Qin Sang and his incarnation arrived together.
Had it been any other Core Formation stage cultivator, their fate would not have been much better than the young man surnamed Fang's.
Yet to Qin Sang's surprise, although the ease on Bai's face had vanished, there was still little fear.
'Does he really have the confidence to take on both me and my incarnation?'
Qin Sang's heart sank.
Many of his techniques were useless against Bai, such as the Foul Blood Divine Light.
A treasure like the Star Conch would also be restricted.
Bai possessed the Flying Yaksha's body—the body of a refined corpse—and seemed capable of leaving it at will. Even if the Star Conch could severely damage the physical body, it might not harm his ghostly true form. Furthermore, with Bai in control of the Flying Yaksha for so long, no one knew what changes had occurred; its former weaknesses might no longer exist.
His thoughts racing, Qin Sang urged the sword wheel with all his strength.
Blood qi surged from his incarnation. The blood sword seemed to thrum with delight, erupting with blinding bloody light as a several-zhang-long slash of bloody sword qi howled forth.
A pungent stench of blood filled the air.
Watching the combined offensive of Qin Sang and his incarnation, Bai stood his ground with eerie calm. Sweeping both arms, he actually attempted to take on Qin Sang and the avatar single-handedly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shadows of ghostly claws blotted out the sky, surging back toward Qin Sang's side like a black tidal wave.
Having already gauged the power of the claw shadows earlier, Qin Sang and his incarnation did not hesitate in the slightest, pouring in another measure of true essence. The two flying swords rang out with resonant hums, slicing forward with invincible momentum.
The barrier formed by the claw shadows failed to hold for long. Countless claw shadows disintegrated beneath the majestic sword qi, falling back in steady defeat.
Yet Bai showed not the slightest trace of anxiety.
Taking a deep breath, the corpse qi inside him boiled, faintly coating his skin while accompanied by an inexplicable ripple. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that this corpse qi had turned a pale, ashen white, remarkably similar to the surrounding ghost mist.
Over the past several decades, Bai had been constantly tempering this body.
Before the Flying Yaksha had been taken from Qin Sang, the corpse qi within it had been refined from earth fiend qi, appearing much darker than the ghost mist.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The series of impacts sounded without pause as the claw shadows were shattered one after another by the two flying swords, the barrier growing ever thinner.
Right at that moment, Bai let out a low shout. The corpse qi within him erupted without warning, transforming into gray-white chains that shot deep into the surrounding ghost mist, bizarre runes manifesting along their links.
In an instant, the ghost mist churned violently.
Heaven and earth changed color.
Drawn by the corpse qi, the ghost mist surged frantically toward Bai, rapidly forming a ghost mist hurricane right where he stood.
The hurricane swept outward, toppling bone mountains and grinding skeletons to powder.
The disturbed vengeful spirits were enraged, but sensing the terrifying aura unleashed by the clash, they instinctively recoiled in fear, lingering only on the perimeter, not daring to enter.
During the earlier battle, the outskirts had already been crowded with vengeful spirits, their rising and falling wails sounding as though they were cheering the combatants on.
Now, these spirits—along with newly awakened ones—were bound by the chains and dragged into the ghost mist hurricane.
The ghost mist whirled wildly, eerie, bone-chilling shrieks echoing from within. Its momentum was appalling, resembling a pale white sash that blotted out the sky.
Bai chanted a few lines under his breath, a brilliant light flaring in his eyes as he swung his arm violently.
Amidst a deafening roar, the ghost mist hurricane pressed down with crushing force, slamming violently toward Qin Sang and his incarnation. The hurricane was unstoppable, bearing an aura that seemed poised to grind everything to dust.
Qin Sang was inwardly alarmed. He had no idea what divine ability Bai had used to manipulate the ghost mist and rally the power of the vengeful spirits.
The pressure radiating from the hurricane tightened his chest. Without hesitation, he flew backward while commanding his external incarnation to retreat alongside him, temporarily giving way before its brunt.
