Chapter 1980: Life and Death Reversal Wheel

The White Tiger Malevolence was not the end, but merely the beginning!

The Southern Vermilion Bird Sword Array and the Western White Tiger Sword Array appeared simultaneously, filling the sky with starlight as if the real night sky had been brought down.

In fact, the sword-stars within the arrays did correspond to the White Tiger's Seven Mansions of the West and the Vermilion Bird's Seven Mansions of the South. However, attempting to break the array based on actual star charts would be a grave mistake, inevitably leading into the enemy's trap. Patriarch Minghu could discern this at a glance. Although the sword arrays mimicked celestial phenomena, he never placed his hopes of breaking them on real astronomical patterns, and this was why.

The vast starlight seemed to converge upon Patriarch Minghu. Suspended alone in the sea of stars, without support or foundation, his face darkened. His Corpse-Stride Boundlessness might not be truly boundless. With the Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions, what power would the sword array possess if the complete star map were to be formed?

Currently, only the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger, representing two of the Four Symbols and fourteen Mansions, were visible. Was this because the array's master was still lacking in power, or was he deliberately wearing down Patriarch Minghu's strength? Patriarch Minghu felt a surge of anger, like he was being treated as a toy, manipulated in the palm of someone's hand.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time. However, his anger didn't make him lose his composure; his cold gaze swept towards the edge of the star-sea. At the edge of the star-sea, hazy starlight still glimmered, as if leaving a lingering afterglow.

Qin Sang clearly didn't intend to give him much time to think. A tiger's roar echoed through the starry sky, and from the brightest point of starlight, a White Tiger appeared, leisurely striding among the stars. Its tiger eyes, fixed on Patriarch Minghu, were filled with ferocity and killing intent.

Harmonizing with the tiger's roar, a long cry resounded from the south. One could tell that this cry attempted to emulate a phoenix's call, yet it lacked the sacred purity and arrogance of the King of Birds, the Phoenix. It sounded neither one thing nor another, like a self-satisfied fire crow. Nevertheless, its momentum was not to be underestimated.

The starlight seemed to ignite, with blazing flames scorching half the sky and dispelling the darkness. From within the sea of fire, a Vermilion Bird was born, rising from the flames. Majestic and imposing, it seemed no less mighty than any divine bird controlling flames in this world. It complemented the White Tiger's malevolence perfectly. However, the Vermilion Bird's eyes darted around, betraying a cunning gaze that undermined its majesty. No wonder it emitted such a cry. But precisely because of this, this Vermilion Bird possessed a spiritual sentience that the White Tiger Malevolence lacked.

Patriarch Minghu acutely perceived the difference between the two. Just as he was about to observe more closely, his footing was illuminated by the fierce light. Two powerful auras of sacred beasts rapidly approached from above, sharp to an extreme degree. Patriarch Minghu immediately felt the illusion of his physical body being pierced through. They didn't seem like two sacred beasts, but rather two incomparably sharp spirit swords, fiercely thrusting towards him.

Patriarch Minghu knew that to break the array, he must first defeat these two sacred beasts. His opponent had seized the initiative completely, and his situation had not improved in the slightest. However, his earlier use of Corpse-Stride Boundlessness was not entirely without effect.

A faint, eerie glow appeared on Patriarch Minghu's brow, and his facial features suddenly became rigid. Despite continuous fierce combat, his body was covered in wounds, yet his face remained perfectly unscathed. His rigid features, a cold, murderous sneer, and withered skin made him resemble a skull with a layer of skin stretched over it — eerie and sinister.

The eerie glow on his brow rapidly shifted, revealing a convoluted rune. Then, a distinct outline appeared along the rune's edge, resembling a memorial tablet used for the deceased! The tablet was raised, appearing dark red. At first glance, it seemed wooden, but upon closer inspection, it had a gem-like luster.

Qin Sang, positioned high in the sky, saw the tablet and secretly grew wary. This tablet was more threatening than the long-burning lamp and must be a treasure Patriarch Minghu relied heavily upon.

