Chapter 2192: Missed

The ferocious beast was in a deep sleep, its snores echoing like thunder. Drool pooled on the stone slab, and its grotesque face actually showed a hint of happiness, as if it were immersed in a sweet dream, completely devoid of any alertness.

Qin Sang and Liu Li were within arm's reach, easily able to kill it, yet it remained unresponsive. Even when Qin Sang activated his sword intent, threatening its vital points, the beast still showed no reaction. This wasn't sleep; it was clearly a coma.

Qin Sang set up several restrictions to prevent the beast from suddenly waking up. He then activated his spiritual sense to examine its interior, but found nothing.

The beast was entirely normal: no injuries, full vitality, and its essence soul perfectly intact. It was simply in an unawakening slumber.

What kind of power could strike down a Void Refinement-level ferocious beast and leave it utterly defenseless?

The information they had previously heard from Hong Yue was not an exaggeration; seeing it unfold before them brought a true sense of horror.

"Ten days!" Qin Sang exhaled softly.

Regardless of whether the jade Buddha could withstand that power, they had to leave within ten days.

There was much to do in those ten days: kill the Immortal Child, find the secret realm, and complete the task given by the Saint Realm mighty figure.

Both felt the urgency and immediately killed the ferocious beast. What was terrifying was that the beast offered no resistance even in death, slain while still in its sleep.

Though they effortlessly obtained the beast's body, their mood grew heavier as they silently sped forward.

Liu Li's escape art was not as proficient as Qin Sang's. To set up the trap beforehand, they temporarily separated, with Qin Sang going ahead to reach the secret realm as quickly as possible.

A streak of lightning streaked through the spiritual mist. After an unknown distance without a moment's pause, Qin Sang finally arrived at the location marked on the geomantic map.

"Oh?" Qin Sang first frowned, then his expression shifted slightly. He flew several more miles before seeing a gorge stretching across their path.

The roar of water filled the air. The gorge was only ten zhang wide, its ends stretching beyond sight. Below, it seemed like a bottomless pit, with lake water continuously pouring down from both sides, yet never filling the chasm.

This was exactly the place Qin Sang was looking for; the secret realm was located beneath the gorge, though its position had shifted.

Using his spiritual sense, Qin Sang detected faint fluctuations emanating from the depths of the gorge, which eased his mind. It seemed the secret realm had not been destroyed.

The reason for choosing this location for an ambush was that the secret realm contained a power specifically targeting essence souls, combined with dangerous ancient restrictions that ordinary people feared like tigers. Since the jade Buddha might be able to shield against that power, Qin Sang naturally wanted to make good use of his advantage.

The next moment, Qin Sang plunged into the lake.

After a busy period within the secret realm, Qin Sang flew out of the gorge and saw that Liu Li had also arrived successfully.

"How is it?" Liu Li asked.

"The secret realm is still intact, and there's an ancient spirit array we can still use," Qin Sang said with a relaxed tone.

It seemed their previous strategy had worked.

However, this was just the first step. The challenge lay in luring the enemy in, a classic "inviting the wolf into the house" scenario. Plotting against cultivators of this level was far from easy. Unfortunately, Qin Sang didn't understand the Immortal Child's temperament or cultivation methods, otherwise, he could have set up more targeted traps.

Qin Sang looked around. The Immortal Child had not yet appeared, and he didn't know where the ambush might be set.

Recalling the geomantic map, although Heart Lake had no clear distinction between inner and outer sections, an outer area could be roughly delineated based on the distribution of secret realm ruins and their danger levels.

Given the current anomaly in Heart Lake, if it were him, he would choose to act in the outer region. The deeper one went, the more variables there were, unless one knew Heart Lake like the back of their hand.

Qin Sang mentally drew a line distinguishing the inner and outer areas, concluding that the Immortal Child was most likely to make a move in the outer region.

Next, Qin Sang and Liu Li slightly reduced their speed and continued their journey forward.

Meanwhile, the Immortal Child and his two companions were on their way. Worried that Qin Sang might enter the depths of Heart Lake, they fully activated their escape arts, speeding through the air.

However, these two routes had been carefully calculated and intentionally chosen by Qin Sang. Even if the Immortal Child's escape art was comparable to his own, it would be impossible for them to get ahead of him and Liu Li.

"Brother Qi, has Fairy Ping responded?" the Immortal Child turned to the black-robed cultivator and asked.

"The communication talisman was only sent recently, it won't be that quick. Begging your pardon, brother, but your eagerness for revenge seems to be clouding your judgment. The three of us together are more than enough to deal with True Person Qin. Even if we invite Fairy Ping, and True Person Qin possesses formidable divine abilities, he certainly won't escape our grasp!"

The black-robed cultivator said gravely.

The Yuan Xiang Clan Leader left Yuan Jian behind, and Yuan Ren swapped routes with Qin Sang. Although there seemed to be reasonable explanations for each, it was impossible to confirm whether the other party had already detected danger and was deliberately targeting them. Nevertheless, these signs were enough to raise their alert.

