Chapter 1688: Emperor Shan's Urgent Collapse

Crimson fire illuminated the sky.

Monks outside the mountain clearly saw red light shooting from the almost closed cracks in the clouds. The golden clouds immediately turned into fiery red clouds, and an incredibly terrifying power erupted with the red light, causing layers of radiant clouds to rapidly part on either side.

The Azure Fox Saint King's three illusory forms stood in a triangular formation, one in front and two behind. Their formidable aura was as powerful as ever, yet at this moment, illuminated from within by the red light, they felt as if they were about to melt.

Before them was a fireball.

The fireball's true form shouldn't have been large, but its light was blindingly bright, and its aura utterly brutal. It stung everyone's eyes. Monks who understood spiritual eye secret arts quickly activated their cultivation techniques, trying to discern the fireball's essence.

But all they saw was an inferno of raging flames.

Even from a great distance, they could feel the savage energy within the fireball through the anomaly on the mountain. They involuntarily recalled the sight of the rising sun, their minds trembling with awe.

Behind the fireball, the Sun God Tree gently rotated. No one could have imagined such terrifying power originated from this small tree.

Qin Sang's true form and his avatar were illuminated by the firelight, their entire bodies glowing crimson. Their bodies seemed to be ignited by the Southern Bright Lihuo, burning fiercely.

The avatar flashed forward and caught the true form.

The true form was bathed in blood, its expression twisted in agony, and its entire body trembled from the intense pain.

The pain originated from within, having endured two waves of impact. His entire body—flesh, blood, and meridians—had been scoured by a violent torrent, leaving no part unscathed. This time, he truly harmed himself before harming others.

Qin Sang suspected that if he hadn't cultivated demon clan secret arts and achieved some mastery in body refinement, he would have exploded and died even without the Azure Fox Saint King's intervention.

His eyeballs were bloodshot. Qin Sang's gaze swept past the Sun God Tree, focusing on the depths of the Southern Bright Lihuo, unsure how much damage it could inflict on the Azure Fox Saint King this time.

He knew very well that trying to kill a Saint King so easily was nothing short of wishful thinking.

However, if he could just injure the Azure Fox Saint King enough to incapacitate her from causing further trouble, that would be sufficient.

As for whether this would cause the Sky-Suspended Lake to collapse, affect the battle situation above, or release the ancient demon, these were not within Qin Sang's consideration. If anyone was to blame, it should be the instigators; he couldn't just surrender and be slaughtered.

"Whoosh!"

As the fierce flames passed, the sword formation trembled.

The scene from not long ago was replayed. The Seven Mansions Sword Formation was torn open with even larger cracks, the fissures almost piercing through the entire expanse of golden clouds.

Blazing flames surged forward.

The three illusory forms' robes fluttered violently, their aura suppressed by the intense fire.

The Azure Fox Saint King felt the utterly violent power, her eyes deepening with emotion. Previously, the Southern Bright Lihuo had first erupted within the sword formation, and only a portion of it had escaped, so the sensation hadn't been this intense. Now, facing the Southern Bright Lihuo directly, she realized this fire was stronger than anticipated.

She hadn't expected that Qin Sang, despite his nearly depleted true essence, still had the ability to unleash such fierce flames, and moreover, could use her charm art to set a trap.

"Crack!"

The materialized fox claws were the first to touch the Southern Bright Lihuo.

Under the impact of the spiritual fire, a burst of green light exploded. The fox claws suddenly showed cracks and shattered on impact; their fragments, like scattering petals, were instantly swept away by the raging flames. They met the same fate as Su Zinan's giant demon soul.

In an instant, the Southern Bright Lihuo was upon them.

In this critical moment, the Azure Fox Saint King made no attempt to retreat or evade. Her posture didn't change in the slightest; her body remained rigid in place. The divine luster in her eyes, however, receded like a tide.

"Whoosh!"

The fierce flames swept over the illusory forms.

