Chapter 1793: Understanding

Mortal Realm

Lí Hóu was carried by the sword light, impaled into the ground, his head twisted at an unnatural angle, and he died.

Qín Sāng exhaled softly, his qi and blood surging violently.

Although the fragment of the True Treasure was powerful, its consumption of true essence was terrifying, more than an ordinary person could bear. He didn't know how much wood spirit energy he had absorbed, and even the Evolution Dao Tree couldn't fully withstand the impact; his qi and blood were already showing signs of fluctuation. This battle was, in fact, far from easy.

What primarily restricted him was his spiritual consciousness.

Setting up such a meticulous sword array to seal off heaven and earth and trap a mid-Soul Transformation stage Demon Marquis also demanded a very high level of spiritual consciousness.

As time passed, Lí Hóu repeatedly attacked the sword array, continuously analyzing its patterns. Little did he know, while Qín Sāng's expression remained unchanged, his mind was actually extremely tense.

He had to reserve enough spiritual consciousness to suppress the Kirin Source Seed, otherwise, all his efforts would be in vain. The remaining spiritual consciousness had to be managed meticulously.

Not only did he need to maintain the sword array and the astral fire shield, but he also had to retain reserve power, ready at any moment to unleash the spiritual treasure, the Four-Horse Tenghu Seal, to guard against Lí Hóu's desperate counterattack.

The energy unleashed by a mid-Soul Transformation stage expert when facing death would undoubtedly be astonishing.

Even if Lí Hóu possessed a technique for mutual destruction, Qín Sāng was not surprised and remained constantly vigilant.

"After receiving the Five Thunder Secret Talisman promotion, my true essence will be fully restored, but before refining the Kirin Source Seed, I will still need to rely more on my physical body..."

Qín Sāng mused inwardly, looking up at the sky.

Even though he had successfully hunted Lí Hóu, the crisis was not over; there were still uninvited guests nearby.

His battle with Lí Hóu had ended, but the tremors in the jungle space had not ceased, and thunder continued to rumble in the sky, growing more intense.

Long marks appeared on the blue sky wall, stretching across the sky, a sign of the sky wall tearing due to violent impact.

Through the infiltrating aura, he could perceive that the source of the tremors was not the chaos caused by the golden light, but cultivators fighting nearby!

He didn't know who the newcomers were, or which side had the upper hand.

To avoid complications, Qín Sāng dared not delay. He had no thought of capturing Lí Hóu alive and attacked with full force to slay him.

Even without an unexpected turn, the chance of capturing him alive was small, and the corpse of a mid-Soul Transformation stage Demon Marquis was enough to earn him the qualification for promotion.

He also had to thank the uninvited guests outside, who allowed Lí Hóu to see a glimmer of hope. The desire to survive took precedence, dispelling any thoughts of a desperate fight to the death. Furthermore, because his mind was agitated between life and death, he was taken advantage of by the Heavenly Soul-Shattering Needle. The potent poison entered his body, leaving him with no resistance, and he died tragically on the spot.

"Boom..."

The sky wall was composed of blue energy masses, and powerful external fluctuations caused them to surge.

The moment Qín Sāng looked at the sky wall, a section of it caved inward, as if a colossal force from beyond the sky had struck downwards, collapsing the sky. Cracks immediately appeared in the indented area.

Through the cracking fissures, Qín Sāng saw a familiar petite figure slam heavily into the sky wall, letting out a sharp cry.

"True Master Yōuhuáng!"

Qín Sāng's gaze narrowed slightly.

He saw True Master Yōuhuáng standing on a spiritual flower as large as a silver basin. The spiritual flower grew amidst countless thick vines. The vines, like snakes, twisted around True Master Yōuhuáng. When she crashed into the sky wall, the vines coiled together, protecting her within.

It was visible to the naked eye that an incomparably powerful grey aura had sent True Master Yōuhuáng flying.

True Master Yōuhuáng was not injured, but some of the vines protecting her were broken and some withered, losing nearly half their number in a single blow.