Moreover, when the Immortal Child had pursued another group of enemies in the past, one person's whereabouts remained unknown. That individual had ultimately fallen into an ancient array restriction, never to be seen alive or dead. If by chance they had managed to escape, they would certainly have tipped off True Person Qin.

Fearing Qin Sang might have further schemes, and to ensure absolute certainty, the Immortal Child spared no expense, inviting additional allies.

The Immortal Child had not reduced the rewards he promised the other two; with more helpers, they would also have an easier time, which pleased them.

Hearing this, the Immortal Child's face darkened like still water, and he remained silent.

Suddenly, the three streaks of escape light abruptly stopped. The three cultivators revealed themselves, seeming to sense something, their expressions subtly changing as they all looked towards the depths of Heart Lake.

"This is..." The black-robed cultivator's eyes flashed with sharp light.

The green-robed man licked his lips and said to the Immortal Child, "Fellow Daoist Si, I'm afraid we'll have to change our plans."

The Immortal Child's expression flickered between dark and light, his face full of unwillingness. "You two promised me..."

His words were cut short by the black-robed cultivator. "Brother, have you forgotten what the ancestor instructed? In ordinary times, we would certainly spare no effort to help you kill your enemy. But now, with the omens appearing, other matters must be set aside. Otherwise, if the ancestor punishes us, who can bear it? I also advise you, brother, do not let hatred cloud your mind and cause you to lose sight of the bigger picture!"

The green-robed man chuckled. "Is killing True Person Qin difficult? Before this anomaly ends, can he possibly leave the sacred ground? At worst, we can just strike when he returns! If Fellow Daoist Si remains stubbornly misguided, then we can only express our apologies!"

Seeing that the two were resolute, the Immortal Child had no other option. These two were also close associates of other alien race ancestors, their status no less than his own. Moreover, their reasoning was sound; if they messed up a major affair due to personal vendetta, they would be unable to account for it to their ancestors.

A moment later, the three changed direction and flew towards the depths of Heart Lake.

Qin Sang and Liu Li remained oblivious to this, still going through the motions, waiting for their enemy to appear.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had already been awakened by Qin Sang and was vigilantly surveying the surroundings.

"Oh?" The Immortal Child didn't appear, but Qin Sang felt an unusual fluctuation from the secret talisman in his sleeve.

They had been brought here by the secret talisman, then blocked outside by Hong Tian. After Hong Tian let them in, Qin Sang noticed the talisman had fallen silent again, seemingly shielded by some invisible power. He had initially thought it was Hong Tian's doing.

Pausing, Qin Sang took out the talisman. He saw its spiritual light fading; the recent fluctuation had lasted only an instant, too brief to sense, before it fell silent once more.

Liu Li looked over curiously.

"For some reason, the talisman suddenly lit up," Qin Sang said with a frown.

The fluctuation just now seemed to hint at something, but it was too vague. Heart Lake was so vast that it was impossible to discern its direction.

"Did those alien race ancestors leave behind tokens because they had already foreseen this current trouble?" A question had long lingered in Liu Li's mind.

This was exactly what puzzled Qin Sang. No one knew how many years the alien race's sacred ground had existed, yet it seemed capable of predicting this current anomaly. Were the alien race ancestors truly proficient in divination?

If they had foreseen it, why didn't they avoid it? Could this trouble actually have been deliberately drawn in by the alien race ancestors? If so, surely these ancestors wouldn't guide their descendants here just to die? Perhaps they needed their descendants' help, or perhaps it wasn't as dangerous as it seemed, even accompanied by great opportunities.

Of course, these were merely their conjectures.

Qin Sang turned the secret talisman over and over, examining it, but its spiritual light eventually completely dissipated, revealing no clues.

After this small interlude, they continued to proceed according to their plan, but unexpectedly, even after arriving at the place Qin Sang had anticipated, there was no sign of the Immortal Child.

Gazing at the empty lake surface, Qin Sang was somewhat surprised and fell into thought. Had the Immortal Child been unaware of their entry into the Sacred Lake, or was his scheme too obvious, causing the Immortal Child to sense danger?

The Immortal Child and the Grand Consummate seemed to share a deep bond. Under normal circumstances, facing him and Liu Li, who was only at the early Void Refinement stage, the Immortal Child wouldn't easily give up the chance for revenge, even if he had sensed something.

Qin Sang and Liu Li flew a bit further and clearly felt a sense of oppression. The secret realm ruins were far denser than those outside, and not only were they fraught with danger internally, but they also affected a large surrounding area. Different powers mingled and clashed, making it exceedingly perilous.

Although the threat of ferocious beasts was lessened, the area became more chaotic and no safer than before.

"It seems we'll have to give up this opportunity..." Qin Sang shook his head.