It wasn't just one illusory form swept over by the flames, but all three at once. At this very moment, the Azure Fox Saint King could only focus on preserving her own body, completely unable to attend to her illusory forms.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the three illusory forms had almost no power to resist. They were instantly engulfed by the sea of fire, with only the faint shadow of a fox tail seeming to flash and disappear at the very last moment.

They were utterly annihilated, leaving not a trace!

A great clamor arose within the ancient dwelling.

Some gaped, staring blankly, too shocked to speak.

They didn't know the Azure Fox Saint King had projected illusory forms, but the aura of the three illusory forms was undoubtedly real, leading them all to believe this person's death was imminent. Unexpectedly, not only did the three illusory forms fail to apprehend their foe, they were instead burned to ash by the fierce flames, without even a chance to escape.

"What kind of spiritual fire is this?"

"Is it a spiritual treasure or a divine ability?"

"Where did such a powerful individual come from, who could just sweep away the demon clan Saint King's three illusory forms in one go!"

"No wonder he dared to kill the Saint King's disciple!"

"Damn it! These old fogeys only know how to scheme against each other. If they could work together with such powerful methods, how could the demon lord be so arrogant?"

Exclamations of awe echoed throughout the ancient dwelling, and discussions broke out everywhere.

Their gaze could not tear away from Mount Dishou. They watched as the ball of fierce flames burst out of the golden clouds, its momentum unchecked, hurtling furiously towards the outside of the mountain, its power filling the sky, irresistible, until it finally exploded with a roar in mid-air.

"Boom!"

The sound of the explosion shook the entire wilderness.

From every corner of the ancient dwelling, they could see the fireball exploding in the sky. Crimson streaks of fire branched into thousands, each streak bursting like a firework, staining the sky crimson, forming a strangely beautiful spectacle.

No one was truly captivated by the beauty; they only felt a chill down their spines. After the fierce flames exploded, there was no trace of the Saint King's illusory forms left, not even ash.

As if in response to the fierce fire, a louder roar came from Mount Dishou. The peak, which had been slowly tilting, suddenly accelerated its descent.

"Rumble..."

The entire ancient dwelling shook from this.

The Imperial Mountain crumbled, and the earth split!

It looked as if it had been destroyed by the Southern Bright Lihuo.

In fact, Mount Dishou's rapid collapse was indeed related to the Southern Bright Lihuo. The Five Elements Divine Restriction clashed with each other. The Seven Mansions Sword Formation had its foundation shaken twice, throwing the formation into disarray and becoming the weakest breakthrough point. This indirectly accelerated the destruction of the Five Elements Divine Restriction.

The collapsing peak crashed into the Five Elements Divine Restriction. Clouds and mist surged, spreading across the sky.

Within the clouds, strange lights of various colors arose in chaotic disarray. This was the mountain's array restriction making its final stand. It was conceivable that most of them would be unable to withstand the Five Elements Divine Restriction.

Countless hidden treasures, countless supreme artifacts collected by the Formless Immortal Sect, and countless cultivation techniques and secret manuals left by ancestors would all be lost here.

Every monk who witnessed this scene felt unbearable heartache.

At this moment, alert individuals could already sense something was amiss. Connecting it to the most terrifying consequences, their expressions changed, and they quickly looked towards the Sky-Suspended Lake.

The lake water was as black as ink.

Moonlight and the streams of light unleashed by the assembled monks converged into a single force, heavily striking the demon body.

The Azure Fox Saint King's eyes stiffened for a moment, then quickly regained their divine brilliance. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to notice such a subtle change.

According to her plan, the collective heavy blow against the demon body, even if it couldn't injure it, would trigger the demon body's defensive instincts, preventing it from actively causing trouble at this moment. This would give her a window to project an illusory form to capture Qin Sang, then immediately return and calmly control the battle.

As long as everything went smoothly, nothing could go wrong.

Yet, an unexpected event occurred.

The Azure Fox Saint King's true body trembled suddenly as she returned. Having witnessed the power of the demon fire, even with victory assured, she maintained a degree of vigilance. Sensing danger, she chose to return without hesitation.

