Chapter 1667: Relentless Pursuit

Wuxia and Xianxia

True Master Zilei walked across a rainbow bridge, taking a few steps which appeared slow but were incredibly swift. The rainbow bridge vanished instantly. Subsequently, the malevolent winds surged again, and the array restrictions reset. True Master Zilei had vanished into the unknown.

Had it not been for everyone witnessing it firsthand and the array restrictions visibly weakened, with the previous might of the malevolent winds considerably diminished, they might have dismissed it as an illusion. Even so, the Eight-Scenery Palace Lamp's power to subdue the malevolent winds and break array restrictions had deeply astonished and instilled immense trepidation in everyone present. Emperor-Granted Mountain's array restrictions were layered and intricate, their energies interconnected. While they also possessed methods to ascend through the malevolent winds, to reach the summit in a single, effortless stride like True Master Zilei was utterly impossible.

What had happened on the mountain? The same question arose in everyone's minds. In a fleeting glimpse, they saw that True Master Zilei's destination seemed to be near the mountaintop, but they couldn't discern the exact location nor could they see any specific anomalies there. They only knew that he wasn't heading towards the Kun Dao.

The number of masters who could ascend Emperor-Granted Mountain was very few, so it wasn't difficult to speculate. In this battle for the medicinal garden, most people were present, including the Kun Dao of unknown origin. The only ones unaccounted for were the two great devil lords from Tianhao Tower, and the whereabouts of the Strange-Faced Man and the Crying Spirit Cave Master remained unknown. The latter two had yet to appear, and it was uncertain if they were even on Emperor-Granted Mountain. The greatest likelihood was that it concerned Old Devil Zhu and Old Devil Fan. No one knew what the two devil lords had done to provoke such a strong reaction from True Master Zilei.

For a moment, everyone, both openly and covertly, observed True Master Hegao. True Master Hegao's expression showed a hint of surprise, but he clearly knew something, as his composure quickly returned. However, some individuals' interests lay elsewhere, and they were uninterested in these developments.

Qin Sang was one such person. From start to finish, he had not approached the medicinal garden too closely, his attention fixed on the Kun Dao. He briefly scanned the medicinal garden and caught sight of several immortal flowers and spirit trees deep within the earthen slope.

Ten-Thousand-Mile Fragrance, Sweet Dew Bright Epiphyllum...

Names flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and he recognized most of them. These spirit herbs surprisingly aligned almost perfectly with True Master Zilei's earlier assessment.

"These are all rare and precious spirit herbs seldom found in the outside world!" Qin Sang clicked his tongue.

To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie. The Wuxiang Immortal Sect had been sealed until now, and this was the first time the medicinal garden had opened. To manage to seize even a portion of it would make the trip worthwhile. But there were priorities, and treasures had varying degrees of importance. Among these spirit herbs, at best, they could save a bit of cultivation time. How could they compare to a treasure for overcoming tribulations?

Of course, if the Lingxi Immortal Fruit genuinely existed, Qin Sang would have stayed. But this was clearly a ruse, an illusion created by the Kun Dao using the medicinal garden's restrictions. If the Lingxi Immortal Fruit were real, the Kun Dao would have to be insane to use it as bait. Qin Sang understood the principle of trade-offs perfectly well. True Master Zilei's sudden departure in a flash of rainbow light also instilled a sense of urgency in Qin Sang. He knew that even with the assistance of the Celestial Eye Butterfly, it would be difficult to break through the layered array restrictions quickly, catch up to True Master Zilei and the others, and reach the summit.

If he wanted to contend for the Wordless Jade Tablet, his only option was to target the Kun Dao. Therefore, after the Kun Dao fled, Qin Sang retreated without hesitation, keeping track of subsequent developments through his Celestial Eye divine ability.

The other person who seemed preoccupied was Poison King. Upon catching a glimpse of the Lingxi Immortal Fruit, his heart filled with greed. But as soon as he confirmed it was another trap by the Kun Dao, Poison King promptly cast aside all distracting thoughts and remembered his main objective. A black thread crawled out from his sleeve, moved across his wrist into his palm, and consumed a drop of vital blood. Poison King's face paled slightly. Everyone's attention was focused on True Master Zilei, so no one noticed Poison King's unusual actions.

