Chapter 1503: Humph Ha (4k)

The Human World

The Ice Jade Cauldron stood with ears and square feet, its four sides each depicting different wind and snow imageries: bone-chilling winds and heavy goose-feather snow.

Hall Master Jiang took action, projecting all four imageries into reality.

The 'whooshing' sound of the wind was unsettling. These gray winds, clearly visible, were unlike ordinary cold winds; they contained the power of a magic treasure, sharper than swords.

The gray winds swept across the sky and earth, penetrating everywhere, but were immediately submerged by a blizzard, which then stirred up snow leaves, creating an impending avalanche.

The battle took place at the edge of the black mist, where the light was already very dim. With the wind and snow intertwined, all that could be seen with the naked eye was a grayish-white expanse.

Various phenomena appeared with the Ice Jade Cauldron. Amidst the raging wind and blizzards, a giant cauldron shone brightly. Wherever its power reached, the surrounding space seemed to be suppressed, and even the black mist felt as if it were solidifying.

Hall Master Jiang focused solely on Shang Lu, completely disregarding others. He formed a hand seal with one hand and uttered, "Suppress!"

The giant cauldron let out a loud clang as the four imageries on its sides quickly converged, instantly overlaying one another. They appeared together with the cauldron above Shang Lu's head and crashed down with a roar.

Facing Hall Master Jiang's desperate fighting style, Shang Lu's face was filled with shock and fury. He could only respond.

The Jade Ruler suddenly sprang up, moving faster than its opponent, its body rushing upwards. In an instant, endless illusory mountain shadows emerged, as if the power of mountains was layered into the ruler's body.

'Thud!'

A muffled sound echoed. The wind and snow phenomena from above and the mountain illusions from below abruptly crashed into each other!

The mountains instantly turned white. The two phenomena collapsed almost simultaneously, their illusory fragments tightly intertwining, indistinguishable from each other, creating a chaotic spectacle.

Amidst the chaotic phenomena, the vibrating sounds of the two magic treasures continuously emanated, both incredibly deep and resonant, like incessant war drums, shaking one's spirit.

The Jade Ruler firmly held against the giant cauldron, seemingly thin and fragile, yet extremely sturdy. The two magic treasures appeared equally matched.

Just at this crucial moment, a burst of white light suddenly emerged from Shang Lu's chest, revealing the ethereal image of a Heart-Protecting Mirror — precisely his magic treasure capable of automatically protecting its master.

The white light rapidly converged behind Shang Lu's head, transforming into a mirror of light.

The intense white light instantly drew countless gazes. The mirror of light clearly reflected an unprecedented expression of terror on Shang Lu's face.

Seeing this scene, Hall Master Yin and the others' hearts sank.

Before they could react, a 'snap' sound was heard as a small, crystalline, lovely emerald green sword, similar in material to chalcedony, appeared out of thin air, blocked by the mirror of light.

The small sword pressed against the center of the mirror of light. Its sword light was not dazzling, but its power was extraordinary. The mirror of light crackled loudly, immediately covered in dense cracks, clearly on the verge of being pierced through.

"Qingxiao Sword!" Hall Master Yin and the others' expressions drastically changed.

This sword was Tong Lingyu's life-bound magic treasure. After she became the Grand Elder and gained the qualification to wield the Spirit Treasure, she rarely used the Qingxiao Sword.

They naturally knew the origin of this sword.

For a moment, including Shang Lu, only one thought echoed in their minds—How is this possible!

Tong Lingyu was captured by the Palace Master and was bound to be refined into a Blood Attendant, with absolutely no chance of turning the tables.

If the Palace Master succeeded in transcending the tribulation, it went without saying. Even if the Palace Master failed the tribulation, Tong Lingyu would surely die, and Hall Master Jiang's side would also lose a Grand Cultivator. They wouldn't be able to do anything to them; at worst, they would just go their separate ways afterward.

It is the general trend of the world that what is united for long will divide, and what is divided for long will unite. In any case, internal strife in Xuantian Palace was not a rare occurrence; it had always been this way.

