Chapter 1388: Deceiving Heaven and Crossing the Sea

Upon witnessing this scene, Qin Sang grew suspicious.

Everyone else was locked in a fierce struggle. The Rainbow Rat, however, instead of fighting for the Ice Casket, chose this critical moment to secretly leave the deserted island. It had not only evaded the human cultivators but also seemed to have kept its movements entirely hidden from the various demon kings.

Something was amiss; this abnormal behavior surely indicated something strange was going on!

Furthermore, the Rainbow Rat had transformed into an Ice Rat, concealing itself perfectly within the ice explosion, its aura completely hidden and seamless. The ice explosion caused by the white-robed man seemed almost tailor-made for it.

A thought sparked in Qin Sang's mind. His gaze quickly swept between the white-robed man and the Rainbow Rat. He was certain that the white-robed man he had targeted was the true body. This was rather perplexing.

However, with the situation volatile and unpredictable, Qin Sang had too little information to carefully unravel all the reasons. He instinctively made a decision. Without betraying any emotion, his main body continued to pursue the white-robed man, but he harbored a hidden agenda: he did not alert anyone to the Rainbow Rat's unusual movements.

Simultaneously, a ripple appeared in the void around Qin Sang. The gazes of the other Nascent Soul cultivators and demon kings were fixed on the white-robed man and the Ice Casket, none of them noticing an invisible butterfly leaving Qin Sang, gently fluttering its wings, and flying off the deserted island in the direction the Rainbow Rat had taken.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly danced gracefully, its form light and ethereal. Her innate invisibility was her most fundamental life-saving ability. However, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's true form was too fragile compared to cultivators and demonic beasts of the same realm. Qin Sang rarely let her out of his sight, fearing an accident.

The Rainbow Rat was clearly in a weakened state. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly possessed high intelligence, and there was a Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet stationed nearby on standby. Dealing with a single Rainbow Rat should be foolproof, leaving no concerns for the butterfly's safety. Indeed! Qin Sang suspected the Rainbow Rat had secretly taken something, planning to deceive everyone and deal with it undisturbed. Even if he was wrong, there would be no loss.

Outside the deserted island. The Rainbow Rat succeeded in its escape and turned its head for a quick glance. Its eyeballs were a bizarre, pallid white, like two snow beads embedded in its head, giving its gaze an empty appearance. Yet, immediately after, a flicker of struggle appeared in its eyes. The Rainbow Rat abruptly turned its head again, skimming rapidly across the sea surface, its target clearly the storm belt!

After the Rainbow Rat had traveled some distance, a dark silhouette silently emerged beneath the sea surface. Immediately, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew down, lightly landing on the silhouette's shoulder. Together, the puppet and the butterfly pursued the Rainbow Rat in the direction it had departed.

On the deserted island, the battle intensified. The white-robed man's true body was finally revealed. In an instant, everyone's gaze converged on the white-robed man. The white-robed man seemed to know his fate was sealed. Without looking back, he pushed forward with all his might, making a final desperate struggle.

Although Qin Sang was not the closest to the white-robed man, with the help of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he had located the man's true body early on. His figure flickered continuously, crossing several mountain ranges in the blink of an eye. Simultaneously, he summoned his Golden Obsidian Sword, pointing it at the white-robed man from a distance. Without hesitation, he unleashed a sword strike at the man's back.

*Bang!*

A muffled thud echoed. Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation of surprise, unexpectedly finding a translucent, round shield materializing out of thin air behind the white-robed man. The shield was small, crafted entirely from profound ice. Though it appeared extremely thin and fragile, and shattered upon impact, it had successfully blocked Qin Sang's sword strike.

Struck by the immense force, the white-robed man lurched violently forward, instantly sprang up, and continued his escape.

"Something's not right!" Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. Although the exchange was brief, Qin Sang keenly sensed that the white-robed man was peculiar.

