Chapter 1686: Fairy Tail

Waking the Gu King within his body was indeed a very risky move.

Qin Sang guided the poisonous light to strike the Giant Demonic Soul and activated the Poison Bead, creating a barrier of anti-venom aura around himself. However, this still couldn't prevent residual poison from seeping into his body.

Additionally, the Divine Sun Tree instantly drained his true essence, almost causing the toxins within him to erupt.

Qin Sang was mentally prepared for the Divine Sun Tree's consumption. As he acted, he swallowed a Boiled Snow Pill, immediately experiencing a drastic shift in his condition.

His true essence was depleted, leaving him in a state of weakness he had never experienced since his breakthrough.

The Boiled Snow Pill then dissolved within him, its medicinal power transforming into extremely pure vital energy. However, unlike other pills, its effects were not gentle; the medicinal power practically exploded.

The medicinal power surged like an avalanche, akin to a bursting dam, turning Qin Sang's body into a flood release zone. Immense vital energy abruptly rushed through his limbs and bones.

His meridians instantly endured a massive impact of vital energy. Even with his late Nascent Soul cultivation, it exceeded his limit.

Qin Sang had never encountered such a volatile pill before. The description of its effects on the prescription wasn't an exaggeration; genuine pain surged from his meridians. Several meridians tore, his flesh ruptured, and his entire body trembled.

With the medicinal replenishment, he would soon recover from his weakened state.

However, Qin Sang had no time to spare to regulate the vital energy within him. He could only forcibly stabilize a portion of it, suppress the toxins in his body, and appease the Gu King.

Compared to the poisonous light that had infiltrated his body, the Gu King was the most dangerous threat. If the Gu King felt threatened and sprayed more poisonous light, Qin Sang would be in serious trouble.

He held his breath, doing his utmost to stabilize his Qi Sea, preventing the Gu King from being affected or sensing his weakness.

The Gu King showed no trace of blood; the pure white, lustrous beetle resembled an art piece carved from jade. No one would ever guess it was an incredibly dangerous venomous insect.

The Gu King's eyes rotated, showing a hint of confusion. It had just been awakened by a sudden, sharp sword intent and instinctively counterattacked. But once it fully awoke, it found everything around it normal, with no fatal threats.

Its wings fluttered slightly.

The Gu King clearly felt the sword intent of the Cloud Roaming Sword. Unlike the murderous sword intent from moments ago, this one was gentle, yet it carried the Wood-element energy it feared most. Ever since it developed sentience, it had been suppressed by the Man with the Grotesque Face using divine abilities, leaving an indelible mark deep within its bones.

It was also surrounded by a seven-colored glow, another aura it disliked intensely.

Blinking its eyes, the Gu King again wrapped its body with its wings, assuming a defensive posture, and fell silent.

"Phew..."

Once the Gu King fell asleep, Qin Sang let out a long breath.

Although the move was risky, the outcome was positive, and there had been no better option at the time.

Next, Qin Sang immediately mobilized the power of the Poison Bead to suppress the residual toxins within his body.

During this process, his main body was constrained by the Gu King, making movement difficult. All subsequent attacks on Su Zinan were carried out by his avatar. Of course, this was also because Qin Sang had seen that Su Zinan was engulfed in spiritual fire, with no chance of escape, rendering further risky actions unnecessary. In truth, Qin Sang had been secretly on guard the entire time.

The avatar shattered the Thousand World Mirror and successfully captured Su Zinan's remnant Nascent Soul.

But an unexpected turn of events occurred.

After the six divine birds erupted, their power exceeded expectations. It wasn't merely about destroying the formation; they actually shook the spiritual array's foundation, tearing apart the Seven Constellations Sword Formation in one fell swoop!

It must be known that the Five Elements Divine Restriction was laid out by the Anatta Immortal Sect with the full might of their sect. Every sword star within the formation was meticulously refined by top sword cultivators of the Metal Lineage, maintained by the mutual generation of the five elements, and connected to the earth's meridians, making it impervious for ten thousand years.

Had the sword formation been smaller in scale, it might not have been merely torn apart.