The Immortal Child might be setting an ambush ahead, but they didn't have time to play games with him anymore. They had to rush to the secret realm mentioned by True Person Ning.

Then, their escape lights changed direction, and they flew towards another area.

A mutual ambush battle was thus missed.

The secret realm mentioned by True Person Ning was also deep within Heart Lake, and the route Qin Sang and his companion chose had not deviated too far. After flying for a while, both noticed that the markings on the geomantic map were almost useless and could not help them avoid danger.

For instance, at that moment, they were blocked by a blizzard, clearly formed by the eruption of an ancient restriction array from a certain secret realm—something not indicated on the geomantic map.

In the current depths of Heart Lake, similar situations were abundant, and covering the same distance took several times longer than outside.

Qin Sang couldn't help but sigh, "Heart Lake has been completely transformed beyond recognition!"

Liu Li's eyes slightly closed as she concentrated on sensing. After a moment, she opened them and said, "The snowflakes are formed from pure extreme cold power. Perhaps we don't need to take a detour, but I first need to comprehend the subtle changes hidden within this extreme cold power."

"That's excellent!" Qin Sang nodded. This blizzard covered an extremely wide area; detouring would waste time, and other paths might not be any easier.

"Fairy, please pay close attention. There might be treasures of the Ice Dao hidden within," Qin Sang said, summoning his Thunder Beast War Guards to protect Liu Li on either side, allowing her to focus entirely on her comprehension.

The three figures flickered and landed on the ice. Immediately, a powerful pressure accompanied by an intense chill washed over them. They began to move forward through the blizzard, their steps heavy.

Soon, they were covered in a layer of white snow. Without casting spells to remove it, they walked slowly, gradually disappearing into the wind and snow.

There were no ferocious beasts here, but there was no shortage of snow monsters formed from ice and snow, possessing considerable strength. However, perhaps due to the chaotic nature of the array restrictions, these snow monsters were dazed and their attacks lacked strategy.

Qin Sang and the Thunder Beast War Guards attacked together. Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, as thunderbolts blasted a path through the snow monsters.

As time passed, the pressure on them steadily increased. Although Qin Sang was also looking for flaws in the array restriction, passing through this place quickly was not easy.

Just then, Liu Li, who had been silent, finally moved. With a wave of her jade-like hand, a blue light drifted towards Qin Sang.

Qin Sang allowed the blue light to approach, feeling a peculiar chill that was somewhat similar to the surrounding aura. A thin layer of ice quickly spread over his body, enveloping him in ice armor.

Enveloped by this chill, Qin Sang immediately felt the pressure greatly diminish.

Liu Li let out a soft breath, her expression slightly fatigued. "Next, we'll still need Fellow Daoist Qin to clear the way."

"This ice armor is more than enough!" Qin Sang's spirits lifted. He ordered the Thunder Beast War Guards, and together they charged out of the snow monsters' territory.

There were quite a few flaws in this array restriction. Being able to withstand the pressure made the rest of the journey much smoother. After traveling a bit further, Qin Sang suddenly detected a subtle fluctuation. His eyes flashed, and he informed Liu Li.

Liu Li hesitated, "Will it take too long?"

Qin Sang focused his spiritual sense and said, "It's fine!"

The source of the fluctuation was likely an important part of the array. Judging by the power of the restriction, this place should not have been plundered yet.

Why not take advantage of an opportunity within reach?

With the help of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang quickly pinpointed the fluctuation's location. The two of them joined forces and finally broke through the barrier, revealing a snow-capped mountain in their sight.

The snow mountain towered high, its peak covered in pristine white snow. Facing them was a sheer, precipitous cliff face. At the top of the cliff sat an ice pavilion.

The two exchanged a glance and flew to the pavilion's front. They saw no restrictions on the door, suggesting that the outer array and the previous barrier were perhaps the true tests.

Liu Li stepped forward and pushed open the main door. The ice pavilion had only one floor, with an altar and meditation cushions on the ground, and a mural hanging on the wall.

"This person is from the Cold Waste Nation," Qin Sang said, recognizing the figure in the mural at a glance, having passed through the Cold Waste Nation before.

The altar was empty, but beside the mural, there was a niche containing mostly jade slips and similar items.

Liu Li bowed to the mural, then picked up a jade slip. After a quick scan, she said, "These are all divine abilities and spells of the Ice Dao, along with this senior's cultivation insights. Most require the Cold Waste Nation bloodline to perform, but I can still glean some insights from them."

"You could trade these with cultivators from the Cold Waste Nation," Qin Sang said, looking at one of the niches. "What's this?"

Inside was an ice ball, about the size of a baby's fist. It was crystal clear, yet emitted no coldness whatsoever.

Liu Li's expression turned cautious. She activated her true essence, forming a profound ice palm, and carefully grasped the ice ball. Only after a thorough examination did she dare to confirm, exclaiming in surprise, "It's actually a piece of Heavenly Dew Pure Ice!"