Chapter 386: Thirteen Breaths

Silence.

A bluish-black ghostly claw tore through the void, and Qin Sang felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows. It was less than three inches away!

Qin Sang's eyes widened, staring intently at the ghostly claw so close to him. He could even clearly see the corpse poison flowing on the claw's inky-black nails.

He swung his arm violently!*Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!*

The Ten Directions Yama Banners flew out of his grasp, scattering in all directions. As they caught the wind, the ghostly banners grew, transforming into massive, man-sized flags that stood upright within the ice palace.

A strong ghostly wind began to howl. The pervasive yin energy made the already dim ice palace lose even its faint remaining light. This, coupled with the towering corpse energy that surged forth after the Flying Yaksha appeared.

At this moment, the ice palace resembled the eighteen layers of hell.

Qin Sang did not directly manipulate the Ten Directions Yama Banners to activate the Ten Directions Yama Array, nor did he choose to unleash the Heaven Corpse Talisman.

He immersed his consciousness into his Qi Sea. A mystic talisman, shaped like a jade tablet, emerged from his Dantian.

The Nine Dragon Heavenly Carriage Talisman!

Dragon roars shook the heavens. The mystic talisman shattered instantly, and a dragon soul roared forth. A Flood Dragon coiled around his body!

At this point, the ghostly claw was less than an inch from his forehead.

Qin Sang, who had seemed sluggish in front of the Flying Yaksha, suddenly moved with incredible agility, as if waking from a dream. In a blink of an eye, he swiftly shifted his body to the left.

*Whoosh!*

A pungent stench of corpse energy assailed his nostrils. By the narrowest margin, the ghostly claw grazed past his ear.

One breath!

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the Flying Yaksha passing by. Qin Sang suddenly twisted his body, contorting it into a bizarre angle.

The next moment, another ghostly claw brushed against his chest, tearing his magic robe to shreds.

Cold sweat beaded on Qin Sang's brow as he continued to evade.

The two figures repeatedly crisscrossed in the void, and Qin Sang dodged with difficulty.

Suddenly, the ice palace trembled slightly. The Flying Yaksha abruptly paused, turning its head to stare at the side chamber where Yun Youzi was. Qin Sang knew Yun Youzi had begun his move and couldn't allow the Flying Yaksha to be drawn to him.

Decisively, he stopped dodging, transformed his spiritual power into a sword, and launched an active assault.

Two breaths!

The Flying Yaksha was indeed enraged.

Three breaths!

Four breaths!

Relying on the Nine Dragon Heavenly Carriage Talisman, and his familiarity with the Flying Yaksha's movement patterns, gained from his previous probes.

Qin Sang had anticipated this and had done his utmost to maneuver, securing only two more breaths of time—it was his limit. He couldn't push himself any further, or he would die!

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

From his primordial spirit space, his spiritual consciousness surged out without reservation, locking firmly onto the Heaven Corpse Talisman inside the Flying Yaksha's head. Qin Sang's vision darkened, and the Flying Yaksha's grotesque face appeared before him, but at that moment, it froze. A chill ran down his throat. The ghostly claw's nails were on the verge of piercing his skin, but they, along with the Flying Yaksha, paused for an instant.

Qin Sang's figure darted back!

Five breaths!

The Flood Dragon's essence spirit whimpered and retreated back into his Qi Sea. Simultaneously, a ghostly wind howled, and the spectral flames flared up, burning fiercely.

Yet, the ice palace grew even colder, chilling to the bone!

The Ten Directions Yama Array.

The array activated!

The Heaven Corpse Talisman could only affect it for an instant; the Flying Yaksha immediately reawakened.

*Whoosh!*

Countless strands of nether soul threads emerged, wildly lunging at the Flying Yaksha.

These nether soul threads were vastly different from those formed by the six Ten Directions Yama Banners normally arrayed. Not only were they thicker, but the spectral flames attached to them were also much deeper, almost black, seemingly substantial, merging into a sea of fire.

They resembled flames, yet were black, extraordinarily eerie, like demonic fires birthed in the Nine Netherworlds, sending a chill down one's spine.

In an instant, the overwhelming nether soul threads surged forth, engulfing the Flying Yaksha.

A roar, unlike any human sound, erupted.

