Chapter 1516: Soul Capture Incantation (4k)

Qin Sang lightly patted his mustard seed pouch, releasing the Nascent Soul of Palace Master Yin.

Before entering the stele space, Palace Master Yin had been released for a quick look, then re-sealed.

Regaining consciousness, Palace Master Yin glared at Qin Sang with extreme resentment, his eyes filled with disappointment. He could guess that the anomaly in the holy land was inextricably linked to the Fiend and Sky Roc, and he yearned to see Qin Sang and Tong Lingyu die at the hands of the demons, accompanying him to the grave. Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished.

Qin Sang gazed into Palace Master Yin's eyes. "I have no pleasure in tormenting others. I merely wish to ask you a few questions. Answer truthfully, and I will grant you a swift end. Do not think of using these conditions to threaten me; I will not release a tiger back into the mountains."

Palace Master Yin's eyes widened, shooting out a terrifying killing intent, enraged by Qin Sang's words.

"The victor is king, the vanquished is bandit. With your intelligence, Daoist Yin, you should understand this principle. There's no need to posture," Qin Sang said calmly.

The killing aura on Palace Master Yin's face remained thick, but his eyes regained a hint of composure as he coldly watched Qin Sang.

Ten days later.

Hidden Sun Realm.

Mount Tian.

Late at night, heavy snow fell.

The Tian Shan lineage was shrouded in gloom.

Tian Shan Main Peak, once a vital and bustling stronghold of the Tian Shan lineage, was now guarded only by sentinels, appearing exceptionally desolate. The palace lanterns hung on the mountain cast a pale, hazy light, imbued with a sense of loneliness. The snow grew heavier, covering the existing accumulation with a thick new layer in just a short while, signaling that Mount Tian would not be peaceful tonight.

Suddenly, a phantom figure flashed out from the darkness. After a brief observation, it silently swept towards the back of the mountain. His body was light, his speed swift, and a faint, ethereal glow emanated from him. Snowflakes encountered along his path seemed to twist space the instant they touched the ethereal glow. The snowflakes continued to fall from their original direction, and even if someone were nearby, they wouldn't notice any abnormality in the area. This person clearly mastered a very sophisticated escape technique.

He passed through a flat area, and seeing he hadn't been discovered, secretly sighed in relief. His figure flickered continuously, moving through cliffs and precipices, fleeing as if for his life. He was extremely familiar with the area and could easily avoid other cultivators. Just as he was about to successfully escape far away from this troubled place, a voice suddenly echoed in his ear: "Where are you going, Daoist You?"

The person froze, rigid in place, revealing an aged face beneath his cloak. The old man painfully turned his head, seeing that a figure had appeared on a nearby rock at some unknown moment, standing with hands clasped behind his back, looking down at him.

"It's you!"

Recognizing the newcomer, the old man's expression changed dramatically. In the past few days, he had heard this person's name countless times, so much that his ears were calloused. Daoist Qingfeng, whose real name was Qin Sang, had suppressed countless top-tier demons in the holy land; even the Fiend and Sky Roc had fallen into his hands!

When Tong Lingyu brought back this news, everyone's first reaction was that it was preposterous! However, bad news travels fast. After the holy land closed, many surviving demons knew what had happened, and the news spread like a hurricane! Gradually, Xuan Tian Palace gathered intelligence from external sources, which corroborated each other, leaving them no choice but to believe.

Elder You, seeing that Qin Sang himself had come in pursuit, felt dread before even fighting, his heart filled with terror.

Qin Sang stood weightlessly on the boulder, the cold snow unable to approach him. He looked down at Elder You and sighed, "Grand Elder is merciful. Shang Lu and others, acting as a tiger's accomplice and committing such cruel acts, only the primary perpetrators were executed, while the rest received punishment. Why must Daoist You act this way? I can only send you, Elder, to the Spring of Regret."

Now, he no longer needed to conceal his identity and reverted to his real name.

