Embers of Sword

Chapter 519 Alive
Qin Qianlian stood in the shadows, frowning as he stared at the two Yinshan figures speeding past not far away.

It's not too surprising that Master Baihe would appear here.

He remembered that among the cultivators who had attacked Suspended Cone Mountain with Plague Daoist, there was a woman playing the zither. That woman was not listed in the Great Chu Case Files, and her methods of killing were extremely strange. She was most likely an envoy sent by Paper Doll Dao to enter the tomb. Since the Heavenly Puppet Sect had an envoy in charge of receiving visitors, then Yin Mountain should naturally have such an envoy as well.

Master Baihe must have obtained information about the Paper Doll Sect.

only.

Given Yinshan's strength, there's no need for Master Baihe to send out a second group, right?

"Boom."

The distant rumbling in the void gradually subsided.

The secret halls converged like a large ship.

Qin Qianlian stared solemnly at the hall shrouded in blood mist... This hall was not the one he had occupied before. He saw many corpses of Yinshan disciples in this hall.

So... Yinshan was defeated in the previous battle?
Even with Master Baihe's strength, he could only protect himself.

Who could have dealt such a severe blow to Yinshan? Zhou? Or has Ye Zu been resurrected?
Qin Qianlian raised an eyebrow.

In that secret hall, he also saw the broken armor of the Jiangning Prince's cultivators... Could the Jiangning Prince have accomplished such a terrible thing as Yinshan?
"Damn it, Renzuka also knows about the 'Secret Palace'."

Yan Xie frowned and said, "It seems we need to change to a different 'ferry'... Those old guys from the three major sects haven't entered the tomb yet, so it's not too late to set off now."

In Da Chu's files.

The cultivation levels of the three sect leaders were not actually that different, since they were all at the peak of the Yin Spirit realm.

only……

Even the most perfect Yin spirits have different ranks and levels.

Judging from the sheer number of wraiths swaying within the Soul-Devouring Banner, Qin Qianlian sensed a sense of unease; this White Crane Immortal was likely far more difficult to deal with than the Plague Daoist.

Luck played a significant role in my previous victory against the Plague Taoist.

The Fiendish clone that arrived for the round hid in the shadows using the Yin-Yang Mirror.

A surprise attack from behind, a single, decisive blow!
This method is unlikely to be used a second time.

Moreover, Master Baihe's [Ten Thousand Souls Array] covers an area of ​​fifty feet in radius. Once the [Yin Yang Mirror] clone steps into it, it will definitely be detected by the other party... Given the current situation, it is not advisable to cause further conflict. Qin Qianlian nodded and prepared to leave with Yan Xie to find another "boarding point".

"and many more."

Qin Qianlian spoke in a deep voice.

He suddenly looked into the interior of the ghostly, swirling sandstorm.

"what happened?"

Yan Xie turned around, somewhat puzzled.

Within the Ten Thousand Souls Formation, countless ghosts wailed and howled, a truly gruesome scene.

"..."

Qin Qianlian remained silent, but her eyes grew increasingly cold.

Within that Myriad Souls Formation, he sensed some familiar auras.

Bingyou year!
They are the fellow disciples and nephews who were separated from their families during the Bingyou year...

Upon entering the Bai Ze Secret Mausoleum, the Great Chu Treasure Ships lost contact with each other, and the Changshengzhai disciples who were aboard the Xuanzhui Mountain Treasure Ship completely lost contact with Qin Qianlian.

Qin Qianlian had been preoccupied with this matter. While he was hiding from the void array, he had been wandering inside the secret tomb, trying to find the survivors of "Bingyou". He knew that it would be difficult to survive after entering the Abyss... but not finding them did not mean that his fellow disciples from Bingyou had died.

But now...

Qin Qianlian saw the souls of his junior brothers and nephews within the White Crane Immortal's Soul Banner.

He silently clenched his fists.

Fingertips embedded in the palm.

