Chapter 1857: Turning the World Upside Down

**The Mortal World**

"Senior Zuo?"

Daoist Liu stood by Daoist Zuo's side, noticing the change in his expression, and softly inquired.

"Phew..."

Daoist Zuo exhaled a breath and opened his eyes.

They were still at the edge of the sea of flames, with thousands of green fires, like will-o'-the-wisps, drifting behind them. After the upheaval caused by the emergence of the Divine Court, the healing altar had remained calm. The flames in the sea of fire were stable, and the surroundings offered a clear view, making this place safer than others.

Seeing Daoist Zuo awaken, Daoist Liu quickly described the scenes he had witnessed earlier, discreetly observing Daoist Zuo's complexion. Daoist Zuo's complexion had become somewhat rosier, but there was no noticeable change in his aura, leaving his injury status unknown.

"Even if Daoist Zuo fully recovers, I'm afraid it'll be too late..."

Daoist Liu glanced towards the South Heaven Gate. He wasn't clear about the purpose of their journey, but the shock he felt upon seeing the South Heaven Gate was still vivid in his memory. During this time, experts from both sides must have been converging there, leaving them far behind.

Just then, Daoist Liu suddenly noticed something unusual about Daoist Zuo's expression. He saw him turn slightly, his brow furrowed as he looked southeast. Following Daoist Zuo's gaze, Daoist Liu extended his senses but couldn't detect any abnormalities. His spiritual perception was far less keen than Daoist Zuo's, and he immediately felt a surge of tension, quickly scanning the surroundings with a wary expression.

"Wait here for a moment, and be careful. I'll be right back," Daoist Zuo said, gazing into the distance and pondering briefly, before standing up as if to leave.

"Senior... it is my duty to protect you."

Daoist Liu quickly called out to Daoist Zuo, his face filled with concern, "I don't know what's unusual there, and your injuries..."

Before he could finish, Daoist Zuo interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "It's fine! I faintly sensed a familiar fluctuation, possibly an old adversary who seems to be fighting someone. I'll go take a look first. If it's a fellow Daoist from our sect, I must seize the opportunity to rescue them."

As he spoke, Daoist Zuo looked towards the depths of the healing altar and sighed softly, "The South Heaven Gate is separated from us by countless illusions. By the time we arrive, the outcome will likely be decided, and our presence will be useless. If I can save a fellow Daoist and minimize our sect's losses, then my self-imposed reduction in cultivation won't have been in vain..."

Hearing this, Daoist Liu wisely fell silent. Since Daoist Zuo dared to go, he must be confident, probably having suppressed his injuries.

Daoist Zuo could move more easily alone, remain hidden, and advance or retreat freely. Taking Daoist Liu with him would only increase the risk of exposure.

"Senior, please be careful."

Daoist Liu bowed as he saw him off.

Daoist Zuo nodded, stepped into the void, and disappeared in a few flashes.

At this moment, a human and a demon were engaged in a frantic chase amidst the illusions.

The surrounding illusions were not as vast as the sea of light, and they had already passed through more than a dozen illusions in a short time. Qin Sang dared not relax for a moment. Spirit King You was pursuing too closely, and although he understood the layout of this place, it was difficult to set a trap under the demon king's watchful eyes. How keen was a demon king's spiritual perception? Without a meticulously planned setup, it would be impossible to lure the opponent into a trap. However, Qin Sang still had to try.

'Rumble...''Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!'

Lightning flashed, bringing gusts of strong wind. This illusion was a wind domain, where the winds were crimson, making one mistakenly believe they were above lava. In reality, the place was extremely cold, even more so than other ice- and snow-filled illusions.

Scenes from the past flashed through his mind. There was nothing useful to exploit here, but there was a spot in the next illusion that might be worth a try.

"Whoosh whoosh..."

