Chapter 2264: Eighty Years

The worst-case scenario is very likely. After all, this illusion realm was too peculiar; even with the Jade Buddha protecting him, Qin Sang was still bound by various restrictions within it, preventing him from gaining an advantageous position.

Staring at the vortex above the divine mountain, a crazy thought surfaced in Qin Sang's mind. Could the supreme treasure be forcibly interrupted by external forces before it fully formed, thereby delaying the illusion realm's demise?

The supreme treasure's emergence at this moment indicated that the time was ripe. As long as the illusion realm, serving as its 'soil,' persisted, the supreme treasure was unlikely to be directly destroyed. At most, its formation would be delayed, but it would eventually materialize. If the supreme treasure were so fragile, the formidable beings of the anomalous race would surely have taken precautions.

At this moment, among everyone in the illusion realm, perhaps only Qin Sang dared to entertain such a thought.

Undoubtedly, this supreme treasure was the 'seed' that the formidable beings of the anomalous race were searching for! Those individuals were entrusted with the mission by these powerful beings and had come specifically for this treasure. Who would dare to obstruct its emergence?

Qin Sang's idea wasn't a sudden whim. Naturally, it was partly due to Liu Li, but another reason was his lack of confidence in the upcoming battle for the supreme treasure.

Hong Tian once said that the 'seed' could help him break through to the Integration Stage, a peerless opportunity in the world. Qin Sang was determined to seize it with all his might.

Contrary to his initial expectations, the Jade Buddha hadn't granted him much advantage in the illusion realm. While others were currently entangled in their own troubles, leaving Qin Sang alone near the divine mountain without competitors, the supreme treasure hadn't yet emerged, making it impossible for him to retrieve it. He could only stand by and watch.

In a while, others would gradually deal with their demon shadows, and even the demon shadow faction might join the fray. The situation would then be entirely different. With so many masters present, even if he were to act now amidst the chaos and go on a killing spree, he wouldn't be able to eliminate them all, and some had already dealt with their demon shadows.

Inferring from the celestial phenomena at the peak of the divine mountain, it seemed that the Heavenly Awareness Thunder Robe would reach its limit before the supreme treasure even emerged, and his demon shadow would also be drawn to him. Eliminating the demon shadow wasn't difficult, but the problem was that Qin Sang's cultivation would surge as a result, leading to him being exposed by the mysterious Azure Phoenix. This would prevent him from relying on the mysterious Azure Phoenix's power during the struggle for the supreme treasure, forcing him to rely solely on himself.

During the earlier battle for seating on the divine mountain, Qin Sang's accomplishments were exposed, putting him in the spotlight. All major factions would undoubtedly focus on guarding against him, and might even cooperate to first eliminate him. Even if he were incredibly strong, and a spell at the Integration Stage level was sealed within the Thunder Battle Guard, he couldn't possibly fight against such overwhelming numbers. Furthermore, behind every one of these anomalous race experts stood a formidable being, and they likely had hidden trump cards.

He wasn't entirely alone; he had strong ties with the Vermillion Ape Clan and a good relationship with Ji Xia. However, Patriarch Yuan Xiang and Ji Xia were merely pawns of the formidable beings here, and had to obey their wills.

Should the formidable beings behind them fall out, even if unwilling, they would be forced to attack each other. Therefore, once the chaotic battle began, all allies would become unreliable.

Since he could only rely on himself, Qin Sang naturally had to enhance his strength as much as possible.

Unexpectedly sensing Mount Daiyu here gave Qin Sang a glimmer of hope. If he could recall Mount Daiyu before the grand battle began, his strength would surely increase significantly!

True Man Ning once said that once Mount Daiyu recovered to a certain extent, its presence within a domain would make the domain more stable and powerful, allowing one to effortlessly suppress peers.

Qin Sang wasn't an Integration Stage cultivator, but he could utilize the Void Domain divine ability through the Heaven-Trapping Golden Lock, and he had also gained a certain understanding of sword domains.

At that time, employing the Void Domain with Mount Daiyu in conjunction with the Heaven-Trapping Golden Lock would undoubtedly unleash incomparable power, greatly increasing his chances of acquiring the supreme treasure.

Mount Daiyu was one of the Five Ancient Immortal Mountains. As another immortal mountain could serve as the foundation for the anomalous race's sacred land, even if the formidable beings behind them had left them contingencies, they would hardly be able to compare.

Forcibly interrupting the supreme treasure's emergence, if exposed, would incur the wrath of the anomalous race's formidable beings. However, Qin Sang could easily explain to Hong Tian that this was merely his strategy to acquire the treasure.

Hong Tian had sent him, caring only about the outcome, not the process. As long as he could help Hong Tian obtain the supreme treasure, nothing else mattered. If Hong Tian wished to retain the treasure, he would naturally withstand the wrath of the other formidable beings, as alliances between them surely existed long ago.

From the moment Qin Sang agreed to Hong Tian's terms, offending other formidable beings of the anomalous race was inevitable. Qin Sang had always been cautious in his actions, but when it came to a struggle for a momentous opportunity, he would never hesitate!

