Chapter 1639: Li Dai Tao Jiang

Amidst the collapsing palace, the Screaming Spirit Cave Master's screams were particularly shrill, then abruptly ceased. A formidable figure had met his end.

The grotesque-faced man was utterly ruthless. Moments before, he had sworn to cooperate with the Screaming Spirit Cave Master, promising to help him restore his physical body and jointly achieve God Transformation. But as soon as the situation changed, he killed him without hesitation.

This act severed Qin Sang's last alternative for acquiring the Tianlinglong secret art.

Obtaining the secret art now hinged on accepting his conditions.

His answer came in the form of the Sun God Bird and the ferocious Teng Snake, attacking in tandem and cutting off the grotesque-faced man's further words.

The grotesque-faced man dodged clumsily, cursing inwardly.

He couldn't fathom whether Qin Sang was genuinely confident in capturing him alive, or merely feigning ruthlessness to drive down his demands. Regardless, he refused to believe anyone could truly be indifferent to Tianlinglong.

The ice palace's collapse accelerated, forming a ring of ice shards that expanded outwards at an astonishing speed. The outer palaces were leveled by the shockwaves of the flag formation.

It seemed to be in sync with the ice palace.

The battle in the jungle also reached its fiercest point.

It could no longer be called a jungle.

Qin Sang had set widespread fires, turning the jungle into scorched earth. Only a green glow was visible in the jungle's center, but its presence was entirely overshadowed by the demonic flames.

Whoosh!

The ice ring swept past the Qilin Shadow Wall, leaving behind a vast expanse of white ruins.

Ash filled the sky, slowly spreading, but the impact of the ice ring caused it to curl back even faster.

Above the Ice Ritual Palace, a distinct black and white dividing line formed.

Within the ice ring, the ethereal blue light pulsed and swelled, like a precious gem embedded in the ground, on the verge of eruption.

By this time, only a few intact flag shadows still desperately clung on within the dark hall; the tattered flags had already been utterly destroyed.

Finally.

CRACK!

With a synchronized cracking sound, all the precious flags snapped.

BOOM!

The outer celestial light exploded!

An intensely concentrated pillar of blue light shot skyward, like a piercing arrow.

Whoosh!

The blue light swept in all directions, even faster than the ice ring!

The rocky beach at the entrance of the Wuxiang Immortal Gate.

More and more puppets were awakening.

The puppets crowded the rocky beach, a dense, dark mass.

Poison King, Master Huaiyin, and Old Demon Fan broke free from the puppets and burst out of the rocky beach. Their path, however, diverged slightly from Qin Sang's; they emerged from the eastern side of the beach.

Upon seeing the sights deep within the Wuxiang Immortal Gate, they couldn't help but hesitate, unsure where to head first.

Emperor's Mountain was undoubtedly the most prominent feature. Even without knowing its name or origin, they could tell it was the core of the ancient legacy site. Yet, Emperor's Mountain was currently serene, showing no unusual phenomena.

When they first entered the Wuxiang Immortal Gate, there had been a disturbance in the direction of the precipice, as if a struggle for something was taking place, but it quickly subsided. By the time they burst from the rocky beach, the precipice had been silent for a long time.

Elsewhere, strange lights occasionally flickered, but it was impossible to discern whether they were due to cultivators battling or fluctuations in the Wuxiang Immortal Gate's restrictions.

So many masters had entered before them, but they had no idea where they had all gone.

The Daoist sect and the Wuxiang Immortal Gate had a deep-seated enmity; surely, they wouldn't have formed a tacit understanding to divide the treasures within the legacy site, would they?

As the three observed their surroundings,

Suddenly, a pillar of blue light shot skyward from Emperor's Mountain, so brilliant that even the celestial sword array above couldn't conceal it. It was strikingly conspicuous, clearly visible even from the entrance of the Wuxiang Immortal Gate.

The three men's gazes simultaneously fixed on Emperor's Mountain.

"Let's go!"

Poison King took the lead.

Emperor's Mountain was inherently an unmissable destination. With strange phenomena now appearing there first, further deliberation was unnecessary.

As a visitor from another realm, Master Huaiyin trusted Poison King's judgment and followed closely behind.

Old Demon Fan hesitated for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the entire legacy site as if searching for something, but ultimately chose to follow.

