Chapter 1850: Edict

Human World

How was the Demon King able to enter the altar? Furthermore, there were no signs of celestial phenomena accompanying him.

While powerful, he was still far from a true Void Refinement stage expert. Qin Sang had personally experienced the Demon King's terror during a past pursuit.

Qin Sang's first thought was that the Demon King might be using a secret art to temporarily suppress his cultivation. However, if such a method could conceal celestial phenomena and grant access to the altar, it would be far too simple, negating any concerns Void Refinement experts might have about their manifestations.

Could it be self-mutilation? Qin Sang couldn't be certain. The Taoist Court and the Ghostfang Nation possessed unfathomable resources, undoubtedly wielding many techniques unknown to him.

Yet, from Qin Sang's knowledge of the illusion, one fact was undeniable: Void Refinement experts would not dare to exert their full power within the altar. Revealing their celestial phenomena would invariably cause a riot in the illusion, and the one who triggered the disturbance would bear the brunt of it.

If it was merely temporary suppression, there might be an opportunity to unleash full power, but the consequence would be forced expulsion from the altar, perhaps even severe injury. It seemed unlikely the Demon King would risk this just to deal with a Demon Marquis or Qin Sang himself.

These thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind in an instant. Undeterred by the mention of a Demon King, his eyes sharpened, and he accelerated, instantly closing in on Marquis Gui.

Marquis Gui's final barrier crumbled instantly under the combined assault of the Great Vajra Wheel Seal and the Palm Sword, failing to withstand even a moment in the face of his desperate gaze.

*Swish!*

A massive palm shadow engulfed Marquis Gui, descending with the destructive force of a collapsing mountain.

"How dare you!" the Spirit Shadow King scoffed.

He rode his divine ability, treading water to approach, but unexpectedly, his movement speed was inferior to that of an unknown individual. He arrived just in time to witness the scene unfold, yet found himself unable to intervene.

Qin Sang ignored the scoff and slammed his palm down hard. Marquis Gui, having exhausted all his defensive measures, had nowhere to escape. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as his blood splattered across the sky.

Marquis Gui bore the full brunt of the palm strike, feeling as though his very bones and limbs were being pulverized by the immense power. His internal organs were instantly displaced, leaving him severely wounded.

The next moment, Marquis Gui felt his neck clench as a hand gripped him tightly. Stars danced before his eyes, and he seemed to glimpse the faint outline of a Buddhist seal.

Unstoppable, colossal force erupted. Marquis Gui's eyes bulged, and he could even hear the sickening crack of his own spine.

"Gurgle..." Marquis Gui's eyes became bloodshot as he struggled frantically.

Witnessing this, the Spirit Shadow King laughed in furious rage. The black, ethereal waves beneath his feet halted their advance and surged upward at an astonishing speed, like a rapidly swelling river.

*Booming...* The sound of the surging waves was deafening.

A colossal wave abruptly surged from the black, ethereal waters. Within the spray, a strange shadow was faintly visible, leaping from behind the Spirit Shadow King and emerging from the surface.

As the waves surged, the strange shadow materialized: a black fish head extending from above the Spirit Shadow King's head.

The fish's head resembled a common black fish, complete with a mouth full of fangs. Its eerie eyes fixed menacingly on Qin Sang, who was wreaking havoc, revealing its full ferocity.

However, the black fish's body was not truly piscine; it was long and slender, almost draconic, with black scales indistinguishable from a flood dragon's. Its fins bore three-toed, sharp claws, clearly indicating a fish demon incomplete in its dragon transformation!

*Whoosh...* The ethereal waves continued to rise, submerging the Spirit Shadow King entirely, leaving only the black fish swimming within them.

*Gurgle...* Strange syllables emanated from within the black fish. Its long tail suddenly swung, propelling the black ethereal waves forward, bursting forth with a roar like a river breaching its banks.

This black fish was, in fact, the Spirit Shadow King's Dharma Idol.

While the Demon King had undergone self-mutilation, he would not completely sever his Dharma Idol. His proficiency in applying and comprehending Dharma Idols was far beyond the reach of any Demon Marquis.

This alone was sufficient to suppress a Demon Marquis.

*Boom!*

Qin Sang's vision suddenly dimmed as black water inexplicably manifested from all directions, creating a terrifying tableau of overwhelming flood.

