Chapter 1508: Linglong (4k)

Tianpeng Great Sage soared into the sky, gently flapping his wings.

The Golden-winged Roc shimmered golden all over, its feathers vibrating, stirring up golden waves that scattered a shower of sparkling golden light. Its two talons were as large as parasols, their sharp tips gleaming with a cold light, far exceeding the sharpness of blades or swords. The aura of a demonic Great Sage was fully unleashed.

Across the circular platform, Old Man Hunmo sensed the disturbance and looked up. Though his vision was obscured by flames, he could perceive Tianpeng Great Sage’s rapidly escalating aura, and a deep sense of dread filled his eyes. He no longer hesitated, raising a hand to lightly tap the back of his head.

The light behind his head twisted, becoming dim. Then, an ethereal shadow emerged from Old Man Hunmo’s shoulder—it was the ghost spirit he had raised. The ghost spirit rotated its white eyeballs, staring fixedly at the center of the circular platform. Old Man Hunmo’s lips moved slightly, perhaps casting a spell or communicating with the ghost spirit.

The ghost spirit suddenly grinned and shrieked, its body spinning rapidly, transforming into a wisp of pale ghostly mist. Like a spiritual snake, it darted to Old Man Hunmo’s head, then plunged downward, entering his body through the Baihui acupuncture point. Old Man Hunmo’s body trembled slightly, his face turning deathly pale, and his aura immediately gained a chilling quality, as if he had just emerged from the Netherworld, reeking of ghostly qi.

Whistling winds swept through the area, spreading a pervasive chill. A peculiar scene unfolded. Old Man Hunmo’s body grew progressively darker, as if the surrounding light was inexplicably being absorbed. A shadow, seemingly from nowhere, enveloped him. The shadow became increasingly dense and distinct, while Old Man Hunmo’s original form grew indistinct, shimmering vaguely.

Finally, the shadow almost materialized, transforming into a humanoid figure that stood behind Old Man Hunmo, yet clung tightly to his back. At this moment, Old Man Hunmo himself became inconspicuous; everyone else’s gaze was drawn to the shadow. The shadow’s features were seventy percent like Old Man Hunmo and thirty percent like the ghost spirit, its expression grim with a ghostly touch, creating a disquieting and extremely eerie presence.

The shadow bent down, reaching out to grasp a chain. Simultaneously, Tianpeng Great Sage, across the way, flew down and firmly gripped the chain with his sharp talons. Several demonic helpers stood by their sides.

Clang! Old Man Hunmo and Tianpeng Great Sage pulled together. The two ends of the chain suddenly became taut. The other demons, already alerted, swiftly employed their signature techniques, precisely directing their attacks to appropriate positions in an orderly manner. The ancient prohibition within the circular platform had been under continuous assault, and its seal was no longer as solid as it had been. This sudden jolt was the opportune moment.

Tianpeng Great Sage gripped the chain tightly, his wings flapping furiously, every feather on his body standing on end, emitting piercing shrieks that could shatter eardrums. Old Man Hunmo refused to be outdone; the black shadow behind him twisted, almost on the verge of collapse, yet its arms grew thicker and thicker, like two black pythons, firmly coiling around the chain.

Crack! Crack! Crack… The chain was forcibly lifted, segment by segment.

Whoosh! The flames surged. In an instant, a pillar of fire shot skyward, its dazzling light blinding, forcing everyone to squint. However, the joy on their faces intensified, and their actions remained ceaseless. The fierce fire raged, even threatening to escape the void. Deep within the circular platform, flames danced chaotically, and the sealing power became even more turbulent.

At the bottom of the fire, at the end of the chain, a shadow gradually emerged. As the chain was pulled out inch by inch, the shadow’s outline grew clearer. It was a colossal, angular structure, comparable to a pavilion! Through the swirling spiritual fire, Old Man Hunmo vaguely discerned the outline of the treasure below, his eyes narrowing. He suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed dramatically.

Boom! Whether it triggered a mechanism below or broke the seal’s critical point, Old Man Hunmo and Tianpeng Great Sage felt the chains in their hands suddenly lighten. A muffled sound echoed from deep within the void. The sound was like thunder, and the earth trembled violently. The circular platform shook intensely. They no longer needed to pull. Amidst the fierce flames, the chains clattered loudly, and a seven-colored streak of light broke free, shooting out of the hole like a long, dazzling, and splendid rainbow.

Everyone had no time to admire the rainbow as their faces changed color. The moment the seven-colored light burst forth, the boundless flames, now unrestrained, rushed towards the sky, instantly breaking through the thick clouds above. A wave of fiery qi swept out, engulfing everything in its path!