Shang Lu believed himself to be in an invincible position, but he never expected Tong Lingyu to emerge alive from the sinkhole and launch a sneak attack from behind.

"This is bad!" Shang Lu cried out in his heart. This was his last thought.

He flicked his long sleeve, hurriedly intending to unleash another protective magic treasure, the Snow Scarf. But as soon as his arm was raised, his whole body became stiff.

Invisibly, a bone-chilling cold enveloped him. It was the Ice Soul Divine Light!

Qin Sang and the other two naturally wouldn't overlook Shang Lu's magic treasure that could automatically protect its master. With a slight trick, they succeeded. Shang Lu had tested Liuli at the wedding ceremony, inadvertently revealing his own methods; otherwise, he could have struggled for a while longer.

'Crack! Crack!'

The Ice Soul Divine Light froze Shang Lu along with the surrounding void.

Immediately afterward, a sword light far more dazzling than the Qingxiao Sword, accompanied by a loud, metallic sword cry, shot out from the depths of the black mist, piercing through Shang Lu's flesh and blood body!

'Whoosh!'

The sword light was dazzling, like a swimming dragon. The Jin Chen Sword seemed to be venting its master's frustration from facing Yin Changsheng earlier.

Shang Lu lowered his head, staring blankly at the blood hole in his chest and abdomen. The light in his eyes rapidly faded. He didn't even have time to escape as a Nascent Soul; his body was pulverized into pulp by the sword qi, killing him instantly.

Qin Sang and the other two, along with Hall Master Jiang, cooperated tacitly, easily slaying Shang Lu.

'Thud!'

Shang Lu's corpse toppled to the ground.

The change occurred suddenly. The cultivator surnamed Yue stared blankly at Shang Lu's corpse.

'Boom!'

A sudden thunderclap exploded next to his ear, startling the cultivator surnamed Yue. It was Hall Master Yin, who, realizing the situation was dire, quickly retrieved a fist-sized transparent water sphere from his spatial pouch and unhesitatingly threw it out.

The water sphere was a single-use magic treasure, similar to a thunder pearl, condensing Divine Verdantwood Thunder within. It was a treasure Hall Master Yin had obtained by chance. Once detonated, the Divine Verdantwood Thunder's power was immense, making it one of Hall Master Yin's trump cards.

However, he did not throw this treasure behind him or to save anyone. Instead, he aimed it at Elder Mei and the others.

Having experienced countless battles, Hall Master Yin realized the grim situation the moment he saw the Qingxiao Sword. Unlike the sluggish cultivator surnamed Yue, he made the fastest and most correct reaction—to flee!

No matter how Tong Lingyu survived, it meant the Palace Master's plan had failed. Tong Lingyu would not let them go. There were at least three people in the black mist. With Shang Lu dead, Hall Master Yin knew he had no chance of winning.

The Divine Verdantwood Thunder, condensed into a sphere, was like pure, flawless water inside, showing no signs related to thunder or lightning. The moment it left his hand, the water sphere rapidly expanded, and fine green lightning threads could finally be faintly seen within.

In an instant, the Divine Verdantwood Thunder formed a net of lightning, then quickly contracted inward. As it expanded and contracted, it transformed into a pearl-sized green sphere.

Elder Mei bore the brunt of the attack. She paused for a moment, her expression drastically changing. She hastily twirled her fingers; the icy path on the ground vanished without a trace, and a drop of water condensed on her fingertip, which immediately transformed into a sturdy shield.

Almost at the moment the sphere violently detonated, the sturdy shield barely took shape, and was almost immediately covered by the green lightning, with countless cracks instantly spreading across its surface. Elder Mei felt as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer. She let out a muffled groan, staggered backward, her face turning pale.

Others blocking Hall Master Yin were also blasted away along with Elder Mei. Although no one died, they could no longer stop Hall Master Yin. Hall Master Yin's figure shot out, and still feeling his speed wasn't fast enough, he slapped a yellow talisman onto himself, greatly increasing his escape speed. He instantly rushed outside the mountain, flying towards the Holy Land exit without looking back.

