Chapter 1187: Great Victory

"Ah!" A searing pain shot through Jing Lin's primordial spirit. His face turned ashen, devoid of color, and he clutched his head, letting out a tormented scream. His entire body convulsed. The divine light emanating from his Wind Calling Bracelet flickered and grew dim.

A similar sight unfolded before Qin Sang. Protected by the Jade Buddha, he wasn't even concerned by the formidable 'Soul Cleaving Slash,' let alone a mere Soul Extermination Cone. However, his recent discovery forced him to reconsider. Qin Sang had no desire to reveal his immunity to primordial spirit attacks at this moment. Yet, feigning injury would prevent him from controlling the Twelve Devil Banners, thereby squandering the precious tactical opportunity he had just seized and allowing Old Demon Pei to escape.

Qin Sang, always decisive, instantly changed his strategy upon realizing the Soul Extermination Cone's potency. His incantation shifted, and the resonant sound of heavenly thunder boomed from within him. *Snap!* The round shield shattered. The Soul Extermination Cone plunged into Qin Sang's glabella, where, as anticipated, it was blocked by the Jade Buddha. Nevertheless, Qin Sang's performance was even more agonizing than Jing Lin's; he shrieked incessantly, blood flowing from all seven orifices, his body swaying precariously and nearly toppling to the ground. For years, this act of feigned injury had become second nature to him, executed with such flawless skill that it left no room for suspicion.

The grand formation of the Twelve Devil Banners crumbled, its flags askew and demonic flames scattering into disarray, revealing gaping fissures. Old Demon Pei saw a glimmer of hope. Yet, before a flicker of joy could cross his face, a sudden, earth-shattering clap of thunder, like a bolt from the blue, plunged him into utter despair. Blinding lightning flashed, and divine thunder descended from the heavens.

The demonic flames dissipated, and the Nether Crystal Pagoda vibrated wildly. Old Demon Pei, who had already severely depleted his vital essence by sacrificing himself to activate the Nether Crystal Pagoda for survival, was utterly defenseless against the Thunder Summoning Art, like a lamb awaiting slaughter. *Boom!* As all watched, Old Demon Pei was struck directly by the heavenly thunder. His body turned completely charred black, and his lifeless form plummeted to the ground. All of this transpired in the blink of an eye.

Chan Ling and Old Demon Tan moved to intervene, but before they could even breach the Cold Bell Grand Formation, they witnessed Old Demon Pei being struck down by the lightning, his Nascent Soul unable to escape—he was utterly annihilated! Both were consumed by shock and fury. Their opponents were clearly three cultivators at the early Nascent Soul stage, their individual strength even slightly inferior. Yet, in a three-on-three engagement, they had managed to slay Old Demon Pei right before their eyes. Old Demon Pei had even sacrificed himself, only to fail to cling to life. Chan Ling was enraged, dreading how he would explain this failure upon his return.

Old Demon Tan rushed towards the Nether Crystal Pagoda to prevent Qin Sang and his allies from sabotaging the formation, while Chan Ling actively pursued them.

"Quick, let's go!" Jing Lin, having recovered slightly, was elated to witness Qin Sang slaying Old Demon Pei with his thunder technique, yet a deep apprehension lingered. Both of their primordial spirits were wounded; if intercepted by Chan Ling and his companion, the outcome would be dire. Jing Lin forcefully suppressed his injuries, swiftly retrieved his Wind Calling Bracelet, and transformed into a gust of green wind, fleeing back into the Cold Bell Grand Formation from the other side. Being adept at wind control, he had grasped the rudiments of Wind Escape Art, and his escape speed was consequently impressive.

Qin Sang, meanwhile, was completely unharmed. After advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, the Thunder Summoning Art was far less taxing than it had been during his Golden Core days. While he held no fear of Chan Ling, he preferred not to reveal his unscathed condition. Naturally, he also remembered to collect his spoils of war. After all, he had deployed his two most potent trump cards to dispatch Old Demon Pei.

Qin Sang gathered the devil banners and Old Demon Pei's corpse. With no time to dismantle the Nether Crystal Pagoda formation, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and swiftly departed.

Chan Ling and his companion attempted to intercept and kill them, but Si Di relentlessly engaged them. Ultimately, they could only watch helplessly as Qin Sang and Jing Lin vanished into the Cold Bell Grand Formation, erupting once more in furious indignation.

"These are Jade Dew Pills, excellent for healing primordial spirit injuries. Fellow Daoists, take them quickly!" Si Di flicked his fingers, sending two pills their way. The pills were crystal clear, shimmering like two drops of pure jade dew.

