Chapter 534: Role Model

Qin Sang burst out laughing.

He had felt a hint of it earlier, and after boldly testing it, it proved true. Perhaps his true essence contained the Qingyang Divine Gang, which originated from the same source as the Qingyang Demonic Flames. This meant he was not afraid of the flames; even if he got contaminated, he could easily shake it off.

The most formidable technique of the Qingyang Demonic Sect cultivators was ineffective against him. To Qin Sang, the Qingyang Demonic Flames were no different from ordinary spiritual fires.

This allowed Qin Sang not only to break through formations recklessly but also gave him more confidence in escaping from his later battle with Wu Youdao, no longer needing to hold back.

Qin Sang sensed the true essence within his Corpse Core. Although his engagement with Wu Youdao hadn't been long, the consumption was incredibly fast. He couldn't recover true essence during combat, so he needed to escape Wu Youdao before his true essence was depleted. Before that, he absolutely could not show any weakness or allow Wu Youdao to notice anything amiss.

Qin Sang burst out of the flames.

Everyone, including Wu Youdao, was astonished by this scene. The Azure Flame Banner Formation was one of the strongest techniques wielded by the Qingyang Demonic Sect cultivators, using the Qingyang Demonic Flames. They had expected it to at least hinder Qin Sang's progress until Wu Youdao caught up, but it had no effect whatsoever. They didn't realize it was due to Qin Sang's peculiar true essence; instead, they thought Qin Sang possessed a treasure that could resist fire.

Qin Sang's gaze swept across the area. Suddenly, he flicked his finger, and the Blackwood Sword's sword energy surged, transforming into a streak of light that shot out rapidly.

They immediately realized Qin Sang was trying to destroy the three azure banners.

“Form!”

The three individuals controlling the azure banners remained calm in the face of danger. The three azure banners suddenly converged, flames rising from their surfaces to form a fiery barrier.

Qin Sang's decision not to flee but to attack the azure banners was exactly what they wanted. Although the Qingyang Demonic Flames condensed by the Azure Flame Banner Formation could no longer burn Qin Sang's true essence, their inherent power remained, and they were not easily destroyed. They only needed to delay him for a moment, and Martial Uncle Wu would catch up.

Unexpectedly, the Blackwood Sword completely ignored the azure banners, grazing past the banner formation and flashing repeatedly as it sped towards the flying boat above their heads.

“Oh no! The flying boat!”

The cultivator surnamed Li immediately reacted, crying out in alarm.

They had just arrived when they heard Wu Youdao's order to set up the Azure Flame Banner Formation. Daring not to delay, they hadn't had time to retrieve their flying boat.

‘Boom!’

The Blackwood Sword's radiant sword light, like a rainbow piercing the sun, struck the center of the flying boat. With a loud crash, the flying boat was forcibly knocked back dozens of meters, its spiritual light suddenly dimming. A shocking crack, clearly visible to the naked eye, appeared on the flying boat's port side, almost tearing the entire artifact in half.

Then, the flying boat tilted and plummeted from the sky!

After weighing his options, Qin Sang decided to destroy the flying boat first. Destroying the three azure banners wouldn't solve the problem; no one knew how many other members of the Qingyang Demonic Sect possessed such banners. However, a flying boat that could be jointly controlled by Foundation Establishment cultivators yet possess an escape speed comparable to a Core Formation cultivator was a very special type of magical artifact. Its refining difficulty was extremely high, and the spiritual materials required were no less precious than those for a Dharma treasure. Even Shaohua Mountain didn't have this type of artifact, and the Qingyang Demonic Sect likely wouldn't be able to produce a second one.

By destroying the flying boat, those Foundation Establishment disciples wouldn't be able to keep up with him. Once he created distance, he would only have to face Wu Youdao; otherwise, Wu Youdao would have a continuous stream of helpers.

The Blackwood Sword successfully struck its target. Qin Sang himself dared not linger, as Wu Youdao was still hot on his heels.

