The Tables Turned

Qin Sang knew the youth was fighting desperately now. Sheltered inside the Ten Directions Yanluo Array, Qin Sang refused to emerge no matter what. The Nine Nether Demonic Fire surged out from the banner array, engulfing the golden ring. In an instant, the golden light was swallowed by the demonic flames. While the two appeared to intermingle, they were actually locked in a furious struggle, each straining to suppress the other in the narrow space between them. Though the golden ring possessed the power to bind enemy magic treasures, it found itself severely constrained before the Nine Nether Demonic Fire; streak after streak of ring phantoms it unleashed were shattered by the demonic fire. Although Qin Sang's cultivation fell short of the youth's, clad in his poison-warding armor he had no need to fear the toxic mist and could prioritize steady defense. The youth, conversely, had to constantly divert his attention to fend off the toxic mist, all while desperate to slay Qin Sang as quickly as possible. Moreover, an array formed from three Ten Directions Yanluo Banners was by no means comparable to ordinary medium-grade magic treasures. Under these shifting fortunes, the more anxious the youth grew, the less progress he made. *Boom! Boom!* Battered by consecutive impacts from the golden ring, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire heaved and trembled, yet it held firm through it all. Qin Sang's expression remained grave. The disparity in their raw strength was an undeniable reality. Although destroying the jade bracelet had handed him every tactical advantage, he still had to guard against the youth's desperate, suicidal counterattack. A single lapse in vigilance could easily result in the tables being turned on him. Previously, with the jade bracelet intact, the youth had been restrained by hesitation, holding back during exchanges to protect it from harm. Now, with nothing left to lose, he had no choice but to stake everything on one throw. His eyes burned with rage and monstrous murderous intent, withholding nothing in his assault. Qin Sang's strength far exceeded his expectations. A mere mid Core Formation stage cultivator not only possessed astonishing mastery over the sword path, but also wielded magic treasures of such terrifying potency. With this treasure in play, defeating Qin Sang in short order was next to impossible. Having witnessed the power of the Ten Directions Yanluo Array, the youth steeled his resolve. Far from relenting, he pushed his golden ring into an all-out assault, heedless of the cost to his true essence. The youth's attacks fell like a howling tempest. Qin Sang focused entirely on driving his magic treasure. Beside him, the two-headed hou caught its breath and unleashed another volley of wind blades, helping to relieve the pressure on Qin Sang. Joining forces, man and beast faintly showed signs of suppressing the golden ring. Just then, a sudden change occurred. A green glow rose from the ground, carpeting the terrain in vibrant jade in an instant. Vegetation sprouted at breakneck speed, surging wildly toward Qin Sang's position. Yet this was no flora, but streaks of incomparably razor-sharp sword qi! *Swish, swish...* The Ten Directions Yanluo Array was encircled by sword qi; the youth was determined to pierce Qin Sang with ten thousand swords! Qin Sang's heart tightened. He knew the youth was truly gambling with his life now. Unleashing such an unreserved offensive meant he could hardly spare any attention to resist the toxic mist, so he certainly could not sustain it for long. Once the poison mist penetrated his vital organs, not even an immortal could save him. Qin Sang and the two-headed hou roared in unison. The Nine Nether Demonic Fire swept outward, incinerating the vegetation, while the two-headed hou exerted all its might, its slit pupils unleashing storms to hold off the golden ring on its own. Yet the youth's offensive was simply too ferocious; even joined together, Qin Sang and the two-headed hou found it impossible to completely hold their ground. Qin Sang knew he could not sit idly by and wait for death. His greatest advantage lay in his evasion techniques—combining the secret talisman with Sword Qi Thunderclap gave him a burst of speed superior even to the youth's. Seeing that the enemy's momentum was overwhelming, Qin Sang recalled the two-headed hou and immediately began evasive maneuvers, playing for time until the youth could no longer endure the corrosion of the toxic mist. Events proved that Qin Sang's strategy was sound. When his most ferocious assault failed to kill Qin Sang, the youth's complexion grew increasingly ghastly. The toxic mist had already breached his protective true essence; purplish-red discoloration was even creeping beneath his skin, invading his meridians and sending wave after wave of excruciating pain through his body. In the end, the youth was the first to falter. He had to break off the attack; otherwise, before he could kill Qin Sang, he would succumb to the poison himself. The golden ring froze abruptly, and the illusory landscape receded like the tide. The youth recalled