Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 869: The Beast King Banner

A mere few Beast King Banners could not form a grand array, so their power was limited.

Qin Sang was not truly coveting these treasures. By seizing them, the opposing array would grow even weaker, increasing the chance they might slip when fighting those mysterious figures.

If both sides ended up suffering heavy losses, that would be the best outcome. So long as Black Snake Mountain was troubled, Qin Sang was happy to make it happen.

He had already sensed what had happened on the island. With Chu Heng and the others dead, only he remained. He could not possibly join those mysterious figures, and with Black Snake Mountain’s overwhelming numbers, seeking revenge now would be nearly impossible. Taking some benefits before leaving was the best he could do.

The Devilish Flames of Nine Hells wrapped around the Beast King Banners. Qin Sang was not entirely certain the flames could sever their internal connection, but it was worth trying.

The black-robed man had controlled ten banners. One had already been destroyed by the Blood Defilement Divine Light, leaving nine. All nine trembled fiercely, trying to break free of Qin Sang’s grasp.

But once wrapped by the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, their struggles quickly weakened.

Deprived of their master’s control, and with the others scattered far away, their link was severed by the flames. At once, the banners turned docile. Qin Sang easily swept them away.

From a distance came the furious roars of the black-robed men.

Qin Sang lifted his gaze and sneered. His body flared with the Jiao shadow and sword light, transforming into an evasion light that vanished into the storm within the blink of an eye.

The midnight rainstorm raged. Clouds smothered the heavens, black as ink, fingers barely visible before one’s eyes.

The other Black Snake Mountain disciples had been converging on their targets. They had not expected their fourth senior brother not only to fail, but to lose his life. None of them had truly seen what had happened.

By the time they realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

Moreover, none of them had an evasion technique that could compare to Qin Sang’s. They could only watch helplessly as he fled with ease.

"Junior Brother!" The second senior brother’s eyes nearly split from rage.

The others were left panicked and torn, unsure whether to continue surrounding their original targets or pursue the man who had killed their fourth senior brother. Judging from that evasion light’s speed, even if they tried, they could never catch up.

All eyes turned toward the second senior brother. Their greater fear, however, lay elsewhere.

Their eldest senior brother was still on the island. Struck by the thunder’s aftermath, he had yet to reappear, even when the fourth senior brother was slain. Could something have happened to him as well?

Boom!

Crash!

A massive figure was blasted off the island, smashing into the sea with towering waves.

A flash followed, and Daoist Fang appeared, blood sword in hand, diving after it.

The Kui Dragon howled madly, battling him beneath the waves.

Unlike Chu Heng and the others, Daoist Fang had a spirit talisman protecting him. His wounds were minor, though slowed somewhat by the stellar malevolence. The Kui Dragon was already grievously injured. When the two clashed, the difference was obvious.

The beast’s ambush failed, and it was beaten mercilessly. Its roars, fierce at first, soon turned to pitiful screams.

"Eldest Senior Brother!" the Black Snake Mountain disciples shouted with joy.

"Eldest Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother is dead!"

"Avenge him!"

"Kill that man, rip him to shreds!"

A giant hand of true essence clutched the Kui Dragon by the throat. Daoist Fang wore a strange insect armor, hovering beneath the dragon’s body, looking like a fierce warrior restraining a dragon single-handedly. His bearing was awe-inspiring.

His face was dark as ice. He ignored the Kui Dragon, his eyes locked firmly in the direction Qin Sang had fled. He already knew the tragic fate of his junior brother.

But that strange force had delayed his steps, and he had failed to arrive in time. What he did not wish to admit was that the enemy’s evasion technique was stronger than his own. Catching up was impossible.

"Seize the Landou Sect defectors first. As for the blood debt on that man’s hands, it will be settled later!"

Daoist Fang chose the greater priority.

He subdued the Kui Dragon and finally slew the great beast.-----Qin Sang fled, but not too far. After confirming no one pursued, he concealed his light, circled briefly in the air, and landed on a reef in the distance.

He stared back in the direction he had come from, eyes flickering with thought. After setting a concealment barrier, he sat cross-legged on the stone and summoned the Sky-Eyed Butterfly.

Earlier, the situation had been too urgent for him to check its condition carefully. Now he was worried.

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly, having suffered greatly, fluttered out and circled around Qin Sang, then clutched his wrist with its tiny legs, refusing to let go. Its wings trembled, as if in grievance and seeking comfort.

Qin Sang gently stroked it, soothing the butterfly while inspecting its body.

"Fortunate. It didn’t absorb too much. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome. The Heavenly Demon Body Refinement describes stellar malevolence as extremely dangerous. Once it invades the primordial spirit, it can cause a lot of trouble. A spiritual insect’s primordial spirit is still too fragile, weaker even than a demonic beast of the same realm. And the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s cultivation isn’t high..."

Qin Sang’s features eased, though he remained thoughtful. "But was that really stellar malevolence?"

He was deeply familiar with the power. It was eerie and chaotic. How could it coexist with lightning? Had the enemy cast a lightning-controlling Dao Technique, or used some kind of array?

What role had stellar malevolence played in it?

The Heavenly Demon Body Refinement used stellar malevolence to temper demonic beast bloodlines. But Qin Sang was no demonic beast descendant. All he could do was refine it out, completely wasted.

If he could acquire that lightning technique, perhaps he could make something useful out of it.

The first step was to uncover the identities of those mysterious people, and why the Black Snake Mountain disciples had ambushed them.

Qin Sang had not hurried to leave. Confident that his evasion techniques far outstripped others, he could come and go as he pleased. He intended to stay and see if he could fish in troubled waters.

He stroked the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, his thoughts shifting to the ebony sword and the star turban. Both decisive powers had been spent and would not recover quickly. He would need to be cautious moving forward.

Then, he opened his palm and brought out the newly seized Beast King Banners.

Bound tightly by the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, the banners were quiet.

Qin Sang worried that their connections remained, allowing the enemy to track him. At once, he sent his spiritual consciousness to probe them.

A moment later, joy flashed across his face. He had found something.

"So there is indeed a lingering mark! Break!"

The marks inside the banners were forcibly erased. Their golden glow winked out, their connection to the others severed. Now they belonged to Qin Sang.

"Each of these banners holds the primordial spirit of a demonic beast..."

While erasing the imprints, Qin Sang uncovered their secrets. He was surprised. The banners were of mediocre quality and materials, but their forging was exquisite, and their true power came from the beast souls within.

"These banners demand much from their wielder, requiring extremely strong spiritual consciousness. Even a late-stage Core Formation cultivator can only control about twenty. Too few in number, and though an array can be forced, its power is weak and of little value. A Spiritual Infant grandmaster could certainly wield them, but then the power would be beneath their level... Such painstaking effort, and the banners can only be effective when used cooperatively. For a sect with disciples who coordinate closely, they would indeed be a fine joint treasure. But for me, solitary, without sect or disciples, they are somewhat useless..." Qin Sang spoke with a touch of disappointment.