Poison King was repeating the actions he performed earlier at the Jade Gate, using the power of his Gu worm to sense the Jade Beetle's location. With so many top experts gathered in one place, it was the optimal time to employ his secret art. And because of the close proximity, the cost was slightly less than before.

As the secret art concluded, Poison King suddenly turned his head, looking directly in the direction where Qin Sang had vanished. The Gu worm in his palm hissed towards Qin Sang; there could be no mistake. Poison King's heart sank. His suspicion had come true: the Gu King had changed hands! He had finally located the Gu King, but Poison King's mood grew even heavier. If even the Gu King had been lost, the fate of the Strange-Faced Man was easily imagined. Since entering the mountain, this "fire demon" had not been seen with any allies. Did this not imply he possessed the strength to eliminate a Grand Cultivator on his own?

Based on Poison King's understanding of the Strange-Faced Man, this individual had tamed the Gu King, and his poison cultivation and wood-element divine abilities were considered to have reached their peak. Among Grand Cultivators, he was by no means weak. It was unknown if the Crying Spirit Cave Master had been present at the time. If it had been one against two...

Poison King's heart chilled slightly. He secretly shook his head, thinking it impossible. Yet, his apprehension towards Qin Sang did not lessen in the slightest. Of course, with the sacred item of Myriad Poisons Mountain and this Five-Transformation Gu worm by his side, Poison King wasn't necessarily afraid of Qin Sang.

His thoughts churning, Poison King actually gave up on the spirit herbs in the medicinal garden as well. In a flash, he transformed into a seven-colored streak of light and pursued Qin Sang's trail in the direction he had vanished. Poison King's actions attracted the attention of the remaining three individuals. Mo Xingdao and Su Zinan were both greatly surprised, having not heard of any prior enmity between Poison King and the Fire Demon.

Mo Xingdao pondered to himself. He had originally intended to ally with the Fire Demon to teach Su Zinan a lesson. Unexpectedly, the other party had retreated so decisively, appearing unwilling to be drawn into the chaotic vortex. This was a wise move. However, this person's disregard for the spirit herbs in the medicinal garden and complete lack of desire to contend for them was quite intriguing. Ultimately, they still needed to ascertain what exactly had transpired at the mountaintop.

Su Zinan knew more and thus pondered more deeply. At present, he had already provoked two formidable enemies and had been warned by the Daoist sect. His situation was dire, perhaps comparable to Zhu Wudao's, and the hope of acquiring the third soul was slim. If he could not achieve perfection, he would have to carefully consider how to conduct himself after leaving. Fortunately, the Eight Scenery was attracting worldwide attention, taking the lead and buying him time.

The most pressing matter, however, was the immediate situation. Su Zinan's gaze followed Poison King's escaping light, but his thoughts were on the Fire Demon. Had this individual truly been diverted by the unfolding events involving True Master Zilei, or was he targeting the Kun Dao? The Ice Ritual Divine Plate was undeniably in this person's possession. This individual had only made a move after the Kun Dao appeared, indicating his absolute determination to acquire the Fire Rhinoceros Pendant. Su Zinan's face showed doubt. In Elder Yanshan's memories, the Ice Ritual Divine Plate and the Fire Rhinoceros Pendant served as the yin and yang eyes to suppress the tribulation array; they were unrelated and would not mutually sense each other. And then there were Poison King's actions...

Su Zinan instinctively moved to act, but unexpectedly saw True Master Hegao not pursuing True Master Zilei. He merely glanced at the mountaintop and then swept directly into the depths of the medicinal garden. As True Master Hegao moved, it once again captured Mo Xingdao's and Su Zinan's attention. The Eight Scenery, a dignified leader of the Daoist sect, surely had no shortage of spirit herbs. Why was True Master Hegao lingering? Had he discerned something special?

Regardless of their thoughts. Qin Sang had already removed himself from the situation and was now tracking the Kun Dao. At this moment, he no longer concealed himself, nor could he. Firmly locking onto the Kun Dao's location, he flew almost clinging to the edge of the barrier. With his Phoenix Wings rapidly fanning and his body transforming into a bolt of lightning, he pursued relentlessly.