After speeding through the crimson cold wind for a while, Qin Sang suddenly felt warmth. The crimson disappeared, replaced by emerald-like flowing light. Colorful radiance, dreamlike and ethereal, unfolded before him like a stunning painting. The flowing light danced incessantly. Within it, there were some inconspicuous, tiny light pillars, perpendicular to the sky, very few in number, appearing only where different light streams converged, and disappearing after a brief duration.

Qin Sang surged into the flowing light. The Black Fish Dharma Idol, accompanied by dark waves, immediately gave chase. It paused briefly outside the flowing light, its profound eyes staring for a moment before a loud gushing sound erupted, and a huge wave smashed open a portal!

During the chase, the flowing light showed no abnormalities. Qin Sang, using his Heavenly Eye divine ability, watched the dark waves. His gaze flickered, and his escape light passed between two streams of flowing light.

Before long, the Black Fish Dharma Idol caught up. Just as the first wave of dark energy spread out, a light pillar, only as thick as a thumb, suddenly condensed between the two streams of flowing light. The next moment, Qin Sang heard a colossal, thunderous sound behind him, as if mountains were collapsing and the earth was rending. A gigantic, visible halo roared into existence, with an endless stream of flowing light being sucked into its center. A faint dark shadow could be seen in the middle, vanishing in an instant, leaving the whereabouts of the Black Fish Dharma Idol unknown, seemingly swallowed.

Before Qin Sang could show joy, a slender black shadow emerged from the bottom of the halo. Its long body swayed, moving at an astonishing speed, completely unaffected. In a blink, it surged out of the halo's range, water roaring beneath it, and dark waves reappeared. Qin Sang, through his Heavenly Eye Butterfly, saw the mockery in Spirit King You's eyes, and his heart sank.

Subsequently, Qin Sang tried two more times, but could only delay Spirit King You for a moment, unable to shake him off. This gave Qin Sang a deeper understanding of the demon king's capabilities. However, Spirit King You had pursued him this far and could only remain behind, seemingly without holding back. It appeared he genuinely couldn't catch up.

"If I can keep this up until the forest domain, that would be good..."

Qin Sang mused to himself, his mind less strained than before, as he pondered how to exploit the terrain next.

Just then, Qin Sang inexplicably felt a hint of unease. He quickly scanned his surroundings; everything appeared normal. They were currently moving through a desolate Gobi Desert, where dry winds kicked up rolling yellow sand.

Then, Qin Sang noticed an unnatural increase in moisture in the air. He immediately realized something, and his eyes flashed with shock. The surrounding humidity grew heavier, the ground became damp, and simultaneously, the earth began to tremble. Faint sounds of water could be heard from the left.

In a blink, a massive wave, nearly a thousand feet high, appeared in the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's vision, sweeping away everything in its path. The colossal wave overturned mountains and seas, its momentum truly astonishing!

"Could it be..."

Qin Sang immediately guessed the source of the giant wave. He knew that Spirit King You was a fish demon in human form and must possess formidable water manipulation divine abilities. During his escape, he had deliberately avoided illusions related to water. One illusion near the Gobi was a bottomless pool of water. This water must have been drawn by Spirit King You from there.

To be able to activate the power of the illusion and even cross the boundaries between illusions—the demon king, despite self-inflicting a reduction in cultivation, could still unleash such a divine ability! Qin Sang was immensely shocked, and his escape light abruptly changed direction.

Behind him, the Black Fish Dharma Idol had, at some unknown point, straightened up, its head slightly tilted, fiercely sucking towards the deep pool's direction. Its fish mouth was wide open, exposing a full set of tusks. Outside the Gobi, the previously calm deep pool rippled violently, its water swelling high as if a celestial dragon were drawing water from above. Endless streams of water formed thick columns, being sucked high into the sky, their destination unknown.

The border between the Gobi and the deep pool was in chaos. The earth collapsed, forming a storm, yet it couldn't stop the water from surging into the Gobi like a water dragon, stirring up raging waves. The moisture formed thick rain clouds that swept across the land.

