Chapter 1847: Involved

The Human World

A stone pavilion hung in solitude, precisely at the intersection of three illusions. Around it, strange phenomena constantly shifted.

Under the impact of golden light, the phenomena became more violent and bizarre.

However, the fluctuations from the three illusions could not penetrate the stone pavilion's interior. The pavilion seemed to possess an invisible barrier.

Regardless of the wind and rain outside, the pavilion remained serene, a rare sight within the entire Purification Altar.

At this moment, several demon cultivators were either standing or sitting in the pavilion, seemingly taking refuge.

Some were sensing the changes in the spiritual energy of the Primordial Embryo Grand Array, while others stared intently at the Vajra Bodhi Tree, licking their lips as greed flickered in their hearts.

Yet, when their peripheral vision caught sight of a black-robed youth meditating with closed eyes at the center of the pavilion, they hastily suppressed their greedy thoughts, daring not to act rashly.

"My Lord, the Grand Array is complete and has locked onto that area. There should be no mistake..."

The long-bearded elder, who had remained respectfully by the black-robed youth's side, bowed slightly and said deferentially.

The black-robed youth was indeed a demon king, known as King Lingyou.

The demon marquises all turned their gaze to King Lingyou, awaiting his command.

"Oh?"

King Lingyou opened his eyes. They were eerily black, without any whites, as if capable of absorbing all light.

Upon suddenly seeing King Lingyou's eyes, even the prepared demon marquises couldn't help but feel a tremor in their hearts, their demeanor becoming even more respectful.

Only the long-bearded elder remained calm, raising a hand to point towards the convergence point of the Primordial Embryo Grand Array's spiritual energy.

"Hehe, it's time to move..."

King Lingyou's laughter was as strange as his black eyes. Upon hearing it, the demon marquises inexplicably felt a chill run down their spines.

Before his words had fully faded, King Lingyou stood up, casually glanced in the direction the long-bearded elder was pointing, then flickered out of the stone pavilion.

Immediately, a black cloth appeared beneath his feet. Its surface was pitch black, with only a few crisscrossing thin golden lines dividing it into squares, as if a piece cut from a chessboard.

The black cloth rotated and expanded. Around it, the chaotic phenomena surprisingly calmed down.

King Lingyou walked through the void with his hands clasped behind his back. With each step, the black cloth moved forward a significant distance on its own, calming the phenomena along the way and creating a clear path.

The demon marquises hastily followed, but soon realized something was amiss.

The direction King Lingyou was heading was clearly towards the Vajra Bodhi Tree.

"My Lord intends to retrieve the Vajra Fruit first?"

The long-bearded elder asked, puzzled.

King Lingyou said indifferently, "If Heaven bestows a gift and one does not accept it, one will suffer for it."

"But..."

The long-bearded elder hesitated. They were not particularly close to the Vajra Bodhi Tree, and taking a detour for the treasure might jeopardize their main objective.

Among these demon marquises, only he dared to question King Lingyou's decision.

King Lingyou showed no anger, letting out a laugh of unclear meaning. "With so many masters present, one more or one less of me makes no difference. If I don't contend for merit, they might even be grateful to me."

Hearing this, the demon marquises were stunned. They exchanged glances, unsure how to react.

Previously, King Lingyou had ordered them to remain in the stone pavilion, which they had believed to be a farsighted strategy to conserve energy and await the opportune moment.

They had never imagined that King Lingyou had no intention of participating, and was instead leading them to pluck fruit at a crucial moment.

Several demon kings had voluntarily severed their cultivation to enter the Purification Altar, indicating that the object of contention this time was undoubtedly crucial and could not be lost.

If he had no desire to participate in the conflict, why would King Lingyou have bothered to sever his cultivation? Wouldn't doing so risk jeopardizing the main objective, incurring the Great Saint's punishment, and leaving him with no place in the Ghostfang Nation?

