Chapter 1843: Seal the Mountain

The water waves, created by the female demon's divine power, dispersed with a force akin to a collapsing mountain or a rending earth. Such a tremendous commotion at the outset of their encounter inevitably caused the crystal structure to vibrate. The entire space, crafted from a single colossal crystal, vibrated throughout, as if one small tremor could affect the whole. These tremors would inevitably spread, making it impossible to escape the acute senses of Soul Transformation stage cultivators.

Other demon cultivators would soon detect the disturbance and arrive to rescue her. Qin Sang, however, had no intention of concealing his presence. His goal was a swift victory, allowing him to disengage before other demon cultivators could intervene.

"Boom!"

A deep indentation appeared in the center of the waves, faintly revealing the shape of a footprint. The footprint landed directly on the ground, producing continuous cracking sounds. Countless fine fissures instantly radiated from around it, as the robust crystal passage nearly buckled and crumbled under the sheer force of that single step.

The female demon, directly in the monster's path, was overwhelmed with terror. She watched helplessly as a monstrous figure erupted from the water, radiating immense pressure, yet she was utterly powerless to stop it. The sword light, hovering menacingly above her head, exuded a deathly aura, preventing her from diverting her attention.

The sword's clear hum echoed and reverberated through the passage, growing in intensity until it resembled a dragon's roar. The sword light, like an ancient dragon, seemed capable of shattering the void, intent on crushing the female demon beneath it.

On the precipice of death, the female demon's eyes became bloodshot. Fine dragon scales emerged on her face, and her head transformed into that of a horse, manifesting half of her demon form. Her gaping mouth shifted, and a suppressed roar finally erupted from her blood-stained maw.

It was a shriek born of pure desperation. The shriek was sharp and piercing, like the grating sound of two iron plates rubbing together. The sound radiated a power that unsettled the mind, clearly a divine ability of the female demon. Simultaneously, visible sound waves emanated in rings from her mouth.

The ethereal ripples resembled water waves, spreading in layers and rotating at an incredibly high speed. Like a whirlpool, they contained a bizarre twisting force, drawing in everything in the void, including light. The center of the sound wave vortex was directly aimed at the sword light. It spread at an astonishing speed, and the sword light seemed to be suppressed, resembling a fish accidentally caught in the vortex's core, unable to escape.

A flicker of hope ignited in the female demon's eyes, but then she heard a thunderous roar and witnessed the sound wave vortex shatter. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Roar!"

The sword light transformed into a white tiger, tearing through the vortex. Its eyes blazed with terrifying, soul-shaking ferocity as it fixated on the female demon and lunged downwards. Her divine ability had been shattered by a single sword strike!

It was crucial to remember that this was no longer the Gray Oriole Sword of old, but the true spiritual treasure, the Wandering Cloud Sword! Furthermore, Qin Sang had only deployed the Seven Constellations Sword Formation, fearing that the Seven Souls Killing Formation would be too potent, killing the female demon instantly and preventing any interrogation.

The ferocious white tiger was now mere inches away. The female demon could clearly discern every strand of fur on the white tiger, as if it were a genuine beast of prey. Despair deepened on her face as a streak of silver light shot forth from her mouth—it was the oval silver stone she kept hidden in her throat. A blurred silver rune, resembling cloud or mist and obscure in meaning, materialized on the silver stone's surface. The rune gradually sharpened, and a surge of immense power was on the verge of erupting from within the silver stone.

Just then, a large hand suddenly appeared above the silver stone. The palm was crystal clear, radiating a pure, lustrous light. It descended, aimed at the silver stone, and clenched forcefully. This hand, unaided by any treasure, merely grasped the silver stone with its bare palm, yet its force was colossal, as if mountains were crumbling. Amidst a thunderous roar, the rune, still incomplete, was violently struck and instantly shattered from the tremors.

