Chapter 1681: Transaction

Continuous roars emanated from Disciples' Mountain. The mountain itself was visibly shaking, with the tremors growing in intensity, causing the surrounding ground to quake.

The aftershocks spread far, affecting more than half of the ancient estate.

Most striking were the five-colored clouds swirling around the mountainside. They expanded rapidly, spreading over the peak, threatening to engulf Disciples' Mountain entirely.

Within the clouds, various spiritual lights could be seen clashing, which was the source of the tremors. This phenomenon occurred because the Five Elements Crown, the core of the seal, was separating from it. The Five Elements Divine Prohibition had coexisted for many years, maintaining the cycle of mutual generation, and this was inextricably linked to the Five Elements Crown.

Without the spiritual treasure governing the five elements, the seal became unbalanced, and the internal conflicts intensified sharply.

Qin Sang's true self, hidden within the seal, felt this most acutely. The seal's power grew increasingly chaotic, showing signs of the Five Elements Divine Prohibition losing control, with its power expanding outwards.

The spiritual energy within the seal was in disarray.

Qin Sang could leave the stone house but dared not step out of the seal or depart from Disciples' Mountain. He wasn't sure if the two Soul Transformation cultivators could spare attention to other matters, or if they constantly kept a wisp of their divine sense fixated on Disciples' Mountain. They clearly weren't fighting at full strength, and any rash movement now could reveal his presence.

The best moment would be when their battle reached its most intense point. If this continued, the complete imbalance of the Five Elements Divine Prohibition would inevitably trigger an earth-shattering explosion, leading to the destruction of Disciples' Mountain.

Cultivators outside the mountain no longer dared to approach Disciples' Mountain, nor did they possess the ability to resolve the seal's issues. Some were horrified by the ancient fiend's terrifying power. After weighing their options, they chose to withdraw to avoid being caught in the crossfire, as they couldn't endure the aftershocks of a Soul Transformation level battle.

Yet, there were also audacious individuals who saw this as a heaven-sent opportunity. Fortune favors the bold! If the sky falls, Soul Transformation cultivators will bear the brunt. If they can suppress the fiend, all will be well. But if they are no match for the fiend, the cultivation world will face utter devastation, and hiding anywhere would lead to the same fate. It was better to seize the moment while they fought, racing against time to gather treasures from the Immeasurable Immortal Sect, strengthen themselves, and perhaps live a little longer. This was especially true for the descendants of the Immeasurable Immortal Sect; regardless of who won, they would have to hide.

With these thoughts in mind, cultivators no longer solely focused on the Soul Transformation battle. They avoided the battlefield, dispersing in all directions. Figures of cultivators began to appear in various mysterious secret realms, halls, and pavilions throughout the Immeasurable Immortal Sect. For a time, the ancient estate was bustling with activity, strange lights flashing everywhere, creating a vibrant and flourishing scene.

Saint King Azure Fox and Saint Huiguang had no time to pay attention to what was below; suppressing the ancient fiend was their top priority.

Bright moon illuminating the fiend. Water meeting the sky. Saint King Azure Fox's attack was astonishingly powerful. A vortex of spiritual water transformed into a cage, from which a strange suction force emerged. Moonlight gathered, pouring onto the fiend's body, growing denser and forming a thick armor of light, like shackles. Immense pressure bore down on the fiend, intending to restrict it in place.

Soon, the terrifying figure of the fiend was almost invisible, submerged by spiritual water and moonlight. However, no one present felt any joy, because the demonic energy within the watery moon not only showed no signs of being suppressed but continuously assailed the water-moon cage, growing fiercer with each impact. The overwhelming demonic intent emanating from it made their hearts pound with fear.

The battle formation began to take shape. Saint Huiguang presided at the center of the battle formation, undoubtedly the core of the Chan Meditation Arhat Formation. The cultivators dispersed, surrounding the fiend. The halos behind their heads grew increasingly dazzling. Each person seemed like a Buddhist devotee, drawn to and converting to Buddhism. Faint phantom images of Buddhas appeared in the center of their halos, bearing a rough resemblance to Saint Huiguang himself.