The demon marquises were bewildered. They looked into the distance again. Could there be some hidden mystery in the Primordial Embryo Grand Array that ensured absolute success, allowing King Lingyou to be so brazen?

"Hmm, if any of you are eager to earn merit, you may go ahead on your own, lest you complain about me later. I will not stop you," King Lingyou suddenly turned his head, swept his gaze over them, and said indifferently.

Encountering those black eyes, the demon marquises instantly felt a chill down their spines and shook their heads frantically.

Though merit was good, how could it compare to their lives?

This battle was bound to be extremely brutal. They were already anxious, fearing they might not make it out of the Purification Altar alive.

King Lingyou's actions gave them a reason to distance themselves from the eye of the storm, which perfectly suited their wishes.

Compared to their safety, the Vajra Fruit was secondary.

Even if something went wrong, King Lingyou would be there to take the lead.

Green flames floated in the void.

Each green flame resembled a will-o'-the-wisp, appearing weightless as it drifted about.

However, the green flames here were so dense they formed an almost continuous sea of fire. As they drifted, they constantly collided with each other, merging and splitting.

Each merging and splitting process emitted a peculiar fluctuation that appeared very gentle to the naked eye, like a wisp of breeze causing the surrounding green flames to sway softly, seemingly harmless.

At this moment, a beam of white light suddenly shot forth from the edge of the sea of fire.

'Boom!'

Runes flickered within the white light. It was a talisman sword, its sword energy like a rainbow, cleaving open the sea of fire.

A very noticeable crack formed at the edge of the sea of fire, yet the formidable sword light of the talisman sword rapidly dimmed and began to dissipate at an astonishing speed.

What was "devouring" the talisman sword was precisely the seemingly harmless fluctuation generated by the collision of the green flames.

Clearly, everything here was merely an illusion; danger lurked within the sea of fire.

As the sword light was about to vanish, another wave of azure light immediately diffused out from the crack in the sea of fire.

The azure light was remarkably pure, possessing a strange power that brought tranquility to the mind of anyone who witnessed it. However, the azure light itself was far from calm, rapidly rushing towards the crack's exit.

Finally, just as the crack was about to close, the azure light burst out of the sea of fire, revealing several somewhat disheveled figures.

All of them were dressed as Daoists, six in total. Their robes were more or less scorched, and after escaping the sea of fire, they exhaled sighs of relief.

The azure light gradually receded.

They all stopped at the edge of the sea of fire, looking back at it with a flicker of lingering fear in their eyes.

Their experience in the sea of fire left them with lingering fear. They had not expected to encounter such a perilous illusion before even reaching the deepest part of the Purification Altar, almost meeting their demise.

"Cough, cough..."

Among the group, a white-haired old Daoist clutched his chest and coughed violently.

The azure light eventually withdrew into a green jade orb in his other hand. It was this artifact that they had collectively used to resist the green flames.

"Master!"

"Senior Zuo!"

Seeing the white-haired old Daoist's face as pale as gold leaf and his complexion extremely poor, everyone was greatly alarmed.

They all knew Senior Zuo's true identity.

This person was once a Grand True Man, holding an official rank of junior third-grade, a Senior Minister of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace, serving as Deputy Envoy of the Heavenly Pivot Court, and co-adjudicator of its affairs.

However, Grand True Man Zuo had retired from his post as Deputy Envoy of the Heavenly Pivot Court many years ago, no longer concerning himself with worldly affairs, which was why most referred to him as "Senior."

As Grand True Man Zuo had not appeared for a long time, many speculated he might have failed in tribulation or entered secluded cultivation unto death. Others guessed that given his extraordinary talent, the Daoist Court considered him to have the potential to become a True Monarch, allowing him to cultivate in seclusion, and that he might now be at the mid to even late stage of the Five Talisman Dharma Rank.

Therefore, when they first learned that Grand True Man Zuo had voluntarily severed his cultivation, everyone was greatly astonished.

"I'm fine!"

