Chapter 1455: Deception (4k. Two-in-one, Supplement)

Elder Hunmo disdained further argument. He reached into his spatial bag, took out a silver flask, tilted it, and poured out a single drop of silver liquid. Then, with fingers moving like a spinning wheel, he swiftly formed a talisman seal, raised his hand, and pressed it into the liquid drop, transforming it from silver to black. He then flicked it lightly.

*Whoosh!*

The liquid drop shot through the air towards Qin Sang, but before Qin Sang could react, it suddenly dispersed high above and vanished.

Qin Sang couldn't discern Elder Hunmo's intentions, so he secretly grew wary. He quickly activated his demon banner and simultaneously roused the fire seed within his Purple Mansion. This fire seed could no longer be called a fire lotus seed; it had begun to form a bud, gradually transforming into a fire lotus.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The demonic flame materialized. After integrating with the fire lotus, its repulsion towards Qin Sang was minimized. Although it didn't possess the seamless blend of the demonic flame within the fire lotus itself, he could wield it freely, without the sluggishness of previous times. All the demonic flames gathered into a mass, then transformed into a flame dragon, its head aimed at Elder Hunmo, baring its fangs and claws.

At that moment, the weather changed, and rain suddenly began to fall. This was no ordinary rain; the water was black, exceedingly sinister, and emitted an aura of decay.

*Pitter-patter!*

In an instant, the torrential black rain engulfed the flame dragon. Yet, everything else around them remained normal, with clear skies stretching for miles, except for the sea far behind, which was affected by the Winter Talisman.

Qin Sang focused his perception on the flame dragon. Moments later, the tension on his face eased, and he held a faint smile. The Nine Nether Demonic Flame was originally an ancient demon's divine ability; Elder Hunmo's demonic arts might weaken other spirit flames, but they were ineffective against the Nine Nether Demonic Flame! The demonic flame dragon swam comfortably in the heavy rain, devouring all the black water.

Elder Hunmo's expression turned somewhat grim. He hadn't held high expectations for this Corrosive Yin Poison Water, but seeing that it caused no trouble whatsoever for the demonic flame or Qin Sang still surprised him. Immediately, Elder Hunmo no longer hesitated. Black demonic light surged from the head of his staff, twisted, and transformed into a long spear, leaving a trail of afterimages in mid-air as it lunged at Qin Sang with astonishing speed.

Qin Sang felt a faint ache in his glabella. He was no stranger to the demonic light released by the black bamboo staff. They had clashed in the Buddhist Temple before. However, during that encounter, Elder Hunmo had attacked hastily, not giving his full strength, and Qin Sang also had to focus on seizing treasures and concealing himself; neither was at their peak. Now, Elder Hunmo was displaying his true power.

Qin Sang dared not be negligent. He raised his hand, guiding the flame dragon to clash head-on with the spear of demonic light.

*Boom!*

The spear of demonic light was incredibly sharp, piercing directly into the flame dragon's body. The next moment, the flame dragon exploded with a thunderous roar. The earth-shattering roar made the hearts of everyone nearby pound fiercely, stunned by the terrifying display of power. The demonic flame scattered then retracted, while the demonic light had already dispersed and could not be re-gathered.

Seeing this, Qin Sang's confidence grew. In the early Nascent Soul stage, he could already threaten Elder Demon Ye with the aid of the demonic flame. Now, with his cultivation and spiritual sense both having advanced significantly, he should be even stronger. However, since his breakthrough, he hadn't had the chance to directly confront a Grand Cultivator, making it difficult to accurately assess his strength, so he had always acted with a degree of caution. Now that Elder Hunmo had caught up, he was forced into a direct confrontation. With two backup plans, Qin Sang held nothing back, finally confirming his strength. After the reforging of his Golden Sinking Sword was complete, he realized he was no less capable than a Grand Cultivator, save for his True Essence not being as abundant as his opponent's, meaning he couldn't sustain prolonged exhaustion.

