Chapter 1243: Dignified and Upright

Back on Cangheng Island, when Qingjun brought Qin Sang along, Dongyang Bo had considered killing him to prevent future trouble, especially after Qin Sang unexpectedly cultivated to the late Core Formation stage.

However, he had two people to consider.

First was Qingjun. Dongyang Bo knew Qingjun was Qingzhu's daughter, and since Qin Sang cultivated the same method as Qingzhu, he suspected Qingjun was protecting Qin Sang out of affection for Qingzhu, believing she had hidden him all these years.

Second was Chenyan. He couldn't discern Chenyan's true feelings about Qin Sang.

Chenyan was eager to save her master and would certainly return later. If she discovered Qin Sang's reappearance, it would undoubtedly stir up trouble.

He could only act in secret, ensuring no information was leaked.

However, the young rogue was cunning. After that one appearance, he vanished without a trace, foiling all of Dongyang Bo's plans. Later, with the Sinister Abyss launching a fierce offensive, Dongyang Bo had no time to spare, so the matter was left unresolved.

Of course, most importantly, Dongyang Bo didn't believe Qin Sang could truly pose a threat to him.

This young man was born with Five Spiritual Roots and could only achieve Foundation Establishment by relying on patronage. He had even consumed Snow Lotus and Iris Flowers, yet still failed to form a Core.

He didn't know how Qingjun helped him form a Core, suspecting it might also have involved patronage.

How could achieving Nascent Soul be so simple?

In fact, Dongyang Bo's assumption wasn't entirely wrong; Qin Sang was only able to succeed because he acquired two miraculous medicines—the Tribulation-Crossing Pill and the Soul-Cleansing Fluid—along with two secret arts: the Natal Insect Gu and the Heavenly Demon Refining Form.

He never would have imagined that the pawn he once regarded as an ant would not only truly achieve Nascent Soul, but also possess strength far beyond his imagination, transforming into a demon king and forging a formidable reputation.

Now, that opponent stood openly before him, holding his own!

Dongyang Bo's face betrayed his profound surprise.

Qin Sang didn't bother to reply; the pretense was over, and he had nothing left to say to Dongyang Bo.

Immediately, without a word, he secretly cast a sword art. The Blackwood Sword's light flared intensely, shattering the Diamond Stud's projections, then split into thousands of sword lights, instantly forming the Seven Souls Killing Array.

"Oh?"

Dongyang Bo was startled, his face filled with disbelief, as he saw the grand array, which seemed to originate from a familiar cultivation method. "Could it be," he muttered, "that I personally drove away two great talents?"

Upon seeing the Seven Souls Killing Array, Dongyang Bo mistakenly thought Qin Sang had learned it from Qingjun, which made him realize that Qingzhu had successfully created the Nascent Soul portion of her cultivation method.

Though his guess was mistaken, he was not far from the truth.

One could create their own cultivation method, and the other, despite having a special cultivation method, managed to achieve Nascent Soul with Five Spiritual Roots. This alone proved his extraordinary talent.

Spiritual roots, after all, are merely one type of talent.

In this era, where spell cultivation dominates and other paths have declined, spiritual roots only appear so crucial.

Both of these individuals are rare talents, capable of founding their own sects and greatly enhancing Shaohua Mountain's glory. If he had only kept one of them, he wouldn't have had to worry about a successor or scheme so painstakingly to seize the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet.

Yet, he had personally driven both of them away.

"Hahaha..."

Dongyang Bo suddenly burst into a complex, almost unidentifiable laughter.

Was it regret?

Or self-mockery?

Nevertheless, as a Nascent Soul Patriarch, though his mind was shaken, his movements remained swift.

Dongyang Bo knew his past actions meant there could be no reconciliation with Qin Sang. The fact that Qin Sang had hidden his identity and transformed into a demon king clearly showed the depth of his lingering resentment.

He didn't bother with futile talk of inviting Qin Sang back to the mountain or turning hostility into friendship.

"Heh heh," Dongyang Bo said, "I've long heard of the illustrious Moonlit Demon King, but I never expected it to be you." His tone inscrutable and his expression full of emotion, he remarked, "Indeed, new talents emerge in every generation! Your achievements today are truly remarkable, enough to be worthy of Fairy Chenyan. Perhaps in the future, she might even find herself under your control. When I encouraged her to cultivate the 'Stone Bridge Zen' back then, I truly underestimated you."

