Chapter 2413: Unexpected

The Mortal World

Under the starlight, a winged giant raised the immortal Mount Daiyu and smashed it fiercely onto another giant below.

"Boom!""Boom!""Boom!"Again and again!

The immortal mountain struck with immense power, each blow devastating the surroundings. The giant's form dissipated, spewing forth a frenzy of gray mist. Part of the mist transformed into a poisonous plague and dispersed, while another part twisted erratically, faintly revealing the shadows of black insects before finally being scattered by the aftermath, vanishing into nothingness.

"Boom!""Pfft!"The giant suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood mist.

The Plague Lord's face was ashen. Above his head floated a section of white bone, glistening and smooth throughout. Just this one bone was a full three *zhang* long. Its origin was unknown, making it hard to imagine how massive its owner's body must have been in life.

"Crack, crack..."The white bone, taking the brunt of the blows for the Plague Lord, finally buckled under the strain, emitting faint cracking sounds and developing a fissure down its middle.

The Plague Lord's expression changed abruptly. He and his sister had jointly snatched this section of white bone when a secret realm opened in the Great Lotus Crossing Marsh.

That secret realm was clearly an ancient one, and the white bone was not from the present era. They initially speculated it was a segment of a Demon Saint's bone, but various methods later failed to confirm this. Nevertheless, even if it wasn't a Demon Saint's bone, this section of white bone contained special power. He had refined it into a protective treasure, naming it Bone-Plague.

Bone-Plague was not only a supreme defensive treasure but could also emit a malevolent miasma, capable of contaminating an opponent's spirit treasures. However, because this ability originated from the demon bone itself, its use came with demanding conditions, and after consumption, Bone-Plague had to recover on its own before it could be used again.

Over the years, the malevolent miasma had been deployed only a handful of times. Just now, he had finally found an opportunity to use it, but unexpectedly, upon touching the immortal mountain, the miasma was absorbed by the white mist within the mountain, and the mountain's power remained undiminished.

"What kind of mountain is this?"

The Plague Lord never imagined that, despite nearly exhausting all his trump cards, he not only failed to salvage the situation but was steadily slipping into an abyss!

The cracks on Bone-Plague were glaring. It had originally been a broken bone when they acquired it. He and his sister had gone to great lengths to reattach the pieces and refine it into this treasure. They had believed that after years of refinement by their side, Bone-Plague was already seamless, but now, unexpectedly, it was about to break again!

At the edge of the Cloud Sea.

The Three Immortals had tracked the Plague Lord to this spot. Upon seeing the two distinctly different landscapes—the Gui Xu and the Cloud Sea—they found it quite strange.

"No matter how you look at it, the greatest secret here should be hidden deep within the Gui Xu, shouldn't it?" Guardian Huang didn't understand why the Plague Lord would choose a more distant path instead of trying to infiltrate the Gui Xu, coming here instead.

"Allegedly Gui Xu!"Immortal Liu corrected him, her beautiful eyes scanning the Cloud Sea. "I can't see through this Cloud Sea; it always feels out of place with its surroundings!"

Both demons turned to look at Immortal Fox.

Immortal Fox calmly said, "How could one enter the Gui Xu just by wishing to? It seems they, too, are afraid of a one-way trip."

"Sister, do you mean they don't necessarily understand this place either?" Immortal Liu's eyes lit up.

"But they certainly know more than we do," Guardian Huang said. "The Plague Lord came straight to the Cloud Sea, which indicates they knew of its existence long ago. Perhaps there's a hidden way into the Gui Xu within the Cloud Sea!"

"That makes sense," Immortal Fox said, showing approval. She gracefully entered the Cloud Sea, leaving behind four words: "Watch and wait!"

The Plague Lord never noticed the Three Immortals tracking his movements. Following the trail, the Three Immortals soon arrived near the battlefield.

"Hmm?"The Three Immortals exchanged glances, greatly surprised by the waves of combat emanating from ahead.

"Could it be that those two old venomous creatures and the Three Elders had a dispute over spoils and started fighting?" Guardian Huang gloated.

