Chapter 1602: Stealing Treasure

"What is this?"

Qin Sang followed Jiang You into the back hall of the outpost and saw a two-person-high wooden frame on the ground. A bronze gong hung from its crossbeam.

There were three such gongs.

Without anyone touching them, the gongs swayed on their own, emitting a faint yellow glow.

Qin Sang looked around and sensed spiritual energy from a formation nearby, with some of it converging on the gongs.

"This treasure is called the Seven Sound Gong. It's a special Buddhist artifact. After the incident at the last exchange fair, the Hall Master bought it at great expense."

Jiang You drew a '卍' symbol in the air and flicked it towards the gong. It flashed and disappeared into the yellow light. The gong hummed, then suddenly became still, its light receding, but its connection to the spiritual formation became even more subtle.

"With a corresponding formation set up nearby, this treasure is extremely sensitive to qi fluctuations. It's to prevent people from harboring ill intentions at the auction and exchange fair, especially sensitive to demonic energy."

Qin Sang suddenly understood, chuckling to himself that the Six States Hall was like a burnt child dreading fire.

Last time, a demon infiltrated the exchange fair, causing the Six States Hall to lose face and become a laughingstock. If it happened again, they would truly become a joke.

Qin Sang was not in charge of the hall's daily affairs; he only needed to appear at the auction and exchange fair.

After sending Jiang You off, Qin Sang stayed in his cave for a while, then left the Six States Hall branch and wandered aimlessly through Rainbow City.

The first major auction was scheduled for the morning of the day after tomorrow, divided into two sessions: Core Formation and Nascent Soul. Auctions for low-level cultivators had already started in the South City days ago, with no limit on sessions.

Nascent Soul cultivators entering Rainbow City would receive an invitation, and Qin Sang was no exception.

No treasure list had leaked yet, but the sheer scale of the Golden Jade Gate's preparations created great anticipation.

Rainbow City was packed with people.

Unbeknownst to him, Qin Sang found himself at the main peak.

While Nascent Soul Ancestors were rarely seen in the past, Qin Sang encountered several shortly after ascending the main peak, along with a few cultivators whose auras were subtle, suggesting they might be above the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

Rainbow City was a place where hidden masters resided. Rashly probing with divine sense could easily lead to misunderstandings.

Qin Sang merely observed the scenery, avoided contact with others, and slowly ascended to the peak of the main mountain, leaning against the railing to gaze out.

The main peak was the center of all the peaks north of the river, with mountains to the west and the ocean to the east, making all other peaks seem small.

At the summit of the main peak stood a nine-story building, constructed of gold and jade, towering above the rest, exquisitely luxurious. It was called the Golden Jade Tower.

Undoubtedly, the Golden Jade Tower was property of the Golden Jade Gate, and the grand auction the day after tomorrow would be held there.

Qin Sang had little contact with the Golden Jade Gate, but from various past rumors and his current firsthand impression, he always felt it didn't resemble a true immortal sect. It seemed to prioritize pomp and ceremony even more than a merchant guild like the Six States Hall.

Perhaps it was due to the Golden Jade Gate's unique heritage.

Cultivation methods could change a cultivator's temperament, which in turn influenced the overall atmosphere of a sect.

As Qin Sang passed the Golden Jade Tower, he glanced at it, with no intention of entering. Just as he was about to head in another direction, his brows subtly furrowed.

He seemed to have felt a gaze probing him.

Qin Sang's divine sense had greatly improved, and his spiritual perception was acute. He knew it was definitely not an illusion; this gaze was different from others, and the person was very focused on him!

He quickly took in the scene around the Golden Jade Tower.

To the right of the Golden Jade Tower.

A Nascent Soul female cultivator walked towards them, arm in arm with a handsome young man.

The young man was only at the Core Formation mid-stage and seemed unaware of the female cultivator's true cultivation. His demeanor was frivolous and casual, and the Nascent Soul female cultivator played along, appearing charming and adorable, looking at the young man with eyes full of admiration.

