Chapter 1928: Tianqing Sand

The Mortal Realm

Qin Sang remained silent at first, then took another step forward.

This time, Ling Shi was prepared and immediately counterattacked, his robe billowing suddenly.

Countless strange lines, like twisted snakes or worms, emerged on the surface of his robe, crawling over his body.

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

These snake-like creatures glowed with various colors and actually detached from the robe, transforming into streams of energy. They shot towards Ling Shi's head, condensing in the void into a strange, multicolored energy mass.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The energy mass was restless, emitting a howling sound like a strong wind.

Amidst its distortions, it even evolved into a human-like silhouette, though its limbs appeared disproportionately long and uncoordinated.

The figure spread its limbs and lunged towards the poisonous mist.

This scene resembled Ling Shi's soul leaving his body, except the figure was multicolored and had no facial features.

"Poof!"

The figure plunged into the poisonous mist and immediately merged with it.

Simultaneously, Qin Sang heard faint whooshing sounds all around him, everywhere.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The poisonous mist began to fluctuate violently, and suddenly countless snake-like creatures appeared. Some were as large as pythons, while others were as small as maggots, and they converged from all directions.

Qin Sang seemed to have fallen into a sea of insects, and the surrounding scene was utterly horrifying.

Seeing these strange snake-like creatures about to touch him, Qin Sang's expression remained unchanged, and his figure suddenly twisted rapidly a few times.

"Poof! Poof! Poof!"

The creatures pounced, but only struck afterimages.

In the dense sea of creatures, finding a gap was almost impossible, yet Qin Sang found one. In the blink of an eye, he broke through the second layer of poisonous mist.

When he stopped, his body was still pristine, without a single trace of the creatures adhering to him.

At that moment, the sea of creatures suddenly froze.

It wasn't Qin Sang who broke through; Ling Shi himself gave up.

Even with all his might controlling the Eight Corrosive Miasma Array, he couldn't stop the opponent from breaking through. Ling Shi realized that the other party's words were not exaggerated in the slightest.

Further resistance was meaningless.

The experts from Falling Soul Abyss, including Tu Yuan, were already enough to overwhelm him. Ling Shi had watched Tu Yuan break through the array, yet hadn't fled, precisely because he lacked full confidence in his ability to escape. He had been waiting for an opportune moment.

Now that another mysterious expert had appeared, Ling Shi knew in his heart that his fate today was sealed.

"Whoosh!"

The sea of creatures receded like a tide.

"You are not from Falling Soul Abyss!"

Ling Shi forced himself to remain calm and said in a deep voice.

Throughout Falling Soul Abyss, no one apart from the Old Ancestor, who had cultivated the Indestructible Bone, could so easily break through his Eight Corrosive Miasma Array.

If the Falling Soul Abyss Old Ancestor had personally arrived, they wouldn't have been so polite.

This person was either extremely proficient in the Way of Arrays and Restrictions, or possessed cultivation comparable to that of the Falling Soul Abyss Old Ancestor.

A Void Refinement expert? How could that be!

Ling Shi was startled by his own thought.

Qin Sang finally spoke, "This humble Daoist has no connection with Falling Soul Abyss."

Ling Shi searched his memory for this Daoist priest but found nothing. "Since Daoist Priest is not an ally of Falling Soul Abyss, then you must be here for me, Ling Shi?"

"That's right. This humble Daoist wishes to ask for your assistance with a task. If you agree, I will help you overcome this tribulation and escape their grasp," Qin Sang said. Although he hadn't made a move, he was fully aware of Tu Yuan and the others' movements.

When they realized that what Tu Yuan had shattered was merely a clone, they immediately grew vigilant.

Tu Yuan ordered a temporary halt to attacking the grand array and was currently searching everywhere for Qin Sang's true body.

Ling Shi also hadn't anticipated such a turn in the situation.

He couldn't help but recall his previous conjecture, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "Is Yun Du Tian planning to purge the corpse demons of Falling Soul Abyss?"

Besides Yun Du Tian, who else would dare to oppose Falling Soul Abyss?