Qin Sang had anticipated that the sword formation wouldn't be able to conceal the fluctuations of the Southern Bright Purifying Fire, and it would definitely be detected by Soul Transformation cultivators. If he hadn't been exposed, it would have aroused suspicion, but perhaps there would have been room for maneuver.

However, he didn't foresee the sword formation tearing apart, which directly exposed him to everyone's view.

On Emperor's Endowment Mountain.

Five-colored mist had already engulfed half of the mountain peak. Within the vast expanse of mist, a gaping void suddenly appeared, continuously spewing fire outwards.

Those unaware might have thought it was a conflict within the Five Elements Divine Restriction, with the Fire Element Divine Restriction crashing in.

When the Southern Bright Purifying Fire erupted, it was located within the sword formation. Most of the spiritual fire dissipated inside the formation, but the portion that escaped after tearing the formation also caused a significant disturbance.

Inside the rift, at the edge of the raging inferno, two figures vaguely appeared: Qin Sang's main body and his avatar.

The avatar had just captured Su Zinan's Nascent Soul.

His main body seemed stunned, gazing upwards. Those with good eyesight could discern his abnormal state: his face was ashen and weak, his body covered in blood, and his vital energy highly chaotic, clearly indicating severe injury and loss of control over his true essence.

"What's in his hand?"

South of Emperor's Endowment Mountain, three figures hovered above a palace resembling a temple.

The three were jointly breaking the palace's restrictions, but were drawn by the commotion on Emperor's Endowment Mountain and looked over. Two gazed at Qin Sang's main body, while the third, a man in a Daoist robe, had his attention drawn to the avatar.

"It looks like a Nascent Soul..."

A companion shifted his gaze, one of them saying hoarsely.

At this moment, those daring to remain on Emperor's Endowment Mountain were by no means weak, yet they had met such a tragic end, with even their Nascent Soul imprisoned by their opponent, unable to escape.

The remnant Nascent Soul was put away by the avatar. In a fleeting glimpse, they couldn't clearly see its face, only that it was smoking, as if scorched by fire.

The man in the Daoist robe had previously seen Su Zinan and seemed to recognize something, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"The remnant Nascent Soul seems to be..."

He opened his mouth, then suddenly froze, not daring to utter the name, finding it too incredible to believe.

Golden Aspect Hall.

The old nun stared intently at the suspended lake, her expression tense.

First, there was the purple lightning tribulation, then a Soul Transformation cultivator appeared. She had originally planned to lead her disciples in an immediate retreat from the Anatta Immortal Sect. However, her junior sister sent a message back, informing her that they had found an important secret hall within the Golden Aspect Hall, but it would take some effort to break through its formation.

With the Soul Transformation cultivators preoccupied by the ancient demon, they were granted more time. The old nun decided to take the risk, instructing her junior sister to break the formation as quickly as possible. She, meanwhile, kept a close eye on the battle above, prepared to retreat decisively and reluctantly abandon the treasures should the situation change.

The whereabouts of Liuli also worried the old nun.

With Soul Transformation cultivators settling in the ancestral abode and powerful figures emerging, the Anatta Immortal Sect had become a place of conflict. They, as 'remnants of the Anatta Immortal Sect,' could not stay for long. She wondered where Liuli was now and if she would have enough time to retreat with them.

The mist parted, and crimson flames shot skyward.

The old nun was also startled. She instinctively looked over, but her gaze lingered on the mountain for only a moment before she turned to the western sky, seeing a familiar escape light rapidly approaching. Her heart relaxed slightly.

The approaching person was Liuli.

Liuli flew on her sword, gazing intently at the figures within the divine restriction's rift, her expression solemn.

She had bid farewell to the old nun to search for the Immortal Palace. Following the two locations the old nun indicated, she first went to the northern forbidden ground. After a deep exploration, she realized it couldn't be the Immortal Palace's passage. She then withdrew from the forbidden ground and rushed to the peak of the sheer cliff, where she found a damaged teleportation array.

Liuli knew about the Immortal Palace's ascension and could largely deduce the situation from what she saw.