In fact, within the Chan Meditation Arhat Formation, they were connected to Saint Huiguang telepathically. Their vital energies were unified by the formation; even if this unity was crude, it was far superior to fighting alone and being disorganized. As the core of the battle formation, Saint Huiguang's every movement could be sensed by the others. Through this connection, they successively discovered a subtle discord in Saint Huiguang's aura. It was as if... he was injured!

Everyone present was perceptive and immediately connected this to the Five Elements Pill and previous rumors. It could be inferred that Saint Huiguang must have encountered danger and sustained injuries while exploring the Hall of Illusions, which was why he had been trapped for so long. This also explained why Saint Huiguang couldn't fight at full strength and insisted on keeping them. Fortunately, Saint King Azure Fox appeared to be in good condition, preventing them from having to directly face the ancient fiend's might.

Just as Saint Huiguang took out the Five Elements Pill to encourage everyone, the ancient fiend's counterattack suddenly became fierce. A massive wave suddenly surged from the center of the spiritual water vortex, gushing outwards. The overwhelming wave even shattered the spiritual swords hovering nearby. The suspended lake, conjured from spiritual jade, abruptly sank dozens of feet, as if the sky itself were collapsing. Sensing such a terrifying display, the cultivators outside the mountain were all trembling with fear.

As the massive wave erupted, a five-colored pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center, instantly dyeing the moonlight five hues and rapidly streaking along it towards the bright moon. This moon was not a celestial body, but a manifestation of Saint King Azure Fox's divine ability. If it were shattered by the Five Elements Crown, allowing the fiend to break free from its cage, suppressing it later would be even more difficult. The power of this five-element spiritual light was clearly stronger than any previous one; the fiend's strength was still increasing!

Following the Five Elements Pill, Saint Huiguang promised additional benefits. Seeing this, Saint Huiguang fell silent, loudly chanted a Buddhist mantra, raised his right hand, and pressed his palm downwards.

"Amitābha!"

At this moment, the fiend's instinct had not yet given up the idea of devouring the Poison King, and Saint Huiguang's Lotus Dharma Wheel needed to protect the gray cocoon. From his palm, at some unknown point, he produced a Bodhi bead. The Buddhist bead was a reddish-gold color, with a solemn Buddha statue carved on its surface. As he made his move, the sound of chanting resonated throughout the cosmos. Although the specific scriptures were unclear, everyone felt an inexplicable heaviness, knowing it had to be a supreme treasure for subduing demons.

'Whoosh!'

The Bodhi bead transformed into a stream of reddish-gold light. Simultaneously, Old Fiend Fan and the others also sensed Saint Huiguang's telepathic message. Accurately seizing the moment, their prepared divine abilities and magic treasures were all unleashed.

Old Fiend Fan's Myriad Illusion Nether Lotus was damaged, so he had to re-summon the yellow copper bowl. Yue Lingtian manipulated the three-legged round cauldron to invert, its mouth aimed at the vortex's center, emitting mystical yellow light. Mo Xingdao's profound energy moved with no trace. True Immortal Hegao's expression was indifferent as his jade smoke flowed and transformed in myriad ways.

Only Qin Sang's avatar had the weakest cultivation. Saint Huiguang, considering this, placed him in a position of minimal pressure. However, this was only relative. As the avatar summoned the Snow-Treading Divine Blade, its blade energy congealed into snow, yet he felt immense strain. He hastily raised his hand and swept it over his head, manifesting a large profound energy hand, barely managing to stabilize his stance. Covertly, the avatar had already formed a hand seal, ready to unleash the Ice Soul Divine Light at any moment.

Though they inherited different cultivation lineages and possessed entirely distinct divine abilities, within the Chan Meditation Arhat Formation, under Saint Huiguang's guidance, they were able to cooperate seamlessly. In an instant, various wondrous lights on the battlefield shone in dazzling array. Their attacks successively merged into the stream of light formed by the Bodhi bead, combining their strength with the force of thunder, intercepting the five-colored light pillar before it could strike the bright moon.

