Chapter 1674: Contested Crossing

Wuxia Xianxia

Over time, the Skyfount Ancient Mirror no longer merely rested on the seal's surface; it completely embedded itself, continuously sinking inward. During this process, it stirred no ripples or counterattacks from the seal, proceeding subtly and without a sound, a testament to the ancient mirror's profound and mysterious divine powers.

When the Skyfount Ancient Mirror penetrated the seal's interior, the scene inside was unexpected. It wasn't the vibrant, multicolored world he anticipated, but a world devoid of light. Darkness, oppressive. This feeling was conveyed through the Skyfount Ancient Mirror to Old Demon Fan's mind, causing him to feel a hidden chill.

Soon, the Skyfount Ancient Mirror revealed that it wasn't pure darkness after all; there was a light source, a shimmering point at the heart of the darkness. The light radiated five colors, echoing the seal. The Skyfount Ancient Mirror immediately moved towards it, reflecting a five-colored crown.

The ancient mirror stopped beside the five-colored crown. The Nether Lotus inside its surface slowly drifted out of the mirror. As it floated, its closed petals gradually opened outwards, layer by layer, returning to its Myriad Illusion Nether Lotus form. A mass of black qi undulated within the lotus's heart, gradually coalescing into a human silhouette—it was Old Demon Fan!

At this moment, Old Demon Fan's state was peculiar. He hadn't entered directly with his main body, but had transformed into a Phantom Demon form using a secret art, possessing the precious mirror and using the Skyfount Precious Mirror as a vessel to bring his Phantom Demon form inside. Although not his main body, he was subject to certain limitations, but many divine abilities could still be unleashed by this form.

'Whoosh!'

Old Demon Fan opened his eyes; they were surprisingly black, as if two Nether Lotuses bloomed within his pupils. "This is that spiritual treasure?"

His black pupils rotated, and a hint of doubt appeared in Old Demon Fan's eyes. The five elements converged here, and the aura was chaotic. His gaze fell upon the five-colored crown. Just as he was about to meticulously analyze its intricate structure, he suddenly saw the five-colored crown vibrate. Five-colored brilliance instantly illuminated all directions. Old Demon Fan had a feeling that although the crown's appearance hadn't changed, it was completely different from before; a peerless supreme treasure was awakening.

In fact, Old Demon Fan genuinely felt that something was awakening within the five-colored crown... This thing, it seemed to be... a consciousness! Consciousness... reawakening? A feeling he had never experienced before left Old Demon Fan stunned on the spot, but then the sensation became even clearer, definitely not an illusion. In an instant, perhaps even less, a more tangible feeling emerged. It was the sensation of being watched! The source of this 'gaze' was precisely the five-colored crown.

His Phantom Demon form was impervious to heat and cold, yet at this moment, he jolted violently, a chill piercing directly to the crown of his head, almost causing him to cry out in alarm, "An Artifact Spirit!" An Artifact Spirit! The five-colored crown had actually given birth to an Artifact Spirit!

In fact, the Skyfount Ancient Mirror of Skyfount Tower and the Eight Vista Palace Lamp of Eight Vista Abbey were both spiritual treasures. Having spiritual treasures to suppress the sect's fortune was also one of the hallmarks of a top sect, and the Ambrosia Zen Monastery naturally wasn't lacking either. But spiritual treasures not only varied in power but also had different strengths. When distinguishing the strength of spiritual treasures, spirituality was a factor that couldn't be ignored. When spirituality was cultivated to its extreme, and an Artifact Spirit was born, it signified another transformation for the spiritual treasure.

The Skyfount Ancient Mirror and the Eight Vista Palace Lamp had never directly clashed, and the two sects wouldn't voluntarily disclose their secrets, but it was certain that they were still very far from giving birth to Artifact Spirits. The time span was hard to estimate; it could be hundreds or thousands of years, or they might never produce an Artifact Spirit. This is because even if spirituality was cultivated to its peak, it still remained in a chaotic state and might not necessarily be able to birth a spirit. This stage was also known as the Spirit Molding stage, its difficulty no less than a cultivator breaking through a major realm bottleneck. Even harder!

