Chapter 2122: Dangerously Close to Death and Back

Qin Sang had held back last time, which was within their expectations, given how quickly and disgracefully they had been defeated.

They continuously sent people to challenge the formation, aiming to force out more variations and deduce a method for breaking it.

To counter Qin Sang, Shi Mu and Shi Ying didn't hesitate to use a trump card, but they were surprised it was broken so easily.

While Qin Sang's formidable strength was a factor, it also related to their own choices. They had both left a companion beast in the Undetermined Eight Extremes Diagram, meaning they weren't at full strength. This wasn't due to a lack of trust in the diagram, but rather a greater trust in themselves.

Additionally, they had to guard against Qin Sang having other allies who might launch a surprise attack.

Even so, Qin Sang's ability to neutralize their offensive using only evasion techniques greatly exceeded their expectations, causing them to be deeply shaken and preventing them from noticing changes on another battlefield in time.

High in the sky, lightning flashed like a sea, with Thunder Deities appearing and disappearing.

All the Thunder Deities pointed their weapons skyward, striking the clouds with lightning. Thick pillars of lightning seemed to connect to the heavens.

Countless bolts of lightning leaped between the Thunder Deities, transforming into dazzling chains of thunder held in their hands, forming an immense lightning net that enveloped the entire battlefield.

The Thunder Deities glared fiercely, their lightning chains dancing in unison!

In an instant, terrifying thunder power permeated the air.

The Empty Realm Second-Layer expert's strategy was quite conservative, proceeding cautiously. Several fierce attacks by the Thunder Deities had been futile. At this moment, the Twelve Thunder Deity Talismans suddenly unleashed their divine power. He didn't panic, immediately giving an order, and clusters of black light erupted from the battle formation.

The black light was as dark as ink, like a black tide consuming everything.

The thunder chains pierced through the void with boundless power. Even though he reacted in time, the expert still felt a thumping in his heart.

Boom!

The first thunder chain lashed towards the battle formation, striking a patch of black light.

The cultivators here were obscured by the black light. There was a flash of lightning, and both the black light and the cultivators beneath it evaporated into thin air.

Lightning crisscrossed and descended from the sky.

The thunder chains deliberately avoided the Empty Realm Second-Layer expert, targeting only King Lu's subordinates.

In an instant, the expert watched as large sections of the battle formation emptied out. Just as he was about to act, Shi Mu and Shi Ying's voices came from outside, "Withdraw!"

Shi Mu took a deep look at Qin Sang before decisively choosing to retreat.

Witnessing the power of Qin Sang's evasion techniques and forcing out the second variation of the Thunder Deities wasn't a wasted effort.

Lu Gan repeated his old trick, activating the Undetermined Eight Extremes Diagram to help Shi Mu and the others retreat smoothly. The battlefield returned to calm.

Afterward, they analyzed their recent encounter, and a few days later, sent another small team. It was still led by three early-stage Empty Realm Second-Layer experts, but this time they brought more subordinates.

The calm within the Thunder Marsh was broken once more.

This time, the process was similar to before: when the attacking side showed signs of defeat, they would signal Lu Gan and choose to retreat, repeating the previous pattern.

For the next few days, or sometimes more than ten days, King Lu would send people to challenge the formation.

As they learned more about Qin Sang and the Twelve Thunder Deity Talismans, the strength of those challenging the formation increased, and their responses became more organized. The situation was gradually reversing.

Qin Sang had long anticipated this and was not anxious, continuously leading the 120 Thunder Deities by himself to fight the enemies.

Another retreat occurred.

Inside King Lu's royal carriage, all the experts were gathered.

King Lu looked around and said, "These past few days, you have all worked tirelessly, constantly probing. The Grand Supplicant and I now have an idea of how to break the formation. However, there's still one matter: since the fighting began, only True Lord Qin has taken action. What are your thoughts on this?"

The experts showed thoughtful expressions.