Otherwise, why would this Daoist Priest Qingfeng, who had no relation to him, risk enraging Falling Soul Abyss to save him?

"What are you thinking, fellow Daoist?"

Qin Sang chuckled. "This humble Daoist is seeking you for my own purposes. I have no intention of targeting Falling Soul Abyss, but I am also not afraid of them."

Ling Shi sensed powerful confidence in Qin Sang's tone, but instead of feeling pleased, he grew worried and sneered, "What do you want me to do for you? Falling Soul Abyss also repeatedly claimed they wanted me to work for them. How do I know I'm not just escaping the tiger's mouth only to fall into the wolf's den?"

"You only need to refine some potent poisons for this humble Daoist, as a repayment for saving your life. Once you've refined a sufficient quantity, you may leave at your own discretion. Before that, I will not use something like Corpse Soul Pills to control you. Refining potent poisons and studying the Way of Poisons is also beneficial to you, so why not do it?"

Qin Sang made no attempt to conceal his intention of demanding repayment for his kindness.

For some reason, hearing this, Ling Shi relaxed slightly. "Before I fulfill your requirements, won't I still be restricted, Daoist Priest?"

"Fellow Daoist, ask yourself honestly: if you pay no price whatsoever, why would this humble Daoist risk offending Falling Soul Abyss to save you? Though I am not afraid of Falling Soul Abyss, I also do not wish to invite trouble. Henceforth, you will cultivate at this humble Daoist's cultivation grounds. As long as you remain near the grounds, I will not interfere in any way... I will give you five breaths of time to consider."

Qin Sang waited three breaths, then heard Ling Shi's reply, "What about Tu Yuan?"

"This humble Daoist can take you away before Falling Soul Abyss discovers you, or I can suppress this group of Falling Soul Abyss cultivators and leave them to your disposal."

Before Qin Sang finished speaking, the poisonous mist in front of them split in two, revealing a direct path to a mountain peak.

At the very top of the mountain peak stood a man, looking in their direction.

The man's complexion was exceptionally pale, and he was clearly mentally and physically exhausted, unable to hide his fatigue. However, he still maintained the dignified bearing of a Transformation Spirit cultivator.

Their eyes met. Qin Sang smiled faintly and flashed beside Ling Shi. "You are indeed a decisive person, fellow Daoist."

"It's simply choosing the lesser of two evils!"

Ling Shi chuckled self-deprecatingly, then immediately sobered, cupped his hands, and said, "I choose the second option. Please help me, Daoist Priest!"

As if afraid Qin Sang wouldn't dare to contend with Falling Soul Abyss, he hastily added:

"Refining potent poisons using only my cultivation methods and divine abilities is insufficient. Refining poisons is like refining medicine; it also requires precious materials to complement the process and poison arts to temper their properties. Otherwise, only mediocre products can be made. Your strength, Daoist Priest, is unfathomable, so your requirements must be extremely high.

"My sect's inheritance includes a Sky-Azure Sand ore vein. Sky-Azure Sand is one of the spiritual materials most compatible with our sect's legacy. My master passed it to my junior brother, but it was seized by Falling Soul Abyss.

"That ore vein is peculiar; a space was excavated deep underground. Cultivating our sect's methods there is greatly beneficial. It also holds considerable benefits for some of Falling Soul Abyss's evil cultivation techniques.

"This is a marvel of heaven and earth's creation, a naturally blessed geomantic site. Once destroyed, recreating it would be almost impossible.

"Therefore, neither our sect nor Falling Soul Abyss ever fully mined the Sky-Azure Sand. They only extracted a portion when needed.

"As long as I have Sky-Azure Sand, I am confident I can refine poisons rarely seen in this world!"

Ling Shi spoke incessantly, but then saw Qin Sang looking at him silently, his gaze like two sharp swords that easily saw through all his thoughts. Ling Shi couldn't help but feel awestruck and subconsciously closed his mouth.

"Tu Yuan said that you and your junior brother had a falling out. Presumably, there's another hidden reason, isn't there? But it doesn't matter. This humble Daoist doesn't care what schemes you have, as long as you can fulfill my requirements!"