In an unnamed valley.

The blood net gradually tightened, revealing Su Zinan and a demonic banner.

Swish!

Su Zinan's lips curled into a faint smile. With a beckoning hand, the Three Corpses Annihilation Banner flew into his grasp.

He caressed the banner's surface a few times, unwilling to let it go.

The demonic banner vibrated continuously in his hand.

Su Zinan let out a cold hmph, gripping it tightly. Just as he was about to make his move, he was startled by the pillar of blue light shooting skyward. A look of surprise crossed his face as he hastily stowed the demonic banner and teleported away.

The northern region of the legacy site.

Located behind the great precipice, this area was once one of the forbidden zones of the Wuxiang Immortal Gate.

Now, it was impossible to determine what once stood within the forbidden zone, for it had become a complete ruin, even more severely damaged than the Ice Ritual Palace. An incredibly brutal battle must have taken place here.

The forbidden zone's ruins were completely shrouded in darkness.

Within this pitch-black region, residual restrictions drifted everywhere, creating a perilous environment.

The darkness had persisted for untold years, finally giving way to a different kind of light.

Three streaks of light, one after another, burst forth from the darkness, converging at the edge of the forbidden zone. They were none other than True Lord Zilei, True Lord Hegao, and Yue Lingtian.

The trio had pursued Zhu Wudao all the way into the forbidden zone.

Just moments before, the three had split up to search within the forbidden zone.

"Brother Daoist, you didn't manage to seize Old Demon Zhu's weakness either?"

Yue Lingtian couldn't help but feel disappointed, seeing that True Lord Zilei had also returned empty-handed.

It was indeed shameful; three grand cultivators had allied to ambush and kill, yet Old Demon Zhu had still managed to escape. Even if their opponent had exploited the terrain, it still resulted in a significant loss of face for them.

True Lord Hegao glanced back at the forbidden zone and mused, "Old Demon Zhu is certainly hidden within one of the zone's restrictions. With a patient search, it wouldn't be difficult to force him out. However, that would be too time-consuming. Zhu Wudao is just one concern; many other masters have entered the Wuxiang Immortal Gate, and what if they were to unite..."

Before he could finish, a pillar of blue light shot up from near Emperor's Mountain.

True Lord Hegao mused for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "It's the Ice Ritual Palace! Someone is contending for the Water Aspect inheritance."

He turned to look at True Lord Zilei.

There was one more reason he hadn't mentioned.

If they remained empty-handed before external forces arrived, their Senior Martial Brother, the Sect Master's, current plan would end in complete failure.

From the moment the teleportation array faded, True Lord Hegao's thoughts had been in turmoil.

True Lord Hegao dared not dwell on the implications of the broken path to the Immortal Hall.

As the Sect Master's junior brother, he had always lived a carefree life, never needing to concern himself with the sect's development, always supported by it.

He had never imagined that Eight Scenery, as the head of the Daoist sect, would ever face such turbulent times.

True Lord Zilei's expression was as calm as an ancient well, his gaze as unwavering as ever.

Even the teleportation array extinguishing before him seemed to be within his expectations, causing not a ripple in his composure.

"To Emperor's Mountain!" True Lord Zilei made a decisive choice.

Shortly after the trio departed,

Shadows flickered at the edge of the forbidden zone, revealing a blurry figure. It glanced towards Emperor's Mountain, let out a few cold sneers, and then vanished.

Emperor's Mountain came into view.

The three did not head directly for Emperor's Mountain. Instead, they veered slightly, intending to pass by the Ice Ritual Palace to see what was happening.

Unexpectedly, after flying for a while, Yue Lingtian suddenly halted.

The two True Lords noticed his action, reined in their escape lights, and looked his way.

Yue Lingtian gazed intently towards the eastern side of Emperor's Mountain, where the undulating peaks made it difficult to discern details. He asked in a low voice, "I recall Brother Daoist mentioning that the Earth Aspect Palace is situated east of Emperor's Mountain."

"Precisely. The Metal Aspect Palace lies between Emperor's Mountain and the Earth Aspect Palace. Heading directly east, across a great river, will lead you there. Each of the five aspects has prominent landmarks, and it's said that the Earth Aspect Palace covers the largest area among them..."

