Chapter 1387: Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers

Wuxia Xianxia

This scene caught the experts of both factions by complete surprise. The white-robed figure, gravely injured and on the brink of death after being relentlessly pursued by the Iris Rat, was assumed to be utterly spent and at the mercy of others. Yet, he appeared far less vulnerable than anyone had imagined.

Qin Sang, observing the figure in the snow, felt a silent surprise. He had expected to find a hidden treasure, not a person! At that moment, Qin Sang keenly observed the sudden fervent gaze of the other humans and demons, and a thought flickered in his mind: this person must hold some secret.

The unexpected appearance of the white-robed figure momentarily froze the battlefield. He surveyed his surroundings, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. Raising a hand, he declared in an icy tone, "Aren't you looking for this? Take it!"

Resting on the white-robed figure's palm was a square ice casket. The casket, exquisitely carved from profound ice, featured intricate dragon and phoenix designs on its surface, with flowing patterns of restrictive light. It was clearly no ordinary container, suggesting the treasure within was equally extraordinary.

Before he finished speaking, the white-robed figure abruptly hurled the ice casket high into the air.

'Whoosh!' Enveloped in a shimmering white light, the ice casket shot through the air at astonishing speed, heading straight for Qin Sang and Bi Fang at an awkward angle.

The battlefield erupted in an uproar. Excluding the white-robed figure, this small desolate island now held five Nascent Soul cultivators and six Great Demon Kings—all of them cunning and seasoned strategists. They suspected the white-robed figure's move was a ruse—using a fake treasure to create a diversion and an opportunity for escape. Yet, they couldn't shake the fear that the *true* treasure within the ice casket might fall into another's hands.

Master Feng's expression flickered with indecision. Meanwhile, the Cunning Fox and the Frog Fish, already close to the deep valley, were unburdened by such hesitation and immediately decided to split their forces. The ice casket had to be seized, and the person had to be stopped!

The Cunning Fox let out a shriek, its bushy tail flicked, and it sprang upward. The Frog Fish, meanwhile, fixated its gaze on the white-robed figure. The others were not to be outdone; they all moved to snatch it, and for a moment, streams of light crisscrossed wildly in the air.

Master Feng, moving the quickest, continued to rush towards the deep valley while his left arm gave a slight tremor. An almost transparent silk thread shot out with a 'swish,' darting toward the ice casket. The thread, seemingly fragile, was incredibly nimble. It was about to reach the ice casket, moving even faster than the Cunning Fox.

A strange glint flashed in the Cunning Fox's eyes as its mouth opened wide. No sound was heard, yet invisible sound waves rippled outward, locking onto the thread! The Cunning Fox seemed capable of solidifying space; the thread immediately plunged as if into a mire, its speed sharply dropping, becoming sluggish. Had Qin Sang not preemptively inflicted a severe injury on the Cunning Fox earlier, he likely would have faced more trouble.

With the thread failing to ensnare the ice casket due to the Cunning Fox's interference, Master Feng felt a surge of silent fury. He furiously channeled True Essence into the thread, and instantly, a whip-like shadow sprang forth, lashing fiercely at the Cunning Fox. The Cunning Fox dared not meet the attack head-on and was forced to dodge.

The ice casket, which the Cunning Fox nearly snagged, was struck by the residual impact. Its white glow vibrated, its direction abruptly shifted, and it flew toward Island Master Shen. Annoyance flashed in the Cunning Fox's eyes as it prepared to resume its pursuit of the ice casket, but then a sudden tremor of dread ran through it. The sensation was all too familiar. The Cunning Fox's heart jolted, and its movements involuntarily stalled.

'Crack!' A bolt of heavenly lightning descended directly in front of the Cunning Fox. It was the Thunder Command Art again! However, this time Qin Sang's target wasn't his opponent, but the ice casket itself!

'Boom!' The ice casket was struck squarely by the heavenly lightning. Witnessing this, the hearts of all present couldn't help but pound, and they inwardly cursed Qin Sang for daring such a move. If the treasure's properties were fragile, this single strike could render everyone's efforts futile.

