Chapter 1634: Trap

**The Mortal Realm**

The Mortal Realm

"A trap!"

The grim-faced man's expression darkened.

After entering the Ice Ritual Palace, they first passed through the Qilin Shadow Screen and then ventured into the Ice Palace. Along the way, they found no unusual traces, assuming they were the first to arrive. To their surprise, the Ice Ritual Palace had already been infiltrated, and the intruder's understanding of it was beyond imagination, allowing them to even manipulate the Ice Ritual Palace's grand formation!

A terrifying cold wind howled, and the world was bleached white.

The waters of the ice lake formed massive water dragons, coiling upwards towards the sky.

Deep within the cold wind, flag shadows faintly appeared. These immense flag shadows, as tall as palaces, stretched between heaven and earth. As the banners unfurled, the cold wind intensified.

The flag shadows were reflections of the treasure banners at the core of the formation. The chilling malevolent energy emanating from them stirred the ethereal blue sky light, fully unleashing the power of the incomplete formation in the ice lake region.

However, in Qin Sang's plan, this power alone was not enough!

Deep within the pervasive ethereal blue light, frequent tremors began. The subsequent anomalies appeared where the sky light vibrated, with one void vortex after another emerging.

Within the vortices, light and shadow condensed, and new flag shadows flickered into existence one after another.

These flag shadows were the nodes of the Ice Palace's grand formation.

Though these flag shadows were mere reflections of damaged banners, they were dilapidated and could collapse at any moment. Yet, they would unleash their final power before their destruction!

'Rumble... rumble...'

The scene above the Ice Palace could only be described as earth-shattering.

In an instant, the ethereal blue sky light lost its calm demeanor, suddenly turning violent. Waves of light surged over rows of palaces, relentlessly pressing down towards the ice lake with astonishing momentum.

Throughout the Ice Palace, plumes of white mist rose, which were actually tiny ice fragments—signs of the palaces' destruction.

The protective enchantments of many palaces had long since vanished, relying solely on the ethereal blue sky light to remain standing.

With the erratic movements of the sky light, the Ice Ritual Palace lost its tranquility. Many palaces were affected, toppled and crushed by the light waves, leaving the Ice Ritual Palace in utter disarray.

'Boom!''Whoosh!'

The sounds of collapse were incessant, and chaos spread from all directions towards the ice lake, finally converging there!

At this moment, if one observed carefully, they would see that the light waves surging towards the ice lake were actually only a portion of the ethereal blue sky light, specifically from areas where incomplete flag phantoms existed.

After all, it was an incomplete formation.

In areas without incomplete flags, even with his avatar holding the ice disk, he was powerless against them. The ethereal blue sky light there was merely agitated by the ripples, beyond his control.

Otherwise, this battle would have been much easier!

All the incomplete flags moved in unison, pushing the light waves, charging towards the ice lake in one fell swoop.

In an instant.

Above the ice lake, blue and white intermingled, as the cold wind and ethereal blue sky light converged and merged.

In the chaotic scene, flag shadows stood dense like a forest.

The power of the incomplete formation was instantly pushed to its limit.

'Boom!'

All the flag shadows plunged straight into the ice lake!

The grim-faced man and the Weeping Spirit Cave Master stood on the jade bridge. Witnessing the terrifying celestial phenomenon created by the incomplete formation, their breaths hitched. Invisible pressure descended, and a profound sense of crisis suddenly rose in their hearts.

At this moment, a piercing buzz emanated from in front of the grim-faced man. The wooden bead floating before his chest flared brightly, then shot skyward, emitting a dense green glow.

Centered on the wooden bead, the green light formed a protective barrier above the grim-faced man's head.

The shift occurred in mere moments.

The scene of the ice lake drastically changed, reflected in the grim-faced man's eyes.

The grim-faced man saw the jade bridge connected to the main hall and secretly thought himself fortunate. If they hadn't been drawn by the Carefree Pavilion, inadvertently taking a different path, they would have been on that bridge right now, encircled by flag shadows and trapped within the formation.

However, the mastermind was still desperately manipulating the incomplete formation, as the flag shadows, imbued with its power, aimed to cover the jade bridge where they stood!