Qin Sang had overheard the conversation between Tu Yuan and Ling Shi earlier.

He didn't care what Ling Shi's hidden motives were, as long as Ling Shi could work diligently.

Ling Shi's expression remained unchanged, but his tone grew increasingly respectful. "In the past, the Falling Soul Abyss Old Ancestor personally set up a grand array to seal the Sky-Azure Sand ore vein. Throughout Falling Soul Abyss, not many were qualified to enter and cultivate there, and Tu Yuan was one of them. Given his cultivation and status, he must hold a 'key' that allows him to enter and exit freely!"

A fierce glint flashed in Ling Shi's eyes.

He intended to instigate Qin Sang to seize the 'key,' infiltrate the Sky-Azure Sand ore vein, and extract all the Sky-Azure Sand.

Although this act wouldn't shake the foundation of Falling Soul Abyss, it would allow him to vent his anger and return the property to its rightful owner.

Thinking of this, Ling Shi hastily added, "Furthermore, Tu Yuan certainly has a soul tablet left in Falling Soul Abyss, so we cannot kill him for now. Let's empty out the Sky-Azure Sand ore vein first, and then finish him off!"

Qin Sang nodded slightly. "This humble Daoist already said I came for you. Those people are for you to deal with!"

As he spoke, Qin Sang raised a hand and clenched his palm.

"Whoosh!"

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth formed a small-scale spiritual tide, madly gathering and compressing into Qin Sang's palm, forming a sphere of light the size of a hill.

"Indeed, a mighty cultivator of the Void Refinement stage!"

Ling Shi's pupils contracted. In his heart, there was no longer any trace of hesitation, and he focused on controlling the Eight Corrosive Miasma Array to cooperate.

Outside the spiritual array.

Tu Yuan and his group quickly searched the surroundings but found nothing.

The person seemed to have evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace.

Tu Yuan's brows furrowed deeply. Even his senior brothers couldn't have pulled a trick under his nose without him noticing, unless that Daoist priest had already secretly escaped before being brought here.

Leaking the intelligence in this way was also no small trouble.

Tu Yuan's eyes flashed with a cold glint. He summoned his subordinates who were skilled in tracking arts. "Search separately! If you encounter the Daoist priest, kill him without mercy!"

Before he finished speaking, a loud bang suddenly erupted from within the poisonous mist.

This sound was comparable to heavenly thunder. All the Falling Soul Abyss cultivators were greatly shaken and simultaneously looked towards the poisonous mist.

They saw the poisonous mist suddenly begin to churn violently, and a massive wave of mist surged out. Behind this huge wave, there seemed to be an extremely terrifying fluctuation.

Tu Yuan unexpectedly sensed a life-or-death crisis from it and cried out, "Not good!"

Before he could issue a command, the mist wave had already rushed out of the spiritual array and pressed down.

The group of Falling Soul Abyss cultivators had formed a grand array, originally intended to guard against Ling Shi's escape. Yet, facing this mist wave, they were surprisingly powerless to resist.

"Boom!"

The corpse array was instantly shattered by the mist wave. Many cultivators were sent flying horizontally and crashed heavily onto the ground.

Most Falling Soul Abyss cultivators were corpse cultivators with strong physical bodies, but their protective corpse qi was shattered, allowing the poisonous mist to invade when they were vulnerable.

The Eight Corrosive Miasma Array was meticulously arranged by Ling Shi, and over the years, an unknown number of poisonous substances had been integrated into it. As the poisonous mist entered their bodies, those with slightly weaker cultivation died on the spot.

Even Tu Yuan couldn't withstand this impact. Caught off guard, he tumbled headfirst into the valley.

A fierce, owl-like shriek echoed from within the valley.

Tu Yuan did not let rage cloud his reason. Realizing that something unusual must have a cause, he landed on the ground, and a faint glow flashed on his body as he prepared to burrow into the earth and escape.

Unexpectedly, the ground was as hard as iron.

"Bang!"

