Chapter 1784: Fusion Seal

The Human World

Qin Sang's Dharma Idol was an azure luan. In this world, the human and demon races harbored an intense, irreconcilable hatred for each other. Qin Sang was concerned his Dharma Idol might arouse suspicion, so he deliberately kept it hidden.

Although the Azure Luan Dharma Idol had not manifested, it seemed to sense something, and was stirred. Ever since *Celestial Demon Refinement* reached its fifth level, the Azure Luan Dharma Idol had gradually solidified from a mere phantom. In the years since his breakthrough, Qin Sang had continuously tried to uncover the secrets of his Dharma Idol, but with little success. Controlling the Azure Luan's thunder power also seemed a distant prospect.

Unexpectedly, the Azure Luan Dharma Idol displayed an astonishing power at this moment.

Each breakthrough made by a Nascent Soul cultivator represented a deeper mastery of the connection between heaven and man. High-level cultivators could leverage their superior understanding of heavenly might to suppress opponents of weaker cultivation. This often caused weaker opponents to panic, and in severe cases, their minds would be so overwhelmed that they couldn't even contemplate resistance. The disparity in cultivation levels could even affect divine abilities and dao techniques. The same dao technique, when used against a cultivator of a higher realm, might be invisibly weakened due to the suppression of heavenly might. This ebb and flow further widened the power gap. Because of this factor, even though Qin Sang possessed several powerful divine abilities, his confidence in challenging higher-level cultivators had somewhat diminished after reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

However, this wood dragon, comparable to a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, didn't make Qin Sang feel suppressed, despite his inferior cultivation. He felt less pressure than he did from the injured thunder tortoise. From Perfected Yu Huang's previous performance, it was evident that she had been extremely cautious when facing the wood dragon alone, using various means to avoid its attacks. Although this was part of their plan, it also showed that Perfected Yu Huang had been suppressed by the wood dragon.

"The Azure Luan Dharma Idol can resist an opponent's heavenly might suppression..." Qin Sang realized the reason and was greatly astonished. With the Dharma Idol's protection, he wouldn't have to worry about being restricted when facing opponents of a higher realm in the future. He just didn't know the limits of its power.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but Qin Sang's movements didn't falter; in fact, he became even more composed.

*Whoosh!*

The spiritual spear descended from the sky, unstoppable, blasting through the white flames and aiming straight for the wood dragon's head. Black vortexes reflected in the wood dragon's fierce eyes. The spear tip, gleaming sharply, stung the wood dragon, causing its pupils to suddenly contract.

*Roar!*

Such a fierce beast as the wood dragon was incredibly unruly. It roared, throwing its head back to reveal terrifying fangs. As it breathed, half the white flames were sucked into its massive maw, then violently spewed out.

*Boom!*

A pillar of white flames fiercely surged into the vortex. The two powerful forces collided violently, shaking heaven and earth. The black vortex was instantly torn apart. The spiritual spear, still powerful, rapidly spun as it broke through layers of white flames. However, just as it was about to pierce the wood dragon, it showed signs of slowing down. Qin Sang seized the opportunity to close in, silently activating the Demonic Suppression Seal. He pressed it against the wood dragon's side, and it suddenly erupted.

*Thud!*

Scales shattered and flew everywhere. The wood dragon's body suddenly caved in at the middle, forming a 'bow' shape in the sky. A large section of its scales flew off, leaving a bloody, mangled mess. Struck by the sudden heavy blow, the wood dragon plummeted downward. Its tail thrashed wildly, sweeping against the nearby peaks and leaving deep gashes in the mountainsides, sending dust and debris flying everywhere. The wood dragon fell into the sea of fire created by its own ability. Just as it was about to crash into the valley floor, a sharp shriek echoed from the flames. It somehow managed to forcefully halt its descent and burst out of the fiery sea.

Its fierce eyes locked onto Qin Sang, filled with raging fury. Its wounds were bleeding profusely, but this seemed to have little effect on it. The flesh beneath its scales contracted, quickly stopping the bleeding, and a faint bloody glow shimmered, indicating it was gradually recovering.