Elder Hunmo snorted, gripping his black bamboo staff tightly. Starting from the hilt, interwoven threads began to spread downwards, covering the entire black bamboo staff. Then, Elder Hunmo hurled the greatly transformed black bamboo staff. Its physical form instantly vanished, turning into an extremely swift black shadow.

Qin Sang felt a strong gust of wind hit his face and hastily urged his demonic flame to block it.

*Bang!*

The shadow of the black bamboo staff outlined itself above the demonic flame. The flame dragon was instantly shattered, countless sparks flying everywhere in the void. Elder Hunmo had gained an advantage. However, the demonic flame's rank was very high; even a powerful cultivator like Elder Hunmo could only scatter it, not annihilate it.

As the demonic flame began to re-condense, Elder Hunmo's frustration intensified. He reached out and forcefully grabbed, his target being the Hunmo Token. The character 'Order' on the token glowed brightly. The surrounding sword threads instantly solidified, and the Hunmo Token, sharp as a blade, forcibly broke through the sword array's blockade.

Qin Sang sighed inwardly, recalled his Golden Sinking Sword, and silently calculated the distance in his mind. He had been fighting while retreating, and was not far from the Maze Array. With so many people watching keenly nearby, he didn't want to get entangled in a protracted battle with Elder Hunmo here.

"Almost there!" As this thought crossed Qin Sang's mind, he saw the Hunmo Token bear down horizontally. Under its deterrence, the demonic flame became sluggish, and its re-condensation speed suddenly slowed. Qin Sang feigned defeat, a look of shock in his eyes. He forcibly retracted the demonic flame, deliberately crashed into the black bamboo staff, then turned and fled.

Elder Hunmo's anger had not subsided; how could he allow Qin Sang to escape like this? The black bamboo staff and the Hunmo Token immediately locked onto Qin Sang. Having learned from his loss in the Buddhist Temple, he didn't attempt to use Daoist magic to hold Qin Sang back, as it would be disrupted by that strange divine light, leading to a missed opportunity. The "Shapeshifting Shadow" technique could only be used once within a certain period. If Qin Sang shook him off, he wouldn't be able to catch up again.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Across the vast, boundless sea, two figures chased each other at high speed, their treasures flashing frequently as they engaged in fierce combat. Qin Sang, appearing to be in disarray ahead, had exceptionally calm eyes. At that moment, Qin Sang lowered his gaze, swept a glance at the hidden reefs beneath the sea surface, and a faint smile touched the corner of his lips. Simultaneously, Elder Hunmo's spiritual sense suddenly detected a subtle anomaly from below. His heart tightened, and his expression subtly changed.

"A trap!" These two words flashed through Elder Hunmo's mind. Though startled, he remained composed, feeling little surprise. All Nascent Soul cultivators participating in the Myriad Demon Assembly were cunning and shrewd; it was common for them to have backup plans and be prepared for anything. Elder Hunmo had actually had a premonition when he saw Qin Sang consistently flying south. However, his speed was inferior to Qin Sang's, and he couldn't achieve an overwhelming victory, so he had no choice but to try his best to keep Qin Sang there. Moreover, the Maze Array was sufficiently concealed, making its location unpredictable, so stepping into the trap was unavoidable.

From an unknown source, a patch of mist emerged, instantly engulfing this section of the sea. Elder Hunmo reacted swiftly. Noticing the anomaly, he immediately retreated, simultaneously recalling his magical treasures. The Hunmo Token hung high above his head, and he was then instantly swallowed by the mist. Protected by the Hunmo Token, Elder Hunmo was not worried about his own safety. He even hoped it was some kind of killing array, as that would allow him to escape more quickly. In that case, his opponent would lose their backup plan, and he could easily exhaust them to death with his abundant True Essence.

However, his subsequent discovery disappointed Elder Hunmo. Elder Hunmo pressed two fingers heavily against his glabella. His eyes turned pitch black, transforming into demonic eyes with flashes of deep black light, seemingly capable of penetrating the mist. Moments later, Elder Hunmo uttered three words with a rather somber tone.