True Lord Hegao replied, then suddenly realizing something, he said in surprise, "Sect Master Yue, are you..."

Yue Lingtian cupped his fist at the two. "Now that the path to the Immortal Hall is severed, and the Great Elder is blocked outside the legacy site, the Wuxiang Immortal Gate's inheritances are limited, yet the contenders are numerous. As Sect Master, I bear the responsibility of ensuring my sect's prosperity, and the opportunity at the Earth Aspect Palace cannot be forfeited. Once I've secured the Earth Aspect inheritance, I will then rush to Emperor's Mountain to rejoin you two Daoist brothers."

With that, giving them no chance to dissuade him, Yue Lingtian's escape light shifted, transforming into a streak of dark yellow, and shot towards the Earth Aspect Palace, appearing completely unswayed by Emperor's Mountain.

True Lord Hegao opened his mouth, but found he couldn't utter a single word to dissuade him.

Though Yue Lingtian didn't state it explicitly, it was clear he harbored resentment towards Eight Scenery.

After all, Yue Lingtian had wagered his entire sect, cooperating with Eight Scenery in this elaborate scheme, only for the path to the Immortal Hall to be severed, rendering Eight Scenery's promises utterly meaningless.

Had it been any other sect, Yue Lingtian would likely have turned hostile on the spot.

Anyone would question Eight Scenery's true intentions. It was remarkable that Yue Lingtian could suppress his dissatisfaction and refrain from direct reproach.

His withdrawal, under the pretext of seeking the Earth Aspect inheritance to observe the situation, was entirely reasonable.

With Eight Scenery barely able to look after itself, True Lord Hegao had no idea how to appease Yue Lingtian.

After a brief silence, True Lord Zilei let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

"Let's go."

The Ice Ritual Palace.

Heaven and earth were bathed in a dazzling, ethereal blue light.

The aftershocks spread at an astonishing speed, sweeping across the battlefield in the blink of an eye.

After a prolonged struggle, the grotesque-faced man appeared utterly disheveled.

His body was charred in several places, and his severed left arm had no time to regenerate. The demonic flames continuously compressed his maneuvering space, revealing clear signs of defeat.

As the ethereal blue light erupted,

The earth-shattering aura and blinding blue light affected Qin Sang, causing him to instinctively squint. His mind seemed to be rattled as well, leading to a momentary lapse in focus.

In that instant,

The grotesque-faced man, fighting like a cornered beast, suddenly abandoned his resistance, ceased his glib persuasions, and unnervingly froze in place.

He had been waiting for an opportune moment.

Any talk of God Transformation opportunities or Tianlinglong was mere procrastination.

Naturally, had Qin Sang shown genuine interest, he wouldn't have minded striking a deal.

He was waiting for this very moment: the destruction of the grand formation!

A coarse, cackling sound emanated from his throat, like a grotesque laugh. Intense green light erupted from his scarred torso.

Green light permeated through the crevices in his bark-like skin, resembling countless green light blades that sliced his entire body into innumerable fragments of varying sizes.

His emerald green eyes fixated on Qin Sang, his figure deeply etched within their pupils.

The grotesque-faced man wanted to engrave Qin Sang in his memory.

He had been driven to this point, all thanks to Qin Sang. He still didn't realize that Qin Sang and the avatar were one, and surprisingly, his deepest hatred wasn't aimed at the avatar.

The green light intensified to its utmost.

The grotesque-faced man's spirit wood body exploded almost simultaneously with the ethereal blue light.

BOOM!

Countless wood fragments shot forth.

Each wood fragment was enveloped by a cluster of green light.

All green lights emitted consistent fluctuations, scattering like a myriad of stars.

Qin Sang's pupils constricted. The grotesque-faced man was waiting for an opportune moment to escape, and so was he.

The Teng Snake swung its tail, spewing cold flames that effortlessly annihilated large swathes of fragments. The Sun God Bird swooped down, combining with the Nine Nether Demonic Flames to incinerate countless more, but the grotesque-faced man was nowhere to be found!

However, as the grotesque-faced man self-destructed, Qin Sang unreservedly activated his divine sense and Heavenly Eye Divine Ability. Simultaneously, his true essence surged into his palm, channeling into the fuzz.

Long premeditated, his move finally came to fruition at this moment!

Snap!

