Chapter 263: Guidance

Novel:

Elder Deficient Earth was alive.

Qin Sang could only hide in the shadows, not daring to show himself.

If he didn't want to be trapped and perish in the volcano, jumping into the magma might not lead to an exit before his spiritual energy was depleted, not to mention the unknown dangers within the magma itself. Even if he found a way out, he didn't know the true location of this ancient cultivator's dwelling or the surrounding environment. If he unfortunately stumbled into the depths of an ancient immortal battlefield, surrounded by spatial rifts, it would be another dead end. Even if he managed to escape, he would become a hunted dog, pursued by Elder Deficient Earth, forced to flee to the Demon Realm, and perhaps even beyond the Minor Cold Domain to truly be safe. Even if he managed to escape unscathed, without the support of his sect, how likely was it that he could cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment, gather the resources for Core Formation, and break through to Core Formation?

As long as Elder Deficient Earth was eliminated, all these problems would be solved. If Elder Deficient Earth and Daoist Master Xuanyu went missing, Uncle-Master Che and others would certainly come up the mountain to investigate. Qin Sang would only need to wait at the volcano's mouth, and he would have an excuse ready. Most importantly, he wouldn't have to worry about the jade Buddha being exposed.

Therefore, Qin Sang made his move.

Of course, time didn't allow Qin Sang to think so meticulously. Daoist Master Xuanyu had overdrawn his Golden Core, and the power he gained couldn't last; it was dissipating extremely quickly. If Qin Sang didn't act soon, once a portion of Daoist Master Xuanyu's Golden Core power vanished, it would no longer pose a mortal threat to Elder Deficient Earth. At that point, even an injured Elder Deficient Earth would be beyond Qin Sang's ability to handle. When the opportunity arose, if he couldn't seize it decisively, he would only be left with endless regret later.

Daoist Master Xuanyu couldn't locate Elder Deficient Earth, but Qin Sang could help him. With Daoist Master Xuanyu's desperate last stand and the endless firebirds, there was no better opportunity than this! Qin Sang weighed the gains and losses, saw a glimmer of success, and immediately decided to act.

He had already held the Ten Directions Yama Banner in his hand for self-defense. The Ten Directions Yama Banner suddenly unfurled, instantly drawing out all the refined souls, including the main soul. All the soul power transformed into spectral threads. The ghost flames flared intensely, and countless spectral threads, like evil spirits' hair drifting from hell, swarmed towards the firebird that Elder Deficient Earth had transformed into.

The Ten Directions Yama Array, formed by six fully powered ghost banners, was more potent than a talisman treasure. However, Qin Sang, as the array master, had a vast disparity in strength compared to Elder Deficient Earth, which a few magic artifacts couldn't bridge. Fortunately, Qin Sang didn't expect the Ten Directions Yama Array to harm Elder Deficient Earth; it only needed to guide Daoist Master Xuanyu, and that would be enough!

The Ten Directions Yama Banner appeared too abruptly, completely catching Elder Deficient Earth off guard. He was entirely focused on Daoist Master Xuanyu and, disguised as a firebird, couldn't use spiritual energy or divine sense. His movements were far less agile than before, and by the time he detected the spectral threads, it was already too late.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

The spectral threads swept forth, instantly surrounding Elder Deficient Earth and scorching his soul.

"The Ten Directions Yama Banner!"

Elder Deficient Earth clearly recognized the infamous magic artifact of the Kuiyin Sect and immediately thought of Qin Sang, filled with surprise and fury. The ant he could have crushed with ease hadn't died; instead, it had lain in wait until now to gravely ambush him!

With the appearance of the Ten Directions Yama Banner, the swirling flocks of firebirds around were startled by the disturbance, instantly falling into a frenzy. Their cries suddenly became sharp and piercing. There were countless firebirds. Qin Sang's ears were filled only with the cries of the birds, buzzing loudly. If not for the protection of the jade Buddha, his soul would have instantly shattered. Elder Deficient Earth, moreover, was at the epicenter of the bird cries. Even with his powerful soul, he couldn't ignore the impact; the flames around him fluctuated violently, revealing the outline of his physical body. Once he made a move to resist, there would be no turning back. More and more startled firebirds swarmed to surround him.