The sudden turn of events caught them off guard. They were too close to the hole and bore the brunt of the fire wave’s impact. Although the demons had hidden trump cards and various methods prepared to contend for the treasure, the flames within the hole had accumulated energy for countless years. Now, released all at once, the fire wave was terrifying in its intensity. The flames possessed the power to incinerate the heavens. The dreadful impact approached in an instant. No one doubted that if they did not evade, they would be burned to ashes.

At this moment, even Old Man Hunmo and Tianpeng Great Sage dared not forcefully resist the fire wave to seize the treasure. They immediately pulled back and retreated swiftly. Thump! Thump! The circular platform instantly transformed into a sea of fire. Amidst the fierce flames, strange lights flashed continuously, as the demons displayed their unique abilities to resist the fire wave. However, they could only protect themselves, constantly retreating. In the center of the sea of fire, the rainbow, swift as a shooting star, surged into the sky. Its momentum finally halted only when the two chains became taut, forcibly restraining it. The rainbow light shimmered erratically, revealing the treasure within. It was an exquisite pagoda!

***

In the mid-section of the deep valley.

After eliminating the weasel, Qin Sang became even more cautious. However, he encountered no further prying eyes or demonic traps. After the weasel’s death, the Yellow-browed Demon King would surely know of the change at the valley entrance, and the demons would undoubtedly be prepared, which was disadvantageous for their actions. But having come this far, there was no turning back. Qin Sang and Liu Li did not hesitate and decided to proceed deeper.

The deep valley was indeed filled with numerous prohibitions and dangers at every step. Even with the guidance of the Yang Puppet Crystal, which located the demons, their speed remained slow.

Whoosh! A strong gust of wind assailed them. Qin Sang’s expression remained unchanged. With a slight thought, the Golden Sinking Sword, suspended above his head, trembled. Swish! Swish! Swish! It instantly unleashed over a dozen streaks of sword light. With a bang, the attacker was struck directly by the sword light, sent flying several yards, and revealed its true form—another monster materialized from beast bones.

It was only then that Qin Sang noticed that eight stone pillars had risen from the ground around them at some unknown point. Three pillars were destroyed, while the remaining five were intact. Each stone pillar had originally been topped by a crouching beast-bone ghoul, sculpted in an extremely ferocious manner. Along the way, Qin Sang and Liu Li had continuously encountered various beast bone formations. The monsters in each bone formation differed—dragons, beasts, and yakshas, among others—a veritable chaotic dance of demons, utterly unprecedented. Each beast bone formation was incredibly profound, a true eye-opener for Qin Sang.

Not all of these beast bone formations were perfectly preserved; some, like the one before them, were severely damaged. Qin Sang also discovered many new traces, indicating that the bone formations were not indestructible. However, that group of demons was not so benevolent as to meticulously clear them out; leaving obstacles behind could still hinder later arrivals. Qin Sang and Liu Li had become adept at fending off monster attacks, but they still had to force the monsters back to their original forms to escape, otherwise they would be endlessly swamped by creatures.

The first monster’s sneak attack failed. Immediately, four grey shadows appeared around Qin Sang and Liu Li, furiously pouncing. Swish! The Golden Sinking Sword trembled, its single blade multiplying into thousands. Simultaneously, Liu Li’s Phoenix-shaped treasure sword transformed into a blue streak of light, swiftly weaving among the Golden Sinking Sword’s lights, cooperating to slay the monsters. The two needed no communication; their sword techniques were seamlessly coordinated, making it impossible for the monsters to even approach them.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed from deep within the clouds, followed by a violent tremor of the ground. The monster that had been struck and sent flying, just barely getting back to its feet, stumbled, almost falling. Qin Sang and Liu Li’s expressions subtly changed. They exchanged glances, both seeing solemnity in the other’s eyes.

“What did those demons do in there? Has the treasure already appeared?”

As thoughts flashed through his mind, Qin Sang no longer held back. The surrounding sword light dimmed, forming a sword array. Just then, Qin Sang and Liu Li felt something and simultaneously looked up at the sky. The sky was shrouded in mist, obscuring the sun. Their vision should have been a blank expanse of white. Yet, at this moment, a long rainbow appeared, its light shimmering brightly. From their position, though somewhat blurry, it was clearly visible. Inside the rainbow, the outline of an exquisite pagoda was faintly discernible.

Liu Li’s expression remained unchanged upon seeing the pagoda, but Qin Sang felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He suddenly remembered something, and his face was instantly filled with surprise. He immediately extended his divine sense into his Qianjun Ring and located the item.

Whoosh! Two streaks of light flew out: two crystalline small pagodas. These were precisely the Seven-story Stupa and the Seven-story Treasure Pagoda that Qin Sang had obtained from the Jinghai Sect and the Xuantian Palace treasury, respectively!