Qin Sang could see the deep coldness in the female cultivator's eyes. Remembering some rumors about the Demon Sect's Fuxi Valley, if the young man didn't realize it in time, his end likely wouldn't be good.

A Daoist emerged from the Golden Jade Tower. From his attire, he appeared to be an expert from Jingchan Mountain Manor. He glanced at the female cultivator but didn't interfere. His movements were enigmatic, and he melted into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

Two tiers down, there was a pair of Nascent Soul Daoist companions, engaged in intimate conversation.

Images of various cultivators flashed through Qin Sang's mind, each one being ruled out.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was also secretly performing its divine ability.

Everything was normal, no anomalies!

"An illusion?"

Qin Sang didn't believe his spiritual perception was wrong, but that person had indeed vanished, or perhaps their disguise was so excellent that even he couldn't see through it.

He maintained his pace, passed the Golden Jade Tower without betraying anything, then explored the other peaks. When he finally returned to the Six States Hall outpost, it was already night, and that feeling never reappeared.

Qin Sang stopped pondering and began to organize his Qianjun Ring.

Only one Spirit Suppressing Incense stick remained. The two crocodile demon carcasses should fetch a good price. The formula for the Spirit Suppressing Incense could also be sold, but he needed to use his assets wisely.

From his observations, even in the affluent Central State, gathering all the spiritual materials for the Spirit Suppressing Incense was extremely difficult.

Few people could afford it and had the ability to refine Spirit Suppressing Incense.

Qin Sang planned to first gather the rarest spiritual materials when he had the energy, then consider selling the formula.

Moonlight draped like a veil.

Qin Sang looked at the quiet courtyard outside the window, calculating silently.

Suddenly, a gong sound broke the silence!

'Dong!'

The three bronze gongs chimed in unison.

The clear sound of the gongs echoed throughout the entire stronghold.

The Seven Sound Gong!

Qin Sang's expression changed slightly. He shot up, appearing in the small courtyard in the next moment.

At the same time, figures rushed out from all directions. The experts of the Six States Hall were awakened, and everyone's gaze collectively turned towards the back hall of the Six States Hall.

That was where the Six States Hall's treasury was located, personally overseen by Deputy Hall Master Jiang You!

From the back hall, a yellow light shot into the sky, and the sound of gongs grew rapid.

A white silhouette silently appeared within the yellow light, fluttering like a wild goose, ghostly and ethereal.

From the back hall, Deputy Hall Master Jiang You's thunderous roar suddenly came, "Stop him!"

Concurrently, panicked shouts erupted from within.

"Oh no! The Heaven Vault has been opened!"

"The restrictions have been broken..."

The Heaven Vault, the Six States Hall's number one treasury, had been silently breached. It was only when the Seven Sound Gong alerted them that they discovered the thief.

'Whoosh!'

The white figure's movement technique was extraordinarily profound. It flashed and vanished into the void outside the mountain.

Jiang You rushed out of the back hall at that moment, transparent threads clinging to his body, his Daoist robe torn in several places. His figure was dishevelled, clearly having been held back by the opponent's divine ability.

Jiang You, enraged and humiliated, saw the white figure escape. He quickly looked at Qin Sang's cave dwelling, and seeing no one there, he breathed a sigh of relief and hastily shouted, "Quickly! Go help Elder Qin!"

Leaving Jiang Mu and the majority of the personnel to guard the treasury, Jiang You led the others in hot pursuit.

The commotion here alarmed cultivators on nearby peaks, and some busybodies secretly followed.

The patrolling cultivators of the Golden Jade Gate also noticed the anomaly here and hurriedly activated their jade talismans to contact their sect's experts, urging their spirit beasts to converge on the location.

At the very front.

Although the white figure's escape technique was exquisite, shaking off Qin Sang was a fool's dream. Not long after leaving Rainbow City, Qin Sang caught up.

"Where are you going!"

Qin Sang roared.

