Chapter 1040: Retreat Route

One must always consider defeat before victory.Facing a Nascent Soul Ancestor, there was no room for even a sliver of carelessness.Qin Sang's primary concern was how he could safely withdraw and avoid pursuit if the treasure hunt failed and he enraged Venerable Ye.

Ming Wei and the Life Talisman in her possession were the safest retreat. However, even the Life Talisman might not fully guarantee their safety, so he needed to carefully consider how to best utilize it.

“Fellow Daoist, do you mean…?” Ming Wei hesitated.

She didn't entirely trust Qin Sang's words. The idea of a Nascent Soul Ancestor breaking through immortal restrictions and traversing the trial realm was too preposterous, unprecedented. But Qin Sang's cautious demeanor forced her to consider the possibility.Inside the secret cavern, various forces were intricately intertwined, including top experts like Blood Bat and Daoist Xiaoyun. Everyone posed a greater threat than she did. There was no benefit for Qin Sang to deceive her; on the contrary, it would be akin to cutting off his own arm.

Qin Sang turned to glance at the entrance at the edge of the secret cavern. “Once Venerable Ye makes a move, everyone else will be stunned and won't react in time. Our only opponent will be him. As long as we can shake off Venerable Ye, we’ll be safe. Fellow Daoist, take the Life Talisman and wait in a hidden spot. Once I succeed and return, immediately activate the Life Talisman…”

Ming Wei remained silent.She understood that if they did this, Qin Sang would bear the greatest risk, directly facing a Nascent Soul's wrath, while she would merely observe from the rear. If things went south, she could easily retreat, so the danger was indeed minimal.However, this arrangement meant she would be too far from the Soul Cleansing Liquid. She would have to trust Qin Sang's strength and place all her hopes on him.

Ming Wei looked up, staring into Qin Sang's eyes. “At that time, Fellow Daoist, you won't just look out for yourself, take your bottle of Soul Cleansing Liquid, and then stop, will you?”

“Since we’ve chosen to offend Venerable Ye, what difference does one bottle or two make?” Qin Sang replied. “The Life Talisman is in your hands, so of course I'll seize a bottle for you. Otherwise, if you, in your fury, renege on our agreement and leave me without a retreat, wouldn’t I be utterly helpless? If you’re uneasy, I can swear an oath by my inner demon.”

The Soul Cleansing Liquid was their shared interest, and also the reason Qin Sang could trust Ming Wei. Facing a powerful enemy, they could only stick together tightly.

“Alright! I only hope Fellow Daoist keeps your promise!”

Ming Wei knew well that circumstances were stronger than individuals, and with so many vying for limited resources, her hopes were already slim. After receiving Qin Sang's promise, she tapped her foot and retreated from the secret cavern, only to see Qin Sang follow her out.Noticing Ming Wei's puzzled gaze, Qin Sang explained, “Venerable Ye surely knows the function of the Life Talisman. We cannot use it right under his nose. If he stays put, we won’t be able to escape. We need to set up some diversions to mislead him…”

The stone walls around the secret cavern were riddled with holes. After some searching, they found the most complex entrance, which branched into several tunnels.Qin Sang deliberately created a diversion. He patted his corpse puppet bag, and several fierce corpses jumped out, each entering a different tunnel, lurking motionlessly under Qin Sang's command.Then, with a flick of his sleeve, nine small demonic banners whirled out!For over ten years, Qin Sang had been trying to master the formation of the nine demonic banners, and he had made considerable progress.

Ming Wei watched the demonic banners, a sense of surprise in her heart. She could vaguely sense that these seemingly unremarkable black banners were extraordinary. Having followed her ancestor, her insights were far beyond those of other cultivators at her level, yet for a moment, she couldn't discern the true nature of the black banners. They looked like formation flags, yet also like magic treasures—very peculiar.Ming Wei knew this treasure must be Qin Sang's secret, so she suppressed her curiosity and didn't ask further.

