Chapter 1863: Secret Truths

The Mortal World

The divine seal descended.

Three ancient seal characters, emitting a faint green light, remained on the seal's surface. In Spirit King You's eyes, these characters spun rapidly, resembling three bottomless vortices that threatened to draw his soul in.

Spirit King You was greatly alarmed. At the same time, he sensed a threat from behind: the Great Five Elements Banishing Divine Light, tearing through the air, had arrived. He relied on the Sea-Swallowing Clam to draw upon the power of external water elements and maintain his divine ability, leaving him no time to recall it. Caught between two powerful attacks, both the divine seal and the divine light were formidable.

Comparatively, Spirit King You feared the North Pole Ghost-Slaying Seal the most. This seal had been notoriously powerful during the flourishing era of the ancient Daoist sect, slaughtering countless formidable malevolent beings and striking terror into evil spirits. He dared not gamble on how much power the seal still retained. Although the Great Five Elements Banishing Divine Light displayed significant power during his fight with Qin Sang, its limits were ultimately known.

With a resolute mind, Spirit King You spat out a mouthful of vital blood, which enveloped a scale. This scale was similar in size and shape to the one he had used before, but it was blood-red, either stained by blood or inherently so. An eerie glow shimmered on the scale's surface, completely devouring all the vital blood. The scale turned crimson, rapidly expanded, and instantly transformed into a colossal blood-red shield.

Still uneasy, Spirit King You swayed his body and spat out a cinnabar yellow talisman. The spiritual talisman turned into a faint light, shooting towards the colossal shield, unleashing an even denser explosion of blood-red color, staining half of the celestial barrier with a scarlet glow. The colossal shield, as tall as a mountain, protected Spirit King You beneath it. Simultaneously, Spirit King You's entire body rustled as his scales burst open. A stream of water, conjured by his divine ability, formed around his body, filling the gaps between his scales. The spiritual treasure White Rope encircled Spirit King You's body several times, weaving nimbly between his scales, like a needle and thread, stringing all the scales together. Spirit King You was now covered in a unique set of scale armor, combining both rigidity and flexibility.

In an instant, the North Pole Ghost-Slaying Seal and the Great Five Elements Banishing Divine Light arrived simultaneously!

'Boom!'

The blood-red scale shield violently trembled. Compared to the colossal shield, the small North Pole Ghost-Slaying Seal seemed like an insignificant ant on a mountain. Yet, when this 'ant' struck the 'mountain,' it immediately caused the mountain to shake violently, almost collapsing. Green light permeated the surface of the scale shield, the blood-red glow was abruptly suppressed, and accompanied by a series of 'cracking' sounds, a conspicuous dent appeared where the North Pole Ghost-Slaying Seal struck, with cracks spreading all around it.

Seeing the cracks at the dent, Spirit King You was even more terrified, but he had no time to be distracted, as the Great Five Elements Banishing Divine Light had already arrived.

'Whoosh!'

The divine light was incredibly swift and unavoidable. Spirit King You exerted all his strength to condense the power of his scale armor. The moment the divine light struck, he suddenly realized something was wrong and was greatly astonished. Before he could react, his astonished expression froze on his face.

The divine light did not possess the formidable lethal power he had anticipated. The Great Five Elements Banishing Divine Light has positive and negative aspects: positive for 'banishment' and negative for 'annihilation.' Outsiders, unaware of its subtle workings, cannot distinguish between them and are easily caught off guard. At this moment, the divine light Qin Sang unleashed was the positive Five Elements Banishing Divine Light, specializing in sealing. It was precisely by relying on this positive Five Elements Banishing Divine Light that Mo Xingdao and his two companions repeatedly escaped danger in the perilous Guixu. Spirit King You was momentarily unaware. The five-colored divine light struck his scale armor, not damaging it in the slightest, but instead bursting open like fireworks. Five-colored light flowed over Spirit King You's entire body. He appeared to be wearing a five-colored armor, or perhaps trapped within a vibrant, five-colored sealing spell. His entire body stiffened, unable to move, his expression and gaze still vividly lifelike, but frozen in that single moment.

In the jungle.