Of course, all this information was gathered by Old Demon Fan from ancient texts collected by his sect. Cultivators in Central Plains were vastly numerous, with no shortage of Soul Transformation mighty figures, yet there was no clear record of a spiritual treasure undergoing Spirit Molding. Cultivators in this world possessing spiritual treasures were few and far between; those at the late Nascent Soul stage were still using various secret arts to elevate their Natal Artifacts to pseudo-spiritual treasures, striving towards the level of spiritual treasures. Who would dare to hope for an unattainable Artifact Spirit?

At this moment, amidst his shock, Old Demon Fan suddenly understood what the Formless Immortal Sect had set up the seal on Mount Imperial Grant to suppress. It was to suppress an Artifact Spirit! Even spiritual treasures would actively choose their masters, requiring the 'Treasury Control Art' to be controlled. If an Artifact Spirit was present, how could it willingly be enslaved by cultivators?

Back then, the Formless Immortal Sect had wielded this treasure several times during the demonic tribulation, always accompanied by grand formations. Now that he thought about it, each formation was different, yet all implicitly conformed to the Dao of Five Elements. He speculated that one reason was to wield the treasure, and the second was to suppress the Artifact Spirit and prevent it from causing mischief.

In an instant, various thoughts flashed through his mind. Old Demon Fan believed he had understood the truth, yet his mind was in a tense state as he felt the Artifact Spirit's gaze. Furious emotions were clearly palpable. This was the rage stemming from several failed schemes, being exploited in turn; when the Artifact Spirit realized something was wrong and found its 'home' invaded, this was the accumulated fury from various unfavorable factors!

Being watched by such an extremely enraged 'gaze', Old Demon Fan's heart pounded rapidly. Seeing the jade pieces on the five-colored crown radiating brilliant light, he suddenly had a premonition of danger. Without time to think further, he instinctively swung his right hand, and a stream of dark green light shot out. Inside the stream of light, fine, crystalline dark green sand particles were faintly visible, with green light flickering on their surfaces, like tiny ghost-fires, chilling to the bone.

This was a treasure refined by Old Demon Fan from various sinister and poisonous materials, named Foul Yin Phosphor Sand, specifically designed to defile other cultivators' magic treasures. When manifesting his Phantom Demon form, he could temporarily transform a treasure with which he shared a mental connection into a divine ability and bring it in. Old Demon Fan's objective was to contend for the spiritual treasure, to prevent it from falling into Zhu Wudao's control and greatly enhancing his power, so his first choice was naturally the Foul Yin Phosphor Sand. Although he hadn't anticipated encountering an Artifact Spirit, it was a fortunate accident; the Foul Yin Phosphor Sand was perfectly suited for this situation. However, Old Demon Fan had no idea how effective the Foul Yin Phosphor Sand would be against an Artifact Spirit. He had even less idea how powerful the five-colored crown, which had given birth to an Artifact Spirit, truly was.

He coveted the five-colored crown immensely, but he also understood the principle of acting within one's means, so he dared not seize the treasure directly; he had to proceed gradually. Therefore, as the Foul Yin Phosphor Sand was unleashed, Old Demon Fan swiftly retreated towards the Myriad Illusion Nether Lotus; he certainly didn't want to lose this Phantom Demon avatar here.

'Whoosh!'

Old Demon Fan was very close to the five-colored crown. The Foul Yin Phosphor Sand instantly enveloped it, the fine sand transforming into specks of foul, phosphorescent fire, splattering onto the crown's surface, suddenly leaving it stained with spots of defilement. The five-colored crown's luster was dulled, tainted by the dark green evil light.

But at this moment, Old Demon Fan's expression drastically changed. Just as the Foul Yin Phosphor Sand was about to strike the five-colored crown, from beneath it, a black tide that had been concealed for a long time suddenly erupted. The black tide surged wildly, carrying a terrifying demonic intent that even made Old Demon Fan, a great demon, shiver, violently assaulting the five-colored crown. It was precisely because of this impact that the five-colored crown violently shook and its five-colored spiritual light wavered. The Artifact Spirit was caught off guard, unable to react in time, and was struck by the Foul Yin Phosphor Sand.

