Chapter 392: The Might of the Astra

Astra!

It's actually an astra!

Yu Hua’s cultivation was, at most, at the Fake Core Realm—there was no doubt about that.

Yet, at this moment, he was able to command those primary souls to lift the true Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions. The banners unfurled, flapping violently in the wind, producing a sharp, whistling sound. Rolling black flames surged forth, clearly revealing that the power of the astra had been fully activated.

So it turned out that by borrowing the power of the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions, even a Foundation Building cultivator could wield an astra!

It was a universally acknowledged fact that without forming a Golden Core, one could not control an astra.

Only in extremely rare cases could this iron rule be broken, such as with the

Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment.

Qin Sang had never even considered this possibility before.

The genuine Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions, refined by Founder Kuiyin, had only five remaining in existence.

Even within the Kuiyin Sect, most of these astra were in the hands of Core Formation Realm cultivators. Only a scarce few knew this secret, and even fewer could actually utilize it.

Liang Yan’s cultivation and status were low, making it unlikely for him to know too many hidden truths—he was clearly unaware of this matter.

Sun De might have known. However, when Qin Sang dealt with him, he had not yet mastered the

Spirit Seizing Spell

.

Back then, Qin Sang had been weak and treading on thin ice. He dared not take the risk of keeping Sun De alive, for that would have been akin to bargaining with a tiger. It was obvious that Sun De had not told the whole truth and had hidden many secrets.

The method of refining Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions had been passed down by Founder Kuiyin and was intricately linked to the astra version of the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions.

The Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions took an unconventional path, allowing one to wield an astra—this was the greatest strength of the array!

This particular Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions, Qin Sang realized, must have been the very same one Zhao Yan had left behind in the clam shell at the bottom of the Yuanzhao Peak’s lake. It had been used to trap the Foundation Building disciple of Yuanzhao Sect who was guarding the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid.

At that time, though Qin Sang had coveted the astra, he dared not claim it. If he released the trapped person, he would have been the first to die. Thus, he had no choice but to leave it behind with great reluctance.

It seemed that later, Yu Hua had seized the opportunity amidst the chaos to return to the lakebed and obtain this astra.

This man was far from innocent—upon seeing the downfall of the Kuiyin Sect, he had clearly been tempted to seize treasures amidst the disorder. His persistent search for Zhao Yan was obviously in pursuit of the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid.

Even if Zhao Yan had not been killed by Qin Sang, he would have perished at Yu Hua’s hands.

Qin Sang secretly rejoiced. Thankfully, his disguise had misled Yu Hua, and Yu Hua could never have imagined that someone could entirely disregard the threat of the Heart-Devouring Insect Gu.

Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

...

Yu Hua’s figure emerged from behind the primary souls, his face deathly pale—an unnatural pallor caused by excessive blood loss. Yet, despite his weakened state, he wore a sinister smile, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"You’ve forced me to burn my blood and essence just to wield an astra—that alone is enough for you to feel proud! Hand over the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid, and I will grant you a swift death. Otherwise, I’ll drag you into the Yan Luo Banner, where you’ll experience the agony of ten thousand evil spirits devouring your soul!"

Qin Sang clenched his fists tightly, his gaze cold as he stared at Yu Hua. He had long known Yu Hua’s true intentions. If not for the fear that Qin Sang’s death would make finding the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid impossible, Yu Hua would have already activated the Heart-Devouring Insect's gu poison to strike him down.

As if he had not heard Yu Hua’s threat, Qin Sang rapidly weighed his options.

Astra...

Blood and essence...

His gaze shifted, locking onto the astra.

From the surface of the astra, torrents of black flames surged forth, deeper and purer than the ghostly fire conjured by Ghostly Threads. Just laying eyes upon it sent a shudder through Qin Sang’s heart. The sight was deeply unsettling.

He could not discern what kind of flame this black fire was, but its power was undoubtedly terrifying.

The next scene confirmed Qin Sang’s fears—Yu Hua gestured, sending a black flame streaking downward. The flame shot forward like an arrow, easily piercing through the molten thunderbolts and hurtling toward the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses below.

The flame’s power diminished only slightly even after passing through the thunderbolts.