Immediately after, the vines plunged deeply into the sky wall, forcibly stabilizing her in the void. True Master Yōuhuáng dared not hesitate and immediately threw a blue pearl from her hand.

The pearl transformed into a long ribbon, spiraling in the void. Seemingly light and delicate, it produced sounds of wind and thunder as it danced. With a fierce flick, it dispersed the rapidly approaching grey aura.

At the same time, a figure swept over, blocking in front of True Master Yōuhuáng.

This person was clad in armor, their qi and blood surging like a tide throughout their body. Standing in the void, they were like a pillar supporting heaven and earth, their spiritual spear pointed diagonally forward.

"True Master Gūyún, I didn't expect them not to be dispersed..."

As Qín Sāng recognized the two figures, True Master Yōuhuáng also caught sight of Qín Sāng below. A flicker of joy crossed her tense, pretty face, but soon her expression became serious again, her small mouth slightly open as if about to say something.

At this moment, the grey aura, sent flying by the ribbon, quickly converged and recoiled, finally transforming into a grey spherical pearl that landed in the hand of a burly, muscular man.

The burly man's eyes were eerily greyish-white, and his fingers were webbed, clearly not human at first glance.

Beside the burly man, there was also a woman as captivating as a flower. This woman wore a jeweled crown and a colorful robe, and a pure crystal was embedded in her brow, within which five-colored radiance flowed. Her appearance was even more dazzling than True Master Yōuhuáng's, yet her almond-shaped eyes held astonishing murderous intent.

The number of people on both sides was equal, but True Master Yōuhuáng's side was at a disadvantage.

"Let's see how far you can run!"

The woman in the jeweled crown shouted sharply, the crystal in her brow glowing brightly as five streaks of spiritual light shot out.

The spiritual light was divided into five colors, transforming into five astonishing rainbows, emitting an extremely sharp aura like five spiritual blades, rapidly slashing towards the two True Masters.

The burly man was not to be outdone. He swallowed the grey spherical pearl, leapt forward, his throat rippled, his mouth puffed out, and he opened it to spray a cloud of aura towards the two True Masters.

In an instant, a grey cloud formed above the two True Masters' heads, and a strange power permeated the void.

The two True Masters had the illusion of falling into the seabed; the surrounding light and even the void seemed to twist, and they felt an inexplicable sense of ungrounded terror.

True Master Gūyún straightened his body, his spiritual spear splitting into thousands of spear shadows, then suddenly converging. The spear struck at a single point, piercing fiercely towards the five-colored rainbow in front, ignoring the grey cloud above his head.

The ribbon, still spiraling in mid-air, connected end to end and twisted into a talismannic shape, bouncing high.

With a bang, the grey cloud violently shook.

One of the True Masters cultivated the Dragon-Tiger Altar, and the other cultivated the Golden Seal Altar, complementing each other and cooperating perfectly.

Unfortunately, their opponents were stronger; the burly man's aura was comparable to theirs, but the woman was a Demon Marquis at the mid-Void-Refinement stage!

At first, the two True Masters had the same idea as Qín Sāng. Realizing they were separated from their companions, they converged towards this area and reunited midway, but unexpectedly encountered a strong enemy.

Fortunately, they had joined forces; otherwise, they would likely not have escaped the calamity of falling.

Even so, the two True Masters were quite disheveled from the pursuit and could only try their best to contend with the enemy, hoping the golden light would quickly fade so they could call for help from their companions.

While activating the ribbon, True Master Yōuhuáng calmly dispersed the energy masses of the sky wall, closed the fissures, and concealed the view below.

She also urgently transmitted a message: "Fellow Daoist Qīngfēng, quickly recover your breath; we can still hold out for a while."

Qín Sāng had just slain Lí Hóu and was severely exhausted, not yet having recovered. Even through the sky wall, True Master Yōuhuáng could sense his abnormal state.

Given her current cultivation, True Master Yōuhuáng was naturally not someone who only knew how to divert trouble to others. She bought Qín Sāng time, hoping he would recover as quickly as possible, for only by joining the battle could they hope to repel the enemy.

Unexpectedly, just as the fissures in the sky wall closed, True Master Yōuhuáng suddenly heard a tearing sound from behind her.