"What a powerful body! And such tough scales!" Qin Sang's heart skipped a beat. The next moment, a foul wind assaulted his face, and a giant claw appeared in his vision. Although the wood dragon was a dragon-type creature, it had four claws, whose sharp tips were comparable to swords. Qin Sang had no desire to experience being impaled by those claws.

He instinctively wanted to dodge, but at the last moment, he changed his mind. The wood dragon couldn't kill him, and his companions were nearby to provide support. Where else could he find such an excellent opportunity for practical experience? With a flicker of thought, Qin Sang's figure suddenly froze, as if petrified. The vital energy within his body vibrated, emitting rumbling sounds like distant thunder.

*Swish!*

The dragon claw passed through his chest, but only tore apart an illusion. Qin Sang, with lotus steps, moved like a ghost, completely unharmed by the dragon claw. Instead of retreating, he advanced, deliberately striking towards the wood dragon's chest and abdomen. Unfortunately, the wood dragon's combat instincts were sharper. Before Qin Sang could get near its soft underbelly, another dragon claw swatted towards his head. This dragon claw was enveloped in white flames, resembling a giant fiery claw. Wherever it passed, the very void seemed to collapse, carrying a terrifying pressure. In its fury, the wood dragon attempted to crush this "insect" into paste with a single claw.

For anyone else, the immense pressure would have made it impossible to move, leaving retreat as the only option. But Qin Sang, shielded by his Dharma Idol, moved freely. He stepped on air, darted through a gap in the claws, and formed the Samsara Seal with his left hand. The fiery claw entered the vortex of power created by the Samsara Seal, and for a moment, it was delayed. Qin Sang's eyes flashed coldly, and he fiercely struck out with his right palm. Before the wood dragon could retract its other claw, it was hit squarely on the joint by the Demonic Suppression Seal.

*Crack!*

Scales shattered from the joint, and the dragon claw twisted into an unnatural shape, splattering blood across the sky. The wood dragon's body suddenly tilted, crashing into the pockmarked mountainside. The impact shook the peak violently, threatening to topple it. In pain, the wood dragon roared in extreme rage, fiercely lashing out its tail to strike Qin Sang.

At that moment, Qin Sang's expression changed slightly. The Azure Luan Dharma Idol's protection had surprisingly failed, leaving him rooted to the spot, watching the dragon tail rapidly lash towards him. Clearly, this was not caused by heavenly might, but likely an immobilization divine ability innately understood by the wood dragon. The dragon tail brought with it a foul wind. Even with various protective treasures, Qin Sang didn't want to endure that blow.

Just as Qin Sang was about to find a way to break free, a streak of black lightning descended from the sky. Perfected Gu Yun had finally arrived. The spiritual spear, having rebounded, conveniently returned to its owner's hand. Perfected Gu Yun twirled his spear, charging fearlessly towards the wood dragon, whose physical body was far larger than his own. Just by looking at his appearance, it was hard to believe this slender daoist fought with such ferocity.

*Thunk!*

Perfected Gu Yun's timing was impeccable; the spiritual spear plunged straight into the base of the wood dragon's tail. This spot was precisely a weak point in the wood dragon's scales. The spear effortlessly pierced the tail root, embedding the wood dragon's body into the mountainside. The wood dragon was driven to madness, no longer caring about Qin Sang. Its body folded, and its gaping, bloody maw snapped towards Perfected Gu Yun. Perfected Gu Yun had no desire to prolong the fight. Knowing when to retreat, he pulled out his spiritual spear and withdrew. Instantly, blood gushed like a fountain.

Immediately after, a surprising sight appeared: the bloody hole at the base of the wood dragon's tail healed at a visible speed. Its tail, which had become stiff from severe injury, quickly regained its flexibility. The same was true for its other injuries.