"I've long heard that Jade Dew Pills are a miraculous panacea, their potency far exceeding any elixirs refined by the Two Realms Alliance. It's just that the spiritual ingredients they require are incredibly rare. Now, I finally behold their true form!" Jing Lin swallowed the pill, his face unable to conceal his utter excitement. He then turned his gaze to Qin Sang, completely shedding his previous disdain. "This success is entirely thanks to Fellow Daoist Ming Yue! I honestly thought we were going to return empty-handed." Jing Lin still felt a profound sense of lingering dread. The moment the Soul Extermination Cone struck him, he had known it would be impossible to kill Old Demon Pei, yet the actual outcome had far exceeded his wildest expectations.

"Indeed! With Fellow Daoist Ming Yue's divine abilities, even if he hadn't been struck by the Soul Extermination Cone, he wouldn't fear Old Ghost Chan Ling in a one-on-one battle. Old Demon Pei had wreaked havoc for years, only to fall at the hands of Fellow Daoist Ming Yue. Who would have imagined that Fellow Daoist had only just advanced to the Transformation stage!" Si Di exclaimed with profound admiration. Being farther away, he had observed the events with even greater clarity. The assassination of Old Demon Pei had been fraught with twists and turns. Qin Sang had first deployed the Twelve Fire Banners, then, at the critical juncture, unleashed heavenly thunder. Each of these was a supreme divine ability. He secretly vowed never to cross paths with this individual. It was truly a pity that such a remarkable figure was not of the human race.

"You flatter me," Qin Sang replied, clutching the Jade Dew Pill. "Without your cooperation, even with all my capabilities, I could not have achieved this. This is not the time for idle talk. Chan Ling is not to be underestimated. Both of you, be careful; I will now return to oversee the Cold Bell Grand Formation."

"Indeed! Indeed!" Jing Lin nodded vigorously, appearing utterly deferential to Qin Sang. He then let out a grim chuckle. "With one Nascent Soul annihilated, their army's morale is undoubtedly shattered. I'm eager to see how much longer they can hold on. My brother and I shall now go and engage Chan Ling!"

Qin Sang nodded, then turned and soared back into the grand formation. As they watched Qin Sang depart, Jing Lin and Si Di exchanged a glance, a flicker of profound awe in both their eyes.

The subsequent events unfolded simply. With Old Demon Pei's demise, the morale of the Sinful Abyss forces completely collapsed, leaving them with no will to continue fighting. Conversely, the spirits of the Two Realms Alliance soared. Qin Sang assumed control of the formation artifacts, presiding over the Cold Bell Grand Formation, orchestrating a myriad of changes and providing strategic reinforcements.

For a period, the Two Realms Alliance became unstoppable, routing the Sinful Abyss forces and sending them fleeing in disarray. Even with Old Demon Tan regaining control of the Nether Crystal Pagoda and Chan Ling personally directing the battle, the tide could not be turned. More importantly, Chan Ling himself had lost all desire to continue the fight. Old Demon Pei's death had sent shivers down Chan Ling's spine.

At the same time, he secretly felt fortunate that it was Old Demon Pei, and not himself, who had foolishly tested the waters with his own life. He harbored deep apprehension towards that unfamiliar demon king and resolved to keep a close watch on him in the future. Chan Ling suspected that his own exposed whereabouts were likely also the demon king's doing. He needed to return and thoroughly analyze where they had truly lost this battle. If this demon king indeed proved to be his bane, then he would have yet another formidable adversary to steer clear of in the future.

Leaving a trail of corpses in their wake, Chan Ling swiftly recalled his forces and retreated from San Die Pass. This major battle concluded abruptly. Given that the enemy's Nether Crystal Pagoda remained intact and they still possessed two Nascent Soul cultivators, Jing Lin and Si Di wisely chose to consolidate their gains, sounding the retreat before pursuing too far.

While casualties were inevitable, this was undeniably a momentous victory. It had been a long time since the Two Realms Alliance had managed to slay a Nascent Soul Patriarch from the Sinful Abyss. The lower-ranked cultivators cheered excitedly, knowing they too would share in the spoils and earn a substantial amount of battle merit.

Si Di and Jing Lin arranged their forces to clear the battlefield and implemented various defenses to thwart any counterattack from the Sinful Abyss. Afterward, they eagerly flew towards the tall building.

Qin Sang did not join the pursuit. He sat there, head slightly bowed, deep in thought. Sensing the auras of Jing Lin and Si Di, Qin Sang's expression subtly changed, and he turned his head to look outside.