The grim-faced man made a decisive move, flashing backward swiftly.

Simultaneously, a field of flowers unfurled above the Weeping Spirit Cave Master's head.

At the onset of the anomaly, he initially reacted based on prior experience but quickly sensed something was wrong. His response was swift; he immediately activated his red flower magical treasure to protect himself, and, like the grim-faced man, chose to retreat backward.

Just then, another anomaly occurred!

The sound of sword cries rang out from behind them.

Both the Weeping Spirit Cave Master and the grim-faced man felt a sharp pain at the back of their heads, their expressions changing in unison.

Not only was someone manipulating the incomplete formation, but someone was also lurking behind them!

Doubts piled up for the two of them: who exactly had ambushed them?

At one end of the jade bridge.

Qin Sang's true self and the Golden Sinking Sword appeared together.

His gaze was solemn as he stared at their backs, his left palm secretly clutching a fine hair.

This hair was a gift from Ten Thousand Poisons Mountain, rumored to contain the power of its supreme treasure, capable of triggering the grim-faced man's hidden ailment and delivering a fatal blow.

The last time Su Zinan opened the Palace of No Delusions, Qin Sang noticed the grim-faced man's facial scar had faded. Seeing it again now, it was even fainter than before.

Under these circumstances, Qin Sang highly doubted how much effect the hair could have against the grim-faced man at his full strength, and he certainly wouldn't stake his hopes on this external object.

In the end, Qin Sang did not immediately activate the hair, instead proceeding with his plan.

'Whoosh!'

The Golden Sinking Sword transformed into a sword rainbow, piercing through the air. It wasn't attacking either of the two, but rather surging towards the space between them.

Before they could react, the sword light abruptly vanished. Then, the spatial light dimmed, giving birth to countless slender sword threads that intertwined in the void.

The Seven Souls Killing Formation activated!

And the killing formation actually attacked both the grim-faced man and the Weeping Spirit Cave Master simultaneously.

The grim-faced man felt the shocking killing intent from behind him, secretly alarmed. He slammed his palm heavily against his chest, and a beam of green light shot out, enveloping an object.

It was the wooden armor that had once defended against the Four-Tiered Teng Snake Seal.

The wooden armor appeared, followed by surges of verdant light representing vitality. It then vanished from its spot, replaced by the phantom of a towering ancient tree, protecting the grim-faced man within.

The ancient tree was verdant, with luxuriant branches and leaves, full of vitality.

Like a true massive tree, it was rooted on the jade bridge.

Attacked from both front and back, and unaware of the enemy's full situation.

The grim-faced man immediately abandoned the thought of retreating. Stamping his foot heavily, he leaped outwards from the jade bridge.

'Swish, swish, swish...'

The sword threads twisted and struck, causing the ancient tree's green light to dim slightly.

All that could be heard was a grating, teeth-aching friction sound. The ancient tree swayed but was not pierced by the sword threads, nor were there even noticeable scratches. The sword formation seemed strong in appearance but weak in reality, its power far less than the grim-faced man had anticipated.

At this moment, the grim-faced man suddenly realized something and abruptly turned his head to look at the Weeping Spirit Cave Master.

This was a feint by Qin Sang; the attack on the grim-faced man was a pretense. The real objective was to force the grim-faced man to focus on self-preservation, ensuring most of the sword formation's power fell upon the Weeping Spirit Cave Master.

"How dare you!"

The Weeping Spirit Cave Master was furious and shocked, blood rushing to his face, his eyes turning crimson.

The red flower magical treasure spun at extreme speed, its true form indiscernible, leaving only a red vortex in the void.

Red light scattered into the flower field, and the centers of countless flower phantoms split open, revealing painful human faces. These faces, twisted in agony, were all malevolent spirits carefully refined by the Weeping Spirit Cave Master.

'Whoosh!'

The malevolent spirits all opened their eyes in unison.

Their hollow eyes had no pupils, only white eyeballs.

The painful expressions on the malevolent spirits' faces gradually subsided. They stared intently at the Seven Souls Killing Formation and at Qin Sang, who stood at the bridgehead, appearing even more sinister than before.

