Chapter 834: Essence-Stealing Talisman

The pagoda slammed forward with ferocity, and the pressure on Qin Sang abruptly doubled.

The Devilish Flames of Nine Hells gathered and scattered, unable to close in. Instead, they were suppressed by the red radiance spilling from the pagoda. Qin Sang relied on his exceptional swordsmanship to block Xiang Yi’s advance, yet the true essence within his body was flowing away like water.

Xiang Yi’s cultivation far surpassed Qin Sang’s. With sheer power breaking through skill, Qin Sang gradually began to show signs of strain.

Even with the Two-Headed Hou joining in to encircle and attack, Xiang Yi’s protective robe was no weaker than Qin Sang’s Golden Radiance Armor. With these two extraordinary treasures aiding him, if Xiang Yi put his full effort into escaping, there was no way to keep him trapped.

The failure of the Blood Defilement Divine Light meant the entire ambush plan had fallen short.

For now, Qin Sang had to commit himself fully to holding Xiang Yi here until Madam Liu triggered the Essence-Stealing Talisman.

Whoosh!

Xiang Yi suddenly flung out a spirit talisman. The talisman shattered, spilling radiant light.

Qin Sang’s heart stirred with caution. As the talisman erupted, the endless expanse of ocean around them vanished, replaced by a lush forest.

The forest was verdant, mist lingered gently, and even the fragrance of grass and wood could be smelled. Xiang Yi’s figure vanished as well.

“An illusion talisman?” Qin Sang’s thoughts shifted. He activated the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, and with a single sweep of his gaze, he saw through the illusion’s disguise. What he did not expect was that within the illusion there were more than a dozen Xiang Yis, all breaking out in different directions.

The talisman’s power was not weak, and Xiang Yi’s method of creating clones was unusually realistic, enough to be mistaken for the real thing.

Against others, this method of breaking through with multiple bodies might have caused confusion, but under the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s vision, it was laid bare. Qin Sang easily locked onto the real Xiang Yi.

He did not act rashly, instead sending a covert message through spiritual consciousness to the Two-Headed Hou.

The Two-Headed Hou had also been momentarily misled by the illusion and the duplicates. Following Qin Sang’s directions, it set its eyes on the true target.

Given the order, the Two-Headed Hou let out a low growl tinged with reluctance. Yet it did not dare to disobey. Its figure flickered, leaving behind an afterimage to confuse Xiang Yi, while its true body quietly circled around to cut off his escape route.

As the Two-Headed Hou moved, Qin Sang concealed the ebony sword. At the instant he closed in on Xiang Yi, he suddenly unleashed a brilliant sword light, blooming like a lotus of swords, radiating a piercing sharpness.

Xiang Yi instantly realized he had been exposed. He had known this trick would not last forever, but he had not expected to be seen through so quickly. His earlier effort had been almost for nothing, and he still had not shaken off his opponent’s pursuit.

Acting decisively, he abandoned the other clones and urgently recalled his life-bound astra for support.

Bang!

The sword lotus clashed against the red pagoda, sending sprays of multicolored light in all directions. The chaotic true essence in the impact nearly shredded the illusion itself.

Though Xiang Yi had responded hastily, he still managed to force back the ebony sword with his profound cultivation.

But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, a strange sense of danger crawled up his spine. His instincts screamed warning.

In the next instant, a black shadow appeared behind him.

The Two-Headed Hou emerged. It looked the same as before, except that a faint, swirling azure qi now surrounded its fur. It was this qi that triggered Xiang Yi’s sense of peril.

Swoosh!

The beast’s body coiled like a bow before launching forward. Its speed was even faster than before.

“Crap!”

Xiang Yi’s expression changed drastically. Without a second thought, he poured his true essence madly into his protective robe.

In that instant, strange light flared, and a translucent phantom robe appeared over his body.

It was clearly as thin as gossamer, yet the energy it emanated was anything but ordinary.

Roar!