Moreover, True Man Ning stood behind Liu Li. Rescuing Liu Li would allow him to invoke True Man Ning's prestige, intimidating the formidable beings of the anomalous race and making them cautious.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind. He had thoroughly considered the pros, cons, and consequences. However, these were merely Qin Sang's fantasies, and he wasn't sure if he could forcibly interrupt the supreme treasure's emergence.

This was his last hope. If he failed, Qin Sang would be helpless.

Qin Sang gazed at the mountain peak, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

There was no time to lose. Since he had decided to do it, he would act immediately!

Because Qin Sang didn't know how many times he would need to interrupt it in the future, what was certain was that secrets couldn't be kept forever; they would eventually be exposed.

Some had already been possessed by demon shadows, while other masters, strong in both power and mental fortitude, had defeated their demon shadows. He didn't know what changes these individuals would undergo, but they might become obstacles for him later.

Furthermore, most people were still struggling with their demon shadows. Since no victor would be decided this time, they would likely be entangled by demon shadows again upon their next entry. The sooner he acted, the less pressure he would face later.

With a plan firmly in mind, Qin Sang immediately moved to act, flashing towards the peak of the divine mountain.

'Whoosh...'

As he approached the cloud vortex at the mountain's summit, strong winds immediately howled in his ears, and a mysterious power surged like a tide from all directions, vast and unceasing.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Awareness Thunder Robe not only provided concealment but also offered protection.

Qin Sang paused at the edge of the vortex, then 'squeezed' into it, being pulled towards the center along with the mysterious power. Soon, Qin Sang finally saw the scene inside the vortex, and a hint of green flashed into view.

Unexpectedly, the so-called supreme treasure was not a post-heaven spiritual treasure or anything similar.

All Qin Sang saw was a tiny spiritual tree, growing in the void above the divine mountain. The tree was exceptionally verdant, barely an inch tall, seeming to have just sprouted new leaves. At its top were only three slender, uneven leaves, gently swaying.

The spiritual tree was at the center of the vortex, with storms howling around it, making one fear it would be shattered at any moment.

Yet, it stood resiliently, emitting a faint, peculiar halo. It continuously absorbed the mysterious power, which, upon contact, immediately became docile, willingly allowing itself to be devoured.

This inconspicuous little tree devoured the mysterious power at an astonishing rate, as if it had a bottomless pit within it. The rate of absorption was constantly increasing, and the spiritual tree's growth became more vigorous. New buds began to sprout at its top, a fourth leaf was about to emerge, and its root system gradually thickened.

“No wonder Hong Tian called it a 'seed'...”

Qin Sang mused to himself, wondering if the 'supreme treasure' referred to the seed from which the spiritual tree grew, or the fruit it would bear after growing large.

Judging by Hong Tian's tone, there was more than one 'seed,' suggesting it was the latter.

Seeing this, Qin Sang no longer hesitated. Following the suction, he rushed into the center of the vortex, raised a palm, and struck at the spiritual tree. This strike was merely a test, as most of Qin Sang's power was still needed to maintain the Heavenly Awareness Thunder Robe.

Above the spiritual tree, a phantom palm print materialized out of thin air and abruptly descended.

'Thump!'

As expected, the palm print was indeed repelled by the halo surrounding the spiritual tree and collapsed on impact.

With this single strike, Qin Sang also tested the halo's power and was overjoyed; this plan could work! However, it was evident that as the spiritual tree grew, the halo became more solidified. Once the tree reached a certain growth stage, even his full power would be insufficient to interrupt it.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang didn't hesitate and struck the spiritual tree with a palm.

'Boom!'

The cloud vortex suddenly froze.

At the center of the vortex, the spiritual tree erupted in a dense burst of green light, shattering into countless fragments that scattered outwards.

Qin Sang's eyes widened involuntarily. His vision was filled with only green light, and his entire body shook violently, as if a thunderous roar rattled his mind, like the heavens and earth collapsing.

Yet, Qin Sang could do nothing. The moment the spiritual tree shattered, he found himself unable to move, with only one thought remaining in his mind.

“It worked!”

On the surface of the lake.

An anomalous race expert was battling a demon shadow.

He was panting heavily, his magical robe tattered, and his left arm severed at the shoulder. He was at the end of his rope.

The grey figure's strength was greater than what it had displayed in reality. He never imagined he would fall by his own hand.

'Thwack!'

Suddenly, a silver chain completely pierced through his protective armor, impaling him through the back of his heart.

Intense pain seized him, causing him to hunch over. Seeing the flickering silver light at his chest, his most familiar magical artifact, now the weapon that killed him, his heart filled with an unbearable sense of despair.

'Swish!'

The demon shadow appeared before him, a strange smile on its face, and pointed a finger at his glabella.

At that moment, both their expressions suddenly froze. They remained motionless, holding their poses.

On another battlefield, the outcome was the complete opposite: the demon shadow had been cornered by its true self, but it was also destined that no victor would be decided.

In a certain mountain hollow.

