Chapter 1504: 傀晶 (6k, Extra Chapter for the Leader's Favorite Char Siu Bun!)

The Mortal World

After successfully acquiring the external avatar, he immediately retreated into the Corpse Puppet Bag. Hidden by the demonic flames and sword formation, it was difficult for outsiders to detect his presence.

Qin Sang’s figure flashed out, and he snatched Sect Master Yin’s Nascent Soul. With repeated finger gestures, he placed layers of restrictions on it, sealing it.

Sect Master Yin's expression shifted from ferocity to pain, then to despair, and finally settled into complete lifelessness.

With a puff, demonic flames incinerated Sect Master Yin's body. Several streaks of light and a mustard seed bag flew out from it, landing in Qin Sang's palm. These were precisely the magic treasures Sect Master Yin had used earlier, all of which now had new masters.

Qin Sang activated his spiritual sense, roughly breaking through the mustard seed bag’s restrictions. He quickly scanned it and found a bottle of Feixue Pills. His heart stirred, and he took them out. He didn't have time to examine the other items closely, so he threw them all into the Thousand Jun Ring.

Next, Qin Sang placed Sect Master Yin’s Nascent Soul into the Corpse Puppet Bag, intending to interrogate it thoroughly when he had time.

After the battle.

Qin Sang withdrew the demonic flames and glanced around.

He noticed several gazes, both overt and hidden. These individuals, startled by the heavenly tribulation, were lurking nearby. Witnessing a sect master of the Profound Heaven Palace perish, leaving no trace of his body, and being killed by one person alone, left them utterly shocked.

Qin Sang’s gaze swept over their hiding places. These people felt as if they were being remotely targeted by a sharp sword, experiencing an inexplicable stinging pain in their minds. Greatly alarmed, they scattered and fled in haste.

However, the Old Demon Mixer and Great Sage Tianpeng were not among them.

Qin Sang glanced towards the depths of the sacred land, then turned back to Floating Mountain.

At the edge of the black mist.

The battle was nearing its end.

Qin Sang suppressed his light of escape, lightly descending to the ground. He immediately saw several bodies sprawled on the ground: Shang Lu, cultivators surnamed Yue, and others. Some others were still alive, surrounded by Sect Master Jiang and the others—a complete reversal of positions.

These people had been misled by the Palace Master and Shang Lu, not being the main instigators. Although there were cultivators from both the Tianshan and Profound Heaven lineages among them, they were not as close to Shang Lu and his group as the cultivators surnamed Yue.

Tong Lingyu was not present.

Sect Master Jiang, Liu Li, and others surrounded them without attacking.

These individuals had witnessed the tragic deaths of Shang Lu and others, and originally thought they were doomed. However, seeing that Tong Lingyu did not seem to want a full reckoning, they were not yet desperate enough to truly fight to the death.

At this moment, their faces were filled with tension, constantly glancing into the depths of the black mist, anxiously awaiting Tong Lingyu to emerge and pronounce their fate.

However, they also understood.

Even if they survived this time by chance, their future days would not be easy.

Noticing Qin Sang, Sect Master Jiang frowned slightly.

Just now, Qin Sang strongly advocated pursuing Sect Master Yin alone. How did he return so quickly? He couldn't have failed and let Sect Master Yin escape, could he?

If Sect Master Yin had returned to the Profound Heaven Palace first and incited discord, things would become troublesome.

Sect Master Jiang was just about to go out and lend Qin Sang a hand.

“Sect Master Yin, he…”

“Dead.” Qin Sang nodded, speaking concisely.

“Hiss…”

Upon hearing this, all the Nascent Soul cultivators present, including Sect Master Jiang, changed their expressions. Their gazes towards Qin Sang immediately shifted, filled with deep awe and shock. No wonder the Grand Elder wasn't worried at all! They knew well how powerful the sect masters of the various halls were, and Sect Master Yin was among the best of them. Yet, he was killed so quickly by this person.

Only Liu Li's expression remained unchanged; she had personally witnessed Qin Sang's true strength in the underground cave.

