Ambush

At dusk. Two silhouettes slipped quietly away from Haichan Island. After flying some distance out, they summoned their escape lights and flew deep into the Demon Sea. One of them wore a long beard and looked nearly fifty, yet he treated the other young man with utmost deference. That young man was none other than the youth surnamed Fang whom Qin Sang had once crossed paths with—the eldest disciple of Black Snake Mountain. "Eldest Senior Brother, I spent months searching that stretch of sea and confirmed that the lair belongs to a rare gloomlight beast. There is very likely a great demon at the late Demon Core stage or even the peak inside. My cultivation is weak, and fearing discovery by the gloomlight beast, I didn't dare approach too closely. I had no choice but to ask you to come inspect the lair's strength..." the elder cultivator transmitted via voice while leading the way. The young man surnamed Fang gave a low grunt and replied calmly, "If there is only this gloomlight beast in the lair, the two of us can strike directly and slay it. If there are other great demons, we'll just have to wait a few days and invite a few helpers before making a move. The gloomlight beast's eyes are the most crucial main ingredient in the medicinal formula Master needs; the sooner we secure them, the better." As he spoke, Fang suddenly frowned. "Are you certain no other faction has their eye on this beast?" The elder cultivator paused, then said with certainty, "Rest assured, Eldest Senior Brother. I acted with extreme caution and never leaked word of the gloomlight beast to anyone. I also lurked around the lair for a long time and saw no signs of any other forces." Fang nodded slightly and said no more. Yet deep inside, he couldn't help recalling a humiliating incident from years ago, secretly grinding his teeth. To this day, he still couldn't comprehend where he had slipped up. He had replayed the entire scheme more than once, carefully scrutinizing every detail. There had been no chance of his junior brothers turning traitor, yet success had slipped through his fingers at the final moment, and their prize had been snatched away. What made it all the more pathetic was that they had been utterly played. Out of so many martial brothers dispatched down the mountain, only three had made it back alive. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Just how had that oriole discovered their secret and shadowed them so silently? Although their master hadn't severely punished him after his return to Black Snake Mountain, Fang had carved the matter into his memory as the greatest disgrace of his life. For years, he had never given up searching for that person, itching to tear him limb from limb to appease his burning hatred. Yet that person had seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving no trace behind. Both the Canglang Sea and the Demon Sea were vast beyond measure. Hiding a single person was easy enough, and since they were not of the human race, finding accurate intelligence was exceedingly difficult. To Fang, however, none of these were valid excuses. He would never abandon his desire for revenge. A vicious glint flickered in his eyes; that person had better pray he never fell into his hands. After exchanging a few more words, the two flew silently toward the demon's lair. Three days later, they arrived above an unremarkable deserted island. The elder cultivator halted his escape light and pointed down at the desolate isle. "Senior Brother, the demon lair lies not far ahead. I carved out a cave dwelling here. Why don't we go down and rest for a moment to get ourselves in peak condition before going to scout the lair..." Fang nodded. Just as he wheeled his escape light to descend onto the island, his eyes suddenly blazed with sharp light. "Who's skulking down there!" Almost at the exact instant his furious shout rang out, an exceptionally swift sword light burst from the dense forest below, accompanied by a piercing whistle of sword qi, shooting straight for the two of them! *Boom!* Fang reacted with lightning speed. He slapped the mustard seed bag at his waist, and the blood sword that had accompanied him for years transformed into a rainbow of blood, intercepting the sword light. The two flying swords clashed and parted in an instant, seemingly matched in strength. Then, ripples of a restriction spread across the woods, and three figures emerged. "Eldest Senior Brother, it wasn't me..." Caught completely off guard by this sudden ambush and still confused, the elder cultivator saw his senior brother glaring venomously at him. Terror seized him, and he scrambled to defend himself. "Fellow Daoist Fang, don't you recognize me?" One of the figures took off his mask, revealing Qin Sang's face. The other two were naturally his external incarnation and the two-headed hou. Looking at Fang with an amused expression, Qin Sang said with a touch of emotion, "I spent a full three years searching the Demon Sea before finally waiting for you to emerge." Now that he possessed the strength to avenge that past grudge, he had no intention of swallowing his resentment any longer. Qin Sang knew full well that the moment he struck, it would inevitably alert the Old Ancestor of Black Snake Mountain. The patriarch could easily turn the tables and lay a trap for him to walk into. He had only one chance, so his target was naturally Fang. What was more, advancing his external incarnation to its peak required the blood sacrifice of an expert like Fang. Qin Sang had concealed his identity, tempering his body while seeking clues. It had taken a full three years to pin down the movements of the Black Snake Mountain disciples. After lying patiently in wait until now, he had finally intercepted his quarry. Fang's cultivation was far stronger than before; he had already reached the peak of the Core Formation stage, a mere step away from Nascent Soul formation. Yet as long as his foe was not a Nascent Soul cultivator, Qin Sang had absolute confidence that the man could never escape his grasp. "It's you! You dare show your face before me!" Fang recognized the man he loathed to the marrow of his bones at a single glance. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and he laughed out of sheer fury. "Good! Excellent! To think you would deliver yourself into my hands! Hand over the stone platform, and I'll grant you a swift death!" Qin Sang sneered, "You haven't forgotten the stone platform, it seems. Perhaps you should worry about your own life first! Kill!" Before his words even finished, Qin Sang's incarnation and the two-headed hou moved as one. The three figures split apart. Qin Sang charged directly at Fang, while the incarnation and the two-headed hou lunged straight toward the other Witch Clan cultivator, intending to eliminate him first. Fang was caught slightly off guard by the sight. He had already seen through his opponents' cultivations and understood that anyone daring to ambush him must have come prepared. He had assumed the unfamiliar late Core Formation cultivator would be the one to engage him; he never expected it would be Qin Sang himself. In the blink of an eye, Qin Sang closed the distance. Green light surged over Qin Sang's body, and before Fang's astonished eyes, an exquisite pair of phoenix wings unfurled behind his back. Immediately after, Qin Sang's aura skyrocketed, swelling in an instant to a degree that turned Fang's face pale. "What kind of secret art is this?" Alarm bells rang wildly in Fang's mind, and he was seized by an ominous premonition. Qin Sang clearly stood only at the mid Core Formation stage, yet upon unleashing this transformation divine ability, his aura was scarcely weaker than Fang's own. At this moment, Fang truly sensed danger, and his expression warped in shock. *Whoosh!* With his phoenix wings unfurled, Qin Sang's speed exploded. With a single flicker, he materialized right in front of Fang. Cloaked in billowing demon qi and spreading his wings wide, Qin Sang pounced forward like a ferocious, bloodthirsty demon beast. Fang was shaken to his core, but his reflexes didn't falter in the slightest. A black flash rippled across his frame as an odd insect armor manifested over him. He whipped his arm out, and the blood sword erupted with scarlet sword qi, slashing out with lethal ferocity.