Chapter 494: Too Long

Perhaps sacrificing the three malevolent corpses had made a difference.

Qin Sang was delighted to find that Daoist Jiupao’s resistance had begun to weaken. The demonic qi was starting to disperse, and Qin Sang finally caught a glimpse of Daoist Jiupao’s true form.

His condition was even more miserable than that of the flying yaksha. His qi was feeble, and facing the relentless assault from Qin Sang and the flying yaksha, his exhaustion was written all over him. His defeat was only a matter of time.

Yet before Qin Sang could breathe a sigh of relief, a sudden change erupted.

Daoist Jiupao let out a deafening roar. Towering waves of demonic qi abruptly collapsed inward at an astonishing speed. At the center of the demonic qi, a black whirlwind rapidly took shape, brewing a terrifying storm.

The whirlwind swept up torrents of demonic qi. Qin Sang could faintly sense the savage aura hidden within the storm. Its might was truly fearsome.

Even standing on the battlefield’s outer edge, Qin Sang felt a shudder run through him. A deep unease surged in his heart. He realized this had to be Daoist Jiupao’s final desperate gambit.

Just as Qin Sang was about to order the flying yaksha to press the attack—

He discovered that the flying yaksha needed no prompting. It had already charged headlong into the brewing storm without hesitation.

Boom! Boom!

Thunderous crashes exploded from within the storm.

The valley floor collapsed, rocks and cliffs crumbling in a massive landslide.

A flash of surprise crossed Qin Sang’s eyes. At this critical juncture, the corpse core within the flying yaksha had erupted with its hidden strength. Against all odds, it managed to withstand the terrifying force of the storm and remained standing.

Amid the raging storm of demonic qi, the flying yaksha stood like an immovable pillar, forcibly suppressing Daoist Jiupao and giving him no chance to break free. No matter how frantically Daoist Jiupao struggled, he could not escape the yaksha’s grip. His roars grew more frantic, even beginning to verge on despair.

Although Qin Sang was exhilarated, he also felt a pang of pain.

The price for the flying yaksha’s eruption of might was its inability to dodge or retreat; it had to endure every strike of Daoist Jiupao’s desperate retaliation.

And that price was steep. Already severely wounded, the flying yaksha’s situation grew ever more dire. There was not a patch of unharmed flesh left on its body. A palm-shaped indentation caved in its abdomen, nearly piercing through it.

All four of its limbs bore injuries of varying degrees. If not for its lack of consciousness and extraordinarily resilient flesh, it could never have continued fighting under such conditions.

Its corpse core, too, had been drained of its power. Signs of severe overexertion were already showing.

The corpse core’s luster had dulled; its movements were sluggish.

After this battle, Qin Sang had no certainty about what would become of the flying yaksha.

Even if it could recover, it would not happen overnight.

Yet Qin Sang dared not call it back. As long as he could obtain Daoist Jiupao’s Golden Core, even if the flying yaksha were destroyed here, it would be worth the price!

"Die!"

Daoist Jiupao suddenly let out a furious roar.

It sounded like the final, desperate cry of a cornered beast, filled with earth-shaking hatred. It was barely even human.

A chill struck Qin Sang’s heart. At that moment, he saw the storm of demonic qi freeze.

And then—

Rumble!

The valley plunged into darkness, as though an eternal night had fallen.

A violent shockwave of demonic qi blasted outward in all directions. Qin Sang tensed every fiber of his being, staring intently at the heart of the battlefield. He finally saw two black figures blown away by the explosion.

The flying yaksha crashed heavily into a nearby mountain, embedding deep into the cliffside.

Qin Sang spared it no more than a glance. His eyes immediately locked onto the other figure.

Daoist Jiupao had slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crater. Yet before Qin Sang could react, Daoist Jiupao’s body suddenly rebounded from the pit, staggering to his feet and lurching toward the outside, trying to flee.

"He’s still alive?"

Qin Sang frowned deeply. Without waiting for the flying yaksha, he immediately commanded the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions to intercept.