Just then, the black mist stirred, and Tong Lingyu emerged, bringing the sealed Luo Yun with her. Seeing Qin Sang, Tong Lingyu showed no surprise. She nodded to him, then gently put Luo Yun down, and with a soft sigh amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, said, “You should all remember Senior Brother Luo, right?”

Luo Yun was irrefutable proof. Seeing Luo Yun, who was thought to have perished long ago, alive before them, along with the terrifying restrictions on his body, these people had no choice but to believe Yin Changsheng’s actions, and they all gave up resisting.

The situation was stabilized effortlessly. All that remained was to return and clear out the lingering influence of Yin Changsheng and his followers. The great chaos created by Yin Changsheng was essentially over.

Of course, the aftermath would linger for a long time, possibly even changing the structure of the Profound Heaven Palace.

At least the outcome wasn't bad.

Both Luo Yun and Tong Lingyu were still alive.

If Luo Yun’s injuries could be healed and Tong Lingyu successfully broke through, the Profound Heaven Palace would still be a formidable power with two Grand Cultivators presiding over it.

The biggest loss might be the Four-Tier Teng Snake Seal, but the 'Sacrifice Yuan Art' could also serve as compensation.

Qin Sang wasn't concerned with the internal affairs of the Profound Heaven Palace. He took this opportunity to learn from Sect Master Jiang about the anomaly that had just appeared deep within the sacred land.

A white light flashed and vanished.

It didn't last long, but it was visible even through the dark turbulent currents, suggesting it was quite significant. He wondered what those demons had done inside.

The fragment of the Killing Sword was in the depths of the sacred land.

Unfortunately, the sword spirit had remained unresponsive afterward, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location.

Regardless, Qin Sang had to go there personally.

Glancing at Tong Lingyu, Qin Sang asked curiously, “The Old Demon Mixer and Tianpeng are leading demons to invade the sacred land. Fellow Daoist Tong, you don't seem to be worried?”

Luo Yun's fate was uncertain.

Tong Lingyu was severely wounded, suppressing her injuries with pills, having lost her spiritual treasure, and her strength was greatly diminished.

This was the Profound Heaven Palace’s weakest moment.

Tong Lingyu was calmly arranging for others to handle the aftermath. The first thing she did was surprisingly to send people to retrieve treasures from the sacred land, to prevent them from falling into outsiders’ hands.

When the Palace Master suddenly launched his attack, there was no time to do these things.

Tong Lingyu smiled and explained, “Similar situations have occurred in the past, but the Profound Heaven Palace has always had the last laugh. As long as treasures like the Kan-Shen Pearl continue to flow in, the foundation of the Profound Heaven Palace will remain as stable as a rock. It only needs one or two centuries to recover its vitality, so what is there to fear?”

She opened her palm, revealing the Ice Demon Crystal. “What's more, as long as the sacred artifact is not lost, others cannot enter the sacred land. When it opens in the future, it will be up to us.”

“Aren't you afraid of what the Old Demon Mixer and Tianpeng might do in the depths of the sacred land?” Qin Sang countered.

Tong Lingyu turned and gazed into the darkness in the depths of the sacred land. “Fellow Daoist Qin, you may not know this, but over countless years, the ancestors of the Profound Heaven Palace have explored that area countless times. The spatial turbulence there is extremely dangerous; even sect masters and elders have perished within, leaving no trace. Yet, after all these years, nothing has ever been found! From this, we concluded that the depths of the sacred land are most likely a void, completely destroyed. Could the insights of successive Palace Masters and Grand Elders be inferior to those of the Old Demon Mixer and Tianpeng?”

Qin Sang’s brow furrowed slightly.

The sword spirit’s sensation proved that the depths of the sacred land were not a void.

The judgment of the Profound Heaven Palace's ancestors was wrong!

As she spoke, Tong Lingyu coughed lightly several times, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. The effects of the spiritual medicine were almost depleted, and her injuries showed signs of flaring up again.

She quickened her pace of speech.

“The only thing that exists there is a stone tablet of unknown origin. It stands amidst the spatial turbulence, supported by a lotus pedestal at its base. The tablet is blank but emits a strange fluctuation.