"What incredible regenerative abilities..." Perfected Gu Yun's eyes narrowed slightly, but he showed no fear. If the wood dragon possessed only these abilities, it wouldn't escape death today. He even had the leisure to greet Qin Sang, "Fellow Daoist, what courage! What skill!" He was praising Qin Sang's daring to engage the wood dragon in close-quarters combat. Every move of the wood dragon carried the suppression of heavenly might. Failure to respond adequately could lead to unimaginable consequences. If it were Perfected Gu Yun in a situation where victory was assured, he certainly wouldn't take such a risk. Only someone who had experienced countless battles and was supremely confident in their divine abilities would dare to do so.

Qin Sang, however, seemed not to hear Perfected Gu Yun's words. He was looking at his own hands, deep in thought.

At this moment, the wood dragon surged back into the fray. Perfected Gu Yun readied his spiritual spear and stepped forward. Qin Sang also looked up, clenched his fists, and charged forward again, fighting the wood dragon alongside Perfected Gu Yun, one on each side.

However, Qin Sang dedicated half of his attention to himself, or more precisely, to two types of Buddhist seals: the Demonic Suppression Seal and the Samsara Seal. In the ensuing battle, Qin Sang continuously cast both Buddhist seals simultaneously, displaying a contemplative expression. He was currently studying these two already mastered Buddhist seals because, during the recent fight, Qin Sang had gained a new insight into the *Seven Master Buddhist Seals*, attempting to merge the two seals. When his physical body had just broken through, Qin Sang had a faint premonition, but at that time, he hadn't fully comprehended the seventh seal, the Vajra Great Freedom Seal, so he couldn't be sure. Facing the wood dragon directly, the rapidly changing situation brought Qin Sang a flash of inspiration. He finally confirmed that merely mastering the seven Buddhist seals was not the ultimate limit of the *Seven Master Buddhist Seals*!

The seven Buddhist seals could be merged with each other. Although Qin Sang didn't know the exact outcome of the fusion, he could guess part of it. As the saying goes, water has no constant form. When *Seven Master Buddhist Seals* was cultivated to perfection, there would be no need to adhere strictly to any particular Buddhist seal; every strike would contain infinite variations and unfathomable divine power.

"The *Seven Master Buddhist Seals* definitely has more potential than this!" Qin Sang hadn't expected that the secret art he had acquired long ago, which had been ignored at an auction, would display its extraordinary side today. Delighted by the discovery, Qin Sang used the wood dragon to comprehend the secret art, first attempting to merge the Demonic Suppression Seal and the Samsara Seal. One seal was rigid, the other flexible, serving as mutual corroboration. With their power outwardly expressed, this combination seemed the easiest way to glimpse the method.

While Qin Sang and Perfected Gu Yun engaged the wood dragon, Perfected Yu Huang was lurking at the bottom of the valley, not showing herself. She was busy. The white flames had been recalled by the wood dragon to form protective fiery armor, and at some point, the valley floor had become covered in vines, resembling countless giant pythons entwined together. Perfected Yu Huang's figure continuously flickered, embedding divine talismans into the roots of the vines. Empowered by the divine talismans, a faint ethereal glow passed over the vines' surface, making them appear even tougher.

Having completed her setup, Perfected Yu Huang looked up and sent a telepathic message to her companions. Qin Sang and Perfected Gu Yun's gazes met briefly, then they both simultaneously leaped above the wood dragon. Perfected Gu Yun held his spiritual spear diagonally, transforming it into a whip and fiercely lashing the wood dragon. Qin Sang, employing his old tactic, dodged the wood dragon's attacks and struck its back squarely with the Demonic Suppression Seal. The wood dragon was once again struck down from the sky.

At the same time, all the vines in the valley began to writhe, rising like true pythons, swaying their slender bodies in the air. As the wood dragon fell, the vines shot towards it frantically, instantly wrapping the wood dragon into a tight bundle. The wood dragon struggled wildly. The vines tightened, and snapping sounds were incessant, but many vines remained stubbornly entangled, with even more surging in. At this moment, the wood dragon seemed to have fallen into a large net, unable to escape. To make matters worse, Qin Sang and Perfected Gu Yun pursued relentlessly, continuously attacking the wood dragon's vital points.

As more and more vines entangled the wood dragon, Qin Sang and Perfected Gu Yun, with unspoken understanding, darted to either side of its head. Their palms clamped down like pincers on its neck, and they forcefully pressed it downward.