Grand True Man Zuo put away the jade orb in his hand and waved it off.

Worry still clouded their faces.

Given Grand True Man Zuo's strength, the dangers within the illusion alone should not have injured him so severely.

It was unfortunate that they had first unexpectedly encountered demons and, caught off guard, were ambushed. To protect everyone, Grand True Man Zuo had risked injury to personally endure a blow from a demon king.

Immediately after shaking off their enemies, before they could even regain their footing, a burst of golden light erupted, shaking the foundation of the illusion. The green flames, originally of ordinary power, suddenly surged in intensity, engulfing them before they could react.

Fortunately, Grand True Man Zuo reacted quickly, blocking the first onslaught of the green flames for the group, but this also exacerbated his injuries.

"How are Senior's injuries?"

A True Man asked worriedly.

The True Men's strengths were not weak; as long as they were careful, they wouldn't fear the illusion's inherent dangers. However, with Grand True Man Zuo injured, an encounter with a demon king could prove disastrous.

Even though the demon kings had severed their cultivation and their realms had fallen, the True Men still didn't believe they were a match for them.

Grand True Man Zuo forcefully suppressed his chaotic aura, looked towards the convergence point of the Primordial Embryo Grand Array's spiritual energy, then took out a jade talisman and sensed it for a moment. He said, "This Daoist feels his Dao foundation is damaged and may need to suppress his injuries first, otherwise he will become a burden. However, this matter is crucial, and one more person means one more strength. You all go ahead first, meet up with Daoist Qi there; you should still make it in time..."

As he spoke, Grand True Man Zuo pointed south and gave a few detailed instructions.

The True Men, understanding the gravity of the situation, immediately acted upon his command, leaving one person behind. "The Purification Altar is restless, and Senior is gravely injured. Let Daoist Liu guard Senior."

They had only just learned that Grand True Man Zuo cultivated the Golden Seal Altar, and thus had no demon soldiers under his command.

Grand True Man Zuo's injuries were almost beyond suppression. His face pale, he closed his eyes and nodded, moving away from the green flames to find a safe spot. He then took a medicinal pill to heal his wounds.

True Man Liu stood guard by Grand True Man Zuo's side, his face full of vigilance, but his gaze couldn't help but be drawn to the Vajra Bodhi Tree.

By the time they escaped danger, they could no longer see the Vajra Bodhi Tree, only a gradually dimming golden aura.

Previously, they had not observed it closely, and none of the departing True Men, including those who had left, had noticed the Vajra Fruit.

However, the golden aura was located between them and their target. After Grand True Man Zuo recovered, they might have to pass through that area. Unsure what this phenomenon signified, True Man Liu couldn't help but take a few more glances.

As groups of cultivators and demon cultivators advanced towards their respective targets, Qin Sang was also on the move.

He emerged from the flower field space, with a pair of wings on his back, transforming into a streak of lightning that tore through the sky.

At this moment, the Purification Altar was in chaos, with hidden dangers lurking everywhere. Many illusions that Qin Sang had traversed numerous times and was very familiar with had become unrecognizable, making it difficult to fully utilize his evasion techniques.

However, relying on Qin Sang's understanding of the Purification Altar and the assistance of the Celestial Eye Butterfly, he constantly changed direction, circumnavigating and evading obstacles. He always managed to navigate through dangers, maintaining a respectable speed.

As he flew, Qin Sang kept his eyes fixed on the Vajra Bodhi Tree.

As time passed, the Vajra Bodhi Tree's invisibility grew faster and faster. Qin Sang could only try his best to discern every detail, inferring the tree's location and its distance from him.

"It doesn't seem too far..."

Qin Sang mused to himself.

The tree's silhouette was vanishing too quickly. At this rate, he certainly wouldn't be able to reach it before it completely disappeared.

However, Qin Sang had memorized all the scenery surrounding the tree's silhouette.

His only hope now was that no one else would get there first.