“Anyone who sees it at first glance would think it’s a unique treasure.

“Unfortunately, we’ve tried countless methods, even hacking with swords and axes, striking with lightning and fire, but it remained undamaged and unmovable, with no feedback whatsoever.

“Yin Changsheng’s centuries-long scheme involved using this stone tablet to weave a story, step by step, to lure the Old Demon Mixer. It is said that the original plan was to set up traps around the stone tablet, but when fellow Daoist Qin and Liu Li suddenly emerged, that plan was put on hold.”

Little did they know that the world is unpredictable. Who can devise a flawless plan? How could things unfold exactly according to one person’s scheme?

If Yin Changsheng had proceeded with his original plan, he would have had a considerable chance of capturing the Old Demon Mixer and acquiring a unique treasure.

By a strange twist of fate, he fixated on Qin Sang, leading to the Old Demon Mixer being unrestrained, like letting a tiger return to the mountains.

Although Yin Changsheng abandoned his plan midway, he had already leaked the approximate location of the sacred land.

The Ganoderma Jade Ruyi that the Old Demon Mixer obtained in the Golden Summit Grand Hall unexpectedly had a profound connection with the stone tablet. Guided by the Ganoderma Jade Ruyi, he easily found the entrance to the sacred land.

The fluctuations emitted by the Ganoderma Jade Ruyi and the stone tablet were similar.

After obtaining this item, the Old Demon Mixer still found it hard to believe that he could acquire a treasure possibly related to the Profound Heaven Palace’s sacred land from a Buddhist sect ruin.

For this reason, he studied it for a long time, imitated the aura of the Ganoderma Jade Ruyi, re-forged the Space-Locking Sword, and meticulously disguised it. He then brought it to the Myriad Demon Assembly for auction, aiming to observe the Profound Heaven Palace’s reaction.

If the Profound Heaven Palace bought the Space-Locking Sword at all costs, it would indicate that the Ganoderma Jade Ruyi indeed had a connection to the stone tablet.

It was precisely because Qin Sang disrupted the situation that the Profound Heaven Palace missed out on the Space-Locking Sword.

The Old Demon Mixer was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, having no mind to deal with Qin Sang. For over a decade, he had been preoccupied with this matter, finally deciding to unite with the Demon Sages and stake everything on one throw.

Tong Lingyu pointed to the location where the white light had appeared and said hurriedly, “That’s exactly where the stone tablet is. Just in case, Sect Master Jiang and Elder Mei will quietly go and take a look later. There’s a healing holy medicine in the sacred land; after taking it, one can stabilize injuries and recover eighty to ninety percent of their strength. I’m going to gather the medicine now. If there’s any unexpected situation, I’ll rush over immediately. If Fellow Daoist Qin is interested in that place, you can also go with Sect Master Jiang and the others...”

She concealed nothing about these matters, even happy to see Qin Sang take the lead, as only Qin Sang could counterbalance the Old Demon Mixer and Great Sage Tianpeng.

After speaking, Tong Lingyu called for Sect Master Jiang and Elder Mei.

The few of them discussed for a while.

Qin Sang flashed to Liu Li’s side and whispered a few words of explanation, saying, “...I’m worried about accidentally encountering demons and being ambushed by the Old Demon Mixer and Tianpeng. Immortal Liu Li, could you lend me a hand? You don’t need to show yourself; just hide in the dark and strike at the opportune moment. After it’s done, I will surely offer a generous reward!”

As he spoke, Qin Sang took out the Four-Tier Teng Snake Seal and discreetly handed it to Liu Li.

Currently, only Liu Li and Tong Lingyu could control this treasure, so Qin Sang naturally trusted Liu Li more.

Being able to deliver one strike would be enough.

Even a Grand Cultivator would struggle against two pseudo-spiritual treasure-level attacks.

Moreover, Liu Li’s Ice Soul Divine Light was also a top-tier divine ability, capable of helping him restrict opponents at critical moments.

Liu Li already knew the reason and did not refuse. She took the Four-Tier Teng Snake Seal and said, “Helping you is also helping the sect, so there’s no need to thank me.”