The Black Fish Dharma Idol suddenly turned its head, staring at the fleeing Qin Sang, intense killing intent erupting in its eyes. With a flash, it charged into the rain clouds.

"Splash!"

Heavy rain suddenly poured down on the Gobi, and thick moisture filled the entire Gobi space. The downpour had a strange rhythm. Infinite moisture condensed around Qin Sang, forming a curtain of rain that trapped him.

Qin Sang sensed danger. The sword light circling him paused, and the Wandering Cloud Sword shot out. Just then, the moisture around Qin Sang became extremely dense, like a vast ocean. Dazzling light suddenly burst forth, creating a crystal-clear scene in the void. Under the distortion, an enormous fish, with a body comparable to a mountain, materialized out of thin air.

Qin Sang was directly between the fish's jaws. Before he could react, a terrifying suction force erupted beneath him. His escape light dimmed abruptly, and he plummeted instantly.

"Rumble..."

Qin Sang felt like a ship amidst raging waves. Within his sight, there was nothing but a vast ocean, swaying precariously in the wind and rain.

Just as he was about to be swallowed by the fish, the Wandering Cloud Sword trembled, and its sword light, like a dragon, instantly expanded a thousand feet, swiftly slashing at the giant fish.

"Boom!"

The might of one sword could shatter mountains. The fish's mouth was split open by a single sword, and the sword light, with overwhelming momentum, sliced through the fish's head in one go.

Qin Sang immediately felt the suction force greatly diminish. Without hesitation, he vigorously flapped his phoenix wings and surged upwards.

"Crack!"

A bolt of lightning shot out from the fish's mouth, and the suction force became weaker and weaker.

Just then, for some reason, Qin Sang's feeling of unease intensified. He dared not delay and commanded the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to fully activate its Heavenly Eye divine ability. Everything within his vision turned into a watery expanse. When he brought the rain clouds above and the giant fish below into his sight, Qin Sang finally found the source of his unease, and his mind was instantly shaken.

The next moment, the bolt of lightning abruptly hovered in mid-air, then surprisingly flipped over in place, plummeting straight into the fish's mouth. This act was clearly a self-inflicted trap.

At the same time, Qin Sang felt the world spin. The entire space had inexplicably flipped upside down. The Gobi Desert was still below; the illusion hadn't changed. Yet, the rain clouds were now beneath Qin Sang's feet, and the giant fish floated above, its body perfectly intact, looking down at Qin Sang with its mouth agape. Qin Sang was already inside its mouth. Had he not been alerted in advance, he might have unknowingly been swallowed by the fish!

Qin Sang had not anticipated that Spirit King You could unleash such a world-overturning divine ability. His reaction was still somewhat slow; not only did the Wandering Cloud Sword strike nothing, but he also failed to escape in time as the fish's mouth rapidly closed.

In this critical moment, a great golden sun slowly rose behind Qin Sang. Golden light illuminated the fish's mouth and shone through its head, tinging the surrounding rain clouds with a faint golden hue. Immediately, golden light radiated from the giant fish's entire body. It was as if the sun had just risen after a rain, and within the sun, a glittering golden fish was swimming. Golden scales shimmered, their gaps opening, and the fish's body seemed on the verge of collapsing but held firm.

Even under the impact of the Sun Wheel Seal, the fish's mouth remained tightly shut. Its body rapidly shrank, violently twisting and tumbling.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Gobi was impacted, and the earth cracked, rain instantly filling the fissures.

Just then, a point of crimson light suddenly flashed within the fish's body, like a fiery red arrow, piercing into the fish from the inside out. Qin Sang held the Sun God Tree with one hand, his face solemn. The Sun Wheel Seal couldn't destroy the giant fish, so he had to summon the Sun God Tree again. Furthermore, he was ready to activate the Five Elements Crown at any moment. This treasure had been with him for many years. Under continuous nurturing, Qin Sang, although he hadn't tamed its artifact spirit, could already unleash the Great Five Elements Forbidden Divine Light without disturbing it. However, after a single strike, the artifact spirit would be alarmed. Continuous use might fully awaken it, causing both internal and external troubles, requiring him to divert his attention to soothe it. Therefore, he would not use it lightly.

