Chapter 256: Withered Hand Exploring the Sea of Consciousness

Forbidden!

Just as Xu Qing gained the authority to project sect artifacts after becoming a Sequence, the Heavenly Talents of the Seven Sects Alliance could also draw upon their sects' profound power. However, very few individuals possessed this qualification, and it was primarily considered a reward and a form of protection. After all, the Seven Sects Alliance's artifacts belonged to a forbidden tier, and their use came with numerous restrictions, requiring specific moments to maximize their effects.

Sheng Yunzi's combat experience was exceptionally rich. He didn't immediately summon a forbidden projection, precisely because he wanted to create the perfect opportunity to fully display his forbidden artifact. He understood clearly that seizing Xu Qing's Soul Lamp wouldn't be easy. He needed to prevent Xu Qing from escaping in a crisis or possessing a jade slip similar to chaotic teleportation. He had previously noticed Xu Qing instinctively wanting to crush a jade slip in his hand twice. Although he feigned ignorance, he roughly guessed Xu Qing's intention.

In his view, this battle was a fishing expedition. He would wait until his opponent was exhausted, had used almost all their means, and was severely wounded; only then would it proceed more smoothly. So, he had been waiting, and now, feeling the time was right, he took out the Flesh-and-Blood Pen he had conceived during their combat. Regardless of whether the pen could gravely injure Xu Qing, he planned to use its destruction as a cover to unleash its curse power, firmly trapping Xu Qing. This would create an opportunity for him to deploy his forbidden artifact, forming an inescapable net, rendering all of Xu Qing's escape methods useless, and allowing him to successfully acquire the Soul Lamp.

As these words were spoken, Xu Qing's expression changed. All around him, flesh-and-blood hands, incredibly tough, extended from all directions, binding him tightly. Unable to break free for a moment, he immediately, without hesitation, intended to crush the jade slip he had held in his hand—a slip Sheng Yunzi couldn't see clearly.

But it was clearly too late.

In an instant, the sky turned intensely crimson. This sudden red instantly covered all directions, appearing extraordinarily demonic and eerily extreme, transforming the entire area into a world of blood, with Xu Qing enveloped within it. Moreover, this blood-red world, once formed, emitted a power that warped space, preventing any teleportation within its boundaries. At the same time, this blood-red realm continued to shrink, its scope constantly diminishing.

Sealing power erupted incessantly, as if isolating this place from the outside, completely enclosing it.

Subsequently, a red seed appeared out of thin air from the sky. But unlike the previous one from Lingyun Sword Sect that flew towards Shao Si Sect, this blood-red seed was illusory, not physical, yet its power was astonishing. Upon its appearance, it plunged towards the earth, transforming into a massive blood-red tree. The moment this tree emerged, the winds and clouds changed color, and a violent pressure shook heaven and earth. With just a slight sway, Xu Qing's entire body trembled violently, spitting out blood, as if an ineffable force intended to erase him.

Meanwhile, Sheng Yunzi laughed uproariously, his eyes filled with greed. His speed and cultivation erupted fully, charging straight towards Xu Qing without hesitation. Behind him, the Destroying Spirit roared, and the Soul Lamp canopy above his head glowed. Within this sealed space, he intended to utterly suppress Xu Qing, preventing any escape, so he could seize the Soul Lamp.

"Within the seal of my forbidden projection, only one of us can leave!"

Sheng Yunzi rapidly approached, striking with a resounding impact. Xu Qing spewed blood, continuously retreating. Not only was there sealing power here, but also suppression, making his inner life flames feel as if they were about to extinguish. Seeing the eerie great tree about to sway again, a cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes, and he spoke in a low voice.

"Summon my Seven Blood Eyes artifact, descend projection!"

The Seven Blood Eyes also possessed an artifact, though it hadn't reached the forbidden tier, and Xu Qing had never summoned it before. The moment his words came out, this blood-red world instantly trembled. The sky churned as if an external force was descending, attempting to tear apart this realm. Moreover, an eye vaguely appeared in the sky. This eye, calm and devoid of emotional fluctuation, appeared in the sky and gazed down at the forbidden artifact projection below.

After a single glance, the forbidden artifact projection trembled, but it was clear there was a difference in their tiers; the forbidden projection did not collapse, nor did the sealed blood realm shatter, meaning Xu Qing could not escape from within. However, this was, after all, an artifact projection. Although it couldn't break open the forbidden realm, its appearance did solidify the blood tree within it, preventing it from swaying, and also reduced the suppression on Xu Qing, though it still remained.

"A mere lower sect artifact cannot shake my sect's forbidden power! Xu Qing, this blood realm is your burial ground!" Sheng Yunzi's eyes grew even greedier, and he laughed loudly, rapidly closing in on Xu Qing, striking with full force.