She, however, wanted to clearly delineate the relationship of interests between them, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Qin Sang looked at Liu Li’s serious eyes, vaguely guessing her intentions. He sighed inwardly and did not argue with her.

The four secretly left the black mist and quietly flew towards the depths of the sacred land.

Before long, Qin Sang’s expression stirred, and he suddenly halted his light of escape, saying, “Fellow Daoists, please go ahead. This humble Daoist has encountered an old acquaintance; I’ll be back shortly.”

Sect Master Jiang and Elder Mei exchanged glances but asked no further questions.

Qin Sang and Liu Li changed direction. They flew a short distance and landed on a mountain.

This mountain was lush with vegetation, verdant and vibrant, with exotic flowers blooming and immortal vines wrapping around trees—a rare beautiful sight within the sacred land.

On a green stone at the mountain peak, an old man stood.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his aura somewhat ethereal. His head was slightly tilted up, and his cloudy eyes peered through the darkness, constantly gazing in the direction of the sinkhole, seemingly oblivious to the two people who had landed before him.

“Such heavenly might! The one undergoing tribulation must be Yin Changsheng, right? The Profound Heaven Palace is truly in troubled times!” He sighed, withdrew his gaze, and looking at the beautiful pair, let out a hoarse laugh. “The outcome of what this old man did isn’t bad after all; it led to a fine match.”

This person was none other than Earl Dongyang!

He had faked his death in front of Qiu Mubai!

Liu Li, facing the person who had caused her so much harm, maintained her cold and aloof expression, seemingly disinclined to speak much with him, remaining silent.

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes and said coldly, “You dare appear before me alone? Are you here to die?”

“Indeed!” Earl Dongyang’s face suddenly darkened, and he said sternly, “Qin Sang, kill me!”

Qin Sang frowned.

This person genuinely desired death.

Earl Dongyang no longer posed a threat. His current actions only struck Qin Sang as strange and ridiculous.

Seeing Qin Sang motionless, Earl Dongyang showed a mocking smile and sneered, “What? I’ve delivered myself to your doorstep, and you’re still afraid? If you don’t kill me in this life, how can your thoughts ever be unhindered? So indecisive, how did you survive until today!”

“Heh heh...” Facing Earl Dongyang’s provocation, Qin Sang’s heart remained undisturbed. He chuckled and glanced at the sacred land’s exit. “Putting on an act! You’re worried I’ll take my anger out on Qiu Mubai later, aren’t you?”

Earl Dongyang’s expression stiffened.

Qin Sang’s cultivation had advanced astonishingly fast, far beyond his imagination.

Liu Li was also a favored child of heaven, especially with the strongest sect in the North Sea backing her.

If they intended to trouble Qiu Mubai, even if Qiu Mubai managed to preserve her life by chance, her future would be exceedingly difficult.

Qin Sang coldly snorted, “You underestimate me too much!”

Earl Dongyang gazed deeply at Qin Sang, then suddenly burst into laughter, looking up at the sky.

“Haha...”

He laughed loudly.

He laughed wildly.

His laughter grew louder and louder, no longer sounding aged, but reverberating throughout the world, regaining some of the Shaohua Mountain Patriarch’s former grandeur, yet tinged with desolation.

“Yes! I underestimated you, I always underestimated you!”

Qin Sang watched with cold eyes.

“Cough, cough...” Earl Dongyang coughed violently, stopping his wild laughter. He raised a hand and pressed firmly on his chest, taking a ragged breath. “Fine, given your character, if I were to die by your hand, Mubai would be in even greater danger.”

As he spoke, Earl Dongyang reached into his robe and took out a crystal.

The crystal was shaped like a small sphere, easily held in the palm. It was entirely milky white, flawless, and extremely pure.

“Take this!” Earl Dongyang tossed the crystal towards Qin Sang.

Qin Sang’s eyes flickered. His spiritual sense swiftly scanned it, then he cautiously activated his true essence, forming a large hand to remotely catch the white sphere, to prevent Earl Dongyang from playing any tricks.

