Chapter 1493: Slaughter Yinyin Blood Pool (4k)

No one could have imagined that touching the cicada slough would cause such an anomaly.

Qin Sang had always been cautious, constantly wary of the ancient restrictions mutating and attacking him. Yet, he never expected it to be a sudden, powerful suction instead of an assault, arriving so abruptly and violently.

He was currently in void space, suspended between the ancient restrictions with nothing to hold onto. Unable to resist the suction, he was immediately pulled in. Qin Sang felt a dizzying sensation. He tried his best to stabilize his body and activated his Ruyi Orb. After several unsuccessful attempts to break free from the suction, he decided to prioritize his self-preservation.

"Whoosh... whoosh..."

Qin Sang heard the rapid rush of wind, realizing he seemed to be plummeting. However, he could no longer discern direction and had no idea where the suction was taking him. The good news was that his protective aura was extremely sturdy. Besides the suction, there were no other attacks, so he remained unharmed.

"What caused this anomaly? Is the cicada slough a key to some secret realm?" With Qin Sang temporarily safe, these thoughts flashed through his mind one after another.

Just moments before, the instant he touched the cicada slough, Qin Sang had a faint feeling that it didn't seem to be left by an Eight-Winged Heart Cicada. It appeared to bear traces of having been refined. Before he could fully understand it, the anomaly occurred.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly noticed something unusual nearby. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a fleeting shadow. His expression changed slightly, and his guard instantly rose to the extreme. Then he recognized a familiar, somewhat disheveled figure: it was Liuli, who should have been at Gluttonous Lake!

Liuli didn't lack defensive magical treasures, but she didn't possess the all-encompassing protection of something like the Ruyi Orb. She struggled against the suction, her clothes disarrayed. Noticing an unexpected presence beside her, Liuli's eyes showed a glint of vigilance. Upon realizing it was Qin Sang, her expression relaxed, and she gave him a questioning look.

The two, who should have been in separate locations, were unexpectedly drawn to the same spot. They were like two dancers, swirling together within the suction, constantly tumbling. Their movements, however, were chaotic and lacked any grace. They tried their best to move closer to each other to avoid being separated again by the turbulent suction. Facing an unknown change, two people working together clearly had a much greater ability to deal with danger than one alone.

Qin Sang opened his palm towards Liuli, revealing the cicada slough. Earlier, at the moment the suction erupted, Qin Sang hadn't forgotten his duty and had quickly snatched the Eight-Winged Heart Cicada's slough. The cicada slough was the key. Liuli cultivated the Ice Soul Divine Light; perhaps she could discern something from it. Seeing the cicada slough, Liuli's eyes lit up.

"Whoosh!"

Just then, the suction suddenly vanished into thin air. Both of them were flung into an unfamiliar space. Qin Sang reacted swiftly, immediately stabilizing his body and shaking off the inertia caused by the suction. Before he could even clearly see his surroundings, Qin Sang flicked his sleeve. Demonic flames roared forth, transforming into a fiery dragon that coiled around him, putting him on guard.

"Thud!"

Qin Sang landed heavily on the ground. The sound of his landing echoed around them. It was clear this was an enclosed space. His nose seemed to catch a faint scent of blood, which wasn't normal. Qin Sang furrowed his brow slightly, a sense of vigilance rising within him.

Immediately after, Liuli landed beside him and transmitted her voice, saying, "According to ancient texts from Listening Snow Tower, this is the slough of an Eight-Winged Ice Cicada, and it has an effect on the Ice Soul Divine Light..."

The Eight-Winged Ice Cicada and Eight-Winged Heart Cicada, though differing by only one character, refer to the same spiritual insect; their names merely reflect slight variations in different traditions. The Eight-Winged Heart Cicada's appearance resembles carved profound ice, making the name "Ice Cicada" more fitting.

Liuli's words were cut short by a sudden voice.