The Kun Dao had already detected him and was constantly changing direction. However, even when she merged into the barrier, her speed was noticeably slower than before, and her movements showed a distinct sluggishness. This indicated her injuries were not light. He also had True Master Zilei to thank. The divine ability of performing sword arts through lightning spells was truly formidable. The Kun Dao had simultaneously been struck by the Seven Souls Killing Array and the Soul-Seizing Six Rhythms. Two extremely powerful yet distinctly different sword intents had invaded her body, causing widespread destruction. Furthermore, these sword intents would collide with each other, resulting in fierce internal clashes. Though the two sword intents did not originate from the same source, both were supremely domineering, unyielding, and impossible to compromise with. The battlefield was the Kun Dao's own body. This was also partly due to Qin Sang and True Master Zilei's deliberate actions.

If the Kun Dao were given some time, it wouldn't be difficult for her to expel the sword intents. However, with Qin Sang relentlessly pressing from behind, she had no opportunity to heal. A streak of lightning moved through the malevolent winds. There was no one directly in front of the lightning, but Qin Sang could sense that the Kun Dao was hidden within the barrier, and the distance between them was slowly closing.

The Kun Dao's consecutive failures, leading to such a disheveled state, ignited an intense, nameless fury within her. She still didn't know how Qin Sang was tracking her, misjudging the situation. She merely assumed that the lingering sword intent within her body was being sensed by Qin Sang. It wasn't that she hadn't considered stopping Qin Sang. But this wasn't the Five Elements Divine Restriction. The spiritual array restrictions here were beyond her control.

The grand anomaly she had caused on the mountain was achieved by utilizing the malevolent wind power of the wind array, with the barrier serving as a conduit. She had guided the momentum to impact various locations and forcibly activate all array restrictions. This did not mean she could control them. Setting up the trap using the medicinal garden's guardian spirit array had required considerable effort and was actually a bit forced. At the last moment, she had nearly failed. Had she known this, she would have preferred to fail!

After the array restrictions everywhere were activated, they didn't differentiate between friend or foe. The Kun Dao could no longer freely traverse them. Of course, she had the barrier as her reliance, making it somewhat easier for her than Qin Sang. She could simply activate parts of them to create obstacles for Qin Sang. The problem was that Qin Sang also had the Celestial Eye Butterfly as an aid. When the Kun Dao acted hastily, her methods weren't rigorous. This was tantamount to openly displaying vulnerabilities before the Celestial Eye Butterfly. How could she hope to stop Qin Sang?

With minimal effect, the Kun Dao understood the problem. Her only options now were to escape back to the Five Elements Divine Restriction or expel the sword intents from her body to shake off Qin Sang. With this thought, the Kun Dao plunged headlong towards the Five Elements Divine Restriction, while simultaneously exerting all her strength to suppress the sword intents within her body, expelling those belonging to Qin Sang. Unless absolutely necessary, she still didn't want to abandon this physical body.

Qin Sang, relentlessly pursuing from behind, gradually sensed the Kun Dao's predicament. Everything was unfolding as he had anticipated. During the pursuit, with the aid of his Celestial Eye divine ability, Qin Sang finally genuinely pinpointed the Kun Dao's movements! Wherever the Kun Dao passed, subtle ripples would appear along the edge of the barrier. The ripples were very faint, visible only to the Celestial Eye divine ability. This was further proof that the Kun Dao could not perfectly merge into the barrier.

The direction of the Kun Dao's escape revealed her intentions. This was a rare opportunity, and Qin Sang would not let her escape back to the Five Elements Divine Restriction. He swiftly pointed two fingers.

"Crack!"

Thunder and lightning illuminated the malevolent winds. A bolt of lightning struck the ripples on the barrier. This was Qin Sang's third use of the Lightning Manipulation Art on the Kun Dao, and the effect remained considerable. This was because the divine ability could be invoked and controlled at will, with lightning striking in an instant. Even if an enemy intended to resist, it would still require considerable effort.

"Sizzle!"

Threads of lightning, like a spiderweb, spread across the barrier. A section of the barrier suddenly bulged outwards, faintly revealing the outline of a human figure, like a portrait pressed against the barrier. After all, the Kun Dao was somewhat prepared and was not directly hit. When she materialized, she was already at the edge of the lightning net. The bulging section retracted instantly, and the Kun Dao vanished in a flash.

