Chapter 1043: Obtained

It was hard to imagine. Even heavenly lightning could make one feel as if they were being torn apart.

A palm print tore through the lightning. Venerable Ye appeared, his expression grim and filled with murderous intent.

On the hand that tore through the lightning, he wore a thin, delicate white glove woven like silkworm silk. The back of the glove was etched with a galaxy, and its palm seemed to hold the sun and moon. This was an extraordinary treasure, likely not from this realm. Around the palm, a galaxy swirled, with the sun and moon shining brightly. The lightning spell was shattered, unable to get close to him.

His entire body was scorched black, and his skin clearly bore the marks left by the 'Thunder Command Art.' However, the damage didn't appear as severe as one might expect. But these were mere superficialities. Venerable Ye had once again broken free from his seals, forcibly activating the extraordinary treasure to evade harm. He had paid an unimaginable price, one that wasn't visible on the surface.

His gaze, sharp as a knife, fixed on Qin Sang.

"The old geezer really had a backup plan!" Qin Sang was both shocked and enraged. Under Venerable Ye's stare, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Noticing the dazzling escape light around Qin Sang, a peculiar glint appeared in Venerable Ye's eyes. Seizing the remaining momentum, he pushed off the ground, pursuing Qin Sang at an even greater speed.

Inside the secret cavern, another heart-pounding chase unfolded. One side possessed exceptional escape techniques, making it no wonder he dared to seize treasure from a Nascent Soul expert. The other side, seemingly without sophisticated escape techniques, was surprisingly superior. The distance between them rapidly closed. A strong gust of wind assailed him from behind, making Qin Sang's scalp tingle.

Finally, Qin Sang successfully rushed to the cave entrance, where Ming Wei was waiting for him inside. Without hesitation, he dashed into the cave, simultaneously conjuring hand seals at a rapid pace.

'Whoosh! Whoosh!'

One after another, demon banners shot up from the ground. They had been hidden for a long time, finally proving useful. In an instant, the demon banners formed an array, and the Nine Nether Demonic Flames surged forth, their fierce aura reaching the heavens.

"Go!"

Before the demonic flames could fully coalesce, Qin Sang formed a seal and gestured backward. Then, he swept up all the demon banners and rushed deeper into the cave, where he saw Ming Wei, her face filled with anxiety.

'Whoosh!'

The Nine Nether Demonic Flames burst out of the cave. Venerable Ye, who was close behind, bore the brunt of the attack. Upon seeing the overwhelming Nine Nether Demonic Flames and sensing their aura, Venerable Ye first froze in surprise, then his expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, "True Demonic Flame!"

He screeched to a halt, urgently positioning the hand wearing the extraordinary treasure across his chest. He fully activated the artifact to protect himself, seemingly very wary of the Nine Nether Demonic Flames.

'Boom!'

The demonic flames collided with the palm print. Rocks crumbled, and demonic flames flew everywhere. The palm print dimmed, the galaxy shattered, and the sun and moon lost their luster. The extraordinary treasure on Venerable Ye's hand melted away like ice and snow; having been used twice consecutively, it was now almost depleted.

Amidst the chaotic scene, Venerable Ye's furious roar could be heard. "It's all a facade! Not true Demonic Flame!"

He disregarded his distress, activating the remaining power of the extraordinary treasure to break through the Nine Nether Demonic Flames' blockade, only to find the cave empty.

Ming Wei, following Qin Sang's instructions, had been waiting at the cave entrance. She had personally witnessed Venerable Ye's move, dispelling any lingering doubts about Qin Sang's words. Instead, she began to worry if he would act, if he would succeed, and if he would manage to seize the Soul Cleansing Liquid as agreed and give her a bottle.

Then she saw Qin Sang bravely take action. His lightning art, refined corpse, spirit beast, and escape techniques, all linked together in a chain, forcefully snatched the Soul Cleansing Liquid and even nearly took Venerable Ye's life. As expected, a Nascent Soul grandmaster was indeed not so easy to deal with.