The herd of Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses, sensing the deadly aura emanating from the black flames, immediately descended into chaos, their cries filled with terror. In their panic, they abandoned their attack on the intruders who had invaded their nesting grounds, choosing instead to dive deep into the dark pool, frantically fleeing.

In an instant, the battlefield descended into utter chaos.

These ancient beasts possessed keen spiritual instincts, and their reaction only served to confirm the terrifying nature of the black flames.

Yu Hua had absolute confidence in his astra. He did not even bother to look at the scene below, certain that the flames would force the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses to retreat. His gaze remained firmly locked onto Qin Sang.

Without giving Qin Sang a moment to breathe, Yu Hua immediately unleashed the remaining black flames.

Whoosh!

The astra’s banner shuddered violently as the eerie flames surged forth. Though they seemed slow, in reality, they moved with deadly swiftness, carrying a bone-chilling aura. It was a coldness capable of freezing one’s primordial spirit to death—flames that seemed to originate from the very depths of hell!

Qin Sang involuntarily shivered.

Hiss...

When the black flames collided with Qin Sang’s Ghostly Threads, an astonishing scene unfolded.

The once formidable Ghostly Threads now seemed as fragile as cotton meeting a raging fire. They offered no resistance and were instantly ignited and dissolved by the black flames.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The black flames swept through with overwhelming force, utterly annihilating the Ghostly Threads.

In a desperate attempt to resist, Qin Sang hastily gathered his remaining Ghostly Threads into a condensed mass, channeling all his strength to control a black fire ahead to block the black flames' assault.

The black fire conjured by the Yan Luo Array bore some resemblance to the black flames unleashed by the astra. It was highly likely that the former was derived from the latter, sharing the same origin. However, the difference in power between the two was as vast as the heavens and the earth.

Despite Qin Sang’s best efforts, he could barely hold his ground and was steadily forced to retreat.

A deep humming sound suddenly resonated beside him. He turned to look and found that the yin qi on the banners of the Yan Luo Array was trembling violently, on the verge of collapse.

If the black flames struck, the entire array would likely be destroyed!

Qin Sang’s expression changed drastically. Shocked to his core, he had no time to think—he immediately hurled out his talisman astra.

A dazzling silver knife flashed into existence. Qin Sang poured every last trace of power remaining in the talisman astra into it.

Swish!

The silver knife streaked through the air and appeared before the black flames. However, its brilliance instantly dimmed. Under Qin Sang’s reckless urging, it erupted with a world-shattering blade light, charging toward the black flames with a fearless determination, burning out the last of its strength.

The talisman astra bore the brunt of the black flames’ impact.

For a brief moment, the pressure on the Yan Luo Array significantly lessened. But the reprieve was fleeting. After all, the silver blade talisman astra had already been nearly depleted, and now, before Qin Sang’s very eyes, it was being rapidly consumed by the black flames.

Seizing the opportunity, Qin Sang wasted no time. Without hesitation, he retracted the Yan Luo Array and his living corpse.

At the same time, a Jiao emerged within his dantian, draining the last of his spiritual power to activate the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman. With a swift turn, he fled.

"A talisman astra?"

Yu Hua furrowed his brows in surprise. He had not expected Qin Sang to possess a talisman astra capable of breaking free from the suppression of an astra.

However, he felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, he had acted fast and had immediately activated his astra, preventing Qin Sang from gaining the upper hand.

Otherwise, while he could still use the Heart-Devouring Insect's gu poison to kill Qin Sang at any moment, he risked losing the trail to the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid.

"Hm? Is that a secret talisman from Shangyuan Tranquility Palace?"

Yu Hua’s gaze sharpened as he caught sight of the Jiao spirit radiating from Qin Sang’s body. With just one look, he recognized the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman and murmured, "Not only did he manage to kill Zhao Yan, but he also entered Shangyuan Tranquility Palace and even carries such valuable treasures... It seems his status there isn’t low. My Kuiyin Sect truly let a remarkable talent slip away..."

Yu Hua let out a cold snort.

The black flames surged and swallowed the silver knife talisman astra completely.

Without retracting his astra, Yu Hua rolled up the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions and charged after Qin Sang in relentless pursuit.