"Unlikely!"Immortal Fox shook her head, dramatically increasing her speed.

As the cracks appeared, the precious light of Bone-Plague instantly dimmed. At the same time, the giant's form became increasingly indistinct, and the situation grew precarious.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"The giant roared repeatedly, as a dozen streams of light simultaneously flew from its body. The Plague Lord, in desperation, deployed all his protective treasures—a sign of a life-or-death struggle.

Recognizing that the Plague Lord was at the end of his tether, Qin Sang was about to launch a decisive attack when his expression suddenly changed slightly, his eyes flashing with sharp light. It was a warning from the Celestial Eye Butterfly!

Masters were approaching in the dark; a third wave of forces had actually entered as well!

Qin Sang had anticipated such an unexpected turn of events, as so many subordinates of the Seven Constellations of the Black Tortoise had entered, defying normal expectations. For this very reason, Qin Sang had never considered using his Cloud Roaming Sword or Tribulation Lightning; once exposed, the repercussions would be endless.

He just hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. Gui Xu was vast and disorienting, and the Cloud Sea was equally immense, yet the opponents had found them directly, as if they had known of their presence all along.

"Oh? It's them!"The Celestial Eye Butterfly recognized the newcomers: the Five Immortals' Sanctuary!The three factions that had split up within the Seven Constellations of the Black Tortoise had unexpectedly reunited here.

Qin Sang had already considered the Plague Lord his prey, but unexpectedly, complications arose. If the Five Immortals' Sanctuary intervened, the situation would be unpredictable, but one thing was certain: they would never let him easily obtain the tortoise shell.

"Boom!"The immortal mountain smashed down violently, sweeping away everything in its path. The streams of spiritual light either shattered on impact or were sent flying.

"Crack!"Bone-Plague snapped into two pieces of white bone, and the layer of white profound energy that had originally shrouded the giant's head immediately collapsed. With a "boom," the giant's body almost disintegrated, yet the Plague Lord remained alive.

The situation was urgent, so Qin Sang chose not to deliver a second blow.

The immortal mountain pressed down on the giant. Above the mountain, the Dharma Body quietly appeared amidst the starlight, and the shadow of the Dharma Aspect emerged behind Qin Sang.

The next moment, a golden light erupted, as if night had instantly turned into day, welcoming the morning sun.

In the starry sky, a great sun slowly ascended!Sun Wheel Seal!

Under the golden light, the giant's already diffused body melted like ice and snow. Black insects continuously exploded, and the distorted figure of the Plague Lord was faintly visible within the miasma!

"Hand over the tortoise shell, and I swear I will spare your life!"

Qin Sang's gaze was like lightning, his voice reverberating across the heavens.

His sole objective was the crystal tortoise shell in the Plague Lord's possession; the Plague Lord's life or death was not important. With the sudden intervention of the Three Immortals disrupting the situation, if the Plague Lord willingly abandoned his treasure to save himself, Qin Sang's goal would be achieved.

The giant was being melted by the sun's fire, and the poisonous miasma quickly thinned to a faint layer. By this point, the Plague Lord had already sensed the aura of death, his face filled with pain and despair. His expression seemed to waver, but before Qin Sang could show any joy, a flash of green light appeared beneath the Plague Lord.

Outside the sword formation.

When Qin Sang successively unleashed the immortal Mount Daiyu and the Sun Wheel Seal, an utterly terrifying aura emanated from the sword formation, drawing the gaze of all the demons present.

Mo Yan's eyes showed astonishment.Gu Lao's heart pounded with terror, her face filled with worry and fear.Elder Qiu Zang and Lord Cha Yun exchanged glances, simultaneously plunging their arms into the green light. Immediately, the skin on their arms turned into rough bark, and their arms transformed into two branches.

The next moment, green spiritual light spread from their bodies, flowing along the branches that were once their arms, merging into the green glow. The green glow intensified, and a few slender vines grew within the green light, but they vanished in a flash, as if an illusion.