The power of the Myriad Poison Mountain's supreme treasure within the fuzz was activated, instantly turning into a puff of white ash.

Simultaneously, the Golden Sinking Sword moved as he willed, suddenly thrusting towards an empty patch of ground.

A minuscule point of light was fleeing in that direction; this was clearly the core essence of the spirit wood body.

Although the grotesque-faced man had used countless fragments as cover and fully suppressed his aura fluctuations, he could not hide from the Heavenly Eye. Qin Sang's divine sense simultaneously locked onto the light spot, detecting the fluctuations of a nascent soul within it.

Just as it was about to strike the light spot, the Golden Sinking Sword transformed once more into a sword array. The grotesque-faced man, now bodiless, would face the full impact of the Seven Souls Killing Array and, without a doubt, be captured alive.

"Ah!"

As the sword array appeared, a scream erupted!

Unexpectedly, the scream originated from elsewhere.

At the same time, Qin Sang unexpectedly discovered that the nascent soul aura within the light spot belonged not to the grotesque-faced man, but to the Screaming Spirit Cave Master!

This individual, after killing the Screaming Spirit Cave Master in front of Qin Sang to feign a decisive stance, had cunningly kept a trick up his sleeve. He had decisively abandoned the essence of his spirit wood body, integrating the Screaming Spirit Cave Master's remnant soul into it to mislead Qin Sang's judgment, executing the strategy of 'substituting a plum for a peach'.

But he hadn't anticipated that Qin Sang didn't rely solely on divine sense; the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had instantly pinpointed the true essence's location.

Even more unexpected was that Qin Sang possessed a treasure bestowed by Myriad Poison Mountain.

The power of Myriad Poison Mountain's supreme treasure was activated.

The residual poison within the grotesque-faced man's body erupted.

For many years, he had gradually sealed the residual poison within his body, and the scars on his face had faded considerably. Though it hadn't posed a major issue at his peak, he was now powerless to suppress it further!

Qin Sang's eyes glinted sharply as he raised a hand and pointed.

BOOM!

A bolt of heavenly lightning struck down, blasting a deep crater into the ground. Within the crater, a blood-red shadow flickered.

Qin Sang muttered, "How cunning."

The grotesque-faced man had actually entrusted his nascent soul to the Gu King, leveraging the Gu King's ability to flicker within the light spot to guide it underground. He then employed a divine ability akin to earth escape to flee beyond the fire ring's reach.

The Gu King's backlash was real.

However, the Gu King was personally cultivated by him and had already matured; its backlash might not have been as severe as the grotesque-faced man had made it seem.

Had the fuzz not intervened, Qin Sang would still have quickly noticed something amiss. However, to eliminate the root of future troubles, he would likely have needed significant effort.

The grotesque-faced man's nascent soul also bore centipede-like scars on its face, indicating severe poison had infiltrated it.

The residual poison erupted, and then he was struck by lightning.

The nascent soul, severely wounded, saw Qin Sang immediately driving the Nine Nether Demonic Flames towards it. Its face contorted in pain and terror as it desperately attempted to perform its teleportation art.

Just then, the Gu King fixated its gaze on the grotesque-faced man's nascent soul, the ferocity in its eyes growing increasingly intense. It suddenly let out a sharp hiss, spitting a mouthful of poisonous light onto the nascent soul!

The teleportation divine ability was broken.

The nascent soul regained its senses, seeing the Gu King so close, and its face filled with astonishment.

The next moment, heart-rending screams erupted.

Qin Sang instantly appeared above the deep crater. Witnessing the horrific scene, he couldn't help but click his tongue in dismay.

He hadn't expected the Blood-Armored Beetle to be so ferocious. The moment its restraints weakened, it retaliated against its master without hesitation; Qin Sang had no time to intervene.

How potent was the Gu King's poison.

The grotesque-faced man's nascent soul, repeatedly and severely wounded, was struck by the poisonous light without any protection. It was already on its last legs, poisoned beyond recovery instantly, its spiritual light dissipating, clearly on the verge of perishing.

Qin Sang was quick-witted, snatching up the spatial pouch that fell from the nascent soul's fading spiritual light. He then waved his hand to activate the demonic flames, suppressing the Blood-Armored Beetle and attempting to salvage the grotesque-faced man.