Chapter 254: Breaking Through the Forbidden Grounds

The peak was sealed by a protective array. Standing at its edge, one could distinctly feel the unsettling waves emanating from within. Even an expert like Di Que, who was at the Core Formation Realm, dared not attempt to breach it recklessly.

Fortunately, a narrow mountain path passed through the protective array, offering a way forward.

The path wound its way into the misty depths, narrow and serpentine. Along the way, the scenery changed frequently—passing through barren grasslands, dense forests, deep ravines, ancient temples, thatched huts, and stone halls.

Each location shimmered with the light of barriers, numbering no less than several dozen.

Clearly, navigating the mountain path while breaking through these barriers to safely reach the peak was no simple task.

At this moment, Qin Sang and his two companions concealed themselves with a technique, standing on the mountain path near the entrance to the protective array. Ahead, the path disappeared into a forest, only to reemerge further beyond.

The forest was a dead one. The trees within were all lifeless and desiccated, their twisted forms entirely devoid of leaves. From afar, they resembled monstrous creatures that had long since perished. Their shadows on the ground, however, appeared as clawing phantoms, each stretching outward as though yearning for a victim.

This was a dead forest!

Within this dead forest lay a dense and intricate network of barriers, layer upon layer, enough to make one’s scalp tingle. The faint and ominous glow of the barriers resembled a gaping maw, waiting to ensnare anyone foolish enough to step inside.

At first glance, the withered trees seemed chaotically placed, but closer inspection revealed a peculiar order. Each tree and every branch adhered to some unique pattern, harmonizing with the barriers.

"You go first."

Di Que gestured at Qin Sang, summoning an astra shaped like a conch shell and handing it to him.

"Take my Heavenly Sound Conch. It contains my spiritual power and marks, which will guide you in breaking through the barriers. However, I have other matters to attend to and cannot divide my attention fully. So, while breaking through, you must exert yourself to the utmost and not rely too heavily on me for assistance. If danger arises, I may not be able to save you in time."

Qin Sang accepted the Heavenly Sound Conch, sensing it with his spiritual consciousness.

Although his Mustard Seed Pouch contained an astra—the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions—this was his first time truly using such a treasure. The immense power contained within the Heavenly Sound Conch both awed and filled him with envy.

When will I possess such formidable strength?

Much like his experience in the underground cavern, he could freely manipulate the Heavenly Sound Conch and wield the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound left within it by Di Que. However, he was merely a controller. If the barriers posed an exceptionally complex challenge, it would be difficult for Di Que to intervene swiftly.

Ultimately, he could only rely on himself.

Di Que sat cross-legged before the barriers and gestured for Qin Sang to proceed.

Qin Sang took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the Heavenly Sound Conch. With a determined step, he entered the barriers. Instantly, everything around him vanished—path, peak, Di Que, and even Ren Hong.

He found himself in the ghostly dead forest, isolated from the outside world. Neither could he see what lay beyond the barriers, nor could those outside perceive his situation.

Outside the barrier, Di Que stared intently at the forest, his expression grave.

Ren Hong, unable to discern what was happening within, stood idly by with nothing to do. However, his eyes betrayed his concern; after all, he might be the next to break through a barrier.

Qin Sang stood motionless, his gaze sweeping cun by cun across the desiccated trees around him.

The dead forest and its barriers were perfectly fused into a seamless whole, impenetrable and eerily silent. There was no visible path in the forest; perhaps it was hidden. Either way, Qin Sang would need to force his way through the barriers and deduce a method to break them.

After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Sang slapped his Corpse Puppet Pouch, summoning a malevolent corpse.

Since his identity had already been exposed, and the elderly Di Que was fully aware of his background, Qin Sang had resolved to seize any opportunity to flee. As such, there was no need to conceal his corpse refinement methods.

For now, his top priority was to survive within the barriers.

"Corpse refinement..."

Outside the barrier, Di Que showed a hint of surprise on his face. He let out a sinister chuckle but did not interfere.

Qin Sang carefully observed every detail of the dead forest and the layers of barriers within it. After going over the area multiple times, his gaze finally fixed on a gap between two withered trees.

The barriers in the dead forest were extraordinarily intricate, and their power was self-evident. Fortunately, he had once studied the barrier insights passed down by Senior Sister Qingting, which had given him some foundational knowledge. This prevented him from being completely clueless and helpless in the face of these barriers.

However, the complexity of the dead forest’s barriers far exceeded his current capabilities. To truly grasp the changes within them, he would have to test them personally.

Focusing on the two withered trees, Qin Sang determined that this spot would serve as his breakthrough point.

"Go!"

He commanded the malevolent corpse to advance ahead of him, but he quickly followed close behind.

The barriers were incredibly potent. Here, the malevolent corpse was as fragile as any mortal. If a barrier was triggered and the corpse was too far ahead, Qin Sang wouldn’t have enough time to rescue it.

It was impossible to rely solely on the malevolent corpse to break the barriers. No matter how many corpses he used, they couldn’t withstand such relentless consumption. Instead, he used the malevolent corpse as a scout to buy himself precious moments.

Step by step, he approached the gap between the trees. Qin Sang cast a deep look at the flickering barrier light, then suddenly darted into the gap.

Whoosh, whoosh...

In an instant, the two withered trees began to tremble without warning, moving as though alive. Their gnarled, ugly branches suddenly straightened and pointed toward Qin Sang. Then, like a torrential rain of arrows, they shot at him with sharp, piercing sounds, blotting out the sky.

Not just these two trees—every withered tree nearby seemed to come to life, writhing like a frenzied horde of demons.

Qin Sang had anticipated this. Just as he prepared to counterattack, the Heavenly Sound Conch in his hand suddenly vibrated. A crisp, resonant sound emerged, followed by the cold snort of Di Que. A burst of Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound energy shot out from the conch and struck the trunk of the withered tree on Qin Sang’s right.

The branches of the tree paused momentarily, showing no significant change, and continued their ferocious assault on Qin Sang.

However, Qin Sang clearly noticed a faint azure light flash and disappear on the tree’s trunk, sealing it under the power of the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound.

"Another spirit talisman..." Qin Sang muttered, suddenly realizing the situation.

No wonder Di Que was so cautious, treating this place as if facing a mortal enemy and sending him ahead to scout the way.

The talismans left behind by Daoist Master Xuanyu were not limited to just one; there could be many others, along with hidden traps. Di Que had to search with utmost diligence, leaving no stone unturned.

Even missing a single talisman and alerting Daoist Master Xuanyu would render all their efforts futile.

Can I use this opportunity to signal Daoist Master Xuanyu and escape while the two fight each other?

Qin Sang immediately dismissed the thought.

Not to mention whether Daoist Master Xuanyu would even fight Di Que, he was far away, likely at the mountain peak or within the ancient cultivator’s cave dwelling. The person closest to Qin Sang was Di Que, who would crush him without hesitation at the first sign of betrayal.

Suppressing his chaotic thoughts, Qin Sang stayed focused. The actions of Di Que didn’t affect him.

He kept his eyes on the branches, his gaze sharp and penetrating. In an instant, he discerned all their movements. With a thought, the Heavenly Sound Conch radiated light, enveloping him and the malevolent corpse in a protective glow. Simultaneously, their figures blurred and left behind afterimages as they moved.

The dry branches, as agile as the tendrils of an evil spirit, immediately lashed out, tearing apart the afterimages with uncanny precision.