Seeing this, Mo Yan sensed trouble and hastily summoned the Ink Phoenix.

"Whoosh!"The Ink Phoenix flew over. Mo Yan rapidly wielded his paintbrush, splashing ink that merged into the Ink Phoenix's body, instantly making its form a few points heavier.

"Go!"Mo Yan pointed his brush. The Ink Phoenix let out a reluctant cry, its entire body igniting with ink flames in mid-air, then resolutely charged towards the two elders.

Suddenly, faint whooshing sounds echoed around, as a dark cloud of insects rose into the sky, attempting to block the Ink Phoenix.

With a "bang," Gu Lao was forced into her true form by the Thunder Beast Battle Guard, staggering backward, her magic robe now conspicuously torn with a large hole.

She realized that the two elders were rescuing their junior brother, and she, despite being injured, moved to stop the Ink Phoenix.

The Ink Phoenix transformed into a raging mass of ink flames, burning a fiery path through the cloud of insects. The Thunder Beast Battle Guard also turned and charged towards the two elders.

"Whoosh!"The green glow in the two elders' hands suddenly erupted into a dense wave of light, carrying them backward.

Meanwhile, within the sword formation.

The Plague Lord, nearly driven to despair, suddenly found a dozen vines growing beneath him. These vines were only finger-thick, but they grew incredibly fast, coiling layer by layer around the Plague Lord to form a green wooden cage.

A glimmer of hope flashed in the Plague Lord's eyes.

Qin Sang snorted coldly, realizing a miscalculation. He hadn't expected Elder Qiu Zang and Lord Cha Yun to possess such divine abilities, capable of rescuing the Plague Lord from within the sword formation!

Mo Yan had warned him earlier that the Three Elders were unfathomable. Experts at the late Void Refinement stage truly were formidable.

The Dharma Body and Dharma Aspect held nothing back, using themselves as kindling, sparing no expense. The golden sun blazed fiercely, and the wooden cage instantly burst into golden flames. The roaring inferno engulfed both the wooden cage and the Plague Lord!

After all, there was a layer of sword formation separating them. The two elders had hidden their strength before, and now their rescue attempt was indeed a bit late.

At this moment, the Three Immortals arrived, and their subsequent actions once again surprised Qin Sang.

Qin Sang couldn't fathom what the Three Immortals were thinking. They directly revealed themselves and entered the battlefield, clearly intending to join the chaotic fight.

If he were in their shoes, Qin Sang would certainly choose to observe from the sidelines.

When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman benefits. Wouldn't it be better to wait for them and the Plague Lord to be mutually exhausted, then emerge to reap the benefits?

Even more unexpectedly, Immortal Fox, the fastest of the Three Immortals, actually headed straight for the sword formation.

Her enchanting eyes swept over the sword formation. Immortal Fox's eyes gleamed with an unusual light. She raised her right hand, holding a wooden carving in her jade palm, then opened her mouth and exhaled a breath of profound energy. The profound energy was absorbed by the wooden carving, and its eyes immediately shot forth brilliant light, its gaze like a sharp sword, fiercely striking the sword formation!

With a "rumble," the starry sky trembled violently, and the sword stars shattered one after another under that gaze.

"Damn it!"At the last critical moment, just as he was about to succeed, being thwarted twice in a row, Qin Sang rarely felt such frustration, even when he had acted with almost full power. But more than frustration, it was helplessness.

He couldn't understand what Immortal Fox was thinking. She had clearly been at odds with the Plague Lord before! What had happened later in the Seven Constellations of the Black Tortoise? When had they become such good friends?

On the other side, Gu Lao and her allies clearly hadn't expected Immortal Fox to help them either, and they paused in surprise.

"Danger, quickly retreat!"Qin Sang heard Mo Yan's urgent telepathic message.

Now, the situation on the battlefield had completely reversed. With the Three Immortals joining forces with the Plague Lord's side, they had become the weakest party. At this moment, let alone killing demons and seizing treasures, if they didn't withdraw quickly, they might very well perish here!

