Chapter 535: The Veil of the Ten Directions Yama Banner

Qin Sang chose to flee directly west.

Heading east would lead to Boundless Valley, where a beast tide had emerged, driving out all the cultivators training there. To the south was Qingyang Market, and no one could be sure if any masters were hidden within. Qin Sang didn't want to escape Wu Youdao only to be targeted by others, allowing someone else to reap the benefits.

West of the Qingyang Demonic Sect lay a vast territory with very sparse spiritual energy. This area was inhabited solely by mortals, with no cultivators establishing sects or schools. At most, there were cultivators dispatched by various sects to manage mortal affairs, but their cultivation levels were generally not high.

Wu Youdao and Qin Sang, one pursuing, one fleeing, had flown over countless mountains and rivers, now far from the Qingyang Demonic Sect. They had exchanged blows several times along the way.

Wu Youdao's Natal Magic Treasure was indeed extraordinary. The Qingyang Demonic Flame spewing from his gourd was not only incredibly concentrated but also far more powerful than ordinary Qingyang Demonic Flame. Moreover, it could condense and disperse at will, sometimes forming swords, spears, and halberds, and at other times spreading into a vast sea of fire, displaying remarkable flexibility.

In comparison, the Ebony Sword's techniques seemed too singular. Qin Sang had to rack his brain, employing various sword arts to compensate, barely managing to contend with Wu Youdao. At this moment, Qin Sang held the Ten Directions Yama Banner, secretly racing against time to refine this magic treasure. Only by relying on the Ten Directions Yama Banner could he counter Wu Youdao's fiery gourd.

Qin Sang chose not to use the Nine Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman because its speed boost was limited, and Wu Youdao's sudden acceleration via a secret art was still fresh in his memory. Wu Youdao must have sensed the Ebony Sword's weakness and was preparing to slowly suppress him. Qin Sang knew clearly that if he didn't put up a good fight and demonstrate his strength to make Wu Youdao retreat in the face of difficulty, merely using the Nine Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman wouldn't shake him off. It was better to save it as a surprise move and fully focus on refining the Ten Directions Yama Banner.

Qin Sang had possessed the Ten Directions Yama Banner for a long time and had used it to slay several opponents, making him very familiar with it. Thus, his refining speed was fast. Previously, when he used the Ten Directions Yama Banner, he relied on the power of the Ten Directions Yama Formation's main soul, understanding what it did but not why. In other words, he knew nothing about the Ten Directions Yama Banner or the Nine Nether Demonic Flame. He had no idea what was inside the Ten Directions Yama Banner or why, when activated, it produced a strange flame instead of myriad living souls. What was the relationship between the Nine Nether Demonic Flame and the Ten Directions Yama Banner?

As he refined it step by step, the mysterious veil of the Ten Directions Yama Banner was slowly being lifted for him. Qin Sang had thought that the Dharma Artifact version of the Ten Directions Yama Banner required not only tricking others into becoming its main soul but also absorbing the power of countless living souls to reach completion. The Magic Treasure version, he feared, would be even more demanding! It was not only the prized treasure of the Kuiyin Sect but also Patriarch Kuiyin's famous magic treasure. It had once terrified the Little Cold Domain, and it was said that when ten banners formed a formation, they could contend with top-grade magic treasures!

Qin Sang had initially believed this to be an extremely malevolent magic treasure, likely having devoured an incalculable number of living souls. However, as Qin Sang gradually gained control over the Ten Directions Yama Banner, he realized he seemed to have been mistaken. The Ten Directions Yama Banner was not the purgatory he had imagined. There were no countless living souls or wailing ghosts within; there was only one thing — the Nine Nether Demonic Flame! The Nine Nether Demonic Flame resembled a dormant black dragon, coiled within the Ten Directions Yama Banner's space.

