Chapter 1618: Cloud Dragon's Transformation

"Yinmo Nail… could it be the Grand Elder of Tianhao Tower?"

Qin Sang used Old Demon Fan to his advantage, successfully passing through the Cloud Mist Plaza. At the last moment, he caught a glimpse of Old Demon Fan's figure but couldn't get a clear look. However, the Yinmo Nail is a famous demonic artifact in Zhongzhou, making it easily recognizable.

Old Demon Kurong of Tianhao Tower should currently be attending a Dharma conference in Jinyu Province. Even if he received the news, he wouldn't have time to rush over. Old Demon Kurong had once mentioned that Sect Master Yu was in seclusion, at a critical stage of cultivating a divine ability, and Grand Elder Fan of Tianhao Tower had other important matters. It turned out he had come to Nanzhou. It was unclear if this was a coincidence or for another reason.

Qin Sang now suspected that besides the Eight Scenic Views, Tianhao Tower might also be involved, and there could be a Tianhao Tower spy among the remnants of the Formless Immortal Sect. Though he unintentionally offended Tianhao Tower's Grand Elder, Qin Sang had no regrets. If given another chance, he would still make the same choice. Collaborating with demonic cultivators was akin to asking a tiger for its hide. If Qin Sang needed to compete with the Eight Scenic Views and the Formless Immortal Sect for something, he might consider it. His goals were clear: cultivation methods were the top priority, followed by the Spirit Transformation relics. It seemed unlikely that these would create a conflict of interest with the two factions. If the Formless Immortal Sect's treasures truly emerged and required competition, it wouldn't be too late to make a decision based on the situation then.

"Watch out!" Qin Sang heard someone shout behind him.

The cultivators from the two sects attacking the stone pillar restriction immediately stopped, gathering in front of the restriction, as if facing a formidable enemy, to prevent the Blue Cloud Grass from being stolen. Unexpectedly, Qin Sang showed no sign of slowing down. Without even glancing at the Blue Cloud Grass, he shot straight through an open space in the plaza, without hesitation, and vanished into the sea of clouds in an instant.

"What fast escape art! A late Nascent Soul cultivator! Who is that?" An elder from Taiyue Sect looked astonished. He searched his memory but couldn't recall such a powerful figure near Nanzhou. The emergence of the celestial phenomenon had shaken the world. At that time, Nanzhou would undoubtedly be filled with experts. But this person had arrived too quickly, surpassing them and entering the Formless Immortal Sect first.

True Lord Zilei and Yue Lingtian had gone ahead, leaving the others under the command of Hua Chenzi and one of True Lord Zilei's junior brothers. True Lord Zilei's junior brother led people out to investigate, while Hua Chenzi guarded the Blue Cloud Grass. Hua Chenzi's gaze was drawn by the flash of light. He looked pensive; even with his knowledge, he couldn't identify the origin of this person. Could there be a hidden expert in Nanzhou he didn't know about? He suddenly had an ominous premonition. It was too coincidental that this person just happened to be traveling nearby! They had initially believed themselves to be the orioles behind the Formless Immortal Sect, with ample time to slowly explore it, which led them to make the most cautious choices, proceeding step by step. Now, with this variable, he hoped the situation wouldn't spiral out of control.

A sense of urgency arose in Hua Chenzi's heart. Seeing that Qin Sang had not coveted the Blue Cloud Grass, he was about to signal others not to pursue, when he suddenly received a message from True Lord Zilei's junior brother: "There's someone else here!" It was Old Demon Fan who had been exposed. Hua Chenzi frowned slightly. He had thought the previous commotion was just a diversion to allow someone to enter the Formless Immortal Sect, but he hadn't expected another person outside. "What is the relationship between these two?"

As this thought surfaced, a sudden warning surged in Hua Chenzi's mind. He yelled, "Watch out!" and simultaneously, his sleeves vibrated, sending out a streak of mystic-yellow light. Within the light was a lamp, seemingly carved from rough stone. The lamp had no oil or wick. Without any discernible action from Hua Chenzi, a flame suddenly ignited within the lamp. The flame was small, but its yellow light was extremely dazzling, illuminating the area around the stone pillar. Within the area illuminated by the lamp, an inexplicable power flowed through the void.

Still uneasy, Hua Chenzi quickly released two spirit beasts: two rare Mountain-Burrowing Giant Earthworms. The Giant Earthworms rapidly grew in size, becoming long and slender, comparable to flood dragons. The two beasts, one on the left and one on the right, swayed their heads and tails, emitting strange whimpering sounds from within, and began to fly towards the lamp. It was then that the others reacted. They hadn't sensed any anomaly, but trusting Hua Chenzi's judgment, they all summoned their respective magic treasures and divine abilities. However, they had no idea where the target was or in which direction to attack.

Just then, everyone felt their vision flicker, bright then dim. Focusing, they saw numerous demonic shadows appear within the area illuminated by the lamp. Thousands of demonic shadows rushed into the lamp's range, suddenly subjected to immense pressure, flickering and unstable. Yet, the demonic flames became even more aggressive, disregarding everyone and frantically lunging towards the Blue Cloud Grass.

