Chapter 1385: Despair and Determination

"The Rat Demon isn't dead!" Island Master Shen exclaimed in surprise.

Wind Master, flying at the forefront, frowned deeply upon hearing this. He and Island Master Shen had personally set an ambush to kill the Rat Demon, witnessing its apparent demise. Yet, they had failed! Could it be that what they killed earlier wasn't the Rat Demon's true form, but merely a clone? The situation didn't allow Wind Master to ponder further. Although the magical imprint had lost its connection, the direction was clear. His figure moved like smoke, his escape technique never pausing. After flying a short distance, he suddenly saw a dark silhouette appear on the sea ahead, clearly an island. The island was completely dark and uninhabited, a desolate isle.

Wind Master's heart surged with joy. The appearance of this desolate island here was no coincidence. The traitor from the Profound Heaven Palace was very likely hiding on it! *Whoosh!* Wind Master flew to the edge of the desolate island and unceremoniously released his spiritual sense, extensively searching the island. To his surprise, he found no trace of anything unusual.

Inside a hidden cavern.

When the Soul Nascence cultivators and demon kings, engaged in their entangled pursuit, appeared near the desolate island, the white-robed figure, encased in ice, sensed something amiss and his eyelids trembled slightly. "They came so fast..." A soft sigh echoed from the quiet cavern. However, the white-robed figure showed no sign of panic. Cold air condensed above the mystic ice, forming a circular ice mirror that reflected the scene near the desolate island.

In an instant, the composure in the white-robed figure's eyes vanished, replaced by a livid expression! "Why are there so many people!" If he weren't frozen, the white-robed figure would likely have jumped in frustration. He had made preparations, confident that he had a sixty to seventy percent chance of escaping the Rainbow Rat's pursuit. The white-robed figure had never imagined that so many changes would occur outside during his frozen state. Now, there were six demon kings attracted to the scene, along with human Soul Nascence cultivators joining the commotion. Even at his peak, if so many people targeted him, he wouldn't be able to escape.

Despair filled his heart. The white-robed figure's face was etched with bitterness. If given another chance, he would never have chosen to betray the Profound Heaven Palace. But now, it was too late for regret.

Suddenly, the ice mirror showed the Rainbow Rat on the Hawk Demon's back. The Rainbow Rat had revived using a clone, but its secret technique was not yet complete. It was already in a weakened state, its strength greatly diminished, and it had expended more energy just now to sense the imprint. Staring intently at the Rainbow Rat, a cold glint flashed in the white-robed figure's eyes, revealing a hint of resolve. He trembled slightly, his arms shaking. *Crack, crack...* The mystic ice emitted crisp sounds. Cracks gradually spread across the entire block of mystic ice.

On the battlefield of Qin Sang and Bi Fang, demonic flames and blood flames clashed, a conflagration scorching the sky. The battle had reached a fever pitch. Bi Fang's demonic eyes glowed with fierce malice, seemingly piercing through the raging flames to strike at Qin Sang. The power of the demonic flames was unlike anything it had ever witnessed. It wondered when humanity had produced such a master. Under the assault of the demonic flames, the blood flames were forced to contract. If this continued, signs of defeat would soon appear, and they would be completely suppressed by the demonic flames.

However, Bi Fang had not yet displayed its full power. This was because it needed to hold back its trump card, wary of Qin Sang's Soul Nascence puppet. But unexpectedly, despite fighting for so long, Qin Sang showed no intention of releasing the puppet. Optimistically, the puppet might have been too severely damaged previously, making it difficult to repair, and thus couldn't be used in combat.

Bi Fang's eyes shifted, and it had already formed a plan. The others had already flown far ahead; it could no longer delay. The blood flames surged wildly, rapidly converging towards the center, then began to counterattack the demonic flames. Qin Sang, behind the demonic flames, manipulated the demonic banner with a calm expression. Seeing this, his heart stirred. It seemed he could now force another one of Bi Fang's techniques. Just as this thought flashed through his mind, with a sudden roar, a pillar of fire made of blood flames shot towards the sky. The pillar was incredibly thick, transforming into a fiery cloud in mid-air.

