Chapter 1883: Taisui God

Human World

Qin Sang turned his head, seeing darkness encroaching behind him, and gazes from within the darkness like sharp swords. Confronting that malevolent gaze, Qin Sang's pupils constricted. He felt his entire body enveloped in a chilling cold, instinctively trembling, a feeling even more unbearable than when he faced King Ling You years ago. Although King Ling You was powerful and their cultivation levels were barely comparable, he was now facing a true Demon King, a Void Refinement realm expert!

*Whoosh!* Black feathers floated on the black demon peng's wings, resembling black heavenly flames, incinerating everything. The heavenly flames spread towards Qin Sang with astonishing speed; a single flap of its wings could traverse vast cloud seas. Qin Sang's mind was taut. This demon peng completely ignored other areas, heading straight for him upon entering the Divine Court.

*Roar! Roar!* The dragon's roar was deafening, but upon closer inspection, it clearly lacked some of its initial defiance. Initially, when the golden dragon sped towards the Western Quadrant, it frequently turned its head, gazing longingly at the Three Enclosures. Now, however, it could obey Qin Sang's commands. Qin Sang was becoming increasingly adept at controlling the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot.

*Swoosh!* The Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot pierced through clouds and mist, leaving a dazzling golden rainbow in its wake. Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly as he calmed his mind, sensing the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot to explore its other powers. Simultaneously, a thread of his mind constantly monitored the black demon peng behind him.

Qin Sang knew his limitations; even if he pushed his Thunder Escape Art to the extreme, he couldn't escape the demon peng. His only hope was that the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot was as powerful as Heavenly Elder Yue had claimed. It proved that the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot was no ordinary treasure. Before entering the Divine Court, the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot seemed to ascend to the Moon Palace and fly to the Immortal Realm in the blink of an eye; its escape speed was immeasurable. Although these were mere illusions caused by the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot passing through the Divine Court's barrier, its inherent speed was far from ordinary. Unless the black demon peng still had reserves of strength, catching up to Qin Sang wouldn't be easy.

With the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot, he might indeed be able to contend with the Demon King for a while. The problem was that Qin Sang knew nothing of what was happening outside and was unsure how far he had to flee before seeing a glimmer of hope. Qin Sang had only partially repaired the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot; it wasn't fully restored. How long could it last? Between life and death, there was an unknown fear. Someone with weaker resolve might already be on the verge of collapse under such terrifying pressure.

"Hmph!" Staring at the fleeing Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot, the black demon peng let out a cold snort, its entire body's feathers bristling with a rustling sound. The sound grew louder and louder, soon resembling a howling gale. Indeed, wind began to stir around them. Black smoke emanated from the demon peng, transforming into a mighty demonic wind. The demonic wind swept through the cloud sea as the demon peng flew. At the edge of the demonic wind, the black smoke gradually faded, eventually dissipating as if merging with the surrounding cloud sea. Immediately afterward, accompanied by a sharp shriek, the black demon peng's speed surged, instantly closing a significant distance with Qin Sang.

The black demon peng's action was to connect with the Divine Court, borrowing its power to some extent, something only possible due to its status as a demon god. Seeing this, Qin Sang was greatly alarmed. The situation was worse than expected; if the black demon peng maintained this speed, it would quickly catch up to him! In fact, being new to the Divine Court, the black demon peng couldn't sustain this state indefinitely. However, as it grew more familiar with the Divine Court, the situation would become increasingly disadvantageous for Qin Sang. The demonic wind howled behind him. Qin Sang spared no effort in driving the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot, the dragon's roars shaking the heavens, yet he couldn't stop the powerful enemy from closing in.

*Swish!* The golden rainbow passed between two immortal mountains. Golden palaces stood atop both, but they were now collapsed, a scene of desolation. Ahead, the Western White Tiger's Seven Mansions came into view. But even if he escaped into the Western Seven Mansions, what could he do? Qin Sang split a part of his mind to sense the Divine Court's Stellar Array of the Heavens, which shared similarities with the *Seven Mansions Sword Array*. However, this slight connection was insufficient for him to control the Divine Court.

*Whoosh!* An unusual sound of rushing air rang out behind him. A strong premonition of danger rose in Qin Sang's heart. At the same time, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's warning arrived, and a scene flashed in Qin Sang's mind. Behind him, a mass of black demonic wind had gathered at some unknown point, swirling up cloud energy and forming dark clouds high in the sky.

*Crack!* A clap of thunder. Lightning shot out from the dark clouds, clearly a black demonic thunderbolt, exceptionally violent, striking through the air. Qin Sang had no thought of directly confronting the demonic thunderbolt. With a slight shift of his mind, the golden dragon turned sharply, and the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot arced through the clouds.

*Boom!* The demonic thunderbolt barely grazed the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot before smashing into the cloud sea. Qin Sang could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within the demonic thunderbolt. When one demonic thunderbolt missed, the dark clouds churned, and new ones immediately emerged.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Demonic thunderbolts struck one after another. While Qin Sang dodged, the black demon peng quickly closed the distance between them. Amidst the birth and dissipation of thunder, a silver light flickered deep within the dark clouds, faintly revealing an ancient circular mirror.