The silver stone vibrated violently, its light abruptly dimming, and the next instant, it was firmly drawn into the palm of that hand. The hand did not halt its assault; instead, it carried the silver stone and continued its strike toward the female demon. Its might generated a visible anomaly in the void, and fierce winds surged forth with the hand's impact.

The female demon paled in alarm. With her divine abilities and treasures systematically shattered, she could only hastily raise her arms to defend herself. Unfortunately, every move she made was riddled with flaws in Qin Sang's eyes.

"Boom!"

The female demon endured the full force of the palm strike. This palm strike infused the might of the Dharma Idol and the power of the Buddha Seal. Qin Sang's physical cultivation was already comparable to a late Soul Transformation stage cultivator, and he had the advantage of surprise. How could she, a mere early Soul Transformation stage cultivator, possibly withstand it?

The female demon cried out in agony, feeling her arms struck by a terrifying force, both snapping instantly. The hand, carrying the broken limbs, then slammed into her chest, shattering her scales. The immense power surged violently into her body, wreaking havoc, causing her entire frame to convulse as she spat blood and was sent flying backward.

Excruciating pain overwhelmed her mind. The female demon, drenched in blood, looked utterly wretched. Still in mid-air, she struggled desperately, but then her eyes were pierced by the blinding sword light.

"Swish!"

The ferocious white tiger seized the opportunity of her wide-open defense, pouncing on the female demon. The instant their figures overlapped, the female demon froze in place. A moment later, the ferocious white tiger emerged from her body, seemingly clutching something in its jaws.

"Thud!"

The female demon's body slammed heavily onto the ground, and torrents of fresh blood gushed from it. Only now did it become apparent that her body had, at some unknown point, been marked with numerous sword gashes, slicing through flesh and reaching her internal organs, almost dismembering her. Her physical body was lifeless!

The ferocious white tiger turned its head and leaped towards Qin Sang. Qin Sang showed no inclination to dodge. He simply raised his hand to catch the object in the white tiger's mouth, and the ferocious white tiger instantly dissipated into nothingness. He looked down to see a ball of spiritual light in his hand, revealing the form of a dragon-scaled horse-beast—it was the female demon's spirit essence.

Her spirit essence alone was sufficient for interrogation.

Qin Sang put away the spirit essence. He gestured at the demon's body, intending to collect it and withdraw, when he noticed distant bursts of thunderous roars. Listening intently, Qin Sang's expression shifted.

"That fast!"

It was undoubtedly other demon cultivators who had sensed the anomaly and were coming to her rescue. Judging by the vibrations and sounds, the approaching figures were continuously blasting through the crystal barriers, heading straight for him with astonishing speed. Qin Sang mused that, even with his current strength, navigating through the crystal wouldn't be any easier for him than it was for them.

"Indeed, both the Dao Court and Ghost Fang Nation have sent top experts into the Shrine!"

Qin Sang dared not underestimate the situation. He collected the demon's body, transformed into a streak of lightning, and swiftly retreated, having already planned his escape route before engaging. Fortunately, his assault was decisive, defeating the female demon and binding her spirit essence in an instant. Had he been even a moment slower, escaping might not have been an easy task.

"Boom!"

The crystal on one side of the passage shattered, and a figure burst through the gaping hole—it was the stocky man. His eyes gleamed with sharp light as he swiftly scanned the passage. He saw no one, only the lingering echoes of thunder resonating in his ears. Without hesitation, he transformed into a black streak and pursued the sound. The black streak twisted and turned, passing through several passages and reaching the very edge of the crystal, yet still failing to reveal the enemy's true form.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Fierce winds howled, and the grey energy, nearly tangible, swept past the stocky man at astonishing speed. Countless grey horizontal lines appeared in the void. Another illusion bordering the crystal space was a grey hurricane; a wall of grey wind now blocked the stocky man's path. From a distance, with an unobstructed view, one could discern that the hurricane was, in fact, a colossal, continuously rotating tornado. The tornado was compressed between several illusions, unable to move, its fierce winds blowing tightly against the crystal's surface.

