Chapter 1689: Together in Heart

The Human World

The avatar carried the true form as they fled Mount Dishou. Just as they entered the sword array, they suddenly felt a prickling sensation on their back, as if being watched. Looking up, they saw dense demonic energy rolling in the distance; the horde of demons had arrived!

Leading the charge was a white shadow, its appearance fiendish and humanoid, with long, slender limbs and pointed fingers, resembling a mountain fiend or a malevolent spirit. Around it, dense, pale white smoke billowed, seemingly formed from ghostly energy, intensifying its eerie and terrifying presence.

Wherever the white shadow passed, the sky itself seemed to darken. This white shadow was precisely the true form of Great Sage Baixiao. To execute the Saint King's command, he had directly revealed his demonic body. Flanking him were two Demon Kings skilled in evasion techniques, with other Demon Kings following closely behind.

One was a skeletal bird devoid of flesh, with a few sparse, withered yellow feathers stuck in the seams of its bones along the edges of its wings. The other was a four-winged blood serpent with scarlet scales.

All were demonic creatures of bizarre and grotesque appearances. The gaze the avatar felt belonged to Baixiao. His sharp eyes bore down on Qin Sang and the avatar. Having personally witnessed Qin Sang and the avatar escape into the sword array, Baixiao would certainly not allow them to get away easily.

Baixiao let out a chilling, sinister laugh. He forcefully stirred his arms, and the white smoke surrounding him was drawn by some unseen force, rapidly converging inward. It finally formed a slender bone sword before him.

The four-winged blood serpent and the bone bird had followed Baixiao for many years and understood his intentions perfectly. Immediately, one spat out a blood bead, while the other vibrated its bony wings, launching three demonic feathers.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Three attacks shot forth simultaneously. Above the sword peaks, three streaks of light—one white, one yellow, one crimson—appeared, moving as swift as a lightning bolt.

Boom! Azure light shot skyward above the sword peaks. The grand formation, which Qin Sang had just breached, immediately began to shake violently. The blood bead and demonic feathers struck the formation head-on, preceding the bone sword. Blood-red light, murky yellow light, and azure light burst forth simultaneously, causing tremors in the vicinity.

The bone sword followed closely, its timing impeccable. It precisely found a weak point, trailing a long plume of white smoke as it shot down like a comet.

The avatar felt a prickling sensation throughout its body, as if a real sharp sword had locked onto it. Its expression slightly solemnizing, it waved its arm backward, and a vast expanse of white cold energy transformed into a long river, unfurling behind it.

Poof! The bone sword, carrying its momentum, pierced into the river of cold energy. No ripples were seen. The next moment, Baixiao's expression stiffened slightly. The bone sword had inexplicably vanished, and he hadn't felt any collision from it. This strange phenomenon left him both surprised and enraged.

Unbeknownst to others, as the Ice Soul Divine Light was unleashed, the Celestial Eye Butterfly perched on the avatar's shoulder opened its feathered wings and shot out a beam of Celestial Eye Divine Light.

The bone sword, originally formed from a divine ability, had struck from afar. Upon contact with the Celestial Eye Divine Light, it indeed dissolved. At this moment, Qin Sang was desperate to find a place to heal and did not wish to get entangled with Baixiao here.

The Ice Soul Divine Light could not only conceal the Celestial Eye Divine Light but also cover his movements. Taking advantage of the cold energy's concealment, the avatar swept its gaze around, vanished into the ground, and its figure flashed repeatedly as it rapidly darted among the sword peaks.

Whoosh! At an unknown sword peak, the avatar, carrying the true form, crashed into a valley. A strong wind swept through, flattening vegetation and creating a scene of utter chaos.

Inside the valley, a clear spring flowed. Beside it stood a rather simple wooden hut, likely the dwelling of a sword cultivator, now certainly ownerless.

The avatar hurriedly set down the true form. Its injuries had been constantly worsening, and the ill effects of consecutively taking two Boiling Snow Pills were now apparent.

Generally, a great cultivator who took one Boiling Snow Pill had to heal as quickly as possible. Damage to meridians and the Qi Sea was only one aspect; being infused with immense elemental energy that didn't originally belong to them, without any buffer, directly impacted their cultivation foundation. Even slight hesitation risked destabilizing it.

