A Missed Strike

There was only one person. Qin Sang's heart stirred. He sent out the signal, holding his breath and restraining his aura. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly possessed extraordinary vision; from afar, Qin Sang was already certain that this person was indeed Xiang Yi! Concealed deep in the sea, Madam Liu immediately activated her spirit talisman upon receiving the signal. The fish had taken the bait; now was the time to hunt! Xiang Yi was a renowned late Core Formation stage expert who enjoyed the deep trust of the Merchant Alliance's leader. Qin Sang considered that his strength might not be inferior to cultivators at the peak of the late stage, and he could not be taken lightly. Qin Sang's expression was grave. Cupping his palm slightly, a Ten Directions Yanluo Banner silently appeared in his grasp. He had rehearsed the assassination in his mind countless times. In one hand was a dark demonic banner; the other gripped the Primordial Concentric Rings. He would not rigidly wait for Madam Liu to activate the talisman. In an ambush, if he could strike a fatal blow in a single move, all the better; it would spare him all subsequent trouble. The streak of light sped across the sea, occasionally pausing for a moment. Xiang Yi was very cautious, yet he never imagined that the Tortoise-Pattern Wood was a trap; his guard was against demon beasts. Most cultivators operating outside these days were like this, terrified of running into a beast tide. "Almost..." Qin Sang muttered under his breath, tightening his grip. *Whoosh...* The shrill sound of tearing air whistled. Just as Xiang Yi was about to fly overhead, he suddenly paused once more, scanning in all directions to observe his surroundings. *Can't wait any longer!* Qin Sang cried out inwardly. Even though he possessed secret aura-restraining techniques, at such close range, it was difficult to hide from Xiang Yi's spiritual perception. The moment Qin Sang made his move, Xiang Yi instantly sensed the abnormality. His gaze turned icy, and he barked angrily, "Who's there?!" *Splash!* Water sprayed in all directions. A vigorous silhouette leapt out from beneath the water—it was the two-headed hou. Seeing the two-headed hou, Xiang Yi's expression shifted. Clearly, he had not expected such a powerful demon beast to be lurking in hiding. At the same time, alarm bells rang in his mind; terrified of blundering into a beast tide, he immediately began to retreat while staying on high alert. Right behind it, however, Qin Sang emerged alongside the two-headed hou. "An ambush! The Tortoise-Pattern Wood was a trap!" Xiang Yi was jolted with shock. He was highly experienced and instantly realized where the problem lay. Qin Sang launched a sudden sneak attack, coordinating a pincer strike with the two-headed hou to cut off Xiang Yi's retreat. *Boom!* Nine Nether Demonic Fire soared into the sky. The two-headed hou roared, divine light blazing from its slit pupils as endless wind blades shot forth, far more condensed and razor-sharp than before. At the same time, the two-headed hou extended its sharp claws and pounced toward Xiang Yi with ferocious valor. After consuming the Tyrant Blood Fruit, it had come close to a breakthrough; its innate talent and physical body had received substantial enhancements. Now with its powerful physique, it dared to engage in direct hand-to-hand combat against immortal cultivators. Meanwhile, even as Qin Sang unleashed the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, sword radiance flickered at his brow. The ebony sword vanished in a flash, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder, and materialized before Xiang Yi in the blink of an eye. With a sway of the ebony sword, several sword silhouettes locked down the space around Xiang Yi, on the verge of puncturing several bloody holes in him. The ambush had been thoroughly prepared; from the moment Qin Sang struck, his momentum was overwhelming. Before the shock could fade from Xiang Yi's face, he found the ebony sword remarkably familiar. He immediately recalled Qin Sang's identity and cried out in disbelief, "Daoist Qingfeng! It's you!" "That useless waste Cui Ji!" Xiang Yi cursed furiously, flustered and exasperated. Having grasped the reason, he wished he could tear Cui Ji limb from limb. Back then, Cui Ji had vowed to him that Daoist Qingfeng was dead, with no hope of survival. Yet now he stood alive and well before him, laying an ambush against him. Although he had once entertained the idea of helping Cui Ji, he had not even made a move before Cui Ji acted on his own. Now he was dragged into this, and he felt deeply wronged. Xiang Yi suppressed his fury. He sensed imminent danger; the strength displayed by his opponent was far too formidable—no wonder Cui Ji had failed. It occurred to him that after the Hall of Seven Kills closed, Cui Ji had vanished. Most likely, he had not perished beneath an ancient restriction of the Hall of Seven Kills, but had died at the hands of Daoist Qingfeng! *Retreat!