"Over these years, you've continuously bribed experts from various factions within the sect and eliminated dissenters. Your efforts have indeed been meticulous. Even without this anomaly in the Sacred Land, you would have challenged me upon leaving, wouldn't you? Now that your wings are fully grown, you've become incredibly bold, daring to conspire with them to assassinate your master in the Sacred Land. What a pity. This old man has been planning for this day for centuries. How could I let a mere girl like you easily ruin it..."

The speaker's voice was hoarse, cold, and eerie, like a demonic whisper. There were actually other people here! Simply hearing that voice sent a deep chill through Liuli's heart, as if she were frozen. Instinctively, she summoned her Phoenix-shaped treasure sword, her vigilance reaching its peak.

At that moment, Qin Sang, standing beside Liuli, stared ahead with eyes like swords, as if facing a formidable enemy. They had been pulled by the suction into a spacious underground cavern, and were now standing at its edge. The scent of blood Qin Sang had caught earlier was not an illusion. Within the cavern was a circular pool filled entirely with fresh, scarlet blood.

Three ice platforms extended from within the blood pool. The ice platforms were covered in dense, intricate runes, all outlined with threads of blood. Under the crimson glow, the platforms appeared like blood altars, glaringly scarlet and filled with an eerie,邪异 aura. This bizarre scene delivered a tremendous shock to Qin Sang and Liuli's minds.

Most astonishingly, a person was seated on one of the ice platforms. This person was none other than the Grand Elder of Xuan Tian Palace—Tong Lingyu! Tong Lingyu had lost her former splendor. Her entire body was stained with blood, her aura was weak, and she was severely injured. Two scars left by sharp blades marred her beautiful face, making her appear pitiful. Threads of blood grew from the ice platform, piercing deep into the skin of Tong Lingyu's legs. At this moment, her legs were covered in blood threads, tightly entangled and unable to move. Furthermore, the blood threads were continuously spreading across her entire body, like chains or bloodworms, ceaselessly siphoning her vital energy, threatening to drag her into an abyss.

Tong Lingyu had almost lost the ability to resist, allowing the blood threads to consume her. Her spiritual treasure, the Four-Phase Flying Serpent Seal, lay discarded at the edge of the blood pool; she was powerless to wield it and could only wait for death. This sight was extremely terrifying and chilling.

The speaker was not Tong Lingyu. The voice came from an ice coffin standing at the edge of the blood pool. The ice coffin was already open. Yet, the person inside had not emerged. Cold mist swirled within the coffin, making the figure somewhat indistinct. This person wore a white robe, a jade crown, and had a dignified appearance. However, their skin was extremely pale, veins prominently visible, completely devoid of color, unlike a normal person, creating a stark contrast with Tong Lingyu, who was drenched in blood. The Four-Phase Flying Serpent Seal was cast aside at his feet, as if symbolizing its surrender to this person.

In the vast cavern, besides Qin Sang and Liuli, there were only the person in the coffin and Tong Lingyu; no other Xuan Tian Palace cultivators were in sight.

Seeing this person, Qin Sang's pupils suddenly constricted. He had heard Shi Xue describe the appearance of Xuan Tian Palace's Palace Master. The person in the coffin was actually Yin Changsheng!

The bizarre scene instantly tensed Qin Sang's mind, and an ominous premonition naturally arose. From the Palace Master of Xuan Tian Palace, Qin Sang felt an extremely dangerous sensation, one he hadn't experienced even when facing Old Man Hunmo or the Great Sage Tianpeng. Demonic beasts invaded the Sacred Land. The two leaders of Xuan Tian Palace, instead of expelling the evil demons, were actually engaged in an internal struggle here. Outside the blood pool, the area was a mess, with ice shards scattered everywhere on the ground. A fierce battle had clearly taken place, and Tong Lingyu had been utterly defeated, losing her spiritual treasure and being captured alive, trapped in the blood pool.