Just as Qin Sang was about to act, he saw the fiery cloud transform, taking the form of a true Bi Fang divine bird, standing on one leg, radiating immense power, looking down upon all directions! He quickly looked at the center of the sea of fire. Bi Fang's true form had vanished, merging with the blood flames to become this blood-flame Bi Fang!

*Swish!* The blood-flame Bi Fang turned its neck, its eyes, formed of blood flames, gazing intently at Qin Sang. Qin Sang felt his whole body tense, as if he were being targeted by an unrivaled fierce beast. He even felt a dry sensation in his throat, and couldn't help but secretly become vigilant and cautious. Immediately after, a cold snort exploded in Qin Sang's mind. The blood-flame Bi Fang withdrew its gaze, looked in the direction Wind Master and the others had fled, then clapped its wings together, suddenly shooting out a stream of fire, its body closely following behind.

The demonic flames surged, sweeping across the sky, trying to block Bi Fang. Unexpectedly, Bi Fang's power had increased dramatically, and it forcefully broke through the demonic flames' blockade, vanishing into the air. Blood-red flames rained down along its path, creating a scene of desolate beauty. The demonic flames did not pursue Bi Fang, but instead converged towards the center, transforming into a fiery dragon and flying back before Qin Sang.

Qin Sang stood in mid-air, looking in the direction the blood-flame Bi Fang had flown. After a slight hesitation, he put away his demonic flames and swiftly pursued. He didn't want to force Bi Fang into a desperate fight, so he hadn't gone all out against it. Seeing that the timing was right, he stopped being aggressive and allowed Bi Fang to leave. Having held Bi Fang back for so long, Wind Master couldn't fault him.

Moreover, Qin Sang was very curious about what treasure lay ahead that held such immense allure for the masters of both races. From Wind Master's actions, Qin Sang could tell that they definitely knew something. He just wasn't sure if Wind Master had only just realized the demon race's intentions, or if he had known all along but deliberately concealed it from him, fearing that he might develop ill intentions. The terms of their agreement were for Qin Sang to tie down Bi Fang if a major battle erupted. Since Wind Master had concealed crucial information, it wasn't exactly breaking his word. Given this, Qin Sang couldn't be blamed for wanting a share of the spoils. And Qin Sang possessed precisely that capability!

Qin Sang knew very well that if he showed any intention of vying for the treasure, not only the demon kings but also Wind Master and his allies would immediately turn against him. Therefore, Qin Sang decided to remain inconspicuous for now and observe. He still had plans concerning the Hundred Flowers Valley. Unless absolutely necessary, he was unwilling to make an enemy of Wind Master. Unless it was a supreme treasure beneficial to his cultivation, Qin Sang wouldn't act rashly. This was also a good opportunity to strike another deal with Wind Master.

While contemplating these thoughts, Qin Sang's speed didn't slacken in the slightest. He sensed the current location of his Soul Nascence Talisman Puppet. During the time he was fighting Bi Fang, the puppet had gradually caught up and was trailing behind. Originally, he had left the puppet outside to guard against Wind Master and the others, so that if he accidentally fell into a trap, it could provide assistance from outside. It seemed this contingency plan wouldn't be needed now. However, there wasn't time to recall it at the moment. Leaving it outside was fine; if the situation changed, the Soul Nascence Talisman Puppet could still provide support from afar.

The path ahead was unknown. The situation was bound to be extremely chaotic. Qin Sang and Bi Fang's escape techniques were among the best of all the powerful cultivators. Although their fight had caused some delay, it wasn't long before Qin Sang saw the streaks of light from the others flying ahead. Qin Sang still didn't stop, occasionally making moves to harass Bi Fang. In reality, most of his attention was on the group ahead. Before long, Qin Sang also saw the outline of the desolate island, observing everyone rushing towards it in a scramble. They had arrived!