However, though she reacted incredibly fast and escaped this calamity, her three illusory forms were directly obliterated.

The illusory forms were originally transformations of her fox tails, so they couldn't harm her foundation. However, the fragments of her spiritual sense left within the illusory forms hadn't dispersed in time and were burned by the fierce flames along with them.

Especially the illusory form she had projected; its fragment of spiritual sense had just merged with her main body, making it not so easy to sever.

A flush of crimson appeared on the Azure Fox Saint King's cheeks, and she let out a delicate moan, seemingly in pain.

Even so, her voice carried an indescribable charm. Her slightly furrowed brows were pitiably delicate, unintentionally exuding a myriad of alluring charms.

The Azure Fox Saint King's abnormality directly affected the battle situation.

Amidst her soft groan, the bright moon in the sky seemed veiled, its light dimming. At the same time, the Sky-Suspended Lake churned with waves, and its body shook, not from the demon body's attacks, but from the instability of the lake water itself.

The Sky-Suspended Lake and the bright moon were the foundations for binding the demon body. Elder Fan and the others relied on these powers to contend with the demon body.

In an instant, everyone sensed the abnormality.

The demon body felt the pressure on it weaken. Its battle instincts allowed it to seize the opportunity, letting out a sky-shaking demonic roar. Endless demonic energy surged out from its body, transforming into demonic claws once more.

This time, the number of demonic claws decreased, but they were even more terrifying.

At the same time, the Five Elements Crown above the demon body's head flared with fierce might. Its five-colored radiance mingled with the demonic claws, indistinguishable from each other, emanating terrifying power as they lunged towards everyone.

By now, the demon spirit's consciousness had been madly corrupted, acting entirely on instinct. The Poison King's gray cocoon was like a turtle shell. The demon body no longer focused on the Poison King, who gradually escaped the center of the vortex.

Elder Fan and the others were more appealing targets.

"Whoosh!"

The demonic claws tore through the air, their five fingers like hooks.

Elder Fan's scalp tingled. Seeing that the Sky-Suspended Lake and the bright moon couldn't restrain the demon body in time, how could he not know that something was wrong with the Azure Fox Saint King? He immediately cursed the Azure Fox Saint King profusely in his mind.

A dark lotus materialized beneath him, poised to act.

Everyone else was also in disarray, each preparing to use their ultimate life-saving techniques. The priority was undoubtedly to escape individually, as the Chan Ding Arhat Formation could no longer be maintained.

With this, the combined attack disintegrated, and the future situation became unpredictable.

Just then, the halo behind the Sage Huiguang's head radiated brilliant light. Immeasurable light shone across the entire Sky-Suspended Lake. The ethereal figure within the halo pressed its palms together, and faint chanting resonated in everyone's ears.

The next moment, the ethereal figure stepped out of the halo, pointed a finger at the demon body, and a golden light shot forth.

The golden light finally solidified into a golden ring, encircling the demon body.

After unleashing the golden light, the ethereal figure dissolved into nothingness. Before disappearing, it turned to glare furiously at the Azure Fox Saint King, like a wrathful king.

"Azure Fox!"

His roar was like thunder, deep and resonant, filled with anger and warning.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The demon body swelled, and the golden ring trembled violently. Clearly, it wouldn't last long. Fortunately, Elder Fan and the others had sensed the ethereal figure's move and made the best possible response.

Knowing she was in the wrong, the Azure Fox Saint King remained silent. Her jade-like hands intertwined, performing a technique to forcibly suppress her injuries and stabilize herself. Then she slightly closed her eyes, murmuring something under her breath.

The lake water calmed, and the bright moon regained its radiance.

Just as the golden ring shattered, before the demon body could retaliate, the surrounding pressure surged back upon it.

With their combined efforts, they finally salvaged the precarious situation.

Sage Huiguang's contribution was immense. Fortunately, he knew that once the Heart Fire Blood Refinement began, it would be difficult to divide his attention. He had prepared a contingency beforehand, just in case, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Looking at Sage Huiguang's true form again, his state was far from relaxed; he too was affected. As the ethereal figure acted, the Demon Sealing Stakes creaked. The surrounding bloody light suddenly intensified. Sage Huiguang's arms trembled, and veins bulged.

