Chapter 853: Hesitating to Speak Clearly

The Bearded Man's guess was correct; Qin Sang's true essence was indeed almost depleted. If the battle continued much longer, he would have no choice but to activate his Corpse Pill.

However, the Corpse Pill had not been enhanced since its refinement. While it could power a talisman for escape, it was insufficient to face strong enemies, especially one at the late stage of cultivation. In such a scenario, the Corpse Pill would prove inadequate.

This Corpse Pill had become somewhat of a burden, offering little practical use.

Nevertheless, Qin Sang had an idea, one he had considered for a long time, that might allow him to utilize the Corpse Pill.

The evil art of "Origin Seed Demonic Embryo," used for refining an external avatar, included a secret technique for cultivating a demonic pill for the avatar. Otherwise, it would be almost impossible for the external avatar to independently comprehend and form a core. In Qin Sang's view, this secret technique seemed to perfectly align with the external core method, but it could not be separated from "Origin Seed Demonic Embryo," preventing cultivators from adapting it freely.

However, it wasn't entirely unchangeable. The Corpse Pill was an external core intrinsically linked to Qin Sang's spiritual energy, and "Origin Seed Demonic Embryo" was used to refine his external avatar. Since both were inherently connected, Qin Sang considered using the secret method to reshape the Corpse Pill for his avatar's use. If successful, the Corpse Pill, already a formed external core, would significantly increase the secret method's success rate, and he would be spared the trouble of preparing various spiritual materials. All that would remain was for his external avatar to advance to the Pseudo-Core stage.

Of course, his external avatar had not yet reached the core formation stage, so Qin Sang's idea was currently just speculation, with less than a thirty percent chance of success. He was also unsure if "Origin Seed Demonic Embryo" could reshape the Corpse Pill and break the limitations of the "Heavenly Yin Corpse Art." Only by trying would he know. If he could achieve this, his comprehension of the "Heavenly Yin Corpse Art" would deepen, potentially leading him to a way to save the mute girl. The Three Lights Jade Liquid nourished her body, while warm jade and the fat silkworm stabilized her soul. Under these conditions, she had been able to sleep for decades without dying. However, despite all his efforts, Qin Sang had no clue how to save the mute girl. She could only continue her slumber, and whether she would awaken remained unknown. It was hard to say if her luck was good or bad.

Qin Sang used the Nine Dragons Celestial Chariot Talisman, heading in the same direction as the Two-Headed Ferret, straight towards their designated meeting point. Immortal Yu, along with the other two, were all late-stage masters. After completing their rear-guard mission, they should have been able to withdraw calmly. Perhaps some were already waiting at the rendezvous point. If their pursuers continued to relentlessly chase them, he wouldn't hesitate to be ruthless. A fierce glint appeared in Qin Sang's eyes, and he continued flying without looking back.

Soon after, his true essence indeed neared exhaustion. He deliberately slowed down drastically, then activated his Corpse Pill to maintain the talisman's power. The Bearded Man, who was closely pursuing him, saw this scene and his eyes lit up. He became even more convinced that Qin Sang was on the verge of exhaustion. They had been flying for an unknown distance during the chase.

As they neared the designated meeting point, Qin Sang suddenly sensed something. His expression subtly changed, and he deliberately slowed his escape speed. The Flood Dragon Soul circling his body flickered continuously, appearing on the verge of collapsing and dissipating. The Bearded Man suspected nothing and was overjoyed, accelerating his pursuit.

As he approached, Qin Sang suddenly turned and attacked with his sword. The Bearded Man was already prepared. He summoned his square seal to retaliate and vigilantly scanned his surroundings, believing Qin Sang was cornered and would surely summon his spiritual beast. That woman must be hiding nearby. Once Qin Sang was eliminated, there would be no more resistance to capturing their target.

Sword energy collided with silver characters, generating a storm and stirring up massive waves on the sea surface.