The Flying Yaksha retreated explosively.

Six breaths!

*Whoosh, whoosh...*

For the first time, Qin Sang clearly felt intense emotions emerging from the Flying Yaksha's pitch-black eyes.

Rage, killing intent, restlessness... and a faint hint of fear.

As expected of a living corpse, it stared at the black sea of fire, its countless threads wary due to being harmed by the nether soul threads and black flames, hesitating.

Seven breaths!

Eight breaths!

The Flying Yaksha suddenly vanished, only to be forced out by the black flames the next moment. Scorched by the nether soul threads, it felt pain and roared repeatedly, yet its momentum did not cease for a moment, its eyes fixed solely on Qin Sang. A black blade suddenly appeared before it, conjured by a spell.

The Flying Yaksha wielded the black blade, tearing through the nether soul threads and breaking open the black flames as if they were withered branches.

Nine breaths!

Simultaneously, two black figures, one on the left and one on the right, silently infiltrated the ice palace entrance.

This was the moment.

Qin Sang split a wisp of his spiritual consciousness, ordering the two refined corpses to charge into the side chamber.

"Transform into a ghoul!"

Qin Sang's attention remained entirely on the Ten Directions Yama Array. His hand seals rapidly shifted; the nether soul threads suddenly dispersed, and the main souls of the ghostly banners roared as they merged, transforming into a ferocious ghoul that stood before Qin Sang, bravely confronting the menacing Flying Yaksha.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Ten breaths!

Eleven breaths!

With a series of heavy blows, the fiendish ghoul, fearlessly tangling with the Flying Yaksha, was smashed to pieces. The Yama Banner's main soul shrieked in agony, dissipating into black smoke, and it would be difficult for it to reform in a short time.

The Flying Yaksha charged straight at him.

The brief exchange had severely overtaxed Qin Sang, leaving his face pale.

However, he had bought almost enough time.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face. He swallowed the few spiritual pills he had kept in his mouth, restoring some spiritual power. With a wave of his hand, he deactivated the Ten Directions Yama Array, the Flood Dragon's essence spirit reappeared, and he turned to flee.

*Whoosh!*

The two figures crossed paths again. Qin Sang exerted all his strength to evade the Flying Yaksha's sneak attack. As the Flying Yaksha brushed past Qin Sang, unexpectedly, a living corpse happened to have stealthily entered from the entrance and was directly struck by the Flying Yaksha.

The Flying Yaksha's movements were beyond Qin Sang's control; it seemed the living corpse was simply unlucky.

However, whether it was a living corpse or a fiendish corpse, only one needed to survive and enter the side chamber.

Qin Sang made a decisive choice, abandoning the living corpse and ordering it to attack the Flying Yaksha as if suicidal.

*Thud!*

The fist shadow was like lightning.

Just as the living corpse was about to be obliterated by the Flying Yaksha.

The next moment, a scene that astonished Qin Sang unfolded.

For some reason, the Flying Yaksha's fist froze in front of the living corpse, and a human-like expression of struggle appeared on the Flying Yaksha's face. That punch actually failed to land!

Then, the Flying Yaksha roared and, astonishingly, chose to abandon the living corpse, reappearing beside the fiendish corpse not far away.

*Boom!*

The fiendish corpse's head was instantly blown apart.

Twelve breaths!

What happened?

Why did the Flying Yaksha not attack the living corpse but show no mercy to the fiendish corpse?

Qin Sang was utterly bewildered. The biggest difference between a fiendish corpse and a living corpse was the Heaven Corpse Talisman, yet the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art* had never mentioned anything similar. Although a living corpse was called such, its essence was no different from a fiendish corpse; it was a tool for slaughter. There shouldn't be a scenario where two living corpses met and became sentimental.

Qin Sang racked his brain but couldn't understand, yet the situation didn't allow him to ponder the reason for long.

After obliterating the fiendish corpse, the Flying Yaksha's figure vanished once more.

Qin Sang immediately sensed something amiss behind him, and a chill ran down his spine.

Indeed, the Flying Yaksha once again ignored the living corpse and came straight for him. Without hesitation, Qin Sang immediately ordered the living corpse to charge into the side chamber, while simultaneously retreating explosively.

Only three breaths of time remained. It wasn't difficult.