Chapter 731: Swordsmanship Startles the Enemy

Qin Sang couldn't be bothered with verbal sparring; his goal had already been met.

If he had directly arrived alone and stated his intention to expel Cui Ji, he feared that Cui Ji, having operated for many years, might have bribed other merchant associations, leading to him being surrounded and attacked.

By openly invoking a personal vendetta, it would be difficult for others to intervene.

Directly confronting Cui Ji was much simpler.

"Cui, more words are useless. You know exactly what I'm here for. Today, you and I will have a showdown. The victor stays, and the loser takes their people and gets off Wuyuan Island, never to step foot on it again." Qin Sang's lips barely moved as he transmitted his voice to Cui Ji.

Cui Ji's face turned alternately green and pale. He couldn't fathom Qin Sang's true strength; although his aura was clearly that of an early-stage Core Formation cultivator, he had managed to capture Cui Ji's subordinate alive, which had stunned everyone present.

He glanced around, knowing that none of these people could be relied upon.

With his capable subordinate now in the opponent's hands and the opponent holding leverage, it was impossible to consolidate the power of the Nine Stars Society to forcefully subdue the Qiongyu Merchant Association.

The only option seemed to be to accept the rogue Taoist's proposal.

Cui Ji said nothing, turned, and swept into the main hall.

Qin Sang instructed the Wang sisters to keep a close eye on the captive, then strolled in. As he walked through the crowd, he nodded kindly to them, receiving numerous responses.

*Bang!*

The large doors swung shut.

Everyone outside had already guessed how the situation would be resolved and remained gathered by the doors, unwilling to disperse.

Inside the hall, Qin Sang and Cui Ji stood in confrontation. Qin Sang secretly held the Ten Directions Yama Banner in his palm, its formation already complete. With a flick of his finger at his waist, the Flying Yaksha silently materialized behind him.

"A Flying Yaksha!" Cui Ji's eyes narrowed, and a realization dawned on him. "This demonic cultivator actually possesses a Core Formation-level Corpse Puppet. I didn't expect Old Zou to value Wuyuan Island so highly. I truly misjudged the situation."

"Since you admit you misjudged, then just accept your bad luck," Qin Sang said blandly.

Cui Ji sneered, "It's still uncertain who will emerge victorious. You, demonic cultivator, are far too arrogant!"

Before he finished speaking, Cui Ji's hand, previously hidden behind him, suddenly rose to his front. Purple light surged in his palm, and a round, longan-sized treasured pearl brilliantly emitted light.

"Demonic cultivator, taste the power of my Violet Nether Pearl!" Cui Ji roared. The pearl radiated a burst of purple light, instantly splitting into several streams of purple mist. With a *swish*, they tore through the air towards Qin Sang.

The Flying Yaksha's figure flickered, vanishing from behind Qin Sang.

The next moment, the hall suddenly echoed with the roars of malevolent spirits.

Qin Sang glanced sideways and saw the Flying Yaksha entangled by several strands of purple mist. These mists were like ropes, encircling the Yaksha. They were both pliable and rigid, incredibly tough. Even when struck by the Flying Yaksha's heavy punches, they showed no signs of shattering, merely being forced open into a few cracks.

Cui Ji lightly tapped his finger, and several more strands of purple mist surged towards the Flying Yaksha, making the cage even more secure.

It appeared the Flying Yaksha would have difficulty breaking through the purple mist and closing in on Cui Ji anytime soon.

Qin Sang showed no sign of anxiety. With a flick of his long sleeve, three Ten Directions Yama Banners slowly flew out, forming a grand formation in front of him. The aura of a magic treasure was instantly unmistakable.

"A mid-grade magic treasure!" Cui Ji's expression drastically changed, and he gasped in shock.

Greatly alarmed, he tapped his fingers repeatedly. The Violet Nether Pearl spun rapidly, spewing forth torrents of purple mist that seemed to cover everything. Even while distracted with trapping the Flying Yaksha, the pearl still wielded such immense power.

Qin Sang paid no heed to the purple mist, channeling all his true essence into the Ten Directions Yama Banners. With a *whoosh*, the Nine Nether Demonic Flames surged forth, coalescing into a sphere in the center of the banner formation. With a single thought from Qin Sang, they immediately counterattacked.

