Chapter 408: Escape

Although the grand formation was not yet complete, a vast and ancient aura was brewing within it. The sea of wind was pushed back by the formation, revealing a large opening. This aura was no longer something a Xuanwu bloodline could possess, making one wonder if the formation's ultimate form would evolve into the legendary divine beast, Xuanwu.

Sensing danger, the Thunder-Swallowing Falcon became even more frantic; the lightning on its body mixed with faint traces of blood qi, burning its vital essence. Its wings spread wide, all its feathers bristled. Bathed in lightning, it transformed into a thunderbird, controlling lightning with its wings, and even summoning the vast and boundless Profound Frost Fiendish Wind. The fiendish wind and lightning merged, constantly shifting and unpredictable. Countless wind blades and thunderous storms obscured the sky, raining down upon the Sect Master Wuji and the other person.

The black-robed man was fully focused on preparing the grand formation, unable to move. Sect Master Wuji could not dodge. He raised his sword horizontally in front of his chest, and his sword qi manifested into a massive wall to resist. The massive wall of sword qi only held for a moment before being shattered. Sect Master Wuji continued to condense new massive walls, but his sword qi grew increasingly thin, and he would not be able to hold on for much longer. The black-robed man's Xuanwu Armor Formation was nearing completion.

The battle's scope was extremely wide, as the full power unleashed by Nascent Soul cultivators was terrifying. The ground was shaking. Especially on the ice mountain, countless cracks were visibly spreading, becoming increasingly dense. The ice mountain trembled violently, and ice chunks of all sizes frequently crashed down and rolled away.

Qin Sang reluctantly withdrew his gaze. He wished even more to witness firsthand what kind of earth-shattering battle would ensue when a Nascent Soul cultivator, having meticulously prepared a grand formation, clashed with a Thunder-Swallowing Falcon burning its vital essence. He wanted to see who the ultimate victor would be. But he dared not stay here; even if the ice mountain wasn't destroyed now, it certainly wouldn't be spared soon, and his escape route would be cut off.

Qin Sang swiftly moved towards the ice mountain, found the ice cave he had used to enter, and saw that about half of it had already collapsed. Turning his head, he glanced at the distant battlefield. Qin Sang showed an envious expression, fixed the scene firmly in his mind, then turned and rushed into the ice cave. The ice cave was filled with large cracks. Qin Sang moved nimbly, passing the spot where the Night Orchid Lilies grew, and saw that the spiritual array had been broken and the Night Orchid Lilies had already been taken by Yun Youzi. Yun Youzi was nowhere to be seen.

Continuing his flight, he finally reached the ice wall sealed by restrictions. The ice mountain was on the verge of destruction. Under the immense pressure of nature's power, the restrictions on the ice wall surprisingly became visible, flickering erratically, and would soon be destroyed along with the ice mountain. Qin Sang knew the restrictions like the back of his hand. He easily broke them and swiftly entered the ice palace, finding it empty; Yun Youzi was not resting there. It was likely that Yun Youzi had also sensed the unusual changes in the ice cave and dared not linger, preferring to leave and find a safe place to refine the Night Orchid Lilies elsewhere. This was good, as it saved him the trouble of explaining.

Just as he was about to step into the teleportation array, Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he stopped. He suddenly summoned his Five Elements Breaking Sword and thrust it towards several weak points in the restrictions on the ice wall.

*Crack!*

A crack suddenly appeared on the ice wall. Qin Sang sheathed his sword and stepped into the teleportation array. After he left, the cold wind finally destroyed the ice wall and swept inward, destroying the teleportation array as well.

At this moment, Qin Sang's figure had already appeared in the side chamber. After leaving the Flying Yaksha's activity range, Qin Sang was not in a hurry to leave. He felt no tremor here, indicating that the battle was not nearby. Moreover, Wuyuan Valley was filled with numerous ancient restrictions, and its space was bizarre, defying conventional reasoning. He wondered what methods that senior had used to leave a teleportation restriction here that could span the inner valley of Wuyuan Valley, allowing one to sneak near the Thunder-Swallowing Falcon's nest and steal natural treasures.

