Chapter 1690: 通途

Previously, I had been hiding in the underground palace, gaining some respite.

However, the respite was brief. Soon after, Qin Sang was forced to relocate again, having already moved between countless sword peaks during this period.

Now, Qin Sang realized the demons had changed their tactics.

The sword formation he used to maneuver was called the Xuanji Sword Formation. It was one of the Golden Phase Palace's rare, high-tier illusionary sword formations. Had he been relying on one of the rigid and formidable sword formations, he wouldn't have been able to hide for so long.

The Golden Phase Palace was structured around an earth-element formation as its core, integrating numerous high-tier sword formations, including the Xuanji Sword Formation, to form the Sword Peak Grand Formation, imbued with the essence of sword cultivation.

However, despite the perfect integration of these sword formations within the Golden Phase Palace, differences in energy signatures and phenomena could still be detected at their junctures.

The demon kings had surely noticed this. They set up demon formations in mid-air, guarding all crucial nodes and encircling the Xuanji Sword Formation. Their aim was to seal Qin Sang within this area, then systematically break through the formation and search every inch.

The demons' offensive was relentless, and the available hiding places were diminishing rapidly.

Qin Sang knew danger was closing in fast, but he couldn't afford to worry about it. He raced against time to heal his true form.

Given the situation, Qin Sang had mentally prepared himself for a drastic measure, understanding that escaping today would be impossible without paying a heavy price. His reluctance to send his avatar away earlier stemmed from a lingering hope of saving his true form.

Then, a familiar, very subtle fluctuation reached the protective barrier of his hiding place, and he perceived it.

Qin Sang's surprise and delight were immense.

Ice Soul Divine Light!

Liuli was here too!

This was truly unexpected for Qin Sang.

Since their parting in the Western Desert, Liuli had been without news for years. He had assumed she had severed her ties with the mundane world, entered a Buddhist sect in the Western Desert, and was cultivating in seclusion.

He hadn't expected her to be in Nanzhou, nor to be drawn into the Boundless Immortal Sect.

Qin Sang then realized that Liuli had always prioritized saving her master. As soon as she learned of the Boundless Immortal Sect's connection to the Immortal Palace, she would undoubtedly rush there immediately. It was just that they had been separated for so long that Qin Sang hadn't considered this possibility.

Qin Sang couldn't sense Liuli directly and didn't know her current cultivation level.

Evidently, there was still some distance between Liuli and him. She was using the concealing properties of the Ice Soul Divine Light to transmit a message via her divine ability.

The joy of reuniting with an old friend did not cloud Qin Sang's judgment.

While it was good that Liuli could offer help, the enemy's power was too great. If she acted rashly and got caught in danger, it was not what Qin Sang wanted to see.

Thinking this, Qin Sang wasted no time. Without hesitation, he opened the dark hall's restriction, and a divine light gracefully entered.

The next moment, the divine light materialized into a map before Qin Sang.

Looking closely, Qin Sang immediately recognized that the map depicted a part of the Boundless Immortal Sect ruins, specifically an area extending northeast from the Golden Phase Palace.

It was a rudimentary topographical map, very simplified, without detailed architectural or geographical markers.

A white line on the map connected the Golden Phase Palace to another point.

At the other end of the white line, the divine light projected a phantom image of a serene mountain nunnery, inside which was a hidden teleportation array!

It clearly pointed out an escape route, even accounting for all dangers along the way. He simply needed to follow the path.

What thrilled Qin Sang was that the distance from the Golden Phase Palace to the teleportation array was much shorter than exiting through the main gate.

And this was precisely the biggest challenge Qin Sang faced.

He might be able to temporarily repel the demon kings and use his extraordinary escape techniques to gain some distance, but truly shaking off his pursuers would be difficult. His original plan was to use the pervasive ancient restrictions of the Boundless Immortal Sect, luring enemies with his avatar to create an escape opportunity for his true form.

With Liuli guiding the way, as long as he could successfully reach the nunnery, he would be out of danger!

“The Boundless Immortal Sect truly has other passages,” Qin Sang thought.

Qin Sang had considered this possibility before, but his limited knowledge of the Boundless Immortal Sect made it difficult. He hadn't expected Liuli to be such a tremendous help.

Indeed, heaven never seals off all paths!

“Do you have any strength left?”

The phantom image instantly dissipated, leaving behind this question.

It was incredibly difficult for Liuli to smuggle the Ice Soul Divine Light past the demons' surveillance. The divine sense maintaining the Ice Soul Divine Light had reached its limit, allowing them only a brief exchange before contact was lost.

Once the Ice Soul Divine Light dispersed, Qin Sang's tense mind immediately relaxed considerably. Liuli had clearly planned ahead and had not acted rashly, so his greatest fear had not materialized.

At this point, how could Qin Sang not realize that Liuli's ability to recognize him during the Ten Thousand Demon Convention was certainly not, as she claimed, through sword intent, but undeniably linked to that demonic art.

With external contact made and a plan set, subsequent actions had a clear course.

