Chapter 1595: 青毛鼠妖

The black clouds in the sky were torn apart by the aftermath of the battle. Sparse starlight pierced through, illuminating the thousand-zhang giant alligator. In a short time, the body of this formidable beast solidified from illusory to almost corporeal, its black scales reflecting an eerie luster and arranged tightly. As the thousand-zhang alligator twisted its body, its scales seemed to move with a rhythmic compression, truly resembling a living beast. The starlight only illuminated half of the thousand-zhang alligator's body; the other half remained shrouded in shadow, its outline indistinct, exuding an unknown, chilling terror. Its massive maw, aimed at Qin Sang, opened to its widest extent, seemingly harboring a black hole within. An incredibly powerful suction formed a clearly visible vortex in the air.

Strong winds raged in the high sky. The vortex expanded relentlessly, its scope widening until it even affected the Twin Tiger Mountains below. A 'boom' echoed from the left peak. At the summit, the tiger-head-shaped boulder fractured instantly, its fragments snatched by the suction and pulverized into nothingness in less than a breath. The enormous suction vortex appeared capable of devouring the entire void.

Rings of ripples, like water waves, formed at the edge of the vortex, spreading outward and relentlessly pursuing Qin Sang. Qin Sang's figure flickered repeatedly at the very edge of these ripples. His expression shifted. He had underestimated the alligator bone; the vortex wasn't just pure suction, but contained a peculiar binding force. If trapped by the suction vortex or drawn into the thousand-zhang alligator's maw, extricating himself would likely be a significant challenge. To dare to ambush someone en route to a top-tier treasure auction, they clearly had serious capabilities!

A phantom fiery lotus appeared between his brows, and the Nine Nether Demonic Flame flowed out like liquid. Upon contact with the suction vortex, it formed a black stream of fire that was drawn into the thousand-zhang alligator's maw without any resistance. The next moment, the thousand-zhang alligator's belly suddenly swelled, and it went into a frenzy. It seemed to have encountered something agonizing; its massive body thrashed wildly, smashing through mountain after mountain, sending rocks flying and turning the area into utter chaos. As it writhed, its solidified body became somewhat indistinct. The suction vortex stopped expanding, its edges continuously dissipated, contracting inward, powerless to continue pursuing Qin Sang.

Ignoring the thousand-zhang alligator, Qin Sang flickered and merged into the sword array. Inside the Seven Souls Killing Array, a chilling aura permeated. Dark sword-threads, ubiquitous and like countless harp strings, resonated with the sound of death. What sword art Qin Sang employed was unknown, but the sword array suddenly vibrated. The sword-threads instantly became remarkably slender yet gained unprecedented power, swiftly slicing towards the mist in the center of the array.

After falling into the sword array, the horned figure was both shocked and enraged. He still didn't understand where the flaw had been. Remaining calm in the face of danger, the tip of the horn on his forehead glowed, emitting a gray ray. Its speed was no less than that of a sword light, piercing into the array like lightning. Unexpectedly, the sword-threads merely swayed. Not only was the gray ray unable to penetrate them, but dozens of sword-threads swiftly counterattacked, instantly shredding the gray ray into fragments, its power completely gone. Watching the gray ray dissipate before his eyes, the horned figure gasped. This was a divine ability he had refined for many years; numerous adversaries had been gravely wounded or killed by it. Yet, before this sword array, it appeared incredibly feeble.

Although the horned figure's sneak attack failed, he wasn't overly flustered. His companion would arrive soon. He only needed to hold out for a few breaths to receive support. His true form was a heavenly spirit beast, possessing a formidable body and vast divine powers. He was confident that even if he couldn't defeat a human grand cultivator, he could certainly withstand a few blows. However, witnessing the sword array shredding the gray ray, a flicker of unease inexplicably arose in the horned figure's heart.

His vast experience prompted the horned figure to make the safest choice. With a guttural 'whimper,' he spat out a mass of grayish-white mist, which surged out through the gaps in his face mask. The grayish-white mist formed a dense fog within the sword array. The horned figure's form didn't completely vanish but continuously flickered through various parts of the mist, making it impossible for his opponent to pinpoint his location. Unfortunately, such a tactic could not deceive the Sky-Eye Butterfly.

*Swoosh!* The sword-threads simultaneously slashed towards the horned figure's true body. The horned figure continued to maneuver, but was horrified to find that his opponent was completely unaffected. The sudden burst of power from the sword array chilled him to the bone, his eyes wide with shock. His figure flickered, and his entire body glowed intensely gray. Within the dense gray light, the horned figure's body twisted eerily, losing its human form, revealing its true self: a horned alligator.