After teleporting back from the nameless island, he and Tong Lingyu sought out the Xuan Tian lineage and revealed Luo Yun, whose fate was unknown. The Yin family had lost two top masters, were leaderless, and could offer no defense. The plan proceeded very smoothly. The lineage of Yin Changsheng was demoted from the main branch, and the authority of the Xuan Tian lineage was reclaimed. The Xuan Tian lineage understood they had incurred public wrath. Given Yin Changsheng's actions, if the matter were put to a joint discussion among all lineages, maintaining the main branch's status would likely be a pipe dream. Ultimately, they chose to obey Tong Lingyu and acquiesced. Even with some stubborn elements and remnants of Yin Changsheng's faction, Qin Sang and Liuli didn't spend much effort to clean them out. Having witnessed Qin Sang's divine abilities, the Xuan Tian lineage dared not entertain any other thoughts.

Qin Sang reaped considerable rewards, the most valued being a cultivation technique and a secret art. The cultivation technique was called "Pure Tenuity Record," one of Xuan Tian Palace's fundamental inheritances, a profound grand method. Qin Sang intended to have his external incarnation switch to this cultivation method, but he still needed to carefully consider it. The secret art was precisely the divine sense attack secret art that Qin Sang had yearned for, named "Soul-Snatching True Words." This was the very secret art that Palace Master Yin had used. Qin Sang had already extracted "Soul-Snatching True Words" from him previously, but to be safe, he only felt at ease after finding the original copies of the cultivation technique and secret art within the Xuan Tian lineage. If Qin Sang wasn't mistaken, the secret art Yin Changsheng had mastered was likely a refined version developed by studying "Soul-Snatching True Words." Unfortunately, it wasn't passed on to others and was lost with Yin Changsheng's demise. Additionally, Qin Sang obtained some pills that restore true essence, similar to the Snowfall Pill, and other treasures, preparing for his journey to Zhongzhou. Having obtained what he desired, Qin Sang gave Palace Master Yin a swift end.

After dealing with the Xuan Tian lineage, Tong Lingyu immediately moved against the Tian Shan lineage without delay. The previous plan was to partition Tian Shan and relegate them to a branch lineage. The resistance from the Tian Shan lineage was far more intense than that of the Xuan Tian lineage. However, the wicked deeds of Shang Lu and others were undeniable facts. Furthermore, Qin Sang's fierce battle against the multitude of demons in the stele space, where he nearly beheaded the Fiend amidst an army, along with other vivid legends, spread throughout the outside world, astonishing and terrifying all who heard them. For various reasons, the Tian Shan lineage couldn't immediately make the desperate decision to fight to the death. Tong Lingyu naturally wouldn't give them a chance to form alliances. She acted swiftly and decisively, employing a series of suppressive and divisive tactics, combining both grace and might, making resistance from the Tian Shan lineage impossible. Tonight was about purging the remaining evils on Mount Tian. Tong Lingyu and others were busy elsewhere.

Qin Sang was the first to deal with his opponent and arrived at Tian Shan Main Peak. His Heavenly Eye Butterfly saw through the old man's disguise, discovering that this person had secretly infiltrated the main peak, apparently stealing something. Although this person was a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, he was neither an elder nor a palace master, similar to the old man surnamed Lu who guarded Xuan Tian Palace's treasury, cultivating in solitude. He wasn't originally on the list for purging; it was unknown why he did such a thing.

The old man sneered, "Who is guilty, who is innocent—isn't that for you to decide? You speak grandly, but Tong Lingyu merely wants to eliminate dissenters! Tong Lingyu, like a hen crowing at dawn, gathered you, a person of unknown origin, letting a wolf into the house. If Xuan Tian Palace is taken over by the two of you, wreaking havoc, its destruction is only a matter of time! I, this old man, don't wish to be buried with Xuan Tian Palace!"