After so many battles, not to mention Steward Xia, even Si Lu and the mysterious expert who once appeared in the Northern Sea had not shown themselves. As for whether other experts were lurking, they were even less certain. It was possible they were hidden somewhere, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

This was also why, despite their superior strength, they dared not advance rashly with their forces.

After a brief silence, a silver-armored cultivator stepped forward and said, "I have a plan. Since True Lord Qin is being so secretive, why don't we launch a full-scale assault, with the Grand Supplicant waiting for an opportunity to strike? If True Lord Qin is unable to resist, he will surely call for reinforcements. If they still refuse to show themselves, we can seize the opportunity to break that Thunder Deity Great Formation and secure a victory first!"

"Master Mo makes a good point," the Grand Supplicant said, looking at King Lu.

King Lu agreed, "Proceed with this plan!"

Three days later.

At the edge of the land, numerous figures appeared. A total of seven early-stage Empty Realm Second-Layer experts, led by Shi Mu and Shi Ying, would lead the army to challenge the formation again.

"We humbly request the Grand Supplicant to provide support for us," Shi Mu said, cupping his hands to the Grand Supplicant who had come to see them off.

The Grand Supplicant nodded and transmitted a message: "Once this formation is broken, I will uphold my promise and give that item to the two Daoists."

Hearing this, a flicker of excitement appeared in Shi Mu's eyes.

To break this formation, he and Shi Ying had painstakingly fought Qin Sang repeatedly. This time, they were even using themselves as bait to force Steward Xia out, all for this promise!

"We will not fail you!" Shi Mu roared, and the vast army surged towards the Thunder Marsh.

Inside the Thunder Marsh, a grim atmosphere prevailed. Qin Sang's expression was solemn as he felt the pressure. He gazed for a moment, then withdrew his sight and vanished.

The scenery within the Thunder Marsh was monotonous. The cultivators advanced unhurriedly, reaching the edge of the Thunder Deity Great Formation. Previously, they would have been attacked upon arrival, but now it was unusually calm.

After secretly discussing, Shi Mu and the others ordered to proceed forward.

As expected, before they had flown much further, a torrential downpour of lightning descended from the sky.

"Form the Sky Mirror Formation!"

Including the Empty Realm Second-Layer experts, everyone immediately obeyed Shi Mu's command without hesitation.

The battle formation instantly changed, taking on a Bagua shape. Above the formation, a dazzling silver light shone. It turned out to be numerous silver treasure mirrors, reflecting the lightning to create a peculiar phenomenon.

These treasure mirrors could not only reflect light; when lightning struck their surface, it was as if it hit water, causing ripples, and most of the lightning's power was dispersed.

Before one wave had subsided, a second offensive followed swiftly.

The thunder chains struck repeatedly. Within the battle formation, mirrors rose, and streams of red silk ribbons shot out.

These red silk ribbons were extremely soft and unusually flexible, skillfully latching onto the thunder chains and instantly wrapping around them.

The immensely powerful thunder chains, once ensnared by the red silk ribbons, lost much of their momentum. Despite the thunder power surging, they could only shake the delicate ribbons slightly, unable to destroy them.

The second wave of attacks was easily resolved.

Shi Mu ordered a swift advance. The battle formation, topped with silver mirrors and trailing red silk ribbons, spun and surged forward.

The third wave of attacks followed closely, with countless rings of thunder erupting in the void. The battle formation had already been covered in a layer of green; green vines grew from the cultivators' bodies and rapidly spread to their companions, instantly filling all the gaps in the formation.

The battle formation transformed into a sea of green vines. As the thunder rings expanded towards them, waves of green light emerged from the surface of the vines.

After a flash of lightning, the green vines became much thinner, but through the gaps, it could be seen that the people inside were completely unharmed.

The fourth wave, the fifth wave…

The Twelve Thunder Deity Talismans displayed an extreme level of variation in Qin Sang's hands, with attacks coming one after another, each different. This even surpassed the talismans themselves; only after receiving the inheritance from the Five Thunder Envoy Seal did Qin Sang gain such a profound understanding of the way of thunder.