Sitting cross-legged on the icy path, Qin Sang circulated his cultivation art to recuperate. After his Qi Sea recovered, he awoke from meditation and eagerly opened his mustard seed bag, taking out the Purgatory Blood Mulberry to examine it. As his divine sense probed the mustard seed bag, Qin Sang's expression suddenly froze. Along with the Purgatory Blood Mulberry, he also took out several spirit woods, which Qin Sang had bought at a high price in Yin Mountain Pass and hadn't yet had time to let the Ebony Sword devour. These spirit woods originally varied in shape and color, diverse in their forms. Now, two of these spirit woods had actually turned blood red, despite their original color being clearly green! Not only had they become blood-colored wood, but their spiritual essence was also completely destroyed, turning them into useless wood!

Just now, Qin Sang had hastily stolen the Purgatory Blood Mulberry, only having time to toss it into his mustard seed bag, where it happened to land between these two spirit woods. In such a short time, the spreading bloody light had actually corroded the two spirit woods. Qin Sang was surprised. Despite the heavy losses, he felt a hint of pleasant surprise.

He wrapped the Purgatory Blood Mulberry in spiritual power. After a careful examination, Qin Sang suddenly cast several restrictions to seal the bloody light, only then feeling at ease to put it back into his mustard seed bag. He dared not hastily let the Ebony Sword devour the Purgatory Blood Mulberry. When the Ebony Sword refined the Purgatory Blood Mulberry, it would transform into a magic treasure, and unknown changes might occur, causing it to escape his control. He needed to wait until he was settled, then carefully study it for a period and plan thoroughly.

Putting away the Purgatory Blood Mulberry, Qin Sang also checked his mustard seed bag, a wry smile appearing on his face. He hadn't expected that assisting Yun Youzi this time would lead to one unexpected event after another, truly a series of twists and turns, resulting in heavy losses. Several useful magic artifacts were destroyed, his elixirs were almost depleted, and his mustard seed bag was nearly empty, looking very sparse. The Corpse Puppet Bag was also empty. Fortunately, his gains were astonishing. He had learned to control magic treasures, gaining a formidable self-defense method. This piece of Purgatory Blood Mulberry had resolved his worries; at least before forming his Golden Core, he wouldn't need to expend resources or painstakingly search for spirit wood to enhance the Ebony Sword. Of course, Wushang's written message was also very important. Whether this method succeeded or not, under Wushang's guidance, Qin Sang at least knew a path to forming his Golden Core.

Thinking of Wushang's message, Qin Sang remembered the Heavenly Corpse Talisman still within his soul. He inwardly observed his soul space. Around his soul, a faint glimmer still shone, and the Heart-Eating Gu worm lay quietly, having fallen silent. His soul itself seemed unchanged. Qin Sang 'watched' for a moment when a thought flashed through his mind. The Buddha's shadow suddenly appeared, and bright yellow light instantly bloomed within his soul. Immediately after, wisps of gray aura seemed to be repelled from his soul, swept away completely. The Heavenly Corpse Talisman was expelled by the Jade Buddha!

Qin Sang withdrew his consciousness from his soul space, undid the restrictions on his body, opened his eyes, raised his right hand, and clenched it tightly. He could already feel the changes in his body; the corporeal transformation had stopped. That bloodthirsty urge gradually faded; though a faint, slight urge still lingered, he could easily suppress it. Because the time was short, his corporeal transformation was very shallow. According to Wushang, he only needed to find a few common spirit herbs rich in Yang qi, and consuming them would restore him. Qin Sang meticulously checked his physical body and found no insurmountable hidden dangers. Only then did he let out a long breath, truly feeling relieved. He stood up and swiftly moved outside.