"So, Daoist You intends to steal treasures and flee, betraying your sect to start anew?" Qin Sang remained unmoved. Elder You's words were also grand pronouncements; ultimately, it was merely greed. "Since that's the case, I can only bring you to see the Grand Elder and let her decide your fate!"

With that, Qin Sang waved his sleeve, and a Demonic Fire Dragon surged out, circling above his head, locking onto the old man.

"Arrogant junior!" The old man roared in anger, forming his fingers into a blade and swiftly slashing at Qin Sang. His hand-blade was instantly covered in a layer of ice crystals, transforming along with his arm into a sharp, profound ice blade.

*Swoosh!*

The blade energy left his body, causing the snowflakes in the void to instantly solidify and freeze. Qin Sang only saw a stream of ethereal blue energy rushing towards him. Just as he was about to activate his demonic fire to resist, he suddenly felt something, and his heart stirred. The Demonic Fire Dragon scattered, surrounding him completely. The moment the demonic fire dispersed, the blade energy in front of him suddenly diminished rapidly. The blue energy vanished into nothingness at a visible speed, leaving only a wisp of clear wind that blew past Qin Sang without affecting the demonic fire in the slightest.

At the same time, anomalies suddenly arose in nine directions around Qin Sang. The blade energy had, at some unknown point, split into nine, each as potent as the original, hovering in the void and simultaneously aiming at Qin Sang, their auras interconnected, blocking all escape routes.

"Slash!" the old man roared.

The nine streams of blade energy slashed through the air, their speed like lightning, reaching an extreme.

Qin Sang remained fearless in the face of danger. He sneered, and with a thought, his demonic fire split into nine, transforming into nine slightly smaller fire dragons. At the same time, he silently activated the Ruyi Pearl, summoning a protective aura shield around himself.

*Boom!*

The blade energy pierced into the demonic fire, extremely sharp, leaving holes within the fire as if intending to penetrate it completely. However, Qin Sang ultimately possessed superior skill. The demonic fire could gather and disperse formlessly; the blade energy could not harm it. Instead, it gradually weakened under the fire's erosion until it was completely consumed. Even residual waves were firmly blocked by the aura shield, unable to harm Qin Sang in the slightest.

The old man clearly didn't intend to kill Qin Sang with this method. Without looking ahead, he took out a black brush, and without dipping it in ink, he painted in the void, his strokes powerful and fluid, completing it in an instant. In a flash, a pattern appeared in the void, depicting a person strikingly similar to the old man himself. The old man put away his black brush, and his figure flickered, approaching the figure in the drawing and passing through it. An astonishing scene unfolded: the old man entered the pattern but did not emerge from the other side; he simply vanished into thin air! Before leaving, the old man glanced at Qin Sang, a sneer on his face.

Qin Sang's eyes flashed brilliantly, his Phoenix Wings spread wide behind him, and his figure shot upwards at extreme speed. The old man's secret art was peculiar, seemingly prepared beforehand. Qin Sang couldn't instantly determine the old man's new location, but he knew one thing: the old man shouldn't be able to teleport too far, otherwise, he would have left immediately after succeeding. Furthermore, when the old man disappeared, an undeniable fluctuation occurred, indicating that this secret art was not without flaws. His reaction was swift; he rushed to high altitude, gaining an unobstructed view of the surrounding terrain.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out of his Qi Sea, landing on Qin Sang's shoulder. Its wings spread, surveying everything below. It immediately noticed something unusual in a distant mountain stream, a faint glow flickering and vanishing. If Qin Sang hadn't been fast enough and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's eyesight wasn't excellent, the old man might have escaped.

On the stone wall of the mountain stream, there were some naturally occurring patterns, outlining a blurry human figure. Suddenly, the stone wall glowed faintly. The old man's figure materialized out of thin air, stepping down from the wall. At the same time, his Daoist robe vibrated, rapidly suppressing the fluctuations caused by the secret art. Then, he transformed, his body shattering with a *bang* and turning into a cluster of snowflakes. Just as he was about to completely merge into the blizzard and escape, a sudden, urgent whooshing sound came from above. A bolt of lightning arrived in an instant, blocking the mountain stream's exit.

