Chapter 121: Jade Slip

A chilling wind abruptly arose.

The Ten Directions Yama Banner flapped loudly, continuously spewing black, shadowy clouds that completely obscured the narrow passage. The crypt became pitch black as ghostly wails echoed loudly, moaning and groaning, transforming the area into a ghostly domain.

After acquiring Sun De's Ten Directions Yama Banner, Qin Sang refined it for his own use, but he did not continue to improve its grade. To upgrade them all to top-tier spiritual artifacts would require countless living souls and blood sacrifices, leading to the deaths of innumerable mortals. If he did so, he would truly be no different from a demonic cultivator.

Nevertheless, even without further upgrades, the power of the Ten Directions Yama Banner was not to be underestimated. Once arranged into a formation, the six Yama Banners would complement each other, their power more than just doubled. Qin Sang's previous verbal sparring with Gu Tiannan was specifically to buy time to prepare the Ten Directions Yama Formation.

The banners fluttered, and vortices appeared in the black mist emanating from their surfaces. The vortices grew larger, becoming black holes, from which even more black mist emerged, making the cave bone-chillingly cold. Immediately, cries of ghosts resounded, and the main souls of the Ten Directions Yama Banners lunged out.

Six fiendish spirits surrounded Gu Tiannan, their bodies slightly hunched and low, their features distorted, appearing neither fully human nor fully monstrous. Their consciousnesses had been assimilated by the demonic banners, leaving them with only the instinct to kill. They glared fiercely at Gu Tiannan, their eyes filled with a greedy desire for flesh and blood.

A fierce gale raged, and the ghostly mist condensed into various weapons—swords, spears, blades, and halberds—which fell into the hands of the fiendish spirits. With a thought from Qin Sang, the main souls suddenly raised their weapons and charged fearlessly at Gu Tiannan.

“What kind of demonic artifact is this?!” Gu Tiannan was both shocked and enraged. Seeing three fiendish spirits lunging at him, he moved swiftly, suddenly swinging his palms. His sharp claws, like knives, glinted coldly, making Gu Tiannan himself seem to transform into a whirlwind of blades.

Facing such an onslaught, the fiendish spirits neither dodged nor avoided, fearlessly meeting the attack. With a series of explosive sounds, the fiendish spirits, once struck by Gu Tiannan, burst apart into clouds of black mist, easily dispersed. Gu Tiannan was initially startled by this sight, then burst into roaring laughter. “So they’re just decorative pillows…”

Before he could finish speaking, those clumps of black mist twisted and then reformed into the shapes of fiendish spirits, charging fiercely again. At the same time, the black mist also transformed into countless black threads that began to entangle Gu Tiannan. Gu Tiannan’s laughter abruptly ceased, and a look of solemnity appeared on his face.

The black mist churned. Gu Tiannan repeatedly dispersed the fiendish spirits, yet they revived again and again. Gu Tiannan finally understood how tenacious these fiendish spirits were. They could instantly reform after being dispersed. The continuous black mist from the Ten Directions Yama Formation was their sustenance; as long as the black mist flowed, the spirits seemed to be immortal. Moreover, there were endless black threads winding around him, emitting a bone-chilling yin qi that could not be ignored.

Gu Tiannan knew that if this continued, he would eventually be exhausted to death. He let out a furious roar, looking up, “Break it for me!”

The Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword flew out from his spatial pouch, transforming into a stream of light. It stirred the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, directly stabbing towards the main body of the Ten Directions Yama Banner. Qin Sang knew the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword had an extraordinary effect in breaking formations, and he had already prepared for it. Seeing Gu Tiannan activate the sword, and without waiting for him to complete his spell, Qin Sang immediately willed the Ebony Sword to surge into the formation, intercepting the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword.

