Chapter 1346: Altar Sudden Change

The demonic fire was about to be seized. Yet, Qin Sang showed no trace of panic. Jade Bone was startled, sensing something was amiss, as if it had overlooked something crucial!

Soul energy billowed around the Soul Gathering Cauldron, forming a gigantic funnel-shaped dark cloud in mid-air. It emitted a continuous stream of strange fluctuations that clearly affected the demonic fire. Even the eighteen demonic banners were powerless to contend with it. Qin Sang could only watch helplessly as the demonic fire detached from the banners, its speed accelerating as it flew towards the Soul Gathering Cauldron. The ultimate outcome would be for it to fall under the cauldron's control, completely changing ownership!

At this critical moment, a tiny flame suddenly sprang from the center of the demonic fire. This flame was also demonic fire, perfectly integrated. Had it not appeared on its own, Jade Bone would not have detected any anomaly. Unlike the other demonic fire, which was being drawn towards the Soul Gathering Cauldron, this flame, though seemingly weak, remained remarkably stable, showing no signs of being affected by the cauldron.

The tiny flame slowly ascended, revealing a fire lotus seed within! The Golden Lotus of Fire Seed!

From the very beginning, Qin Sang had secretly hidden the fire lotus seed within the demonic fire, deliberately concealing its fluctuations to evade Jade Bone's perception. The fire lotus seed was formed precisely from the demonic fire that Qin Sang had refined.

*Whoosh!* The fire lotus seed dispersed, transforming into a blanket of fire that covered the demonic fire, severing the Soul Gathering Cauldron's influence over it. Qin Sang instantly regained control over the demonic fire. With a thought, the fire's momentum halted abruptly, then sharply dropped a considerable distance, increasing the gap between it and the Soul Gathering Cauldron.

Qin Sang dared not delay, rapidly changing his hand seals, and fiercely contended with the Soul Gathering Cauldron. Upon seeing the fire lotus seed, Jade Bone's expression immediately changed. It could clearly sense that the fire lotus seed and Qin Sang's aura were identical, indicating an extremely close connection.

Just moments ago, it had confidently declared to Old Demon Ye that cultivators at the early Nascent Soul stage could not possibly refine demonic fire. It never expected to be proven wrong so quickly.

The refinement of demonic fire through the "Golden Lotus of Fire Seed" technique was extremely similar to innate demonic fire, leaving Qin Sang's deep imprint. Even a direct descendant of the Nine Nether race would not be able to reclaim his fire lotus seed.

Enraged and humiliated, Jade Bone roared. The Soul Gathering Cauldron shook violently, its demonic fire-attracting fluctuations stirring the soul energy, transforming it into streaks of black light that shot down fiercely, directly targeting the demonic fire's main body.

Qin Sang's expression flickered slightly. He immediately dissipated the fire blanket, allowing the fire lotus seed to reintegrate into the main body of the demonic fire.

*Puff! Puff!* The black streaks pierced the ball of fire. The demonic fire began to fly towards the Soul Gathering Cauldron once more.

Naturally, Qin Sang would not let it succeed. He activated the secret art of the "Golden Lotus of Fire Seed," pulling with all his might. A tug-of-war ensued between the two sides.

In reality, Jade Bone was also indirectly controlling the fire through the Soul Gathering Cauldron, which was no different from using the demonic banners. At this point, Jade Bone's struggle with Qin Sang for the demonic fire was far more difficult than if it were an unclaimed fire.

Although Qin Sang had only refined a portion of it, the demonic fire was of the same origin. Through the fire lotus seed, Qin Sang had a certain degree of control over the demonic fire, which was a qualitative change, fundamentally different from indirect control facilitated by the demonic banners.

At its previous cultivation level, Jade Bone could certainly have achieved this. However, it had only recently broken free from its seal, and its current cultivation was not yet vastly superior to Qin Sang's.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!* Jade Bone pursued, and Qin Sang fled, putting some distance between themselves and the others. Master Zhenyi and the others watched the spectacle of Qin Sang and Jade Bone contending for the demonic fire, while swiftly closing in to support Qin Sang.