Behind him, rivers surged, and accompanied by the celestial might of the Dharma Idol, they brought an overwhelming sense of oppression.

At that moment, Qin Sang felt as though he had fallen into a swirling vortex at the heart of a river, on the verge of being crushed.

Qin Sang instantly recognized what confronted him: the Demon King's Dharma Idol!

Though startled, Qin Sang also felt a surge of relief. The Dharma Idol's celestial might was indeed fearsome, but it was markedly weaker than the true Demon King's Dharma Idol that had once pursued him.

As anticipated, the Demon King was significantly restricted within the altar.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...* The sound of crashing waves filled his ears, and the oppressive power from behind drew ever nearer.

Qin Sang quickly assessed the power of the Demon King's Dharma Idol in his mind. Summoning his Azure Luan Dharma Idol should allow him to resist its celestial might, either avoiding suppression entirely or experiencing only limited suppression.

However, he could only integrate the Azure Luan Dharma Idol into his body, passively wielding its power, and knew his active command of Dharma Idols was inferior.

If these were the Demon King's only means, Qin Sang wouldn't be overly fearful.

But this was clearly impossible; no matter how confident Qin Sang was, he didn't believe he could overpower a Demon King.

Without looking back, Qin Sang clenched his hand tightly, merging the Great Vajra Wheel Seal with a portion of the Azure Luan Dharma Idol's power.

*Crack!* Bones shattered.

Marquis Gui's struggles ceased, his eyes turning dull and lifeless. Qin Sang's body swayed as his Dharma Idol's power precisely shattered the celestial might's suppression, allowing him to burst forward just before the waves could fully converge.

In that instant, the sound of water vanished, and the surrounding waves momentarily froze.

The black fish's gaze solidified, its demonic maw gaping open as it sprayed out a jet of black water, but it was already too late.

Qin Sang recalled his Cloud Roaming Sword, powerfully flapped his phoenix wings, and instantly transformed into a streak of lightning, cutting through the waves. In a few blinks, he vanished from the demons' sight.

The black fish watched the direction of Qin Sang's escape, then abandoned the pursuit, floating on the surface of the ethereal waves, its draconic tail continuously swaying.

Marquis Dingxiang arrived belatedly, while Marquis Ping, having narrowly escaped a calamity, was still badly shaken.

The two demons watched the black fish, not daring to utter a sound.

Other Demon Marquises also sensed the disturbance and gradually converged on the location.

Amidst the splashing sounds, the waves receded, and the black fish vanished, revealing the Spirit Shadow King's true form. A flicker of anger seemed to pass through his deep black eyes.

"Was that a Dharma Idol?" Marquis Dingxiang stepped forward, asking in a low voice.

The Spirit Shadow King remained expressionless, merely grunting in affirmation. He then added, "He doesn't carry the aura of a Great True Immortal."

Taoist demon soldiers, who cultivate by attaching to talisman altars, inevitably acquire their master's aura. While this might be indistinguishable to ordinary individuals, it was completely evident to the Spirit Shadow King.

The absence of a Great True Immortal's aura indicated he was not one of their forces.

If he were a Taoist soldier cultivated by the Taoist Court, he should also possess a Taoist talisman.

Marquis Dingxiang wore an expression of disbelief. "Could he be a wise hermit from the wilderness? Or perhaps a Demon King who has sworn allegiance to the Taoist Court?"

As he finished speaking, Marquis Dingxiang himself deemed the second possibility unlikely, as the Taoist Court would hardly trust a demon cultivator.

Demon cultivators could only attach themselves to Taoist priests. The Taoist Court had no precedent of directly granting demon cultivators the qualification to break through the Five Talisman Dharma Stage.

If he were a rogue demon cultivator, it would make sense. This demon might have received intelligence and, confident in his abilities, entered to exploit the chaotic situation.

The Ghostfang Nation dominated Mount Gang's altar, and its Grand Administrator Seal served as their foundation in this realm. Like Taoists, demon cultivators aspiring to become Demon Kings first needed to secure a position within the Grand Administrator Seal.

Among the demon race were also free-spirited hermits who disdained restraint. These individuals would acquire a third-grade talisman and then retreat to the demon nation within Jushan's altar, but at the cost of being forever unable to break through the Five Talisman Dharma Stage.