Unfortunately, the enemies had countermeasures for everything. After several waves of attacks, they only managed to slow the enemy's advance.

It was clear that the Twelve Thunder Deity Talismans were quickly being deciphered by the opponents.

However, this was still not the full power of the talismans!

Green Goat Temple, Main Altar.

Qin Sang's Dharmakaya silently chanted incantations. The altar beneath him vibrated, and the Thunder Deities, far away in the Western Lands, appeared simultaneously.

"Stop!"

Shi Mu's expression was grave as he looked at the Thunder Deities in the sky.

He noticed that the Thunder Deities' appearance had changed; their weapons now faintly glowed with a touch of green.

Shi Mu's heart jolted, and he exclaimed, "True Lord Qin can actually apply that Azure Thunder here!"

Some of those present had previously experienced the power of Azure Luan True Thunder. Qin Sang's attacks were already incredibly sharp, and with even a trace of this thunder power attached, they became difficult to resist.

The thought of 120 Thunder Deities simultaneously unleashing Azure Luan True Thunder was enough to make one's scalp tingle!

Little did they know, if Qin Sang could use Azure Luan True Thunder to engrave sacrificial thunder oaths, he could also use it to engrave Tier 3 spirit talismans. However, the grade of Azure Luan True Thunder was so high that even Tier 3 spirit talismans like the Twelve Thunder Deity Talismans couldn't fully withstand it. In the end, only a portion of the thunder power was infused, yet it still yielded extraordinary results.

Boom!

The Thunder Deities raised their weapons high, their tips gleaming with dazzling green light.

Crack!

Green lightning bolts erupted from their weapons. They appeared slightly smaller than the previous thunder light, and their initial momentum was less impressive.

Azure Thunder unleashed simultaneously.

Its power was far more terrifying than its apparent momentum. Wherever it passed, the battle formation fell into chaos. Silver mirrors and other items became completely ineffective, as the Azure Thunder indiscriminately reaped lives.

Several experts reacted swiftly, taking action one after another, either unleashing spirit treasures, summoning companion beasts, or casting divine abilities.

Shi Mu, meanwhile, conjured a treasure.

This item was a two-handled ceramic jar, lidless. Water could be heard sloshing inside, but no water surface was visible, and its opening was pitch black.

Shi Mu conjured a spell, and a wisp of clear water shot out, sprinkling across the sky. The clear water dispersed into a very thin mist, containing many tiny droplets that landed on the cultivators.

The cultivators, inspired, began to breathe in and out, their energies surging.

The next moment, a rainbow appeared in the mist. Its other end stretched far beyond the Thunder Deities, leading to an unknown destination.

This was the formation-breaking method they had prepared, now forced into use.

If all went well, after a period of twisting and transformation, the cultivators would merge with the rainbow, or rather, become a part of it.

At that point, only the rainbow would be visible to the naked eye, not the cultivators' figures.

As the cultivators advanced along the rainbow bridge, each step caused the bridge to emit a strange ripple, striking back at the enemies.

Shi Mu, unwilling to retreat empty-handed again, decided to launch a vigorous counterattack, and the rainbow light rapidly enveloped the battle formation.

Just then, on the left side of the battle formation, a silver-armored cultivator at the Empty Realm Second-Layer suddenly felt a warning sign. He quickly summoned a companion beast, while also not forgetting to transmit a message reminding his companions to be careful.

The next moment, a white ferret appeared before the silver-armored cultivator, while his own companion beast grunted and retreated repeatedly.

The white ferret's eyes gleamed with a bloody, fiercely savage light.

"Frost Ferret!"

The silver-armored cultivator's heart tightened, and he loudly warned, "It's Si Lu!"

His attack attracted everyone's attention. The closest expert immediately moved to assist him.

The Frost Ferret's figure flickered, the attack missed, and the Frost Ferret vanished without a trace.