He saw two withered giant hands pierce through the sky wall, gripping the wind and clouds, and forcibly pulling apart to both sides.

"Whoosh!"

The sky wall instantly tore apart!

The rip was a hundred zhang long.

The violent fluctuations attracted everyone's gaze, and they saw a giant resembling a tree spirit burst through the sky, leaping out from beyond the heavens. It stared intently at the two Demon Marquises, its eyes emanating a tyrannical aura.

At the same time, they also glimpsed the scene within the jungle.

What was most striking was the deep pit in the center of the jungle. In the pit lay a badger-like beast, covered in mud and motionless.

The two Demon Marquises' expressions drastically changed.

"Lí Hóu!"

The burly man's puffed-out cheeks stiffened, his face filled with shock, unable to believe his own eyes.

Sensing the approaching aura, the burly man actually shivered and immediately retreated swiftly.

The woman in the jeweled crown saw the badger-like beast in the pit, confirmed it was Lí Hóu, and was equally incredulous.

Lí Hóu's cultivation was comparable to hers, and he had come here with important responsibilities, yet he had died here inexplicably.

"This person..."

The woman in the jeweled crown's gaze was like a knife, staring intently at Qín Sāng. This creature, neither entirely human nor entirely demon, clearly had a cultivation level inferior to Lí Hóu's.

Was this person's divine ability powerful, or did he have other help?

The woman in the jeweled crown's heart skipped a beat. She exchanged a glance with the burly man and, surprisingly, without hesitation, turned and left.

Qín Sāng also stopped and did not pursue.

He had no ambition to continue hunting Demon Marquises. Firstly, his spiritual consciousness was limited, and the effects of the True Stability Elixir wouldn't last much longer. Secondly, when manifesting his Spiritual Wood Body, he couldn't leave the jungle space, which was a significant restriction.

Using Lí Hóu's corpse to scare off the enemies was the best choice.

Confirming that the two Demon Marquises had genuinely retreated and not just feigning retreat, Qín Sāng nodded to the two True Masters and returned to the jungle space.

The two True Masters also flew down and cupped their hands in thanks.

Qín Sāng had already put away his Spiritual Wood Body, revealing his true form, and quickly moved through the jungle, picking up several treasures.

They were all Lí Hóu's possessions, used during their desperate battle. Unfortunately, even his bone cones couldn't faze Qín Sāng; these could only slow Qín Sāng's offense.

After tidying up the battlefield, Qín Sāng flew to the deep pit.

By this time, small trees had already grown near the deep pit, growing rapidly and instantly forming a green canopy.

The two True Masters hovered above the deep pit, watching the busy Qín Sāng, and exchanged a glance.

True Master Yōuhuáng deliberated for a long time before quietly asking, "This... is this truly Lí Hóu?"

Qín Sāng put away the demon's corpse and nodded with a smile. "It was also this humble Daoist's luck to encounter a severely injured Lí Hóu midway. Speaking of which, I must also thank the two of you; your presence caused Lí Hóu to be distracted at the last moment, allowing this humble Daoist to take advantage."

"Is that so? Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qīngfēng..."

True Master Gūyún gave a dry chuckle.

He scanned the surroundings. The vegetation here grew extremely fast; in a short amount of time, many traces of their battle had already been erased. It seemed indeed no great destruction had been caused.

They could barely accept such an explanation.

Lí Hóu rarely appeared on the battlefield, and his reputation was not prominent, but he was also at the mid-Void-Refinement stage, comparable to the female demon who had been pursuing them.

To say that Qín Sāng alone slew Lí Hóu at his full strength was truly unacceptable.

However, through the true essence fluctuations on Qín Sāng's body, they judged that he had already taken the True Stability Elixir, indicating that this battle was not easy.

Being able to slay an injured Lí Hóu was enough to prove his extraordinary strength.

It was unknown how much the two True Masters believed, but they did not press further.