Yet, who could resist the allure of the Grand Administrator Seal? Their ultimate destiny was typically to join the Ghostfang Nation, though exceptions did exist.

These demon cultivators could only continuously refine themselves, potentially leading to the comprehension of a Dharma Idol.

Naturally, this was a highly unlikely outcome. The Ghostfang Nation possessed no shortage of prodigiously talented demons, yet even with direct tutelage from Demon Kings or Great Sages, those who successfully comprehended a Dharma Idol were exceedingly rare.

Even he, after following the Spirit Shadow King for many years, had only grasped the rudiments.

"Regardless of his origins, I swear he won't leave here alive," Marquis Dingxiang declared sternly.

The Spirit Shadow King cast a glance at Marquis Dingxiang, his expression unreadable. "The Dharma Idol power he displayed was slightly inferior to yours. However, that may not be his full strength."

Marquis Dingxiang felt a chill, recognizing the King's warning. He promptly bowed in acknowledgment.

Unaware of the demon cultivators' conversation, Qin Sang had long since fled. After confirming there were no pursuers, he paused and lifted the demon corpse in his hand to examine it.

The situation was urgent, so Qin Sang could not hold back.

Marquis Gui's life force was extinguished, his vital essence severely damaged, leaving only a remnant soul.

Qin Sang, wasting no words, moved to search his soul. Terrified, Marquis Gui pleaded repeatedly for mercy, divulging everything he knew.

"So it truly was self-severed cultivation..." Qin Sang murmured.

Marquis Gui recounted that the Spirit Shadow King had previously warned them not to fear Great True Immortals when encountering Taoists.

Great True Immortals had already self-severed their cultivation, falling to the Cavernous Profound Dharma Stage. Even without the Spirit Shadow King, the demon marquises could form a demon formation and escape.

Presumably, the Demon King would be no exception.

This significantly eased Qin Sang's mind. Otherwise, he would have had to seriously consider whether to snatch food from the tiger's maw in front of the Demon King.

"How long have you been inside, and has the Spirit Shadow King discovered anything?" Qin Sang pressed, his voice cold.

Marquis Gui divulged everything, explaining that they had only recently entered the blue sea of light, and this was the second tremor they had experienced.

The Spirit Shadow King seemed to have detected something during the tremor and ordered an investigation.

Qin Sang, clarifying the Spirit Shadow King's command and recalling the various phenomena during the tremor, fell into contemplation.

A moment later, Qin Sang sealed Marquis Gui's remnant soul, placing it alongside the female demon. He then scanned the area and continued flying towards the source of the tremor.

Undercurrents surged within the blue sea of light.

Beyond the sea of light, a storm was brewing.

The golden light rapidly receded. The Nine Great Natal Embryos appeared far more ethereal than before, their power soon to be exhausted, destined to vanish completely.

Nevertheless, the Grand Natal Embryo Formation had fulfilled its purpose, clearly indicating a destination. Teams of cultivators and demon cultivators began to converge.

Unexpectedly, the area pinpointed by the Grand Natal Embryo Formation featured sparse illusions and vast expanses of auspicious clouds.

When the old Taoist priest arrived with True Immortal Wan, he observed two teams of Taoist Court masters hovering cautiously outside the designated area, one of whom was True Immortal Ruoquan.

The old Taoist priest immediately approached them to inquire about the situation.

True Immortal Ruoquan expressed his concern, "Those demons were prepared; their convergence speed far outstrips ours. I fear..."

"It matters not," the old Taoist priest remarked, looking around. "As long as we await one more fellow Taoist, our demon soldier talisman formation will be sufficient to engage them."

Although they had self-severed their cultivation and could not retain their Dharma bodies like the Demon Kings, their forces were significantly more powerful than those of Cavernous Profound True Immortals, providing their confidence.

As they spoke, all the True Immortals gazed forward.

Even through the illusion, they could sense an unusual fluctuation there. The jade talismans in their hands emitted a faint glow, subtly resonating with that location.

Before long, another team of Taoist Court masters arrived.

After a brief discussion, the True Immortals each summoned their respective forces.

In an instant, demon soldiers arrayed themselves, their banners like a dense forest, an innumerable, dark mass.