The true form had completely relied on his formidable physical body and a powerful spiritual sense far exceeding others at his level to stabilize his body and cultivation foundation, barely pulling through.

In fact, the true form's elemental energy hadn't been depleted, nor did the medicinal effects of the pills dissipate instantly. With two Boiling Snow Pills taken consecutively, there were always residual effects.

However, this residual energy was more of a hindrance than a help. At this point, the true form was unable to control it and was expending all his effort just to prevent his injuries from worsening, leaving him unable to focus on anything else.

To make matters worse, the toxins within his body were stirring, taking advantage of his weakened state. Although the detoxifying aura of the Poison Pill provided a counterbalance, this only worked if Qin Sang himself had the ability to suppress the toxins.

The true form's face was deathly pale, his brow furrowed in pain, and his breathing was chaotic and weak. The Celestial Eye Butterfly flapped its wings and flew up from the avatar's body. It was only by relying on her divine ability that she had been able to quickly discern the intricate layout of the Golden Manifestation Palace's grand formation.

It fluttered onto the true form's shoulder, its soft wings gently touching Qin Sang's cheek. Seemingly sensing the pain Qin Sang was enduring, the Celestial Eye Butterfly's wings also trembled slightly, and a pale blue ethereal mist appeared within its Celestial Eye patterns.

The avatar flashed behind the true form, raising its hand and pressing it against the true form's back. Since they were originally one entity, the true form could safely allow the avatar's power to enter its body to help regulate its elemental energy.

With the avatar's assistance, the true form's internal condition improved somewhat. The look of pain on its face diminished slightly, but the injuries remained severe.

The avatar continued to busy itself, hurriedly finding a few bottles of healing pills and shoving them all into the true form's body. Just then, the surrounding area began to shake violently.

Looking up, demonic figures were already suspended in the air. Baixiao and the two other demons stood suspended in mid-air, their eyes like lightning. They quickly spotted an anomaly. The four-winged blood serpent let out a sharp, piercing whistle, and with a flash of blood-red light, it appeared above the sword peak, its long, blood-red tail suddenly lashing out.

Boom! Blood-red light exploded, and the violent impact, even through the sword array, created a hurricane of elemental energy below. It recoiled towards the sword peaks, thoroughly ploughing the valley.

The wooden hut collapsed, exposing earth and stones. Qin Sang was nowhere to be seen. Realizing the danger, Qin Sang had already escaped the valley in advance. He tried his best to suppress his aura, seemingly scurrying around aimlessly. In reality, he was relying on his understanding of the sword array and his Celestial Eye divine ability to navigate the formation.

Boom! Boom! Boom! ... Roaring sounds continuously resounded. It was difficult to track him through the grand formation, so these Demon Kings bombarded the area indiscriminately. Baixiao, the four-winged blood serpent, and the bone bird took turns attacking, forcing Qin Sang to keep moving without rest.

Finally, Qin Sang roughly understood the changes in the nearby formation and unexpectedly sensed a hidden location. He hurriedly escaped into it.

Bang! The dark underground palace welcomed long-absent light. Evidently, its former master had been somewhat lax, as the restrictions of the underground palace were set up relying on the mountain-protecting grand formation, their networks interconnected to utilize the formation's power.

Precisely because of this, Qin Sang was able to enter so easily. The underground palace's furnishings were simple, and it didn't seem to be a particularly important place.

During this rare moment to catch his breath, the avatar continued to regulate the true form's elemental energy. However, the more it did, the heavier its heart became; the true form's condition was more troublesome than anticipated.

The gains from this trip to the Formless Immortal Sect were immense, far exceeding Qin Sang's estimation. However, the premise was having the life to enjoy them; otherwise, everything would be futile.

In fact, even if more true essence were consumed, it wouldn't be a problem; without Boiling Snow Pills, there were still top-grade spirit stones. When facing the Saint King, the avatar had never had a chance to attack, so it had taken other pills to slowly recover its true essence.