All the golden-armored warriors were now gathered around Left Venerable's talisman altar, their golden ropes interconnected, forming another formation. Left Venerable closed his eyes and performed a ritual walk, casting spells repeatedly. Finally, he stomped his foot heavily, causing the talisman altar to tremble and the golden-armored warriors to roar thunderously. Left Venerable also let out a soft cry, suddenly opening his eyes, his gaze like lightning, shooting straight up to the sky. The next moment, all color drained from Left Venerable's face, leaving him extremely pale, and his feet appeared somewhat unsteady, as if he had expended all his strength. The surrounding golden-armored warriors then changed their formation, making it even more complex and compact.

A thunderous roar came from the sky. High above, the North Pole Ghost-Slaying Seal's divine power surged. The blood-red scale shield was pierced by several large cracks, and with a resounding crash, the entire shield shattered into pieces, utterly destroyed. Fragments flew everywhere, no longer able to stop the North Pole Ghost-Slaying Seal. The divine seal plummeted swiftly.

At this moment, Spirit King You finally broke free from the sealing power, shaking off the five-colored divine light. He opened his eyes to see the divine seal almost upon him, along with the three rotating divine characters, a deep fear surfacing in his eyes. Concurrently, a sword cry like thunder erupted behind Spirit King You. The Cloud-Wandering Sword was only slightly slower than the Great Five Elements Banishing Divine Light. A sky-piercing sword strike, like a startling rainbow!

The divine seal's green light engulfed Spirit King You. Spirit King You let out a desperate roar, his scale armor rustling as it unleashed its final power, but it was unfortunately suppressed by the green light in an instant.

'Crack!'

The sound was like a thunderclap. The scale armor shattered. Precisely at this moment, the Cloud-Wandering Sword erupted with a heaven-shaking sword intent. Its sword light, like a swimming dragon, pierced into the green light. Countless scales flew, scattering like flowers tossed by celestial maidens. Each dark scale had blood at its root, and some turned to dust before they could even fly out of the green light's range.

'Swish!'

The Cloud-Wandering Sword pierced through the green light, its tip still carrying a spray of fresh blood. It circled in the air and then plunged downwards. A gaping hole conspicuously appeared in the celestial barrier. The divine seal, suppressing a gigantic fish demon, had broken through the barrier and was plummeting towards the ground. A stream of green light descended from the sky. Within the green light, the black fish's body was rigid, its eyes filled with disbelief. Its skull was dented, the divine seal embedded in its brow, and a gaping, bloody wound conspicuously ran through its chest and abdomen, almost severing it in two. Demonic blood splattered across the sky!

"Dead?"

Qin Sang stood on the ground, gazing up at the green light. He had actually slain a Demon King! The fatal blow could be said to have been jointly delivered by the Cloud-Wandering Sword and the divine seal. Of course, in truth, Left Venerable deserved the primary credit.

That divine seal… its origin is unknown.

Qin Sang glanced at Left Venerable, who had already put away his talisman altar and was standing amidst the golden-armored warriors. Sensing Qin Sang's gaze, he turned his head and gave a slight nod. Qin Sang could sense that Left Venerable was not in good condition. This seal must be a supreme treasure of the Daoist sect. Left Venerable's words were true; activating the divine seal indeed came at a great cost. He just didn't know if there was any pretense involved.

'Whoosh!'

The green light rapidly plunged to the ground. Qin Sang was astonished to find that the blood flowing from the fish corpse's wound, upon touching the divine seal, was actually sucked dry by it. Still unsatisfied, the divine seal, under its green light, began to melt the fish corpse's flesh, blood, and demonic bones, starting from its head, transforming them into the purest essence which the seal then devoured. Qin Sang couldn't help but look at Left Venerable, who explained: "The divine seal is also a malevolent seal. I am now powerless to stop it; I can only let it feast to its content." The two watched as Spirit King You was completely devoured by the divine seal, leaving no trace of his corpse, only a few relics. Fortunately, at the last moment, Left Venerable mustered his remaining strength and barely managed to preserve Spirit King You's demon core.

'Boom!'

The North Pole Ghost-Slaying Seal created a large crater in the ground, scattering items everywhere.

