Chapter 390: The Cost

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed blindingly.

Above the secluded pool, Yu Hua hovered, besieged by a swarm of Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons. Evidently, he didn't possess the Drunken Demon Saliva refined by Wanderer Yun, and his entry had disturbed these ancient beasts.

Beneath Yu Hua, a massive, translucent, hemispherical light shield enveloped him, flickering erratically as it fended off the Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons' attacks. The Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons were enraged, emitting sharp, strange cries as they continuously shot lightning from their single horns, striking the light shield. A layer of lightning had accumulated on the shield's surface, resembling a pool of liquid thunder, making it appear precarious.

Despite Yu Hua's cultivation level, he was unexpectedly entangled by the Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons and couldn't break free immediately. This demonstrated the terrifying power of the Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons' divine abilities. Fortunately, they had the Drunken Demon Saliva; otherwise, if he and Wanderer Yun had alerted the Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons, their chances of survival would have been slim.

"So Zhao Yan fell into your hands?" Yu Hua recognized Qin Sang, immediately realized something, and instantly understood many things. His eyes darkened with uncertainty as he said coldly, "That useless fellow! He commanded the Heart-Devouring Worm, yet you managed to kill him. That's truly unexpected. No wonder I couldn't find him for so many years."

"Wait!"

"So... the Nine Illusory Sky Orchid is with you!"

A look of ecstatic joy suddenly appeared on Yu Hua's face. He knew about the Nine Illusory Sky Orchid!

Qin Sang's heart tightened, murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He stared coldly at Yu Hua, saying nothing, then suddenly waved his hand, unleashing a beam of golden light. The Soul-Binding Rope shot out like a dragon emerging from water, instantly sweeping towards Yu Hua, poised to ensnare him in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Qin Sang was effectively teaming up with the Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons. Even if Yu Hua was a False Core cultivator, he might not be invincible, and such an opportunity was extremely rare, so Qin Sang naturally wouldn't miss it. Unexpectedly, Yu Hua didn't dodge; instead, a cold smile played on his lips.

'Crack!'

The light shield rippled, and the liquid thunder vibrated, creating ripples. A surge of lightning was actually shaken out from the light shield, transforming into several incredibly swift and violently precise bolts of lightning that struck the Soul-Binding Rope.

Qin Sang was caught off guard, too late to recall the Soul-Binding Rope. With a loud 'boom', the Soul-Binding Rope was engulfed by lightning. Its spiritual light was directly dispersed by the powerful electricity, its form dimmed, and it fell to the ground, covered in cracks and clearly rendered unusable.

Qin Sang's face turned pale. Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough, withdrawing his spiritual sense from the Soul-Binding Rope in time, thus avoiding harm. But a top-grade magical artifact of excellent quality was so easily destroyed, and it was a particularly useful restraining artifact, which caused Qin Sang immense heartache.

So that was how the lightning that had just attacked him came about. Although Yu Hua hadn't broken free, he could skillfully harness the surrounding liquid thunder to counterattack. It would be difficult to launch a sneak attack on Yu Hua at an opportune moment. No wonder Yu Hua acted with such impunity.

However, Qin Sang hadn't expected the Soul-Binding Rope to truly trap Yu Hua. The instant the Soul-Binding Rope was destroyed by lightning, a phantom sword shadow slowly materialized not far from Yu Hua. When Yu Hua forced him out of the shadows, Qin Sang had split his attention to release the Ebony Sword, planning ahead as it stealthily burrowed forward.

Due to the vast power gap between them, although Qin Sang possessed the divine ability of 'Man and Sword as One, Formless Evasion,' he feared being discovered and only dared to control the Ebony Sword to approach cautiously. The Soul-Binding Rope was merely a diversion to draw Yu Hua's attention and provide cover for the Ebony Sword. However, the cost was too great, as the Soul-Binding Rope was directly destroyed. Fortunately, the Ebony Sword successfully infiltrated near Yu Hua.

'Whoosh!'

