Chapter 1035: Bewildering Den

## The Human World

The crater had a chilling name: the Labyrinth of Lost Souls.

Everyone was currently waiting for the Labyrinth of Lost Souls to open.

The sword-wielding Taoist priest was the most renowned disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect in their generation, with the Taoist name Xiaoyun.

Another individual, equally prominent, had intricate ties with the Demon Lord and was known by the moniker Blood Bat.

These two were indeed the rising stars of both the righteous and demonic factions, and their presence here was expected.

Time passed.

Dark mist swirled within the mountain, but it remained confined within the crater's boundaries, trapped by some form of restriction. Just then, a ripple suddenly appeared above the dark mist.

A Bagua-shaped restrictive barrier appeared indistinctly.

Upon seeing the restriction emerge, the cultivators' eyes suddenly burned with intense fervor.

At that moment, a sudden whooshing sound was heard, and five figures flashed into view, appearing before everyone.

"The Eastern Alliance!"

Someone whispered, recognizing their identity.

These five people included Su Nü and her companions; Venerable Ye was also among them, wearing a mask and concealing his cultivation, standing discreetly at the back.

Outside the crater, Qin Sang and Ming Wei were waiting, not far from each other.

He spotted Su Nü at a glance and was secretly surprised.

Given Su Nü's strength, it was normal for her to pass the final trial with the help of other cultivators from the Eastern Alliance, but entering the Labyrinth of Lost Souls to compete for the Soul Cleansing Liquid would be quite a stretch.

However, with so many fellow disciples protecting her, she likely wouldn't need to worry about her safety even if they failed to secure the treasure.

Su Nü stood beside Venerable Ye, looking frail and well-behaved. She secretly observed the people around her; when her gaze met Blood Bat's chilling stare, she quickly retracted it like a startled rabbit, always appearing timid.

At present, Qin Sang was not wearing a mask and had no wings on his back, giving him a completely different aura. Su Nü's gaze slid past him without any recognition, seemingly not identifying the person who had saved her life.

They arrived at precisely the right moment.

The restriction of the Labyrinth of Lost Souls fully materialized, then opened eight entrances under everyone's gaze, distributed in various directions.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

In an instant, all the cultivators cast aside their varied thoughts, and diverse streaks of light intertwined as they flew towards the nearest entrance of the Labyrinth of Lost Souls.

Blood Bat and Taoist Priest Xiaoyun immediately entered the Labyrinth of Lost Souls, disappearing into the dark mist.

Su Nü and her companions were not much slower; all five of them entered the Labyrinth of Lost Souls together.

One of the entrances was not far from Qin Sang.

Qin Sang, naturally unwilling to fall behind, flashed forward, appearing beside the entrance. At that moment, a cultivator in grey robes coincidentally arrived at the same time.

"Get out of the way!"

The grey-robed cultivator shouted loudly and threw a punch.

Qin Sang let out a cold hmph, and a sword glint flashed from his brow, instantly transforming into a sword wheel. The sword light poured down like a torrential rain, overwhelmingly pressing down under the grey-robed cultivator's horrified gaze.

Everyone who could stand here was formidable; this person also had a considerable background, being a direct disciple of a Nascent Soul expert, but was still a bit inferior compared to Qin Sang.

He hadn't expected Qin Sang, despite his seemingly unremarkable aura, to possess such terrifying sword arts. Greatly alarmed, he quickly retreated, his fist technique rapidly changing to block the sword wheel.

His heavy punches roared like thunder, casting a vast shadow.

*Bang!*

The punch shadows completely vanished.

The grey-robed cultivator flew backward, his right arm bleeding profusely. The sword wound was deep enough to show bone; he was almost crippled by a single sword strike.

Qin Sang withdrew his sword and stood, casting a cold glance at the grey-robed cultivator. If not for the competition for the Soul Cleansing Liquid, he wouldn't have let this person escape so easily.

Near the entrance, several other cultivators abruptly stopped, looking at Qin Sang in horror.

Some recognized the identity of the grey-robed cultivator, but no one knew Qin Sang's background.

The grey-robed cultivator was actually no match for him in a single exchange!

Qin Sang entered the Labyrinth of Lost Souls, and Ming Wei then discreetly followed.