'Whoosh!'

A cold gust of wind suddenly assailed him from below.

Qin Sang's gaze remained fixed on the tree's silhouette, yet his reaction was not slow in the slightest; his phoenix wings flapped powerfully.

Accompanied by the roar of thunder, his speed surged by fifty percent.

By the time Qin Sang was far away, the gust arrived, revealing itself to be a strange, silvery tentacle.

The tentacle missed its target, twisting unwillingly in place, its suction cups constantly sucking as if it were a living creature.

Qin Sang didn't look back. The Celestial Eye Butterfly clearly saw the tentacles and discovered there was more than one; the silver mist below churned, revealing thousands of tentacles extending from it, all pointing at Qin Sang.

Hearing the 'swish, swish' of rushing air, Qin Sang's scalp immediately tingled. He fully unleashed his evasion techniques, narrowly dodging the onslaught of countless tentacles.

As he broke out of the tentacles' attack range, Qin Sang couldn't help but glance back. He remembered this place; previously, this silver mist had been very calm. He hadn't expected it to conceal so many strange things.

Compared to the tentacles behind him, the surroundings seemed much calmer and safer.

Ahead lay a landscape of broken walls and shattered ruins.

This place must have once been a magnificent palace, but now nothing remained intact. Not even a single wall segment taller than a person could be found; the collapsed parts had vanished to who knew where.

Though mere ruins, they possessed extraordinary properties.

Qin Sang had once tried and found the ruins exceptionally sturdy; he couldn't even dislodge a single brick or stone. At this moment, the ruins even shimmered with a jade-like luster, appearing truly remarkable.

He still voluntarily slowed his evasion technique, carefully observing to confirm the ruins posed no threat. Just as he was about to speed up, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he flickered out of sight.

A short while later.

Spiritual light flickered to the right of the ruins, and several figures rapidly flew in, inspecting the area with vigilance.

These were all True Men of the Daoist sect.

Time was pressing, so they couldn't investigate meticulously. The True Men followed their previous strategy: two scouted ahead while the others remained alert.

The two scouts successfully flew to the center of the ruins, completely unharmed. Concluding there was no danger within the ruins, the others also accelerated.

The group swept past.

After they left, a figure emerged at the edge of the ruins: Qin Sang, who had detected the unwelcome guests in advance and concealed himself.

"Another top-tier expert!"

Qin Sang watched the direction the Daoists had departed.

To avoid unforeseen complications, Qin Sang only observed discreetly from a distance, yet he felt a threat emanating from one of the True Men.

This person's strength was likely on par with the old Daoist accompanying True Man Wan.

Besides the overt immortal officials, there were so many hidden experts. The depth of the Daoist Court's foundation was unfathomable.

Had they not been in such a hurry, he might well have been detected by them the moment he noticed them.

"The Purification Altar is indeed teeming with masters! However, their target is clearly not the Vajra Fruit..."

Qin Sang's expression relaxed slightly.

Just as he had anticipated, these individuals were rushing to the convergence point of the Grand Array's spiritual energy, which was the true battlefield for the Daoist Court and the Ghostfang Nation. The Vajra Bodhi Tree was merely an unexpected discovery.

Judging by their eagerness, the object of contention must be extremely important.

In that case, his opponents shouldn't be too strong.

At this thought, Qin Sang felt relieved, a smile gracing his face. He transformed into a bolt of lightning and streaked across the ruins.

The golden light was receding.

Qin Sang navigated through familiar yet unfamiliar illusions, his eyes intently fixed on the direction of the ancient tree.

However, the tree's silhouette was no longer clear at this point; only a blurred golden flame remained, slowly fading away.

Eventually, even the golden flame extinguished, with no sign of it having been harvested by anyone.

"It should be close, within this illusion just ahead. I wonder if anyone is already searching for it..."

Qin Sang folded his phoenix wings, his aura and figure vanishing simultaneously as he concealed himself in the shadows.