'Whoosh!'

After putting the divine seal into his sleeve, Left Venerable, whose old wounds had not healed and now suffered further exhaustion, did not even glance at the spoils of war. He sat down then and there to meditate and recover. The golden-armored warriors formed a large formation, protecting Left Venerable within it. With Spirit King You dead, their vigilance was naturally directed towards Qin Sang. This was natural human behavior, and Qin Sang didn't mind in the slightest. He consciously maintained his distance to avoid misunderstandings.

He glanced into the large crater and saw a dark demon core and a smooth, luminous pearl. Two spiritual treasures were also scattered nearby, along with some shattered scales and fragments of the scale shield. "The luminous pearl should be a mustard seed-type treasure..." Qin Sang did not move. After a quick glance, he withdrew his gaze, swallowed several pills, and focused on his recovery. His spiritual wood body had not yet reached its limit; it was merely that his true essence was severely depleted. Although he had internal injuries, his condition was still better than Left Venerable's. He appeared calm on the surface, but his mind was unusually excited. He hadn't expected to find fortune in misfortune. This battle held great significance for him. Not only had he met a Grand Venerable from the Daoist Court, but the feeling of slaying Spirit King You with a single sword strike was enough for him to comprehend and savor for a long time. "Even if I didn't get the Vajra Fruit, this journey was worthwhile!" Qin Sang thought to himself.

After his recovery, Qin Sang awoke. He temporarily suppressed his internal injuries, and his true essence was sufficient to continuously use Thunder Escape. He looked down at his slightly damaged Bright Mountain Armor, then at Left Venerable in the distance. Observing his complexion, it had slightly improved.

Qin Sang spoke, "This is a place of trouble. It might be better to leave here first. I know a safe place to recuperate nearby. What do you think, Senior?" Spirit King You must have left a mark when he pursued him. Qin Sang wasn't afraid of Marquis Dingxiang and the others. Marquis Dingxiang was injured by him, and the other demon marquises were of mediocre strength. Even if they pursued him, it was debatable whether they would dare to enter after seeing this scene. His concern was that there might be other Demon Kings nearby. Spirit King You had been too reckless, bringing about his own demise. After weighing his options, it was better to leave. The next illusionary realm he had chosen was not far.

Left Venerable remained silent and motionless. The foremost golden-armored warrior spoke, his voice deep and muffled, yet it was Left Venerable's tone. "Very well. Please lead the way, fellow Daoist. As for those items, you can put them away for now." Before his words finished, the golden-armored warriors all simultaneously swung their golden ropes, forming a golden platform beneath Left Venerable. The golden-armored warriors let out a shout, lifted the golden platform with outstretched arms, becoming sedan-bearers. Riding golden light, they ascended into the sky.

Qin Sang waved his sleeve, separating a wisp of true essence to wrap the spoils of war on the ground. He didn't put them into his Qianjun Ring but kept them suspended beside him as he led the way, breaking through the celestial barrier and discerning their direction. Left Venerable followed closely.

Flying out of the celestial barrier, and encountering no strong enemies, Qin Sang's mind relaxed slightly. He then heard the golden-armored warrior speak, "No wonder Sword Bearer thinks so highly of you, fellow Daoist. Few rising stars in the Daoist Court can compare to you."

"Senior, are you very familiar with Fellow Daoist Sword Bearer?" Qin Sang asked curiously.

"We have some history," Left Venerable seemed disinclined to elaborate.

Qin Sang, understanding the hint, didn't press further. He shook his head and said, "You flatter me, Senior. I know my own capabilities. Thanks to you, Senior, otherwise, I would have had to flee in disarray and might not have lived to see tomorrow." As he spoke, Qin Sang subconsciously glanced at the demon core beside him.

"This demon core, I must take back to the Daoist Court," the golden-armored warrior said, pointing at the demon core and stating his request very directly. "Of course, fellow Daoist, you also have half the credit, and it will not be overlooked. This situation is special; this demon core should be considered a true Demon King's core... If you're not at ease, you can keep it for now." Qin Sang also desired a Demon King's core, but after careful consideration, he nodded in agreement.