Qin Sang no longer focused on healing. Instead, he used every means possible to forcefully stabilize his true form's injuries, striving to control his true essence to cast spells and wield artifacts, even if this would lead to more severe long-term complications and make future recovery more troublesome.

Outside the Xuanji Sword Formation.

Liuli finished her technique, feeling the old nun watching her. She said, “Let's go to Yuyang Peak first. My junior sisters have already entered the secret passage within that mountain. The Abbess can simply meet them at the passage entrance.”

The old nun did not move. She had been silently observing Liuli's actions, and seeing that Liuli seemed determined to save the person, she couldn't help but remind her, “That spiritual flame capable of destroying Soul Transformation Dharma bodies must consume an immense amount of true essence. How much true essence does he have left? If he is defeated and captured, the demon kings will surely turn their attention to you. I fear you might not have time to retreat and would be caught along with him.”

Liuli calmly replied, “Don't worry, Abbess, his escape techniques are excellent.”

Upon hearing this, the old nun showed hesitation.

She chose to stay for two reasons: one, for the camaraderie among fellow disciples, and two, because Qin Sang's feat of destroying the three Soul Transformation illusions had left a deep impression on her. If this person could escape, his future would be limitless.

Forming a connection with such a person would not be a bad thing.

However, this involved opposing Soul Transformation stage demons, so the old nun inevitably had many reservations and her capabilities were limited.

Since they had met, Liuli had never spoken falsely. At such a life-or-death moment, she would certainly not speak carelessly. They had personally witnessed the demons reveal their true forms and rush over like lightning moments ago.

Liuli's confidence implied that this person's escape techniques were definitely superior to those of the demon kings.

Thus, there was a glimmer of hope!

Liuli circled to the side of the Xuanji Sword Formation closest to the Golden Phase Palace's core. She selected a sword peak at the edge of the formation, concealed her presence, and quietly entered the mountain.

Above the sword peak, clear ripples spread. A fish demon, manifesting its demon form, floated in mid-air, monitoring the surrounding peaks.

Liuli dared not infiltrate the Xuanji Sword Formation directly, as its energy signature was already sealed by the demon formations and demon eyes. Her true form would surely be exposed if she entered. She stopped at the edge of the sword formation and slipped into a rather elegant courtyard.

Since this peak had previously been visited by the nuns of the Hidden Moon Nunnery, Liuli chose this location directly when formulating her plan.

Unexpectedly, when passing Yuyang Peak, the old nun did not stop but accompanied Liuli to this spot.

She surveyed the peak. Its original owner had connected several courtyards in the mountain, creating a formation. It might not be exceptionally intricate, but it was easy to control, and they could master it quickly, with decent power.

“I'll control this formation from below, so you won't be distracted, Junior Sister,” the old nun surprisingly chose to stay.

Of course, she would remain hidden, avoiding personal risk. If anything went wrong, the demons would target Liuli first, and even if she couldn't save Liuli, she could escape amidst the chaos.

Liuli knew that the old nun was taking a great risk by doing this, and she thanked her.

The old nun waved her whisk and left a final warning: “Be careful with everything.”

Liuli watched the old nun depart.

Liuli remained there for a moment, then disappeared in a flash.

The hovering lake in the sky.

The Golden Phase Palace on the ground.

These two battlegrounds became the focal points.

The hovering lake continued to be turbulent, causing dread.

The numerous demon shadows above the Golden Phase Palace also drew much attention. Everyone was curious if that formidable individual still had strength left and if he could bring them more surprises.

It was regrettable that such a figure had emerged among humanity, only to be pursued by demons within human territory. Some felt a sense of sorrow, like the saying 'when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves.' However, since even Sage Huiguang remained silent, what could others dare to do?

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

The Xuanji Sword Formation erupted with layers of green light, like mist. This phenomenon indicated that the formation's power had significantly weakened.

The demon eyes in the sky rotated ceaselessly.

Inside the formation, Qin Sang's maneuvering space was rapidly being compressed.

All the sword peaks covered by the Xuanji Sword Formation shook violently, as if on the verge of collapsing.

Just as the sword formation's stability became increasingly chaotic, an abnormal fluctuation suddenly appeared on a sword peak at its edge. Something seemed to be impacting the demon formation, and it didn't resemble the fluctuations produced by the Xuanji Sword Formation.

Bai Xiao remained still.

The demon formation remained undisturbed.

The Four-Winged Blood Serpent hovering beside him suddenly glared, its crimson eyes flashing with an eerie light, and transformed into a streak of blood-red light, darting straight towards that sword peak.

At the same time, the fish demon guarding the peak flicked its tail, striking fiercely downwards. The surrounding blue light suddenly condensed into a powerful waterfall, crashing down with immense force onto a courtyard in the mountain.

This strike was not solely its own power; it utilized the demon formation, allowing other demon kings to provide assistance even without moving.

Instantly, countless pavilions and halls collapsed, shattered stones flew everywhere, and a deep crater was formed in the courtyard.

Next, the fish demon and the Four-Winged Blood Serpent dove straight down, one from the left and one from the right.

Unexpectedly, white mist suddenly surged from the ruins, resembling an exceptionally cold ice mist composed of countless tiny ice crystals. This scene was indistinguishable from when the avatar had previously acted.