The top-grade spirit stones were reserved for the true form; as soon as its condition improved slightly, it could absorb their spiritual energy.

But now, the issue wasn't the true essence. Without first suppressing his internal injuries, the true form dared not make any move. Relying solely on the avatar's power, even if it used the Solar Divine Tree to force back a Demon Great Sage, how could it possibly resist the encirclement and suppression by a multitude of Demon Kings?

Moreover, the enemy could simply surround him without attacking directly, continuously wearing him down while waiting for Saint King Qinghu to free himself. Currently, he could only use the grand formation to contend with them, unsure if he could hold out until the true form recovered.

"True form or avatar, must one be abandoned?" Qin Sang thought bitterly. When a choice absolutely had to be made, if possible, he would naturally prioritize the true form's escape.

...At the edge of the Golden Manifestation Palace. The old nun saw Qin Sang escaping towards this area and immediately felt a great sense of foreboding. She didn't know the extent of the impact the demise of the three illusionary bodies had on Saint King Qinghu, but she absolutely did not want to be dragged into the conflict between the two sides, not to mention the risk of incurring the wrath of a Soul Transformation cultivator.

All of the sect's top experts were here. If they were caught in the crossfire, the consequences would be unbearable for Yamayue Temple.

It was obvious that other cultivators who had intended to explore the Golden Manifestation Palace had all hastily dispersed far away. She immediately crushed the jade talisman in her hand, ordering a retreat.

Fortunately, her junior sister had sent back a message: they had already cracked most of the secret hall's restrictions and obtained a portion of its treasures, reaping considerable rewards.

Receiving the warning, they dared not stay any longer and hurriedly withdrew. When the old nun met up with her junior sisters and looked back towards the west, there was no trace of Liuli.

"Did she see the battle on Mount Dishou and take a detour elsewhere?" Just as this thought flashed through her mind, a clear, cold voice echoed from the shadows of nearby rocks:

"Abbess." Liuli had arrived at an unknown time, stepping out from the darkness. Not only had she not openly flown on her sword, but she was also suppressing her own aura as much as possible.

Seeing Qin Sang battling the Demon Soul Transformation cultivator, Liuli had hidden herself in the shadows. The Listening Snow Tower secret art Qin Sang used to refine his avatar, and the "Ice Soul Divine Light" cultivated by the avatar, shared a common origin. Their auras were similar to hers, and if she didn't conceal herself, she risked being seen through by the Demon Soul Transformation cultivator and getting implicated.

"It's good that you're back!" The old nun's expression softened as she said in a deep voice,

"We cannot stay here much longer! Although the gains this time were not as great as expected, it was still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After returning, cultivate in seclusion and meditate, and you will surely greatly advance in your cultivation. Be decisive when needed, and never be swayed by greed." These words were not only for Liuli but also a warning to her other junior sisters who were still unwilling to leave.

Once the old monk suppresses the devil and frees his hands, he will certainly target them, the remnants of the Formless Immortal Sect. Delaying until now was already somewhat risky.

"What a pity! If we just had a little more time, we could have broken the last sword qi seal of that secret hall! Deducting from our previous gains, there must be extremely valuable sword cultivator secret treasures inside, highly likely even the 'Taiyuan Golden Adamantine Sword Scripture'!" The young nun was very unwilling to leave.

"Junior Sister Ying, you must have drawn a diagram of the mountain-protecting grand formation while exploring the Golden Manifestation Palace, right? Hand the diagram to me; I'll go to the secret hall to retrieve the treasures," Liuli said, reaching out her hand.

As soon as these words were uttered, everyone was surprised. The old nun waved her whisk, stopping Liuli. "Junior Sister, you must not be reckless..." Liuli interrupted the old nun and insisted, "Since I entered the nunnery, I have received much care, yet I have not accomplished anything. The cultivation techniques and Dao arts I practice are not from the Formless Immortal Sect's legacy, and others don't know that I've joined Yamayue Temple, so I won't be targeted." Hearing this, others were somewhat moved, and the young nun was even more eager, already taking out a jade slip, her face full of anticipation.

