Blockade

The grotesque bird's strength was equivalent to an early Nascent Soul cultivator. If he unleashed the Thunder Command Art, and then combined his attacks with Bai, his incarnation, and the two-headed hou, there was a chance they could force the grotesque bird back. But doing so would inevitably alert the ferocious beasts below and draw Old Devil Mou over. When pushed to the absolute brink, one had to make trade-offs. Once he obtained the Soul-Nurturing Wood, his cultivation would no longer be restricted, and he believed that when he entered the Hall of Seven Kills next time, he would be able to traverse the Sword Path on his own strength alone. Yet delays bred complications; no one could predict what might happen decades from now, and unforeseen accidents were always possible. Now that he could make a clean getaway, it was naturally everything Qin Sang could ask for. Being even more cautious than before, he swiftly fled the rift valley and sped toward the outside of the Purple Mist Deathland. ... Inside the rift valley. With the grotesque bird's appearance, a tripartite standoff formed, each side wary of the others. Right then, a long howl suddenly echoed from the direction of the Ghostland. Old Devil Mou, draped in cold fire, rushed before these ferocious beasts in the blink of an eye. In an instant, all the ferocious beasts' gazes converged upon Old Devil Mou. Affected by the Hall of Seven Kills, these beasts were extraordinarily vicious. Recognizing this uninvited guest whose aura far exceeded their own as the greatest threat, they immediately cast aside their grievances and besieged Old Devil Mou without hesitation. The grotesque bird spread its wings wide, spitting black light from its beak. The dog-like beast leader spewed a torrent of purple flame. Meanwhile, the group of flood dragon beasts linked tails, their bodies instantly tangling together. Purple qi surged over them as their size swelled massively, transforming into a presence akin to a true dragon. Its long tail whipped savagely toward the old devil. Suddenly besieged by the ferocious beasts, Old Devil Mou seethed inwardly. "Senseless beasts! I didn't go looking for trouble with you, yet you dare block my path? Get back!" Old Devil Mou barked in fury, and the armor of cold flame covering his body erupted abruptly. A sizzling hiss arose as even the purple mist was scorched by the Dongming Cold Flame. The cold flame coalesced into a mass and surged to meet the purple fire spewed by the beast leader. *Boom!* Cold flame and purple fire clashed. The two spiritual fires unleashed terrifying tremors, turning into a two-colored pillar of fire that shot into the sky, forcing even the purple mist back. At the same time, a gray cloth pouch appeared in Old Devil Mou's palm. Pointing it at the grotesque bird and the flood dragons, he pinched an incantation, and countless grains of black sand sprayed violently from the pouch. These grains varied in size—the smallest like dust, the largest no bigger than a grain of rice—yet each weighed thousands of jin. Resembling a wall, they blocked the black light and halted the flood dragons in their tracks. For a moment, the prowess Old Devil Mou displayed struck terror into the hearts of the beasts. Old Devil Mou stumbled back several paces, his figure trembling before he managed to steady himself. Enduring the combined assault of these ferocious beasts simultaneously was not as effortless as his words had made it sound. To their surprise, Old Devil Mou did not even spare a glance at the beasts. Instead, he looked up and fixed his gaze squarely on a deep crater on the cliff face above—the very mark left behind when the grotesque bird had attacked Qin Sang. He seemed to have discovered something. Then, his foot kicked off forcefully, shooting toward the cliff. This was the first time the ferocious beasts had encountered such an arrogant opponent who dared ignore them, and they flew into a collective rage. "Out of my way!" With demonic fire wielded in one hand and divine sand brandished in the other, Old Devil Mou fought furiously against the beasts, attempting to break through by force. Before long, a roar of sheer humiliation and fury rang out from deep within the rift valley: "When you fall into my hands, I will make you suffer every torture in existence, begging for death in vain!" With his vast experience, seeing those traces was enough to grasp what had happened. That fellow had not only stolen the treasures and ruined his demonic fire, but had even slipped away right under his nose while