True Master Yōuhuáng said, "The demons might gather reinforcements; we shouldn't stay here long! This humble Daoist remembers a relatively safe illusionary scene. We might as well go there to settle down and wait for the golden light to fade before contacting the other True Masters. If we can't contact them, we should first leave the Jùshān Zhìzhì Altar, then decide whether to stay or go."

"Alright!"

Qín Sāng agreed.

The three immediately escaped the jungle space. This time, with help to resist the fluctuations of the illusion, Qín Sāng allowed the Heaven's Eye Butterfly to focus on vigilance.

The journey was smooth.

Finally, the three arrived at a peculiar place.

This place resembled a grey wind bag with its opening facing downwards. Visible air currents were drawn into the wind bag, emitting whistling wind sounds.

"This is it. A fellow Daoist was once inadvertently drawn into the wind bag, only to discover that inside was merely a space composed of wind, with no danger. Those unaware of this would certainly not dare to enter. It's enough to hide..."

True Master Yōuhuáng pointed to the wind bag and explained.

Next, the three investigated further, confirming no abnormalities within the wind bag, and then escaped into it.

Piercing wind sounds echoed in their ears.

The wind here was just ordinary wind; though its force was strong, it meant nothing to Soul Transformation cultivators.

After a brief exchange with the two True Masters, Qín Sāng chose a spot and sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

The two True Masters watched the silently meditating Qín Sāng, their expressions varied, and they also sat cross-legged to regulate their breathing.

The wind bag space could hardly be called serene.

Qín Sāng diligently guarded his mind, began to review the course of the battle, but soon immersed his mind in cultivation.

What made him so focused was naturally the "Soul Cultivating Sword Chapter."

This was not a place for cultivation, but Qín Sāng discovered that after the fierce battle with Lí Hóu, he had gained more insights into his cultivation technique and the Path of Slaughter, and his gains far exceeded his expectations!

Far more than hunting the Thunder Tortoise or the Wood Dragon.

"Why was the harvest so great this time?"

Qín Sāng was also a little puzzled.

In comparison, all three were at the mid-Soul Transformation stage. The difference was that Lí Hóu was at his full strength, and Qín Sāng had slain him alone.

In this battle, he had almost gone all out.

"Could it be..."

Qín Sāng had a sudden realization, recalling his experiences cultivating this technique.

Before the Golden Core stage, he had comprehended the intent of slaughter from endless killings, developing monstrous killing intent. Upon breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, the killing nature of this technique began to diminish; indiscriminate killing became useless.

At the Soul Transformation stage, did one need to constantly challenge strong opponents, to be tempered amidst life and death, in order to truly comprehend the true meaning of the Path of Slaughter?

This thought flashed through his mind, and combined with the scriptures in the cultivation technique, Qín Sāng felt he had found the correct path.

This made Qín Sāng furrow his brow slightly.

Up until now in his cultivation, he had always sought stability, rarely taking risks unless it involved a struggle for opportunity. And when facing opponents with higher cultivation than his own, he would absolutely not act without absolute certainty.

But if he wanted to quickly comprehend the true meaning of the Path of Slaughter and improve his cultivation, he must constantly challenge stronger opponents.

His approach was contrary to this cultivation technique. How he should balance this in the future still required careful consideration.

Fortunately, he was not weak among Soul Transformation cultivators.

After a moment of contemplation, Qín Sāng withdrew his thoughts. Sensing the effects of the True Stability Elixir begin to fade and his true essence showing signs of disorder, he had to suppress his true essence to the late Nascent Soul stage.

During this period, True Master Yōuhuáng occasionally left the wind bag to release talismans, using several in succession, and finally received a response!

"It's True Master Zhíjiàn and True Master Zhāng."

True Master Yōuhuáng escaped into the wind bag and showed the talisman to the two of them. "They are together, not far from us, asking us to meet them as soon as possible, and saying there are other fellow Daoists with them."

"Who else is here now?" True Master Gūyún asked.

"The golden light hasn't completely faded yet, so there wasn't time for details, but it seems to be people from the Daoist court," True Master Yōuhuáng said.

Qín Sāng awoke from his meditation, noticing the inquiring gazes of the two True Masters. He mused, "We'll go."