"So it's a spirit treasure..." Qin Sang thought as he dodged, his heart stirring. The Blood Filth Divine Light still had a miraculous effect against spirit treasures. However, in the current situation, Qin Sang dared not stop to counterattack. He could only endure for now, waiting for an opportunity. But the enemy gave him no chance. After closing a certain distance, the black demon peng attacked again. Contrary to its previous actions, it suddenly soared upwards, its roar like thunder, its momentum steadily climbing as it gathered strength, then plunged downwards from high in the sky.

Qin Sang noticed that the surrounding light grew dim. A fierce wind whipped around the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot, and astonishing pressure came from above. At this moment, the sky above the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot plunged into complete darkness. Like a canopy of dark clouds, visible masses of black demonic wind merged into a vast expanse, blotting out the sky. The Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot traveled alone through the wind, giving a sense of solitude and helplessness.

*Rumble...* The demonic wind surged. A terrifying hurricane pressed down, stretching as far as the eye could see. The Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot was at its center; no matter which direction it fled, it couldn't escape the hurricane's range. Qin Sang truly experienced the demon peng's power. It was even more terrifying than the demon king's dharma idol that had nearly captured him outside the ritual altar previously. At this moment, there was no escape!

Qin Sang remained calm in the face of danger. With a sharp tug of the reins, the forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. The golden dragon stopped its charge, raised its head, and let out a roar even louder than before. The black demon peng behind them narrowed its eyes slightly, sensing trouble. It hurriedly activated the Thunder Mirror, unleashing several demonic thunderbolts in succession. Just as the demonic wind was about to engulf the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot, the golden scales on the golden dragon shimmered, erupting with dazzling golden light that enveloped the entire chariot. The Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot was swallowed by the demonic wind, the golden light instantly dissipated, and the chariot itself vanished into thin air!

The next moment, outside the hurricane, a golden glow suddenly appeared. The black demon peng's expression changed dramatically. It abruptly turned its head, seeing the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot emerge in the golden light. Both the golden dragon pulling the chariot and Qin Sang on the jade seat were completely unharmed. The Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot could actually travel through space, possessing the ability to teleport!

*Snap!* The reins tightened. The golden dragon didn't look back, continuing to pull the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot forward at full speed. Qin Sang let out a soft breath, still feeling lingering fear from the pressure he had just faced. Teleportation was precisely a divine ability Qin Sang had comprehended from the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot. In reality, the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot itself couldn't teleport; instead, it used its close connection with the Divine Court to 'jump' within a certain range. However, there was a price for doing so.

*Click! Click!* Qin Sang heard faint sounds coming from the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot beneath him. His greatest fear had come true. Teleportation placed a heavy burden on the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot. His repairs were too crude; each teleportation caused damage, accumulating over time. He wondered how many more times it could last. The only silver lining was that activating the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot didn't consume much of Qin Sang's own energy. Behind him, the demonic wind howled as the black demon peng regrouped and resumed its chase. Each teleportation had to be used at the most critical moment.

Just then, Qin Sang felt a stir in his sleeve. "We're going to die! We're going to die!" Red flames flashed at his sleeve opening, and the Suzaku Young Spirit's shriek echoed, "Ah! Ah! Ah! Why are you being chased again?!" Qin Sang found the words somewhat familiar, as if someone else had said them before. He was also very helpless. It had been an ordinary artifact refinement session; who could have imagined it would stir up such a huge commotion?

"Do you have any good ideas?" Qin Sang seemed to be panicking, seeking help from the Suzaku Young Spirit.

"I..." The Suzaku Young Spirit choked, exasperated. At most, it could control the nine Solar Divine Birds on the divine tree, but even if all nine attacked together, they likely couldn't harm the demon peng. Should it release its Suzaku aura to bluff? But the opponent was a Demon King, who would likely see through the pretense instantly. Seeing the Suzaku Young Spirit's delayed response, Qin Sang sighed inwardly, realizing he had to rely on himself for everything.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Thunderbolts rained down, a frenzied bombardment. Demonic thunderbolts grazed the edges of the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot one after another, an extremely perilous situation. They frantically fled under the thunder, relying on the golden dragon's extraordinary speed and agility, as well as Qin Sang's precise judgment, for the time being unharmed. But this good fortune didn't last. Once the black demon peng closed the distance and attacked again, Qin Sang could only use teleportation to escape. Amidst the chase, Qin Sang had already entered the Western Seven Mansions, and soon a look of disappointment crossed his face. As expected, even if he was proficient in the Seven Mansions Sword Array, it was difficult to make any significant use of it here.