Unexpectedly, Daoist Jiupao had barely flown a short distance when his body stiffened abruptly and crashed to the ground.

He struggled to crawl up but failed. It was as if something were fighting him for control of his body. His limbs spasmed uncontrollably, rendering him unable to move.

Daoist Jiupao screamed in panic.

"What are you trying to do!"

"I am your master!"

...

Qin Sang's heart stirred at the sight.

Bang!

Daoist Jiupao’s abdomen suddenly exploded, his body torn in two, blood and flesh scattering everywhere. A beam of light shot out from his dantian—it was his Golden Core, fleeing for its life after he once again abandoned his physical body.

But it didn’t end there. The moment his Golden Core flew out, a phantom soul suddenly surged up from his broken body. It clung desperately to Daoist Jiupao’s primordial spirit, fiercely tearing at it, pulling at his Golden Core.

The possession had not been completed. Ji Wu was still alive!

Karma had come full circle; retribution was inevitable.

Daoist Jiupao had plotted against Ji Wu, yet in the end, it was Ji Wu who avenged himself.

Qin Sang flashed forward, intercepting them. With a wave of his hand, he summoned down the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells, enveloping Daoist Jiupao’s Golden Core.

Suddenly, harrowing screams echoed from within the black flames.

"Who are you! I have no grudge against you! Why are you killing me!"

Daoist Jiupao, his primordial spirit torn apart by Ji Wu, was now reduced to a mere fragment. He could not even self-detonate his Golden Core, and yet he still shouted unwillingly.

Qin Sang coldly looked at him. "Do you still remember the countless vengeful souls beneath the Yin Malevolent Abyss? They have been waiting for you in the netherworld for far too long."

With that, Qin Sang let out a cold snort. His hand clenched in the air, and the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells completely consumed Daoist Jiupao’s remnant soul.

Snap!

Ding-dong!

With two crisp sounds, the valley finally returned to silence.

Yet all the former beauty had been erased, leaving behind only desolation.

Qin Sang retrieved his astras and the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions, only to feel a wave of weakness crash over him. Forcing himself to remain steady, he swallowed two medicinal pills, then looked toward the ground and found beside Daoist Jiupao’s Golden Core, a black iron ring.

The ring was shaped and sized much like a thumb ring, extremely inconspicuous, appearing as if it had been fashioned from ordinary dark iron. There were even patches of rust staining its surface.

A cursory sweep with his spiritual consciousness revealed nothing special about it. It would have been easy to overlook.

However, surviving such a battle and being kept on Daoist Jiupao’s person even as he fled—this ring was certainly no ordinary object.

Qin Sang stepped closer, just about to crouch down for a closer look, when he suddenly sensed a faint gaze upon him. Raising his head, he saw that Ji Wu was still alive.

His body had been split in two, blood nearly drained, staining the ground a ghastly red.

His aura was so faint it was barely detectable, yet he still forced his eyes wide open, staring at Qin Sang, clinging to life through sheer willpower.

Seeing Qin Sang notice him, a pleading look flickered in Ji Wu’s eyes. His lips trembled slightly, but he no longer had the strength to speak.

His gaze grew more and more urgent.

Qin Sang and Ji Wu locked eyes for a moment. Understanding the meaning within that gaze, Qin Sang sighed softly and said, "Rest assured. I bear no grudge against Hanshan City. I will not lay a hand on the Ji Family."

At last, Ji Wu seemed to find peace. The light faded rapidly from his eyes, and he closed them, breathing his last.

Qin Sang stood there for a while, silently staring at Ji Wu’s corpse, his thoughts unreadable. Only after a long pause did he crouch down and refocus his attention on the two spoils of battle.

Golden Cores and demonic cores were vastly different. Though both were dazzling to the eye, Golden Cores carried none of the oppressive demonic qi.

However, the pressure belonging to a Core Formation expert still radiated from it.

Moreover, Daoist Jiupao had only just perished. His Golden Core gleamed brilliantly, its surface flowing with light, brimming with extraordinary spiritual essence so dazzling it was nearly hypnotic.