his magic treasures. Qin Sang lowered his flying light, breathing heavily, his back drenched in sweat. He had finally endured the onslaught. The youth was visibly in bad shape; his desperate gamble had failed, leaving him severely ravaged by the poison mist. He was indeed the most formidable opponent Qin Sang had encountered to date—truly a difficult thorn to pluck. Yet before Qin Sang could even catch his breath, he suddenly noticed the gray sword, which had been retreating, whip around without warning and lunge straight back toward him. The gray sword erupted with dazzling green brilliance, its sword qi soaring into the air with magnificent momentum. *He still hasn't focused on purging the poison? He's already an arrow at the end of its flight—what does he hope to achieve with this?* Qin Sang stared intently at the gray sword, bewildered by the purpose behind the youth's maneuver. But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a feeling of dread washed over him. He realized what was happening, and his face changed drastically. Immediately, the flood dragon soul and sword qi manifested around him at once, and his figure shot backward in an explosive retreat. At the same time, Qin Sang swung his hand violently, unleashing the Nine Nether Demonic Fire without holding anything back. *Pfft!* The gray sword plunged into the demonic fire. Qin Sang wore an anxious expression, sensing an imminent catastrophe. In the next instant, an emerald brilliance exploded within the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, tearing it apart. *Boom!* A thunderous blast sent rippling shockwaves through the purple mist. The youth shuddered as though struck by lightning, coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood. All color drained from his face, and his aura instantly plummeted into languor. Qin Sang's face altered drastically. He hurriedly recalled the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, only to feel an immense wave of force slamming into him. Caught by the heavy blow, he was thrown backward, stumbling as his feet hit the ground before barely regaining his balance. He immediately summoned the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners to inspect them thoroughly. Only after confirming they were undamaged did he let out a long sigh of relief. That explosion just now was the youth decisively detonating his own life spirit sword! Had Qin Sang not remained on high alert and possessed exceptional evasive techniques, even if he managed to escape with his life, one or two of the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners would likely have been destroyed, leaving him unable to assemble the demonic array. The youth clearly had not reached the point of utter despair yet; if he attempted to flee the Purple Mist Deathland, there might still be a chance of survival. Qin Sang had never expected the man to be ruthless enough to detonate his life spirit sword at this juncture! A life magic treasure was bound to a cultivator's mind and soul. If the treasure self-destructed, the cultivator would suffer severe injuries as a consequence, and with certain cultivation techniques, it could even cause one's realm to plummet. Once a life magic treasure was destroyed, forging a replacement was one thing—the spiritual materials aside, the true cost lay in the agonizingly long years of nurturing required, consuming an unimaginable amount of the cultivator's painstaking effort. The youth swallowed a medicinal pill, his aura steadying slightly, and stared at Qin Sang with expectant eyes. Seeing that Qin Sang was merely injured, a flash of disappointment crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by satisfaction—the Nine Nether Demonic Fire had been shattered on the spot by the gray sword's detonation. His target all along had been the demonic fire. With sharp eyes, he had discerned that the crux of the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners lay in the demonic fire. Without it, Qin Sang would lose the only means capable of contending against him. Unfortunately, Qin Sang's reaction and evasion speed were simply too swift, preventing the explosion from destroying the treasures themselves. Qin Sang swallowed a pill as well to suppress his injuries. With a cold sneer, he pointed a finger at the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners. Black flames surged, and another mass of Nine Nether Demonic Fire roared forth. The true essence of the demonic fire was sealed within the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners. As long as the demonic banners were not destroyed, there was an inexhaustible supply of Nine Nether Demonic Fire—the youth could detonate his treasures as much as he pleased. Witnessing this, the youth's eyes dimmed. He knew that having missed his only opportunity, turning the tables and killing Qin Sang was now impossible, and the thought of retreat took root in his mind. Decisive as ever, the youth retrieved his golden ring and shot backward in flight. Having secured hard-won dominance after such a grueling battle, how could Qin Sang possibly let him escape? He gave chase immediately.