The one who acted was Liuli, deliberately mimicking the avatar. Although their cultivated divine abilities were different, these demons did not understand the 'Ice Soul Divine Light' and would find it difficult to discern the difference in a hurry.

The ice mist surged out with astonishing speed.

The fish demon and the Four-Winged Blood Serpent knew that a cornered beast would still fight. Already somewhat cautious, they changed their expressions upon sensing the chilling energy. Their escape lights curved into an arc, hurriedly veering away.

“Swish!”

A white shadow flashed repeatedly, shooting rapidly towards the sword peak.

As soon as the divine light appeared, Bai Xiao immediately acted!

However, the demon formation remained unchanged, unaffected by this.

They knew that both Qin Sang's true form and avatar were trapped. It wasn't hard to imagine the opponent using the avatar as bait to lure them away. Especially at a time like this, they couldn't afford to panic and give the opponent an opportunity.

Of course, Bai Xiao would be pleased to capture the avatar and effectively sever one of Qin Sang's arms.

“Whoosh!”

The demon eye in the sky shot out a light beam like a sharp arrow.

Under the impact, the ice mist immediately became turbulent.

Bai Xiao vaguely saw a phantom figure in the mist. While remaining vigilant of other directions, he extended an arm, his slender fingers growing abnormally long nails that resembled five sharp, slender swords.

Just then, Bai Xiao inexplicably felt a warning. The next moment, a bone-chilling cold pierced him, and the surrounding void visibly froze.

This was the true Ice Soul Divine Light!

In an instant, a furious roar shook the heavens.

Bai Xiao, after all, was a great demon sage and had been somewhat prepared. His counterattack was extremely swift and fierce. The light beam shot from the demon eye immediately transferred to his own body. White smoke danced wildly around him as he desperately tried to suppress the spreading ice, his figure charging wildly upwards.

Unexpectedly, another anomaly occurred. A strong wind suddenly swept through the nearly ruined courtyard. The spiritual formation was activated, instantly forming a gray whirlwind. The spiritual wind created gray wind rings, and an immense suction force enveloped the surrounding space.

Even in this critical moment, Bai Xiao did not call for help.

Just as the demons were shaken, a figure suddenly appeared in the northeast, impacting the demon formation.

“Here... Gaa!”

The one guarding this peak was none other than Bone Bird.

Seeing the figure, Bone Bird let out a warning cry and flapped its wings downwards. The two demon kings on its left and right immediately converged, just about to intercept, when they suddenly saw a mass of crimson flames approaching, looking very familiar. Its cry instantly contorted.

The South Ming Divine Fire reappeared!

However, this time, only three birds emerged, and it was the avatar that made the move.

But to Bone Bird, this was the terrifying flame that had annihilated the Saint King's three illusions. The three illusions had been crushed to dust without any power to retaliate, and even the Five Elements Divine Restriction could be overwhelmed. What were mere minor demons compared to that?

Bone Bird had no time to distinguish between its strength and weakness.

Moreover, the power of three divine birds was already terrifying.

“This fellow still has strength left!”

This single thought filled Bone Bird's mind, terrifying it. Like a drowning person, it frantically flapped its two bony wings, shedding more than half of its remaining sparse yellow feathers.

The other two demon kings completely ignored Bone Bird and fled without looking back.

The demon formation instantly fell into chaos. The power of other demon kings formed a gray tide, converging, then suddenly dispersing, all drawn by Bone Bird to resist the South Ming Divine Fire.

“Boom!”

The crimson flames once again exploded in the sky, astonishing everyone again.

Although less impactful than the previous two times, it was mixed with a gray aura.

A lightning-fast escape light burst out of the Golden Phase Palace amidst the chaos, swifter than thunder. Under countless stunned gazes, it shot rapidly towards the northeast, disappearing into the sky in the blink of an eye.

Qin Sang neither knew nor cared if Bone Bird was dead or alive. His true form recklessly mobilized true essence, unleashing both thunder escape and sword escape, shaking off the demon kings behind him.

“Bastard!”

Bai Xiao was furious. He broke free from the Ice Soul Divine Light and the wind rings, then furiously gave chase.

Only a few streaks of light, moving at lightning speed, could be seen on the horizon.

What puzzled everyone was that the person didn't flee outwards but flew deeper into the ruins.

With his extraordinary escape techniques, Qin Sang indeed shook off his pursuers, but this alone was not enough to ensure his escape.

Before reaching the nunnery, Qin Sang's injuries flared up again. This time, they could not be suppressed. His avatar caught his true form, and they continued to flee.

This distance seemed impossibly long to Qin Sang.

Finally, the mountain peak and the nunnery appeared before them.

“Whoosh!”

The avatar descended from the sky with the true form, rushing directly into the nunnery.

Bai Xiao arrived right behind them. Just as he was about to enter, he saw a vast expanse of white, chilling mist surging out from within.

By the time he forcefully suppressed the Ice Soul Divine Light and shattered the nunnery, he only found a teleportation array destroyed from the other side, with no trace of anyone.