Just then, a streak of white profound energy suddenly surged upwards, surging wildly with momentum like a rainbow. An extra figure had appeared beside Qin Sang at some point. White energy emanated from its crown; it was precisely the Xuan Tian One Qi Great Seizing Hand divine ability cast by his avatar, designed specifically to capture and lock down enemies. The white energy surged upward, manifesting a colossal hand. Though it hadn't yet reached its target, the power of confinement had already sealed off the area around the target.

"Boom!"

With another loud bang, the colossal profound energy hand clutched the barrier. This strike was unexpected, but since the Kun Dao could harness the barrier's power, how could she be so easily struck? The barrier merely trembled slightly, and countless silken threads descended. Each silken thread was like a rope, swiftly wrapping around the five fingers of the colossal profound energy hand, then extending along the fingers to encase the entire palm, breaking through the power of confinement. The colossal profound energy hand indeed faltered and retreated without success.

The Kun Dao remained unrestrained. Ripples churned on the barrier just as she was about to flee. Below, a sharp sword cry already resounded. The Golden Sinking Sword assailed through the air, and as its light drew near, the sword array had already unfurled, instantly plunging the area into a dim haze. The sword array sealed off the entire region but could not pierce the barrier's boundary. Coincidentally, the Kun Dao was hiding right at that boundary. This meant it would likely be difficult to trap the Kun Dao.

As this thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, he heard the Kun Dao shriek. It turned out that sword intent had forced its way into the barrier, triggering the Kun Dao's painful memories. Her screams were filled with hostility, but she didn't act impulsively. Her body, existing between reality and illusion, spread its arms wide and desperately tried to draw all the power within the barrier that she could control, concentrating it at her chest.

Qin Sang couldn't see any obvious abnormality, but an inexplicable sense of danger made him frown.

"Rumble!"

The sky churned, and turbid waves surged. Astonishing fluctuations cascaded down, as if the heavens were enraged. The sword array instantly rippled, and the malevolent winds around Qin Sang were completely swept away. The malevolent winds only dared to linger on the periphery. The Kun Dao's activation of the barrier unleashed terrifying power, but it was all within Qin Sang's expectations.

After repeated probes, Qin Sang had realized that the Kun Dao's strength did not lie within herself but externally. Although heavily injured, as long as her ability to control the barrier remained intact, her strength would persist. In the medicinal garden, the Kun Dao had voluntarily left the barrier to ambush Mo Xingdao. Now, hidden within the barrier, she was like a turtle retreated into its shell. Unless he could break the barrier or force the Kun Dao out, all his attacks would be like "hitting a cow through a mountain."

He snorted coldly. An Adamant Flame Shield suddenly appeared around him. A colossal wave descended from the sky, crashing upon the Adamant Flame Shield. It merely caused Qin Sang's figure to sway slightly but could not halt his upward momentum. Qin Sang raised his head, gazing at the minuscule ripples in the barrier. The Sun Divine Tree suddenly appeared in his palm. With a mental command, three firebirds spread their wings and soared high, instantly transforming into a fireball, which then slammed into the barrier!

"Boom!"

Scarlet flames billowed, dyeing a large section of the barrier crimson. If anyone were to observe from above, they would see a vast domain of fire spontaneously erupting on Emperor-Granted Mountain, like a subterranean lava vein erupting, tearing a gaping hole in the mountain. In fact, cultivators outside Emperor-Granted Mountain, specifically those to the south of the mountain, could all witness it. The minds of cultivators from all sides churned. Anomalies repeatedly emerged on Emperor-Granted Mountain, making it seem as if a world-shattering battle was unfolding.

Unexpectedly, the anomalies were far from over. Next to the fiery domain, profound ice suddenly spread, its eerie blue light as dazzling as the firelight. Even from such a distance, it sent chills down people's spines and was undoubtedly of immense power. This was precisely Qin Sang commanding his avatar to cooperate by unleashing the Four-Directional Teng Snake Seal. Two attacks of spirit treasure magnitude possessed terrifying power. Even if it was an indirect blow, it was enough to severely injure the Kun Dao, adding insult to injury.

Just as Qin Sang was about to launch a final push to pursue and eliminate the Kun Dao, suddenly, a voice called out from behind him: "Fellow Daoist, wait..."