"A Maze Array!" A Maze Array, and a purely deceptive one at that! No wonder it was concealed so perfectly.

Elder Hunmo's mind raced. The good news was that he had reacted quickly and was likely at the edge of the Maze Array. Being experienced, he stayed put instead of wandering aimlessly within the array. If the array's formation changed, he would definitely sense it. The situation hadn't reached its worst point. As long as he found the correct method, there might still be time.

Meanwhile. Behind the illusion array.

Elder Hunmo's disciple, the black-robed man, trailed behind with the ghost spirit. It wasn't that he didn't want to help his master; he simply lacked the strength and couldn't keep up. He also had to guard against others, lest anyone harbor ill intentions towards the weakened ghost spirit. During this time, Nascent Soul cultivators from Xuantian Palace had been arriving continuously, emboldened and eager to make a move. The black-robed man was primarily wary of them. Although he had already sent word back to Hunmo Island, reinforcements couldn't possibly arrive so quickly. He had originally thought they could watch the tigers fight from the mountains and reap benefits, but unexpectedly, they had become the tiger themselves. From afar, he saw mist rising from the sea, enveloping Elder Hunmo, clearly indicating something strange. The black-robed man's heart tensed, worrying about his master's situation.

At that moment, the ghost spirit next to him suddenly turned its head, its eyes seemingly unable to suppress the malevolence and madness, staring at the black-robed man and muttering, "Blood..." The black-robed man felt a chill run down his spine, immediately realizing this was his master's command. He gritted his teeth and forced out a ball of essence blood. The ghost spirit swallowed the essence blood in one gulp, its madness intensifying. It lunged towards the sea mist, while two beams of blood-red light shot from its eyes, piercing deep into the mist.

Inside the Maze Array, Elder Hunmo remained motionless, his pitch-black demonic eyes steadily fixed on the rear. Just then, Elder Hunmo seemed to sense something. His expression subtly shifted, and his demonic eyes flickered. Then, his figure suddenly drifted to the right, then forward again. For a moment, Elder Hunmo seemed to have received clear guidance, his figure moving like a phantom, shifting left and right, sometimes appearing ahead, sometimes behind. This was one of his intentions for leaving the ghost spirit behind. Firstly, the ghost spirit was greatly depleted after using "Shapeshifting Shadow" and would be difficult to utilize in combat. Secondly, it was to guard against similar traps, allowing him to use the spiritual connection between himself and the ghost spirit, along with his demonic eye divine ability, to exit the Maze Array as quickly as possible.

Before long, the edge of the sea mist rippled, and a figure emerged. Elder Hunmo flashed out, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the Xuantian Palace cultivators who were pursuing him from behind. Then he turned his head to look ahead, where he could even see the escape light on the horizon. This showed how fast he was!

At this moment, Qin Sang also sensed that Elder Hunmo had escaped the Maze Array. His eyelids twitched; this was a grand array he had carefully set up, yet it had only trapped the old demon for such a short time. Fortunately, he had prepared two backup plans, anticipating Xuantian Palace.

Elder Hunmo bypassed the ghostly mist and continued his relentless pursuit. Although his escape technique was inferior to Qin Sang's, and the distance between them gradually widened, Elder Hunmo showed no intention of stopping. Seeing this, Qin Sang began to feel uncertain, suspecting that Elder Hunmo might possess another great divine ability similar to "Shapeshifting Shadow." He flipped his palm, took out the Pill Cauldron Token from his Qianjun Ring, held it in his hand, and adjusted his escape light to fly southwest. If he couldn't shake off Elder Hunmo, he would have no choice but to seek help.

