Before long, Qin Sang opened his eyes. The ebony sword shifted from stillness to motion, flying to the edge of the mirror array.
By this point, not a single sound came from within the mirror array; the youth in tight-fitting clothes appeared to have fallen under the Soul-Bewildering Mirror's intoxicating trance.
Qin Sang halted the ebony sword before the mirror array, took a deep breath, and reached out to recall all the Soul-Bewildering Mirrors. Then, with a thought, before the mist even had time to dissipate, he sent the ebony sword thrusting fiercely inside.
Immediately, a crisp *ding* echoed from within the mist.
As the vapor gradually cleared, the ebony sword could be seen firmly blocked by a crescent scimitar. The two were evenly matched, locked in a stalemate midair, neither able to advance an inch.
The youth in tight-fitting clothes wore an expression of shock and fury, blurting out in alarm, "You have a talisman treasure too? No, why is your talisman treasure so bizarre?"
Qin Sang watched him coldly without speaking, though a wave of lingering dread washed over his heart. He had not expected this person to resist the Soul-Bewildering Mirror's disorienting power. He noticed a grey cloth hat on the youth's head that had not been there before—likely the work of that magic tool.
What surprised Qin Sang even more was that scimitar. Judging by the youth's tone, it was actually a talisman treasure.
This was the first time Qin Sang had ever seen a talisman treasure. Shaped like a crescent moon and slightly larger than the ebony sword, its blade gave off an icy, chilling gleam and seemed incomparably sharp. No wonder it could hold its own against the ebony sword.
While Qin Sang had been outside preparing the ebony sword, the youth in tight-fitting clothes had feigned being entranced while secretly readying his talisman treasure inside the mirror array. The two had arrived at the exact same idea.
Qin Sang was now filled with immense regret. Even unleashing the ebony sword had failed to kill his opponent. Had he known the youth would be so difficult to deal with, he would have steered clear entirely.
Now, with the ebony sword clashing against the crescent scimitar, neither dared yield a single step. To retreat meant instant death on the spot, yet if this stalemate dragged on, it was impossible to say who would come out alive.
The youth in tight-fitting clothes had realized this as well, his expression turning exceedingly grim. He naturally had no wish to lose his life here so inexplicably, nor was mutual destruction an option—his life was far more precious than that of a mere rogue cultivator.
With that thought, the youth gritted his teeth and poured all the spiritual power in his body into the crescent scimitar. The scimitar's cold radiance flared, instantly forcing the ebony sword into a steady retreat.
Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. Not daring to hesitate, he urged the ebony sword forward and forcibly held the crescent scimitar at bay once more.
By now, the spiritual power within both of their bodies was draining away at a frantic pace.
Soon, a crisp crack sounded from Qin Sang's palm as the spirit stone he held completely shattered, reduced to useless rock. Qin Sang immediately swapped in a fresh one, and the youth in tight-fitting clothes across from him naturally did the same. Yet compared to their frantic expenditure, the meager spiritual power supplied by a spirit stone was a mere drop in the bucket.
The youth's expression flickered with indecision. Suddenly, he called out, "You are definitely no rogue cultivator! Exactly which clan's disciple are you?"
Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he replied in a deep voice, "I am indeed a rogue cultivator!"
The youth snorted in displeasure. "A rogue cultivator could never possess such vast wealth. Talisman treasures aren't something a rogue cultivator can ever hope to own. Even if you won't admit it, I can guess your game. You didn't sneak in here to join the Yuanzhao Sect—you only came for trial by combat and to collect a few handy magic tools while you're at it!"
Hearing this, Qin Sang felt a spark of surprise and countered, "Isn't that your own objective?"
"That's right!"
The youth made no attempt to conceal it, saying haughtily, "I don't mind telling you: I'm the most talented scion of my clan, so of course I wouldn't stoop to being a handyman disciple in the Yuanzhao Sect. This is my second time attending the Yuanzhao Sect's Ascension Assembly. This green leaf magic tool was seized during the last one, and it works wonderfully. But an opponent as troublesome as you is a first for me. Since we share the same purpose, there's no need to fight to the death. Let's shake hands, make peace, and stay out of each other's way from now on. How about it?"
Qin Sang sneered. "You're mistaken. I entered the Ascension Assembly specifically to join the Yuanzhao Sect. However, so long as you put away your talisman treasure first, I can agree to drop the matter here."
"Do you take me for a fool?"
Fury flashed across the youth's face. He flipped his palm, retrieved the jade bottle containing spiritual pills, and made as if to swallow one.
Not about to show weakness, Qin Sang pushed aside his heartache, took out the middle-grade spirit stone he had kept hidden away at the bottom of his stash, and assumed a posture of going all-out at any cost.
The youth's face froze, his eyes darting back and forth. Only after a long while did he say resentfully, "Fine! I admit defeat today! Didn't you come here to join the Yuanzhao Sect? I have four jade plaques here, and I'll give them all to you. Will that buy your ceasefire?"
With that, the youth took out the jade plaques and tossed them all onto the ground, looking as though he truly cared nothing for them.
Qin Sang glanced at the jade plaques on the ground, a look of contemplation appearing on his face. Then, his eyes fixed piercingly on the youth. "Given your strength and the fact that you came for experience, why didn't you actively seek people out instead of setting a trap in such an out-of-the-way place to wait for prey? Unless you were certain someone would pass through here, and that they wouldn't be weak. Either you have far more than four jade plaques, or you've known all along that reaching the core area requires passing through this spot. Am I right?"
The youth's expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth to speak, but Qin Sang cut him off. "Don't tell me it was just a coincidence that you landed in the exact same area both times. Such lies might fool an idiot, but not me."
The youth remained speechless for a long time before finally giving a bitter smile. "You arrived too quickly. I really do have only four jade plaques on me."
Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. "Meaning..."
The youth nodded. "That's right. I have a map of the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground. Although the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground is now held by the Yuanzhao Sect, before all the treasures were stripped bare, several factions controlled it jointly. My map was leaked back then. If you're willing to stop, I can give you a copy. It outlines a shortcut that can guide you past the perilous areas ahead, ensuring you secure a spot. But you must swear an oath never to leak it!"
Qin Sang said, "Even if I swore an oath, you wouldn't believe it. All I can say is that I will never do anything that brings me no benefit. You're merely fishing in troubled waters at the Ascension Assembly. The Yuanzhao Sect is a great orthodox sect; would they really hunt you down over such a trivial matter?"
"A great orthodox sect?"
The youth sneered. "You really think highly of them. Have you ever wondered why, when an Ascension Assembly could easily be held in an arena, they go through all the trouble of dragging everyone into a forbidden ground, claiming so many lives each time?"
Qin Sang asked curiously, "Why?"
"The restrictions of the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground were already on the verge of collapse two hundred years ago, but the Yuanzhao Sect found a secret method to sustain them to this day. From that point on, the Yuanzhao Sect moved the Ascension Assembly into the forbidden ground, and the rules grew increasingly cruel... What is righteous? What is demonic?"
The youth wore a mocking smile as he brought out a jade slip. "The map is inside this. If we recall our talisman treasures at the same time, I will give it to you."
Qin Sang gently shook his head. "Hold on..."
The youth flared up in rage. "Do you think I'm truly afraid of you?! Push me any further, and even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"
Chapter 82