Chapter 2160: Promise

Wuxia Xianxia

Qin Sang saw four figures struggling in the colorful mist. Two of them were enveloped in white light, and even amidst the vibrant colors, their pristine white wings were visible, radiating a sacred aura as if they were celestial beings. These were members of the Feathered Race.

Among the Feathered Race, status was determined not only by cultivation level but also by the color of one's wings. Those born with sacred, pure white wings were considered closest to the gods, and their wings were called 'Sacred Wings,' while others possessed 'Common Wings.' The Feathered Race claimed descent from the gods, giving Sacred Winged individuals the highest standing within their society.

Having wings of other colors indicated mixed lineage. It was said that in ancient times, below the Sacred Wings, there were further distinctions based on wing color. However, due to complex factors like cultivation and family background, these divisions had become blurred over the years. Now, apart from the Sacred Winged, there was no clear hierarchy based on wing color.

This classification was not unfounded; it was rumored that while the Sacred Winged were the smallest group numerically, they accounted for over half of the top-tier cultivators.

The lowest status belonged to the Vassal Tribes of the Feathered Race. Most members of these tribes also had wings, and some were almost indistinguishable from the main Feathered Race. Frequent intermarriage had led to mixed bloodlines, so some people referred to the Feathered Race and their Vassal Tribes collectively as the Feathered Clans or Winged Clans.

Among the four figures, two were Sacred Winged. The other two were either Common Winged Feathered or powerful members of a Vassal Tribe. Their forms drifted in the colorful mist, but the Feathered Race and their Vassal Tribes were mostly born with innate escape abilities, excelling in the art of flight. Positioned between the forces of the colorful mist and the misty river, they appeared disheveled but were actually leveraging the momentum, facing no immediate threat to their lives.

All four of these cultivators possessed exceptionally high cultivation levels. Qin Sang vaguely sensed that one of them had a slightly weaker cultivation, comparable to his own, but the other three were likely peak late-stage Void Refinement experts. No wonder they dared to challenge such danger!

The sudden emergence of the colorful mist caused the two parties to confront each other unexpectedly. In a struggle for opportunity, it was a fight to the death; even if both sides belonged to the Heavenly Department, no mercy would be shown.

Emperor Si's eyes burned with fury. The opposing party had also spotted their group, and their gazes met, equally defiant. Though a fight hadn't broken out yet, Qin Sang already felt the intense atmosphere of confrontation.

*Whoosh!*

Two streams of pale white flame shot from Emperor Si's back. The flames surged like two fiery spears, pointing directly at the opponents and hurtling forward. Simultaneously, Emperor Si pushed forward instead of retreating, charging against the impact of the colorful mist. The outer ancient array had already been deciphered by the Si You Imperial Family, and with the impact of the colorful mist, the path ahead was almost completely clear.

The Young Master, the First Prince, and others followed without hesitation. Bound by the previous agreement, and with no immediate life-threatening danger, Qin Sang had no reason to retreat. He could only keep pace, his mind on high alert.

In an instant, they passed through the rift and easily traversed the third ancient array. Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. With the eruption of the colorful mist, the power within the misty river also changed. However, he didn't know if this change was for better or worse, and it was impossible to convince Emperor Si to stop and observe now.

"The guardian beasts are gone."

Suddenly, Qin Sang heard Emperor Si's calm voice transmitted to him, betraying none of the anger he had displayed. Qin Sang focused his gaze. Emperor Si was likely referring to the core of the secret realm, the source of the colorful mist. Previously, that area not only contained dangerous ancient arrays but also mysterious guardian beasts that attacked all intruders.

These guardian beasts were powerful and endless. The Si You Imperial Family had tried various methods but couldn't clear them out. Once a certain range was entered, the guardian beasts would suddenly appear and attack furiously. The guardian beasts were one of the biggest obstacles; it was extremely difficult to break the array while simultaneously fending off their attacks. Even though Emperor Si had discovered some patterns, he wasn't entirely confident. Yet, at this very moment, the guardian beasts had vanished.

The Feathered Race experts had already entered the guardian beasts' attack range. If the guardian beasts were still present, their opponents would be even more beleaguered in this environment.

Qin Sang stared at the colorful mist, searching for the guardian beasts, when he suddenly felt something peculiar. His gaze shifted to the front. Wisps of fine, gray-white energy appeared in the void. At first, Qin Sang thought it was caused by the collision of the colorful mist and the misty river, but he quickly realized something was wrong. The gray-white energy had no apparent source; it didn't come from the misty river but seemed to emerge from thin air, converging in front of him.

Qin Sang's eyes flashed. He pointed ahead and said in a deep voice, "Could these be the guardian beasts?"