Nine Sun God Birds slammed into the fish's body. From the outside, a conspicuous red spot appeared on the fish's body, rapidly expanding. Terrifying flames surged from the red spot, and streams of fire radiated astonishing, volatile power, finally tearing open a wound on the fish's body! Golden sun, flowing fire! With all divine abilities and treasures unleashed, Qin Sang finally escaped his predicament.

Before the crimson fire dissipated, thunderbolts broke through it. The giant fish desperately channeled moisture to the wound, but ultimately, its efforts were in vain, and Qin Sang broke free.

"Snap!"

Qin Sang rushed out of the moisture without looking back.

The rain clouds continued to spread in pursuit, but finally showed signs of exhaustion, beginning to retract. The rain clouds covered the Gobi, and the Black Fish Dharma Idol appeared in the clouds, watching Qin Sang's retreating figure, ripples appearing in its deep eyes. Then, glancing back, a faint sigh echoed from the clouds.

The divine ability just now required the Five Talisman Dharma Position to be fully unleashed. He had relied on his Dharma Idol and the water from the deep pool to manifest it. Its momentum was comparable to its peak, but its power was only six or seven tenths of its full strength. Although he had lured Qin Sang into striking a blow, he hadn't expected Qin Sang to still be holding back. Under normal circumstances, this attack would never have failed so easily. But now was different; the forcibly condensed fish body was inherently unstable, and in order to draw water into the Gobi, he was essentially attacking both the Gobi and Qin Sang simultaneously.

This was no ordinary Gobi; it was an illusion created by an ancient divine ability. At this moment, Spirit King You was practically despised by the heavens and earth. Even with a full-force attack, he could only maintain it for a very short time, watching helplessly as Qin Sang sped away, powerless to stop him further.

Qin Sang also noticed some clues at this point, but he wasn't sure if Spirit King You had another scheme, so he dared not relax. The further he was from the deep pool, the better. For the rest of the journey, he would also need to steer clear of other water bodies to avoid a repeat of the situation.

"Swish!"

The Black Fish Dharma Idol flicked its long tail, maneuvering a rain cloud to continue the pursuit. Without anyone maintaining the moisture, the rain cloud erupted with a thunderous roar, completely collapsing. The pouring rain evaporated before it could even reach the ground. The Gobi returned to its dry state, without a trace of moisture. The deep pool rippled for the last time before becoming still.

As he rushed out of the Gobi, Qin Sang kept an eye on his rear, noticing that Spirit King You was still hot on his heels, showing no signs of weakness despite having just unleashed a powerful divine ability.

Outside the battlefield.

Daoist Zuo was also speeding through the illusions, occasionally glancing towards the South Heaven Gate. Gradually, the fluctuations ahead became more and more distinct, clearly perceptible even through the illusions, like a guiding beacon.

The moment Spirit King You drew the water from the deep pool, Daoist Zuo's figure paused. His eyes were bright as he stared for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. He then looked back towards the blue sea of light before approaching the battlefield at an even faster pace.

As the two sides gradually drew closer, Daoist Zuo initially intended to slow down and minimize his presence. However, he found that he would quickly be left far behind, so he had no choice but to shake his sleeve and pull out a spiritual talisman. Rubbing it between two fingers, the spiritual talisman spontaneously ignited, transforming into a pair of fiery wings that left a long-lasting trail of fire with each flap.

After this battle, Qin Sang's consumption intensified. His vital energy and blood were both depleted, and he darted wildly through the illusions like a headless fly. His anxious state was not lost on Spirit King You. Little did Spirit King You know, they were getting closer and closer to the forest domain!