"Myriad Demon Yin Scripture! Old Demon Fan!" Hua Chenzi's eyes flashed with sharp light. Another uninvited guest!

"Hahaha..." Innumerable demonic shadows laughed in unison, and Old Demon Fan's arrogant voice resounded everywhere. "Old Ghost Hua, thank you for helping this old man find the Blue Cloud Grass! Now, quickly hand over the spiritual medicine!" Qin Sang's attack had indeed created trouble for Old Demon Fan, but it also presented an opportunity. Qin Sang's entry into the Formless Immortal Sect, ignoring the Blue Cloud Grass, was precisely when Hua Chenzi and the others were most relaxed. It also showed Old Demon Fan's bold skill, seizing a fleeting moment. Another person would never dare to take such a risk.

"So, Old Demon Fan had his eyes on the Blue Cloud Grass..." Qin Sang sensed the changes behind him, paused slightly, and a look of realization appeared on his face.

Ahead, the sea of clouds continued endlessly. Qin Sang turned for a glance, with no intention of interfering in the fight. His gaze swept over the two majestic cloud dragon carvings. The cloud dragons seemed to be guardians of the Formless Immortal Sect, standing guard there. The restrictions were not activated, and he didn't know what abilities the cloud dragons possessed, but as Qin Sang approached them, he inexplicably felt a tightening in his heart and dared not underestimate them.

Unexpectedly, that one glance allowed Qin Sang to notice unusual details. After passing through the Cloud Mist Plaza, the chaos had not subsided but intensified. Turbulent currents continuously rushed out from ahead, constantly impacting the cloud dragons. At the limit of what his Heaven's Eye divine ability could perceive, several inner scales on both of the cloud dragons' claws were broken, and cracks had appeared. Though the cloud dragons appeared solid as a whole, they already had hidden flaws and wouldn't remain stable for long.

"If the cloud dragons collapse, what will happen here?" This thought suddenly occurred to Qin Sang. He glanced at the Cloud Mist Plaza, and once the idea formed, it became hard to suppress. *I'm already inside, so it probably won't affect me much!* Having made his judgment, Qin Sang sharply turned his escape light, flying level with a dragon claw. He found that although the claw wasn't gripping anything physical, there was clearly an invisible force supporting the cloud dragon.

After careful observation, Qin Sang didn't hesitate to summon the Sun Divine Tree. His second Nascent Soul returned into his main body. Qin Sang first put away his avatar, then distanced himself. With a slight thought, flames danced on the Sun Divine Tree, and three Sun Divine Birds soared, shooting towards the cracks in the dragon claw. Before the divine birds even struck the dragon claw, Qin Sang fully activated his escape light and fled.

*Boom!* As Qin Sang vanished into the depths of the cloud mist, an earth-shattering explosion suddenly roared behind him. Qin Sang was secretly startled but didn't look back, only allowing his Heaven's Eye Butterfly to observe what was behind him. He saw a burst of crimson light, which was then immediately obscured by dazzling white light. Struck at its most vulnerable point, the cloud dragon's claw finally broke completely. Immediately after, the enormous dragon body shook violently and tilted outwards.

During this process, the ceaseless turbulent currents added more force. Amidst rumbling sounds, this cloud dragon finally collapsed, like a celestial dragon plummeting into the sea. Amidst monstrous waves, the cloud dragon's body actually broke into several sections. The white light burst forth precisely from where the dragon's body fractured. The white light was actually an anomaly manifested from the internal power imbalance of the cloud dragon after its collapse. Once imbalanced, the cloud dragon disintegrated completely, like withered wood.

Innumerable white lights converged, and no other colors could be seen in that space. Even more terrifying were the fluctuations accompanying the white light. If anyone were to look down from above at that moment, they would see a white ripple exploding from the cloud dragon's demise, expanding outwards at an astonishing speed. The spreading cloud waves were clearly visible in the sea of clouds. Terrifying cloud waves soared into the sky.

In the Cloud Mist Plaza, Old Demon Fan, Hua Chenzi, and the others were fighting over the Blue Cloud Grass. Sensing the anomaly, they were all horrified. Before they could dodge, they were submerged by the cloud waves. Immediately after, the other cloud dragon was also affected and collapsed.

Qin Sang had already fled the dangerous area. Sensing the intensifying phenomena and astonishing fluctuations behind him, he was also very surprised. He had anticipated that the collapse of the cloud dragons might cause some trouble for Old Demon Fan and the others, but he never imagined it would create such a massive commotion.

At this moment, the Heaven's Eye Butterfly clearly saw that the two cloud dragons had been replaced by an boundless wall of clouds. The Cloud Mist Plaza must have also been destroyed. The cloud wall had no gaps, spanning the void, filled with chaotic energy, and still expanding.

Just then, a group of people arrived—the other successors of the Formless Immortal Sect. Without the protection of the Dharma altar, and with cultivation levels inferior to those of Zhu Wudao and his group, they had fallen behind. Because each had their own intentions and were not as united as the Eight Scenic Views and Taiyue Sect, they were even slower than Hua Chenzi. The turbulent currents and restrictions in the passage had led them in different directions, so the two groups hadn't encountered each other; otherwise, a major battle would have been unavoidable.