The tablet detached from Patriarch Minghu's brow, spun briefly before him, and expanded with the wind. In the blink of an eye, the tablet transformed into a hundred-zhang-tall stone stele, extraordinarily heavy.

*Whoosh!*

At this moment, the auras of the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger were close at hand. The flames brought by the Vermilion Bird transformed the area around Patriarch Minghu into a sea of fire. The two fierce beasts, one on the left and one on the right, attacked Patriarch Minghu from both sides! The full might of the sword array erupted, verifying the fruits of Qin Sang's years of cultivation through this unyielding skeleton. The roars of the tiger and the cries of the phoenix shook heaven and earth. The two sacred beasts displayed unparalleled ferocity, threatening to tear apart this entire realm.

Patriarch Minghu bore the brunt of the attack. His gaze flickered, and the void violently trembled. The source was precisely the tablet. The tablet merely quivered slightly, yet visible ripples emerged in the void, revealing its immense weight. If it struck a mountain, it could easily shatter the peak. If it hit a person, only a pulp of flesh would remain!

Patriarch Minghu reached out and gripped the base of the tablet, his finger bones tightly clasped, and he swung it violently. The tablet felt weightless in Patriarch Minghu's hand, like he was swinging a door plank to smash an enemy. It was hard to imagine such a simple and brutal scene in a battle between Void Refinement cultivators. Yet, its power was no less formidable than any divine ability or Daoist art. Fine ripples spread across the tablet's surface, like the waxing and waning of dark lightning or cracks in the void. No one would doubt its ability to pulverize any foe.

*Whoosh!*

The fierce wind raged. Qin Sang "heard" the Vermilion Bird shrieking in alarm, wanting to flee the battle. The silly bird really thought Void Refinement cultivators were easy to provoke; it had been exceptionally excited when it heard Qin Sang invited it to assist. If it hadn't been integrated into the sword array, a single blow from the tablet would have instantly extinguished the Vermilion Bird along with its flames. Now it was too late to flee; once integrated into the sword array, it was no longer its choice.

Ignoring the Vermilion Bird's heart-wrenching screams, Qin Sang spared no effort in activating his sword techniques. Instantly, meteors appeared in the star-sea, stars shifted their positions, and starlight streaked by, leaving striking trails. Each sword-star was dazzlingly bright, and the entire power of the sword array was mobilized by Qin Sang, channeled into the two sacred beasts.

Facing the striking tablet, the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger showed no hesitation, charging head-on!

*Bang!*

Had the sinkhole not been sealed by the sword array, the force of this collision would have been even more terrifying than previous clashes. The storm generated by the collision engulfed Patriarch Minghu and the two sacred beasts. The starlight in the sky wavered.

The three figures separated upon contact. The White Tiger and Vermilion Bird were sent flying back into the sky simultaneously, as if struck by the tablet. The Vermilion Bird spread its wings, arcing gracefully through the void, its eyes a mixture of lingering shock and exasperation. The White Tiger, however, appeared somewhat disheveled, tumbling several times before regaining its balance and roaring downwards.

Patriarch Minghu retreated even further than them. The tablet in his hand bounced back, nearly hitting his own chest, and he let out a muffled grunt. The next moment, the Vermilion Bird, muttering curses at Qin Sang, joined the White Tiger and launched another fierce assault. Patriarch Minghu could only continuously brandish the tablet with fierce might, as if swatting flies. But his opponents were not as weak as flies; each strike was accompanied by terrifying sword intent.

Patriarch Minghu was gradually forced into a corner. Although Qin Sang appeared to have the upper hand, he was still not satisfied. In the intervals of activating his sword techniques, he triggered the Talisman Altar and magic talismans within his body. Before the lightning even appeared, its might had already permeated the sword array.

