, that would be even more terrifying. Until then, he had nowhere to shelter. With these thoughts in mind, Qin Sang still did not dare halt, driving his sword at breakneck speed. Reaching Sword Mark Mountain, Qin Sang looked up toward the peak. If only Yunyouzi had come out of seclusion, he could have asked for his advice. But the mountain was utterly tranquil, with no sign of Yunyouzi; he was presumably still nursing his wounds. Qin Sang could not afford to wait here. Flying past Sword Mark Mountain, Qin Sang dared not even leave a mark for Yunyouzi, afraid of implicating him. At last, Qin Sang landed before the stone cliff, opened the door on the rock face, and entered the Sword Path Ancient Hall. The ancient teleportation array inside was the only means of escape he could think of. Back then, Qingzhu had been hunted by a Nascent Soul cultivator and forced to flee far away. Little did Qin Sang imagine that today, he would repeat Qingzhu's story of old. Qin Sang stood before the ancient teleportation array, his expression shifting uncertainly. Staying was certain death. The other side might be even more dangerous, but there might also be a chance at survival. The choice required no second thought. Qin Sang took out eight medium-grade spirit stones and repeated his previous method, embedding them into the eight corners of the array. Seeing the ancient teleportation array shine brightly, Qin Sang turned to look beyond Ziwei Palace, in the direction of the Lesser Cold Domain. His expression shifted, his gaze deep and distant. More than a century of this life had passed, all spent within the Lesser Cold Domain. Only now did he recall he was but a traveler; looking back, a hundred years had fled! *Snap!* A crisp cracking sound snapped Qin Sang out of his thoughts. Looking back, he saw that one of the spirit stones on the ancient teleportation array was covered in fractures, its spiritual power nearly depleted. Although the ancient teleportation array shone brilliantly, it failed to activate, as if lacking something. Qin Sang's face fell drastically, despair rising in his heart. Could Senior Qingzhu have destroyed the ancient teleportation array on the other side? A moment later, Qin Sang suddenly recalled something and hastily retrieved a top-grade spirit stone from the Qianjun Ring. Unraveling its seal, he had no time to savor the supremely pure spiritual energy of the top-grade spirit stone as he used it to replace the fractured stone. Sure enough, a change occurred in the ancient teleportation array. Just then, another medium-grade spirit stone cracked, and the array halted once more. The corner of Qin Sang's mouth twitched with painful reluctance. He took out another top-grade spirit stone and pressed it into place, praying in his heart that it wouldn't demand any more—he had only four top-grade spirit stones in his possession. At the same time, Qin Sang was filled with astonishment. The ancient teleportation array of Shangyuan Qingjing Palace could transport so many people at once with only eight medium-grade spirit stones. Yet this ancient teleportation array, which could only carry one or two people, actually required top-grade spirit stones—and more than one at that. Where in the world did it lead? *Buzz, buzz...* The altar trembled, and the light from the ancient teleportation array illuminated the ancient hall like broad daylight. An unprecedented, colossal surge of spiritual waves erupted from the center of the array. The teleportation array was activated! Resolutely, Qin Sang stepped onto it. His vision immediately went dark, followed by a terrifying pressure bearing down from all sides. Qin Sang was horror-struck. He could only mobilize his spiritual sense—the only power he could still use—to resist. Soon, his spiritual sense was exhausted. A surge of excruciating pain washed over him, and he blacked out, losing all consciousness. (End of Volume 1: The Mortal Realm)