The old nun said nothing, gazing intently at Liuli. After a long moment, she looked back and swept her gaze over the Golden Manifestation Palace, though not in the direction of the secret hall. Then she looked up at the suspended lake in the sky, which was suddenly rippling with waves, and said to a female lay practitioner beside her, "This place is rife with peril. We cannot let Junior Sister Liuli venture into danger alone. I will stay behind to provide support; Junior Sister, you take them and go ahead." The female lay practitioner was stunned.

Without waiting for her response, the old nun had already taken the jade slip from the young nun's hand and, without question, urged them to leave.

"The ruins are crowded and complicated. Do not go to the teleportation array first; exit the estate directly through the main gate passage. Other forces are either tied down by the ancient devil or busy with treasure hunting, unable to be distracted, so there should be no hindrance. Remember not to linger." They all understood that the teleportation array was certainly to be left for the Abbess and Liuli, and the nuns had no objections.

The young nun was both expectant and worried: "We found several secret passages in the Golden Manifestation Palace... Abbess, Senior Sister Liuli, please be extremely careful." The old nun's tone was serious, commanding as the Abbess. The female lay practitioner dared not disobey, immediately called her junior sisters, bade farewell to the two, concealed their auras, and swept towards the entrance of the Formless Immortal Sect.

After watching the nuns depart into the distance, the old nun retracted her gaze and handed the jade slip to Liuli.

"Junior Sister, have you thought through the dangers inside?"

"Thank you, Abbess." Liuli took the jade slip, knowing in her heart that the Abbess might have discerned something. Her joining Yamayue Temple had been a coincidence, leading to a bond with the Abbess.

Aside from the restriction on leaving freely, the other rules of the nunnery were not strict, and the Abbess could assist her in studying Buddhist doctrines—all things she needed. Thus, she accepted the invitation to join.

She didn't harbor deep feelings for Yamayue Temple, nor did she hold too much expectation for it. With a Demon Saint King looming above, what right did she have to make the old nun gamble with the sect's very existence?

Regardless of what the old nun was thinking, her decision to stay now was nothing short of timely aid. Thus, Liuli sincerely thanked her.

Liuli's mind sank into the jade slip. They had been exploring the Golden Manifestation Palace for some time, and combined with the sect's existing scriptures, they had generally grasped the layout and flow of the mountain-protecting grand formation. Many parts were very detailed and could be utilized.

At this point, the Golden Manifestation Palace was permeated with demonic aura. Baixiao had failed to ferret out Qin Sang, and searching through the mountain-protecting grand formation proved very difficult. So, he simply led the demons to besiege a large area of sword peaks, trapping Qin Sang inside.

The demons formed a formation, each occupying a sword peak in a specific direction, maintaining a vigilant and predatory watch. The four-winged blood serpent and the bone bird continuously launched attacks. Baixiao, however, no longer attacked; instead, white smoke continuously emanated from his body, floating upwards to form a white gas mass the size of a human head, which finally transformed into the shape of an eyeball.

The eyeball hung suspended in the air, able to rotate in any direction, appearing extremely eerie. It monitored the area below, preventing Qin Sang from hiding and escaping!

The next moment, the demons simultaneously attacked the grand formation. Instantly, the peaks trembled and the grand formation surged. By this time, Liuli and the old nun had already infiltrated the Golden Manifestation Palace. What surprised the old nun was that Liuli's direction was very clear; she quickly infiltrated near the demon formation, though she dared not get too close due to the demon eye suspended above.

Then, Liuli stopped at a certain spot and quietly released her Ice Soul Divine Light. Her Ice Soul Divine Light was inherently silent, and with the commotion created by the grand formation under attack providing cover, no one noticed. The divine light infiltrated along with the formation's movements, its target precisely Qin Sang's hiding place.

She had discovered in the North Sea that, due to the hidden danger of her evil cultivation method, she could sense Qin Sang through a spiritual mark within a certain range.

Previously, Qin Sang must have been on Mount Dishou, concealed by the Five Elements Divine Restriction, which was why the evil cultivation mark had shown no reaction. Inside a certain dark room.

Qin Sang's true form's aura had stabilized, showing signs of improvement. Just as he was about to deduce how to escape next, he opened his eyes in surprise.