*Thud!*

The wood dragon's head crashed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble. High above, a sword flew in from beyond the sky, like a dazzling rainbow descending from heaven, arriving in an instant. Qin Sang felt the struggling force beneath him suddenly weaken. He then saw Perfected Zhijian's spiritual sword pierce directly into the crown of the wood dragon's head, ending the fierce beast's life with a single strike.

"What a thrill!" Perfected Gu Yun burst into laughter. Perfected Yu Huang appeared, her face beaming with joy as she looked at the dragon's corpse. At this moment, Perfected Zhijian also flew back into the valley. Previously, he had been responsible for scouting the surroundings to prevent the commotion of their fight from attracting unwanted guests, and for delivering the final fatal blow. Everything had gone more smoothly than expected.

"Quickly, dissect the demon corpse; this place is not suitable for prolonged stay," Perfected Zhijian said before going to clear away any traces around them. The few cultivators quickly dismembered the demon corpse, keeping what was useful and burning the rest. Ultimately, Perfected Yu Huang received the demon core and essence blood. Qin Sang and Perfected Gu Yun equally divided the wood dragon's azure scales. If they could refine these scales into the Whirlwind Armor later, its power could be further enhanced. Perfected Zhijian only received a few sections of demon bones. Perfected Yu Huang took the largest share this time, but she would compensate them with Dao Court merits.

After finishing up, the four immediately left the area. Through this battle, they had become more familiar with each other. "This fierce beast wandered out alone, which is why this battle went so smoothly. But don't think it's easy; when hunting fierce beasts deep within the Fiendish Plains, if you can't end the fight quickly, you'll easily attract another one..." Perfected Zhijian said gravely, primarily as a warning to Qin Sang. Qin Sang was somewhat distracted, his mind constantly pondering the *Seven Master Buddhist Seals*.

On the rest of their journey, they did not encounter a second Nascent Soul-level fierce beast.

"Our target is now less than a thousand li from here..." From a mountaintop, Perfected Zhijian gazed northwards. Before he finished speaking, a booming roar came from ahead, and a cloud of dust could be seen rolling across the horizon in the distance.

"Another beast tide! Something major must be happening ahead!" Perfected Zhijian frowned, then turned back and said, "We'll have to rely on you two fellow daoists again." Perfected Gu Yun looked at Qin Sang. Qin Sang nodded. "I'll clear the path!"

With that, Qin Sang leaped down the mountain. Perfected Zhijian and Perfected Yu Huang reined in their aura and followed closely, with Perfected Gu Yun bringing up the rear. The closer they got to their target, the more they needed to conceal their aura and avoid flying in the air to prevent detection. However, beast tides were constant here, and constantly avoiding them would surely delay them. Thus, Qin Sang and Perfected Gu Yun led the way; as cultivators specializing in strength, their power was concentrated within themselves, allowing them to control their presence effectively when acting. Perfected Zhijian flicked his finger, conjuring a light veil that concealed their figures. Qin Sang went ahead alone, directly entering the beast horde. He continuously cast the two Buddhist seals in alternation, combining rigidity with flexibility, constantly comprehending and adjusting.

Countless fierce beasts brushed past them, either subtly redirected by an invisible force or gently pushed aside. Everything seemed to happen naturally; even the nearest beasts detected no abnormality and continued their frantic charge. The four moved like flowing water, silently weaving through the beast horde.

As the four swiftly approached their target.

To the north.

Two figures stood in a mountain hollow, gazing at the horizon. One stood ahead of the other, clearly indicating their respective statuses. The person in front wore an immortal official's robe, symbolizing a Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace from the Heavenly Pivot Academy, standing with hands clasped behind his back. The other person, standing half a step behind, was the dark-skinned man. The two gazed at the sky, witnessing a spectacle unimaginable to ordinary people.

"This is the place this poor daoist spoke of." The Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace seemed to recall something from the past, his tone tinged with a faint sigh. The dark-skinned man's gaze was solemn, unable to tear his eyes away for a long time.