"Boom!"The Ink Phoenix self-detonated, raining down fiery streams.The Thunder Beast Battle Guard retracted its spear and retreated. Mo Yan lightly tapped with his paintbrush, and an ink path appeared under his feet, extending to the horizon and passing through the center of the sword formation.

Mo Yan couldn't maintain his peak cultivation indefinitely. Worried that dragging it out too long would be disadvantageous, he had already prepared an escape route.

Immortal Fox shifted her gaze. Seeing this scene, her jade-like face slightly changed. "Stop him!"

Immortal Liu and Immortal Huang simultaneously lunged towards Mo Yan.Although Gu Lao didn't know why the Three Immortals were helping them, she quickly reacted, preparing to join forces with the two elders to entangle Mo Yan and the Thunder Beast Battle Guard.

"Boom!"As Mo Yan and the Thunder Beast Battle Guard stepped onto the ink path, streams of spiritual light shot from all directions, engulfing them.But when the spiritual light dispersed, they were nowhere to be seen, leaving only an empty ink path.

Looking at the other side of the battlefield, the starry sky had dissipated, and a charred figure floated in the void. It was barely discernible as a scorpion-tiger, but although the Plague Lord appeared miserable, he had not perished.

"Chase!"The demons pursued along the ink path, deep into the Cloud Sea, where the path ended. They only saw an ink gate that had already closed.The ink traces slowly faded before the demons.

Above Gui Xu.

A gate suddenly opened in the calm void, and three figures flew out of it.

"Thanks to your thorough planning, fellow Daoist."Qin Sang recalled the Thunder Beast Battle Guard, then cupped his hands to Mo Yan. If not for Mo Yan, they would likely not have escaped so easily this time.

Looking back at the Cloud Sea, Qin Sang felt greatly vexed.

"Your divine abilities are remarkable, fellow Daoist. Don't take this defeat too much to heart; it was not due to a flaw in combat," Mo Yan consoled.

Qin Sang nodded. Most things in the world don't go as one wishes, and he naturally wouldn't dwell on failure indefinitely.

The Plague Lord and his sister, the Three Elders, and the Five Immortals' Sanctuary clearly all harbored their own ulterior motives. Qin Sang didn't believe they could cooperate seamlessly, so there would definitely be more opportunities later!

Qin Sang looked towards Gui Xu and said, "I almost jeopardized your important matter, fellow Daoist."

Mo Yan apologized, "I must descend now and cannot stay to assist you further, fellow Daoist. Please be careful."

With that, Mo Yan took out an item and handed it to Qin Sang.

"This is..."Seeing a round pearl the size of a longan, Qin Sang immediately thought of something. "Is it that clam pearl?"

"Precisely," Mo Yan nodded. "This pearl has another wondrous use here. With it, even alone, you can continue to contend with them."

"Isn't this too valuable?" Qin Sang hesitated.

The clam pearl was the token to open this secret realm, its value immeasurable.

Mo Yan had already paid the previous remuneration. One shouldn't accept rewards for no merit, and Qin Sang dared not accept it so easily without knowing Mo Yan's intentions.

Mo Yan smiled. "This pearl is for you, fellow Daoist. Upon entering Gui Xu, my objective has been achieved, so this pearl is of no further use to me. It might be of great use to you, so please accept it."

Seeing Mo Yan's straightforward expression, Qin Sang was half-believing, half-doubting, but ultimately accepted the clam pearl. Cupping his hands in farewell, he said, "Then I wish you, fellow Daoist, success in resolving your hidden troubles and recovering your full cultivation!"

Mo Yan nodded slightly and leaped into Gui Xu.

The waters of Gui Xu were so calm they didn't even ripple. Qin Sang watched Mo Yan slowly descend, lost in thought.

The more contact he had with Mo Yan, the more he sensed the layers of mystery surrounding this demon. Daring to dive into Gui Xu without relying on any treasures further underscored the demon's extraordinary nature. However, Mo Yan had not acted against him, but had offered considerable help, so there was no need for him to probe deeply into the other's secrets.