Xi Rui's eyes were tightly shut, the demon shadow beside him no longer present. He seemed to be comprehending something. Then he opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

He could sense the mysterious power flowing in the sky, but he knew that the supreme treasure wouldn't emerge so quickly.

Before that, he should prepare for the upcoming grand battle.

Xi Rui turned, about to fly away, when he suddenly froze in place.

In that instant.

This entire world fell into a state of stagnation, as if time had stopped here.

The vortex dissipated, and the mysterious power ceased to flow. The wind stopped, leaves no longer swayed, and ripples on the water's surface solidified.

Then, a strange wind began to blow. Everything in this world was scattered by the wind, turning into fine dust.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Jade Mechanism Mountain Cave Dwelling.

The quiet cave dwelling was shrouded in darkness.

Before Qin Sang stood an incense burner. Prior to the arrival of the celestial omen, Qin Sang had specifically lit a stick of spiritual incense capable of nourishing true essence. Now, only a pile of ash remained, the spiritual incense long since burned out.

His aura was faint, barely discernible.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's aura fluctuated violently, his eyelids trembled, and then snapped open.

Joy still lingered in his pupils, frozen in the moment he shattered the spiritual tree.

Lowering his head and seeing the familiar incense burner, Qin Sang let out a soft sigh and murmured, “Thankfully, I’m back...”

He wasn't sure what consequences shattering the spiritual tree would entail. What if the illusion realm reset, forcing him to start over?

Fortunately, it hadn't!

He could still continue to contend with the mysterious Azure Phoenix and cultivate the 'Heavenly Demon Refinement' technique.

His previous experiences indicated that anything gained in the illusion realm could be brought into the intertwined world of reality and illusion. He wondered if, by breaking through to the middle stage of the sixth transformation of 'Heavenly Demon Refinement' in the illusion realm, he would ultimately be able to bring that cultivation back to reality.

This illusion realm was inherently very special, so Qin Sang wouldn't be surprised by anything that happened within it.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang immediately called out to the mysterious Azure Phoenix, having already prepared his explanation.

“Senior...”

“Senior...”

Qin Sang called out a few times, but received no response.

“Could it be that the mysterious Azure Phoenix was overly exhausted from consecutively transmitting two divine abilities earlier? Or perhaps, my interruption of the supreme treasure's emergence affected the illusion realm's progression?”

Qin Sang frowned, feeling uncertain.

Logically, the mysterious Azure Phoenix should have persisted in waiting for the final outcome, no matter what.

After a moment of thought, Qin Sang was about to get up and check outside when he finally received a response from the mysterious Azure Phoenix.

“It's you... you're still alive... finally awake...”

The mysterious Azure Phoenix was both surprised and delighted.

Qin Sang felt a bit strange, wondering inwardly, “It is indeed I, Junior. What exactly happened in reality? Senior seems a little different. Also, why did Senior think Junior had died?”

“Heh heh... of course I've changed... eighty years...”

The mysterious Azure Phoenix's tone was filled with bitterness.

“Senior, are you saying eighty years have passed in reality?” Qin Sang was shocked.

He had guessed that interrupting the supreme treasure's evolution would affect the illusion realm, but he hadn't expected it to directly advance the illusion realm by eighty years.

Eighty years had passed, and the mysterious Azure Phoenix was still locked in battle with its enemy, with no victor decided? The divine abilities of formidable beings were indeed beyond ordinary comprehension!

“Indeed... I've waited for you for eighty years! What... did you encounter there... did you seize the supreme treasure?” the mysterious Azure Phoenix eagerly pressed.

“Junior...”

Understanding the mysterious Azure Phoenix's urgency, Qin Sang didn't keep it in suspense and recounted his prepared explanation.

In his account, he, clad in the Heavenly Awareness Thunder Robe, entered a peculiar realm. The minions of the outer-realm demon and demon shadows were also pulled in, resulting in a massive chaotic battle.

He was the weakest, but fortunately, the Heavenly Awareness Thunder Robe protected him, preventing him from being exposed.

During the fierce battle, what appeared to be the supreme treasure emerged. He had intended to guard it from the side, waiting for an opportunity. Unexpectedly, both sides fought with true fury, not only refusing to stop but intensifying their conflict. In the chaos of the battle, they actually shattered the supreme treasure, which had only just begun to take rudimentary form.

The moment the supreme treasure shattered, everything around them froze. When he awoke, he was back in his cave dwelling, only to discover that eighty years had passed in the outside world.

“What? The supreme treasure is shattered?”

The mysterious Azure Phoenix was both shocked and enraged, finding it difficult to accept.

Qin Sang lowered his head in apology, “Junior is incompetent; I have disappointed Senior.”

The mysterious Azure Phoenix remained silent for a long time.

Qin Sang was its only straw of hope.

For eighty years, because it could continuously sense a wisp of Qin Sang's aura through its divine ability, an aura that hadn't dissipated, it had held onto a sliver of hope, patiently waiting for eighty years, only to receive such a result.

Sorry for getting back late today. Yesterday's catch-up update will be postponed until tomorrow.