As the hurricane descended, the sword wheel and the bloody sword qi were swallowed whole.
The sword wheel was forced into a tight defense, while the blood sword vibrated incessantly; both were suppressed.
The next moment, Bai's eyes shifted. His figure vanished from the spot, melting into the ghost mist. Ignoring the incarnation, he flickered several times, lunging straight for Qin Sang's true body!
Then he swept a palm fiercely forward. Channeling the might of the ghost mist, it manifested as a colossal gray-white palm that boomed toward Qin Sang.
Qin Sang snorted coldly and flew back swiftly. At the same time, with a sharp flick of his wrist, the Primordial Concentric Rings shot right through the giant palm to hover above Bai's head.
Then, with a brilliant burst of treasure light, the two-headed hou sprang forth. In a blur, it split into several phantoms, all baring fangs and claws as they pounced straight at Bai's face.
Bang!
The hou's phantoms were all shattered, and its true body tumbled through the air before falling back to Qin Sang's side.
Caught off guard by the abrupt assault, Bai was forced to defend, causing his momentum to slacken. Qin Sang and his incarnation seized the opportunity to tear free from the ghost mist hurricane, recall their flying swords, and pull back.
"You have a spirit beast as well?"
Bai was even more astonished, clearly having never expected Qin Sang to be such a troublesome opponent.
His eyes flickered with calculation. Having seized the upper hand, he pressed his advantage without hesitation, driving the ghost mist to attack once more.
In an instant, the two sides were locked in fierce combat.
The battlefield shifted back and forth.
The ghost mist hurricane that had swallowed the vengeful spirits rampaged everywhere, within which bloody light and azure light could be clearly seen crisscrossing.
Bai displayed tremendous might, hiding deep within the ghost mist where no one could pin him down.
Qin Sang grew increasingly alarmed the longer they fought. Joining forces with his avatar and the two-headed hou was equivalent to three late Core Formation stage combatants, yet they hadn't gained the slightest edge.
"I told you long ago: so long as we are in this space, you will never be able to do anything to me."
Bai's voice drifted out from the ghost mist, sounding faint and ethereal.
Qin Sang let out a disdainful snort. "Save your empty bluffing! Manipulating the ghost mist and spirits is bound to be an immense burden on you. With your strength, you certainly cannot keep it up for long! What's more, you haven't fully taken over that body at all!"
During the fierce clash, Bai had been unable to mask everything completely. In a momentary lapse, Qin Sang had caught a telltale sign: the Flying Yaksha's origin soul, along with the soul imprint Qin Sang had left inside it, did not seem to have been thoroughly refined by Bai.
This surprised Qin Sang somewhat. He did not know whether it was due to the efficacy of the Heavenly Corpse Talisman or because his soul imprint carried the aura of the jade Buddha.
The last time he had visited the Hall of Seven Kills, Bai had certainly been very weak, not even daring to show his face.
Though Bai was now capable of battling three formidable foes at once, merely a few decades had passed between then and now. It was entirely possible he had not had enough time to completely refine the Flying Yaksha.
If the Flying Yaksha's origin soul still endured, then once Bai weakened, Qin Sang could attempt to reclaim control of the corpse.
As if struck right on his vital weakness, Bai fell silent for a moment before speaking. "You are indeed sharp. But can you afford to wait until I am exhausted? Though I do not know what it is like outside, people appear here only after intervals of many years, and then they leave in a hurry. Presumably, you cannot stay for very long either, can you? Unless you plan on being trapped here alongside me."
Qin Sang remained silent.
The intense battle raged on without stopping. Aided by his incarnation and the two-headed hou, Qin Sang pressed relentlessly into the depths of the ghost mist, searching for Bai's true body.
Seeing Qin Sang seemingly concede the point in silence, Bai's spirits lifted. "Since neither of us can get the better of the other, why don't we stop and strike a deal? It will benefit both of us."
Qin Sang did not reply. Sneering inwardly, he quietly formed an incantation gesture, the faint rumblings of wind and thunder stirring within his body.
Chapter 934