A sword arc leaped from the Qianjun Ring, and the Golden Sinking Sword, swift as a shooting star, suddenly unleashed a thousand-zhang sword light. A long river of sword qi tore through the air and plunged downwards.

The white figure seemed to glance back at Qin Sang. Facing the sword light above, he flicked his sleeve. Without revealing any magic treasure, a fierce wind arose in the void. Streaks of visible gray wind gathered into a ball, instantly transforming into a murky gray gale, sweeping across the sky.

'Boom!'

The long river of sword qi plunged into the strange wind without ceremony, like a burning hot iron, irresistible. Brilliant sword light flashed within the strange wind. The strange wind boiled, and streaks of gray wind furiously lunged at the sword light, turning into tangible shackles that wrapped around it layer after layer.

"Late Nascent Soul stage!"

Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly, only then able to determine the opponent's cultivation.

While the Six States Hall's treasury contained many treasures, the ultimate treasures that could move a Grand Cultivator would not be stored here.

It seemed rather absurd for a Grand Cultivator to humble themselves and personally steal such minor treasures, and then get caught in the act.

"The treasures our hall brought to Rainbow City were already meant for auction. If fellow Daoist needs them, just state it, and we wouldn't mind giving them for free. Why go through all this trouble?"

Qin Sang loudly shouted.

For just a few treasures, to befriend a Grand Cultivator, he believed Hall Master Mu had the courage for such a move.

"What I want, I always take directly!"

The white figure sneered.

The final laugh was somewhat distorted because Qin Sang, seeing that the sword light failed to stop the white figure, changed his sword art. The Golden Sinking Sword disappeared into thin air, and the void became murky, enveloping the strange wind instead.

As soon as the Seven Souls Killing Array appeared, the strange wind lost its target, flailing around like a headless fly within the sword array, crumbling under the sword qi's attack, dissipating in large swathes.

The sword filaments suddenly brightened, instantly shredding the last wisp of strange wind. Just before the white figure could escape, they covered the space, narrowly trapping the white figure inside.

Qin Sang, stealing a moment, glanced behind him.

The commotion was getting quite large now.

Besides Jiang You and his group, many other streaks of light flew along, illuminating the night outside Rainbow City, though they were far behind the two combatants.

Qin Sang noticed several golden streaks of light among them, moving at a decent speed. These were the Golden Jade Gate's unique escape techniques. He nodded inwardly, for these were exactly who he was waiting for.

If someone caused trouble in Rainbow City, the Golden Jade Gate was undeniably responsible.

Qin Sang's intervention was merely fulfilling his duty as an guest elder. He had no desire to fight a Grand Cultivator to the death for the Six States Hall. Delaying the opponent and waiting for reinforcements to arrive was already doing his utmost.

Additionally, Qin Sang recalled the feeling of being spied upon during the day.

That same night, a Grand Cultivator infiltrated the Six States Hall.

Was it a coincidence?

Qin Sang ordered the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to secretly guard the surroundings, but for now, no anomalies were found.

"Your sword array is decent, but unfortunately, you wield it poorly! And your swordsmanship is still substandard!"

Trapped in the sword array, the white figure showed no sign of panic. Instead, he let out a sneer, openly ridiculing Qin Sang.

Before Qin Sang could respond.

A 'whoosh-whoosh-whoosh' sound echoed in the sword array. Transparent threads shot out from the white figure, identical to those that had ensnared Jiang You.

The white figure had clearly not used his full power when dealing with Jiang You.

The threads wove a peculiar sight around the white figure. Countless threads intertwined, forming a lake suspended in mid-air.

The water of the lake was clear, just like a real lake.

'Splash!'

The water surface swelled, and a giant made of water emerged from the lake. Its hollow eyes stared at the endless sword filaments, roaring up at the sky. It raised its arm, twisted its body violently, and swung a heavy fist fiercely into the sword array!

The force of the punch was like thunder.

In an instant, the sword array vibrated, and chaos abruptly ensued.