What exactly happened? Why were he and Liuli dragged in to witness this scene? The cicada slough... it was a trap! Qin Sang suddenly recalled Bing Yao's warning to Liuli—"Beware of the Palace Master!" This trap was very likely originally intended for Bing Yao. Bing Yao probably hadn't discovered the cicada slough was a trap either, otherwise she would have surely warned Liuli and not let her return to retrieve the treasure. However, she had sensed danger from the Palace Master and fled to the Beichen Realm, later becoming trapped in the Ziwei Palace. By a strange twist of fate, she had evaded this calamity. He and Liuli had unknowingly taken her place in this tribulation.

What was the Palace Master's goal? Were the other two ice platforms in the blood pool prepared for him and Liuli? Was this person truly Yin Changsheng? Otherwise, why would a dignified Palace Master attack the rising talents of his own sect?

These thoughts flashed rapidly through Qin Sang's mind. He had personally witnessed an ancient demon taking over a body in the Seven Kills Hall, making him extremely sensitive to such matters. He instinctively linked it to that. Coincidentally, there was also a demon-sealing ground in the North Sea.

However, none of this mattered. Qin Sang's only thought at that moment was to escape the cavern! Tong Lingyu, wielding a spiritual treasure, had suffered such a tragic fate. While Qin Sang wouldn't underestimate himself, he also didn't believe he could defeat the Palace Master using the Sun God Tree, which he couldn't truly control. If the Palace Master had been taken over and possessed the strength of the original demonic soul, it would be even more terrifying!

Qin Sang swept his spiritual sense behind him, his expression subtly changing. After they were drawn in, both the suction and the entrance had mysteriously vanished. The cavern was riddled with ancient restrictions; getting in was easy, but getting out was difficult. Qin Sang remained calm, secretly coordinating with his Heavenly Eye Butterfly to search for an exit.

In the blood pool, Tong Lingyu's breathing was ragged, and she gradually lost her defenses, unable to stop the blood threads' invasion. She gave a desolate smile, "You haven't entered the Sacred Land twice already. I knew you would move against me someday, but I never expected you would choose this place. If I had known, I shouldn't have wasted so much time confirming your injuries."

"I'm very curious, what exactly made you realize it?" Yin Changsheng seemed not to have noticed Qin Sang and Liuli at the edge of the cavern, or perhaps, he simply didn't care about them. He lowered his head slightly, his icy tone wavering for the first time, curious as to where he had exposed himself, making Tong Lingyu so certain that he, the Palace Master, harbored ill intentions.

"All these years, besides secretly guiding you all to cultivate special cultivation methods and divine abilities, I haven't interfered with any of your affairs."

Demonic beasts invaded. Tong Lingyu saw an opportunity. She had originally planned to make her move after returning from the Sacred Land and had been preparing for it. Now, with chaos in the Sacred Land, it was the perfect chance to let Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng test Yin Changsheng. If the opportunity arose, she would not hesitate to encircle and kill Yin Changsheng. Xuan Tian Palace was currently facing both internal strife and external threats. She could only choose to resolve the internal strife first. Unexpectedly, Yin Changsheng was one step ahead, striking first and catching Tong Lingyu off guard, capturing her alive.

Hearing this, Qin Sang realized. At the Sacred Land entrance, Tong Lingyu's message for him to meet her deeper inside the Sacred Land was not the Palace Master's intention, but rather her desire for him to help her encircle and kill the Palace Master. Qin Sang thought to himself, 'No wonder.' During the transaction after the Chaos Demon Convention, Tong Lingyu readily agreed to all his requests, drew him into the Listening Snow Tower's faction, and deliberately concealed his identity within Xuan Tian Palace. When he and Liuli became Dao companions, Tong Lingyu again stopped them at the foot of Lingxiao Peak, preventing him from confronting the Palace Master directly. Although all the reasons given were plausible, summing up all these incidents, each bore traces of Tong Lingyu's guidance, keeping him out of the Palace Master's sight, so he could catch him by surprise later.

