Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 833: The Failed Strike

There was only one person. Qin Sang’s eyes flickered. He sent out a signal and held his breath.

With the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s extraordinary vision, Qin Sang could tell from afar that this person was indeed Xiang Yi!

Madam Liu hid deep in the sea. The moment she received the signal, she immediately activated the talisman. The fish had bitten the bait. Now was the time for the kill!

Xiang Yi was a late-stage Core Formation expert who had been renowned for many years and deeply trusted by the alliance leader. Qin Sang believed that his strength might not be any weaker than those at the peak of the late stage and thus could not be underestimated.

His expression grew solemn as he curled his palm. The Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions silently appeared in his grasp.

He had already rehearsed this assassination countless times in his mind.

One hand held the devilish banner, the other the Primordial Unity Ring.

He had no intention of rigidly waiting for Madam Liu to trigger the talisman. If he could kill in a single strike when the ambush began, it would save them the trouble of everything that followed.

The evasion light sped across the surface of the sea, occasionally pausing for a moment.

Xiang Yi was cautious, but he had no idea that the Tortoise-Patterned Wood was a trap. What he was wary of were demonic beasts. Most cultivators who ventured outside these days behaved the same way, fearing they might run into a beast tide.

"Almost..." Qin Sang murmured, tightening his grip.

Whoosh!

The shrill sound of air being pierced rang out. Just as Xiang Yi was about to pass directly overhead, he suddenly stopped again, scanning his surroundings.

"Can’t wait any longer!"

Qin Sang knew that even with his aura-concealing techniques, at this close range it would be difficult to hide from Xiang Yi’s spiritual senses.

The instant Qin Sang made his move, Xiang Yi sensed the anomaly. His eyes turned cold and he barked out in anger, "Who!"

Splash!

A lithe figure burst from beneath the waves. It was the Two-Headed Hou.

Seeing it, Xiang Yi’s expression shifted. Clearly, he had not expected such a powerful demonic beast to be lying in wait. At the same time, alarm rose in his heart as he feared stumbling into a beast tide. Caution instantly turned to retreat.

But in the next moment, Qin Sang emerged alongside the Two-Headed Hou.

"It’s an ambush! The Tortoise-Patterned Wood is a trap!"

Xiang Yi’s heart jolted. Experienced as he was, he immediately realized the problem.

Qin Sang launched his surprise attack, coordinating with the Two-Headed Hou to cut off Xiang Yi’s escape route.

Boom!

The Devilish Flames of Nine Hells erupted skyward as the Two-Headed Hou roared. Divine light shot from its vertical pupils, unleashing endless wind blades, denser and sharper than before.

At the same time, it stretched out its claws and lunged ferociously at Xiang Yi.

After consuming the Tyrant Blood Fruit, it had nearly broken through to the next stage. Its innate talent and body had been greatly enhanced. Now its physical strength was formidable enough to dare engage cultivators in direct combat.

As Qin Sang cast the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, sword light flashed between his brows. The ebony sword vanished in a blur, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder, and in the blink of an eye appeared before Xiang Yi.

The ebony sword quivered slightly, sending out several overlapping sword shadows that sealed the space around Xiang Yi, ready to pierce bloody holes through him.

The ambush had been prepared with great care, and Qin Sang’s first move came with overwhelming force.

The shock on Xiang Yi’s face had yet to fade when he caught sight of the ebony sword and found it extremely familiar. Suddenly, realization struck and he cried out, "Daoist Master Qingfeng, it’s you!"

"That useless Cui Ji!"

Xiang Yi flared with rage as he cursed. Now he understood the reason. He wished he could tear Cui Ji to pieces.

Cui Ji had once vowed to him that Daoist Master Qingfeng was dead without a doubt.

Yet here he was, alive, standing right before him and lying in wait to ambush him.

Although Xiang Yi had once considered helping Cui Ji, he had not yet acted before Cui Ji took matters into his own hands. Now he himself was being dragged into the mess and felt deeply wronged.

