Chapter 1040: The Escape Route

Chapter 1040: The Escape Route

Before considering victory, one must first plan for defeat. When facing a Spiritual Infant grandmaster, there could be no room for carelessness.

Qin Sang’s first concern was what to do if the treasure hunt failed and Venerable Ye was enraged, and how he could retreat safely and avoid being hunted down.

Ming Wei and her Life Talisman were the safest retreat route. But even the Life Talisman might not guarantee their safety, so he needed to plan carefully how to use it to the greatest effect.

"Daoist, you mean..." Ming Wei asked, uncertain. She did not fully believe Qin Sang’s words.

The idea that a Spiritual Infant grandmaster could break through celestial barriers and enter a Core Formation Realm trial realm sounded too far-fetched, something that had never happened before.

But Qin Sang’s cautious attitude forced her to consider that it might just be true.

Within the chamber, forces from all sides were tangled together. Among them were top experts like the Blood Bat and Daoist Master Xiaoyun, each of whom posed a greater threat than she did.

Qin Sang had no reason to deceive her, as it would be the same as cutting off his own arm.

Qin Sang turned toward the entrance at the edge of the chamber. "Once Venerable Ye acts, the others will be intimidated. They won’t react immediately, and our only true enemy will be him. As long as we can escape from Venerable Ye, we’ll be safe. You should stay hidden with the Life Talisman. Once I succeed, activate it at once..."

Ming Wei remained silent. She knew very well that by doing this, the one who would face the wrath of a Spiritual Infant cultivator and bear the greatest risk would be Qin Sang, while she would only have to watch from behind.

If things went wrong, she could withdraw easily, and the danger truly would be minimal. Yet this also meant she would be far away from the Soul-Cleansing Liquid and could only place all her hopes on Qin Sang.

She raised her head and locked eyes with him. "When the time comes, you won’t just take one bottle of the Soul-Cleansing Liquid for yourself and leave, will you?"

"Once I’ve chosen to offend Venerable Ye, what difference does one bottle or two make? The Life Talisman will be in your hands, so of course I’ll help you secure a bottle. Otherwise, if you tear up our deal in anger and I lose my retreat, wouldn’t I have nowhere to cry for justice? If you’re worried, I’ll swear an oath on my heart devils," Qin Sang replied.

The Soul-Cleansing Liquid was their shared interest, and it was the very reason Qin Sang could trust Ming Wei. Against a powerful foe, the two of them could only bind themselves together.

"Very well! I only hope you will keep your promise!" Ming Wei said.

Ming Wei knew the odds were against them. With so many competitors and so few treasures, she already had little hope. Qin Sang’s promise gave her at least something to hold onto. She leapt out of the chamber, only to find that Qin Sang followed her.

Seeing her puzzled look, Qin Sang explained, "Venerable Ye surely understands what the Life Talisman can do. We can’t use it under his gaze. If he stands guard in place, we won’t be able to escape. We must make some arrangements to hide our trail..."

Around the cave, countless small tunnels dotted the stone walls. After searching, they found one with the most complex passageways, splitting into several corridors inside.

Qin Sang created a false trail. He patted his Corpse Puppet Pouch, and several malevolent corpses leapt out, each taking a different tunnel and lying in ambush at his command.

Then, with a sweep of his sleeve, a series of miniature devilish banners flew out. There were nine in total.

For more than ten years, Qin Sang had been working to control the nine-devilish-banner array and by now, he had achieved considerable mastery.

Ming Wei’s eyes widened slightly as she watched the banners. She could faintly sense that these seemingly ordinary black banners were far from simple. Having followed a grandmaster for years, her insight far surpassed that of her peers, yet even she couldn’t discern their true nature.

They looked like array flags, yet also like astras. It was very strange. She knew this treasure must be one of Qin Sang’s greatest secrets, so she suppressed her curiosity and didn’t ask.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The nine banners shot into motion, spinning swiftly until they formed a complex array before him. On their surface, faint black devilish flames flickered, threatening to burst forth. Qin Sang studied the array, feeling its power. Then he pressed his palm downward.

Puff, puff, puff...

The nine banners sank into the ground and vanished completely from sight. He nodded slightly to Ming Wei, then turned back toward the main cave.

Ming Wei could roughly guess the purpose of his preparations. Watching him disappear into the army of earth spirits, she hesitated, then took out several puppets from her Mustard Seed Pouch and sent them deep into the tunnels.

She herself stayed near the entrance, gripping the Life Talisman tightly and staring fixedly at the light dome in the center. Her palms were damp with sweat, her nerves taut.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang returned to the chamber. Riding his sword, he plunged into the horde of earth spirits and rapidly advanced.

Countless cultivators were attacking the light barrier that sealed the Soul-Cleansing Liquid. The decisive moment of who would claim the treasure was fast approaching.

Partway there, Bai emerged from the Corpse Puppet Pouch. After a brief exchange, they separated. The chaos in the chamber was so great that no one noticed Bai’s identity as a refined corpse.

Boom!

One swing of Qin Sang’s sword cleaved through an earth spirit, sending its body flying as he broke through their encirclement.

But more earth spirits quickly surged in from all directions. The closer he drew to the light dome, the stronger they became.

Step by step, sword in hand, Qin Sang fought his way forward. The light dome grew clearer until he could finally make out the full scene within.

At the center stood a tall stone platform. Strange symbols were carved all over its surface like runes. The platform was vast, but it held only four bottles of Soul-Cleansing Liquid, their presence stark against the empty space.

Qin Sang examined it closely, finding no sign of mechanisms or traps. He could not tell how the bottles had appeared there or where they had come from.

The seal was not yet broken, so the true battle had not begun. Still, every cultivator had their own schemes. Their positions and movements betrayed hidden intentions. No one knew who had already formed secret alliances.

If Venerable Ye were not involved, this situation would inevitably erupt into a grand display of trust and betrayal.

Qin Sang’s gaze swept over the area and briefly brushed past Venerable Ye. Like the Blood Bat and the others, Venerable Ye was diligently attacking the seal, his manner calm and composed. No one would ever guess that a Spiritual Infant grandmaster lurked among them.

Qin Sang did not dare use the Sky-Eyed Butterfly to observe him, fearing it might be detected. Even so, by simply watching Venerable Ye’s actions, he noticed something strange.

Amid the chaos of the earth spirits, Venerable Ye carried himself with an effortless ease. Though his cultivation was concealed, his every move revealed an uncanny precision in controlling true essence that made Qin Sang’s heart tremble in awe.

Behind Venerable Ye, Su Nu and her companions had formed a battle formation, engaging the horde of earth spirits.

There was no excitement in Su Nu’s eyes, only deep worry. She had no idea how much confidence Qin Sang truly had. If Qin Sang fell to Venerable Ye, she would have no chance of survival left, and could only wait helplessly for death to come.

The long-bearded elder and the other two were already exchanging voice transmissions, speaking lightly about their bright future and showing complete faith in Venerable Ye. Hearing their conversation, Su Nu forced a faint smile and responded perfunctorily.

Boom! Boom!

Sword qi, saber light, Dao Techniques, and astras... All kinds of attacks rained down one after another on the light dome.

The light dome shuddered continuously, its glow dimming and thinning with every impact. Every cultivator’s gaze was fixed on the bottles of Soul-Cleansing Liquid within, waiting for the moment to strike.

Qin Sang did not draw too close to the seal. Remaining on the outer perimeter, he fended off the surrounding earth spirits while controlling the ebony sword, sending streaks of sword qi and sword light toward the light dome.

All his attention, however, was locked on Venerable Ye.