The deeper he refined it, the stronger Qin Sang's feeling became: this magic treasure seemed to be a container for sealing the Nine Nether Demonic Flame, as the treasure itself possessed no combat ability, relying entirely on the Nine Nether Demonic Flame for engagement with others. However, Qin Sang felt no disappointment, because after gaining control of the Nine Nether Demonic Flame, he discovered that the demonic flame he had previously summoned was merely a fraction of its true power. The true Nine Nether Demonic Flame was no less potent than the Qingyang Demonic Flame from Wu Youdao's fiery gourd. In fact, Qin Sang had a vague feeling, for some unknown reason, that while the Nine Nether Demonic Flame might not be as powerful as the Ancestral Saint Fire on Divine Gang Peak, it might surpass it in its unique properties.

He could discern a myriad of connections between the Ancestral Saint Fire and the Qingyang Demonic Flame. The formation of the Ancestral Saint Fire, even if not man-made, was undeniably linked to the ancestors of the Qingyang Demonic Sect. Despite having read numerous ancient texts, Qin Sang still had no clue about the origin of the Nine Nether Demonic Flame. This peculiar flame could certainly not be forged by human hands. Qin Sang wondered what method Patriarch Kuiyin had used to subdue it, making it so docile and amenable to being controlled by the master of the Ten Directions Yama Banner.

They flew over another large river. Ahead, a plain appeared, and a city could be vaguely seen. The commotion caused by Qin Sang and Wu Youdao's flight was significant, startling the mortals below. The city walls were filled with soldiers, who watched the two streaks of light with terror. As the saying goes, when immortals fight, mortals suffer.

At this moment, Qin Sang finally completed the refinement of the Ten Directions Yama Banner. The banner automatically flew to his chest, its surface rippling with black flames, poised to erupt. Qin Sang glanced left and right, changed direction, bypassed the city, and flew towards the desolate mountains and wilderness. Wu Youdao seized the opportunity. His fiery gourd flashed with blue light, and a stream of flame shot out, forming a long arrow as thick as an arm, aiming directly for Qin Sang's back.

This time, Qin Sang had no intention of fleeing further. If he continued, the true essence of his Corpse Core would be depleted. He recalled the Ebony Sword, then pointed a finger at the Ten Directions Yama Banner, and a surge of black flame immediately gushed from the banner.

Boom! The two streams of fire collided in mid-air. After the explosion, blue and black flames danced wildly. The soaring aftermath directly shattered a massive boulder on a nearby hilltop.

“Nine Nether Demonic Flame?” Wu Youdao's pupils constricted. He immediately recognized the Nine Nether Demonic Flame's origin and instantly questioned, “The Ten Directions Yama Banner? Are you a remnant of the Kuiyin Sect?”

“Fellow Daoist Wu, open your eyes. There's not even bone dust left of the Kuiyin Sect's dead. This old man wants no association with that ill-fated sect,” Qin Sang cackled strangely. He sighed inwardly, knowing he couldn't hide it from Wu Youdao's sharp eyes. As fellow demonic sects, they undoubtedly knew the Kuiyin Sect's famous magic treasures inside and out.

In this battle, Qin Sang had exposed both the Ebony Sword and the Ten Directions Yama Banner. While he didn't need to worry about it now, he wouldn't be able to switch magic treasures later, nor could he stay in reclusive cultivation forever. It would likely be difficult to keep his identity hidden indefinitely; the Qingyang Demonic Sect would eventually discover it was him. However, to escape as quickly as possible, Qin Sang no longer cared about such concerns. In Wu Youdao's eyes, Qin Sang was already a genuine Core Formation cultivator. Being discovered later wouldn't be a big deal. He had only stolen a small amount of Qingyang Divine Gang and casually killed a Foundation Establishment disciple. Qin Sang knew Wen Yanjie's background very well. How could they possibly pursue and kill a Core Formation cultivator with ties to the Eight Orthodox Sects over such a minor grudge?

“Fellow Daoist Wu, I've told you countless times that I needed the Qiantian Divine Gang and had no other choice but to sneak in and steal a small piece of your esteemed sect's Gang Jade. I touched nothing else, nor would I dare covet your sect's forbidden grounds. Why do you relentlessly pursue this old man?” Qin Sang shouted while activating the Ten Directions Yama Banner.