Chapter 246: Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound

Di Que likely hesitated to test the Fire Monkeys himself, wary of their abilities. Instead, he planned to send Qin Sang ahead as a scout.

Qin Sang had anticipated this and immediately voiced his concerns. "Senior, you may not be aware, but those Fire Monkeys possess Fiery Eyes of Truth, capable of seeing through evasion techniques. They also wield fire staffs, excel in melee combat with immense brute strength, and can coordinate in combined attacks. If I charge into their ranks, I fear I’ll be reduced to pulp in no time."

"Oh?"

Di Que cast a surprised glance at him. "Have you tested them out?"

Qin Sang shook his head. "I’ve encountered these monkeys before during a trial and learned of their abilities. However, the ones I faced during the trial were far weaker than these, which is the only reason I survived back then."

It appeared Di Que truly knew little about the Fire Monkeys’ capabilities. After all, the trials for Golden Core Realm cultivators were vastly different from those for Foundation Building cultivators.

Di Que gave Qin Sang a deep look before musing aloud. "Since Brother Qin is so familiar with them, it seems I was right to seek your help. As for their strength, you needn’t worry. I’ve made arrangements—you won’t face them alone."

This old fox doesn’t trust me entirely; he probably only believes half of what I said.

Qin Sang’s earlier words had been truthful, but he had downplayed the monkeys' ability to fuse their strength, which drastically amplified their power.

His hope was that Di Que would underestimate them, get overwhelmed, and provide an opportunity for escape.

But Di Que wasn’t falling for it.

Seeing no way to avoid being the scout, Qin Sang reluctantly accepted his fate, waiting for a chance to flee.

"Senior, what do you require me to do?"

Before he finished speaking, the light before his eyes dimmed as Di Que’s finger shot toward his forehead like a lightning bolt.

Qin Sang’s heart jolted in alarm, but he suppressed the instinct to dodge with great effort, standing still as Di Que’s finger pressed against his brow. His expression remained composed.

A peculiar force entered his body through his forehead.

Just as Qin Sang was trying to discern the nature of this power, Di Que’s voice rang out.

"Brother Qin, you have remarkable composure."

Di Que's tone was somewhere between admiration and mockery. Then, his voice shifted to an explanatory tone. "This power contains my Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound, which will now be fully under your control. When you enter the monkeys’ territory and face their attacks, you can use your spiritual consciousness to manipulate the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound to fend them off. Do not worry about your safety; I will be outside to support you."

As Di Que spoke, Qin Sang felt the strange energy enter the space of his primordial spirit, wrapping around it.

Through his primordial spirit, Qin Sang could sense an eerie, murmuring demonic sound emanating from the power. It was a mesmerizing force, likely the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound Di Que had described.

Since Di Que had willingly handed control of the sound over to him, Qin Sang found that with a single thought, he could manipulate it freely.

Recalling how Di Que had used sound waves to attack the black hole during their first encounter, Qin Sang realized that the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound was an extraordinarily rare sound-wave-based supernatural ability.

Sound wave abilities were highly enigmatic and undoubtedly possessed strange powers.

However, as a mere user, Qin Sang didn’t understand their intricacies. All he could do was wield the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound as a weapon to fend off the monkeys’ attacks.

At the same time, Qin Sang noticed that a strand of the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound was aimed directly at his primordial spirit, radiating a faint sense of warning.

If Qin Sang attempted to rebel, Di Que only needed a single thought to turn that strand into a blade that could sever his primordial spirit instantly.

Oddly, this brought Qin Sang a measure of relief. The contingency wasn’t aimed at his physical body, and threats to his primordial spirit were what he feared least.

If an opportunity to escape arose, he wouldn’t hesitate to take it. For now, however, it was best to play along obediently. Fortunately, Di Que wasn’t sending him to his death outright.

After all, if he were killed too easily by the monkeys, it wouldn’t provide the old man with any meaningful information.

"Brother Qin, have you familiarized yourself with my Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound?"

Di Que stood casually by the side, seemingly unguarded as he gazed at the lava lake's center.

Qin Sang, however, had no intention of using the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound to attack Di Que. The ability was only lent to him; its true owner remained Di Que.

"Senior, I am familiar with it now."

With Di Que relinquishing full control, Qin Sang quickly grasped the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound’s power. He found it easy to use, able to transform the sound waves into various weapons for attack or defense.

"However, those Fire Monkeys are incredibly powerful. Senior, even if you entered personally, it would require considerable effort. I fear that before I can reach the Scarlet Gold Vine, the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound will be exhausted."

Di Que glanced at Qin Sang and replied indifferently, "You just need to hold out as long as you can. I have my own plans."

Uncertain of what scheme the old man was plotting, Qin Sang felt pressured under Di Que's imposing gaze. Resigned, he obeyed the order and stepped toward the lava lake.

The shoreline of the lava lake was narrow. Qin Sang descended a set of stone steps and hadn’t gone far when the Fire Monkeys at the lake's edge noticed him.

Qin Sang activated the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound, forming a barrier to conceal himself. Even so, it couldn’t escape the monkeys’ Fiery Eyes of Truth.

Squeak! Squeak!

Two piercing screeches rang out, instantly plunging the lava lake into chaos.

In the blink of an eye, the surrounding Fire Monkeys were alarmed, and the disturbance spread inward at an astonishing speed. Before Qin Sang, a dense, dark-red wall formed—a mass of monkeys glaring at him with savage eyes and screeching ferociously.

As expected, an unknown barrier restricted their movements.

Qin Sang silently prayed the same barrier would block him as well. With Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound fully activated to protect himself, he gritted his teeth and charged into the monkey swarm like a bolt of lightning.

No resistance. The barrier was useless!

Di Que watched thoughtfully as Qin Sang plunged into the swarm. Once Qin Sang disappeared into the horde, Di Que suddenly sat cross-legged, closing his eyes as though sensing something.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Qin Sang's vision was filled with an endless sea of flames. Amid the cacophony of screeches, the grotesque monkeys lunged at him with ferocity.

The flames were dark red and radiated intense heat. Without the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound’s protection, Qin Sang doubted he could endure the scorching heat for long, let alone engage the monkeys in combat.

Swish, swish...

Countless staff shadows rained down upon him. Familiar with the monkeys’ attacks from past encounters, Qin Sang acted swiftly. Before the staffs could strike, he retaliated.

With a single thought, mysterious sound waves rippled outward from Qin Sang’s body. Once unleashed, the sound waves rapidly converged into a single, concentrated force.