Suppressing his fury, Xiang Yi felt a strong sense of danger. The strength his opponent had just displayed was formidable indeed, no wonder Cui Ji had failed.

He recalled that after Seven-Kill Hall closed, Cui Ji had disappeared. Most likely, he had not died to the ancient barriers within the hall, but had instead perished at Daoist Master Qingfeng’s hand.

"Retreat!"

Xiang Yi was no ordinary opponent. Assessing the situation, he realized that since they had set an ambush, there was likely more than just one enemy. He could not afford to become entangled.

His gaze swept over the converging attacks.

Though Qin Sang’s strikes were powerful, they were not without flaws. For someone as seasoned as Xiang Yi, even the smallest weakness could not be hidden.

He remained calm, deciding swiftly.

Having already been on guard against a demonic beast attack, he was not caught off guard. Azure light flared across his body as his protective robe was activated. At the same time, his palm pressed against his dantian, and a blaze of red light erupted.

His life-bound astra emerged!

The Two-Headed Hou was the first to arrive, its claws and wind blades crashing down together on the azure light of the protective robe.

Boom! The azure light trembled and dimmed sharply, but it did not go out. First, Xiang Yi’s robe was of exceptional quality. Second, his swift evasive movement had allowed him to take the brunt of only the initial strike.

Although he was unharmed, Xiang Yi still took the brunt of the tremendous force. His body staggered, forcing him toward the devilish flames and the ebony sword.

The flames surged forward. Qin Sang displayed astonishing mastery of the Sword Dao. The ebony sword swept in like a brilliant rainbow, making Xiang Yi’s scalp tingle.

Without hesitation, Xiang Yi hurled his life-bound astra forward, trying to smash open a path. His astra was a red miniature pagoda, spinning rapidly and pouring forth a torrent of red radiance.

The pagoda’s power was top-tier among middle-grade astras, and with Xiang Yi’s vigorous true essence backing it, it did not yield under the combined pressure of the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells and the ebony sword.

Qin Sang’s eyes narrowed slightly. Without hesitation, he summoned the Blood Defilement Divine Light.

Whoosh! A streak of blood light shot out from one of the sword shadows, pouncing toward the pagoda, on the verge of engulfing it. An astonishing scene followed.

From the bottom of the pagoda flared a cluster of white light. In the next instant, a transparent bead popped out, instantly swelling in size to stand before the pagoda. It intercepted the Blood Defilement Divine Light at the critical moment, shielding the pagoda from corrosion.

The bead’s luster faded entirely, and cracks spread through its surface.

This too was an astra, but a low-grade one. Xiang Yi had kept it hidden inside the pagoda all this time, and even Qin Sang had not noticed it until now.

"Hahaha..." Xiang Yi laughed wildly. "Did you think I didn’t know you had a way to defile astras? That fool Cui Ji deserved to die. He actually told me the blood-red light came from those black banners! This sword of yours is only a low-grade astra. That trick of yours can’t be used more than once, can it? You want to destroy my life-bound astra? Dream on!"

Qin Sang’s expression darkened. Xiang Yi had not only kept calm under the sudden ambush, but had quietly laid a counter-trap, forcing him to waste the Blood Defilement Divine Light.

Even so, Qin Sang did not feel discouraged. During his prior rehearsals, he had considered this possibility.

Since Cui Ji had sought Xiang Yi’s aid to deal with him, it was impossible that he had not mentioned the Blood Defilement Divine Light.

That technique could only be used as an unexpected trump card. Against an opponent on guard, it would rarely succeed, and being countered was to be expected.

The strike had failed. Without the slightest pause, Qin Sang pressed the attack, driving his astras relentlessly forward.

Xiang Yi was extremely cunning, refusing to become entangled in a head-on clash with him.

Even if he wanted to counterkill, he would not do so here, regardless of whether or not the other side had reinforcements.

The pagoda spun wildly, scattering red light in all directions. It slammed against the ebony sword and dispersed the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells as Xiang Yi fought desperately to open a way out.