Only then did the other cultivators dare to move. The grey-robed cultivator regretted provoking such a formidable opponent but understood the urgency of the main task. He hurriedly stopped the bleeding and entered the Labyrinth of Lost Souls.

Upon entering the Labyrinth of Lost Souls, a chilling sensation immediately assailed them, accompanied by faint, inexplicable sounds that seemed to constantly assault their mind palace, capable of affecting their primordial spirit.

Ming Wei and Qin Sang moved side-by-side.

She took out a jade pendant and wore it on her chest. The jade pendant emitted a milky white glow.

Ming Wei let out a sigh of relief. She glanced sideways at Qin Sang, who appeared at ease, and asked with some curiosity, "Fortunately, with this spiritual pendant bestowed by my ancestor, which helps clear distracting thoughts and calm the mind, it's much easier in the Labyrinth of Lost Souls. Has fellow Daoist cultivated a secret art for calming the mind? Are you able to remain unaffected by the Labyrinth of Lost Souls without relying on a magical artifact?"

Qin Sang smiled slightly and concocted an excuse. "I have cultivated a secret art related to the primordial spirit," he said, "which grants me a certain degree of resistance against similar attacks."

In the Labyrinth of Lost Souls, whether due to restrictions or the dark mist, it could confound one's mind. However, with the jade Buddha's protection, he felt no effect whatsoever.

"Fellow Daoist Qin's sword arts are truly masterful," Ming Wei exclaimed, full of admiration. "I've heard that top-tier sword cultivators are invariably individuals with resolute minds, their sword hearts clear, focused solely on themselves and their swords. It's indeed true! Before this, I had never even heard of Fellow Daoist Qin; I truly was uninformed."

"My sword arts are merely slightly accomplished; fellow Daoist, you flatter me," Qin Sang replied.

Qin Sang's words were not mere humility; he hadn't even mastered the basics of sword momentum, so how could he claim his sword arts were divine?

"Fellow Daoist," Qin Sang suggested, looking down, "you should focus your full strength on resisting the Labyrinth of Lost Souls' power. Let me lead the way first; if I become exhausted, then you can take over..."

They were rapidly descending; the Soul Cleansing Liquid was hidden deep within the Labyrinth of Lost Souls. Since he was unaffected, he could focus entirely on other dangers, while Ming Wei had to divide her attention to stabilize her mind.

"Then I shall trouble fellow Daoist!"

Ming Wei was delighted and immediately agreed.

The Labyrinth of Lost Souls was extremely deep; they descended rapidly without reaching the bottom.

Finally, Qin Sang felt his feet sink slightly as he stepped onto solid ground. He observed his surroundings; as far as his eyes could see, there were grotesque rock formations, and everything was black, just like the dark mist. It was a truly desolate land.

"Go to the edge to find an entrance," Ming Wei prompted. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her nose; even with the jade pendant protecting her, she was still inevitably affected. "Any cave here can lead to the final secret chamber."

They soon found a cave. Inside, it was very narrow; even two people walking side-by-side was a tight squeeze.

Qin Sang led the way. From entering the Labyrinth of Lost Souls until now, besides its mind-confounding ability, they hadn't encountered any other dangers.

But Qin Sang remained vigilant, his Ebony Sword poised ahead. The moment he sensed something unusual, he immediately wielded his Ebony Sword to strike.

*Screech!*

A sharp, piercing shriek echoed at the cave entrance.

Qin Sang frowned slightly and flashed forward, seeing an earth spirit cleaved in half by his Ebony Sword, its severed body dissolving. However, this earth spirit was much smaller than those outside, able to move freely even in the narrow cave.

Just then, Qin Sang seemed to sense something. His expression changed slightly, and he shouted loudly, "Go!"

Qin Sang pointed his finger at his Ebony Sword. The sword hummed loudly. Sword energy, like a rainbow, pierced through the entire passage in the blink of an eye.

Ahead, various forms of earth spirits emerged one by one, leaping from the rock walls, their shrieks rising and falling.

Qin Sang swiftly moved forward, with Ming Wei closely following. She occasionally made a move to eliminate any stragglers, helping to relieve pressure on Qin Sang.