"..."

Yan Xie looked at it for a moment, understood the reason, and sighed softly.

He shook his head, unsure of what to say.

This junior brother, although he looks cold and stern, is actually much more "kind" than I imagined.

He had initially thought that Qin Qianlian was the kind of ruthless person who could bide his time for decades in order to seize the throne.

But looking at it now...

Qin Qianlian and Xie Zhisui are very different.

This guy……

They seem to place great importance on relationships.

Such a person is unlikely to become a true strong person.

Because the more things you care about, the more weaknesses you have.

"Buzz!"

A booming sound of vital energy echoed atop the gloomy mountain peak. Qin Qianlian said nothing, and directly used his energy to rush towards the secret palace—

"Are you crazy?"

Yan Xie's eyes widened, and he quickly wielded the Yin-Yang Mirror to catch up.

Two streaks of light, one black and one white, fell from the sky, like a dazzling shooting star!
"Once we enter the second level of the secret tomb, there will be plenty of opportunities! Why fight this guy to the death now?!"

Yan Xie gritted his teeth and hissed, "Wouldn't it be better to wait until we reach the second level and then find an opportunity to kill him?"

"not good."

Qin Qianlian simply replied with two words indifferently.

The smoke gave me a sudden headache.

When he chose to cooperate with the Imperial City… he was unaware that this young junior brother, who would one day inherit the mantle of the Longevity Sect, was such an unreasonable and domineering person. The deaths of his fellow disciples in the Bingyou Sect were already a fait accompli; no amount of anger could change that fact.

Going forward to fight Master Baihe now would bring no benefit whatsoever!

Unfortunately.

A sword once drawn cannot be sheathed.

The moment the lightning struck, it caught the attention of the two Yinshan brothers on the ground.

"Are there still people on the first level of the secret tomb?"

Renzuka's expression was gloomy.

He sat cross-legged on Zhongsha's back, digesting the spiritual medicine in the secret palace. He thought the journey would be smooth, but he didn't expect to be ambushed halfway through.

"Qin Qianlian of Changshengzhai?"

Master Baihe frowned as he gazed at the dazzling lightning in the sky.

What he didn't expect was... that beside Qin Qianlian, there was also a wisp of dark lightning. The dim lightning was quite concealed, and it was accompanied by a filthy and dirty aura. This filthy aura was incompatible with the holy Taoist methods. Most importantly, Master Baihe sensed a familiar blood aura on it.

That was the blood and qi of the Plague Immortal.

Before the first activation of the Void Array...

He then smelled the blood.

The paper figure in black left, and at that moment, Renzuka suddenly understood everything.

The Plague Taoist died at the hands of Qin Qianlian!
"boom!"

In an instant, a torrent of snow-white lightning crashed down, forcibly tearing a gap in the Yinshan Myriad Souls Formation. Countless bolts of lightning spilled out like mercury, cascading across the ground. Zhong Sha, running on all fours, leaped high into the air. Ren Zhong, who had been sitting cross-legged for a long time, moved with lightning speed, instantly grabbing the Soul-Devouring Banner and using it as a spear to stab fiercely at the focal point of the lightning.

boom!
A muffled thunderclap resounded.

Qin Qianlian was knocked away by the Soul-Devouring Banner. He gathered lightning in his hands and collided heavily with the Soul-Devouring Banner.

The two figures collided and immediately retreated.

Master Baihe slumped back onto his junior brother's back, his face only slightly paler.

Qin Qianlian retreated several dozen feet. Clearly, he had suffered some losses in the previous clash, given his years of cultivation; he had cultivated for twenty years less than Master Baihe.

"interesting."

Master Baihe narrowed his eyes and sneered, "You have a path in the Heavenly Realm but you choose not to take it; you have no way to enter the Purgatory but you insist on coming here?"

If Qin Qianlian hadn't shown up on her own initiative...

He had no idea that someone was "spying" on him not far away.