Strange 'wuwu' sounds rang out, extremely eerie, like evil spirits howling.

In the flower field, the flower phantoms twisted, merging with the malevolent spirits' faces, revealing grotesque, non-human shadows bathed in the red light emitted by the red flowers, as if stained with blood.

The next moment, the Weeping Spirit Cave Master unleashed the malevolent spirits' shackles.

'Whoosh!'

The red flower, carrying a portion of the malevolent spirits, flew high to resist the nearby flag shadows of the incomplete formation.

Most of the malevolent spirits charged towards the Seven Souls Killing Formation, crowding together to form a river of blood in mid-air. This scene was comparable to countless specters floating in the Yellow Springs.

Above the jade bridge, the river of blood soared through the air, surging mightily into the killing formation.

'Swish! Swish! Swish!'

The sword threads shone brightly, entwining and strangling the malevolent spirits.

Unexpectedly, the malevolent spirits seemed endless and utterly fierce. Not only were they unafraid of death, but they actively tore at the sword threads.

Above, a thunderous roar echoed as the red flower magical treasure collided with the flag shadows. The crimson evil light and the overwhelming ethereal blue sky light pressed together, forming a distinct boundary.

Soon, the lights of different colors began to merge, consuming each other, and the boundary blurred.

Regardless of who won or lost, the outcome actually didn't matter.

The Weeping Spirit Cave Master divided his focus, blocking enemies from two sides, solely to seize an opportunity to escape from this perilous place!

The Weeping Spirit Cave Master's figure flickered, just about to escape.

Unexpectedly, a suction force suddenly emanated from beneath the jade bridge!

The grim-faced man and the Weeping Spirit Cave Master had their attention drawn by the spirit formation and Qin Sang.

Neither of them noticed a small ball of white light hidden within the ethereal blue sky light.

Inside the white light was a bone, wrapped with a thin layer of a glove.

The bone was warm and lustrous, glowing like precious jade, its surface encircled by delicate blood-red threads. With the outer glove, it appeared exceedingly eerie—it was precisely the Blood Alligator Bone Hand.

Having decided to set an ambush, the avatar had hidden the Blood Alligator Bone Hand in the ice lake, setting a trap.

Of course, the Blood Alligator Bone Hand's original target for ambush was a different jade bridge, so it had to be summoned by the true self, which slowed down its activation slightly.

'Whoosh!'

The glove, refined from a demon core, landed on the true self's hand, immediately followed by a soul-shaking roar.

This was the first time Qin Sang used this treasure in combat since its refinement, but having faced the thousand-zhang giant alligator years ago, he had vivid memories and could trust this artifact.

The roar was like thunder, and the jade bridge trembled violently.

Large waves splashed on the lake surface, and a point of white light shot out as the bone's aura erupted. The phantom of a thousand-zhang giant alligator leaped out from within the bone, roaring skyward, its ferocity overwhelming.

Beside the giant alligator, the flag shadows appeared much smaller.

The giant alligator's body solidified, transforming into an peerless fierce beast. It lay on the ice lake, its head raised, staring intently at the Weeping Spirit Cave Master on the jade bridge, exuding pure killing intent.

Opening its massive maw, a black hole appeared in the alligator's throat. A suction force surged from within its body, sending visible ripples directly towards the Weeping Spirit Cave Master.

'Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh...'

The suction force continuously expanded, spreading outwards with the Weeping Spirit Cave Master at its center. The lake surface suddenly bulged, and the lake water poured back, being sucked into the alligator's maw. Subsequently, the ethereal blue sky light and the cold wind were also affected.

'Crack!'

The jade bridge, already unable to bear the strain, finally collapsed. Countless fragments spun and vanished into the alligator's belly.

And the Weeping Spirit Cave Master was the true target of the suction force!

At this moment, the Weeping Spirit Cave Master was hastily fighting, dividing his attention to fend off both the incomplete formation and the Seven Souls Killing Formation. He had no spare energy left to deal with the suction force.

The Weeping Spirit Cave Master's robes billowed, sending ripples outward.

