Chapter 756: Potential

**The Mortal Realm**

Blade energy was forced out of his body.

After taking the pill, Qin Sang's complexion visibly improved.

He looked at the Golden Glow Armor on his body, which had several dents and was nearly ruined. He could only put it away and change into a magical robe. Then, he checked the Flying Yaksha's condition. The Flying Yaksha had several holes all over its body and was on the verge of death. A moment later, Qin Sang withdrew his divine sense and breathed a sigh of relief. The Flying Yaksha's injuries looked shocking, but fortunately, no vital points were hit.

The Two-headed Hou released wind blades to clear a path. Qin Sang turned his head to look behind him; Cui Ji was already gone. He still felt somewhat unwilling. He had risked the destruction of his Golden Glow Armor and Flying Yaksha, and even during the most dangerous moments, he had endured without releasing the Two-headed Hou, attempting to lure the enemy deeper. However, that explosion ruined his plan. With Cui Ji alive, Qin Sang constantly felt a prickling sensation, as if a thorn was in his back. However, now the enemy was exposed, and he was hidden. He retracted his gaze, wielding his spiritual sword to assist the Two-headed Hou in clearing the way.

They chose another direction. The battlefield was incredibly chaotic, and Cui Ji certainly wouldn't have expected Qin Sang to not only be alive but also still have the strength to break through. After a chaotic battle, Qin Sang couldn't see what lay ahead; he could only charge fiercely in one determined direction. Further on, he noticed traces of other ferocious beasts around him, but their numbers were far fewer than the Purple Star Rocs. It seemed only the Purple Star Rocs had been deliberately lured here; the others were attracted by the scent of blood.

"Finally, there's an opening," Qin Sang thought. He swung his sword, splitting a ferocious beast in half. The beasts relentlessly pursued him. After observing for a moment and seeing nothing unusual, Qin Sang recalled the Two-headed Hou, simultaneously concealing his aura and going into hiding. With the Poison-repelling Armor on, Qin Sang didn't need to use his true essence for protection. He lay hidden in the shadows, holding his breath, carefully dodging to avoid the beasts' sight. He watched as groups of beasts circled endlessly around him, with a continuous stream of more beasts charging in from the outer perimeter. Without means like the Bone Lotus or the Poison-repelling Armor, even the strongest cultivators would be exhausted to death here.

The beasts lost Qin Sang's trail, gave up their pursuit, and joined the chaotic battle. At this point, the battlefield was no longer just about Purple Star Rocs cornering cultivators. As more and more ferocious beasts were drawn in, these creatures, agitated by the scent of blood and driven to madness, fell into complete disarray. Their eyes held nothing but a thirst for slaughter, indiscriminately attacking friend and foe alike. This place had become a meat grinder, with rivers of blood staining the earth, and no one knew when it would stop. Finally, Qin Sang escaped the beasts and stood on the outskirts of the battlefield. Blood flowed around his feet, and listening to the frenzied roars of the beasts, he felt a lingering sense of trepidation.

He stood still, not immediately withdrawing from the Purple Mist Forbidden Zone. He turned his head, looking in the direction of the stone hall, his expression shifting. After breaking through the encirclement, his consumption wasn't significant, and his strength was well preserved. He didn't want to retreat just yet. Cui Ji thought he was dead; this was his chance. Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then quietly approached the stone hall.

The two most likely places Cui Ji would be now were the stone hall and the location of the explosion; these two spots were actually not far apart. He evaded the ferocious beasts and the ongoing battle, cautiously approaching. He soon discovered that the stone hall was already surrounded by beasts, but the area where the explosion occurred seemed less chaotic. Midway, Qin Sang's palm loosely closed, and three Ten Directions Yama Banners slid into his grasp. Once he made a move, it would undoubtedly be with thunderous might, giving his opponent no chance to breathe.

"Boom!"

Ahead, several Purple Star Rocs were cornering an Azure Wolf. The Rocs flapped their giant wings repeatedly, soaring up and down. The Azure Wolf, standing firm on the ground, glowed with yellow light, its body covered in wounds, yet it still refused to flee. The chaotic battle caused the purple mist to churn. Qin Sang, who was quietly approaching the area, vaguely saw two figures. His body stiffened, and his expression subtly changed. The Azure Wolf let out a mournful howl as its spine was crushed by the Purple Star Rocs, which then tore it apart and devoured it, leaving only a skeleton in moments. As the purple mist closed in, Qin Sang clenched his fist and silently moved closer, mentally calculating the distance. He then concealed himself near the two individuals. Although the purple mist provided cover, Qin Sang dared not get too close, to avoid any unexpected situations that might catch him off guard.

If he hadn't seen wrong, one of them was indeed Cui Ji. The other, surprisingly, was Xiang Yi! He had thought Xiang Yi was killed and dead, and even his Bone Lotus taken. Only with that fleeting glimpse did he discover that both Xiang Yi and Cui Ji each possessed a Bone Lotus. This greatly surprised Qin Sang. Xiang Yi and Cui Ji, one overtly, one covertly, were both members of the Merchant Alliance. No wonder Cui Ji had acted so brazenly, daring to kill during the chaotic battle. These two old foxes hadn't shown the slightest clue along the way! Qin Sang felt a hidden resentment, yet also a touch of curiosity. Could Xiang Yi and Cui Ji be the masterminds behind luring the ferocious beasts? If this was the Merchant Alliance's intention, what was the point of doing so? They were minor figures, not even core members of the Merchant Alliance. If the Alliance wanted to kill them, there was no need for such trouble.

Qin Sang frowned secretly, recalling the scene he had just witnessed. Next to where Xiang Yi and Cui Ji stood, there was a large pit. This pit hadn't been there when they cleared the area around the stone hall previously; it must have been caused by an explosion. "Beside the large pit, something was lying motionless. It was that subterranean beast, and it appeared to be dead." Because he dared not get too close, Qin Sang could only discern its outline, but the characteristics of that subterranean beast were too distinct for him not to recognize it easily. "No, there also seemed to be a person, or rather a corpse, lying at the feet of these two individuals. It looked like only the upper half remained..." Qin Sang frowned, and a flash of insight struck him. "It's him!" The cultivator surnamed Pan, wearing a half-mask!

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly heard crashing sounds from afar. Someone was breaking through towards their location. His heart stirred, and he quietly retreated a bit further. Not long after, Qin Sang heard Xiang Yi's cold voice, "Fellow Daoist An, you're late."

The purple mist churned. A fat man dressed in luxurious robes broke free from the ferocious beasts and rushed out. After a few gasps and steadying his breath, he glanced at Cui Ji and frowned, saying, "Cui Ji, you just transmitted a message for me to investigate the others, while you went alone to kill Daoist Priest Qing Feng. Did you not discuss this with Fellow Daoist Xiang before acting?"

Cui Ji gave a wry smile and shook his head. Just as he was about to explain, he caught Xiang Yi's angry gaze, shivered involuntarily, and a fearful expression appeared on his face.

"How dare you presume to kill Daoist Priest Qing Feng on your own! I warned you long ago to do whatever you want after the mission is complete. Did you just ignore my words?" Xiang Yi glared furiously at Cui Ji, questioning him in a harsh tone.

Cui Ji shrunk his neck and quietly defended himself, "Fellow Daoist Xiang, you also saw how powerful that fellow's escape technique is. Even without using his full strength, he could keep pace with you. Just now, when he erupted with full power, his speed was arguably the fastest among all the Core Formation cultivators I've seen. If we had failed, he could have easily shaken us off and escaped. Here, with the poisonous mist and Purple Star Rocs restricting him, his relied-upon escape technique is limited, making it a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity..."