The gray-white energy changed incredibly fast, instantly coalescing into a ball in front of Qin Sang. Not only Qin Sang, but similar gray-white energy masses also appeared in front of Emperor Si and the others. Immediately after, these gray-white masses stretched and deformed, growing heads and limbs, transforming into gray-white human figures that emitted chilling, strange laughter.

"They are not guardian beasts! Something is wrong. Everyone, be careful!" Emperor Si said in a deep voice.

Before his words faded, these gray-white figures continued to change. Shockingly, they began to mimic the people in front of them, eventually transforming into their exact likenesses. Their bodies, appearances, attire, and even the round beads on the foreheads of the Si You clan members were conjured. Then, they blinked and twitched their mouths, perfectly imitating the expressions of the people they mirrored. The only difference was that their bodies remained gray-white, like faded versions of the original individuals.

"Hee hee..." The gray-white figures emitted joyful laughter, which sounded eerie to everyone's ears.

*Whoosh!*

Qin Sang faintly sensed a wisp of wind. The gray-white figure that had transformed into him suddenly rushed forward like a phantom.

*Swish!*

Qin Sang instinctively activated his Ash Oriole Sword, and a sword light pierced through the gray-white figure's forehead. The gray-white figure's body stiffened, then split into two halves from its forehead, melting and returning to gray-white energy, appearing to be about to be dispersed by the surrounding forces. Seeing this, Qin Sang was slightly surprised; the gray-white figure was more fragile than he expected.

However, things were not that simple. The mass of gray-white energy reignited, instantly transforming back into Qin Sang. Then, mimicking Qin Sang's previous action, it waved its sleeve. A sword light shot towards him.

Qin Sang's pupils contracted. If this sword light was a mimicry of his own, it captured the essence perfectly, and its power was no less. He had been immersed in the way of the sword for many years; that sword had used no specific sword technique but was naturally formed. How had the gray-white figure managed to copy it?

"Could it be..." A thought flashed through his mind, and Qin Sang again activated his Ash Oriole Sword, performing a simple sword technique. A sword shadow, light as a feather, gently met the incoming sword light, appearing slow but moving swiftly. It suddenly split into two; one blocked the sword light, and the other abruptly appeared in front of the gray-white figure's chest and abdomen.

*Swish!*

The gray-white figure was cut in half at the waist, but before it could fully dissipate into gray-white energy, it reformed as if nothing had happened.

Others had similar experiences to Qin Sang. The First Prince was the most disheveled; he had initially tried to crush the gray-white figure with overwhelming force, but when it resurrected, he was caught off guard and almost injured by his own divine ability.

Qin Sang and the Young Master exchanged glances, realizing why the ferocious beast had acted violently and migrated. The gray-white figures were likely born from the colorful mist. The mist had not only leveled its lair but also given birth to these eerie gray-white energies, creating an unkillable enemy out of thin air. The ferocious beast didn't understand what 'testing' meant; it used its strongest divine abilities from the start. It was likely that after a few rounds, the gray-white figures' strength would be on par with the original. No wonder the fierce beast's lair resembled a battlefield, yet only the beast's aura was present.

At the same time, Qin Sang also realized that the combat traces disappeared after leaving the ferocious beast's lair, indicating that the gray-white figures were not truly immortal. Another possibility was that they would automatically dissipate once they left the range of the colorful mist or once the mist itself dispersed. But the problem was, retreating now meant handing over the treasures, and Emperor Si wouldn't easily back down.

While his thoughts raced, the gray-white figure attacked again, indeed using the sword technique Qin Sang had just performed. In Qin Sang's view, this sword was almost perfect! The gray-white figures were like eager students, with terrifying learning abilities, even able to mimic the divine abilities of spirit treasures.

Qin Sang changed his strategy, using a sword technique designed to trap opponents. The sword light transformed into a cage, imprisoning the gray-white figure. Unfortunately, his plan didn't work. The gray-white figure simply dispersed into gray-white energy within the cage, reformed outside, and even used that same sword technique against Qin Sang. This showed that the gray-white figures had never truly died.

Qin Sang was momentarily at a loss. To prevent the gray-white figures from gaining strength too quickly, the best approach was to stall them, but that was under circumstances without external interference. If they encountered danger at this moment and were forced to use their full power, they would then face a full-strength opponent that wasn't afraid of injury or death—a copy of themselves! Furthermore, their understanding of the gray-white figures was still superficial; they didn't know if they possessed other divine abilities.

Qin Sang was glad he hadn't used his Thunder Escape or Great Vajra Wheel Seal, otherwise it would be even more troublesome. The Young Master and others, in order to resist the power of the misty river, had used their divine abilities and spirit treasures, which the gray-white figures had learned, making them formidable in both offense and defense, growing stronger with each battle.

"My lord, what should we do now?" An Lingfei asked, a sense of unease growing within her. With the colorful mist ahead and the misty river behind, entangled with the gray-white figures, they had no spare energy to seize the treasure.

