Chapter 1858: Swallowing the Sea Clam

The Human Realm

The surprise attack failed to achieve the desired miraculous effect. King Lingyou no longer held back, repeatedly attempting to draw on the water elemental power within nearby illusions, only to abandon each attempt due to interference from other illusions.

Having learned his lesson, Qin Sang deliberately stayed away from any illusions King Lingyou might exploit, which consumed over fifty percent more time than he had anticipated.

Qin Sang now felt extreme apprehension towards the demon king and no longer entertained any thoughts of counterattacking. He stopped using illusions to obstruct King Lingyou, focusing solely on escaping towards the jungle realm.

“I still have a long way to go indeed...”

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

Cultivating both magic and the physical body, and possessing spiritual treasures and great divine abilities, his current strength was enough to be considered a mighty practitioner among his peers. His battle with Marquis Dingxiang had been exhilarating.

Yet, facing a demon king who had deliberately cut down his own cultivation, he constantly felt suppressed at every turn. Especially when King Lingyou unleashed his Dharma Idol divine abilities, their immense power and strange transformations left Qin Sang in awe.

He wondered if there were any unparalleled geniuses in the world who could contend with a demon king at the Nascent Soul stage. Qin Sang, at least, couldn't do it yet, even though he had nearly slain Marquis Dingxiang.

Perhaps when both the 'Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter' and 'Heavenly Demon Refinement' reached their peak, he might then be able to contend with King Lingyou.

This pursuit had left Qin Sang in a very sorry state, but he also felt deeply inspired and believed he had gained much. However, he had no opportunity to calmly comprehend it now; he could only engrave King Lingyou's every move deeply into his mind.

Especially regarding the path of Dharma Idols, King Lingyou was indeed an excellent teacher.

Demon cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage did not understand Dharma Idols as deeply as a demon king.

If he were to observe a true battle between demon kings, he might be too limited by his cultivation and vision to fully comprehend it.

A demon king who had cut down his cultivation was rarely seen in ten thousand years, and he was undoubtedly the best guide.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. It was a pity they met too early. If he had waited a few decades or a century more, advanced further, and possessed the true strength to contend with King Lingyou, then with his knowledge of the terrain, he might not have lacked the opportunity to defeat or even injure his opponent.

Such a grand battle would highly likely have enabled him to fully comprehend the eleventh layer of the 'Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter', and might even greatly assist his breakthrough to the Void Refining stage.

Distracting thoughts filled his mind.

Qin Sang, however, did not get distracted. His mind remained focused on King Lingyou, observing his every move.

At the same time, King Lingyou also kept his gaze fixed on the lightning flash that was Qin Sang. Strange glints flickered in the dark eyes of his Black Fish Dharma Idol.

As a demon king, his eyesight was naturally exceptional. Even if Qin Sang concealed his intentions perfectly, he would inevitably expose subtle clues that King Lingyou would seize upon.

If Qin Sang had previously used illusions to set traps, he might possess some unique ability.

Therefore, Qin Sang's consistent and accurate avoidance of illusions containing water elemental power, preventing his Dharma Idol divine abilities from being unleashed, was certainly no coincidence; he must have been intimately familiar with the layout of the illusions in this place.

This, in turn, became quite intriguing.

“Does this child truly have no options but to be hunted down by me until he is exhausted and surrenders?”

As this thought flashed through King Lingyou's mind, his expression suddenly sharpened.

Qin Sang inexplicably felt a chill. He knew he couldn't keep deceiving King Lingyou's discerning eyes indefinitely. He glanced forward, muttered to himself that it was time, and immediately abandoned his concealment.

Boom!

The lightning flash tore through the sky, shooting straight forward, crossing illusions, and heading directly for the jungle realm!

King Lingyou snorted coldly. The long tail of the Black Fish Dharma Idol whipped, heavily striking the dark waves.

Splash!

Water surged, and the fish body leaped up.

As it leaped, the Black Fish Dharma Idol raised its head high. Its mouth opened towards the sky, letting out a silent roar, and a streak of grey mist flew out from its throat.

