Chapter 1650: Yangyan Divine Barrier

Thunder rumbled like drums.

Using his Celestial Eye ability, Qin Sang 'saw' a purple light soar into the sky behind him, countless electric snakes coiling through the sea of clouds, almost forming a thunder zone. Occasionally, crane cries shook the heavens, their calls echoing far and wide. True Immortal Zilei and True Immortal Hegao's attacks were earth-shattering. Immediately after, the purple light suddenly dimmed, and black lotuses continuously formed and vanished amidst the thunder. It seemed Old Demon Fan had intervened, swayed by unknown terms from Zhu Wudao.

Regardless of who won or lost, Qin Sang couldn't spare a thought for others for now. His priority was figuring out how to shake off his pursuers. Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao seemed to have fixed on him, relentlessly pursuing him. Their escape techniques were naturally inferior to Qin Sang's, and the distance between them gradually widened. However, Mount Dishou was not an infinitely vast region. Anti-flight magic swords circled continuously, and the mountain was riddled with restrictions. Here, Qin Sang couldn't fully unleash his escape techniques. Shaking them off would require considerable effort.

If it were only Su Zinan, Qin Sang wouldn't mind finding a place to fight him. Having just slain two Grand Cultivators, his momentum was soaring. Although his opponents were still two individuals, the situation was different from before. Previously, he and his avatar had teamed up, utilizing the remnant formation of the Ice Palace, taking advantage of the terrain, and setting up an ambush. There were no external interferences during the battle, which allowed them to succeed. He knew nothing about Mount Dishou. Where would he find terrain to exploit?

Furthermore, his avatar hadn't arrived yet. Qin Sang vaguely sensed that his avatar had entered the grand formation during the displacement of the peaks and was now fully trying to reach his main body. However, even with Zhu Wudao's meddling, Mount Dishou's grand formation was not easy to navigate, so he couldn't rely on his avatar for the time being.

"First, I need to find a way to shake them off..."

Qin Sang's eyes gleamed with acuity. As his thoughts raced, he noticed the clouds ahead gradually thinning, finally allowing him to see the landscape of the divine mountain. The most striking feature was undoubtedly the towering jade staircase, ascending directly into the heavens, truly a celestial ladder. According to Zhu Wudao, the Wordless Jade Stele was located at the top of this jade staircase, which was also the summit of Mount Dishou. On both sides of the jade staircase were numerous waterside pavilions, clear springs, and cascading waterfalls, a veritable immortal realm. If not for the current disturbance of the grand formation, which had broken Mount Dishou's tranquility, it would be an excellent place for secluded cultivation.

However, the celestial ladder did not start at the foot of the mountain; it began higher up, above the halfway point. From Qin Sang's position, even with the keen sight of his Celestial Eye Butterfly, he couldn't clearly discern the ladder's starting point. This was because there was a peculiar area in between, dazzling with colors, with clouds and mist rising, forming a vibrant ring around the peak that blocked all perception. Below this area was a white jade plaza. From the plaza, numerous staircases branched out, winding downwards, each seemingly leading directly down the mountain.

Between these staircases were also built refined residences and ancient halls, though their grandeur was noticeably inferior to those higher up. These staircases were mountain-climbing paths dedicated to the venerated ancestors of the Formless Immortal Sect. Each staircase corresponded to a jade gate, and a new one was opened each time a great virtuous cultivator emerged. Qin Sang, unaware of the reason, found it strange why the Formless Immortal Sect would build so many seemingly useless staircases. However, he didn't dwell on this question, instead turning his gaze to the peculiar area between the plaza and the grand hall.

It was called 'peculiar' because, despite Qin Sang's cultivation and knowledge, he couldn't accurately determine the extent of that area. Its boundaries were clearly defined, yet internally it seemed boundless. This was a contradictory sensation, and Qin Sang knew it wasn't an illusion.

'Whoosh!'

A streak of escape light pierced through the sea of clouds, flew into the plaza, and revealed Qin Sang's figure.

