Chapter 401: The World-Shocking Battle

Qin Sang did not act rashly.

Without a doubt, he sincerely hoped that Yun Youzi would achieve his desires, heal his hidden injuries, and see his cultivation advance rapidly.

This was not only due to the friendship between them.

Unless Qin Sang had the opportunity and time to focus on alchemy after forming his Core, he would inevitably need to invite an alchemist to help refine the Calamity-Transcending Elixir to achieve the Nascent Soul stage.

The remuneration was secondary; the key was whether the person had sufficient ability and could be trusted.

It was not easy to find an alchemist worthy of trust. Even ordinary treasures could sway hearts, let alone a divine elixir like the Calamity-Transcending Elixir.

What was rare was Yun Youzi's exceptional talent in alchemy. During his early Foundation Establishment stage, he had a seventy to eighty percent chance of successfully refining the Profound-Pattern Harmony Elixir, which was quite telling.

Qin Sang stepped back a few paces, standing still and quietly observing Yun Youzi.

Of course, his spiritual sense vaguely lingered on Yun Youzi; if Yun Youzi's situation worsened, he would still provide help.

It had not yet reached that point.

On the path of cultivation, every predicament was a test and refinement of one's practice. Qin Sang had a deep understanding of this.

What Yun Youzi was currently facing was his own predicament, which might even be an opportunity for a complete transformation. If Qin Sang were to intervene directly, it might cause Yun Youzi to lose this valuable chance.

Moreover, once he acted, he would have to find a way to explain how he remained unharmed in the cold wind. Regardless of their good relationship, the existence of the jade Buddha absolutely could not be revealed to anyone.

One step, two steps...

Yun Youzi's strides grew smaller and the intervals between them longer, but he continued to advance, getting closer and closer to the Night-Looming Lily.

The tremors in the ice cave became more violent and frequent, but they could not distract Yun Youzi.

He was completely focused, his aged body emanating a faint aura. His steps were arduous, yet within him burned an unceasing spark.

The Night-Looming Lily bloomed just ahead, emitting immense temptation.

However, there was no sign of eagerness or greed on Yun Youzi's face. His expression remained as calm as an ancient well, showing neither joy nor sorrow, regardless of whether a step was successful or not.

It seemed that even if he ultimately failed, froze to death here, and perished on the Dao, it would not affect him.

Qin Sang watched silently, thoughtfully, lowering his head slightly. Reflecting on his experiences since embarking on the path of immortality, his state of mind seemed to have subtly shifted.

"Rumble..."

Suddenly, a deafening roar startled Qin Sang from his contemplation.

The ice cave violently shook!

Qin Sang abruptly looked up and turned to face forward.

This sound was extraordinary.

"Whoosh!"

The next moment, countless ice shards surged into the ice cave like a tide.

In that instant, the spiritual energy within the ice cave was churned into extreme chaos.

Qin Sang suddenly sensed a disturbance behind him from Yun Youzi. He turned to look and saw the green lamp on Yun Youzi's chest suddenly ignite with a flame the size of a bean, melting the surrounding ice.

Yun Youzi roared, his eyes wide, fixed intently on the Night-Looming Lily. He stomped his foot violently and lunged forward like a falcon, instantly reaching a position just one step away from the Night-Looming Lily!

Qin Sang couldn't help but secretly praise him. Due to the sudden change ahead, the continuous cold wind momentarily became chaotic. This window of opportunity was extremely brief, lasting only an instant.

Yun Youzi indeed did not disappoint him; he went all out and shrewdly seized the chance.

After rushing a significant distance, Yun Youzi once again stood still. This burst had consumed too much of his energy, requiring time to recover. However, it was all worth it; the Night-Looming Lily was now within arm's reach, easily obtainable.

As expected, Yun Youzi would be able to collect the Night-Looming Lily without Qin Sang's help.

Qin Sang withdrew his gaze, fixing it on the depths of the ice cave. The earlier loud bang seemed like a premonition; the tremors began to become more frequent. He wondered if their ice cave was located within an ice mountain or at the bottom of an ice plain.

In any case, the entire world seemed to be shaking violently.

Qin Sang could sense that the source was not near them, but far ahead. They were merely affected by the aftermath, yet the ice cave seemed so fragile.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, a thunderous crack echoed, as if an ice mountain had collapsed, shaking the very heavens.

Qin Sang's expression subtly changed. He glanced at Yun Youzi, then quietly soared forward.

After moving a certain distance, Qin Sang suddenly stopped. He looked down at the fractured ice layer beneath his feet and the deep chasm below it. He gasped, taking a step back with lingering fear.

This seemed to be the entrance to the ice cave.

As Qin Sang was about to survey his surroundings, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a scene high in the distant sky. His eyes suddenly narrowed, and his expression drastically changed. He quickly hid behind a block of ice at the ice cave entrance, holding his breath and not daring to move.

He cautiously raised his head and looked upwards.

High above, a bluish-white wind enveloped the sky.

This wind was the true form of the Profound Frost Malefic Wind. In fact, the Profound Frost Malefic Wind should inherently be blue, but wherever it existed, it was always an extremely cold and desolate place where ice and snow coexisted, tinting the wind bluish-white and making it easily observable with the naked eye.

Nothing else was visible except for the Profound Frost Malefic Wind.

However, for some unknown reason, a rift had appeared in the otherwise seamless Profound Frost Malefic Wind. Through this rift, Qin Sang surprisingly saw three figures suspended in mid-air.

The fleeting glimpse sent a shock through Qin Sang's mind.

Two of them were humans, both wearing black robes, looking somewhat familiar.

In front of one of them floated a massive circular turtle shell. Through this Mystic Turtle Shell, Qin Sang recognized that these two black-robed figures were the mysterious experts they had encountered after entering the inner valley of Boundless Valley.

It could now be confirmed that they were indeed Nascent Soul cultivators!

Being within the Profound Frost Malefic Wind, able to not only withstand its erosion but also fight within it, was something only Nascent Soul cultivators could achieve.

The other person held a spiritual sword. Qin Sang happened to see him unleash a sword strike, its energy cleaving through the malefic wind and splitting the sky.

The rift was, in fact, a sword mark!

It was a move from the "Shadowless Sword Art"!

Having heard Yun Youzi describe the "Shadowless Sword Art," Qin Sang could now identify it. This person was from the Wuji Sect, and he was likely the one who killed the Star Poison Frog.

However, he was not just a late-stage Core Formation expert as they had initially guessed.

This person was a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator, the Sect Master of Wuji Sect!

The other figure was not human; it resembled a large, hawk-like demonic beast. Its body was enormous, and its wings, when spread, could obscure the sky. Qin Sang could not see its full appearance, only half of its body through the rift.

Its feathers shimmered with unceasing lightning, as if it were a thunderous beast born amidst lightning. A single flap of its wings could conjure a thunderstorm, possessing world-destroying power!

Just now, it was this beast that flapped its wings, unleashing a dazzling lightning pillar that deflected the Wuji Sect Master's sword energy and forced the other black-robed person to activate the Mystic Turtle Shell in defense.

"Could it be a Thunder-Swallowing Falcon?"

Qin Sang recalled ancient texts he had read and found a demonic beast that matched the description.

Without a doubt, this Thunder-Swallowing Falcon in the air was a great demon in the Transformation stage, and it was likely more than just that, as it was capable of contending against two Nascent Soul cultivators!