Whoosh!

The grey mist filled the sky. A silhouette appeared in the dim void. It looked like an open book, but as it became clearer, it was revealed to be two clam shells.

Its interior was jade-like in texture, dotted with many glistening points of light, like pearls embedded in the clam shells.

The outer shells, however, were dull grey and showed no unusual features.

The clam shells were half-open, their internal flesh already hollowed out. Clearly, it was not a living creature but an artifact that had been refined.

This treasure was named the Ocean Devouring Clam, and it was the spiritual treasure that had followed King Lingyou for the longest time.

The clam shells materialized within the grey mist, aiming remotely at the lightning flash ahead. The internal points of light burst forth with dazzling brilliance.

Strangely, the points of light instantly became extremely bright, then instantly turned incredibly dark.

At the same time, this entire realm, including Qin Sang's surroundings, suddenly grew dim, as if twilight had descended and enveloped everything.

Whoosh!

The Black Fish Dharma Idol flicked its long tail, raising a dark wave that washed over the clam shells.

The clam shells' exterior became even darker, almost ink-black, accompanied by faint, intermittent 'click-clack' sounds. The two shells began to close inward. As they closed, the Ocean Devouring Clam's actual form gradually became ethereal, even vanishing.

Qin Sang witnessed a terrifying sight.

The illusion they were currently in had no sky or ground. In the boundless void, clumps of white fluff drifted, swirling everywhere, omnipresent.

The surroundings were a vast expanse of white, similar to a scene of heavy snowfall.

As the Ocean Devouring Clam closed, Qin Sang noticed his surroundings became even dimmer. Even his escape light seemed to be suppressed, growing faint.

At the same time, Qin Sang noticed that the white fluff ahead had inexplicably compressed into a mass, forming a giant white rolling wheel that moved towards him. All the white fluff along its path was drawn into the wheel.

The white fluff was as light as willow catkins, and the white rolling wheel should not have been too heavy. Yet, it brought with it an overwhelming sense of oppression.

When he discerned the true source of the anomaly, Qin Sang's expression changed, and his escape light halted abruptly.

What was pressing down was not white fluff at all; it was clearly the entire void!

The void appeared to be bent by a terrifying force.

The white rolling wheel descended at an extreme speed, creating a tremendous momentum. Qin Sang, positioned in front of it, appeared incredibly tiny, on the verge of being crushed into pulp in the next instant.

Even more terrifying was that the void ahead was folding over. No matter how fast he was, there was no path forward, leaving him helpless.

Unless he retreated, but King Lingyou was lurking menacingly behind him!

In reality, the void had not been altered. Nascent Soul cultivators did not yet possess the ability to shake the void.

With Qin Sang's cultivation, he could also discern some abnormalities, guessing that it was the power of that clam shell.

The void folding was an illusion, but its power was real, and the danger it presented was not in the least bit false.

Even if he saw through the trick, Qin Sang would find it difficult to find a weakness in a short time. For now, the only solution was to meet force with force!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The white rolling wheel was already upon him.

Qin Sang felt as if he were facing a mountain, experiencing a sense of suffocation—a suffocation that came from being on the verge of being crushed by the void.

Just then, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly suddenly sent another warning.

From behind.

After activating the Ocean Devouring Clam, the Black Fish Dharma Idol's long tail continued to sway, and it opened its mouth wide, spitting out another ball of white light.

Inside the white light was a jade-white pearl.

The pearl slowly rotated above the Black Fish Dharma Idol's head. A white thread was drawn out. The thread grew longer and longer, while the pearl shrank, eventually transforming into a thin white rope several meters long.

The white rope became taut, emitting a gentle white light. It seemed harmless, yet it was also a spiritual treasure.

The Black Fish Dharma Idol swayed its head. Two whiskers grew from its mouth, long and slender like dragon whiskers.

The long whiskers sprang up, hooking onto the white rope.

A brilliant white light erupted, and the white rope twisted. It merged into the two long whiskers, which immediately took on the same texture as the white rope.

Splash!

