Chapter 1188: Stalemate
Chapter 1188: Stalemate
The three of them sat down and divided the spoils.
As a Spiritual Infant grandmaster, Old Devil Pei possessed considerable wealth. Astras, spiritual materials, medicinal pills, spirit stones, and other treasures were all present.
Si Di and Jinglin insisted that Qin Sang take the largest share. Qin Sang did not stand on ceremony. He first selected several items he urgently needed and stored them in the Thousand-Jin Ring.
His personal wealth had long failed to match his status and cultivation. Now that he had killed a Spiritual Infant cultivator and claimed the spoils, his fortune finally no longer looked so meager.
Even so, although he obtained several astras, none of them truly satisfied him. Old Devil Pei’s life-bound astra was a high-grade astra, but when used by outsiders its power diminished greatly.
Compared to the twelve devilish banners and the ebony sword, these treasures were far inferior. For now he would use them temporarily. Later, they could only be bestowed upon juniors.
Si Di and Jinglin evenly divided the remaining items and were both quite satisfied.
"When the battle merits are reported, even greater rewards will be waiting for us!" Jinglin said cheerfully.
Slaying a Spiritual Infant cultivator of Sin Abyss in battle was no trivial matter. The Two-Domain Alliance had never been stingy with rewards.
Although Qin Sang had killed the man, he could not have succeeded without their cooperation. The three therefore decided to split the battle merits evenly.
"Daoist Ming Yue, you made a stunning debut this time. You scared Chanling and Old Devil Tan out of their wits. After that, they only wanted to withdraw their troops and had no will to fight. Now that Sin Abyss knows your name, they will certainly investigate you in secret and try every possible way to counter you." Jinglin offered the warning out of goodwill.
Qin Sang was not worried. Setting an ambush for him would not be so easy. Of course, caution was still necessary. The world contained countless supernatural abilities. Sooner or later, he might encounter an opponent who could restrain him.
Qin Sang thanked him and turned to Si Di. "My fire banner and lightning art are both purely offensive techniques. At most, Sin Abyss can prepare some protective measures in advance, which will not matter much. Daoist Si is different. Your life-saving supernatural ability was exposed in front of Chanling and Old Devil Tan. You must be extremely careful from now on."
Qin Sang deeply admired Si Di’s decisiveness and courage.
For a Spiritual Infant grandmaster to willingly serve as bait and risk his own life was extremely rare. By switching positions with his life-bound astra, Si Di possessed an unparalleled means of escape. But once others knew of it and prepared against it beforehand, its effectiveness would drop drastically.
Upon hearing this, Si Di and Jinglin suddenly looked at each other and burst out laughing. Qin Sang was puzzled.
Smiling, Si Di gave a brief explanation. "Daoist Ming Yue, you may not know but the conditions required to use that Dao Technique are extremely strict. It cannot be used during ordinary combat. First, it requires the Cold Bell Array. Second, I spent several months preparing arrangements here beforehand. Only then could I use it. If the enemy wastes their effort trying to counter that Dao Technique, I would welcome it!
"With the battle merits gained this time, I can finally exchange for a spiritual material I have coveted for a long time. Once it is fused into the Aurric Mirror, this astra will undergo a qualitative transformation. At that time, I can turn their own scheme against them and make them suffer another loss."
"You even calculated that far ahead. Impressive." Qin Sang could not help but sigh inwardly. These old Spiritual Infant cultivators were truly formidable. One trap led to another.
"Since Daoist Si took command of Sandi’e Stronghold, Old Devil Pei and Old Devil Tan have never gained any real advantage. That is not due to cultivation alone!" Jinglin praised.
Si Di repeatedly waved his hand modestly.
After fighting together, their relationship had clearly grown closer. Si Di and Jinglin treated Qin Sang with increasing warmth and were also quite tactful, never asking about the devilish banners or the Lightning Control Technique.
Under Qin Sang’s deliberate guidance, the conversation turned to the Nether Crystal Tower and the Soul-Extinguishing Spike.
"Previously, the Mystic Shield Talisman could not completely block the Soul-Extinguishing Spike, but it could at least buy time and allow us to evade calmly. Old Devil Pei must have used some secret technique. The Soul-Extinguishing Spike this time was far stronger than before. This matter must be taken seriously. I will immediately send word to Daoist Zhenyi." Jinglin’s tone grew solemn.