It was at this moment that the avatar momentarily diverted his attention to contact Mo Xingdao. Mo Xingdao glanced at the avatar with a strange look. This person, with mere mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, was the weakest here. He wondered where the confidence to covet the Five Elements Pill came from. His expression shifted slightly; he was about to respond.

Suddenly, a sharp, non-human shriek pierced the air. Saint King Azure Fox's expression changed dramatically. She only had time to utter a warning, her jade fingers flickering, her red lips slightly parted, hastily exhaling a breath of ethereal orchid fragrance into the spiritual water. After this action, Saint King Azure Fox's face turned pale.

In an instant, the massive waves of the suspended lake suddenly solidified, as if frozen. The lake water became even purer, resembling a mirror suspended in mid-air. However, the fiend's shriek instantly pierced through the suspended lake, and streaks of five-colored light could be seen erupting from the vortex's center, instantly churning the lake water into chaos. Cracking sounds continuously echoed. The lake water visibly fractured, especially at the vortex's center, which seemed on the verge of collapse, revealing the fiend's figure.

Saint Huiguang's eyes widened in anger. The Bodhi bead, carrying residual power, shot downwards, directly targeting the fiend. The fiend, sensing something, abruptly looked up, its eyes filled with madness and savagery. It let out a low roar, and the jade fragments on the Five Elements Crown simultaneously lit up, emitting five streams of light. The five streams of light were about to collide with the Bodhi bead, yet they did not converge into a five-colored pillar of light.

Seeing this, Saint Huiguang suddenly had an ominous premonition. He let out a low shout, raised his hand, and struck the Bodhi bead with a Buddhist seal. At the same time, the five streams of light abruptly converged, and a powerful restraining force suddenly appeared. The Bodhi bead's luster dimmed. Fortunately, Saint Huiguang acted promptly, making it vibrate fiercely, forcibly breaking free, and shooting back. The fiend's might was terrifying, causing everyone to blanch in fear.

"Given the power the ancient fiend has displayed, we simply dare not face its edge directly. Forget capturing it alive; even killing it would come at a great cost, unless we can separate the fiend from that five-colored crown, or you and I risk severe injuries." Saint King Azure Fox's breathing was rapid. Taking advantage of the fiend being distracted by Saint Huiguang, she hastily stabilized the suspended lake. She transmitted a message to Saint Huiguang, her tone very pessimistic.

Saint Huiguang remained silent. Saint King Azure Fox said coldly, "These few people aren't enough. Gather all the Nascent Soul cultivators below, form a battle formation, and take turns wearing down the fiend." Her tone was ruthless, completely disregarding how many lives would be lost.

Saint Huiguang glanced downwards. It wasn't that he wouldn't, but that he couldn't. Firstly, these individuals were disorganized and might instead become fodder for the ancient fiend. Secondly, they were all extremely alert and had fled far from Disciples' Mountain upon sensing trouble. If he tried to forcibly conscript them, they would surely scatter and flee. Who would be foolish enough to come here to die? Only Old Fiend Fan and his group were cornered and couldn't escape. Had she not noticed that even the demon kings who received the Saint King's orders were hesitant, pausing and stopping, deliberately delaying? In this situation, only the disciples of Sweet Dew Zen Temple would still obey his command, but none of them were here.

As they spoke, Saint Huiguang and Saint King Azure Fox adjusted their strategy. Instead of rushing to suppress the ancient fiend, they turned their attention to finding its weaknesses, waiting for its sanity to be completely eroded by the Demonic Sound of Heavenly Dao, which might present a turning point. A spiritual treasure that had developed a spirit, combined with the ancient fiend's inherent power, was even more terrifying than expected.

