Chapter 1664: Strange Fragrance

**Martial Arts & Immortal Cultivation**

Death Mark, Heavenly Thunder, and Magnetic Light. Any one of these three attacks would, in most cases, be fatal to an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

Master Huaiyin, having reached the pinnacle of body cultivation, faced fewer restrictions than spell cultivators within the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light. Many magical treasures and divine abilities either became unusable or were easily deflected and significantly weakened by the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic force. He dared to seize the treasure while enduring the Death Mark and Heavenly Thunder, naturally confident in his ability to handle any situation.

However, he hadn't anticipated a third person, a female cultivator, lurking with such perfect concealment.

With all three attacks striking simultaneously, Master Huaiyin's Arhat Golden Body, strong as it was, could not withstand them and shattered instantly. The female cultivator, having waited for this very moment, wouldn't miss such an opportunity. She exploited his vulnerability, striking successfully!

Feeling the sticky blood on her palm, a smile played on her lips. In her eyes, Master Huaiyin's vibrant vital essence was even more enticing than a Nascent Soul.

Yet, her triumph didn't last long, nor did the prey lose all resistance and die as she had expected, ready for her to butcher. At that moment, she had already guided the magnetic light along Master Huaiyin's wound into his internal organs, poised to detonate it and utterly shatter his viscera.

"What fiend dares!"

A sudden roar echoed. The shout contained a soul-stirring power. This was the Heavenly Dragon Sanskrit Chant, a secret Buddhist technique. The Sanskrit sound, like thunder, could deter all foes. When unleashed by Master Huaiyin, amplified by his vital essence, its power was especially terrifying. Those with weaker mental fortitude would have their primordial spirit shaken and their courage shattered on the spot.

The female cultivator froze slightly.

Master Huaiyin had, at some unknown point, turned his head towards her, uttering the Zen sound. The Buddhist light in his eyes, ignited by fury, radiated overwhelming killing intent.

At this moment, dazzling Buddhist light surrounded Master Huaiyin. After his Arhat Golden Body shattered, its fragments did not disperse but reassembled, transforming back into a golden dragon of vital essence, aiding him in unleashing this Heavenly Dragon Sanskrit Chant. The golden dragon of vital essence merged into the Sanskrit sound, forming tangible sound waves.

Master Huaiyin himself appeared withered, almost lifeless. His Golden Body was shattered, his internal organs damaged, and he was severely wounded. Using the Heavenly Dragon Sanskrit Chant in such a state further depleted his vital essence, leaving him at his last gasp. The Sanskrit sound clearly couldn't truly deter the female cultivator; it could only buy him a brief moment to catch his breath.

In this dire condition, Master Huaiyin's outstretched right hand still hadn't retracted, resolutely reaching for the cluster of fragments. His left hand, however, moved back to his chest, fingers curled inward, forming a single-hand seal.

The female cultivator shook her head, dispelling the Sanskrit sound's impact. Discovering Master Huaiyin was still fixated on the treasure, she inwardly deemed him reckless and was about to finish him off. Suddenly, she felt the arm plunged into Master Huaiyin's body tighten abruptly. An astonishing, unknown force erupted from within Master Huaiyin, forcing all the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light back out of him. She felt all the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light compressed around her palm, unable to cause Master Huaiyin any further harm. Moreover, the force grew increasingly fierce, threatening to blast her away.

Even more astonishingly, Master Huaiyin, who was seemingly at death's door, had a golden light flowing from the hand seal across his skin. His aura was visibly surging. This golden light originated from Master Huaiyin's hand seal. Where the golden light touched, it was as if fortune had turned from adversity. Thunderous sounds emanated from all Master Huaiyin's meridians, the color returned to his face, the golden dragon of vital essence reassembled, and the Arhat Golden Body reappeared!

In an instant, Master Huaiyin had almost returned to his peak state. If not for the horrifying wound still visible on his back, no one would have guessed he had just been severely injured and nearly died.

"Monster, prepare to die!" Master Huaiyin roared again. This was not the Heavenly Dragon Sanskrit Chant, but his voice was full of power.

The Arhat Golden Body lowered its gaze and struck the female cultivator's head with a forceful palm. Golden dragons encircled the Arhat's arm, creating ripple-like golden patterns in their wake. An astonishing storm erupted out of nowhere, scattering the magnetic light and threatening to shatter the very void. The female cultivator was at the center of the storm, her fair wrist still plunged into Master Huaiyin's wound. If she didn't retreat, she would have to directly endure the Arhat Golden Body's palm strike.

In less than a breath, the situation had changed dramatically, dazzling everyone. The female cultivator's stealthy ambush nearly killed Master Huaiyin, but then the situation completely reversed.

Qin Sang and Su Zinan were both utterly surprised—surprised by the mysterious attacker and by Master Huaiyin's powerful divine ability. The attacker's stealth was perfect, and her timing impeccable; she had clearly planned this for a long time. They themselves might not have escaped such an attack. Qin Sang felt a chill of fear. If not for the warning from the Fire Jade Centipede, he would have been the one ambushed. Master Huaiyin had, in a way, taken the hit for him.