*Splash!*

A pillar of water suddenly erupted from beneath the sea. The Bearded Man snorted coldly, unfazed. Being prepared, he shook his sleeve, and a jade ruyi scepter shot out to meet the water pillar. The next moment, his expression abruptly changed. Hidden beneath the water pillar was not the spiritual beast, but an old man. This was precisely Old Man Zhushan.

A moment ago, the Two-Headed Ferret had secretly sent a message, informing Qin Sang that not only Old Man Zhushan but also Immortal Yu were present. Only Kong Yun had yet to arrive. They had set a trap here, waiting for the enemies to walk straight into it. After Old Man Zhushan appeared, Immortal Yu also burst out of the water, and together with Qin Sang, they formed a three-pronged encirclement.

"You all..." The Bearded Man turned pale with shock. Who could have imagined that so many masters would gather in the desolate Demonic Sea? His own cave dwelling was nearby, yet he hadn't detected them at all. Immortal Yu's cultivation alone was enough to steadily suppress the Bearded Man. With Qin Sang and Old Man Zhushan assisting, the Bearded Man, no matter how powerful, stood no chance of escape. After a fierce struggle, the Bearded Man fought desperately but still failed to escape, ultimately losing his life to Old Man Zhushan's sword.

After slaying the Bearded Man, the Two-Headed Ferret, carrying Su Nu, flew over. Qin Sang, with little true essence left, met up with the Ferret, ordered it to protect him, and held a spiritual stone to recover.

"Daoist priest, you truly hide your capabilities well! When your spiritual beast sent that message earlier, I thought Su Nu was being held captive by a demonic beast and almost attacked it. Fortunately, Daoist friend Zhushan reminded me. It was indeed a wise decision for me to ask you to protect Su Nu..." Immortal Yu lavished praise on the Two-Headed Ferret. Old Man Zhushan echoed her sentiments. Her and Old Man Zhushan's attitudes towards Qin Sang had noticeably shifted. Previously, they were merely surprised by his escape technique and swordsmanship. Now, discovering that Qin Sang also possessed such a powerful spiritual beast, they realized he was capable of standing as their equal, perhaps even surpassing them.

Qin Sang recovered slightly and said, "That man had two companions. Don't let them escape." A moment ago, the cultivator surnamed Liu had fallen behind, sensed danger, and turned to flee, while the wealthy patron was still behind, refining sword energy. The three immediately set off.

The transformation from hunter to hunted happened in an instant. The other two were also successively eliminated. The three then divided the spoils, making a substantial profit. Although they didn't find the specific items Qin Sang urgently needed, they unexpectedly discovered some spiritual flowers that the Heavenly Eye Butterfly favored, which could be considered a reward for its contribution.

"I didn't expect there to be cultivators with ill intentions here, leading you into danger, Daoist priest. Fortunately, your formidable strength protected Su Nu," Immortal Yu expressed her gratitude.

"I was making my way out of the demonic island with Su Nu when we happened to encounter them. The phenomenon caused by the true demonic aura was visible for hundreds of miles, so they were likely drawn by it. Thanks to both of your timely support, I almost couldn't hold on." He vaguely sensed that the relationship between Su Nu and Immortal Yu was somewhat peculiar. However, he simply wanted to acquire the treasure smoothly and avoid causing any trouble, so he chose to speak vaguely. As long as Immortal Yu didn't ask, he wouldn't proactively mention the reason for the conflict, nor would he disclose Su Nu's strange actions.

Su Nu, with her head bowed and despair in her eyes, was momentarily stunned by his words. She had actually recalled some things, but Immortal Yu's cultivation was beyond her ability to contend with. She could only suppress her fear and hatred, treating Immortal Yu as a close relative. The recent ambush had offered her a glimmer of hope. Although she knew the chances of escaping amid the chaos were slim, it was a near-certain death, yet she gambled on it. However, she hadn't expected Qin Sang to possess such a powerful spiritual beast, which completely denied her any opportunity. She didn't believe her actions could have escaped the notice of these cunning old masters. What surprised her was that Qin Sang didn't mention it at all.