These demon soldiers were clearly elite troops. Although there were nearly twenty True Immortals present, the variety of demon soldier types was limited; most True Immortals commanded only three to five different kinds, and many had subdued the same species.

Within the military formation, talisman altars floated, four of which were particularly wondrous and visibly more substantial than those of the other True Immortals.

These four talisman altars belonged to the four Great True Immortals: the old Taoist priest's positioned at the front, and the other three aligned behind him.

The other True Immortals also summoned their talisman altars, forming a protective arch around the four Great True Immortals.

The qi of the talisman altars were interconnected, making it less a grand demon soldier formation and more a formation of talisman altars.

As several talisman lights descended, the demon soldiers belonging to the altars merged into a cohesive unit.

The old Taoist priest lightly flicked his horsetail whisk, executing the Taiwei Step, chanting an incantation with every stride.

He seemed to be uttering divine decrees. Accompanied by the incantations, the demon soldiers' auras involuntarily erupted, surging skyward to form dark clouds above them.

The dark clouds pressed down like a shroud. The demon soldiers, however, grew increasingly agitated, continuously roaring, their voices shaking the heavens. The True Immortals also aided with their talisman arts.

*Thud!*

As the final divine step landed, the dark clouds suddenly condensed, inexplicably transforming into a black talisman diagram that descended from the sky.

The talisman diagram, being a condensation of all the troops' qi, seamlessly merged into the battle formation.

In an instant, black energy surged within the formation. The troops were no longer individual demon soldiers but a unified, impregnable entity!

"Heaven clear and earth imbued with spirit, soldiers and generals obey the command. Soldiers move with the seal's turn, generals act upon the order!"

The old Taoist priest flicked his horsetail whisk forward. The True Immortals and demon soldiers roared their assent, and the black energy transformed into a giant sword, pointing directly ahead. Within its shadowy depths, the precious light of the talisman altars was faintly visible.

In just over ten breaths, the black energy greatsword effortlessly pierced through the illusion, without losing a single soldier, appearing within the sight of the Ghostfang Nation's demon cultivators.

Under the gaze of dozens of demon cultivators, including several Demon Kings, the black energy showed no signs of weakening; its momentum even surged by a third.

Despite their numerical advantage, these demon cultivators all bore grave expressions. Several Demon Kings unhesitatingly summoned their Dharma Idols—manifesting as various flying birds and beasts, a chaotic display of monstrous forms.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Dharma Idols manifested one after another, blocking the path of the black energy greatsword. The demons, poised and ready, stood in strict formation.

*Crack!*

Black clouds obscured the sky, and blue demonic lightning coursed through them, its bolts aiming directly at the Taoist military formation.

Below the black energy greatsword, a swamp materialized. In front, thick stone walls appeared out of thin air, accompanied by the roars of dragons and tigers, unleashing strange undulations that impacted the military formation.

Behind the Demon Kings' Dharma Idols and the other demons, a white-robed scholar sat cross-legged in mid-air, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding upheaval.

His hands rested flat on his knees. The palm of one hand shimmered with golden light, while the other formed a specific hand seal.

Within the golden light lay half a token. Inscribed with characters, the token was split in two, making the writing indecipherable.

As the white-robed scholar moved, the golden light became dazzling, and the golden token trembled incessantly, as if it wanted to break free from his palm.

Witnessing this, the old Taoist priest's expression drastically changed. He flipped his palm, revealing that he, too, held half a golden token.

If the two golden tokens were combined, the character 'Chì' (敕, meaning 'imperial decree') would be revealed!

This token was a Taoist Court imperial decree. During the Taoist Court's zenith, some crucial imperial decrees were issued through the Divine Court.

This imperial decree must have been unissued, hidden within the Divine Court. It suddenly appeared a century ago, and it was recently confirmed that it still retained residual Divine Court energy. Through this token, the Divine Court could still be sensed. This was the same imperial decree they had contended for last time, each side gaining half.

Now, the old Taoist priest's half of the imperial decree also emitted golden light.

The old Taoist priest tossed up his half of the token, forming a talisman seal with one hand, attempting to suppress it.

The two halves of the token were intrinsically one. By sealing his half, he could impede the white-robed scholar and buy time.

The white-robed scholar cast a cold glance, emitting a disdainful snort through his nostrils, and flicked his finger forcefully at the half token!