As the situation slightly eased, Mo Xingdao breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Fellow Daoist is confident in obtaining the Five Elements Pill? We can discuss this. If I can survive and bring out the Spirit Rhinoceros Immortal Fruit..." His expression could not conceal his bitterness. In this situation, the Spirit Rhinoceros Immortal Fruit was undoubtedly a source of trouble. Countless eyes were fixed on it, and he didn't know how the old bald monk intended to deal with him. He feared he might ultimately have to use the Spirit Rhinoceros Immortal Fruit to save his life. Of course, if the old bald monk kept his promise and allowed him to take the Spirit Rhinoceros Immortal Fruit, he would be very willing to exchange it for the Five Elements Pill, as the Five Elements Pill would be of greater help to him.

The avatar nodded secretly upon hearing this. He also understood Mo Xingdao's predicament; this was merely an opening, and they would certainly have to retreat safely before considering any trade.

The battle grew increasingly fierce, fully revealing the fiend's terror. The avatar remained remarkably calm. The stronger the fiend, the higher the value of what he would subsequently produce.

Before long, the avatar suddenly looked up at Saint Huiguang. "Senior, do you recognize this item?" Simultaneously, a chilling aura gathered above his head, transforming into a black iron chain.

Everyone was focused on dealing with the ancient fiend, but startled by the avatar, they all looked over. Upon seeing the iron chain, Saint Huiguang's expression subtly froze, and he exclaimed in surprise. "Demon-Binding Rope!"

Someone in the Central Plains indeed recognized this treasure! The avatar felt a slight easing in his heart.

A brilliant light flashed in Saint Huiguang's eyes. "You possess the Demon-Binding Rope?" The Demon-Binding Rope was an ancient treasure specifically designed to counter ancient fiends. If they had it, the chances of capturing the fiend alive would greatly increase.

The avatar hesitated, then said, "This junior did indeed see a Demon-Binding Rope, but it's incomplete, and it requires a special spiritual formation to work..."

Before the avatar could finish, Saint Huiguang eagerly interrupted, "The Immeasurable Immortal Sect once obtained a damaged Demon-Binding Rope and its accompanying Fiend-Subduing Formation in the Immortal Hall. Although they attempted to repair it, improper use led to the Demon-Binding Rope being destroyed by an ancient fiend. If your Demon-Binding Rope isn't severely damaged, this humble monk has a method to repair it."

So, the Immeasurable Immortal Sect had restored it before. The avatar's heart stirred, and he sighed, "Unfortunately, the Demon-Binding Rope is severely damaged, and its fragments were reforged into other treasures. It's impossible to repair it in a short time." Even if it could be repaired, the Meteorite Divine Whip wasn't here; he had left it for his adoptive disciple to comprehend.

As soon as these words were spoken, a clamor arose among the crowd, and they cursed Qin Sang inwardly. The avatar appeared oblivious, hesitated for a moment, then conjured another item. "Since senior recognizes the Demon-Binding Rope, do you also know of other treasures from the same lineage, but one level higher than the Demon-Binding Rope?"

What he conjured was precisely the Fiend-Sealing Stake! The Fiend-Sealing Stake had been refined into a banner pole, used to create the Ten Directions Yama Banner, sealing the Nine Nether Demonic Flames, and had followed him for many years. Now, he was actually preparing to offer it for trade! Although it had been divided into a demonic banner, its internal restrictions were not damaged, and by extracting the soul energy, it could be easily restored.

"Fiend-Sealing Stake!" Saint Huiguang, with his extensive knowledge, recognized the treasure at a glance.

Since he had displayed it, the avatar no longer hesitated. With a wave of his hand, the Fiend-Sealing Stake broke into two pieces. He then spoke with righteous solemnity, "This treasure is also damaged, but only in one place. If senior has a method to repair it, it might solve our urgent problem. This junior is willing to contribute this treasure to suppress the ancient fiend, for the sake of all living beings under heaven!"

However, as he spoke, the avatar's gaze was fixed on the jade bottle containing the Five Elements Pill in the old monk's hand.

"Benefactor, what sect or lineage do you belong to?" Saint Huiguang suppressed his joy, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"This junior is a disciple of the Xie family from Fudu Commandery in Zhuo State. Elder Lu Zhang of Mount Buni is this junior's closest friend."