"As for those..." The golden-armored warrior glanced at the other three items. "Let's divide them equally between us."

Qin Sang was naturally delighted. He ordered his Heavenly Eye Butterfly to stay alert and extended his spiritual sense into the luminous pearl, discovering a restriction within it. This kind of restriction was something he had never encountered before; it was extremely profound. Fearing he might destroy the treasures inside, Qin Sang dared not act recklessly. However, Left Venerable understood it, and under Left Venerable's guidance, Qin Sang gradually found the pattern.

Before long, the two passed through several illusionary realms, with their destination just ahead. "It's over there," Qin Sang pointed and took the lead, passing through the illusionary realm's barrier. Wood spirit energy rushed forth, but it was much thinner than in the jungle realm. This was a world with hundreds of floating islands. Most of them were covered in green vegetation, permeated by a sense of lifelessness. The floating islands harbored hidden dangers, yet each was different, and the deeper one went, the more perilous it became. Qin Sang chose a suitable floating island and set up a poisonous array, but he didn't need to use it. He landed on a floating island at the edge. After a moment, the golden-armored warriors carried Left Venerable in, descending onto an adjacent island.

Silence fell for a moment. Finally, the luminous pearl in Qin Sang's hand radiated brilliantly. The moment its light appeared, Qin Sang used a spell to conceal it. The next moment, the pearl shot out a beam of light, scattering various items onto the ground. The golden-armored warrior also looked over. Qin Sang extended his hand, guiding it over each of the spoils, feeling a sudden dazzlement. Though it was stated as an equal division, it actually depended on each person's discerning eye. One couldn't blame the other if they missed a treasure due to lack of recognition.

After looking for a while, Qin Sang felt a headache coming on. Some treasures were clearly extraordinary, yet he had never seen or heard of them before, making it impossible to determine their value. The Sea-Swallowing Clam and the White Rope were also among them. Additionally, there were two other spiritual treasures within the luminous pearl that Spirit King You hadn't used, perhaps because he didn't understand the Treasure Communication Art. Moreover, at Spirit King You's cultivation level, spiritual treasures valued quality over quantity. Any excess would usually be given to subordinates. The Sea-Swallowing Clam was clearly different from ordinary spiritual treasures. As expected, none of the four spiritual treasures had the Treasure Communication Art.

"I will take these spiritual treasures, fellow Daoist, do you mind?" the golden-armored warrior asked, pointing at the spiritual treasures. This was also a gesture of goodwill. If the spiritual treasures were sent to the Daoist Court, Daoist disciples could try them one by one, and a suitable person would surely be found. In Qin Sang's hands, they could only remain buried or not fetch a high price. Qin Sang was more than happy to agree, proactively sending the four spiritual treasures over, while he pondered what he should choose for himself.

Just then, the space of the healing altar began to vibrate. This area had been experiencing frequent tremors recently. The golden-armored warrior turned his head to look into the depths of the healing altar. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, having rendered such great service this time, what reward do you intend to request from the Daoist Court?"

From beginning to end, Left Venerable did not ask why Qin Sang was pursued by Spirit King You, and Qin Sang also feigned ignorance. Qin Sang looked up, thought seriously for a moment, then stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "This junior deeply understands the difficulties of cultivation and has suffered from a lack of renowned teachers. My original intention was to inquire about the secrets of the Five Talisman realm and the essentials of cultivation... I wonder what these merits can be exchanged for, and may I ask Senior to enlighten me?"

"The essentials of cultivation, indeed, fellow Daoist is one who pursues the Dao, however..." The golden-armored warrior nodded approvingly, then counter-questioned, "Do you know, fellow Daoist, why I and those Demon Kings were willing to sever our own cultivation to enter the healing altar?"

"This junior's entry now was quite unexpected, so I am indeed unclear," Qin Sang shook his head, confirming he didn't know.

"The ancient Daoist sect once established a Divine Court, which was the foundation of talismans..." Left Venerable spoke slowly. He couldn't explain it as detailed as the old Daoist priest. As long as it didn't involve true secrets, a concise explanation that allowed Qin Sang to understand the general situation was sufficient.