At the same time, a streak of green light flew from the horizon, piercing through the air with an overwhelming aura, and defiantly charged into the sword array. The green light dissipated, revealing the figure in green armor. The green-armored figure's expression was grim. He raised his hands, his fingers slightly bent, and dense green light shot from his fingertips, transforming into two massive green claws. The claws were long and slender, not at all like human hands, but more akin to two rat paws. *Whoosh!* The giant claws plunged fiercely into the sword array. Wherever the green light touched, the sword-threads appeared to stagnate, bound by an inexplicable force, solidifying from their ethereal state. Then, gripped by the claws, they were forcibly torn apart under a pincer attack!

Below, the gray mist was revealed. "Brother!" The horned figure appeared in the mist, his scales shattered, bleeding profusely, covered in wounds left by the sword-threads. He looked extremely disheveled. Upon seeing the green-armored figure, the horned figure was overjoyed, feeling a surge of relief, and immediately surged upwards.

Just then, the green-armored figure's pupils sharply contracted, reflecting a flicker of crimson firelight. A look of shock appeared on his stern face, and he blurted out, "Watch out!" The horned figure was bewildered. Immediately after, his vision was consumed by scarlet firelight. Before he could react, he suddenly felt his neck tighten. Unprepared, he was firmly grasped by a green hand and violently flung towards the crimson glow!

"I've been waiting for you!" Inside the sword array, Qin Sang held the Sun God Tree in one hand, tilting his head slightly, a cold smile playing on his lips. He had pretended to fall into a trap, but his true target was never the horned figure, but the green-armored figure, whose aura was the most elusive among the three. If he could kill this person, the other two would be of no concern. On the Sun God Tree, three branches had been left empty. Three divine birds, hidden by Qin Sang within the sword array, had been held back, only to strike at this very moment!

*Boom!* The dark space formed by the sword array was, at this moment, completely illuminated by dazzling firelight. From a distance, a colossal fireball appeared, hanging high in the sky like a crimson rising sun, even more dazzling than the white light generated by the alligator bone. From within the fireball came two inhuman roars. One was sharp and filled with towering rage. The other was full of pain and terror. Two anomalous lights, one green and one gray, flared simultaneously with the burst of crimson fire. The green light was above, the gray light below. From outside, it was clearly visible that the gray light contained a sharp-horned alligator. Though smaller than the thousand-zhang alligator from earlier, it was still a rare and powerful demon beast.

Simultaneously, a stream of crimson fire surged skyward, utterly rampant. The malevolent great demon, facing this crimson stream of light, looked as if it had seen the most terrifying existence in the world, its eyes filled with horror and disbelief. Accompanied by an earth-shattering boom, a crimson divine flame flower bloomed in the air, the aura of the Southern Bright Demonic Fire erupting completely. Fiery currents shot out in all directions, forming an boundless sea of fire in the high sky. The sky could no longer be seen in any other color; both green and gray lights were swallowed by the flames. The cries of pain abruptly ceased. After the Sun Divine Birds struck, they were like rootless duckweed. Their power peaked at the moment of eruption, then the flame energy gradually dissipated, and the firelight slowly dimmed. A black shadow fell from the sky, revealing itself to be a charred, mutilated alligator corpse, plummeting towards the ground. In its final moments, the horned figure was used as a shield by its sworn brother and perished instantly!

*Whoosh!* A streak of green light burst out of the sea of fire, revealing a demonic silhouette: a green-furred rat demon. The green-furred rat demon was less than half a person's height, with sleek fur, and its appearance was largely indistinguishable from an ordinary rat. Even in its true form, the armor remained on its body, though it was now severely damaged, and its fur was scorched in several places. Its eyes, sharp as knives, stared fixedly below the sea of fire, radiating shocking killing intent! "They're all Demon Kings?" Qin Sang's figure emerged from beneath the sea of fire, his expression grave. When he discovered the horned figure was an alligator demon, Qin Sang had assumed it was merely the green-armored figure's spirit beast, not considering it to be a demon race member. After all, this was the central plains, where human power was strongest. For demons to roam here and even ambush cultivators seemed overly brazen. He hadn't expected them to be demon beasts at all! They must have relied on that armor to conceal their demonic identities. Qin Sang hadn't detected them before they revealed themselves. Despite killing the horned figure with one strike, Qin Sang was far from satisfied. He had played along with their scheme, using the horned figure to set his own trap and employing the Sun God Tree. He hadn't anticipated the green-furred rat demon would be so ruthless and decisive, throwing its companion out as a shield. Judging by the green-furred rat demon's appearance, its injuries were likely not severe. Demon Kings possess formidable physical bodies; such injuries would have little effect on them.

"You're dead!" The green-furred rat demon's voice was sharp and icy cold. Qin Sang's heart tightened. His phoenix wings flapped furiously, activating his escape technique to its maximum, while the Golden Sinking Sword, hovering above his head, hummed loudly, thrusting sharply behind him. A faint green light appeared in the void behind him. The green-furred rat demon appeared silently behind Qin Sang as if teleporting, its sharp claws aiming for Qin Sang's back. Had it struck true, even with Qin Sang's body comparable to a Demon King's, he would not have survived.