Whoosh!

The fish body twisted, its tail curled upwards. Its entire body arched, and simultaneously, the two long whiskers shot towards its tail end.

The two long whiskers twisted together, wrapping around the tail end. At the same time, the Black Fish Dharma Idol's body suddenly unfurled, and the whiskers instantly became taut.

Twang!

The sound of a bowstring resounded for a long time, lingering in the air.

The Black Fish Dharma Idol transformed into a longbow. No one pulled the bow, yet the bowstring drew itself back. Aiming at Qin Sang from afar, the bow was drawn like a full moon!

Dazzling white light condensed on the bowstring.

Qin Sang's heart pounded heavily, and a stinging sensation spread throughout his body. He felt as if there was nowhere to escape.

The void folded in front, and a spiritual arrow locked onto him from behind.

In a moment of desperation, Qin Sang flicked his sleeve. A crown, radiating five-colored brilliant light, flew out rapidly.

At this very moment, Qin Sang finally dared not hold back any longer.

The Five Elements Crown hovered before Qin Sang. It shimmered with five-colored brilliant light, beautiful, noble, and extraordinary.

Like a living creature, its treasure light emitted regular fluctuations, similar to a creature's breathing.

“This is...”

Upon seeing the Five Elements Crown, brilliant light burst forth from the Black Fish Dharma Idol's eyes. It immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of this treasure, and an ominous premonition arose.

Boom!

The dark waves surged, and another giant wave appeared. It turned into a mist in mid-air, vanishing into thin air.

Bang!

The white rolling wheel slammed fiercely towards Qin Sang, and the entire void suddenly folded over.

Qin Sang's figure remained completely still. The Five Elements Crown radiated treasure light, and five-colored brilliance intertwined, forming a grand Five Elements Prohibition Divine Light.

Compared to the momentum created by the Ocean Devouring Clam, this divine light seemed insignificant.

Whoosh!

The grand Five Elements Prohibition Divine Light pierced through the white rolling wheel.

A large section in the middle of the white rolling wheel, where the divine light struck, became empty, and all the white fluff vanished.

Then the divine light shot into the void, as if hitting an invisible wall, emitting a deafening roar.

Qin Sang felt the entire space vibrating. Numerous void cracks appeared where the divine light struck, and five-colored brilliance diffused within the cracks.

Immediately after, the void at the cracks collapsed, surprisingly forming a large hole. Bright light shone in from the opening, revealing the true appearance of the illusion outside!

This divine light was precisely the Reverse Five Elements Prohibition Divine Light, where "reverse" means "absolute destruction," achieving success in one blow!

Qin Sang's expression relaxed. He had great confidence in the power of the Five Elements Crown, but the same spiritual treasure would have different power in different hands.

Even an ordinary spiritual treasure, when wielded by a demon king, should not be underestimated.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Qin Sang collected the Five Elements Crown and, with a flash, appeared at the edge of the hole.

Everything was seen by King Lingyou. The Black Fish Dharma Idol rarely showed a hint of annoyance.

If it were a Grand True Person from the Daoist Court, such difficulty wouldn't be surprising.

This child was clearly an unknown individual, yet he possessed an endless array of divine abilities and treasures; even the Ocean Devouring Clam couldn't trap him.

There was another reason: King Lingyou had learned from Marquis Dingxiang that this child possessed methods to defile spiritual treasures. He dared not let the Ocean Devouring Clam get too close, so its power was inevitably affected.

Even so, for it to be neutralized in a single strike was still far beyond his expectations.

Its fish eyes stared at the Five Elements Crown, as if trying to see through the treasure's true nature. At the same time, its long whiskers tautened, and the white light stretched, forming a light arrow.

Twang!

The string moved!

The arrow flew!

The light arrow's speed surpassed lightning. It arrived precisely as Qin Sang appeared at the hole's opening!

In an instant, the arrowhead was less than three inches from Qin Sang's nape.

In imminent danger, Qin Sang did not turn his head, nor did he show any intention of dodging.