A thought flashed through his mind, and his Heavenly Eye ability pierced through the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light. Qin Sang clearly saw the female cultivator's attire and was immediately drawn to an item at her waist. It was a fiery red jade pendant, appearing to have lava flowing within it, identical to the pendant in the Ice Yi Palace tribulation vision. The Fire Jade Centipede's reaction also confirmed that this pendant was what attracted it.

"Scarlet Immortal Pendant!" Qin Sang's pupils constricted, and his eyes lit up. His thoughts surged, and he unhesitatingly formed new Thunder Sound and Soul-Devouring Incantation seals. He had actually been planning this for a while. The same attacks as before, but the target had shifted to the female cultivator. Master Huaiyin came from the Western Lands and had few enemies in the Central Plains. The female cultivator's unhesitating attack indicated she was a ruthless and indiscriminate killer. She had spied on him several times, clearly with malicious intent. Even without the Scarlet Immortal Pendant, Qin Sang wouldn't have shown mercy.

At the same time, Qin Sang speculated about her background. Since entering the Seamless Immortal Sect, he had never seen this woman, nor did the remnant soul of the Crying Spirit Cave Lord have any related memories. However, her various actions provided clues for speculation. Qin Sang was certain that the Star Pavilion explosion and the emergence of the ancient cultivator's treasure were all her doing. This woman could use the divine prohibitions for stealth and manipulate the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light, but her control must be limited. Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to meticulously set a trap; she could have directly controlled the divine prohibitions to put them all in danger.

"Is she an accomplice of Zhu Wudao?" Qin Sang considered a possibility. It was normal for Zhu Wudao, who brought a group of monsters and demons in, to hold back against the Crying Spirit Cave Lord's group, guarding against betrayal. Additionally, in the Crying Spirit Cave Lord's memory, Zhu Wudao mentioned many Seamless Immortal Sect descendants hidden in the shadows, some watching them. However, they were constantly hunted by other forces, so they were on edge and dared not reveal their identities. Now that the Seamless Immortal Sect's ancestral home had appeared, those forces probably couldn't sit still either. It wasn't surprising that these people, holding inherited treasures of the Seamless Immortal Sect, could move freely within Dishou Mountain.

In a flash, various thoughts streamed through his mind, but they didn't affect Qin Sang's judgment or actions. While attacking, Qin Sang changed his retreating posture. His Phoenix Wings flapped forcefully, leaving a black trail of fire in the void as he lunged back.

As Qin Sang advanced, Master Huaiyin, multi-tasking, had already extended his other hand into the cluster of fragments. Before being ambushed, Master Huaiyin had intended to scoop up all the treasures. The Poison King would arrive soon, and he could have endured a combined attack from Qin Sang and Su Zinan and still retreated safely. If the female cultivator's relics contained information about Dishou Mountain, it could be useful in cornering the strange-faced man. Although he had obtained the more valuable Xin Jin source crystal, which could replace the spiritual item he was searching for, his agreement with the Poison King still stood. And since his current opportunity was related to the Poison King, he couldn't simply break his word. Now severely wounded, Master Huaiyin dared not be overconfident and had to make a choice.

Master Huaiyin gathered the golden light in his palm, only taking the Xin Jin source crystal. His arm shook powerfully, sending the other treasures flying far away to avoid attracting further attacks. Some treasures were destroyed in the explosion. Only a handful remained. Among them were four swords: two longswords (one of which had been resting on the female cultivator's lap, likely her personal sword), and two finger-sized swords—one golden, one jade. The small spiritual swords had no scabbards and, judging by their form, resembled sword talismans. There was also a black jade box with a seal on it, its light constantly flickering, clearly due to the intense impact.

Qin Sang was solely focused on the jade pendant at her waist. He glanced at the other treasures but didn't intend to change his target. However, Su Zinan's eyesight was not as good as the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's. His vision and perception were blocked by the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light around Master Huaiyin. He could only see her blurred figure and hadn't yet noticed the Fire Rhinoceros Pendant.

Just as he was filled with doubt, he saw Master Huaiyin send the treasures flying, and his expression subtly changed. Su Zinan's figure flickered repeatedly, also advancing, gathering the lingering power of his Death Mark, heading straight for her. His thinking was similar to Qin Sang's: her origin was unknown, she was a rare commodity, and it would be best to capture her alive. However, Su Zinan was more adept at profiting from others' conflicts; he appeared to be heading for the treasures. A faint, almost imperceptible mist always surrounded him, which was the manifestation of the two main souls of his demonic banner, countering the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Light. As long as the main souls didn't detach from him, he wouldn't be recognized; even the Heavenly Eye Butterfly didn't notice, mistaking it for one of Su Zinan's protective magic artifacts.

For a moment, four sides converged, and a chaotic battle was on the verge of erupting.