The stocky man hesitated not at all, charging directly into the wind wall, only to find his vision consumed by chaos. Upon leaving the crystal space, the suppression on his divine sense lifted. The stocky man unleashed his powerful spiritual perception to search while continuing his relentless pursuit forward, but ultimately found nothing.

Confirming that his target had eluded him, the stocky man's expression grew even grimmer. He abandoned the chase and returned the way he came.

At this moment, Marquis Xuan and the other demons were all gathered at the edge of the crystal space. Only the female demon was missing; all other demon marquises were present. Marquis Xuan spotted the blurred figure in the wind and stepped forward to greet him with a bow. When he saw the stocky man return empty-handed, his heart sank. He solemnly declared, "We meticulously examined the traces in the passage. Marquis Luo must have been ambushed and had almost no opportunity for a proper counterattack. Her divine abilities were shattered almost instantly. The enemy... is incredibly powerful!"

The stocky man's face was grim, and he remained silent.

Marquis Xuan braced himself and continued, "The attacker shouldn't be a monster from the Shrine. While there are some residual traces, their identity can't be confirmed. Could it be..." He paused, leaving the sentence unfinished.

The stocky man understood his unspoken question: could the assailant be a Great True Man who had self-severed their cultivation, just like himself? As a trusted confidant of the Demon King, Marquis Xuan was privy to more secrets. This battle was crucial for the destinies of both the Dao Court and Ghost Fang Nation, and both sides were determined to gain control of the Divine Court at any cost. Both sides were fully aware of this. The Dao Court would undoubtedly dispatch Great True Men into the Shrine as well, mingling among the cultivators, their identities temporarily unconfirmed.

But what purpose would a Great True Man serve by ambushing an early Soul Transformation stage demon marquis? Was it merely to weaken their forces? The stocky man, unable to admit he hadn't even seen a shadow of his enemy, snorted. He tossed up the black token in his hand and pressed his finger against its center, from which a faint cracking sound emanated.

Meanwhile, in the distance.

Qin Sang, rapidly retreating, was examining the female demon's black token when he suddenly heard a distinct 'snap' from within it. Before he could react, cracks appeared on the token, and it instantly shattered into several fragments. The fragments held no magical properties; they were utterly useless. His gaze sharpened slightly. Still clutching the fragments, he continued his rapid flight through several illusions. After confirming there were no pursuers, he finally halted within a patch of auspicious clouds.

With a flick of his sleeve, he produced the female demon's spirit essence.

"Answer a few questions honestly, and I will spare your life!" Qin Sang declared coldly, staring at the spirit essence.

The spirit essence, manifested as a fist-sized, somewhat ethereal and transparent dragon-scaled horse-beast, was now consumed by abject terror, showing no hint of resistance. "Please spare me, Immortal! Please spare me, Immortal! This humble demon will surely tell you everything and dare not deceive you..." Its voice was rough, like a man's. Had Qin Sang not seen her human form, it would have been difficult to imagine it was a female demon. The dragon-scaled horse-beast knelt on all fours, kowtowing repeatedly. Even a demon marquis, when faced with a life-or-death crisis, could no longer maintain their dignity, becoming no different from an ordinary person. Qin Sang's current appearance was utterly monstrous, yet the female demon seemingly ignored it, repeatedly addressing him as "Immortal."

"Why have you brought your forces here?" Qin Sang asked coldly.

After a series of questions, Qin Sang frowned. The female demon had indeed answered everything, daring not to conceal a single detail. However, she knew too little. Given her cultivation and status, she simply did not have access to the true secrets.