If he dodged now and the hole closed, he would not have the ability to unleash a second grand Five Elements Prohibition Divine Light.

The blood and qi within his body vibrated like thunder. The Bright Mountain Armor shimmered with brilliant light, and its treasure glow gathered towards the armor's nape.

Ripples of water appeared, and the armor plates transformed into a pool of river water.

The white light blazed, and rippling water waves shimmered. More than half of the ten-meter long light arrow sank into the water.

The true treasure fragment did not disappoint; it was not pierced by the light arrow, blocking the fatal blow.

But in the next moment, Qin Sang suddenly felt something amiss. With a thought, he instantly understood the reason, startling him. He immediately activated the Bright Mountain Armor to re-distribute the power of the true treasure fragment, integrating it into all the armor plates on his body.

At the same time, the light arrow exploded with a bang, and innumerable sharp fragments immediately engulfed Qin Sang.

If he had not reacted in time, he would not have escaped the agony of being slowly cut to pieces!

“Truly cunning!”

Qin Sang snorted coldly. King Lingyou must have seen through the changes in the Bright Mountain Armor during their previous battles. Fortunately, his reaction was quick enough.

Thud thud thud thud...

The light arrow fragments covered his entire body, all of them blocked by the armor plates.

Although Qin Sang was not injured, he felt a tremendous force strike his back, as if he had been hit by a mountain. His face paled involuntarily. He felt his internal organs shift, but fortunately, having cultivated the Vajra Glazed Body, his internal injuries were not severe.

Using the force to propel himself forward, the lightning light dimmed, then brightened again.

Whoosh...

The after-effect of the Black Fish Dharma Idol reached the hole, but it was already too late.

The two long whiskers detached from the tail end. The Ocean Devouring Clam also floated up from below, suspended in the dark waves, slowly opening and closing.

Gazing at Qin Sang's escape light, King Lingyou's face showed a thoughtful expression.

If King Lingyou had previously wanted to retrieve the Vajra Core, his current thoughts had changed; he was more interested in Qin Sang himself.

King Lingyou was not unwilling to continue holding back Qin Sang. It was just that he was not as relaxed as he appeared.

Although he possessed the knowledge of a demon king, his cultivation had genuinely fallen to the Cavernous Profound Realm. Wielding the power of his Dharma Idol to unleash great divine abilities, and even controlling spiritual treasures, also incurred a not-insignificant cost.

However, it was absolutely impossible for him to give up now. For a Cavernous Profound realm cultivator to possess so many methods was truly remarkable. King Lingyou did not believe the opponent had any treasure stronger than that crown.

He needed to at least see what other trump cards his opponent had before deciding whether to advance or retreat.

Furthermore, King Lingyou judged that wielding that crown was likely not easy for the opponent; otherwise, he would not have risked taking that arrow.

This was indeed the case. Since his battle with Marquis Dingxiang, Qin Sang had not had a single moment to recuperate. His cultivation was still in the mid-Nascent Soul stage, his true essence was difficult to sustain, and he could only take risks.

Only by escaping into the jungle realm as quickly as possible could he rely on his spiritual wood body to resist the demon king and seize the opportunity to restore his true essence.

King Lingyou did not retract his two spiritual treasures. The dark waves, carrying the Ocean Devouring Clam, pushed forward.

It was unknown how many illusions they had passed through or how far they had flown during their chase.

Finally, a familiar sight entered Qin Sang's vision.

A sky-blue canopy stretched out before him, and winds of azure piled up into a thick heavenly wall, standing out remarkably among the multitude of illusions.

“Finally!”

Qin Sang let out a long breath. He couldn't help but glance back, seeing a raging black tide behind him.

Without hesitation, Qin Sang crashed directly into the heavenly wall. He immediately felt himself surrounded by abundant and pure wood spirit energy, which was continuously absorbed by his spiritual wood body, rapidly restoring him.

Crash!

Qin Sang plunged directly into the jungle, scattering countless leaves.

Near the landing spot, several ancient trees began to sway rhythmically. Over a dozen flag banners rose from their canopies, forming a formation in an instant!