Xu Qing's face was grim; he said nothing. Behind him, the Golden Crow shrieked, resisting with all its might, as did his Black Umbrella Soul Lamp, causing black flames to burn all around. He continuously battled Sheng Yunzi within this sealed blood realm, the sounds of their clash reverberating. As the two exchanged blows, Xu Qing, suppressed by the blood realm, was clearly weaker and began to retreat. Seeing this, Sheng Yunzi's momentum surged, becoming even more ferocious.

Moments later, as the blood realm shrank to less than ten feet, and the great tree within it contracted accordingly, a roar erupted. Xu Qing coughed up blood and stumbled back, holding a jade slip and rapidly looking around.

"No need to look, you can't escape from here. Even I, after activating the forbidden artifact, cannot control it; it can only dissipate on its own. All my previous attacks were to seal you here. The item in your hand is a teleportation talisman, isn't it? You hesitated with it, but now there's no need to crush it. Here, you've lost all possibility of escape!"

Sheng Yunzi's momentum was like a rainbow. With a sinister smile, he strode towards Xu Qing, his gaze as if looking at a dead man.

"It is indeed sealed tightly." Xu Qing continued to examine the surroundings. Only when he confirmed that it was as Sheng Yunzi had said did he calmly speak, drop the jade slip, take out an iron box, open it, and discard it. The jade slip was not a teleportation talisman, but the most ordinary recording slip. The iron box was the Wish Box, containing the poisonous pill that even the monk's head couldn't resist.

As soon as the pill appeared, its aura immediately diffused. This scene made Sheng Yunzi pause, his eyes instantly narrowed. He didn't know what the pill was, but he instinctively felt something was wrong and was about to destroy it. However, Xu Qing, at this moment, erupted with all his might to obstruct him, delaying time, blocking Sheng Yunzi, and allowing more and more of the poisonous pill's aura to spread.

Since this place was tightly sealed, the poisonous aura couldn't dissipate beyond the seal; it could only gather within the continuously shrinking blood realm. Thus, the toxic aura here naturally grew denser and denser. This was Xu Qing's plan.

Xu Qing didn't know what hidden cards and trump cards Sheng Yunzi possessed, nor could he guard against them. Furthermore, the two were evenly matched, and Xu Qing had no way to swiftly kill him and obtain his Soul Lamp. Time, Xu Qing knew, was against him; once the Protector appeared, he would surely die. Therefore, he understood that this battle had to end quickly, and there was only one way: to make Sheng Yunzi proceed step by step according to his own thoughts, thereby creating a similar environment. That's why he had taken out the jade slip multiple times before, giving Sheng Yunzi the false impression of a teleportation talisman.

This leveraged Sheng Yunzi's greed. Sheng Yunzi wanted to seize the Soul Lamp, so he had to seal off Xu Qing's escape and restrict teleportation. In doing so, Xu Qing could, through this point, reverse-control the rhythm of the battle, making Sheng Yunzi proceed step by step, within the range he needed, until a battlefield was set up that seemed suitable for Sheng Yunzi but was actually more suitable for him. In this battlefield, he would compete with Sheng Yunzi to see who could survive the deadly poison the longest!

Sheng Yunzi was also an intelligent person. Although he didn't know the exact power of the poisonous pill at the moment, he reacted, and a guess formed in his mind. As his expression changed, killing intent flashed in his eyes. He took out a handful of detoxifying pills and swallowed them, just about to continue his attack. But at that moment, his face suddenly changed drastically. He saw his right hand actually beginning to rot. What horrified him even more was that he hadn't felt anything from beginning to end. He quickly retreated to examine his whole body.

Then his pupils contracted. He noticed that multiple parts of his body were silently decaying, and his detoxifying pills had absolutely no effect!

"What kind of poison is this?!"

As Sheng Yunzi was horrified, some decaying spots also appeared on Xu Qing's face, but they were significantly smaller and fewer. He did not answer Sheng Yunzi's question. His body flickered, and he charged forward, beginning his counterattack. He did not intend to give Sheng Yunzi any opportunity; he wanted to drag this battle into a contest of recovery and resistance to poison. Sheng Yunzi's eyes showed fear for the first time. He tried to disperse the seal formed by the forbidden artifact, but what he had said earlier was true: he was indeed finding it very difficult, not to mention that above the forbidden artifact, there was the eye formed by the Seven Blood Eyes artifact projection, suppressing it. Under this dual suppression, the possibility of him dispelling the forbidden artifact's seal was nonexistent; he could only wait for it to dissipate. This time was not actually long, at most two incense sticks' worth.

But the fear in Sheng Yunzi's eyes grew deeper. He found that the scope of the decay on his body was expanding, and at the same time, the shadow within his Dharma aperture was stirring, seemingly wanting to spread over a larger area. Xu Qing's attacks were unprecedentedly fierce. He now lunged forward and delivered a punch. Sheng Yunzi tried to dodge, but Xu Qing slammed his head forward. Amidst the roar, Sheng Yunzi dared not collide this time and could only retreat. But Xu Qing's speed did not diminish. He struck with full force, even foregoing dodging. In broad, sweeping motions, the Golden Crow erupted, wildly refining, black flames permeated, and the Soul Lamp suppressed him repeatedly. And his targets were either the neck or the abdomen. The neck was for a kill shot, the abdomen was to dig out his Soul Lamp. Xu Qing had his own Soul Lamp, so he knew where it was located.