*Swish!* Suddenly, a black rainbow descended from the sky. The black rainbow appeared out of nowhere, without warning, moving at an astonishing speed and firmly locking onto the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot. There was no dodging it; only teleportation could evade it. Just then, the Patrolling Sky Divine Chariot was about to fly over an immortal mountain, atop which stood a golden temple. The golden temple was intact, shimmering with spiritual light. The spiritual light formed a barrier on the temple's surface, emitting peculiar fluctuations.

"Go in!" the Suzaku Young Spirit suddenly cried out.

"I was just thinking the same thing!" Qin Sang flicked the reins. The golden dragon dived towards the golden temple, easily passing through the light barrier. When it touched the temple door, it went right through as if nothing was there. He had observed these golden temples for a long time. The light barrier outside was a special enchantment, but its fluctuations were very similar to those of the golden dragon. Trying it now, it indeed posed no obstacle to them. Now, it remained to be seen if the demon god could pass through the spiritual light barrier, and how strong that barrier was.

Upon entering the golden temple, the first thing he saw was a divine statue. The altar before the statue was fully prepared, but compared to mundane Taoist temples, it lacked incense and human presence. The statue depicted a refined man, wearing a 'Tongtian' crown, with a red face, golden armor, black robes, and holding a bow and arrow. Qin Sang recalled the plaque he saw when entering the door, which read "Gengchen Taisui"! As the name implied, this was a temple dedicated to the heavenly deity Gengchen Taisui.

In Taoist scriptures, Gengchen Taisui is one of the Sixty Jiazi Taisui Gods, also known as the Sixty Yuan Chen. The Sixty Jiazi Taisui Gods are also stellar deities. In the calendrical system, the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches cycle together, forming a sixty-year cycle called the Sixty Jiazi, with sixty Taisui Gods taking turns as the presiding deity for each year. Some believe that the Taisui God of one's birth year influences their entire life, regarding it as their guardian deity. In the mortal world, there's also the saying of "offending the Taisui," hence people worship the Taisui God for good fortune. These, of course, are just legends.

Gengchen Taisui, ranked among the Sixty Taisui Gods, was not a mythical deity in this context. Through his Heavenly Eye Divine Ability, it was evident that Gengchen Taisui's body was not carved from mud or wood, nor was it even a physical entity. Instead, it was composed of countless talismans, effectively a divine talisman. Far more complex than ordinary divine talismans, it possessed a mysterious charm lacking in others, truly appearing like a god when beheld. This was the "heavenly deity" referred to by the Dao Court, a God-Incarnate Talisman born from the deduction of the Dao of Talismans!

Gengchen Taisui's eyes were wide open, seemingly gazing at Qin Sang, the uninvited guest. It exuded power without anger, yet clearly lacked sentience. "Taisui God..." Qin Sang's mind flashed back to the Myriad Gods Thunder Office Immortal Incantation he had obtained before. The Dao Court's War Department also had corresponding immortal incantations. According to the information Qin Sang had, the Sixty Jiazi Taisui Gods likely held a low divine rank. Daoists in the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages could invite them as altar guardians through their cultivated talismans.

"Can the Taisui God's temple withstand an attack from a Demon King?" Qin Sang couldn't help but feel uneasy, looking towards the outside of the temple.

*Boom!* The black rainbow struck, hitting the temple directly. The temple and the immortal mountain trembled violently together, erupting with rich spiritual light.

*Rumble...* The black rainbow almost completely engulfed the temple. The spiritual light barrier, teetering, surprisingly resisted the black rainbow stubbornly, not being destroyed on the spot. Qin Sang's face showed surprise. It seemed the spiritual light barrier's power didn't completely correspond to the God-Incarnate Talisman's divine rank.

"I wonder if temples of higher-ranked God-Incarnate Talismans would have stronger spiritual light barriers. If they could block the demon peng..." This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind as he sensed the black rainbow outside frantically assailing the spiritual light barrier, accompanied by a barrage of demonic thunderbolts. It seemed the black demon peng was helpless against the spiritual light barrier and could only resort to brute force. The Demon King's power was truly formidable. The temple shook violently, and the spiritual light barrier wouldn't last much longer.

Just then, a sword light shot out from the temple, its momentum earth-shattering, slicing towards the void. That was precisely the source of the demonic thunder, where the Thunder Mirror was located. A look of disdain flashed in the black demon peng's eyes. As it swiftly approached, it remotely activated the Thunder Mirror, unleashing a mass of ink-black demonic thunder that moved to engulf the sword light. Unexpectedly, the sword light did not confront the demonic thunder head-on. It abruptly halted, revealing a spirit sword that shot out a burst of bloody light, not sword energy. The black demon peng immediately felt something was wrong, but it was too late to retrieve its spirit treasure. Struck by the Blood Filth Divine Light, the treasure's radiance instantly dimmed. Qin Sang had no desire to prolong the fight. He retrieved his sword and, seizing the moment when the black rainbow's power weakened, he charged out with full force, continuing his escape. He knew very well that a dignified Demon King wouldn't possess only one spirit treasure. This action might not be very effective, but he had to do his best to weaken the enemy's strength, even if it only accumulated a minuscule chance of victory.