The successive appearances of top cultivators on Emperor's Endowment Mountain confirmed that the Central State Immortal Palace had also undergone unforeseen changes.

The matter of the Immortal Palace had to be set aside. Liuli then began to plan for herself, recalling some unusual findings during her deeper exploration of the northern forbidden ground, which seemed to hint at some opportunities. Thus, she returned to the northern forbidden ground.

Just as she was about to enter the forbidden ground, the ancient demon broke free from its seal, and a Soul Transformation cultivator emerged.

To her surprise, Liuli spotted a familiar figure from afar: Qin Sang's avatar, left behind by Saint Huiguang. Only then did she realize Qin Sang was also here.

She didn't know if the avatar was acting alone or if Qin Sang's main body was also trapped on Emperor's Endowment Mountain.

Being targeted by a Soul Transformation cultivator, the outcome was unpredictable. Even if only the avatar perished here, it would be a painful loss. Although Liuli had entered the Buddhist path due to the imprint and deliberately distanced herself from Qin Sang, she knew in her heart that she couldn't blame him.

She had once shared life and death with Qin Sang, journeying together through the storms for decades. No matter what, she couldn't stand by and watch him die. Liuli decisively abandoned her plan to enter the forbidden ground, instead returning on her sword to see if she could offer any assistance.

As expected, before she even arrived, Qin Sang's main body had already appeared, creating a massive commotion in plain sight.

"It's the Divine Sun Bird..."

Liuli recognized the crimson flames.

Observing its might, it surpassed the combined power of the three divine birds previously. This indicated that Qin Sang must have broken through, and not recently, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to mobilize more Divine Sun Birds.

He had hidden for so long, only to be exposed at this precise moment!

Liuli's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her escape speed increased by a third.

The suspended lake was dyed black.

The demonic body unleashed its fierce might.

Five-colored spiritual light shot out ceaselessly and chaotically. Demonic claws frequently flashed within it, sometimes as small as a human hand, sometimes large enough to support the heavens. Their power was similar; merely touching them would cause injury, and a direct hit meant death.

The several grand cultivators were exhausted trying to cope, daring not to express their anger.

Since breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage, when had they ever been in such a sorry state?

However, while the demonic body's power was terrifying, its demonic spirit was in a frenzy, striking without any pattern, merely launching relentless assaults. This made dodging incredibly difficult, but as time passed, they grew familiar with the demonic body's methods and gradually gained some insights.

Amidst the chaotic battle, everyone tensely monitored the progress of the Demon-Sealing Pillar's repair.

Surrounded by Saint Huiguang's heart fire, the Demon-Sealing Pillar was akin to being thrown into a furnace. The heart fire circulated on its surface, making it appear as if the pillar were melting.

In reality, this was merely an illusion; the Demon-Sealing Pillar itself remained unharmed.

The internal restrictions were activated by the heart fire, emitting a faint dark glow, which was most concentrated at the fracture. This indicated that Saint Huiguang already had a plan and had begun to activate the restrictions.

The broken parts of the Demon-Sealing Pillar were extremely smooth, fitting together perfectly when rejoined.

Now, a prominent gap had appeared between the two sections of the Demon-Sealing Pillar. Invisible heart fire spread along the crack, some even penetrating deep inside the pillar.

At this point, the lotus platform beneath Saint Huiguang began to change form. Intricate runes appeared on its petals; if Qin Sang had seen them, he would certainly have found them familiar.

It was similar to the formation his senior sister and Bai had deduced years ago, designed to complement the Demon-Binding Rope – precisely the Demon Subduing Array that Saint Huiguang had mentioned.

Saint Huiguang had no formation diagram at hand, so she had to divert more of her consciousness to temporarily inscribe it onto the lotus platform. This action held deeper meaning; as the Demon Subduing Array took shape, the Demon-Sealing Pillar's luster suddenly brightened, resonating with the array.

Serving as a guide, the Demon Subduing Array also aided in comprehending the Demon-Sealing Pillar's restrictions. Saint Huiguang's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. Her fingers moved like a spinning wheel, continuously casting various profound Buddhist seals.