The black tide was the true master of the seal! He had been used! Old Demon Fan was shocked and enraged, but it was too late to retrieve the Foul Yin Phosphor Sand. Many questions arose in his mind. What was the relationship between the Artifact Spirit and the black tide? If the five-colored crown was part of the seal, why didn't the Artifact Spirit counterattack or warn him when he delved deeper into the seal?

On Mount Imperial Grant.

Qin Sang had designed a diversion to mislead and lure away the Poison King, while his main body continuously pursued Daoist Kun. The Solar Divine Tree and the Four-Chariot Teng Snake Seal combined to unleash several attacks. Although the barrier served as a buffer, it still wounded Daoist Kun, worsening her injuries. At the same time, Daoist Kun also had to divert her attention to expel the sword intent Qin Sang had left in her body, causing her to only be able to flee with all her might, with almost no power to retaliate.

Although his avatar was not by his side, Qin Sang still held the absolute advantage, even without needing to deliberately maintain his Fiery Aura Shield; he was completely at ease. From outside the mountain, one could see, descending the slopes of Mount Imperial Grant, a 'firework' would occasionally burst forth, some red, some black.

The Golden Sinking Sword hung inverted above Qin Sang's head, its sword intent continuously accumulating but remaining concealed and unreleased. Qin Sang held the Solar Divine Tree in one hand, and a demonic fire dragon coiled around his other hand, unleashing alternating bombardments.

Daoist Kun disregarded her internal injuries, fully suppressing and expelling the sword intent within her body. Finally, before Qin Sang could force her true form out, she expelled the last trace of Qin Sang's sword intent. Unconsciously letting out a breath of relief, Daoist Kun suddenly shifted dozens of yards horizontally within the barrier, but then she froze as the demonic fire dragon followed closely.

'Boom!'

The violent impact transferred through the barrier into Daoist Kun's body, and her already riddled body suffered further injuries. Not sword intent! How did he find me? Daoist Kun was on the verge of madness, but Qin Sang gave her no chance to think. The demonic fire dragon followed like a shadow, and her increasingly severe injuries reminded her that this physical body was nearing its limit.

"The time is just about right." Qin Sang had been continuously assessing Daoist Kun's condition.

With a single thought, sword light surged like a dragon. Wherever the Golden Sinking Sword reached, a sword formation was re-established. Just then, an unexpected scene occurred: an extremely enraged roar suddenly came from the barrier, followed by a flash of a figure. Daoist Kun actually fell directly downwards, her eyes tightly shut, completely devoid of life force.

Qin Sang was caught off guard, almost slicing Daoist Kun into pieces. He quickly diverted his demonic fire and reined in his sword qi.

'Whoosh!'

Sword threads enveloped Daoist Kun's physical body, floating before Qin Sang. "She is indeed dead..." Qin Sang briefly sensed that Daoist Kun's body was completely devoid of life; she had died. He couldn't help but feel greatly puzzled. He hadn't expected Daoist Kun to be so decisive, to commit suicide directly when the situation turned unfavorable. He had patiently pursued her this far, intending to capture Daoist Kun alive.

Regardless, his most important objective had been achieved. Qin Sang looked at Daoist Kun's waist and pulled off the crimson immortal pendant, immediately feeling a scorching Yang qi enter his body, making him hot all over. Its power was comparable to the chilling baleful qi of the mysterious ice disk. "What a treasure!" Qin Sang praised, his heart greatly pleased. At this point, the two most crucial treasures for the Tribulation Transcending Formation were now complete.

Immediately after, Qin Sang's divine sense swept over Daoist Kun's entire body, but he found no mustard seed bag or other storage artifacts. Had she gained nothing at all from the medicine garden? Thinking of all the illogical details and connecting them, Qin Sang's doubts proliferated, feeling more and more that Daoist Kun's suicide was abnormal.

Just then, an angry roar suddenly erupted. The source of the roar was unknown. It seemed to come from the mountaintop, yet also from the barrier itself. It wasn't loud, but it couldn't be ignored, carrying overwhelming rage, causing alarm in those who heard it. Qin Sang looked around, his brows furrowed. Qin Sang was not the only one startled by the roar.