For a time, southwest of Hunmo Island, chaos ensued. Qin Sang and Elder Hunmo flew one after another, their superb escape techniques astonishing and shocking everyone. Behind them, Xuantian Palace cultivators, still unwilling to give up, trailed far behind, their numbers steadily increasing, eventually becoming the strongest faction present, though they were already left far behind. Passing Nascent Soul cultivators were startled by the unusual phenomena here, filled with doubt and alarm. Most chose to keep their distance after a glance, but some, bold due to their mastery, stayed behind, observing from afar.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Elder Hunmo was incredibly persistent, unwilling to give up, which kept Qin Sang from relaxing. They flew an unknown distance. Through the Pill Cauldron Token, Qin Sang sensed that he was getting closer to True Lord Yinqquan.

"I've really drawn Elder Hunmo over here. This time, I'll probably have to pay a hefty price to satisfy the Pill Cauldron Society's appetite." Qin Sang gave a wry smile inwardly. Fortunately, Xuantian Palace was far behind and no longer posed a threat. Otherwise, True Lord Yinqquan would surely turn and leave upon seeing such a scene, no matter how many ancient formulas he offered.

At this point, Elder Hunmo knew it was impossible to catch up with Qin Sang. The reason he didn't give up was because he saw Qin Sang make a sudden turn, suspecting that he might have some other arrangements or an ally nearby. As a supreme figure in the Boundless Sea and one of the few Grand Cultivators in the Northern Sea, Elder Hunmo was well aware of the origins and methods of the troublesome old demons in the Boundless Sea. But this person was not among them. This person seemed to have sprung from a crack in a stone, appearing out of thin air. Such individuals were the most troublesome. Unburdened by ties, they were reckless. Elder Hunmo intended to bluff, hoping to draw out his opponent's allies and thus discover his background. Once his origins were known, there would be other ways to deal with him.

Thinking of this, Elder Hunmo firmly locked onto Qin Sang with his spiritual sense. Qin Sang could break free from the lock, but he didn't. The distance was still too short; even if he escaped the lock, he couldn't stop his escape light and hide nearby. He'd wait until he had pulled ahead further. Seeing that Elder Hunmo remained inactive, Qin Sang gradually caught on. He began to suspect the old demon was merely bluffing, and looking at the Pill Cauldron Token in his hand, he hesitated slightly. It wasn't that he was unwilling to pay the price. An unplayed trump card was always most effective. If he could shake off Elder Hunmo by himself, it would make the old demon speculate wildly and become even more wary of him. Both men harbored their own thoughts. This chase, it was unclear when it would end.

Suddenly, the black escape light abruptly halted. Elder Hunmo's figure stopped abruptly. He frowned deeply and turned his head to look north. In the distant sky, a dark cloud had drifted in, unnoticed. The dark cloud silently hovered high in the sky. Immediately after, Elder Hunmo detected two scrutinizing gazes, openly watching them.

"That old demon hasn't left yet; they've also been startled..." Elder Hunmo's gaze sharpened, and he immediately realized something, glancing both ahead and behind him. Now, before him was a top-tier expert of unknown origin, his path behind was blocked by Xuantian Palace, and to the north, a demon saint was observing. Unknowingly, he had fallen into a three-way encirclement. He had to treat each party with caution. Although the possibility of these three parties ganging up on him was extremely slim, he couldn't afford to be unprepared.

After a brief contemplation, Elder Hunmo flicked his sleeve, exchanged a defiant glance with Great Sage Heavenly Peng from afar, gave up the pursuit, and returned the way he came. The dark cloud paused, then slowly drifted northward. After all, the Boundless Sea was primarily dominated by human forces. Great Sage Heavenly Peng had only come to observe, but he hadn't expected the old demon to be so astute, leaving no opportunity. Before leaving, Great Sage Heavenly Peng cast a strange look in the direction Qin Sang had fled. He had seemingly sensed demonic aura earlier and thought it was one of his own kind, but it vanished before he could get a clear look.

Elder Hunmo flew towards them. The Xuantian Palace cultivators exchanged glances, then all looked towards Elders Mei and Lan.

"What do we do now? The old demon seems to have a grudge against that person, and he might be looking to team up with us," Elder Mei asked in a low voice.