The white light enveloping the ice casket could not withstand the Thunder Command Art; it was torn apart by the lightning, revealing the casket's true form. Amidst the dazzling bolts, the ice casket shattered, sending ice shards flying, and revealing an off-white, jade-like object.

"'Snow-Patterned Cold Jade...'" Qin Sang recognized the item's true nature at a glance, and felt a surge of disappointment. Snow-Patterned Cold Jade is a type of cold jade, named for the snowflake-like patterns on its surface. While indeed a rare and high-quality treasure, it wasn't valuable enough to warrant such desperate contention among so many powerful experts.

Just as Qin Sang broke open the ice casket, the desolate island suddenly began to shake violently. Bone-chilling cold currents surged ceaselessly from the deep valley. From outside the island, one could clearly see a white torrent of ice erupting from the ground, exploding mid-air into an intensely cold ice storm. A terrifying shockwave emanated simultaneously. The Frog Fish, being closest to the deep valley, bore the brunt. Sensing the danger, it swiftly spat out a green light, forming a thin protective barrier around itself.

The relentless cold current tore away at the deep valley's stone walls, revealing a blinding white light within and faintly outlining a spiritual array. Though it was the transition from spring to summer, the desolate island had prematurely plunged into winter. The ice storm was immense, blanketing most of the desolate island. Everything within sight was a stark, blinding white.

Along with the cold current, dozens of identical ice caskets also burst forth, scattering in various directions like a heavenly maiden's shower of petals. The white-robed figure vanished into thin air, seemingly dissolving into the ice storm. Moments later, a dozen or so white-robed figures appeared in everyone's sight, using the force of the cold current to surge in all directions.

The white-robed figure had clearly prepared a contingency plan long ago. The ice casket he had thrown was merely a feint, not intended to fool many, but rather to further muddy the waters and facilitate his escape. For a time, the battlefield was a chaotic swirl of flying ice and snow. The Eagle-Snake demons, Island Master Shen, and others abandoned their ongoing battles, rushing towards the cold current. If the white-robed figure escaped, all their efforts would be for naught. What purpose would their life-and-death struggle serve then?

Bi Fang had initially intended to contend for the first ice casket, but upon seeing that it contained only a piece of Snow-Patterned Cold Jade and realizing the white-robed figure was attempting to escape, immediately abandoned the jade. While it was unclear what the white-robed figure had taken from the Xuan Tian Palace, even a dilapidated Xuan Tian Palace would never consider mere Snow-Patterned Cold Jade its supreme treasure. Qin Sang, however, showed no hesitation, seizing the Snow-Patterned Cold Jade.

"'It seems the white-robed figure possesses something even better…'" With a shift in thought, he gazed thoughtfully in the direction of the cold current, his expression completely unperturbed. He commanded the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to fully unleash its divine ability and expose the white-robed figure's deception.

The white-robed figure's tactics were undeniably clever. Ice caskets flew everywhere, some real, some fake, creating a confusing mix of truth and illusion. The clones were also exceptionally agile, making it nearly impossible to distinguish reality from mere phantoms. Had there been only one or two adversaries, there would have been a significant chance of being misled by the white-robed figure and missing the critical opportunity. Unfortunately, too many experts had gathered on the desolate island. Faced with such a multitude, these meager tricks quickly proved insufficient, and in the blink of an eye, most of the illusions were shattered. Qin Sang, in particular, effortlessly pinpointed the white-robed figure's true form. While Bi Fang and the others lacked the direct insight of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, their extensive combat experience meant they were only a step behind Qin Sang.

Just as Qin Sang prepared to make a preemptive move, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly suddenly alerted him, having detected an anomaly at the edge of the battlefield. Amidst the ice storm, everyone scrambled against each other. The battlefield was a scene of utter chaos. The Iris Rat cautiously peered from between the rocks. Seizing the chaotic moment, it darted out, its body seemingly encased in ice shards, merging perfectly with the ice storm. It silently slipped off the desolate island, eluding everyone's notice. However, no matter how clever the concealment technique, it could not escape the detection of the Heavenly Eye's divine ability.