Tu Yuan was actually bounced back up, instantly paling in shock. He tried to escape the valley, but it was as if the sky had collapsed and was pressing down on him. Immediately, a figure flashed before him.

Ling Shi looked at the enemy who had nearly driven him to despair, gritting his teeth, yet feeling a hint of satisfaction.

"Old ghost Tu Yuan, did you ever imagine a day like this?"

"Daoist Priest, this is the place."

After rescuing Ling Shi, the two immediately rushed towards the Sky-Azure Sand ore vein.

The ore vein was located southwest of Ling Shi's cave mansion, almost at the edge of Twilight Mountain.

Beyond this point, vast stretches of wasteland could be seen. Falling Soul Abyss was situated within this wasteland, serving as its sole overlord.

Even the most arrogant fiends in Twilight Mountain dared not easily intrude into the wasteland.

Ling Shi held the restrained Tu Yuan in one hand and pointed with the other toward a mountain range ahead.

Among the towering mountains and steep ridges, this particular mountain range appeared quite ordinary.

Qin Sang's eyes gleamed with divine light, and he perceived a spiritual array concealing the mountain's spiritual aura. This array was undoubtedly the work of a master. If he were to break it, it would require some effort and would certainly be detected by the array's master.

After carefully sensing it, Qin Sang nodded to Ling Shi.

Ling Shi immediately took a blood-colored jade tablet from Tu Yuan's waist, flew forward, and, using Tu Yuan's aura as a catalyst, cast several incantations, striking the jade tablet into the spiritual array.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A blood-red light suddenly appeared on the mountaintop, as if a large blood-red hole had been carved out of the void.

Ling Shi flashed to the space above the blood-red hole.

"Greetings, Lord Tu Yuan," two Falling Soul Abyss cultivators flew out from inside. Just as they were about to bow in salute, they suddenly sensed something was amiss.

"Who are you!"

Their reaction wasn't slow; they immediately attempted to seal the grand array and send for reinforcements, but they were not as swift as Qin Sang and Ling Shi.

"Bang! Bang!"

The two were thrown heavily into the mountain, alarming everyone within.

Qin Sang and Ling Shi appeared on the mountaintop one after another.

"There are no Transformation Spirit cultivators here," Qin Sang said.

"Before this, I had heard some vague rumors about great devils disappearing without reason. However, Twilight Mountain is very chaotic, and disappearances are common, so no one paid attention. Now it seems Falling Soul Abyss might be behind all of it. I wonder what that old zombie wants to do," Ling Shi said in a deep voice. "I'll go and eliminate these corpse demons!"

Qin Sang mused inwardly, thinking that he hadn't noticed any anomalies on Cloud Capital Mountain earlier. He wondered if Yun Du Tian had detected anything.

Whatever actions Falling Soul Abyss took, they were probably aimed at Yun Du Tian and had nothing to do with him.

He sat cross-legged on a nearby rock, spreading his divine sense to penetrate the mountain and reach its core.

"Indeed peculiar!"

Qin Sang marveled aloud.

In his perception, there was indeed an ore vein with a very special spiritual aura within the mountain's core.

It was confirmed to be the Sky-Azure Sand ore vein, but after forming the entire vein, it was vastly different from a single piece of Sky-Azure Sand.

The ore vein's trajectory was like an azure dragon, sealed within the mountain's interior.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment. He decided not to split the entire mountain and extract the Sky-Azure Sand ore whole, as that would reveal him to be a Void Refinement cultivator.

His true essence infiltrated the mountain, gradually separating the ore vein, which wouldn't be much slower.

Gradually, that special spiritual aura also vanished without a trace. A perfectly good geomantic treasure land was thus destroyed.

Ling Shi secretly lamented the pity, but seeing the extracted grains of Sky-Azure Sand, he immediately cast those thoughts aside.

"Crack!"

"Rumble!"

Inside the mountain, a continuous rumbling could be heard.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Grains of azure-colored sand and stone peeled away from the ore vein, shooting into the air, where Ling Shi collected them.

After extracting all the Sky-Azure Sand, Qin Sang erased his traces, made some disguises, and immediately departed with Ling Shi.