Everyone stared blankly at the cloud wall ahead, their faces ashen. They couldn't fathom what had happened here, but it was clear that the cloud wall hadn't appeared when Zhu Wudao and his group entered. They were a step too late and were now blocked outside. Anyone wishing to enter the Formless Immortal Sect later would first have to find a way through the cloud wall, and judging by the commotion outside, it certainly wouldn't be easy.

Qin Sang clicked his tongue, not expecting to have created such an impassable chasm, cutting off the path for later arrivals. If Old Demon Fan and the others weren't dead, they were surely cursing him. For Qin Sang, this was undoubtedly a good thing. He wasn't sure if the remnants of the Formless Immortal Sect and True Lord Zilei had spotted the cloud dragons' weaknesses. Perhaps they had, but because their companions were still behind them, they hadn't acted. However, Qin Sang was a lone wolf, with no such concerns. The fewer helpers others had, and the fewer people to share resources, the more advantageous it was for him. Qin Sang took another two glances, saw no sign of Old Demon Fan or the others—likely struggling in the cloud waves—and no longer hesitated, swiftly departing.

Deep within the sea of clouds. Zhu Wudao and his group were still at the forefront. With the combined strength of these top experts, the obstacles in the passage didn't cause them much trouble; no one was injured. Zhu Wudao led the way. After rushing forward for a while, they finally saw something tangible within the sea of clouds.

A section of stone steps came into view. The steps were constructed from white stone slabs. Remarkably, not a single slab on the entire staircase was intact; even the best-preserved ones were covered in cracks, with moss growing in the crevices, emitting a decaying odor. Upon seeing the dilapidated stone steps, Zhu Wudao's face lit up with joy. "We're here!"

Everyone sped up their escape, then suddenly heard a tremor behind them and stopped to look back. Though they couldn't see the celestial phenomenon from their current location, they could sense unusual fluctuations; something astonishing had definitely happened there. "Were those the two cloud-carved dragons?" The man with the strange face pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Zhu Wudao. Though he was a successor of the Wood Phase, he didn't know much about the Formless Immortal Sect, far less than Zhu Wudao.

Zhu Wudao nodded gently. Seeing everyone looking at him inquiringly, he explained, "I also don't know what those two cloud dragons were. Otherwise, I, an old man, would simply control them and do as I please in the Formless Immortal Sect. They were probably similar to mountain-guarding puppets but were undoubtedly damaged during that great upheaval. Now that the Formless Immortal Sect has reopened, they've been impacted by the turbulent currents and are completely destroyed. It's not entirely a bad thing; the collapse of the cloud dragons prevents others from sharing the spoils, so we can explore at our leisure."

"That will only block some insignificant fellows," Su Zinan said dismissively, urging Zhu Wudao to lead the way quickly.

Zhu Wudao's figure flickered repeatedly as he stepped onto the stone steps. Escape lights flashed behind him as everyone landed, looking around. They found themselves on the slope of a mountain, with the stone steps winding upwards, presumably leading to the summit.

"This is the Formless Immortal Sect?" The sword-backed man looked disappointed. As far as their eyes could see, there were only desolate forests and widespread ruin. The mountain summit was hidden in the mist, unclear.

"Fellow Daoist, don't rush. To enter the Formless Immortal Sect, we still need to go further," Zhu Wudao gently raised his head, his gaze following the stone steps. "Have any of you noticed that the space here has become much more stable?"

With Zhu Wudao's reminder, everyone realized that this place was indeed different from the outside.

"It shouldn't be that simple, should it?" the white-robed man hesitated.

Zhu Wudao nodded. "Fellow Daoist has a keen mind." Before his voice faded, Zhu Wudao swiftly ascended the stone steps. Everyone quickly followed. After Zhu Wudao had rapidly ascended for a while, his foot suddenly pushed off, and he shot upwards into the sky. Initially, nothing happened. But when Zhu Wudao reached a height of three meters, ripples suddenly appeared in the mist, accompanied by a harsh whooshing sound. A magic sword materialized without warning, aiming directly for Zhu Wudao's glabella.

At the same time, Su Zinan and the others also noticed an anomaly with Zhu Wudao: his protective true essence fluctuated violently, seemingly under invisible pressure. Zhu Wudao was already prepared. He swept his hand, and a golden light mirror appeared before him. *Dong!* A resounding clang. The center of the golden light mirror bulged outwards significantly, but it was not pierced by the magic sword. The ripples in the sea of clouds intensified, indicating that there was clearly more than one magic sword.

Zhu Wudao flashed back to the ground and said, "As you all saw, after entering the Formless Immortal Sect, it's best not to fly too high." Everyone nodded, thanking Zhu Wudao for the reminder. The grand formation of the Formless Immortal Sect was masterless. They had ways to temporarily bypass the anti-flight restrictions and were capable of dealing with magic swords, but the combination of the two was not as easy to handle, and it might trigger other unforeseen changes. It was best to stay on the ground.

Everyone followed behind Zhu Wudao, ascending the steps to the mountain summit.