He was always cautious, never relaxing even when victory was certain. Moreover, Earl Dongyang was treacherous and cunning, so one had to be wary.

Seeing Qin Sang’s actions, Earl Dongyang sneered, “I call this item the ‘Puppet Crystal,’ and I obtained it in the Ziwei Palace. After consulting ancient records and studying for many years, I’ve analyzed that the Puppet Crystal should be a special treasure used for refining puppets. I originally intended to refine this item into the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet from the Shangyuan Pure Palace once I acquired it...”

Pausing for a moment, Earl Dongyang then continued, “This item originally consisted of one black and one white piece, perfectly matching the Yin and Yang, so it should be a set. I intentionally exposed the Yin Puppet Crystal to General Gui, who bought it and refined it into a puppet. From then on, by holding the Yang Puppet Crystal, I could sense that puppet within a certain range. This old man originally planned to secretly follow them, seeking opportunities for a final struggle, but unexpectedly, my vitality declined so rapidly that I couldn’t proceed.”

At this point, Earl Dongyang chuckled again. “You’re also very interested in the Old Demon Mixer’s schemes, aren’t you? This old man will lend you a hand today. I’d like to see what waves you can stir up in the cultivation world in the future! If you die at the hands of those demons, even better. This old man will have company on the Yellow Springs Road and won’t be lonely.”

Without waiting for Qin Sang’s reply, Earl Dongyang turned his head to Liu Li and sent out a streak of light.

“The ‘Mysterious Female Jade Cauldron True Scripture’ also originated from the Ziwei Palace. This old man later searched the Ziwei Palace, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find its origin or a solution for it. This contains all the information about this evil art, but since the Ziwei Palace no longer exists, this old man can only do so much...”

Liu Li caught the streak of light, her eyes showing a complex expression.

Dying words are often sincere.

Of course, both she and Qin Sang understood that Earl Dongyang’s actions might contain thoughts of repentance and atonement, but they were mostly for Qiu Mubai.

Qin Sang extended his spiritual sense into the Puppet Crystal.

Under the tutelage of Lord Qing, Qin Sang’s knowledge of the puppet path was considerable.

As Earl Dongyang had said, the Puppet Crystal was indeed a treasure of the puppet path, but Qin Sang had never seen such a thing before and couldn’t figure out its specifics in a short time.

After thinking, Qin Sang held the Puppet Crystal. Before putting it away, he laid a layer of demonic flame restriction on its surface, to prevent General Gui from sensing him in return.

Earl Dongyang couldn’t have anticipated Qin Sang’s appearance in the sacred land. The Puppet Crystal was meant for his own use, so it shouldn’t harm himself.

Since he came for Qiu Mubai, it was even less likely he would tamper with it. Otherwise, if his scheme against Qin Sang failed, wouldn’t it backfire?

However, out of caution, Qin Sang still took precautions.

“He’s dead.” Liu Li said softly.

Qin Sang looked up and saw Earl Dongyang standing on the green stone with his hands behind his back, gazing north, like a statue.

All signs of life were gone.

Earl Dongyang, whose vitality had been decaying and who had self-destructed his Vajra Wheel, had long been extremely weak. He had endured until now solely on the strength of his conviction, using his last breath.

“Bury him then.” Qin Sang was silent for a moment before speaking.

Liu Li nodded, “Okay!”

Her feelings towards Earl Dongyang were even more complex than Qin Sang’s.

Back then, when her master was trapped in the Ziwei Palace, Liu Li was only at the Qi Refining stage. The slightest disturbance in the cultivation world could have killed her. If not for Earl Dongyang and Shaohua Mountain’s protection, which created a sanctuary for her at Jingyue Peak, she would have undoubtedly faced countless difficulties, and whether she would ultimately have been qualified to rescue her master would have remained unknown.

Yet, it was also this person’s machinations that trapped her with the imprint of an evil art, preventing her from breaking free.

Qin Sang looked around, then flashed to a mountain wall, where he swung his sword to carve out a tomb.

Liu Li moved Earl Dongyang’s body inside, placing him so his face was turned north.

Qin Sang looked at the sealed tomb. He had never imagined that one day he would personally build a tomb for Earl Dongyang.