Unexpectedly, before he had even flown out of the floating mountain, Hall Master Yin suddenly heard a calm question in his ear: "Where do you think you're going, Fellow Daoist Yin?"

As the voice sounded, a streak of lightning broke through the black mist and soared through the air, its speed reaching an extreme. Even with the spiritual talisman's enhancement, Hall Master Yin could not match his opponent and was caught up in an instant.

'Whoosh!'

Qin Sang stepped out from the lightning, the phoenix wings on his back slowly retracting, effortlessly blocking Hall Master Yin's path.

"It's you!" Hall Master Yin's mind was beyond ordinary; he quickly calmed down, his gaze flickering. He asked coldly, "Was the Palace Master murdered by you and that rebellious Tong Lingyu working together?"

"Did Fellow Daoist not see the tribulation thunder just now?" Qin Sang asked playfully, "Yin Changsheng failed to break through and died under his own Heavenly Tribulation. How is that related to me?"

Hall Master Yin snorted, not arguing. He glanced back at the black mist and spoke rapidly, "With your divine abilities, are you content to be subservient, driven by a mere woman? With the Palace Master's demise, I am the head of the Xuantian lineage. After Shang Lu and the others die, the Tianshan lineage will be scattered and negligible. The Listening Snow Pavilion lineage has a deep connection with you. If we cooperate from inside and out, eliminate that rebellious Tong Lingyu, and seize the Spirit Treasure, won't we be able to arrange things as we please when we return? At that time, all four lineages will be in our hands. One of us can be the Palace Master, and one the Grand Elder, controlling the Northern Sea's foremost sect. Wouldn't that be magnificent? Not only will the Spirit Treasure be yours, but I can also promise not to interfere with any affairs outside the Xuantian lineage..."

Qin Sang's lips curved slightly, and he chuckled softly. "Fellow Daoist's proposal is indeed quite enticing," he said, "Unfortunately, I have no interest in power. Moreover, you colluded with Shang Lu at the wedding ceremony, plotting against me with Yin Changsheng long ago. This is something I cannot tolerate."

Hall Master Yin's expression sank, abandoning all hope. "I'd like to see how capable you are, daring to block me alone!" he roared, opening his mouth and spitting out a blue light mass he had secretly prepared.

The light mass split into ten, rushing into mid-air and transforming into ten blue halos hovering above. Each halo was the size of a human head. After dividing, they rapidly writhed, then turned into ten ice mirrors. The front of each ice mirror was inscribed with complex runes, all simultaneously pointing at Qin Sang.

"Luo You Divine Restraint..." Qin Sang glanced at the ice mirrors, his expression completely unperturbed.

The moment Hall Master Yin unleashed the light mass, he felt a familiar fluctuation. Having just witnessed the power of the Luo You Divine Restraint, Qin Sang naturally wouldn't forget.

However, when Yin Changsheng cast this restraint, there were thirteen ice mirrors, while Hall Master Yin could only conjure ten. Furthermore, the runes on these mirrors were less complex than Yin Changsheng's, making its power significantly inferior.

The mirrors shot out strange lights, transforming into forbidden diagrams that aimed at Qin Sang and crashed down without mercy.

'Swish! Swish! Swish!'

Icy formations appeared, and the light of the divine restraint immediately submerged Qin Sang. Seeing this, Hall Master Yin's face had just shown joy when it suddenly turned to horror.

Inside the divine restraint, a powerful aura of demonic flame suddenly erupted. A black shadow burst out from within—it was a fiery dragon made of demonic flames!

The forbidden diagrams shattered one after another. Under Hall Master Yin's horrified gaze, the fiery dragon broke through the layers of forbidden diagrams with overwhelming force. Its body twisted slightly, then it charged towards the ice mirrors above without hesitation.

'Crash!'

The ice mirrors shattered instantly, swept away by the demonic flames.

Qin Sang's figure remained in place. He pointed two fingers at Hall Master Yin, and the demonic fiery dragon swooped down.

Yin Changsheng's meticulously arranged full-power Luo You Divine Restraint could even withstand the Nine Nether Demonic Flame—let alone this current weakened version!

