Chapter 1413: The Pattern of the Spiritual Array

‘Boom!’‘Boom!’‘Boom!’

From a crack in the Thousand Buddha Wall, a figure was fleeing at high speed, with a surge of crimson-gold light—formed by Buddha light and crimson flames—hot on their heels, relentlessly pursuing.

Qin Sang, wielding the Golden Sinking Sword to clear a path, dared not stop for a moment.

After using his demonic flames to strike back at the Old Man of Chaos, he immediately turned and fled. He wasn't sure how effective his attack was or if it had bought enough time for Valley Master Mu and the others to escape.

‘Thud! Thud!’

The clashing sounds of sword light were incessant.

Qin Sang delved deeper and deeper.

Within his sight, only two colors remained: crimson and gold.

It was hard to imagine how much crimson flame energy had accumulated here over countless years, and despite being released for so long, so much still remained.

Qin Sang suspected that the original spiritual formation wasn't this powerful. It must have mutated due to the influence of the crimson flame energy, which amplified its might to such astonishing levels.

Just then, Qin Sang noticed the light ahead dimming, immediately putting him on alert.

He forcefully swung his sword forward.

‘Boom!’

His sword light cleaved through the Buddha light and crimson flames, and Qin Sang darted out.

The next moment, he felt the pressure on him sharply decrease. The surrounding light was no longer blinding, nor was it just the monotonous crimson and gold. Instead, it was replaced by dazzling, multicolored rays of light.

Even stranger, the violent fluctuations behind him vanished into thin air at the same instant.

Surprised, Qin Sang turned around to observe his surroundings.

It was just as before.

He was in a place with no ground beneath his feet and no sky above, completely without a foothold.

Multicolored rays of light were ubiquitous, some forming continuous expanses, others condensing into spheres.

The diverse hues of the rays filled the entire void, a truly beautiful sight. Yet, regardless of the light's color, the familiar crimson flame energy permeated everywhere, seemingly omnipresent.

Illusory and ethereal.

No solid objects were visible.

Clearly, Qin Sang's earlier conjecture was correct: passing through the Thousand Buddha Wall simply meant transitioning from one manifestation of the spiritual formation to another.

He was still within the spiritual formation.

What was surprising, however, was that the Thousand Buddha Wall was no longer behind Qin Sang!

He had just burst out of the Thousand Buddha Wall, yet it had vanished into thin air, replaced by boundless rays of light behind him, with no familiar sights whatsoever.

"This... have I fallen into another layer of the spiritual formation's changes?"

Qin Sang felt a flicker of doubt.

He remained still, observing intently alongside his Sky-Eyed Butterfly.

No matter how powerful a spiritual formation, it must have discernible patterns, especially since this one was masterless and its variations limited.

‘Whoosh!’

Just then.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound emanated from within the radiant light.

Qin Sang frowned slightly, instantly feeling a stinging pain on his skin as a sharp aura locked onto him. A warning signal flared in his mind, and he immediately repositioned the Golden Sinking Sword hovering above his head, bracing himself as if facing a formidable enemy.

‘Buzz...’

The spiritual sword hummed a long note.

The whistling sound grew louder as it approached, moving at an astonishing speed.

Immediately after, Qin Sang saw the radiant light in that direction dissipate, revealing a black hole from which an incredibly brilliant golden light burst forth, carrying an air of absolute destruction, heading straight for him!

This golden light was incredibly pure.

Since entering the spiritual formation, every sight Qin Sang had witnessed contained crimson flame energy; this golden light was the sole exception.

From this, it seemed likely that this was the spiritual formation's original method of attack.

Upon seeing this, Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. Not daring to be careless, he fully activated the Golden Sinking Sword, preparing to unleash a strike to confront the golden light head-on.

Suddenly, his gaze flickered as if something had occurred to him. After a moment of hesitation, he made a strange move: he recalled the Golden Sinking Sword, then swiftly moved sideways, dozens of feet away.

‘Swish!’

The golden light struck, and faintly, Qin Sang could discern that its true form appeared to be a Zen staff manifested by the spiritual formation.

Qin Sang's evasive maneuver caused the Zen staff to react strangely.

The staff shifted sideways, but only by a few feet. It couldn't catch Qin Sang in time, merely brushing past him before vanishing into the depths of the radiant light.

Qin Sang's protective spiritual energy shield rippled slightly from the staff's impact, but that was all.

He himself remained completely unharmed.

Qin Sang exhaled, gazing at the spot where the Zen staff had disappeared, and mused, "Just as I thought! If this were the original spiritual formation, this staff wouldn't have been so easy to evade, and if someone were manipulating it from outside, it would be even harder to contend with. But now, the formation is affected by the crimson flame energy, giving it power but lacking in adaptability. It appears dangerous, but in reality, it's quite manageable..."

This initial test confirmed Qin Sang's hypothesis.

Of course, this didn't mean he could let his guard down.

There would always be places like the Thousand Buddha Wall, unavoidable and even more perilous than before.

"It appears I've moved from the first layer of the spiritual formation's transformations into the second. It's like navigating through levels, but I wonder how many there are in total?

"The Old Man of Chaos surely wasn't right behind us from the start, or the Sky-Eyed Butterfly would have detected him. This suggests that all intruders' experiences are likely similar.

"If Valley Master Mu survived and passed through the Thousand Buddha Wall, he would certainly arrive in this 'space,' though not necessarily near me. Also, where did the Thousand Buddha Wall go?

"The Thousand Buddha Wall must be a manifestation of the barrier between the two layers of the spiritual formation. Since I came out of it, I should be able to find it if I look back, but the appearance from the outside might be different, not necessarily the Thousand Buddha Wall itself."

Qin Sang calmed himself, analyzing what he had seen and heard, trying to discern the spiritual formation's patterns.

As he pondered, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly transmitted a thought, seemingly having discovered something.

Qin Sang looked up toward the depths of the radiant light, his figure flickering.

Within the radiant light, crimson flames drifted. Disturbing one could easily trigger widespread turmoil.

If the spiritual formation's attacks weren't avoidable, it would be truly troublesome.

Here, the radiant light stretched endlessly, and crimson flames obscured the sky, resembling a fiery red sunset.

Qin Sang moved intermittently, sometimes approaching the radiant light for a closer look, other times frowning in thought.

Gradually, a look of helplessness appeared on his face.

"This place follows entirely different rules from the Thousand Buddha Wall. The crimson flame energy and the radiant light are indistinguishable. By the time I figure out its patterns and forge a path back, it'll be too late..."

Going back to rescue them was no longer an option.

What if he returned only for Valley Master Mu to be killed by the Old Man of Chaos just then, putting himself in danger for nothing?

"Waiting here to rescue them also holds little hope. The formation is so complex; whoever set it up clearly intended to move intruders to different locations to defeat them one by one. Plus, I can't even be sure if Valley Master Mu managed to escape into this place..."

Qin Sang's thoughts raced, and he decided to wait a little longer.

The result was as he expected.

"The three of you will have to fend for yourselves."

Qin Sang shook his head slightly and turned to leave.

He couldn't think of a better plan. For now, he could only press on alone and explore the Pure Sea Sect. If Valley Master Mu managed to escape the Old Man of Chaos, they might still reunite within the Pure Sea Sect.

Fortunately, the Fiery Jade Centipede was Qin Sang's spiritual insect, guiding him.

Obtaining the Myriad Spirit Fruit alone would make this trip worthwhile.

As for other treasures, he would simply act as the situation demanded.