However, Bi Fang and the other demons were only half a beat slower than Qin Sang because they had received a voice transmission from the Rainbow Rat after the white-robed man activated the grand formation. The Rainbow Rat had left a mark inside the white-robed man's body, and illusions couldn't erase it. In contrast, Master Feng and his group were like headless flies at first, and Qin Sang hadn't alerted them. This resulted in them being the last to confirm the white-robed man's true body, making their attacks the slowest.

For Nascent Soul cultivators, every second counted.

In an instant, behind the white-robed man, streaks of light relentlessly pursued, some faster, some slower. Qin Sang was almost neck and neck with Bi Fang. The Frogfish, already the closest to the white-robed man, caught up in time, while other demon kings were left behind, some even abandoning the pursuit to fight for the Ice Casket.

It looked as though Qin Sang was about to face a situation where he would have to contend with two opponents simultaneously. Fortunately, Master Feng did not disappoint Qin Sang. Transforming into a gentle breeze, he surged past the others, closely following behind them.

Master Feng, his heart secretly anxious, transmitted a message to Qin Sang: "Daoist friend, I implore you to obstruct them for a moment! Once I obtain the treasure, a portion will be yours!"

Qin Sang's eyes flickered. He coldly snorted, "Who exactly is this person? It seems Daoist friend has known the inside story all along? Yet, I, this humble Daoist, was kept in the dark!"

Master Feng showed no sign of shame, cutting straight to the point: "This person is from Xuan Tian Palace and carries a significant treasure of Xuan Tian Palace, which is why the demon race covets him!"

A strange light flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. Since his arrival in the Northern Sea, the name of Xuan Tian Palace had been widely renowned. It was a colossal power, dominating an entire realm, its Palace Master a Grand Cultivator. Currently, with his senior sister and Old Demon Ye having ascended, the Northern Star Realm still lacked a Grand Cultivator. The experts of Xuan Tian Palace alone were enough to overshadow the entire Northern Star Realm. Even within the Northern Sea, Xuan Tian Palace was universally recognized as the foremost human faction!

To think that the white-robed man originated from Xuan Tian Palace, had traveled across vast oceans, appeared near the Crescent Moon Realm, and furthermore, carried a vital treasure of Xuan Tian Palace. No wonder these demon kings and Nascent Soul cultivators were so frantic. Once this news spread, even the experts of the Crescent Moon Realm would likely be unable to remain calm.

Thoughts raced through his mind. Qin Sang suddenly unleashed a fierce sword strike at the Frogfish. With a flick of his sleeve, he unreservedly unleashed his demonic flames, turning the mid-air into a sea of fire that engulfed the mountain peaks, with Bi Fang as his target.

Bi Fang was utterly enraged, wanting nothing more than to curse Qin Sang out loud. However, after sensing the power of the demonic flames, Bi Fang's heart tightened, and it couldn't help but be astonished. During their earlier battle at sea, this man had apparently not used his full strength; he had held back. If he had fully unleashed his demonic flames to stop it then, even if it had used its Bloodflame Transformation divine ability, it likely wouldn't have escaped so easily!

The demonic flames pressed down from all directions. Bi Fang's form was enveloped in shadows as it let out a long howl directed at the sky. The howl was like thunder, deafening. Bi Fang, which had maintained its Bloodflame Divine Bird form, fully erupted under the pressure of the demonic flames. It displayed another transformation of its divine ability: the blood flames began to contract inwards, morphing into blood-red, crystalline feathers. Covered entirely in blood-flame feathers, Bi Fang shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, with an aura as if it could pierce through the void, and boldly charged into the demonic flames!

On the other side, the Frogfish endured Qin Sang's sword strike, a large section of its scales shattering, but it was merely superficial damage. Disregarding the other ongoing battles, its eyes were solely fixed on the white-robed man.

Seeing Qin Sang seemingly persuaded, Master Feng was overjoyed. His figure, like wind, surged forward. At this moment, the closest to the white-robed man were Master Feng and the Frogfish.

Amidst the rush, the man and the demon exchanged a glance. Master Feng snorted coldly, ignoring the Frogfish. He prepared to stop the white-robed man first, to prevent him from having any further hidden tricks, which could complicate things and lead to unforeseen complications.