Feeling the soaring power of the sonic assault, Elder Deficient Earth felt his soul waver, utterly horrified. To make matters worse, Daoist Master Xuanyu outside also detected the anomaly here. His Heavenly Gang Saber Talisman spun, locked onto Elder Deficient Earth, and vanished in a flash. Daoist Master Xuanyu was already resolved to die and didn't care if the path ahead was a dead end.

"You're asking for death!"

Elder Deficient Earth hated Qin Sang immensely. At such a critical moment, knowing there was no retreat, he actually struck out with a wave of spiritual energy, aiming to kill Qin Sang first! Qin Sang's heart sank. Without hesitation, he pointed to his Corpse Puppet Bag. Corpse-devils and zombies flew out simultaneously. The zombies were instantly annihilated by the spiritual energy as soon as they appeared. The two Corpse-devils, working together, only lasted for a moment. Then several more streaks of light rapidly flew out from his Mustard Seed Bag. These were various magic artifacts Qin Sang had accumulated over the years, all possessing defensive effects. Magic artifacts that Qin Sang valued would certainly not be weak, but they were also destroyed with overwhelming force.

Qin Sang's expression remained extremely calm, his peripheral vision constantly observing the surrounding situation. The firebirds also detected his presence, and streams of flaming hurricanes assaulted him. Qin Sang not only didn't dodge but protected his vital points, actively charging into one of the flames. He felt an intense pain throughout his body, falling gravely injured, but used the immense impact force to evade Elder Deficient Earth's attack. The spiritual energy grazed Qin Sang's back, easily tearing away a large piece of flesh and exposing bone. Wounded further, Qin Sang gasped sharply. Then his vision was suddenly filled with dazzling white light. The firebirds were engulfed by the white light, their screams carrying a hint of panic. Amidst the cries of the firebirds, there was also Daoist Master Xuanyu's fierce roar and Elder Deficient Earth's frenzied voice.

It's done!

Qin Sang's heart swelled with joy. Ignoring the intense pain in his body, he hastily recalled the Ten Directions Yama Banner. At the last moment, an audacious thought struck him; he actually propelled the spectral threads, quickly snatched something from the center of the white light, and then retreated rapidly. There wasn't a single uninjured spot on his entire body. Whether it was the flaming hurricane fanned by the firebirds or Elder Deficient Earth's attack, either was enough to kill him.

Thinking of the perilous situation just now, Qin Sang felt a lingering fear. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and hastily swallowed one of Elder Deficient Earth's healing pills, wiping away the scent of blood from his body before hiding himself once more. After retracting the Ten Directions Yama Banner, Qin Sang discovered that it had wrapped around Elder Deficient Earth's Mustard Seed Bag. His heart involuntarily swelled with delight. His risk hadn't been in vain; the destruction of those refined corpses and magic artifacts was worth it!

The Mustard Seed Bag had Elder Deficient Earth's restrictions on it, but since Elder Deficient Earth was dead, it had become ownerless. More importantly, Qin Sang realized that this restriction was composed of the power of the Thousand Illusory Divine Sound. Thanks to Elder Deficient Earth's coercion, his mastery of restrictions had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he was unusually familiar with the Thousand Illusory Divine Sound. With some effort, he should be able to break it.

Qin Sang suppressed his excitement, put away the Mustard Seed Bag, and cautiously observed the surrounding situation. He then saw a flash of white light emerge from the flock of firebirds: Daoist Master Xuanyu was incredibly powerful; he was still alive. The white light dimmed, revealing the tattered saber talisman within, along with a Golden Core covered in cracks.

"Crack!"

The Golden Core and the saber talisman shattered together, turning into specks of light and dissipating into nothingness. Daoist Master Xuanyu's soul flew out, extremely ethereal.

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