Chapter 1042: 夺

Divine lightning descended. Dazzling bolts struck. The divine lightning was aimed directly at Venerable Ye. Venerable Ye was caught completely off guard. He hadn't anticipated that anyone would dare to launch a sneak attack after he had already unleashed a strike that stunned the entire audience.

It was impossible for a second Nascent Soul Grandmaster to be present, yet someone was audacious enough to snatch prey from a tiger's mouth. Qin Sang's timing was impeccable, striking precisely when Venerable Ye had exerted all his strength to unleash a blade light, resisting the pressure of the secret realm, and before new energy could be generated. This hit him at his most vulnerable moment.

This lightning technique must be a top-tier Daoist art, considered a true lineage transmission in any sect, and it shouldn't be unknown in the cultivation world. Yet, despite his extensive knowledge, Venerable Ye had never heard of it. The power of the Thunder-Controlling Art had already surpassed the scope of a Core Formation cultivator. Venerable Ye dared not show the slightest negligence; he even felt his life was in danger!

"Boom!" The secret cave shook violently. The earth spirits around Venerable Ye were shattered, and his figure was engulfed by lightning, leaving only brilliant electrical flashes visible. Witnessing this scene, the cultivators stood dumbfounded, feeling a sense of unreality. They wondered if this wasn't a trial ground, questioning if they had come to the wrong place. Otherwise, why were opponents exceeding their limits continuously appearing?

"Whoosh!" While Venerable Ye was ambushed by the Thunder-Controlling Art, and the cultivators were bewildered by the succession of mysterious opponents and the ever-changing situation, unsure of what to do next, a gray shadow suddenly darted out from amidst the army of earth spirits. In full view of everyone, it rushed into the sealed area.

"Whoosh!" A ghostly hand stretched out, snatching at the Soul Cleansing Fluid. This person had clearly planned their move for a long time; their movements were fluid and seamless. In an instant, they plundered all four bottles of Soul Cleansing Fluid, then their figure shot back.

"Stop him!" Venerable Ye's furious roar echoed from within the lightning.

It was Bai who had taken the Soul Cleansing Fluid. He and Qin Sang had split up, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment. They worked in close cooperation: Qin Sang ambushed Venerable Ye, while Bai seized the Soul Cleansing Fluid when Venerable Ye was preoccupied.

Blood Bat and the others were severely injured and no longer had the strength to compete. The other groups, leaderless and intimidated by Venerable Ye, dared not advance; for a moment, no one stepped forward to interfere.

Having obtained the Soul Cleansing Fluid, Bai immediately turned and rushed towards Qin Sang's location. Hearing Venerable Ye's powerful roar, Bai's heart tightened. Qin Sang's caution was justified; these old eccentrics were indeed not simple. Even with their cultivation restricted, it was impossible to kill Venerable Ye with just the Thunder-Controlling Art.

Venerable Ye's deafening roar overpowered the thunderclaps. The long-bearded elder and the others knew this command was directed at them. When they had seen Venerable Ye effortlessly cripple Blood Bat and his companions with a single strike, and easily break the seal to take the Soul Cleansing Fluid, their hearts were initially filled with boundless joy and soaring hopes.

However, when the Thunder-Controlling Art appeared, and Venerable Ye was engulfed by lightning, seemingly powerless to retaliate, his fate unknown, they instantly plummeted into despair, their immense joy turning into profound sorrow. Standing behind Venerable Ye, they could clearly perceive how terrifying the power of the Thunder-Controlling Art was. With Venerable Ye's cultivation restricted, wounded, and exhausted after unleashing a strike, how could he possibly withstand it?

"What if Venerable Ye..." They were terrified and at a loss, not daring to think any further. At this moment, finally hearing Venerable Ye's voice, the long-bearded elder and the others suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master is unharmed!" "Stop him!" After the initial surge of relief, what followed was even greater anger. The opponent had not only ambushed their master but had also stolen *their* Soul Cleansing Fluid! The four of them had already prepared a banner formation, ready at any moment to assist Venerable Ye in retreating from the secret cave, and it was now perfectly suited to deal with Bai.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The banners flapped fiercely. Endless rays of light and auspicious clouds billowed out from the spirit banners. This banner formation was very mysterious, incredibly imposing, and remarkably powerful.