"Before Junior Sister Bing Yao left, she hinted indirectly for me to be careful. At the time, I didn't understand and wasn't truly alarmed. I never imagined that the Palace Master and master whom I revered since childhood would harbor ill intentions towards us!" Tong Lingyu's tone was extremely complex, filled with pain.

Yin Changsheng's prestige shook the North Sea, and his demeanor was unmatched in the cultivation world. Who wouldn't revere him? Within Xuan Tian Palace, Yin Changsheng was the pillar of stability, a highly respected senior, and extremely caring towards his juniors. Was everything just an illusion? All a disguise?

"Bing Yao..." Yin Changsheng's voice was faint as he recalled that distant name. "Among you few, she was the one I thought most highly of. She is intelligent and has keen spiritual senses. Unfortunately, after she disappeared, I never found her again. Luckily, she cultivated a good disciple. However, none of this should have been enough for her to see through my schemes."

Tong Lingyu took a breath, "At that time, I became a bit more vigilant, until... when Senior Brother Luoyun attempted to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, the Xuan Tian lineage claimed he failed his breakthrough and died from qi deviation. Only then did I confirm it was you!"

"Luoyun!" Yin Changsheng suddenly understood. "So that's when you knew. I was still not cautious enough; I didn't notice you secretly watching. First, it was qi deviation, and last time, I was injured by that mysterious expert. It turns out these were all intentional on your part, deliberately suppressing your cultivation at the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage... It's impressive that you could endure for so long. To have you as our Grand Elder should have been a blessing for Xuan Tian Palace."

Yin Changsheng let out a soft sigh. Before his words finished, cold mist flowed within the ice coffin. Yin Changsheng waved an arm, and a piece of profound ice flew from his sleeve, landing on another ice platform. A handsome young man was frozen within it. This person's aura was surprisingly that of a late Nascent Soul cultivator! The moment it landed on the ice platform, blood threads frantically spread upwards, easily piercing through the ice and deeply embedding themselves into the handsome young man's body, rapidly covering his entire form. The young man's eyelids twitched slightly, as if he were still alive.

"Senior Brother Luoyun!" Tong Lingyu let out a soft cry, her expression of pain deepening. "Senior Brother Luoyun revered you so greatly back then, regarding you as his master. How could you be so heartless!" She accused him tearfully, seemingly making a last effort to awaken a shred of Yin Changsheng's conscience.

"If Junior Sister Bing Yao hadn't disappeared, if Senior Brother Luoyun hadn't been murdered by you... Our generation should have produced at least three Grand Cultivators! How prosperous would Xuan Tian Palace have become? Everything has been destroyed because of your selfish desires! Where is the Palace Master that everyone respected? Is it... truly worth it?"

"Is it worth it? Is it worth it?" The questions echoed through the cavern.

Yin Changsheng's expression remained unchanged, but he fell silent for a moment. "What does it matter if a generation is destroyed!" Yin Changsheng's tone became even colder than before, tinged with a hint of madness, as he roared fiercely. "Helping me transcend to the Soul Transformation stage means you've died for a worthy cause!"

Tong Lingyu utterly despaired of Yin Changsheng and painfully closed her eyes. "You weren't injured by tribulation; you should have died centuries ago! To prolong your life, you used sinister arts to avoid the tribulation, sealed yourself in an ice coffin, and committed acts against heaven's will. The sinister arts have already led you to demonic deviation, and now you're using them to break through! You've gone mad; you're no longer Yin Changsheng! You absolutely cannot succeed!"

Cold mist swirled. Yin Changsheng let out a cold snort, his expression becoming increasingly crazed. "Although you've confined yourself to the mid Nascent Soul stage, your spiritual sense has reached the Manifestation stage, and your cultivation method possesses an intent comparable to a Grand Cultivator, barely enough to sustain the Blood Slaughter Yin Pool. I'll make you see it with your own eyes. As for the other ice platform..."

Yin Changsheng finally turned his gaze, looking directly at Qin Sang and Liuli for the first time!