Chapter 260: Dark Scheme

As he retreated, Qin Sang's gaze quickly swept over the surrounding space, finding no abnormalities. This was expected; if Elder Di Que intended to ambush Daoist Xuan Yu, he wouldn't reveal any flaws, his strike would be a lightning-fast blow.

At this moment, activated by the saber energy, the restrictions on the bluestone shone brightly, forming a wall of light.

The Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman cut into the wall of light, seemingly encountering immense resistance. Not only did it fail to shatter the light wall, but its speed also slowed down increasingly. This demonstrated the immense power of the stone hall's restrictions.

Daoist Xuan Yu's expression was solemn. He fully activated the Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman, daring not to relax. If the stone hall's restrictions gained the upper hand and turned against him, not only would breaking them become hopeless, but he might even suffer a counterattack. Although he believed he could dodge it, it was better to be safe.

From the corner of his eye, Qin Sang noticed Daoist Xuan Yu's actions, feeling increasingly uneasy. He took out his ghost banner, concealed it in his palm, and secretly activated it. Then, his gaze shifted to the turbulent lava below.

Two Core Formation cultivators, coupled with the mysterious ancient hall laden with restrictions—each element made Qin Sang's heart pound with dread. Before them, he was no different from an ant. If a major battle broke out, it would be fine if one side could quickly resolve the other, as it wouldn't spread too far. However, if a stalemate occurred, it would be hard to predict the outcome. If he were caught in the aftermath of a Golden Core cultivator's battle, he wouldn't die but would be severely wounded. Even worse, being exposed to a Golden Core cultivator's sight would render all his previous efforts futile.

The space within the volcano was still not large enough. Unfortunately, there were no fire birds in the lava. If he were to leave the flock of fire birds now, he'd have nowhere to hide and would still be noticed by them.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qin Sang's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Behind Daoist Xuan Yu, the ethereal image of the Celestial Melody Conch suddenly appeared!

No sooner had the Celestial Melody Conch appeared than it flickered, as if teleporting, to hover above Daoist Xuan Yu's head. The power of Myriad Illusion Divine Sound surged out from its opening. This Myriad Illusion Divine Sound solidified into a crescent-moon-shaped saber, seemingly light and lacking destructive power. Yet, from such a distance, a mere glance sent shivers down Qin Sang's spine, filling him with profound dread.

In an instant, the crescent saber was upon him!

By this point, Daoist Xuan Yu had also sensed the danger, but the Celestial Melody Conch had appeared too swiftly and too strangely. Moreover, the chosen timing was precisely when he was locked in a bitter stalemate with the ancient hall's restrictions. A powerful warning surged in Daoist Xuan Yu's heart. He hadn't seen the crescent saber with his own eyes, but he could clearly feel the aura it exuded—an aura of death! It made his scalp prickle; if he couldn't block this strike, he would very likely die.

Daoist Xuan Yu roared in anger. With no time to think, he could only hastily withdraw the Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman, which was currently battling the ancient hall's restrictions, from the wall of light.

'Whoosh!'

'Boom!'

The Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman shot back like a meteor, and at the last possible moment, it firmly blocked the crescent saber. The two 'weapons,' each imbued with the power of a Core Formation cultivator, collided. Visible fluctuations rippled outwards, causing the space to tremble incessantly and the lava to churn into towering waves.

'Splash!'

A massive wave slammed onto the stone platform, splashing scorching lava all over Daoist Xuan Yu, who was completely unable to divert his attention. Although the Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman had blocked the crescent saber's initial sneak attack, the danger was far from over.

'Buzzing...'

The Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman vibrated ceaselessly, its light dimming further, its saber hum like a mournful wail. The Celestial Melody Conch had been prepared for a long time, while the Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman had only been able to offer a hasty defense. The disparity in power was evident.

What horrified Daoist Xuan Yu even more was that the stone hall's restrictions, enraged by the Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman, immediately counterattacked as the talisman was abruptly withdrawn. The wall of light rapidly expanded, its dazzling glow like a blazing sun, conjuring a terrifying hurricane that rushed forward, leaving Daoist Xuan Yu aghast.

With the stone hall's restrictions in front and the crescent saber behind, he was caught in a pincer attack—a truly desperate situation!

'Ah!'

Daoist Xuan Yu roared loudly, his hair unbound and wild, appearing deranged. He suddenly performed a shocking action: striking his own dantian with an open palm!

The next moment, a surge of spiritual energy erupted from Daoist Xuan Yu, entirely absorbed by the Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman. Its saber light exploded, directly cleaving the crescent saber in two, then striking the Celestial Melody Conch's main body with lightning speed.

'Clang!' The Celestial Melody Conch was struck, flying dozens of feet away before barely stabilizing itself. A clear crack was visible on its shell! But after being severed, the crescent saber did not dissipate. Instead, it shimmered in mid-air, reverting to its original Myriad Illusion Divine Sound power. It gathered into one mass and, disregarding the heavily damaged Celestial Melody Conch, continued to strike towards Daoist Xuan Yu.

Simultaneously, the hurricane manifested by the stone hall's restrictions also rushed forward.

A flicker of green light shone from Daoist Xuan Yu's dantian, and a vibrant green jade plate slowly ascended. Qin Sang knew at a glance that this item must be Daoist Xuan Yu's Natal Artifact. However, to Qin Sang's surprise, the vibrant green jade plate, after flying out from the dantian, shattered with a loud bang!

Self-destruction of an artifact! Qin Sang understood this was a desperate measure taken by Daoist Xuan Yu, but he was also astonished by his decisive action. After the artifact's self-destruction, a portion of the green light surged forward to block the formidable hurricane, while another portion moved backward to obstruct the Myriad Illusion Divine Sound.

Only then did Daoist Xuan Yu finally escape the perilous situation. His figure flickered, reappearing outside the stone platform. His hair disheveled and appearance utterly disarrayed, he stared fiercely at the ceaselessly trembling Celestial Melody Conch. The Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman also flew back to Daoist Xuan Yu. Cracks covered the talisman; earlier, he had been forced to overdraft its secret power to cleave the crescent saber and seize the opportunity to self-destruct his artifact. This talisman would be of little use unless it was re-tempered.

From the moment the Celestial Melody Conch appeared until now, only a few breaths had passed, yet Daoist Xuan Yu had successively lost two major treasures. Qin Sang once again experienced Elder Di Que's insidious cunning and deceit.

At this moment, within the chaotic flock of fire birds, one bird's movement appeared exceptionally abrupt. It flew straight out of the flock, passed through the barrier without hindrance, entered the space, and finally transformed into a ball of flame. A figure stepped out, and the flame slowly extinguished.

It was none other than Elder Di Que.

"You!"

Daoist Xuan Yu's eyes were bloodshot with rage!

"Old Daoist priest, the taste of the Celestial Melody Conch isn't pleasant, is it?" Elder Di Que let out a sinister chuckle, glancing at the crack on the Celestial Melody Conch. A flicker of distress crossed his eyes. "I never thought, old Daoist priest, that you could still harm my artifact in this situation. Your sect's Four Secret Talismans truly live up to their reputation! But now, with your secret talisman on the verge of shattering and your Natal Artifact self-destructed, how much power do you have left?"

"You dared to ambush me!" Daoist Xuan Yu's voice was sharp and piercing, like a vengeful spirit. "The Shangyuan Pure Temple will surely kill you!"

"The Shangyuan Pure Temple is thousands of miles away. Threatening me with your sect's name is only good for scaring children. Even if that old geezer in your sect is a master diviner, it's too late to save you now," Elder Di Que retorted with a sneer, showing no fear on his face.