Chapter 797: The Power of the Fire Bead

Fortunately, the Star Conch was obstructed when it attacked the Golden Jade Lock, and its power was somewhat diminished. Qin Sang could only finally block the Star Conch by regrouping his demonic flames and having the Twin-headed Hounds condense wind blades.

Boom! Demonic flames and wind blades scattered everywhere.

Qin Sang and the Twin-headed Hounds were struck hard, their faces paling as they were sent flying backward. They barely managed to stabilize themselves, both man and beast filled with lingering fear. The Star Conch, having exhausted its power, receded its blue light, revealing its jade-white luster, and was retrieved by the hooked-nose man. He frowned slightly, appearing somewhat displeased.

Qin Sang stared in awe at the artifact. The Star Conch clearly surpassed a mid-grade magic treasure, but Qin Sang couldn't discern its specific grade. There were no obvious crafting marks on the Star Conch; its entire shell was seamless, as if naturally formed. Qin Sang had never seen such an artifact before. Its power was undeniable.

However, what surprised Qin Sang was that the hooked-nose man did not continue to press the attack with the Star Conch. Instead, he retracted it with a flick of his wrist and charged forward again.

“How dare you enslave a spirit beast! You deserve to die!” the hooked-nose man snarled, his murderous intent intensifying upon seeing the Twin-headed Hounds.

Qin Sang and the Twin-headed Hounds fought side-by-side, but the hooked-nose man's assault was like thunder. Even together, they felt overwhelmed and were forced to retreat step by step. Their vision was filled with flashing fists and lightning-like azure arcs. Qin Sang fully manipulated the Ten Directions Yama Banner, resisting with all his might to gain space. The Twin-headed Hounds fought alongside him, occasionally releasing illusions and condensing wind blades.

They fought as they retreated, navigating through the storm, occasionally using the hurricane to gain a moment of respite. Qin Sang kept a close watch on the hooked-nose man's movements, fearing another sneak attack with the Star Conch. He didn't have a second Golden Jade Lock, and the inexplicable loss of that artifact pained him greatly. During this time, the hooked-nose man did not use the Star Conch again.

Qin Sang pondered, suspecting that using this artifact might require some cost or a period of charging, which prevented its frequent use. Nevertheless, the hooked-nose man was very cunning, so Qin Sang dared not relax his guard for a moment.

What made Qin Sang anxious was that, despite the continuous fighting, he hadn't found a suitable opportunity. He could only patiently endure the storm-like onslaught. Even with all of Qin Sang's efforts, he couldn't prevent his opponent from closing in. He could clearly see his opponent's face.

“I must say, with your cultivation, managing to escape from me for this long is truly rare. Given time, the human race would likely gain another top expert. What a pity you had to encounter me…” the hooked-nose man sneered.

Though it took time to narrate, their actual combat time was short; Qin Sang had been mostly fleeing. But in this treacherous place, every extra moment increased the chance of unforeseen events, and the hooked-nose man was quickly losing his patience with Qin Sang.

The luminous wings, like blades, tore through the demonic flames. The Twin-headed Hounds' vertical pupils widened as they were about to block, but after sensing the power of the luminous wings, they whined and turned to flee. At the same time, the Ebony Sword was struck by the hooked-nose man's fists and deflected. The hooked-nose man suddenly unleashed a fierce assault, leaving Qin Sang wide open. As his opponent rapidly approached, Qin Sang immediately activated a demonic talisman and fled towards a gap in the hurricane.

Suddenly, the hooked-nose man raised his hand, and the Star Conch reappeared. Qin Sang's heart jolted, and he shifted his body sideways. Unexpectedly, a sinister smile appeared on the hooked-nose man's face. He did not release the Star Conch. Instead, his wings suddenly glowed intensely, and his speed surged. As he closed in on Qin Sang, a dense cloud of green smoke shot out from his brow, directly assailing Qin Sang's face.

Qin Sang inwardly cried out, "Not good!" and swiftly dodged. Just then, he caught a strange scent, feeling dizzy and light-headed, even a sense of drowsiness.

“It’s poisoned!” Qin Sang roared internally as a flash of insight struck him.

At that very moment, the green smoke enveloped Qin Sang. Qin Sang appeared to be affected by the smoke, unable to escape in time. His body swayed, he stumbled a few steps, and was completely swallowed by the green smoke, with no chance of escape. The hooked-nose man let out a wild laugh, his figure flickering as he appeared beside the green smoke, ready to capture and kill Qin Sang. Suddenly, his face drastically changed. He roared, recoiled violently, and an expression of extreme terror appeared on his face.

The poisoning and unconsciousness were merely Qin Sang’s feigned act. He hadn't expected the hooked-nose man to cultivate poison arts, but upon seeing the green smoke, he immediately realized an opportunity had arisen! The Plump Silkworm had secretly protected him with its poison-dispelling armor. Qin Sang had endured until now, and seizing the opportune moment, finally launched the Fire Pearl. Although the hooked-nose man reacted incredibly fast, it was too late.

Whoosh! Under the hooked-nose man’s terrified gaze, the Fire Pearl shot forth, effortlessly piercing his protective spiritual light. Even his proud physical body became extremely fragile before the Fire Pearl.

A tiny flame appeared on the surface of the Fire Pearl, burning through his skin and, with destructive force, embedding itself in his chest. “Hoo…hoo…” Strange sounds gurgled from the hooked-nose man's throat, his eyes hollow. Aside from a small hole in his chest, he had no other injuries, but he was completely lifeless. A cold light shimmered from the small hole in his chest. A layer of ice spread rapidly from within, engulfing the hooked-nose man's entire body. His internal organs had long been frozen solid.

Qin Sang was unharmed. After flying out of the green smoke, he protected himself with demonic flames and, ignoring the danger, flew up to strip off one of the hooked-nose man’s armguards. He sensed that another section of the bone flute was hidden within the armguard. Next was the Star Conch; this artifact had left a deep impression on him and could compensate for the loss of the Golden Jade Lock. Qin Sang moved swiftly, finally snatching the man's spatial bag and fleeing without looking back.

Crack! A dignified top expert was completely frozen solid, then struck by a wave, instantly turning into ice shards and vanishing entirely from the world. In its place was a ball of blue flame. The frigid flame, freed from its confines, erupted with full power, freezing a large area of the surrounding seawater. However, these ice formations were immediately shattered by the hurricane. The power of the frigid flame caused violent turmoil in the surroundings. Enveloped by the hurricane, wind and fire intertwined, and terrifying energy began to brew.

Qin Sang knew he couldn't stay there for long. He didn't bother checking his belongings, eager to leave. At this point, the cloud of green smoke had not yet dissipated. To Qin Sang’s surprise, the Plump Silkworm voluntarily jumped out of its insect basket. It opened its mouth wide and swallowed all the green smoke in one gulp, let out a satisfied burp, and then returned to its basket to fall into a deep sleep. It was the first time the Plump Silkworm had actively consumed poisonous smoke. Qin Sang didn't understand why, but seeing the hurricane growing stronger behind him, he knew he shouldn't linger. He met up with the Twin-headed Hounds and swiftly departed.

***

**Demon Sea**

An unnamed large island, an unnamed tall mountain.

Deep within a giant cave in the mountain, the furnishings were complex yet exuded a rugged wildness. On a stone table sat a human-head-sized crystal, inside which a single azure feather was sealed. Suddenly, the feather vibrated violently, the crystal creaked, and then exploded with a roar.