The attackers were all Nascent Soul grandmasters, the most formidable existences in the Northern Star Realm. Each attack was extraordinary in power. With years of combat experience, they had considerable expertise in combined attack techniques and were not merely a scattered group. Even a late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivator would have to retreat when besieged by so many Nascent Soul cultivators.

Jade Bone found it difficult to face multiple opponents head-on, but unfortunately, the combined attacks of the cultivators could barely touch it. Without seemingly employing any secret arts, Jade Bone's form flickered in and out, effortlessly dodging all manner of magical artifacts and daoist spells, showing no signs of injury whatsoever.

Jade Bone ignored the others, gazing coldly at Qin Sang, the soul fire in its eye sockets emanating a chilling aura. "You have a death wish! Today, I shall grant it to you!" Its plan to seize the demonic fire had failed. While Jade Bone would certainly win if the struggle continued, it had no patience for such petty tricks with Qin Sang. It decisively abandoned the Soul Gathering Cauldron. Kill the person! Seize the fire!

"Why hasn't Bai made a move yet? I wonder if this much time is enough..." Even at such a moment, other thoughts were swirling in Qin Sang's mind. He had done his best. Unfortunately, Jade Bone was impatient; otherwise, he could have dragged out the struggle a bit longer.

Qin Sang's eyes narrowed, his expression taut. He stood rooted to the spot, his hand twitching slightly, preparing to unleash the Demon Binding Rope he held. Jade Bone was rapidly closing in, unable to tolerate it any longer.

Just then, a sudden change occurred! A colossal, earth-shattering roar echoed from afar. The ground trembled a few times, the tremors growing increasingly violent. The source appeared to be in the direction of the blood-red altar. Deep within the ghostly mist, a ball of green light became clearly visible.

Jade Bone's figure abruptly froze right in front of Qin Sang. *Crunch!* Its head snapped violently backward, Jade Bone staring intently in the direction of the blood-red altar. A terrifying roar tore from its throat, and the soul fire in its eyes surged, almost bursting from their sockets! "You court death!" Its voice was like thunder. Its fury soared to the heavens.

The next moment, Jade Bone astonishingly abandoned its pursuit of Qin Sang and even disregarded the demonic fire. It transformed into a purple rainbow and vanished instantly through the air.

Master Zhenyi and the others flew to surround Qin Sang, then exchanged bewildered glances as they looked at the empty ghostly mist. From its appearance to its disappearance, Jade Bone was like a specter, leaving no trace. "That must be the demon sealed in the Abyss of Sin, right? Old Demon Ye released it, and it possessed Jade Bone. To possess such terrifying power after being sealed for countless years, what was its cultivation level back then?" a Nascent Soul cultivator muttered, still shaken by the recent events. Even someone as strong as Qin Sang, with his continuous stream of secret treasures, was no match for Jade Bone. Had they been its target, they would likely be corpses by now.

"Daoist Friend Qin, are you unharmed?" Master Zhenyi asked with concern. Seeing that Qin Sang was merely breathing heavily and not seriously injured, his gaze shifted to the eighteen demonic banners. "What is the relationship between the demonic fire and Jade Bone?"

"There should be some connection," Qin Sang nodded slightly, offering no further explanation. He recalled the demonic banners, inspected them to confirm they were undamaged, and sealed the demonic fire. "We'll know once we go and see!" With that, Qin Sang unleashed his full escape art, swiftly flying towards the blood-red altar. His eyes, glinting, were fixed on the ball of green light above the altar, and he tightened his grip on the Demon Binding Rope in his hand.

Master Zhenyi and True Monarch Canghong quickly followed. Watching Qin Sang's retreating back, a flicker of suspicion crossed their eyes. They had a strange feeling that Qin Sang was unusual and likely knew something. The others hesitated for a moment before closely following.

Jade Bone's behavior didn't seem like a disguise; it appeared to have encountered some trouble. It had not only abandoned Qin Sang and the demonic fire but also ignored the evil formation. The surrounding blood clouds dissipated, and the attacks of the malevolent spirits and ghosts were no longer as frenzied as before. The pressure on everyone significantly lessened, allowing them to smoothly break through the encirclement and head directly towards the blood-red altar.

(To be continued)