Wu Youdao had fallen for a trick once already, so it was impossible to scare him away with a feint again, unless Qin Sang was willing to detonate the Void Thunder. In such an open area, the Void Thunder would likely at most only tear a corner of Wu Youdao's clothes.

Maintaining his physical speed, Qin Sang suddenly swooped down towards the ground, adopting an aggressive stance, intending to force his way out of the formation of the Qingyang Demonic Sect disciples and retrieve his Mustard Seed Bag.

His target was not hard to choose, as Qin Sang spotted an acquaintance. Wen Yanjie! That fellow was carrying a coffin, which made him too conspicuous.

Qin Sang targeted Wen Yanjie with almost no hesitation, his figure flickering repeatedly, and in an instant, he was face to face with Wen Yanjie.

Unfortunately, Qin Sang's current appearance was too grotesque for Wen Yanjie to recognize anything from his face.

Wen Yanjie's cultivation ranked among the top five among his fellow disciples, but he was very low-key.

They were now facing a Core Formation master who could contend with Wu Youdao. If not for their fear of disobeying Wu Youdao's orders, they would have long since scattered. The more one sought the limelight, the faster one died. Wen Yanjie understood this principle very well.

He had thought that Martial Uncle Wu would be able to steadily take down their opponent. But to his utter surprise, the situation changed so rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the person easily shook off Wu Youdao and charged right in front of them, leaving them no chance to escape. Moreover, out of so many people, the opponent had specifically chosen him!

At this moment, Wen Yanjie realized how vulnerable he was. Wen Yanjie's face was filled with horror. The black coffin on his back exploded with a 'boom,' and a dark figure swiftly flew in front of him.

Seeing Wen Yanjie attempt to block him with the fiend corpse he had sold him, Qin Sang sneered inwardly, his right hand forming a claw. With even greater speed, he directly lunged towards the refined corpse's abdomen, piercing straight into its dantian. True essence surged out frantically, instantly destroying the fiend corpse's Qi Sea.

In an instant, they passed each other, and the refined corpse was torn to pieces.

The next moment, Qin Sang easily swatted away Wen Yanjie's magical artifact, then grabbed his neck. His gaze turned cold as he scanned the surroundings. His other palm suddenly rose and chopped down onto Wen Yanjie's forehead.

‘Splat!’

Wen Yanjie's head exploded like a watermelon. He didn't even utter a sound, dying on the spot. White and red matter splattered everywhere.

Qin Sang casually tossed the mangled corpse aside and said coldly, “Dare to block this old man again, and this person will be your example!”

All the Foundation Establishment cultivators, including the Core Formation cultivator surnamed Li, watched their faces change drastically. They gasped sharply and instinctively took a step back.

The Azure Flame Banner Formation had given them a false impression, making them believe they could intervene in a battle between Core Formation cultivators.

Only at this moment did they understand that with just three azure banners, they merely had the qualification to assist in the formation. If Wu Youdao couldn't suppress the opponent, and the opponent unleashed their full power to kill indiscriminately, the Azure Flame Banner Formation wouldn't be able to save their lives at all.

No one dared to stop Qin Sang again. He charged into the mountain forest below, striking the ground with a palm, creating a trench. Then, his true essence wrapped around the Mustard Seed Bag and several other treasures, making them leap out from underground.

Retrieving these treasures into his hand, Qin Sang's expression eased. He glanced back, then continued flying forward.

Those Foundation Establishment cultivators remained stunned in place, exchanging glances, not daring to pursue.

Wu Youdao still hadn't given up. Transforming into a streak of light, he relentlessly pursued Qin Sang. The two streaks of light, one following the other, quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

Knowing that these disciples couldn't help him in the short term, he left a command.

“Li Qing, return to the mountain now and go to the core forbidden area to see what this person stole! Repair the flying boat as quickly as possible, and gather all disciples who possess azure banners to come and assist me.”