He quickly scanned the peculiar area. Within the vibrant clouds and mist, various strange lights shimmered and intersected, emitting an extremely sharp and formidable aura. Although the spiritual light within constantly shifted, a careful look revealed that in some places, the depths of the clouds had a uniform, unfathomable color, indicating they were definitely not benign. A piercing sound of tearing air came from behind him. Qin Sang glanced back, his gaze meeting Su Zinan's gloomy eyes.

Seeing Qin Sang's path blocked, Su Zinan sneered, "I'd like to see how much further you can run!"

Qin Sang's brows furrowed. "I bear no deep grudge against Fellow Daoist Su. Why are you so aggressive?" As he spoke, he activated his divine sense and Celestial Eye ability, sensing the changes in the aura within the shimmering lights.

"Hmph!" Su Zinan scoffed coldly, his murderous intent undiminished and his tone aggressive. "Hand over the treasures you stole from the snowy plains, and I might consider sparing your life!" He regretted that when Qin Sang was cornered by four individuals earlier, he hadn't seized the opportunity, and had instead revealed his murderous intent towards Qin Sang.

Qin Sang feigned realization, then burst into mocking laughter. "Does Luye truly consider that tomb his exclusive domain? I entered the snowy plains openly back then. Since you're not a descendant of the Formless Immortal Sect, what right do you have to demand treasures from me? Besides, even if you're looking to kill for treasure, you've got the wrong person. You should seek out Old Man Yanshan. He's the true Water Phase successor, having lurked and schemed near the snowy plains for years. I was also targeted by him back then, and he absconded with the treasures from the tomb."

Hearing this, Su Zinan sneered repeatedly, "Even Old Wu wasn't your match back then. Old Ghost Yanshan is merely at the Mid Nascent Soul stage; wouldn't he be at your mercy? Enough with the nonsense, hand over the treasures!"

"As expected of a Divine Transformation successor, what great prestige!" Qin Sang laughed in extreme anger.

Before his laughter faded, Qin Sang transformed into lightning once more, piercing through the plaza and plunging headlong into the peculiar cloud and mist. Seeing his decisive action, Su Zinan paused slightly, his expression suddenly darkening. He beckoned Mo Xingdao, intending to continue the pursuit, but Mo Xingdao unexpectedly stopped at the edge of the clouds.

"Fellow Daoist Mo?" Su Zinan's gaze was sharp as lightning, and he frowned as he looked over.

Mo Xingdao stared at the clouds, his voice solemn. "The divine restrictions here are connected to Mount Dishou's grand formation. From my observation of the clouds' outward appearance, their danger level surpasses the mist tides outside. This person is skilled in lightning escape techniques and can even suppress Old Wu. Without Old Demon Fan's help, it would be impossible to stop him. Fellow Daoist Su, are you certain you want to continue the pursuit?"

"I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Mo to have such profound attainments in formation restrictions," Su Zinan's expression softened as he explained. "He, like us, is new to this place and knows nothing about it. Although his escape techniques are strong, there aren't many places in the clouds for him to utilize them. On the contrary, this is the best time to eliminate him. Once he leaves here, it would truly be 'releasing the tiger back to the mountains,' and no one could control him. I will not act rashly or put you at risk. I will handle his divine abilities myself; you just need to be ready to deliver a fatal blow!"

Seeing Su Zinan's rather confident tone, Mo Xingdao was skeptical but eventually followed Su Zinan in Qin Sang's direction, disappearing into the depths of the radiant clouds.

The three departed, one after the other. At the edge of the plaza, two individuals from the Jade Terrace Sect flashed out from an abandoned refined residence.

"Such speed!" The white-robed Daoist wiped cold sweat from his brow. They had been lurking there, intending to directly enter the Five Elements Divine Restriction, but luckily, they reacted quickly enough to hide in time. Otherwise, their presence would have been discovered by the three. At that point, it would be hard to say whether the others would continue their fight or tacitly stop to capture and interrogate them first.

The Kun Dao looked at the clouds and mist, discerning them as her Senior Brother had instructed, and suddenly showed a look of anxiety. "Senior Brother, the direction they're heading seems to be the Yang Flame Divine Restriction area. What should we do?"