Behind Qin Sang's main body.

The Poison King had pursued the avatar, but quickly realized he had been tricked. Sensing the commotion Qin Sang's main body was creating in the distance, he turned to leave. The avatar's role was not merely that of a decoy. The Poison King had just made a move when he suddenly felt an intense chill. Turning his head, he saw a Teng Snake enveloped in layers of cold flames, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, tearing through the wind blight, flying towards him. "Hmph!" The Poison King's expression darkened. He waved his palm, and the toxic clouds circling around him gathered above his head, meeting the Teng Snake.

Upon contact, the Poison King immediately sensed something was wrong. He hastily conjured toxic sand and shot it towards the toxic clouds. The toxic clouds instantly contracted, becoming several times denser than before.

'Pfft!'

The Teng Snake directly collided with the toxic clouds. The toxic clouds vibrated incessantly, almost being torn apart by the Teng Snake, but with the toxic sand as support, they maintained their structure and didn't shatter. Only the toxic mist on their surface was assailed by the cold flames, forming toxic ice of various colors.

'Bang!'

The toxic ice shattered, and the toxic sand, along with the remaining toxic clouds, shot back. The Poison King gracefully retreated dozens of yards, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, as he saw the avatar returning from the depths of the wind blight.

"A spiritual treasure?" The Poison King mentally counted through his knowledge but didn't recognize it, nor had any texts related to the Formless Immortal Sect recorded this spiritual treasure. Although the opponent was only at the Mid Nascent Soul stage, holding a spiritual treasure, he could not be underestimated. However, why had a Mid Nascent Soul stage helper inexplicably appeared beside Qin Sang? Remembering the sudden fluctuations he had sensed from Qin Sang's side earlier, the Poison King's expression shifted. "This is... your clone? No, it's an external avatar!" Moreover, the avatar's aura was perfectly integrated, as one, completely unlike any mere clone. With this, all his questions were instantly resolved. This person not only possessed extraordinary strength in his main body but also had an avatar wielding a spiritual treasure. Only this could explain why the rebellious rogue had fallen into his hands.

"First a late Nascent Soul puppet, and now an external avatar... this place truly harbors hidden dragons and crouching tigers..." The Poison King chuckled and sighed, "Daoist friend, do you believe an avatar alone can stop me?"

With his identity exposed, the avatar no longer bothered with futile attempts at concealment, but was content to converse with the Poison King, buying time for his main body, saying calmly, "Poison King, why be so aggressive?"

"I only hope Daoist friend will give me an answer..." The Poison King still used the same rhetoric, offering generous benefits.

"When affairs here are concluded and my main body is free, I will naturally contact Daoist friend..." The avatar was halfway through speaking when he was suddenly interrupted by the Poison King.

"Since the avatar cannot make decisions, this king will have to consult Daoist friend's main body in person," the Poison King bellowed, and abruptly transformed into a streak of light, fleeing. The Poison King had already seen that the other party had little intention of returning the Gu King. Stopping now would be a joke. Waiting for the other party to resolve his troubles, return fully laden with gains, and then leisurely deal with the Gu King? Or begging the other party for charity? Only by creating more trouble for the other party could he seize the initiative!

'Whoosh!'

As the streak of light appeared, the Teng Snake plunged down rapidly. Unexpectedly, the Poison King abruptly stopped, having merely pretended to flee. He turned back to face the avatar, pouncing at him with even greater speed. The avatar had long been prepared; his eyes turned ghostly white as a ghostly white cold light swept down from before him, while his figure shot backward. The Ice Soul Cold Light was like a wall of ice. Regardless of whether there was danger, it swept down without hesitation, forming a barrier. The avatar was extremely cautious, not giving the Poison King a chance to use his caterpillar-like Gu worm, only circling from a distance, using the spiritual treasure and the Ice Soul Divine Light to harass him in turns, never getting close. While he couldn't stop the Poison King, he could still buy time.

Until the roar echoed, both sides surprisingly ceased their actions.