Whoosh! Whoosh!The nine demonic banners flashed rapidly, forming a complex formation before Qin Sang in the blink of an eye. On the surface of the banners, black demonic flames seemed ready to burst forth.Qin Sang surveyed the demonic banner formation, feeling its power, then pressed his palm downwards.Puff, puff, puff…The nine demonic banners sank into the ground, completely disappearing beneath the earth.

Qin Sang nodded to Ming Wei, then turned and returned to the secret cavern.Ming Wei had vaguely guessed the purpose of Qin Sang's arrangements. Seeing Qin Sang's figure disappear into the army of earth spirits, she thought for a moment, took out a puppet from her mustard seed bag, ordered them to enter the depths of the tunnels, and then, holding the Life Talisman, stared intently at the sealed light barrier in the center of the secret cavern.Her hand was tightly clenched, her mind taut.

Back in the secret cavern, Qin Sang, riding his sword, plunged into the army of earth spirits, rapidly pushing forward.The cultivators were besieging the sealed light barrier, and it would soon be revealed who would claim the Soul Cleansing Liquid.Along the way, Bai emerged from the corpse puppet bag. After exchanging a few words, he separated from Qin Sang. The situation in the secret cavern was exceptionally chaotic, and no one noticed the identity of Bai, the refined corpse.

Bang!With a single sword strike, he sent an earth spirit flying and broke through the encirclement. More earth spirits then converged, their strength increasing the closer he got to the sealed light barrier.Qin Sang, alone with his sword, got closer and closer to the sealed light barrier, barely able to make out the full view inside the barrier.

A high platform stood in the center of the light barrier. Its surface was engraved with strange patterns, like runes.The platform was large, with only four bottles of Soul Cleansing Liquid placed on it, making it seem quite empty.Qin Sang observed carefully but found no mechanisms on the platform. He didn't know how these bottles of Soul Cleansing Liquid appeared there or where they came from.

The seal hadn't been broken yet; it wasn't time for the major battle. However, every cultivator harbored their own intentions, and their positions were meticulously chosen, with undercurrents stirring. No one knew who had secretly colluded with whom.Without Venerable Ye, if things had developed normally, it would undoubtedly have been a magnificent drama of trust and betrayal.

Qin Sang's gaze swept past Venerable Ye. Venerable Ye, like Blood Bat and others, was diligently attacking the seal, keeping a low profile. No one would have suspected that a Nascent Soul Ancestor had infiltrated.Qin Sang did not let the Heavenly Eye Butterfly spy on Venerable Ye, fearing detection.

However, Qin Sang did notice some strange things about Venerable Ye's actions. Facing the army of earth spirits, Venerable Ye consistently gave off an air of effortless mastery. Although he concealed his power, he inadvertently displayed an extremely precise control over his true essence, which made Qin Sang's hair stand on end.

Behind Venerable Ye, Maiden Su and others had formed a battle formation, entangled with the army of earth spirits. Maiden Su's eyes showed no excitement, only deep worry. She didn't know what percentage of success Qin Sang had. If Qin Sang perished at Venerable Ye's hands, she would have no hope of struggling either, only to await death helplessly.The three long-bearded elders had already begun transmitting messages to each other, imagining their future with relaxed tones, full of confidence in Venerable Ye. Hearing their transmissions, Maiden Su forced a smile and brushed them off.

Boom! Boom!Sword qi, saber gleams, Daoist arts, and magic treasures—attack after attack continuously landed on the sealed light barrier. The sealed light barrier trembled ceaselessly, its light gradually dimming and becoming increasingly thin.The cultivators stared intently at the Soul Cleansing Liquid inside the seal, poised and ready.

Qin Sang chose not to get too close to the seal. From the periphery, he simultaneously fended off earth spirits and wielded his Ebony Sword, launching streaks of sword qi and sword light towards the seal.His full attention was on Venerable Ye.