"You killed all of these people?"

Qin Qianlian stretched out her palm and wiped the corner of her lips.

He pointed to a wisp of soul wandering within the Ten Thousand Souls Array and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Ok?"

Renzuka paused for a moment, then looked in the direction Qin Qianlian pointed.

He recalled for a moment, licked his lips, and said, "Are you talking about those people on the 'Bingyou' ship? If I remember correctly, there were quite a few disciples of the Longevity Sect on that ship... These people taste good, very moist."

Having said that, Renzuka deliberately waved his sleeve, releasing the Bingyou numbered souls that the Soul Devouring Banner had absorbed one by one.

All of a sudden.

The outer perimeter of the Ten Thousand Souls Formation was filled with the sound of ghostly wails.

Some newly deceased people, whose souls have just been incorporated into the banner and whose consciousness has not yet been fully refined, are still clinging to their obsessions from their previous lives even though they are already dead.

"Uncle-Master Qin..."

"Senior Brother Qianlian!"

The mournful cries of dozens of disciples of the Longevity Sect echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

"..."

Qin Qianlian watched this scene unfold.

His tightly clenched fingers relaxed, and his trembling gradually subsided.

He was furious to the extreme.

That's how it will be.

Seeing Qin Qianlian's reaction, Renzuka felt a little disappointed.

He had already set up the [Ten Thousand Souls Formation], just waiting for Qin Qianlian to be blinded by rage...

did not expect.

The young man remained calm.

"You are badly injured."

Qin Qianlian looked at Ren Zhong and said softly, "Even if a heretical cultivator who has reached the peak of the Yin God Realm can withstand lightning magic, it will probably cause irreversible damage to his body... If the lightning magic had hit a few more times just now, I wonder if you could have withstood it?"

"Ah."

Master Baihe scoffed, "Why don't you give it a try?"

He said that.

Renzuka silently tucked one hand into his sleeve...

The current situation is actually not optimistic.

The injuries sustained in the previous battle with the Prince of Jiangning's Mansion have not yet healed, and now, after fighting Qin Qianlian, he has suffered new injuries. It will be difficult to heal him with the divine medicine he scavenged from the first level of the secret tomb.

the most important is--

Renzuka had clearly seen that this young man surnamed Qin was carrying a mysterious treasure with unknown powers, which had not yet been revealed.

He vaguely sensed an unease in his heart.

If a war breaks out, it will be a protracted struggle.

In this state, even if one manages to win and escape into the second level of the secret tomb, there will be no opportunities to be found; on the contrary, one may encounter an even greater crisis.

If possible, Renzuka wants to negotiate peace with Qin Qianlian...

He dared not show weakness at the moment, for fear that this guy would take advantage of his illness and kill him!
"If I'm not mistaken, you're preparing to escape into the second level of the secret tomb... is it because the White Ghost is going to enter the tomb next?"

Qin Qianlian stared at the man before her and slowly asked, "Are you afraid he'll punish you?"

Seeing that Qin Qianlian did not intend to make a move immediately.

Renzuka felt a little relieved.

Judging from this... this guy doesn't seem to want a fight to the death...

That's good.

Everything is negotiable.

But Renzuka's tone remained firm: "So what are you trying to say?"

“I saw earlier… that there was a ‘living soul’ hidden within your Soul-Devouring Banner.”

Qin Qianlian stared at the large banner and said in a deep voice, "That person is still alive, right? Hand her over to me, and I'll let you go."

All cultivators in this world possess their own hidden realms.

Even for those martial artists who cultivate a divine embryo, once the divine embryo is completed, it is considered a kind of alternative paradise.

Those venerable ones of Yinshan.