"Roar!"

The demon body roared, and its counterattack arrived again.

By now, the Sky-Suspended Lake and the bright moon had stabilized. And the Azure Fox Saint King, having just suffered a setback, no longer glanced downward, focusing instead on dealing with the demon body and gradually steadying their position.

However, the Azure Fox Saint King had not given up her designs on Qin Sang.

Outside the mountain.

Bai Xiao led the demons, moving intermittently. Seeing the situation stabilize and judging the danger to be minor, he sped up, rushing to assist the Saint King. Unexpectedly, new complications arose.

He saw the Saint King's illusory forms perish and, unsure of the Saint King's true form's condition, was hesitating when the Azure Fox Saint King's icy voice came through: "He is at the end of his tether; you must not let him escape, or this King will hold you accountable!"

Bai Xiao's heart pounded.

The Saint King's tone was utterly different from previous commands, extremely stern.

He had dared to delay just now, but now he dared not hesitate in the slightest. Otherwise, he had no doubt that upon their return, the Saint King would first flay him alive, then tear apart his lair.

"Quick! Seize that brat! Anyone who dares to delay, I'll skin them alive!"

Bai Xiao violently kicked the bird demon in front of him. He transformed into a streak of white light, his speed soaring.

Seeing this, the other demons manifested their true forms, a chaotic dance of fiends.

When the Southern Bright Lihuo burst out of the mountain, more people were awestruck by the spiritual fire's power, unable to collect themselves. Suddenly, someone pointed at Mount Dishou and shouted.

"There!"

Behind the fierce fire, within the cracks of the golden clouds, a streak of escape light had actually followed the fire out.

"It's him!"

Having annihilated the Saint King's three illusory forms, that person was still alive and had escaped.

Where was he going?

Questions arose in everyone's minds.

To everyone's surprise, the streak of escape light paused slightly and didn't flee towards the ancient dwelling's entrance. Instead, it shot directly towards an area east of Mount Dishou, filled with peculiar peaks.

There, the unusual peaks resembled swords, their formations integrated into a unified whole. The aura was tightly sealed, clearly indicating the presence of a powerful formation.

"That's the Golden Aspect Hall..."

Someone recognized it.

It wasn't that Qin Sang didn't want to escape directly or hide in Mount Dishou to recover.

The truth was, the escape route was filled with monstrous demonic qi. The Azure Fox Saint King actually had followers, quite a few demon kings. Among the demonic qi, there were also presences Qin Sang found threatening, ones he couldn't deal with in his current state. Furthermore, the Five Elements Divine Restriction was on the verge of destruction; he feared that even if the enemies didn't catch up, he would be buried within it.

After surveying the entire ancient dwelling, the Golden Aspect Hall seemed to be the best choice.

The golden sword he had acquired contained a sword formation passed down by the Golden Aspect Hall. And the Golden Aspect Hall's mountain-protecting grand formation incorporated a portion of this sword formation. By escaping into the Golden Aspect Hall, even if he couldn't use the sword formation to slay his enemies, he could still maneuver and hold them off using it.

Qin Sang sped directly towards the Golden Aspect Hall; no one attempted to stop him along the way.

In fact, almost no one dared to approach Mount Dishou now. Even if someone did, they would have to weigh whether they could withstand the Southern Bright Lihuo. No one knew what Qin Sang's current condition was like.

"Whoosh!"

The escape light moved like lightning.

Qin Sang shot towards the edge of the Golden Aspect Hall. He saw countless sword-like peaks below. Each peak seemed to emanate sword intent, connected to the mountain-protecting grand formation, creating a sharp and naturally formed defensive posture.

The horde of demons was approaching.

Using his Heaven's Eye divine ability, Qin Sang quickly found several familiar formation points. Without hesitation, he chose one and plunged down rapidly. His figure created a faint blue light, disappearing among the peaks in the blink of an eye.