The Buddhist seals transformed into streaks of golden light, merging into the Demon-Sealing Pillar.

Initially, there were no obvious anomalies, but as time passed, faint golden light emerged from within the fissure, and the Demon-Sealing Pillar's aura also changed.

"At this rate, we should be able to hold out until Saint Huiguang repairs the Demon-Sealing Pillar."

This was the thought of Old Demon Fan and the others. Seeing Saint Huiguang's relatively smooth progress, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The Azure Fox Saint King had a more precise grasp of the situation and was more optimistic than them.

The suspended lake had almost turned inky black, appearing like a demonic lake tainted by evil. Even the celestial pillar, transformed from the phoenix hairpin, was shrouded in demonic energy, its original form obscured.

These were all deliberate actions by the Azure Fox Saint King. As the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block. After stabilizing the situation, she attempted to deliberately expose weaknesses, casting out bait to create opportunities for the demonic body.

While seemingly fraught with peril, the situation was actually much calmer to manage than at the beginning.

All present were top cultivators seasoned by countless battles, perfectly executing the Azure Fox Saint King's will. Of course, they could only do this because of the Demon-Sealing Pillar, giving them the confidence to engage the demonic body without concern for expenditure.

The brilliant moon remained pure; the radiant moon was the foundation of the suspended lake. The Azure Fox Saint King's robes fluttered as she stood high in the sky, extremely close to the bright moon, resembling a celestial maiden from the moon.

She controlled the entire situation, monitoring every movement of the demonic body until a change occurred on the mountain.

Qin Sang looked up, and even through the suspended lake, he could feel the gaze of those bewitching eyes. Suddenly, a stinging pain shot through his eyes, as if his inner thoughts had been laid bare by a single glance. His heart pounded fiercely.

The Azure Fox Saint King saw the clusters of crimson flames tearing through the mist. Her graceful brows arched, her eyes narrowed, and a cold glint flashed within them.

Next, the Azure Fox Saint King's peripheral vision flickered towards Saint Huiguang.

Saint Huiguang was seen sitting in serene meditation on her lotus platform, completely focused, wholeheartedly urging the heart fire. She seemed oblivious to the changes occurring below.

The Southern Bright Purifying Fire was, after all, a rootless flame.

After tearing through the Seven Constellations Sword Formation, the crimson flames began to lose their momentum and soon ceased gushing forth. While the boulder-like fireballs were still swirling in the void, the five-colored mist had already begun to counterattack.

In particular, the Earth Element Divine Restriction and Water Element Divine Restriction on both sides of the sword formation took advantage of the chaos, pressing inward. The mountain roared incessantly, and under the intense impact, the peak began to tilt; the mountain was on the verge of collapsing.

The rift in the mist was about to close in an instant.

Qin Sang's main body seemed to sense something, a flicker of unease in his eyes. He forcibly suppressed the chaotic vital energy within him, his figure trembled, and he and his avatar rapidly plunged into the depths of the mist.

The Azure Fox Saint King's eyes shifted, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

Suddenly, three fox tails detached from her body, transforming into three streaks of light that rapidly shot downwards. Surprisingly, they were not aimed at the demonic body, but instead passed through the suspended lake, heading straight for the mist's rift.

Simultaneously.

A cold shout, audible to all, caused everyone's expression to change.

"So it was you! You murdered my disciple, gravely wounded my beloved general, and you dare appear before me!"

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

The streaks of light rapidly descended.

The mist on both sides of the rift suddenly paused for an instant.

In that instant, an astonishing pressure descended from the sky. The three streaks of light reverted to their original fox tail forms, but with a flicker, they transformed into three human figures. Each figure was gracefully alluring and full of charm, identical to the Azure Fox Saint King in appearance and attire.

The figures appeared somewhat ethereal, seemingly a divine ability similar to a Dharma body, yet the pressure they exuded was no different from that of a Soul Transformation cultivator appearing in person.

With serene expressions and graceful postures, they stepped into the rift in the mist.