His injuries had not yet healed. When he mentioned the Soul-Extinguishing Spike, his voice carried clear fear.
Now that the Mystic Shield Talisman had failed, the Two-Domain Alliance had to find stronger defensive measures as soon as possible.
Si Di said, "That kind of Soul-Extinguishing Spike should not be something that can be fired casually. I noticed that Old Devil Pei looked abnormal at the final moment. The two of you were closer to him, so you should have seen it more clearly than I did."
Both of them turned to Qin Sang.
Qin Sang nodded slightly. "Daoist Si is correct. Before Old Devil Pei released the Soul-Extinguishing Spike, his appearance suddenly aged several hundred years. It was as if most of the vital energy in his body had drained away."
Jinglin pondered for a moment. Suddenly his expression changed. "Old Devil Pei sacrificed himself to the Nether Crystal Tower! That thing truly is an outright evil artifact!"
"A Spiritual Infant cultivator values their life above all else. Unless forced into a desperate situation, they would never willingly sacrifice themselves. But we must still be extremely cautious. Even in haste, Old Devil Pei still managed to injure the two of you. If someone were willing to make a deliberate sacrifice and plan carefully, no one knows how much destruction it could cause," Si Di said gravely.
The three of them discussed matters in secret for a full hour. Qin Sang asked them in detail about the various situations within Sin Abyss, especially concerning the Nether Crystal Tower, but he did not find the information he wanted.
After seeing Jinglin and Si Di off, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the ground, his thoughts unsettled.
His intuition told him that the Nether Crystal Tower was most likely related to the ancient devils, but he had no evidence and could not present such speculation openly.
After such a crushing defeat, Sandi’e Stronghold should quiet down for a while. It is time to go to Shiqu Mountain and see Senior Sister. No matter what, I must secure a retreat path for myself first... Qin Sang thought.
The Devil Monarch killed Spiritual Infant cultivators as easily as cutting grass. Qin Sang did not mind contributing to the defense against Sin Abyss, but he certainly did not intend to risk his own life for it.
Of course, there was no need to flee tens of thousands of li away in fear. The strength of Sin Abyss was not so overwhelming. There might be other hidden reasons.
***
After the great battle, Sandi’e Stronghold returned to calm. Soon they finally received news from Shiqu Mountain.
This time, Sin Abyss had nearly mobilized its entire force. The momentum of their offensive was immense.
By creating a feint, the Sin Abyss made Shiqu Mountain and several nearby strongholds appear to be their primary targets. Fortunately, the Two-Domain Alliance had already made preparations and had invited demon kings to join the defense.
At the beginning they were caught off guard. But as reinforcements arrived, they gradually resisted the offensive and stabilized the front line.
The most inspiring news, however, was that Sandi’e Stronghold, despite being slightly weaker in strength, had managed to kill a Spiritual Infant cultivator of the enemy.
The name Demon King Ming Yue spread rapidly, and his reputation soared.
A few days later, Qin Sang found Jinglin and Si Di and informed them that he intended to visit Shiqu Mountain. His reason was that the lesser demons of Thousand-Mountain Bamboo Sea had brought news.
Si Di had already exchanged his battle merits for the treasure he desired and was in high spirits. "Chanling is as timid as a mouse. Unless he fully understands your supernatural abilities, he will definitely not dare act rashly. Daoist, feel free to go. Once you bring them here, we will certainly take good care of them."
***
Shiqu Mountain had originally been a major city of the Tianxing Alliance. All the mortal residents had already been evacuated, leaving the vast city desolate.
Security at Shiqu Mountain was extremely strict. After Qin Sang revealed his identity, he was allowed to enter the city.
A Core Formation cultivator led Qin Sang into a great hall within the city lord’s residence, then hurried off to report to Daoist Master Zhenyi.
Daoist Master Zhenyi personally guarded Shiqu Mountain, while Devil Lord Tongyou, was stationed at Wangdong City.
Others, such as Qingjun, were also at Shiqu Mountain. Dongyang Bo assisted Devil Lord Tongyou at Wangdong City. The experts of Tianxing Alliance were likewise divided between the two locations.