Immediately, a bolt of lightning pierced into the sea of stars, revealing a lightning talisman—the Jade Purity Lightning Summoning Talisman. Patriarch Minghu instantly detected the anomaly. He was not surprised that his opponent had other tricks up his sleeve. If his opponent's skills ended here, he might still turn defeat into victory once he regained his footing. However, he hadn't expected his opponent to also be proficient in lightning arts. Lightning arts, being the most rigid and yang, naturally had a restraining effect on corpses, ghosts, and evil creatures. This made his current predicament even more precarious, leaving him no room for even the slightest negligence.

With eyelids slightly lowered, Patriarch Minghu struck a fierce blow, forcing the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird back. His hair flew wildly, and grey corpse-qi permeated the back of his head. With a distortion, a human face suddenly appeared on the back of his head. This face was exceptionally young, a stark contrast to his front face, yet it bore some resemblance in the brow, like a younger Patriarch Minghu. A pair of cold, sinister eyes, as soon as they opened, fixed on the sky above. Even as Patriarch Minghu strenuously battled the two great sacred beasts, no matter how he shifted or maneuvered, those eyes on the back of his head remained fixed on the sky above.

The Jade Purity Lightning Summoning Talisman unleashed countless lightning bolts, forming a vast net that wove the stars into its thunderous mesh.

*Crack!*

A bolt of lightning struck towards Patriarch Minghu. Sacred beasts besieged him, and lightning descended from the heavens! The eyes on the back of Patriarch Minghu's head suddenly transformed into black demonic pupils, unleashing substantive gazes like bolts of dark lightning.

*Boom!*

The dark lightning collided with the heavenly lightning, scattering threads of electricity. Immediately after, lightning rained down, but it was all intercepted by the dark lightning unleashed from the demonic pupils, causing Patriarch Minghu little trouble.

Then, the Blazing Gold Firebell Lightning Summons and the Five Thunders Heavenly Heart Talisman were successively unleashed by Qin Sang. With the three talismans combined, thunder and fire filled the sky, almost obscuring the starlight. Patriarch Minghu finally felt the pressure. He took out a piece of jade, which was then held in the mouth of the face on the back of his head. This jade emitted threads of chilling coldness. It had absorbed an unknown amount of Yin energy, making it a Yin Jade.

As the Yin Jade was held, the power of the dark lightning surged dramatically. Facing the Five Thunders Heavenly Heart Talisman hovering in the air, it actually went head-to-head, as Patriarch Minghu conjured a pool of Yin energy. The heavenly lightning relentlessly bombarded it, and while the Yin Pool seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment, it was remarkably resilient. Finally, Patriarch Minghu even bit through the Yin Jade, extracting an endless supply of Yin energy and merging it into the Yin Pool. As a result, Patriarch Minghu was repeatedly forced back, but Qin Sang was still unable to severely wound him.

"Indeed, I still lack the experience to deal with a seasoned Void Refinement cultivator," Qin Sang sighed inwardly. In truth, the Four Symbols Sword Array and the Daoist magic talismans contained a profound heritage that Patriarch Minghu could not match. If Qin Sang could have mastered just one of them more deeply, this battle would have been much easier, and even challenging a higher-level opponent would have been possible. What he lacked, however, was time!

Qingyuan had taught him the Art of Thunder Observation in the Palm. If he had patiently comprehended it and formed the Five Thunders Heavenly Heart Talisman with Azure Luan True Thunder, Patriarch Minghu would likely have been forced to flee. After careful consideration, Qin Sang believed the sword array might be more useful, so he dedicated most of his energy to studying the Four Symbols Sword Array.

"That's enough..." Qin Sang murmured to himself. He was satisfied with having pushed Patriarch Minghu to this extent with two half-mastered divine abilities.

His thoughts shifted, and Qin Sang's expression suddenly changed. At the same time, the Vermilion Bird's heart-wrenching screams echoed: "Qin! Let me go back! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!" The Vermilion Bird's panic was not feigned. Qin Sang also felt a sense of trepidation, his eyes gleaming as he stared intently at Patriarch Minghu, who was emitting an unusual aura.

Patriarch Minghu continually retreated, yet he couldn't find a single weakness in his opponent. He knew he couldn't continue like this. Otherwise, if his opponent allied with Old Man Guyun, he might not only face defeat but also be forced to worry about his own safety!

