Chapter 584: Nemesis

Qin Sang was initially skeptical, but repeated verifications proved the information extracted from Yu Hua to be accurate. This information enabled him to ambush and kill Daoist Jiupao, seizing his golden core.

He suspected that Yu Hua might secretly hold another mysterious and high-ranking identity within the Kuiyin Sect, which would explain his detailed knowledge of Daoist Jiupao.

At that time, Yu Hua's primordial spirit was sealed by the Celestial Corpse Talisman, and the three Golden Core cultivators of the Kuiyin Sect were also dead, making verification impossible.

Now, it seemed, all of this was likely due to Yi Tiannie.

Yi Tiannie, being Daoist Jiupao's martial uncle and having watched him grow up, knew him inside and out. It was perfectly normal for Yi Tiannie to understand Daoist Jiupao's true capabilities.

Daoist Jiupao's physical body was shattered, and his golden core severely damaged, barely allowing him to escape with his life.

Yi Tiannie didn't seem much stronger.

However, he wondered about the relationship between Yi Tiannie and Yu Hua back then. Why did Yi Tiannie not contact Daoist Jiupao, but instead secretly investigate him?

Hearing the name 'Yu Hua,' Yi Tiannie suddenly erupted in rage.

"That treacherous disciple! I was fortunate to escape with a remnant soul back then and hid inside his body. My lifespan was nearing its end, and I was gravely injured. Thankfully, I had once obtained a secret ghostly art, which allowed me to burn my divine soul, forsake reincarnation, and cultivate the ghost path to prolong my life.

"Unexpectedly, that ambitious scoundrel, who outwardly appeared obedient, took advantage of my weakness while I was cultivating the ghost path to betray and ambush me, turning me into a wandering spirit.

"Later, he even imprisoned my soul, treating it as a plaything, wantonly humiliating me and coercing me for secret techniques.

"I wish I could tear him into a thousand pieces!

"And I must thank you for slaying that villain, helping me escape his clutches. You also avenged me greatly by refining him into a living corpse, condemning him to never be reborn!"

Qin Sang scoffed upon hearing this, "He'll never be reborn, but how much better off are you?"

Now he understood how Yi Tiannie had survived until now.

No one knew if reincarnation truly existed in this world, yet everyone harbored a shred of hope that the Heavenly Dao might offer a glimmer of life in despair.

Ghostly secret arts were all incredibly strange and malevolent.

Yi Tiannie's reliance on ghostly secret arts to extend his life came at an enormous cost and certainly wouldn't last long. Some of these arts not only caused the loss of the ability to seize a body but also resulted in the complete annihilation of the divine soul at the moment of death, leading to the same fate as Yu Hua!

At the same time, Qin Sang suddenly realized why Yi Tiannie had remained dormant until now.

When Yi Tiannie was controlled by Yu Hua, his divine soul must have been extremely weak; otherwise, with his late Golden Core cultivation, a hundred Yu Huas couldn't have suppressed him.

To maintain control over Yi Tiannie, Yu Hua certainly wouldn't have given him a chance to recover.

When Qin Sang captured Yu Hua, he was unaware of Yi Tiannie's presence. Yi Tiannie had hidden himself and then remained dormant within Yu Hua's body, secretly observing Qin Sang.

Given Yi Tiannie's cultivation before his death, even in his weakened state, possessing one or two concealment techniques would make it easy to deceive Qin Sang's perception.

After all, back then, Qin Sang's cultivation was only at the Mid Foundation Establishment stage. Even now, possessing an external core, his spiritual sense remained at the Foundation Establishment level. Coupled with his lack of caution, he failed to detect Yi Tiannie's presence.

This allowed him to remain hidden for decades.

Yi Tiannie also possessed remarkable patience, enduring humiliation and hardship, waiting until now to make his move.

As he considered this, Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within them.

He suddenly realized how Yi Tiannie had gradually gained control over the Flying Yaksha.

Yi Tiannie's injuries must have been very severe. Even after all these years, he remained weak and only dared to ambush Qin Sang after seizing the Flying Yaksha's physical body.