"Put down the Soul Cleansing Fluid!" The long-bearded elder's hair bristled with rage, and his long beard danced wildly. Unexpectedly, he suddenly felt the spirit formation become somewhat sluggish. His gaze swept around, only to see Su Nu holding a spirit banner, her face filled with terror and sorrow as she looked towards Venerable Ye, standing perfectly still.

"Junior Sister!" the long-bearded elder roared. Su Nu suddenly jolted, meeting his gaze with a blank look, as if just regaining her senses. Her face flushed, and she fumbled to activate the spirit banner.

The more flustered she became, the more mistakes she made. The long-bearded elder sighed. Su Nu was clearly terrified by the previous scene, believing Venerable Ye was in grave danger. The three siblings had traveled extensively for many years and were highly experienced; in such situations, they could immediately react with the fastest response. Only Su Nu had always cultivated within the East Pole Alliance, protected by the Alliance Master and Venerable Ye. She had never encountered any danger, nor had anyone dared to provoke her. Consequently, despite her considerable cultivation, her combat experience might be inferior to someone who had just achieved Core Formation; at critical moments, she wouldn't know what to do.

Hampered by Su Nu, their forced activation of the banner formation only exposed numerous weaknesses. The long-bearded elder and the other two were decisive individuals. Knowing Su Nu was unreliable, they immediately abandoned their spirit banners and activated their magic treasures, closing in on Bai. Seeing this, Bai sneered, swung his arm, and fiercely threw one bottle of Soul Cleansing Fluid, enveloped in corpse aura.

"Whoosh!" All eyes were on it. The cultivators in that direction stirred restlessly. Like a fight between a snipe and a clam, benefiting the fisherman, some bold individuals prepared to act. The Soul Cleansing Fluid shimmered with tiny points of light, about to fly away right under the trio's noses. Although the long-bearded elder and the other two knew this was a trick, part of their attention was still drawn. The alluring woman couldn't resist; she flicked her sleeve, unleashing a stream of energy that coiled towards the Soul Cleansing Fluid.

"Bang!" Bai's speed didn't diminish at all; corpse aura boiled around his body as he forcibly broke through. "Caw!" The screech of a celestial crane came from behind, and a strong wind assaulted the robust man, who inexplicably felt a chill down his spine. Without hesitation, he spun around and unleashed a swift blade strike. "Bang! Bang!" Bai collided with the long-bearded elder. The White Crane, however, was cunning; it flapped its wings and dodged in advance, knowing it was no match for the robust man. It didn't engage in a head-on clash, it merely needed to distract him.

In this fleeting gap, another figure flashed out—it was Qin Sang. Having used the Thunder-Controlling Art, seven or eight tenths of his cultivation was instantly drained, so the crucial task of seizing the treasure had been left to Bai. Qin Sang swallowed a spiritual pill and immediately came forward to assist. The White Crane and Bai simultaneously rushed over. Then, with a flicker of their figures, one vanished into the Corpse Puppet Bag, while the other transformed into the Primordial Concentric Ring, settling onto Qin Sang's wrist.

Before the elder and the others could close in, three-colored escape lights simultaneously appeared on Qin Sang's body. A dragon's shadow, phoenix wings, and sword light—a series of extraordinary phenomena shimmered together.

"No! Stop him!" The long-bearded elder had an ominous premonition, his expression changing drastically. The robust man was more direct; he unleashed a dazzling blade strike that bore a resemblance to Venerable Ye's divine aura, clearly indicating he had received true lineage transmission.

Unfortunately, they were still too slow. The escape technique Qin Sang displayed filled them with despair; he instantly broke through the encirclement, leaving them completely behind. "You're courting death!" Venerable Ye's thunderous roar made Qin Sang feel a surge of qi and blood, secretly horrified. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the divine lightning striking Venerable Ye was actually cracking inch by inch!