Qin Sang's face was grim. He hurriedly chanted a spell, and the sword threads frantically contracted inwards, compressing the power of the sword array to mend the breach caused by the punch.

However, the white figure had already seized the opportunity. He suddenly appeared atop the water giant's head, charging upwards. Facing the intertwining sword threads, he calmly pointed to another part of the sword array and said lightly, "This array shall be used by me!"

That was precisely the spot where the water giant had struck, and the sword array's power had not yet recovered, its threads chaotic.

At these words.

Qin Sang was horrified to discover that these sword threads had completely detached from his control, their connection severed. Although it wasn't the entire sword array, only that specific area, it was still a fatal flaw.

Even more astonishingly, with a flick of the white figure's finger, those sword threads were instead controlled by the white figure, turning back to attack their "companions."

The Seven Souls Killing Array was split internally, and the sword threads began to fight each other.

The white figure seemed completely at ease.

"Full of flaws!"

The white figure's mocking laugh reached Qin Sang's ears.

Qin Sang was speechless, unable to retort.

Since the sword array reached mastery, enemies trapped within it had always only been able to parry. This was the first time it had been broken by such a strange method.

While the water giant had some discernible traces, Qin Sang couldn't even tell what kind of divine ability the white figure had finally used.

He had never heard of it!

'Whoosh!'

The white figure rushed out of the sword array, completely unharmed.

Unexpectedly, he did not choose to continue fleeing. Instead, he turned around and stood in the void, staring at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang was startled at first, then sensed something was wrong, thinking, "Not good!" He flapped his phoenix wings, transforming into a bolt of lightning, and instantly moved a thousand feet away.

As soon as he had fled, the white figure appeared at his previous location.

Qin Sang had experienced such a scene once before when fighting the Azure-furred Rat Demon, but the white figure's movements were even more concealed and effortless, making them difficult to guard against.

'Roar!'

The water giant roared furiously.

It slammed its fists one after another, tearing through the sword threads with astonishing power.

The white figure could only briefly control the sword threads.

Qin Sang forcefully regained control of the sword array, trapping the water giant. Then he focused on dealing with the white figure. A black lotus flashed between his brows, and the Fiery Dragon of Demonic Flame reappeared, charging directly towards the void on Qin Sang's left.

With a 'boom,' there was a loud tremor.

Subtle ripples spread through the void, and the white figure's silhouette emerged. Under the impact of the demonic flame, his entire being shattered like a mirror, then was swept away by the demonic flame, completely annihilated.

The white figure had tried his old trick, but Qin Sang had turned it against him.

However, Qin Sang's face showed no joy. The white figure's divine ability was too strange; he wouldn't be killed so easily.

He scanned his surroundings with full vigilance.

The next moment, the small mountain below violently shook, and a massive footprint appeared out of thin air. The white figure materialized above the footprint, his figure swaying slightly, then drifted back over ten zhang and stood steadily, his robes fluttering.

He had actually used some divine ability to dissipate the force of the demonic flame's impact.

The small mountain suffered. The stones on its summit were crushed by the footprint, and the entire small mountain top cracked from the footprint outwards. The裂谷 extended straight to the bottom of the mountain, with spring water gushing up.

The two exchanged blows twice, all in a flash.

It seemed neither had gained the upper hand, yet Qin Sang knew the opponent's terrifying strength. He was forced to use demonic flames but could only adopt a defensive stance, which made him consider retreating.

The white figure stood still, glanced behind him.

The pursuers were drawing near.

He seemed unwilling to continue entanglement with Qin Sang and ceased attacking. He raised his hand and formed a hand seal. The water giant, which was still fighting the sword array, stiffened in its limbs and melted into a puddle of water.

Then, the white figure's facial features shimmered, gradually becoming clear. It was a beautiful woman in court attire.

The beautiful woman scrutinized Qin Sang, her gaze fixed on the jade pendant at his waist.

"You have some skill, no wonder you could pass through the storm and come from the North Sea."