Their natal magical artifact is the [Soul Banner]!
Where the Soul Banner resides, there lies the grotto-heaven… This Soul Banner normally needs to absorb souls to maintain its operation. While the souls of the dead can certainly add power to the banner master, true cultivation requires the absorption of fresh blood. This is why the evil cultivators of Yin Mountain are notorious. The border towns of the Southern Frontier are frequently subjected to burning, killing, and looting. When a Soul Banner master at the Yin God Realm descends, it only takes a few hours to turn a village into a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

usually.

The evil cultivators of Yinshan will not kill everyone in the land they plunder.

Kill half, spare half.

The remaining half was placed in the Soul Banner Cave.

When the [Ten Thousand Souls Array] released the ghosts earlier, Qin Qianlian carefully examined them and indeed saw the figures of many disciples of the Longevity Sect... but there were still some people he did not see.

for example.

Song Yu, the junior sister of Changshengzhai.

Earlier, on the mountaintop, Qin Qianlian sensed a woman's presence for a fleeting moment.

He could be sure of that.

This is a living person!
"A living person..."

"Where are the living people?"

Upon hearing this, Renzuka's pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately sneered, "Young Master Qin, you must have misjudged me, right?"

"Qin never makes a mistake."

Qin Qianlian took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, "When you relied on the Soul Banner to cultivate, there was a wisp of 'living soul' among the souls you released. That person was hidden in your Soul Banner Cave Heaven. I saw it very clearly... If you hand over this person, we will part ways. You go your way, and I will go mine."

The Fiend clone hidden within the Yin-Yang Mirror understood the reason for Qin Qianlian's reckless actions upon hearing this.

It turns out that the soul banner of Master Baihe also hides the survivors of Changshengzhai?
Using the methods of the evil cultivators of Yinshan, once the soul banner is taken in, there is no chance of survival... So this kid is prepared to put himself in the game and forcefully demand a survivor.
"..."

Renzuka's expression turned serious.

He re-examined the young man in white before him, and after a moment, squinted and said, "Why should I believe you?"

Qin Qianlian tapped her brow.

A shadow as black as ink appeared beside him.

Smoke Demon was forced to reveal himself.

He spoke softly, "Master Ren, it's been a long time."

"...Smoke Evil?"

Renzuka raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He had long suspected that Qin Qianlian had a backup plan, but he never expected it to be this kind of backup plan!
Seeing this, Master Baihe felt that things were gradually becoming interesting.

A Taoist outcast who was expelled from his sect and the future head of the Longevity Abode actually maintained this kind of relationship in secret...

It seems the rumors circulating outside are true.

Qin Qianlian will stop at nothing to seize the position of head of the Qin family.

"I can, in my capacity as the future head of the Qin family, swear a divine oath... If Fellow Daoist Ren hands over the Soul Banner and is allowed to live, I will depart here, and the enmity between Bingyou and the others will be wiped clean."

Qin Qianlian stared into Ren Zhong's eyes and spoke, word by word.

"Young Master Qin the Second".

Renzuka shrugged and smiled, saying, "It's not that I don't trust this 'Oath of the Soul,' but there truly are no survivors of the Longevity Cult within my Soul Banner... If you don't believe me, why don't you step into the Soul Banner Cave and check it out for yourself?"

Say it.

A strong, eerie wind arose atop the Soul-Devouring Banner, and a dark, mysterious cavern opened up before them.

Should I check the banner?

This proposal is utterly absurd and nothing short of humiliating.

Even though you are both at the Yin God Realm, if you dare to step into the Soul Banner Cave Heaven in your true form... no matter how high your realm or how strong your strength, there is only one outcome.

He was instantly refined and tortured to death!

"you wanna die!"

Qin Qianlian's expression immediately darkened.

He no longer tolerated it and immediately took a step forward, causing countless bolts of lightning to fall and engulf the [Ten Thousand Souls Array].

The two fought as they rushed toward the secret hall.

Wherever it passed, the heavens and earth collapsed.

Within a radius of several hundred feet, half of it was transformed into an abyss where ghosts howled, and the other half into a dazzling and brilliant thunder pool!

(End of this chapter)