The old man froze, then turned in another direction, only for his vision to blur. Another figure had appeared before him, which was Qin Sang's incarnation.

"Daoist You, if you remain stubborn, I can only resort to harsher measures..." Qin Sang's faint voice echoed from behind him.

Along with it came an aura that made the old man's hair stand on end. The old man sharply turned around, his eyes wide and fixed, staring intently at the Solar Divine Tree floating before Qin Sang. The Solar Divine Bird was poised and ready. The miraculous spirit treasure, rumored throughout the outside world, was finally displayed before the old man. Experiencing it up close, the old man finally understood that the rumors were truly not exaggerated.

His expression flickered uncertainly. Finally, he let out a cold snort, reached for the mustard seed pouch at his waist, and tossed it to Qin Sang. Qin Sang opened it and saw that it was packed with various treasures, enough to support a sect's flourishing development. The old man had the same idea as Qin Sang: to take advantage of the Boundless Sea's emptiness, betray Xuan Tian Palace, establish his own sect, and become a patriarch.

"Offended!"

Qin Sang and his external incarnation escorted the old man back to Tian Shan Main Peak, heading straight for the Dragon-Rearing Pond. Named Dragon-Rearing Pond, it actually raised snow pythons. These spirit beasts, when combined with python banners, could unleash considerable combat power, and they didn't require the master's constant attention to control, making them indeed excellent helpers. Qin Sang showed no politeness, taking away the majority of the snow pythons, leaving only the lowest-ranked ones. Before long, Tong Lingyu also finished the wrap-up and arrived with her people. The Tian Shan lineage officially became history!

Next was a feast of spoils. Due to differing inheritances, Qin Sang found little of interest in the Tian Shan lineage's collection. He chose a bottle of pills for auxiliary cultivation and a few special magic weapon techniques. However, he unexpectedly found a spirit herb needed for the Soul-Tranquilizing Incense, which was a pleasant surprise. More importantly, there were various cultivation resources, ensuring that Qingyang Temple could live comfortably for a period. According to the agreement, high-grade spirit stones and pills that restore true essence all belonged to Qin Sang. Listening Snow Pavilion didn't understand why Qin Sang had such a peculiar request but still proactively sent a sum. Not only that, but Qin Sang also prepared to make large-scale acquisitions to ensure nothing went wrong.

Tian Shan was annihilated. Xuan Tian relinquished authority. Tong Lingyu and Palace Master Jiang respectively ascended to the positions of Palace Master and Grand Elder. The internal power struggle within Xuan Tian Palace continued with aftershocks, but they no longer significantly concerned Qin Sang. He had Xuan Tian Palace send him information on the Boundless Sea to choose a suitable sect headquarters.

Listening Snow Pavilion.

Jade slips and jade scrolls were piled before Qin Sang. He briefly browsed them, selected three favored locations, and was preparing to bid farewell to Liuli. A streak of light shot from the direction of Lingxiao Peak, entering Listening Snow Pavilion.

"Daoist Qin!"

The newcomer was a trusted confidant of Tong Lingyu, highly respectful of Qin Sang. With both hands, he presented a stone box. "A mysterious person left this item at the Seventy-Two Springs, claiming to be an old acquaintance of yours and specifically delivering a grand gift."

"Oh?" Qin Sang was surprised, as he had few old acquaintances in the Northern Sea.

Rising, Qin Sang took the stone box, inspected it, then opened the seal on it. Inside, he found only a single tear-shaped object. Sealed within was a figure, extremely ethereal and dispersed, as if it had undergone countless torments and was no longer recognizable.

After observing it carefully for a long time, Qin Sang finally confirmed that it was none other than the Old Fiend!

Special thanks to Boss Su Zha Mu for becoming two Alliance Leaders!