The cold wind stirred the mountain flowers and grasses, releasing bursts of fresh fragrance.

After a moment of thought, Qin Sang used his sword to engrave four characters on the nearby stone wall: “Sect Master.”

After burying Earl Dongyang, Qin Sang and Liu Li did not hesitate and immediately flew towards the depths of the sacred land.

They knew the location of the stone tablet, so their speed was much faster than the Old Demon Mixer’s earlier.

They passed over the last Floating Mountain.

Qin Sang glanced back.

In the distance, strange lights and flashes occasionally erupted from the Floating Mountains, indicating either conflicts or the discovery of some treasures.

Occasionally, sporadic lights of escape flew into the depths of the sacred land. Their purpose was the same as Qin Sang’s—attracted by the white light, they went to try their luck.

Of course, these individuals were at least at the Nascent Soul stage of cultivation; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to reach the stone tablet alive.

Whoosh!

A strong, swift gust of wind assailed them.

As soon as they entered this area deep within the sacred land, they encountered a turbulent current dozens of times more powerful than those outside.

Qin Sang had already been warned by the Heaven’s Eye Butterfly. He moved repeatedly with Liu Li, easily evading the turbulent current.

Here, he did not use his lightning escape art.

Firstly, he was worried Liu Li couldn’t keep up. Secondly, he didn’t know where the Old Demon Mixer and his group were currently; lightning escape would be too conspicuous.

As they moved through.

Qin Sang transmitted a message, “I hope Immortal Liu Li will not mention that heavenly tribulation lightning to anyone in the future.”

Using the tribulation lightning to trigger Yin Changsheng’s heavenly tribulation was a desperate measure.

With life and death hanging in the balance, Qin Sang couldn’t afford to care about many things.

At that time, Tong Lingyu and Luo Yun were both sealed in the blood pool and unaware of the events, but Liu Li knew.

However, Liu Li was fully focused on stabilizing her mind and resisting the erosion of the evil art’s imprint at the time, so she probably didn’t notice that the tribulation lightning originated from the Heaven’s Eye Butterfly.

Qin Sang did not intentionally explain it away as a magic treasure or divine ability.

Doing so would only make it more obvious.

Liu Li, being exceptionally intelligent, understood Qin Sang’s unspoken meaning and immediately swore an inner demon’s oath.

As they spoke.

The two delved deeper.

Due to the constantly shifting turbulent currents, they were forced to change direction frequently. After flying for a long time, they still hadn’t seen Sect Master Jiang and Elder Mei, so they could only meet at the stone tablet.

Although the spatial turbulence was dangerous, given their combined strength, they weren’t overly fearful.

The location of the stone tablet could only be considered the very edge of the sacred land’s deepest part.

Further inside was the most dangerous area, where even Grand Cultivators would find it difficult to proceed.

As they flew and maneuvered, Qin Sang constantly observed his surroundings, while also splitting a wisp of his spiritual consciousness to sink into his qi sea, continuously touching the fragment of the Killing Sword, trying to awaken the sword spirit and gain guidance.

Unfortunately, each summons was like a stone sinking into the sea. The sword spirit seemed to have exhausted its vitality and fallen into a complete slumber.

Qin Sang secretly frowned. They could only enter once every three hundred years, and it was such a vast and dangerous area. If they searched inch by inch, when would they ever finish?

His thoughts raced, yet Qin Sang’s speed remained undiminished.

As they finally neared the stone tablet, Qin Sang saw Sect Master Jiang and Elder Mei ahead, standing still and staring straight ahead with expressions of utter disbelief.

Directly in front of them.

In the depths of the darkness, white mist rose.

The white mist seemed endless, rapidly spreading outwards. Even when swallowed by the turbulent currents, it quickly replenished itself. From within the white mist, a strange fluctuation emanated.

Without even needing to use his spiritual sense, Qin Sang could perceive a mysterious space ahead. The pervasive white mist indicated that the space was expanding, or rather, that the space, originally a part of the sacred land, was gradually opening.

The stone tablet and the lotus pedestal had both vanished!