Heavenly Thunder arrived again. Master Huaiyin instinctively prepared to resist, but was surprised to find it was heading straight for the female cultivator. Unable to understand why Qin Sang was helping him, he decided not to overthink it. The Arhat Golden Body's palm descended, forming a thick, golden aura.

'Boom!' The female cultivator, locked by the Heavenly Thunder and the Buddhist palm, appeared unusually frail. The Heavenly Dragon Sanskrit Chant and Soul-Devouring Incantation followed in quick succession, further shaking her mind. In addition, Qin Sang also unleashed the Sun God Tree. In the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light, the Sun God Bird could easily lose control and veer off course, so he had to wait until he was closer to attack.

While seemingly complicated, Qin Sang and Master Huaiyin reacted incredibly fast, leaving her almost no opening. The female cultivator was on the verge of having her head shattered and dying. Qin Sang suddenly saw her retract her arms, spread them wide, close her eyes, and open her mouth in a desperate, ear-piercing scream. The scream was so sharp that even through the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Light, Qin Sang felt like sharp needles were piercing his eardrums.

Outside the battlefield. The Poison King was almost there. He faintly heard the woman's shriek, his expression extremely serious. Master Huaiyin's two angry roars earlier, combined with this shriek, indicated an unknown anomaly had occurred ahead. The Poison King had confidence in Master Huaiyin's strength, but hearing these sounds, he felt somewhat uneasy. Unfortunately, he wasn't adept at dealing with Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Light, so he lagged behind.

Thinking of this, the Poison King dared not delay. He shook his sleeve, muttered an incantation, completed a spell, and extended his index finger. Just then, a black line flew out of his sleeve. The Poison King's finger brushed the end of the black line, stirring up a black demonic wind that passed through layers of Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Light, rushing towards the battlefield first. The Poison King's gaze was solemn, and his speed immediately slowed considerably as he remotely controlled his gu worms.

The scream reached his ears, and Qin Sang inwardly cried out, "Not good!" He then saw the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light around her rapidly contract, forming a yellow-black pillar of light that shot straight up, meeting the Arhat Golden Body's massive palm head-on. Unfortunately, she acted hastily, so her defense wasn't perfect. The Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light protecting her body became thin, unable to block the Heavenly Thunder and Death Mark.

'Crack!' Amidst the thunderous sound, the giant palm was obstructed, and the Heavenly Thunder and Death Mark pierced through the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Light, hitting her almost simultaneously. Surprisingly, she didn't die on the spot from these two attacks. Her injuries were much lighter than Qin Sang had estimated. Some gray, hazy mist, similar in form to chaos, had appeared around her body at some point, clashing with the Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light. Amidst her screams, the mist surged dramatically.

At the same time, the space around her began to tremble, becoming extremely unstable. The surrounding Nine Elemental Geomagnetic Divine Light shattered one after another. Master Huaiyin's gaze became stern; he sensed danger. He had already recovered with secret techniques, a difficult feat that couldn't be sustained for long. After obtaining the Xin Jin source crystal, he had already considered retreating. Seeing her forced back, he made a decisive move and retreated.

Her shoulder was struck by lightning, her skin torn and flesh exposed, blood evaporated by the lightning's power. She was hit by the Death Mark on her chest, a clear 'Death' character imprinted on her. Her internal vital essence was drawn by an unknown force towards the Death Mark. But none of these were fatal; most of the power seemed to have been blocked by the mist. As the space and divine prohibitions vibrated, her figure became increasingly ethereal.

Seeing this, Qin Sang immediately understood that she was trying to escape! But to his disappointment, Master Huaiyin chose to retreat. Qin Sang's palm was raised, the Sun God Tree reappeared, slowly rotating in his palm, its three divine birds fluttering their wings, ready to take flight. Unexpectedly, her movements were faster. The mist, like a vast ocean, surged from an unknown space. Wherever it passed, the void cracked, and rifts appeared.

Qin Sang, Su Zinan, and Master Huaiyin all knew clearly that these were not true spatial rifts, but gaps in the divine prohibitions. The opposite side of these rifts should be the exit they had been searching for, but now none of the three wanted to enter.

'Rip!' The cracks spread rapidly, quickly surrounding Qin Sang and the others. At this moment, Su Zinan finally saw her face clearly, his eyes widening: "Fire Rhinoceros Pendant!" He finally understood why Qin Sang had decisively attacked her—it was because of this treasure. He didn't hesitate for a second and lunged straight for her.

Qin Sang and Su Zinan advanced, while Master Huaiyin did the opposite, retreating repeatedly, showing no desire to linger. Just then, a strange hissing wind came from afar. A demonic wind rushed over, and fine black lines could vaguely be seen within it. The Poison King had finally arrived! Master Huaiyin felt his mind ease and hurriedly rushed towards the demonic wind, indeed seeing the Poison King following behind.

"Master..." Seeing Master Huaiyin's wounds, the Poison King was greatly alarmed. Master Huaiyin gently exhaled, his aura fluctuating, and sighed: "Forgive this humble monk; I cannot accompany you further, Daoist."