* Xiang Yi was no ordinary character. Sizing up the situation, he realized that since the other party had laid an ambush, there might be more than just this one person; he absolutely could not get entangled in a fight. His gaze swept across, taking in the attacks converging from all sides. Although the techniques Qin Sang unleashed were powerful, they inevitably had flaws. To an experienced cultivator like Xiang Yi, no flaw—no matter how small—could be hidden. Xiang Yi remained exceptionally calm, making a swift decision. He had already been guarding against a sneak attack by demon beasts, so he did not panic. Azure light flared around him as he activated his protective vestments. At the same time, he pressed a hand against his dantian, and red light erupted brilliantly. His life magic treasure made its appearance! The two-headed hou attacked first. Claws and wind blades arrived in unison, crashing violently against the azure light radiating from his protective clothing. *Boom!* The azure light shuddered and abruptly dimmed. Yet it did not go out. First, Xiang Yi's protective vestments were of superior quality; second, Xiang Yi had reacted swiftly, maneuvering rapidly so that he only bore the brunt of the initial blow. Though uninjured, Xiang Yi was still struck by tremendous force. His figure stumbled, forced toward the demonic fire and the ebony sword. The demonic fire swept in. Qin Sang demonstrated astonishing swordsmanship; the ebony sword flew like a startling rainbow, making Xiang Yi's scalp tingle with dread. Without hesitation, Xiang Yi hurled his life magic treasure forward with force, attempting to smash open an escape route. His life magic treasure was a small crimson pagoda that spun rapidly, pouring forth red glow. The small pagoda's power was at the very pinnacle of medium-grade magic treasures. Paired with Xiang Yi's vigorous true essence, it did not collapse even when suppressed by both the Nine Nether Demonic Fire and the ebony sword. Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. Without hesitation, he activated the Blood Filth Divine Light. *Swish!* A beam of bloody light surged forth from one of the sword silhouettes, on the verge of submerging the small pagoda. Then, an astonishing scene unfolded. A cluster of white light lit up at the base of the small pagoda. Immediately after, a transparent bead shot out from within, intercepting the attack right in front of the pagoda at the critical moment. It expanded rapidly, bearing the corrosion of the Blood Filth Divine Light in place of the pagoda. The white bead lost all its luster, cracks appearing down its center. This too was a magic treasure, albeit merely a low-grade one. Xiang Yi had kept it hidden inside the small pagoda the entire time, unnoticed even by Qin Sang. "Haha..." Xiang Yi laughed maniacally. "Did you think I wouldn't know you had a way to defile another's magic treasure? That fool Cui Ji died no wrongful death—he actually told me the bloody light came from those black banners! This sword is merely a low-grade magic treasure; such a technique can be used at most once, can't it? You want to ruin my life magic treasure? Keep dreaming!" Qin Sang's face darkened. Not only had Xiang Yi stayed unruffled when ambushed, but he had also quietly laid a trap to turn the tables on him, forcing him to expend the Blood Filth Divine Light in vain. However, Qin Sang did not feel discouraged. When rehearsing beforehand, he had already anticipated this possibility. Since Cui Ji had asked Xiang Yi to deal with him, it was impossible for Cui Ji not to mention the Blood Filth Divine Light. The Blood Filth Divine Light could only serve as a surprise measure. When an opponent was on guard, it was almost impossible to succeed, so it was only natural for it to be countered. The strike had failed. Qin Sang's movements did not falter in the slightest. Without hesitation, he commanded his magic treasure to press the assault. Xiang Yi was exceptionally cunning and refused to become embroiled in a battle with Qin Sang. Even if he wanted to counter-kill him, it could not be here, regardless of whether the other party had reinforcements. The small pagoda whirled furiously as red glow shot forth, colliding against the ebony sword and scattering the Nine Nether Demonic Fire. Xiang Yi fought desperately to carve out an escape route.