With a crackle of thunder, Qin Sang teleported hundreds of feet away. The green-furred rat demon's attack missed. It paused slightly, then realized that Qin Sang had been concealing his true escape technique all along. Qin Sang was also startled. He hadn't even detected how the green-furred rat demon had appeared behind him; only when it was about to reveal itself did his spiritual senses react, thanks to his powerful divine consciousness.

*Whoosh!* *Bang!* Sword lights scattered in all directions. The green-furred rat demon lifted its demonic claws, dancing wildly in the air. Its nails, comparable to magical artifacts, left streaks of cold light as they parried the incoming sword. Just then, the gray-armored figure finally arrived, belatedly. The battle had shifted too rapidly. The gray-armored figure cursed not having more legs as he watched his brother perish, letting out a mournful roar. He instantly revealed his true demonic form, which was also an alligator demon, though without horns. This alligator demon had no scales; its soft skin was covered in wave-like patterns. The patterns came alive. Layers of water ripples generated a 'splashing' sound. The sounds resonated eerily around Qin Sang. A vast expanse of water appeared out of nowhere below Qin Sang, and raging waves surged towards him.

Unexpectedly, just as the water domain was about to materialize, a streak of purple light suddenly shot out from the mountain forest below. Inside the purple light was a drill-shaped crystal, sharp at its tip, aiming directly for the alligator demon's lower abdomen. The alligator demon, not expecting anyone else nearby, was caught completely off guard. It quickly rolled, narrowly dodging the purple crystal, but its divine ability was consequently interrupted. "Who's there! Come out!" The alligator demon, enraged, slammed its tail violently against the ground.

Qin Sang seemed unsurprised. With a shake of his hand, the Sun God Tree pulsed with flames, aimed at the green-furred rat demon, and three Sun Divine Birds shimmered, ready to take flight. Meanwhile, several streaks of escaping light appeared in the distant sky, all drawn by the fierce battle. One person exclaimed, "There are great demons here!" The cry clearly carried a hint of wild exhilaration.

The green-furred rat demon's expression fluctuated. It gave Qin Sang a deep look, then its figure vanished again, reappearing next to the alligator demon. A green light enveloped the alligator demon, ready to flee. Unexpectedly, the purple crystal returned, suddenly exploding. Its interior contained strange purple lightning, which fiercely bombarded the green light, instantly scattering it and leaving the alligator demon vulnerable. From beginning to end, the person in the shadows did not show themselves. To make matters worse, the Sun Divine Birds followed closely, rapidly approaching. Qin Sang made a gesture as if to summon even more divine birds. Having just experienced the power of the Sun God Tree, the green-furred rat demon's eyelids twitched. Realizing the situation was unsalvageable, it decisively abandoned its companion and transformed into a green rainbow, fleeing away.

*Boom!* Another crimson spiritual flame flower bloomed in the void. The alligator demon, still reeling from the purple lightning, suffered another heavy blow! Because Qin Sang had deliberately adjusted the angle, the alligator demon was only severely wounded, not killed. As it dragged its mangled body, still attempting to escape, it suddenly heard two strange 'hum-ha' sounds. Its soul was struck with excruciating pain, and it shrieked before plummeting downwards. *Swish!* The Golden Sinking Sword flew in from an unknown direction, emitting a strange brilliance as it circled the alligator demon's neck. Its tough neck skin, already lacerated by the Sun Divine Birds' attacks and offering little defense, caused the massive alligator head to roll off instantly. As the head fell, a crystal-clear pellet flew out from the bleeding cavity. Inside the pellet was a tiny alligator demon, its face filled with panic; it was the alligator demon's demon core and spirit. The demon core transformed into a blue light and shot out rapidly. The Golden Sinking Sword shimmered, forming a small sword array that perfectly enveloped the demon core. Sword light enveloped the alligator corpse and the demon core.

Qin Sang stood mid-air, gazing in the direction the green-furred rat demon had fled, but chose not to pursue. His gaze then shifted, coldly observing the streaks of light approaching from a distance. Those escaping lights all halted. The figures' expressions varied; they hadn't expected the outcome to be decided so quickly. Some hesitated, then turned to track the green-furred rat demon. Qin Sang teleported back to Twin Tiger Mountains, gathering the alligator bone and the other remains.

"Why didn't you stop that rat demon?" Qin Sang suddenly spoke, seemingly communicating with someone unknown. "Heh heh, are great demons in the late Transformation stage really that easy to kill?" A sinister chuckle echoed from the shadows, "Besides, I wouldn't want to be mistaken for your accomplice and get chased by Lu Ye!"