The Reversal of Life and Death!

His two faces, front and back, with their two mouths, simultaneously began to squirm, their lips opening and closing as if chanting identical incantations. At the same time, a phantom of a round wheel appeared above Patriarch Minghu's head. The wheel was half black and half white, corresponding to the front and back of Patriarch Minghu's body; the front was white, and the back was black. The front, withered old face represented current life, while the back, youthful face represented past death.

Life and death rotated, subtle and unpredictable.

The Reversal of Life and Death! This was precisely the great divine ability Patriarch Minghu had comprehended during years of secluded cultivation. As it was not yet fully perfected, it required extensive preparation before activation. Even so, Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird felt an immense threat. The distinct black and white wheel gradually became clearer, then slowly began to rotate. Its rotation was slow, yet it drew in the minds of both Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird. It seemed not just the wheel was reversing, but also their very lives! Once life and death truly reversed, that would be the moment this divine ability erupted. The Vermilion Bird was truly terrified. If it were drawn into the Reversal of Life and Death, it probably wouldn't even know how it died.

Qin Sang took a deep breath. He inwardly thought that seasoned Void Refinement cultivators indeed possessed profound foundations and should not be underestimated. He wouldn't directly confront Patriarch Minghu with the sword array. This entanglement was only to gauge his own strength. The Five Thunders Heavenly Heart Talisman was merely a diversion for Patriarch Minghu; the true killing move was yet to come!

With a flicker of thought, the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird abandoned their fierce assault, returned to the sea of stars, and instantly merged into the celestial bodies. This was the first time Qin Sang had retreated since the beginning of the battle. Patriarch Minghu assumed his opponent feared his divine ability and, seeing the situation was unfavorable, was preparing to withdraw.

Unexpectedly, the starlight and lightning in the sky not only failed to dissipate but continued to expand, drawing in vast nebulae. The star-sea expanded enough to encompass the Four Symbols and Twenty-Eight Mansions. Moreover, as the star-sea expanded, a subtle, indescribable change occurred within the sword array.

*Clang!*

A chess piece clattered from Old Man Guyun's hand onto the board, his face filled with shock. "Sword Domain!" This was the first time he had shown such clear signs of losing composure. He hadn't lost his composure when he saw Little Wu or Qin Sang's dharma body; he had remained relatively calm, even playing chess with Qin Sang. He had considered his actions a delaying tactic, silently weighing whether he should intervene while Qin Sang's dharma body battled Patriarch Minghu. The allure of the Coiling Dragon Heavenly Pillar was too great. Rather than letting someone claim it alone, it would be better to team up with the old zombie and split it evenly. But when he sensed the fluctuations emanating from the battlefield, he completely abandoned those thoughts.

A Law Domain—a great divine ability that only Integration stage cultivators could comprehend. Although his dharma body was traveling, and his true self remained in the sect, if he were to be dragged into a Law Domain, his Art of Returning to True Origin would lose its efficacy. If his dharma body were destroyed, his true self would only be able to cling to a lingering existence. He had only heard rumors about Law Domains, but that knowledge was enough to shock him into losing his composure. The Daoist before him, clearly only in the early stage of Void Refinement, had actually mastered a Law Domain. As an early-stage Void Refinement cultivator himself, he had lingered for many years and had already touched upon the bottleneck of the mid-stage Void Refinement. Not to mention the path to a Law Domain, he didn't even know in which direction its "door" opened.

Old Man Guyun was terrified, his body turning cold. Could some grand expert be playing a trick on him?

Manifesting a Sword Domain with the sword array was merely one part of the plan. Qin Sang's hand seals continuously changed, his gaze shifting to look towards the south.

Green Sheep Temple!

*Boom!*

The Thunder Altar, which had remained hidden and inactive, now violently trembled, its might sweeping across heaven and earth. Qin Sang finally activated the last lightning restriction. An exceedingly brilliant bolt of lightning shot directly into the sky.