he remained utterly oblivious. How could Old Devil Mou not be enraged? ... Above the rift valley. Qin Sang sped toward the cave where the earthworm dragons dwelt, deliberately skirting away from the canyon. He sensed the earthshaking battle erupting behind him and could guess the identities of both sides. He had not struck, and had acted with extreme caution. Aside from the traces left by the grotesque bird's assault, he had left no aura behind. Even if that Nascent Soul cultivator noticed something, there was no way he could trace it back to Qin Sang once they left. Thinking of this, Qin Sang felt somewhat relieved. Finally, the earthworm dragons' cave came into view. Just as Qin Sang was about to enter, the ground suddenly shook violently. The distant rumblings of a fierce battle came from behind, accompanied by several unfamiliar beast roars. *Did they fight all the way here? Or has that Nascent Soul cultivator already shaken off those beasts and encountered a new adversary? In this direction... could it really be the top-tier ferocious beast that attacked Madam Liu...?* Qin Sang was startled. That Nascent Soul cultivator's strength was even more terrifying than he had imagined. Passing through the cave and reaching the other side of the high cliff, Qin Sang exhaled a long breath, a look of profound relief washing over his face. The world outside was vast, with countless secret realms and cultivators everywhere. If he simply found a place to hide, no matter how immense the man's supernatural powers were, finding him would be impossible. With this in mind, Qin Sang did not flee straight into the ancient forest. Instead, he shifted directions, intending to take a detour to steer clear of trouble. On the other side. Willing to trade injury for injury and paying no small price, Old Devil Mou had finally shaken off the grotesque bird and the other beasts. Just as he was about to search for that person's tracks, another beast had been drawn in by the commotion, forcing him into yet another fierce clash. After finally driving this beast off as well, Old Devil Mou knew that even if the culprit was merely at the Core Formation stage, they had had ample time to flee the Purple Mist Deathland. At this thought, Old Devil Mou's face flickered unpredictably, already bordering on sheer rage. After some deliberation, he actually flew in a direct line toward the wasteland where the exit of the Hall of Seven Kills lay. He was confident that with his speed, he would certainly be the first to reach the wasteland. When the immortal restrictions closed and everyone was forced to leave, they would inevitably have to pass through the wasteland. Within the forest. A Core Formation stage elderly man was harvesting a spiritual herb. The old man had just placed the herb into a jade box, the delight on his face yet to fade. Sensing something, he looked up toward the depths of the forest and listened intently. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically. After glancing around, he darted into the roots of an ancient tree, waving his sleeve to cast a plume of white smoke. As the white smoke enveloped him, the old man vanished into thin air, his aura completely gone. The next moment, a tempest swept through, carrying a figure within the gale—none other than Old Devil Mou. Passing overhead, Old Devil Mou paused slightly and glanced downward. Suddenly clenching his fist, he hurled a burst of spiritual power like a bolt of lightning toward the old man's hiding place. White smoke abruptly billowed from the tree roots. The old man leaped out in terror, transforming into an escape light to flee. Old Devil Mou gave a contemptuous snort and flicked his finger, releasing a strand of cold flame that formed a flaming chain, which whistled through the air and wrapped around the old man. The old man felt a strange, piercing cold seize him; his entire body stiffened, devoid of any strength to resist. *Swish!* The cold flame reeled the old man backward through the air. "It's you..." Recognizing Old Devil Mou, the old man parted his lips, but darkness suddenly engulfed his vision, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. A moment later, Old Devil Mou withdrew his hand, stopping the soul search, and cursed, "Worthless trash!" The Dongming Cold Flame abruptly flared, reducing the old man to ashes in an instant, erasing him from the world. The gale rose once more, and Old Devil Mou's figure vanished in a flash, leaving behind only a venomous hiss through gritted teeth: "I'd like to see just how far you can run!"