Unexpectedly, sword light suddenly appeared, tearing through his robes. It was the Seven Souls Killing Formation, having annihilated the malevolent spirits, striking again. The Weeping Spirit Cave Master's face was filled with horror; he could only recall the red flower to protect himself.

'Whoosh!'

The flag shadows, now unimpeded, descended directly.

Before the Weeping Spirit Cave Master could break free from the suction, he was pulled into the incomplete formation along with that section of water.

The ethereal blue sky light pressed down, obscuring all the chaos.

"Save me!"

Before vanishing, the Weeping Spirit Cave Master left behind only this urgent cry for help.

The grim-faced man hovered above the lake. Since Qin Sang and the incomplete formation were not targeting him, he was unharmed. Turning to see the Weeping Spirit Cave Master in distress, he subtly pointed at his wooden armor. Immediately, the wooden armor transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the Weeping Spirit Cave Master.

The situation was clear: one opponent was secretly manipulating the incomplete formation, while the other launched a sneak attack. There were no other helpers. They had been caught off guard and did not understand their opponents, which put them at a disadvantage.

If they could rescue the Weeping Spirit Cave Master, escape the Ice Palace, and negate the opponent's geographical advantage, who would win or lose was still unknown!

Just then, a figure moved even faster than the wooden armor, rushing towards the incomplete formation: it was Qin Sang's true self.

Pulling the Weeping Spirit Cave Master into the incomplete formation wasn't merely to trap him. Qin Sang's goal was to clip the grim-faced man's wings, so naturally, he had to seize this opportunity to kill him!

The grim-faced man coldly watched Qin Sang, a sinister look on his face. He secretly clenched his left fist, and the Jade Armor Beetle, which had been resting quietly in his palm, was quietly launched.

The Jade Armor Beetle flapped its wings and took flight.

Now, there was no blood-red color in the Jade Armor Beetle's eyes. Its appearance was clearly that of a harmless little beetle, yet no one would have guessed that it was actually a peerless fierce insect!

The wooden armor rescuing the Weeping Spirit Cave Master was, naturally, also a feint by the grim-faced man.

Earlier, Qin Sang was at the bridgehead, too far away, and given the suddenness of the event and the unknown enemy situation, the grim-faced man had kept the Jade Armor Beetle in his hand, enduring until now.

It was only now that he suddenly made his deadly move!

Predicting Qin Sang's escape path, the Jade Armor Beetle's mouthparts slightly opened and closed, spewing out a beam of venomous light.

The venomous light was extraordinarily swift, three times faster than when it ambushed Lu Zhang last time, reaching its target in a flash.

Had Qin Sang not already known the grim-faced man's methods, he would likely have been struck.

With the chubby silkworm not by his side, even with the poison bead stripped from it, Qin Sang dared not directly withstand the Jade Armor Beetle's venomous light and had already taken precautions. His escape light sharply halted, then sharply veered, easily bypassing the venomous light, still heading directly for the Weeping Spirit Cave Master.

Even with the grim-faced man's dark mind, he couldn't help but be startled by the sight.

He was very confident in the Gu King's abilities.

Once the venomous light appeared, it meant either death or serious injury.

He never expected that his opponent seemed to have anticipated it, defusing the crisis with ease.

The confident look in the grim-faced man's eyes vanished. He hastily recalled the Jade Armor Beetle, then felt a surge of energy lock onto him. Startled, he abruptly turned his head and saw a figure on the opposite side of the ice lake, his pupils constricting violently.

"It's you!"

The grim-faced man finally understood.

No wonder he sensed a pure wood spirit aura here!

No wonder the opponent anticipated the Gu King's venomous light!

To think, the person he had been thinking about appeared in the Immaterial Immortal Sect, ambushing him!

The person who appeared was precisely Qin Sang's avatar.

Having ignited the power of the incomplete formation, the avatar had no need, nor ability, to do anything more.

The Ice Palace's grand formation was already at its limit, forcefully activated to unleash its final radiance. After this battle, the spirit formation would face destruction.

The avatar escaped the dark hall, appearing by the ice lake, watching the grim-faced man with cold eyes, his tone chilling.

"Greetings, fellow daoist. I trust you've been well."