Sheng Yunzi's heart grew increasingly panicked. He let out a desperate cry, took out a large quantity of pills to replenish his vitality, and his eyes, amidst this fear, also showed madness. The crisis of life and death permeated his entire body. He understood that this battle was a competition of who could survive. Since he couldn't avoid it, he would go all out. So, with bloodshot eyes, he engaged Xu Qing in a life-and-death struggle within this sealed area, amidst the increasingly浓 dense poisonous aura.

Sounds continuously erupted. Moments later, Xu Qing, with blood at the corner of his mouth and his entire body decaying, still struck Sheng Yunzi's abdomen with a punch. Sheng Yunzi raised his hand to resist, forced to retreat. His entire body was now dripping with decaying fluid, his appearance utterly disfigured, looking like a mud figure. It was incredibly tragic.

And Xu Qing's ferocity completely erupted at this moment. He rushed forward again, raising his knee and forcefully striking Sheng Yunzi's abdomen. Sheng Yunzi howled, his voice hoarse and unable to make a sound. His internal organs were all rotting at this moment, and he could only raise his hand to block. But the next instant, because his right hand had largely decayed and the confrontation with Xu Qing was so intense, his right hand directly collapsed and exploded. Xu Qing's knee also suffered, showing cracks from the corrosion. But he didn't care at all. After pouncing, he opened his mouth wide and bit fiercely towards Sheng Yunzi's neck.

The madness in Sheng Yunzi's eyes had been replaced by intense fear. He rapidly retreated, but after a few steps, his right leg began to melt, and his body involuntarily swayed. Xu Qing charged again, and the two clashed. Under the intense poison, both were incredibly weak, and they had exhausted all their means in their combat, reaching their respective limits.

Booming sounds continuously reverberated. Sheng Yunzi was indeed a Heavenly Talent. With the cooperation of secret techniques, pills, and various means, he actually managed to persevere for more than an incense stick's worth of time. But this was his limit. Despair appeared in his eyes. The ground was covered with their rotting flesh and blood. Xu Qing was also in a bad state, looking almost inhuman. But in his eyes, ferocity surged. With a charge, he seized the opportunity and bit Sheng Yunzi's neck again. This time, he bit down and tore fiercely.

Sheng Yunzi spurted blood, his entire body trembling violently. The Destroying Spirit manifested to block, but it was swept by Xu Qing's fierce gaze. Influenced by Sheng Yunzi, the Destroying Spirit also trembled. The Golden Crow seized the opportunity to erupt, and amidst the Destroying Spirit's wails, it powerfully inhaled.

It wasn't over. Xu Qing panted heavily, his entire body decaying, permeating his internal organs, yet he still approached Sheng Yunzi as he retreated, like a fierce wolf, directly striking Sheng Yunzi's belly with a punch. Sheng Yunzi let out a painful, muffled sound from his mouth, about to retreat, but Xu Qing slammed his head hard, directly hitting Sheng Yunzi's forehead. As Sheng Yunzi wailed, Xu Qing's head was also broken and bleeding, and his body exuded an extreme weakness, but this time, his right hand finally found an opportunity after Sheng Yunzi became so weak.

He thrust with all his might, piercing through Sheng Yunzi's belly! He plunged deep into his body, grabbed a Dharma aperture, then swiftly burrowed into his Sea of Consciousness, where he groped for a lamp-shaped object.

Excitement showed in Xu Qing's eyes. Amidst Sheng Yunzi's shrill screams, he snatched the Soul Lamp into his hand and yanked hard! It was incredibly ruthless. Before a large amount of blood gushed out, two of Xu Qing's five fingers had melted away, but the remaining three still hooked onto the Soul Lamp, directly pulling it out!

A multicolored light, within this blood-red seal, suddenly shone from Xu Qing's hand—it was a multicolored glazed lamp! The lamp body was like crystal, and multicolored light radiated brilliantly from within. Faintly, a multicolored canopy formed above it, with flowing light like water, dazzling and extraordinary. This lamp was stained with blood, and an ancient aura diffused from it. It seemed to have endured countless years, countless eons of vicissitudes. It was clearly no ordinary object. Upon it were countless patterns, seemingly imbued with the laws of heaven and earth, arranged into a human-like design. Just one glance would make one's mind reverberate.

A Soul Lamp, any one of them, was a supreme treasure!

"Xu Qing!" Even though his throat was corroded, Sheng Yunzi, at this moment, amidst his piercing screams, stared fixedly at Xu Qing, his eyes filled with madness, hysterically. The feeling of having his Soul Lamp forcibly dug out from his body drove him to extreme frenzy.

But the next moment, a cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. All five fingers of his left hand had melted, exposing the bone tips. Without any hesitation, the bone tip of his arm directly pierced into Sheng Yunzi's neck, passing through!