In his haste, Hall Master Yin swept his hand over his head, and white qi steamed from his crown, transforming into a large hand of profound qi. Its power was stronger than the cultivator surnamed Yue's, but still inferior to Yin Changsheng's.

Xuantian Palace would not have too many top-tier divine abilities like this in its collection. Hall Master Yin was like a smaller version of Yin Changsheng; their cultivation techniques and divine abilities were inherited from the same lineage.

For Qin Sang, having two similar opponents gave him two different feelings; dealing with Hall Master Yin was clearly much easier. At this moment, he didn't even need to use his Eye of Heaven Divine Light.

'Boom!'

The profound qi hand opened and closed, grasping at the fiery dragon. The demonic flame had no substance and scattered instantly. Surrounded by the intense fire, the profound qi hand immediately felt like it was dispersing.

Hall Master Yin gritted his teeth, his mind subtly moved. He unhesitatingly detonated the profound qi hand to buy time. Simultaneously, his right wrist subtly trembled, and a silver light flashed and vanished.

The next moment, the silver light reappeared, less than a zhang in front of Qin Sang. This item was originally a silver needle as fine as hair. It moved without the slightest sound or fluctuation, extremely insidious. By the time an opponent noticed anything amiss, it would be too late to resist.

However, no matter how concealed, it couldn't escape Qin Sang's notice. He had too many ways to deal with it. The phoenix wings on his back trembled and suddenly unfurled, and Qin Sang was about to transform into lightning and shift elsewhere.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly heard two successive soft shouts: "Hm!" "Ha!"

The 'Hm' and 'Ha' sounds were not actual shouts. Even if someone were standing next to Qin Sang at that moment, they wouldn't hear this sound, because the shouts targeted the Primordial Spirit! It was a psychic attack secret art!

Qin Sang's eyes lit up. He had always been very interested in such secret arts but had never found one powerful enough, leaving him with a powerful divine sense that couldn't be fully utilized.

Yin Changsheng had perished in the Heavenly Tribulation, and Qin Sang had originally thought that his psychic attack secret art, like the second volume of the "Tongbao Art," had been taken by him to the underworld. Hall Master Yin also knew it! It felt somewhat similar, yet distinct from Yin Changsheng's. It was unclear whether Hall Master Yin hadn't mastered it completely, or if Yin Changsheng had modified it later. Yin Changsheng had sealed himself in an ice coffin for hundreds of years, giving him ample time to refine secret arts.

"Showing off before an expert!" Qin Sang sneered, showing no ill effects. He transformed into lightning, easily dodging the silver needle. Then, with a flick of his escape light, he directly charged at Hall Master Yin.

His killing move was thwarted. To make matters worse, the profound qi hand disintegrated in the demonic flame, powerless to stop the fiery dragon. Hall Master Yin's mind was greatly shaken. He hastily conjured a square seal, and ancient characters shot out from it, each imbued with divine power, continuously bursting forth and stubbornly resisting.

But before Hall Master Yin could even catch his breath, the surroundings suddenly darkened, with sharp energy omnipresent. Within his vision, only countless sword threads remained. "Sword Formation!" Hall Master Yin was greatly alarmed, unable to cope. The sound of the ancient characters shattering was like muffled thunder, making him feel even more terrified.

'Bang!'

The square seal exhausted its power. Demonic flame and sword formation converged from above and below. The scene inside was utterly chaotic; outsiders could no longer see Hall Master Yin and Qin Sang, only hear continuous loud collisions.

Under the cover of the chaos, the external doppelganger quietly appeared behind Hall Master Yin.

By the time Hall Master Yin noticed something was amiss behind him, it was too late.

'Thud!'

The external doppelganger's palm transformed into icy sharp claws, piercing deep into Hall Master Yin's back. A flash of light appeared on Hall Master Yin's crown, and his Nascent Soul tried to escape. Unexpectedly, as soon as the Nascent Soul appeared, a streak of demonic flame, seemingly waiting, rushed towards it. Hall Master Yin's expression became momentarily dazed; he was instantly restrained before he could teleport away!