At the same moment, at the other end of the battle formation, another shadow emerged. A spirit tablet, as large as a mountain, without a word, smashed towards a gray-robed cultivator.

The gray-robed cultivator was startled but didn't forget to warn, "It's True Lord Qin!"

Knowing he was no match for Qin Sang, but also aware that retreat wasn't a long-term solution, he opened his mouth and spat out a transparent object, resembling a jellyfish, which rapidly expanded in size.

The spirit tablet seemed to strike cotton; the 'jellyfish' was reverted to its original form, but the gray-robed cultivator was unharmed.

For a moment, Azure Thunder flew rapidly across the battlefield, and the situation changed so swiftly that it was dizzying to behold.

The Twelve Thunder Deity Talismans were high-grade Tier 3 spirit talismans of the Daoist Court. Wielded by Qin Sang's Dharmakaya through the altar and infused with Azure Luan thunder power, their might when fully activated was imaginable.

Under the Azure Thunder, Shi Mu's battle formation became unsustainable. The rainbow bridge had just appeared, and before he could order a change in formation, Qin Sang and Si Lu revealed themselves.

Shi Mu fully activated the ceramic jar, while Shi Ying stood beside him, defending him from the Azure Thunder and simultaneously staying alert to their surroundings.

To his left, Si Lu's Frost Ferret was being cornered by two individuals.

To his right, three individuals were attempting to encircle Qin Sang.

Suddenly, golden light shone everywhere.

On the chaotic battlefield, another golden sun rose. The gray-robed cultivator felt danger, his face showing alarm. He quickly retreated backward, then immediately saw a bolt of lightning approaching him at a terrifying speed.

"Stop him!" the gray-robed cultivator yelled.

Two companions exchanged glances. One threw out a bronze treasure seal, which smashed down from mid-air, bringing immense pressure to suppress Qin Sang.

The other elder summoned his companion beasts. Surprisingly, all three were identical: without features or limbs, their heads were merely colossal mouths that unleashed powerful suction, locking onto Qin Sang.

Even the Heavenly Confinement Golden Lock couldn't trap Qin Sang, let alone a bronze treasure seal. Qin Sang's figure flickered, and he had already broken free from the suppression. However, he didn't resist the suction, instead actively allowing the elder to pull him in.

During the engagement, everyone's attention wasn't solely on Qin Sang; they were also guarding against surprise attacks from others. Although they had means of escape, their opponent was Steward Xia. No one knew how profound the reserves of this top expert of their own race were, or if he could cut off their retreat.

At this moment, the elder realized something was wrong when he saw Qin Sang actively approaching him. Qin Sang was the most dangerous one. Immediately afterward, he saw two streams of five-colored light shoot out one after another.

The Divine Light of the Five Elements (Positive) primarily disabled, causing the elder to instantly freeze in place. Then, the Divine Light of the Five Elements (Reverse) sought to claim his life!

Qin Sang and Si Lu had experimented before: a successive release of both Five Elements Divine Lights had the potential to prevent the Siyou Clan from performing their transfer technique. However, the timing was fleeting, as Qin Sang could only restrain the opponent's main body, not their companion beasts.

The companion beast's reaction was only slightly slower than the main body's, and the opponent's will, left within the companion beast, could also activate this technique.

This attack was executed with exquisite timing. The elder was caught off guard, and the Reverse Five Elements Divine Light had almost hit him when a dense light of heaven and earth suddenly surged from his body, accompanied by layers of ripples, like a funnel in the void.

The elder's figure twisted, was pulled into the funnel, and disappeared without a trace.

The Reverse Five Elements Divine Light grazed past him, failing to harm the elder in the slightest.

But the performance of the Five Elements Crown still startled everyone. Shi Mu made a decisive move, put away the ceramic jar, and shouted, "Withdraw!"

Qin Sang put away the Five Elements Crown and slowly turned around, only to see the Grand Supplicant appear at the edge of the Thunder Marsh at some unknown time.

The two seemed able to see each other, 'meeting eyes' across the distance!