The instant Yu Hua vibrated the light shield, the Ebony Sword seized the opportunity to get closer to Yu Hua. Since further approach risked easy detection and would negate any element of surprise, Qin Sang decided then and there to fully activate his spiritual sword. Sword energy erupted, thrusting towards Yu Hua!

By the time Yu Hua discovered the Ebony Sword's presence, it was too late to dodge. Sensing the Ebony Sword's unusually sharp aura, he immediately realized it wasn't an ordinary spiritual sword. The sneer on his face vanished abruptly. He gave Qin Sang a cold glance, then suddenly struck out with two black orbs from his palm.

Profound Yin Thunder!

Qin Sang recognized them instantly. Although the Profound Yin Thunder's power was strong, the current Ebony Sword was no longer an ordinary item. It might be damaged by the Profound Yin Thunder's impact, but not severely, at most requiring a longer period of nurturing. Compared to killing Yu Hua, this small cost was nothing. Thinking of this, Qin Sang hardened his resolve. The Ebony Sword not only didn't dodge but actually sped up by a third.

Unexpectedly, Yu Hua didn't direct the Profound Yin Thunder directly at the Ebony Sword; instead, it was aimed at the light shield.

Just as Qin Sang felt puzzled, a deafening 'boom' sounded as the Profound Yin Thunder exploded right in front of the light shield. At this point, the light shield was in a stalemate with the liquid thunder. The sudden explosion of the Profound Yin Thunder immediately broke that equilibrium.

The instant the light shield shattered, Yu Hua roared furiously. His hand seal suddenly changed, and the shattered fragments of the shield abruptly transformed into a storm. It harnessed the force to sweep up a portion of the liquid thunder and surged directly towards the Ebony Sword. The storm wasn't simply Profound Yin Thunder; instead, it gathered the combined power of Profound Yin Thunder, a swarm of Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons, and a False Core expert. It was extremely terrifying. If the Ebony Sword continued to pursue Yu Hua, it would be directly hit by this violent surge of energy!

Qin Sang's expression changed drastically. The Ebony Sword was his natal spiritual sword, and the killing talismans on it were closely tied to his cultivation method; it absolutely could not be destroyed. How could he still bother with pursuing Yu Hua? Qin Sang hurriedly recalled the Ebony Sword. Unexpectedly, Yu Hua became relentless at this point, forcefully twisting the storm's direction to continue pursuing the Ebony Sword.

Although the Ebony Sword was fast, the storm was even faster. Seeing his natal spiritual sword about to be swallowed by the storm, Qin Sang's eyes nearly burst. He let out a roar and fiercely slapped out a black stone. The Black Dragon Stone rapidly expanded, finally intercepting just before the storm hit, crossing paths with the Ebony Sword and narrowly blocking the storm.

In his vision, only endless white light remained.

Qin Sang felt a sharp pain in his chest as a powerful impact struck him. He groaned, slamming hard against the ice wall behind him, the pain unbearable. When the white light dissipated, the passage in front of him, including the Black Dragon Stone, had completely vanished, replaced by a massive void.

'Splash!'

River water poured in, expanding the secluded pool's area dozens of times.

Qin Sang clutched his chest, his face pale. Fortunately, the Black Dragon Stone had detonated the storm, and the impact he suffered was merely an aftermath; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. But Qin Sang paid a very heavy price: the Soul-Binding Rope and the Black Dragon Stone, two top-grade magical artifacts, were destroyed, yet he only managed to provoke Yu Hua to use two Profound Yin Thunder orbs, without injuring him. In contrast, Yu Hua decisively detonated two precious Profound Yin Thunder orbs, thereby escaping his predicament. No matter how he calculated it, Qin Sang was at a loss.

"Is this the power of a False Core cultivator?"

Qin Sang was inwardly appalled. His gaze sharpened as he noticed a grey shadow flash into view, rushing towards him. Looking at the Flying-Horned Fish-Dragons in the secluded pool again, they too were buffeted by the aftermath of the explosion, swaying unsteadily.

Qin Sang hastily reached into his mustard seed bag, and a large banner was planted into the ground. Endless yellow sand immediately filled the ice cave.