Chapter 987: The Plan

"Since the Fire Curse fused with the power of the Dongming Cold Flame, and the Dongming Cold Flame fears devilish flames, perhaps this can be our breakthrough. We could use devilish flames as leverage..." Bai explained softly.

Qin Sang nodded without adding anything. He had only just learned about this kind of curse and could not think of a better approach.

The fire thread touched Qin Sang’s arm, sending a bone-piercing chill through him. Bai warned Qin Sang to restrain the devilish flames at all costs. If they turned on them, both would be gravely injured. Qin Sang acted with utmost caution, carefully channeling the devilish banner.

Bai fixed his gaze on the fiery thread. After a brief hesitation, he suddenly cast several hand seals toward it. The thread began to twist, transforming into a string of strange runes whose ripples faintly resembled those of the Fire Curse itself.

Just as a hint of joy appeared on Qin Sang’s face, Bai abruptly stopped and fell into deep thought before resuming his movements.

Time passed in fits and starts. The fiery thread twisted and reshaped again and again, forming countless runes that finally merged into a small, transparent seal of devilish flames.

Bai extended a finger and pointed lightly toward Qin Sang’s arm. The devilish flame seal quivered and floated toward him, but before it could touch his skin, it suddenly collapsed into nothing.

Seeing this, Qin Sang sighed inwardly. He finally understood what Bai had meant earlier. Breaking the Fire Curse could not be accomplished overnight. It was an arduous task.

Bai’s memory had only partially recovered, and the portions concerning curses were especially blurred and incomplete. He could only explore the solution bit by bit through trial and error.

Night fell. Qin Sang turned to glance behind him. Dark clouds covered the moon, hiding even the faintest starlight. At the edge of his sight, the world was swallowed in darkness. It was as if some dreadful beast lurked there, jaws gaping wide, eager to taste its prey.

Sensing the state of his body and the spiritual power left in his spirit stones, Qin Sang knew he needed to plan his medication carefully. He would have to combine it with the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances to reduce impurities as much as possible and prolong his endurance.

Bai continued his relentless attempts. Two hours passed; midnight arrived. Despite repeated failures, Bai persisted, his pressure no less than Qin Sang’s. By now, the devilish flame seal he formed was several times more stable than before.

"Go!" Bai shouted.

The devilish flame seal once again landed on Qin Sang’s arm. This time, it did not shatter immediately.

Seeing this, Bai’s eyes brightened. His hand seals shifted rapidly, and the seal began to blur, slowly merging into Qin Sang’s arm. A faint, elusive fluctuation emerged inside Qin Sang’s body.

Qin Sang suppressed the true essence in his meridians so as not to interfere with Bai’s actions.

Bai said nothing, fully focused on guiding the devilish flame seal through his arm as if searching for something. Soon, his expression changed. He suddenly pressed down on the seal.

Boom!

Dark light surged.

The devilish flame seal exploded with a powerful wave, and faint blue light flickered beneath Qin Sang’s flesh. The Fire Curse runes surfaced faintly, and within them flames seemed to sway. The instant they appeared, they tried to shrink back inside.

"Condense!" Bai’s hands flew through seals.

In the next moment, the runes were frozen in place by the seal’s power. Qin Sang felt a sharp pain in his body. A dim speck of blue light was forced out of his flesh. It was the true form of the Fire Curse, a wisp of blue flame.

"Break!" Bai shouted.

The devilish flame seal trembled violently, and the Fire Curse shattered at once, scattering with the wind.

"The Fire Curse is broken?" Qin Sang’s eyes lit up with joy.

Yet Bai showed no sign of celebration. He sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness as he said, "The Fire Curse is extremely complex. I’ve only recalled fragments of it, barely enough to create this crude imitation of a seal. With this devilish flame seal, I can gradually force out and break the curse piece by piece. But the process will be slow. Especially when we reach the parts fused deep within your organs, if I make even a small mistake, it could cripple or kill you. Before we finish, Old Devil Mou will surely catch up."

His tone grew heavy. Hearing this, Qin Sang’s heart sank. It felt like a dead end. Bai could retreat at any time, but he could only sit and wait for death.

"There’s no need to rush breaking it. Perhaps we can suppress the Fire Curse’s fluctuations instead," Qin Sang said after a deep breath. Despite the despairing situation, he refused to give up. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. "Maybe we can use external means—barriers, spirit arrays... or even the chaotic spiritual qi within nature."

He had already foreseen this outcome and had been preparing for the worst. Old Devil Mou dared to use such a method precisely because he was confident the Fire Curse could not be easily undone. And indeed, without Bai’s help, Qin Sang could have done nothing even with his control over the devilish flames.

After thinking for a moment, Bai said, "Old Devil Mou can sense your position from so far because the Dongming Cold Flame amplifies the curse’s power. If we use the devilish flame seal to suppress the Fire Curse’s fluctuations, it might work. It’s worth a try. As for using external forces..."

"You mean the storm belt?" Qin Sang asked.

Bai’s eyes lit up. "Yes. The chaotic spiritual qi within the storm belt could disrupt Old Devil Mou’s perception. But only if we reach it before he catches up. And even then, staying at the outer edge may not be enough. If we venture into its depths recklessly, even if we do shake him off, I fear we might..."

He hesitated, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. Even if Qin Sang immediately changed direction and flew toward the storm belt, Old Devil Mou would never give them that much time.

And even if they managed to enter the depths of the storm belt and possibly shake off Old Devil Mou, they would still face the terrifying dangers within—chaotic tides, violent hurricanes, and other deadly phenomena.

Worse yet, there was the risk of losing their way entirely. This time, there was no one to guide them.

"Do you still remember that Yuan Zhu once said the cave dwelling was discovered by accident? How believable do you think that was?"

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Our strength is not inferior to Yuan Zhu’s, yet I wouldn’t dare to enter or leave the storm belt so freely, let alone wander about inside. But Yuan Zhu somehow managed to find such a well-hidden cave dwelling."

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Bai was taken aback. "You mean... he might have a way to navigate within the storm belt?"

Qin Sang sighed softly. "For the sake of survival, I must take the risk and charge into the storm belt. Even if there’s only a sliver of life left, I can’t let it slip by. Daoist, I must ask you to help me one more time. If Yuan Zhu proves helpless, you need not follow me to death. We can part ways there. I’ll hand over every clue regarding the Heavenly Corpse Sect to you. If I somehow survive... we shall meet again when fate allows."

Bai looked deeply at Qin Sang. "Alright!"

Then Qin Sang explained his plan in detail. Bai pondered for a long while, then offered his own suggestions, refining the plan further.

At last, Bai sighed with emotion. "If your plan works, the chances of success aren’t small... but the cost will be great. Are you truly willing to pay that price?"

Qin Sang gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile. "Compared to my own life, what does that cost amount to?"

"Everything from here on will depend on you."