Hearing Dongyang Bo suddenly mention Chenyan, Qin Sang remained completely unmoved, focusing solely on controlling his sword for a swift assault. Even with a hasty strike, he was determined to put forth his full effort and engage Dongyang Bo in battle!

Seeing that even mentioning Chenyan couldn't sway Qin Sang's resolve, Dongyang Bo stopped talking, his mind racing.

He knew Qin Sang not only possessed a top-grade spirit sword but also other formidable methods. It would be difficult to determine a victor quickly, and he had no intention of engaging Qin Sang in a drawn-out battle here.

His sole desire was to quickly retrieve the talisman puppet to avoid further complications.

After that, he would carefully consider the unfolding situation.

Qin Sang's Nascent Soul cultivation and his considerable strength introduced too many variables; his previous plans were completely disrupted.

Dongyang Bo settled on a plan. He looked around and found the surroundings dim, realizing he had fallen into a sword array.

Just then, countless sword threads from within the array swiftly coiled and attacked him.

Provoked by the killing array, Dongyang Bo felt his primordial spirit tremble, his mental state showing signs of wavering. He realized this sword array not only possessed unfathomable power but could also assault the primordial spirit directly.

Dongyang Bo dared not allow the sword array to get close, so he immediately fully activated the Diamond Stud.

The Diamond Stud hovered above his head, constantly trembling, ready to shift position at any moment to dodge the Blood-Filth Divine Light, but this did not diminish its power.

Beams of Diamond Stud projections continuously shot out in all directions.

For a moment, it was as bright as day around Dongyang Bo. The sword threads were all illuminated and somewhat scattered by the impact of the projections, yet they continued to shift and attempt to ensnare him.

Simultaneously, a precious light flashed in Dongyang Bo's palm, revealing a bronze treasure lamp.

This lamp was only three inches tall, small and exquisite. Its top was carved into the shape of a lotus, with each green lotus petal appearing jade-green. The lamp bowl contained no oil, only a wick of unknown material.

As soon as Dongyang Bo channeled his true essence into it, the wick ignited spontaneously, without a flame.

The bronze treasure lamp hovered before Dongyang Bo's brows, its flame tiny like a bean, emitting a dim, yellowish glow.

But after the flame appeared, the sword threads froze, and Dongyang Bo's expression visibly relaxed.

Outside the sword array, Qin Sang clearly saw that this lamp could suppress the Seven Souls Killing Array. Dongyang Bo was an old Nascent Soul cultivator and a sect master, possessing numerous treasures. Killing Gongliang Yu earlier had merely been a warm-up.

Qin Sang's reaction was swift. The moment Dongyang Bo conjured the treasure lamp, he immediately changed his tactics. The Blackwood Sword suddenly shot out from the array, unleashing the Blood-Filth Divine Light without hesitation!

Having suffered from the Blood-Filth Divine Light before, Dongyang Bo wouldn't give Qin Sang another chance to defile his Diamond Stud. Thus, Qin Sang opted for a secondary target, aiming to disable one of Dongyang Bo's other treasures while he was unprepared.

Qin Sang's move proved effective.

Stained by the Blood-Filth Divine Light, the bronze treasure lamp's power immediately plummeted. Its flame flickered violently a few times, then extinguished on the spot.

Unexpectedly, Dongyang Bo, having lost his treasure lamp, let out a loud laugh and suddenly spat out a beam of yellow light.

Within the yellow light was a stone pillar.

This stone pillar, carved with dragons and phoenixes, suddenly expanded dramatically and slammed fiercely towards the Blackwood Sword.

This was an exotic treasure, as heavy as a mountain, with unparalleled force, and possessing the ability to suppress.

Dongyang Bo's timing was exceptionally precise, and since the stone pillar erupted directly from his mouth, it was difficult to guard against. The Blackwood Sword's light was pushed back, as if bearing immense weight, even showing a faint sign of stagnation.

Simultaneously, the Diamond Stud finally found a flaw in the sword array. Its opening, like a bursting river dam, surged forth with endless light, like a mighty river, violently rushing towards a certain point in the array.

Qin Sang sighed inwardly, regretting that his cultivation time was still short and he hadn't yet truly comprehended the Seven Souls Killing Array. Otherwise, Dongyang Bo would never have found a flaw so easily.

However, Dongyang Bo, who believed he had outsmarted Qin Sang, was unaware that this was merely a ploy to distract him.

The eighteen Demonic Banners had, by then, already been secretly deployed!