Chapter 866: Grudges

The aftershock alone was enough to make everyone’s faces change. They did not hesitate to abandon the crystal tablets and attempt to flee. But the situation was far worse than they imagined.

The cold qi surged upward, clashing against the lightning. The collision erupted in a thunderous boom, accompanied by a hissing sound, as though water vapor was being boiled away.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though the cold qi had blocked the lightning. Yet if one were close enough to see clearly, they would have noticed that the cold qi was being consumed at an astonishing rate.

High above, the cultivators who had unleashed the technique laughed heartily, venting their anger at last.

But when they realized the Heavenly Cold Wind Array was actually withstanding the Lightning Control Technique, their fury surged again. At the command of the middle-aged man, they exerted their secret technique with all their strength, gathering lightning once more.

Rumble!

The lightning condensed into a massive bolt that descended from the heavens, carrying a power that seemed to annihilate the world.

Even so, it was not easy for them. Those with weaker cultivation wavered unsteadily. Even the strongest among them, the middle-aged man, had turned pale.

Compared to them, Qin Sang and his companions were in even greater misery.

They had believed the Heavenly Cold Wind Array could at least buy them time to escape, but reality proved harsher. The cold qi only diminished the lightning’s strength, but was unable to stop it. The thunderbolts tore straight through.

A gaping hole was forced open in the Heavenly Cold Wind Array, and the crystal tablets shuddered violently. Cracks spread upward from their bases at alarming speed.

"The Heavenly Cold Wind Array is going to collapse!" Qin Sang’s heart pounded with dread.

The lightning’s might was terrifying. Even after destroying the array, its momentum still raged like a storm, hair-raising and dreadful. This was power that should have belonged only to Spiritual Infant grandmasters, yet was now wielded by Core Formation cultivators.

His vision was drowned in lightning.

But Qin Sang clearly sensed the descent of a force of purest yang and utmost strength, crushing and annihilating every trace of resistance.

Crack!

The crystal tablets shattered.

The cold mist dispersed in all directions.

Qin Sang’s body trembled. The Heavenly Cold Wind Array had been destroyed!

Although he had been on guard the moment those people appeared, he had not expected disaster to strike so quickly, nor that their attacks, launched from such a distance, would be so ferocious.

It was not just Qin Sang. The others were equally dumbstruck. This was unheard of. No one could have imagined such cultivators wielding such a terrifying supernatural ability.

Fortunately, Qin Sang always had the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman ready. Sword light and a Jiao shadow erupted around him, propelling him at full speed toward the island’s edge to escape the lightning’s reach.

The others were not far behind, each responding in their own way.

Because of their positions around the crystal tablets, the five of them were spread out, forcing each to flee in a different direction. Only Chu Heng remained rooted in place, eyes filled with despair.

Though his cultivation was high, his expertise lay in arrays and barriers. His evasion techniques and combat Dao Techniques were lackluster at best. In this situation, he had no means of escape. His only hope was to resist with everything he had, praying for a sliver of survival.

The most impressive performance came from Ma Debao. Being the cautious one, like Qin Sang, he had been on alert since the strangers appeared. The instant he sensed something amiss, he had summoned his astra, the Five Whips of Heavenly Chasm.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The whips cracked sharply, producing strange ripples of force. With their aid, Ma Debao’s body shot outward like an arrow loose from a bow.

Qiu Ji and Luo Kun had somehow coordinated and attempted to resist together.

Among the five, Qin Sang’s evasion technique was the fastest, but even he could not entirely escape the lightning’s reach.

His figure flickered rapidly, then froze as the lightning drew perilously close. A flash of grim determination passed through his eyes. Golden radiance suddenly burst from his body.

At its core was a suit of golden armor. It was the Golden Radiance Armor.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

This astra had shielded Qin Sang many times since he had obtained it. Forged from exceptionally sturdy spiritual materials, it was a low-grade astra, yet still formidable.

During the Seven-Kill Hall expedition, it had been damaged, but Qin Sang later repaired it, incorporating new materials in the process. Thanks to his insight into artifact refinement, its defense had even surpassed its former state.

Boom!

The thunderbolt descended.

The Golden Radiance Armor enveloped Qin Sang completely.

He felt a crushing force slam into him, forcing a groan from his throat as he was hurled backward. A sharp cracking sound reached his ears. To his horror, he saw the armor’s surface splintering apart.

The astra he had just repaired only a few years ago was already facing damage again.

No! This was worse than mere damage.

In an instant, countless fractures spread across the armor. The treasured astra that had followed him for decades, rendering outstanding service, was on the verge of being destroyed forever.

Yet its sacrifice was not in vain. Qin Sang could clearly sense that most of the lightning’s power had been blunted by the armor. The most perilous moment had passed.

But before relief could settle in, the remaining lightning seeped through the armor’s cracks.

It coursed into his body, spreading a numbing sensation through every limb.

Qin Sang’s body froze, his heart clenching in alarm. Though this lightning would not cause lasting harm, it hindered his movements and slowed his reactions.

Then, unexpectedly, the numbness lifted. He realized the Sky-Eyed Butterfly within his Qihai had taken flight, fluttering gracefully as it performed its lightning-commanding supernatural ability, swallowing the invasive currents in great gulps.

Compared to the lightning above, the sparks flashing on its wings were pitifully faint.

But by then, the bolts had already been weakened by the Heavenly Cold Wind Array and blunted by the Golden Radiance Armor. After passing through his protective true essence, what little remained that seeped into his body was so feeble that the Sky-Eyed Butterfly devoured it with ease.

"Good!" Qin Sang was overjoyed, secretly praising his life-bound insect gu. Without looking back, he resumed his evasion technique, fleeing with all his strength. He could already sense a familiar aura surging violently behind him. It was the Kui Dragon!

The Kui Dragon was not dead. At the last moment, it had been released from the array. And it had no fear of the Lightning Control Technique. It sought vengeance.

Chu Heng, struggling to survive under the Lightning Control Technique, endured its fiercest strike. Yet before he realized danger was upon him, the Kui Dragon lunged and bit him cleanly in two.

Qiu Ji and Luo Kun fared slightly better. They sensed the ambush, but to their horror, their bodies were paralyzed by the lingering force of lightning, their true essence sluggish and their reactions dulled.

They fought back desperately, but the Kui Dragon had gone mad. Ignoring its own wounds, it swallowed them one after the other.

Ma Debao had fled the farthest after Qin Sang. Though his condition was miserable, he too saw the Kui Dragon’s rampage. His whips lashed frantically, each strike fueled by sheer desperation.

The Kui Dragon was grievously wounded, yet still formidable. Companions had been slain or gravely injured, and the fate of Daoist Fang remained unknown.

Far off, the mysterious enemies continued to watch like tigers eyeing prey.

Qin Sang had no desire to look back. He charged headlong beyond the island.

Suddenly, an enraged voice bellowed from ahead, "Golden Radiance Armor! It was you who killed my junior brother!"