Ming Wei, knowing her responsibility was immense, immediately retreated and activated the 'Life Talisman,' awaiting Qin Sang's return. Their gazes met. Seeing that Ming Wei hadn't fled in fear, Qin Sang felt a wave of relief and offered a faint smile. At that moment, a feeling of emptiness swept through him. Activating the array of nine demon banners had completely drained the small amount of true essence he had just restored with a spirit pill. Fortunately, this true essence was enough to unleash one strike of the Nine Nether Demonic Flames, otherwise, he would have been forced to consume another drop of Tri-Radiance Jade Liquid.

Seeing Qin Sang arrive, Ming Wei, unable to hide her excitement, immediately activated the Life Talisman. The Life Talisman glowed faintly, and a complex ancient character, symbolizing 'life,' appeared on its body. Following this, a gentle light transformed into a halo, enveloping both of them.

Finally, Qin Sang ordered the Fiend Corpse to charge deep into the cave, while Ming Wei also set up some contingencies. Then, both of them vanished.

Deep within the cave, the Fiend Corpse and puppets created chaos. Various scents mingled in the tunnels, making it impossible to distinguish anything. Venerable Ye stood at the cave entrance, his search yielding no results.

Just then, the long-bearded old man and his companions finally caught up. Unaware of the final outcome, they all looked at Venerable Ye, hesitant to speak. Noticing their master's expression, they grew even more uneasy. Had their master, who didn't hesitate to destroy an extraordinary treasure and forcefully break his seals, still failed to stop the opponent? Had three bottles of Soul Cleansing Liquid just been snatched away right before their eyes?

"Master, what do we do now?" the long-bearded old man quietly asked, gesturing behind him, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

The cultivators in the secret cavern were all shrewd individuals. Initially, they were intimidated by the tragic fate of Blood Bat and his companions, not daring to contend with a Nascent Soul expert. When Qin Sang made his move, the situation changed rapidly, making them even more hesitant to act, and it was over before they could react. Now, they were slowly realizing the truth. In the trial realm, Nascent Soul grandmasters weren't as terrifying.

At this moment, three bottles of Soul Cleansing Liquid had been taken by Qin Sang and their whereabouts unknown. However, one bottle had been snatched by the alluring woman. Malicious gazes fell upon the alluring woman and her companions. Everyone began to stir, and figures within the secret cavern slowly gathered, forming a circle around them.

Giving up one bottle of Soul Cleansing Liquid was a decision Qin Sang made after discussing it with Bai. Helping them break out was only one reason. If all four bottles of Soul Cleansing Liquid had been taken by Qin Sang, others would have no reason to fight. Other cultivators, seeing no opportunity, even if they discerned Venerable Ye's true situation, wouldn't trouble them further. They might even unite against a common enemy and search for Qin Sang's whereabouts together. If Venerable Ye were persistent and truly discovered something, it would be detrimental. Now, by sacrificing one bottle of Soul Cleansing Liquid, Venerable Ye and his group had become the common target. If they could force this formidable enemy, Venerable Ye, away first, Qin Sang and his group would be much safer—a truly worthwhile trade-off.

"Give me the Soul Cleansing Liquid," Venerable Ye said to the alluring woman.

The alluring woman bit her lip, unwilling to comply, but as her gaze met Venerable Ye's, she was startled and quickly handed over the Soul Cleansing Liquid.

"Let's go!" Venerable Ye glanced back, his eyes chillingly cold, causing the encircling cultivators' hearts to skip a beat.

"Master, are we just going to let this go?" The burly man was extremely unwilling. The Soul Cleansing Liquid was crucial for forming a Nascent Soul—a rare opportunity in a hundred years!

"Hmph! The few techniques that person used are absolutely beyond what an ordinary person could possess. This individual's plan was meticulously crafted; if I hadn't been here, all the Soul Cleansing Liquid would probably be his. These secret arts couldn't have been created out of thin air. Mobilize the Merchant Alliance; it won't be difficult to uncover his identity. By then, I'll make him spit it all out, principal and interest!" Venerable Ye said coldly, then swept into a tunnel.

Su Nü was secretly curious, unable to understand how Qin Sang had escaped the pursuit. Her tense mind finally relaxed.