Qin Sang’s actions caught Liu Li’s attention. Seeing the two small pagodas floating before Qin Sang, Liu Li was momentarily stunned. She subconsciously looked up at the exquisite pagoda in the sky once more. Both were seven-storied, both shimmered with brilliant, magnificent light! Although only outlines were visible, it was clear that the three pagodas were almost identical. The two in Qin Sang’s hand appeared to be countless times smaller versions of the exquisite pagoda. If one claimed there was no connection between these three pagodas, no one would believe it.

However, the exquisite pagoda had always been hidden here; the demons must have done something inside to make it reappear only now. How could Qin Sang possess treasures related to the exquisite pagoda? Liu Li’s gaze shifted to Qin Sang’s face, only to find him equally surprised and puzzled. They were somehow connected to the stone tablet space!

The Seven-story Treasure Pagoda being carefully preserved in the Xuantian Palace treasury made sense. But why was the Seven-story Stupa, which he obtained from the Jinghai Sect, also connected to the Xuantian Palace’s sacred ground? Previously, no matter what Qin Sang tried, the two small pagodas remained unchanged. They had been lying quietly in his Qianjun Ring without any abnormality. Now, just after taking them out, Qin Sang immediately realized something was wrong.

Without any action from him, the two small pagodas floated up, their light growing brighter and brighter, emitting a unique, strange fluctuation they had never displayed before, seemingly echoing the exquisite pagoda in the sky. Furthermore, the two small pagodas had a mutual attraction. After slowly drawing near each other, they began to spin rapidly around one another.

Thump! Thump! The monsters were still frantically attacking the sword array. Qin Sang had no time to deal with them, his gaze fixed on the two small pagodas, a hint of wariness in his heart. They spun faster and faster, forming a vortex of light in the void. The next moment, the vortex of light suddenly dissipated. The two small pagodas actually merged before their eyes, transforming into a single Futu Pagoda. At its apex was a precious pearl, emitting a faint seven-colored halo, identical to the exquisite pagoda. The pagoda’s body trembled gently, as if it wanted to tear through space and rush towards the exquisite pagoda.

Qin Sang, quick of eye and hand, though still unclear about the reason for this anomaly, grabbed the Futu Pagoda. He felt a cool warmth spreading through his palm. A surprising scene unfolded. When he held the Futu Pagoda, and the seven-colored halo enveloped him and Liu Li, the monsters that had been furiously attacking the sword array suddenly quieted down, losing all hostility. They all returned to the stone pillars and sat down, reverting to their previous state of deathly stillness. The stone pillars sank into the ground, and the beast bone formation disappeared.

“This…” Qin Sang looked at the Futu Pagoda in his hand, then at the exquisite pagoda in the sky. A partial understanding dawned on him. Without hesitation, he let out a low shout, “Quickly!” Liu Li also reacted swiftly, immediately retracting her sword and fleeing. Their figures, like lightning, instantly vanished into the depths of the clouds.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Two streaks of light soared through the deep valley. Although the valley was not small, it was negligible for Nascent Soul cultivators, especially since they had already covered nearly half the distance. If not for the ancient prohibitions and beast bone formations restricting them, they would have long since reached the circular platform and encountered the group of demons. Now, under the protection of the Futu Pagoda, they encountered no further obstacles whatsoever.

Holding the Futu Pagoda, Qin Sang seemed to become the master of the deep valley. Every ancient prohibition they encountered, touched by the seven-colored halo, silently melted away as if nothing was there. The ground below remained utterly calm, with not a single beast bone formation springing up. However, Qin Sang could only passively receive the Futu Pagoda’s protection for now; he didn’t know how to use it for more, and time didn’t allow him to explore it thoroughly.

In an instant, Qin Sang and Liu Li rapidly approached the circular platform. Qin Sang, who was still trying out other functions of the Futu Pagoda, felt the astonishing momentum generated by the erupting fire wave. He pulled his attention away and looked forward. With the Heavenly Eye Butterfly’s divine ability, Qin Sang finally saw the circular platform and the surrounding scene. The clouds around the platform had dissipated, and a vast area had turned into a sea of fire. Two thick chains extended from the circular platform, gripping the base of the exquisite pagoda. From this vantage point, it was even clearer: the exquisite pagoda was identical to the Futu Pagoda in his hand, even every pattern on its body was exactly the same! Qin Sang’s gaze swiftly swept around, noticing that the group of demons was scattered and in a rather disheveled state. Seeing this scene, Qin Sang could infer what had happened earlier.

At this moment, Qin Sang also felt the aura emanating from the diffused flames. This aura, upon touching the halo, actually flowed to the sides, avoiding them. It could not harm them in the slightest, nor even pose a hint of an obstacle. The two of them moved as if entering a no-man’s land! Qin Sang and Liu Li’s surprise grew.

“Opportunity!” Qin Sang looked up at the entrance of the exquisite pagoda, this thought suddenly appearing in his mind!