*Boom!* The hall shuddered violently.

The purple mist clashed with the Nine Nether Demonic Flames. In an instant, chairs and other furnishings in the hall were either shattered or incinerated into ash by the mysterious flames, leaving the entire hall feeling precarious.

Cui Ji's eyes widened, stunned by the power of the Nine Nether Demonic Flames.

Sensing the demonic flames' aura, a trace of fear arose in his heart. He knew he absolutely could not allow the flames to get close. Cui Ji cast a strange glance at Qin Sang, regretting his earlier underestimation. He hadn't expected the person sent by the Qiongyu Merchant Association to be so formidable.

"How could that old geezer possibly send this person here?" Cui Ji cursed inwardly, gritting his teeth. Suddenly, he transformed his true essence into a blade, creating a small cut on his fingertip to force out a drop of vital blood, which then landed on the Violet Nether Pearl.

He was willing to use his vital blood to activate the magic treasure, aiming for a swift and decisive battle.

Fed by the vital blood, the purple mist grew several times thicker and its aura became incredibly imposing. It bypassed the Nine Nether Demonic Flames and surged directly towards Qin Sang.

Qin Sang's eyes flickered. He suddenly retreated, but the Nine Nether Demonic Flames remained stationary.

*Swish, swish, swish...* The purple mist struck, pounding the floor and easily carving out large holes, its power astonishing.

Qin Sang dodged awkwardly, appearing extremely flustered.

Cui Ji was overjoyed at the sight. Just as he was about to continue activating the Violet Nether Pearl, his peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark shadow: the Nine Nether Demonic Flames, taking the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

Cui Ji, believing the Nine Nether Demonic Flames were targeting him, hastily dodged.

Unexpectedly, the Nine Nether Demonic Flames swirled in mid-air and lunged toward the Violet Nether Pearl instead.

Cui Ji was taken aback. He knew the demonic flames were unusual, but destroying the Violet Nether Pearl was preposterous. This was his vital magic treasure, refined over many years, its power incomparable to what it once was. It was not far from breaking through to a mid-grade magic treasure, comparable to the Ten Directions Yama Formation.

However, at that very moment, a sudden anomaly occurred.

Just as the Nine Nether Demonic Flames neared the Violet Nether Pearl, a fleeting flash of crimson light appeared, strangely ominous.

Before Cui Ji could even discern what the crimson light was, he suddenly felt his vital magic treasure, cultivated with his very life, becoming sluggish. For some unknown reason, the Violet Nether Pearl had suffered a significant loss of spirituality and was on the verge of collapsing.

Qin Sang had hidden the Ebony Sword within the Nine Nether Demonic Flames, seizing the opportunity to contaminate the Violet Nether Pearl.

The once formidable purple mist suddenly dissipated completely.

Cui Ji was utterly shocked. While his vital magic treasure was a concern, losing it meant his current situation had become extremely perilous.

Fortunately, his cultivation level was not low, so he did not panic.

He hastily slapped his storage pouch, and a silver-white round shield flew out, radiating bright silver light, barely fending off the Nine Nether Demonic Flames. Simultaneously, he felt a fierce wind from his left, knowing the Flying Yaksha had broken free, and swiftly tapped the shield.

The shield lightly shimmered, splitting into two to block the Flying Yaksha's sharp claws.

He didn't expect the shields to hold out for long. His true essence consumption wasn't excessive; as long as he could buy some time to stabilize his footing, the battle was still winnable.

But Qin Sang would not give him that chance.

With a sudden thunderous roar, a sword light flashed before Cui Ji's eyes. The sword light split into two, one on the left and one on the right, making it impossible to distinguish between the real and the illusory.

"Sword Qi Thunder Sound! Sword Light Division!" Cui Ji was stunned, feeling a sharp pain in his throat.

In that instant, he realized he had been outmaneuvered, that a comeback was almost impossible, and that his life might be in danger. Daring not to gamble further, he shouted, "I surrender!"

*Whoosh!* The sword light sliced past his side.

Qin Sang frowned subtly, only able to reluctantly withdraw his hand.