Chapter 1037: Control

Chapter 1037: Control

Roar!

No one knew who had provoked the earth spirits guarding the chamber, but after a series of deafening roars, the calm of the secret chamber was completely shattered.

Rumble...

The array trembled, and strange ripples stirred within the black mist.

From the mist, massive figures rose from the ground one after another. Their auras were violent, and their roars shook the air as they charged furiously toward the intruders. In the shifting mist, countless shadowy shapes could be seen. There were so many earth spirits that they seemed to fill every corner of the cavern.

The more people there were, the more earth spirits were drawn to them. Blood Bat cursed under his breath, his tone cold. "You all saw it, there are only four bottles of Soul-Cleansing Liquid. There’s no way to divide that peacefully. Stop dreaming about alliances. Every man for himself! Attack!"

Swish!

Blood-red light erupted behind him, revealing the phantom of a blood-red bat.

Its wings flapped, stirring a storm filled with the stench of blood, and it dove straight toward the earth spirits.

Boom!

An earth spirit was torn apart by his claws, but more immediately surged forward to surround him.

The other devilish cultivators exchanged glances, then rushed in as well, cutting their way through the earth spirits as they charged toward the light dome at the center.

In an instant, the cavern erupted into chaos. Qin Sang and Ming Wei had also entered the chamber.

Qin Sang wielded the ebony sword, slicing through the earth spirits ahead of him, while sending a voice transmission to Ming Wei. "There are only four bottles of Soul-Cleansing Liquid. I’m afraid our previous plan won’t work."

Even Bai was interested in the Soul-Cleansing Liquid. Qin Sang was confident he could seize one bottle on his own, but taking three between the three of them would surely make them everyone’s enemy.

If there had been more bottles, they might have been able to take advantage of the confusion. But now, with only four in existence, countless eyes were already fixed on each one. Qin Sang found the situation increasingly difficult.

Against so many opponents, his only true advantage was his evasion technique, far superior to others of the same realm.

Yet if he were surrounded and his movement restricted, even that might not save him. Every cultivator here was an elite of their sect; he had no certainty of escaping unharmed.

"If it becomes impossible, I’ll give it up. It was only a guess that the Soul-Cleansing Liquid might be of help to me. As long as you can find the Heavenly Corpse Sect and undo the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, the liquid won’t make much difference." Bai, sensing the growing danger, spoke to Qin Sang privately, ready to abandon the fight.

Qin Sang hesitated, then replied through voice transmission, "Let’s see how the situation unfolds. If there’s an opening, we can’t simply give up. If you can advance to the realm of the corpse king, our return to the Small Cold Domain will be far easier. The Small Cold Domain has been unstable lately, with traces of an ancient devil, and I still have old enemies there."

Bai gave a quiet hum of acknowledgement and said no more, trusting Qin Sang’s judgment.

Ming Wei’s expression was uneasy. She forced a smile. "Daoist Qin, you’re not thinking of breaking our agreement and acting alone, are you? Leaving me to my own fate?"

Though she possessed a Life Talisman, she could tell that under such circumstances, her chances were slim.

The more she learned about Qin Sang, the more she realized how unfathomable he was. If she worked with him, there might still be a glimmer of hope.

Now, however, she deeply regretted being too confident when they made their oath. She should have bound their fates together, instead of leaving herself vulnerable.

Qin Sang remained silent for a long moment, torn with indecision. The Life Talisman in Ming Wei’s hand could indeed work wonders, but cooperating with her also increased his risk. The more bottles they tried to take, the greater the danger. It was not an easy choice.

Elsewhere in the cavern, Venerable Ye had sealed most of his cultivation, only using a portion of his strength. Moving quietly, he inched closer to the light dome, keeping a low profile.

Su Nu and the others stayed a short distance behind him, standing back-to-back to defend themselves while waiting for the right moment to strike.

The long-bearded elder and the other two could hardly hide their excitement and anxiety. Every now and then, they stole glances at the Soul-Cleansing Liquid, eager to claim it for themselves. Only Su Nu showed no such eagerness.

Her beautiful eyes flickered as she secretly observed the other cultivators scattered across the chamber. Black mist filled the air as cultivators and earth spirits clashed in chaotic battle.

Then, Su Nu’s eyes suddenly focused on one particular figure. Though the mist made it hard to see clearly, she was certain that this was the person she had been looking for.

Her heart stirred, and her attacks slowed slightly. Immediately, the earth spirits pressed in harder, forcing her into a dangerous situation.

Swish!

A saber light swept past her from behind, cleaving an earth spirit apart.

Steadying herself, Su Nu exhaled in relief. "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother."

The burly man swung his saber several more times, pushing back the surrounding earth spirits and easing the pressure on her. "Junior Sister, are you alright? Is your primordial spirit unstable? Don’t circulate your true essence for now. Come stand between us and rest, or your mind might lose control."

By now, the influence of the Soul-Enchanting Cavern had grown even stronger. Fortunately, everyone here was a top expert, each with their own ways to protect the primordial spirit, so they could still fight the earth spirits.

Su Nu caught her breath and shook her head. "The art I cultivate happens to stabilize the mind, so it’s not affecting me too badly. But we’re too close together. I can’t use my evasion technique properly. Senior Brother, perhaps we should spread out a little. As long as we don’t separate too far, it shouldn’t be dangerous."

The charming woman nodded in agreement. "Junior Sister is right. We’re too cramped like this. Once Master decides to act, we can regroup to set up the array."

The long-bearded elder sighed. "I was only worried you’d be affected by the cavern’s influence... But since both of you insist, we’ll spread out and take positions in four directions. That way, we can cover each other."

"Alright!" The four of them scattered, each taking a separate position.

Soon, the situation stabilized once again. Focused on the earth spirits, the others failed to notice Su Nu’s subtle movements.

She kept her eyes fixed on that distant figure. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Venerable Ye’s back, and her heart tightened with nervous tension. Unfolding her devilish wings, she swung her saber to cut down an earth spirit. Meanwhile, her other hand, hidden within her sleeve, formed a secret hand seal in silence.

Venerable Ye was moving faster now, drawing ever closer to the seal. The distance widened between them.

Swish!

Su Nu’s saber flashed once more, slicing through another earth spirit.

But before the earth spirit could fall, Su Nu’s other hand shot out like lightning and pressed firmly against its brow. A moment later, she swung her saber and sent the creature flying far away.

To everyone’s surprise, the earth spirit did not sink back into the ground. Its body trembled, then slowly got back up. It was now completely under Su Nu’s control.

The hollow sockets of its eyes glimmered with a strange light. The earth spirit tilted its head slightly, then turned toward a distant figure locked in combat with another earth spirit. It stomped the ground and darted forward at full speed.

The number of earth spirits seemed endless, and the closer they drew to the seal, the stronger these creatures became. The cultivators were surrounded and swallowed up by the advancing horde, forcing their way forward bit by bit. The strongest among them had already begun attacking the seal.

Qin Sang, however, did not rush in. He was still discussing strategy with Ming Wei through voice transmission.

"Daoist—" Before he could finish, Qin Sang’s tone suddenly changed. His sword incantation shifted in an instant.

The ebony sword, which had been cutting through the earth spirits like a storm, abruptly dimmed its sword light and stopped in front of one of the creatures.

Qin Sang turned his head, his eyes narrowing. He had sensed something strange. The earth spirit before him was not acting like the others.

"Daoist Qin, it’s me!" A familiar voice echoed faintly from within the earth spirit’s body.