At this point, Qin Sang and the Young Master also shared their deductions. Emperor Si looked at their opponents, seeing that they too had not escaped, being similarly entangled by the gray-white figures. He stated decisively, "We will observe the situation and act accordingly!"

Just as they planned to stay put and slowly contend with the gray-white figures, another change occurred.

*Boom...**Splash!**Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The colorful mist seemed to have enraged the misty river. The two powerful forces unleashed monstrous waves, and their aftershocks were so overwhelming that the four Feathered Race experts, unable to bear the pressure, were forced to leave the core of the secret realm to avoid the brunt of the assault. Qin Sang and his group also couldn't wait idly. As the impact arrived, the weakest among them felt the pressure first.

A peculiar scene unfolded: the opponents were retreating, and they were retreating too, both sides deliberately avoiding engagement. It was then that the difference in cultivation became apparent. Among the four Feathered Race experts, the one with the lowest cultivation gradually fell behind. On Qin Sang's side, Emperor Si and the Young Master were undoubtedly the most powerful. An Lingfei and the First Prince had similar cultivation levels, and they retreated the fastest and farthest, followed by the Imperial Consort. Qin Sang's cultivation was not as high as the Imperial Consort's, but his combat strength was comparable to a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator. If he fully unleashed his power, he could stand alongside Emperor Si and the Young Master.

However, he would not do so. He maintained a pace similar to the Imperial Consort, focusing solely on dealing with the gray-white figure. He came up with a strategy and summoned the Bright Mountain Armor. As expected, the gray-white figure also manifested an identical armor, becoming increasingly difficult to kill. Qin Sang didn't mind; he only defended, avoiding 'teaching' it offensive techniques.

Deep within the colorful mist, continuous tremors and loud bangs echoed, indicating unknown destruction. Streams of light erupted from the colorful mist, mixed with broken walls and debris, suggesting that the secret realm was likely already in ruins.

Just then, Emperor Si's expression suddenly changed. A white light pillar shot out from deep within the colorful mist. This white light clearly did not belong to the colorful mist. The moment the white light appeared, the surrounding chaos seemed to calm for an instant. At that moment, everyone saw a large array beneath the white light, with intersecting white rainbows guarding the area. Below the white rainbows, there were ancient, elegant halls.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Several white rainbows dispersed amidst fierce collisions, but the grand array remained sturdy. Everyone sensed that the power of the white rainbow array not only originated from the core of the secret realm but also from the outer arrays that had previously been deciphered by the Si You Imperial Family and impacted by the colorful mist. New array power had emerged from these, revealing secrets that the Si You Imperial Family had not yet fully comprehended.

The grand array displayed its true power, but the white rainbows were still peeling away layer by layer, and the array's might gradually diminished. Emperor Si stared intently at an ancient hall beneath the white rainbows. The hall was centrally located among all the structures, standing out, with a layer of faint light emanating from its surface and ancient restrictions sealing its exterior.

"True Immortal Qin!" Qin Sang heard Emperor Si's telepathic message.

"If the gray-white figures disappear on their own when the colorful mist dissipates, as True Immortal and Young Master suspect, I hope True Immortal will help us break into that ancient hall!"

"This..." Qin Sang hesitated. Anyone could see the danger hidden within. The Feathered Race experts clearly had their eyes on that ancient hall as well. Once he made a move, he would undoubtedly be besieged, and it was unclear if other changes would occur with the colorful mist and the secret realm. When the oath was sworn, Qin Sang was already guarding against Emperor Si pushing him to his death. In this situation, he could choose to stand by and watch.

"The Feathered Race does not know the pattern of the gray-white figures' disappearance. A moment of hesitation from them will be our opportunity! I and the Young Master will do our best to stop them and buy True Immortal Qin time. They do not know True Immortal Qin's true strength and will not be overly wary. True Immortal Qin only needs to quickly approach, strike the ancient hall with the Huoshan Bead, and then immediately retreat. Afterwards, I will personally seize the treasure. They will focus all their efforts on stopping me and will not bother True Immortal. Of course, if the situation allows, I hope True Immortal Qin can alleviate some of the pressure for me."

In an instant, Emperor Si had assessed the pros and cons. The only challenge was how to persuade Qin Sang. Before entering, Emperor Si had not anticipated such a situation, and now he could only offer temporary benefits.

"The Huoshan Bead was obtained from a secret realm. When I acquired the bead, there were several other treasures nearby. They might contain secrets related to the Huoshan Bead, and since True Immortal Qin is proficient in lightning techniques, they might be useful to you. Whether we succeed or not, I will give them to True Immortal Qin."

Qin Sang's eyes flashed, but he remained unmoved. He asked, "What exactly is inside that ancient hall?"

I'll be spending the holiday with my family tomorrow, so I'll be taking a day off. Updates will resume the day after tomorrow. I wish everyone a happy holiday.