Before refining Yu Hua into the Flying Yaksha, Qin Sang had kept Yu Hua constantly by his side, never letting him out of his sight.

At that time, Yi Tiannie was just a wisp of a remnant soul, at his weakest. He dared not make any move and couldn't escape even if he wanted to, so he could only lie dormant, waiting for an opportunity.

He must have seized his chance during the great battle between Qin Sang and Daoist Jiupao!

In that battle, Qin Sang, desperate to obtain the Golden Core, was willing to cripple the Flying Yaksha if necessary to kill Daoist Jiupao.

No wonder the Flying Yaksha, even after being injured, fought with unexpected ferocity and battled Daoist Jiupao to the death without needing to be urged. It was likely Yi Tiannie who saw an opening and secretly lent a hand, risking exposure.

The battle was too chaotic for Qin Sang to notice, giving Yi Tiannie his chance.

Only when the Flying Yaksha was gravely injured, near death, and extremely weak could Yi Tiannie seize the opportunity and gradually attempt to take over the body. Otherwise, with his fragile remnant soul, it would have been impossible for him to usurp it.

Qin Sang had placed the Flying Yaksha in the Earth Sinking Cave, allowing Yi Tiannie to act without restraint.

By possessing this body, he could instantly regain his Golden Core stage strength, something he surely wouldn't want to miss.

This explained why, during the first year in the Earth Sinking Cave, the Flying Yaksha's injuries never improved. It was Yi Tiannie secretly manipulating things, preventing the Flying Yaksha from recovering so he could seize the body.

Qin Sang couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

Yi Tiannie had been lurking by his side for decades, like a venomous snake watching him from the shadows, yet Qin Sang had remained completely oblivious.

He felt immensely grateful.

He was grateful that his divine soul imprint, fortified by the Jade Buddha, was incredibly resilient and couldn't be broken by Yi Tiannie, thus preventing him from completely seizing control of the Flying Yaksha.

Moreover, the Sky Void Thunder in Qin Sang's possession made Yi Tiannie hesitant to act recklessly.

He was grateful for his usual caution; to prevent any leaks, he rarely checked on the Nine Illusory Heavenly Orchid, and he hadn't done so even once during the period he kept Yu Hua by his side.

Otherwise, this spiritual herb, obtained at the cost of his life, would likely have changed hands long ago!

After Yi Tiannie gained control of the Flying Yaksha's body, he still remained inactive. Was he also coveting this herb?

He was grateful that he had refined an external core, something Yi Tiannie knew nothing about.

Yi Tiannie surely hadn't anticipated that by preventing the Flying Yaksha's recovery and seizing control, he would miss the crucial period when Qin Sang formed his corpse core.

Yi Tiannie had chosen an excellent moment to make his move.

Yun Youzi was exhausted and unable to fight further, Qin Sang had used up his Sky Void Thunder, leaving him with no means to threaten Yi Tiannie, and the Ten Directions Yama Pennant was also not with him.

It could be said there was no better time than this.

If Qin Sang hadn't possessed the corpse core, Yi Tiannie would undoubtedly have succeeded.

Yi Tiannie's unawareness of Qin Sang's Golden Core-level strength was the crucial piece of information that led to his ultimate failure.

Was everything predetermined, a matter of fate?

Unoffended by Qin Sang's mockery, Yi Tiannie said indifferently, "If there truly is a next life, not remembering today's events means becoming another person entirely. As long as I break through to the Nascent Soul stage and live this life gloriously, what does reincarnation matter? After I die, let the floodgates open!"

Sensing a different meaning in Yi Tiannie's tone, Qin Sang's expression subtly changed.

"Qin Sang, after that great battle, Yu Hua searched everywhere for Zhao Yan but couldn't find him. You were the only survivor among the five. The Nine Illusory Heavenly Orchid must have fallen into your hands, right? I risked the entire sect, only to end up paving the way for you."

Yi Tiannie sneered repeatedly, "Hand over the Nine Illusory Heavenly Orchid, or I'll crush this Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit right now, preventing you from forming your core!"