The Two-Headed Hou threw back its heads and roared, a note of pain hidden in its cry. Its bones cracked audibly, and the azure qi condensed into an azure shadow that violently tore free from its body, hurtling straight toward Xiang Yi.

After the azure shadow left, the Two-Headed Hou’s breathing grew labored. The expenditure had been enormous.

This azure shadow was nothing like its earlier duplicates. It was a wind-controlling supernatural ability the beast had comprehended during its attempted breakthrough, channeling its bloodline power and entire strength into a single devastating strike to tear apart its foe.

The price, however, was heavy. Its failed breakthrough meant using this technique was extremely taxing, placing a great burden on its flesh and bones. The pain was unbearable, and its combat strength would drop sharply afterward.

This was why it had been reluctant earlier.

Boom!

The azure shadow slammed into Xiang Yi’s protective robe, triggering a deafening explosion and a blinding flare of light.

A tearing sound followed. Both the azure qi and the robe’s radiance dimmed together, cancelling each other out to some degree.

The azure shadow became visible again, its claws and fangs tearing open a gash in the robe.

Xiang Yi reacted quickly. Feeling something was wrong, he had triggered the robe in time. Although his true essence was greatly depleted, his hair disheveled, his appearance wretched, and blood now flowed down his body, his injuries were not severe.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Hastily, he commanded the pagoda to shatter the azure shadow. Examining his robe, he found the astra damaged, its glow dulled, and its power much diminished.

“So this is why you're confident in ambushing me?” Xiang Yi’s fury boiled over.

Murderous intent blazed in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to tear Qin Sang apart.

That was far too dangerous.

The Two-Headed Hou had startled Xiang Yi so badly that even now a lingering chill crept through his heart.

Had he not been prepared in advance, had his life-bound astra remained undamaged, the claws that pierced him might not have torn through his protective robe but his flesh instead.

Qin Sang said nothing. He recalled the Two-Headed Hou, sending it back to recuperate, then drove his sword forward to continue the assault.

The beast had not managed to grievously wound Xiang Yi, but it had severely depleted his true essence and destroyed his protective astra.

Xiang Yi’s eyes glinted with cold light. In his judgment, Qin Sang had exhausted all his tricks.

The two had fought for so long without any other helpers appearing, so perhaps he had been overthinking before.

With strength like Qin Sang’s, there was no need for allies.

If it had been anyone else facing such a deadly ambush, they would likely have been in grave danger by now.

Even so, drawing on his past experience, Xiang Yi knew he could not afford to be careless. He stuck to his earlier plan to break away first, leave this dangerous place, and then plan his revenge.

Ripples of silvery light suddenly spread across the sea’s surface.

Without warning, the phantom of a white spirit talisman shot up from beneath the water, streaking straight toward Xiang Yi.

Seeing this, Qin Sang let out a sharp breath of relief. Madam Liu had finally prepared the Essence-Stealing Talisman. Otherwise, he would have been forced to use the star turban.

If he used the star turban, Qin Sang was eighty percent certain he could at least wound Xiang Yi, but that would mean revealing his greatest trump card.

Should anything unexpected happen afterward, he would have nothing left in reserve.

In the perilous Demonic Sea, he preferred to keep one card hidden, ready for any crisis that might come.

As the Essence-Stealing Talisman shot forth, Madam Liu’s figure also emerged on the surface of the water. She stared at Xiang Yi, the murderer of her husband, her eyes filled with bone-deep hatred.

“It’s you! You’re not dead!”

Xiang Yi’s face was a mask of shock, and in an instant, he understood everything.

With a sharp snap, the Essence-Stealing Talisman shattered, revealing within it a cluster of golden threads that wove together in shimmering strands. They rushed toward Xiang Yi, wrapping around him.

One thread alone clung to him like an ulcer to bone. Xiang Yi hastily summoned an astra, but no matter how he tried, he could not cut it away.

In the next instant, the golden threads sank into his body.

To his horror, he found the true essence within him grinding to a halt.