The Ebony Sword’s sword energy crisscrossed, fighting one against five. Several sword lights intertwined in the air like swimming dragons, accompanied by the clang of metal. The Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword was, after all, far inferior in quality to the Ebony Sword, and was gradually suppressed by it. One of the swords was even struck by the Ebony Sword, developing fine cracks on its blade.

Seeing that the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword couldn't help him escape either, Gu Tiannan grew increasingly agitated. Qin Sang keenly noticed that reason in Gu Tiannan’s eyes was gradually being replaced by madness, and his body began to undergo strange transformations. It was as if countless insects were writhing beneath his flesh, his skin began to bulge little by little, and his body swelled, taking on a grotesque and nauseating appearance. The rationality in his eyes dwindled, replaced by an endless bloodthirsty aura.

After completing the transformation, Gu Tiannan’s speed surged, and his attacks became even more ferocious. The blade-like light from his sharp claws poured down like a waterfall; fiendish spirits were torn to shreds by his claws as soon as they revived, and the black threads struggled to approach him. Witnessing this scene, Qin Sang dared not delay. He fully circulated the spiritual energy within his body and then poured it without reservation into the Ten Directions Yama Banners.

This action was extremely taxing on Qin Sang. His face turned pale as he retrieved a spiritual pill for restoring spiritual energy from his spatial pouch and swallowed it without hesitation. With Qin Sang’s spiritual energy replenishment, the six Ten Directions Yama Banners trembled, immediately emitting a brilliant black light. Countless more black mists surged out and rushed into the bodies of the fiendish spirits, making their forms more solid and ferocious. However, instead of directly attacking Gu Tiannan, they charged towards each other, finally merging into a single entity!

This monstrous fiendish spirit was no smaller than Gu Tiannan. Seeing Gu Tiannan charge, it ferociously met him, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Like two fierce beasts colliding, the crypt rumbled continuously. Gu Tiannan’s strength was surprisingly even greater than that of the fiendish spirit; a single claw could leave a shocking wound on the spirit. If not for the continuous replenishment of black mist, the fiendish spirit would have been dispersed by Gu Tiannan long ago.

Qin Sang had not expected Gu Tiannan’s true strength to be so terrifying, likely among the top cultivators at the thirteenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage. Fortunately, after his transformation, he lost his rationality and could not use magical artifacts, relying solely on his physical strength. Otherwise, the Ten Directions Yama Formation might not have been able to trap him.

Qin Sang dared not hesitate further. He took out another spiritual pill and swallowed it. Once his spiritual energy recovered, he immediately activated the 'Profound Finger Sword Art'. The Ebony Sword’s sword energy surged, joining the fiendish spirit in a pincer attack on Gu Tiannan. After all, it was a fragment of a magical treasure; even Gu Tiannan’s formidable physical body could not completely resist the Ebony Sword. Sword wounds appeared on his body, blood flowed freely, and his aura grew weaker and weaker. The fiendish spirit began to gain the upper hand.

The fiendish spirit roared skyward, then suddenly seized an opportune moment, flipping Gu Tiannan over and, with a leap, pinning him firmly to the ground. Qin Sang’s eyes lit up, and he seized the chance to fully unleash the Ebony Sword. A dazzling sword light descended from above, striking Gu Tiannan’s heart precisely. Blood gushed out.

Gu Tiannan, who had been struggling fiercely, suddenly stiffened. The madness in his eyes gradually receded, and his body deflated like a punctured balloon, reverting to his original form. Gu Tiannan’s eyes were wide open in death, unable to rest in peace, as he was devoured by the fiendish spirit.

Qin Sang put away the Yama Banners and the Ebony Sword. Seeing the spatial pouch at Gu Tiannan’s waist, he waved his hand, summoning it into his grasp. He extended his divine sense inside and quickly found a jade slip. After reading the contents of the jade slip, Qin Sang's brows furrowed tightly. After a brief moment of thought, he moved deeper into the cave, figuring Gu Yuan had likely not yet shaken off the white cat, and it would be best to capture him alive.