The female demon recounted that after breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage, she was recruited by King Yuanlin. Over the years, her cultivation had improved somewhat, but she remained among the lowest-ranking demon marquises, only qualified to follow orders. Not long ago, the female demon suddenly received the Demon King's decree, ordering her to lead her subordinates to gather at the Demon King's mansion. They then immediately set off, joining forces with various other demon kings at the edge of the Sinister Plains, and hastened toward the Shrine.

The Ghost Fang Nation acted with swift resolve, and the Dao Court was no less efficient; both factions moved almost simultaneously. During the standoff, the female demon received another decree from the Demon King, instructing her to enter the Shrine with Marquis Xuan. They were to be accompanied by a mysterious expert from the Great Sage's Manor. This confirmed Qin Sang's earlier suspicions.

When Qin Sang inquired about their purpose for entering the Shrine, the female demon also appeared bewildered. She only knew that the Demon King had ordered them to search for an object within the Shrine, with strict instructions to find it before the Dao Court. The decree did not specify the treasure's exact location, only outlined certain routes. It was highly probable the treasure was hidden within the illusions along these paths, necessitating individual exploration. There was no description of what they were specifically searching for. All demon cultivators were simply given a black token. The only instruction was: "When the time is ripe, the black token will reveal its divine properties."

"That black token is indeed very important!"

Qin Sang gazed at the fragments in his hand. Unfortunately, a hidden mechanism was embedded in the token; if its owner met with an accident, others could remotely destroy it. When he examined it earlier, Qin Sang hadn't discerned any magical properties in the black token. Now that it was reduced to fragments, it was even more impossible to uncover anything.

However, one thing could be deduced from this information: both the Dao Court and Ghost Fang Nation were searching for a supreme treasure, willing to expend the full might of their nations to acquire it. Qin Sang felt no temptation toward this unknown supreme treasure. Regardless of the treasure's utility to him, as a lone cultivator, how could he possibly contend with two such massive powers? Even if he managed to acquire it and find a hiding place, he couldn't remove it from the Shrine. Great True Men and Demon Kings possessed extended lifespans; it was common for them to guard outside the Shrine for hundreds or even thousands of years. Qin Sang would essentially be trapped there forever unless he chose not to leave.

"Since they're searching for a treasure, they likely won't want to damage the Shrine before it appears," Qin Sang mused. "However, once the treasure does appear, there's no guarantee that those Great True Men and Demon Kings won't forcefully enter the Shrine to personally join the hunt. I can only hope they won't risk it and will wait until the treasure is brought out of the Shrine before initiating a full-blown conflict..."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Qin Sang made a resolute decision: he would not get involved in this turmoil. As long as the dispute over the supreme treasure did not directly impact the Shrine, he could simply retreat to his cave abode and quietly await the passing of the storm, completely unaffected. Should the Shrine face destruction, he would be powerless to intervene. Compared to these two colossal entities, an individual's strength was insignificant, like a mantis attempting to halt a chariot. His only recourse would be to escape far away amidst the chaos and avoid disaster.

Thus, Qin Sang's next course of action was to return to his cave abode and prepare himself. With this thought, Qin Sang closed his palm, keeping his promise not to take the female demon's life. He sealed all perceptions of her spirit essence, placed it into his talisman altar, and resolved to deal with it later. The female demon's cultivation was not low, but he had no intention of taking her as a spirit soldier. Because of the jade Buddha, Qin Sang would not recruit highly intelligent spirit soldiers, at least not during his time cultivating in the Shrine.

However, Qin Sang did not immediately return to his cave abode. Instead, he circled among the illusions, confirming that the powerful cultivators from both sides were indeed searching along those routes, with some already having delved deep into the illusions. Shaking his head, Qin Sang returned to his cave abode, finding the journey smooth. He opened a narrow gap in the Flower Field Grand Formation, flashed inside, and then rapidly cast a series of hand seals to activate the formation's most potent concealment and defensive capabilities.

Then, Qin Sang slowly descended from the sky, landing on a mountaintop. He gazed at the vast flower fields below, his brow furrowed in thought.