met free Chapter 1401 Slaying the Extreme Yin
Chapter 1401 Slaying the Extreme Yin
Chapter 1401 Slaying the Extreme Yin
As the intense spatial distortion subsided, Qin Hao found himself standing on a desolate, eerie wasteland. Beneath his feet lay pitch-black soil, soft as decaying leaves, and the air was thick with a pungent, putrid stench. On the distant horizon, a hazy mist swirled, and the faint wailing of ghosts could be heard—this was the first trial of the outer hall of the Void Heaven Palace, the Land of Spirit Abyss.
"This is the Spirit Abyss, and the concentration of Yin energy is even heavier than I imagined." Qin Hao frowned slightly and subconsciously spread his divine sense, only to find that it was greatly suppressed here, covering only a radius of about a hundred feet around him.
As soon as he stepped out of the pale blue protective shield attached to the teleportation array, three pale black shadows darted out from the mist and pounced on him—they were three Foundation Establishment stage Yin spirits, their forms like semi-transparent mist, their eyes flashing with scarlet light, baring their fangs and claws as they tried to devour Qin Hao's life force.
"Hmph, courting death!" Qin Hao's tone was icy. With a casual wave of his right hand, a golden streak of spiritual energy appeared out of thin air, slicing through the air like a sharp blade.
With three soft "sizzle" sounds, the three evil spirits didn't even have time to scream before they were cleaved into pieces by the spiritual energy, turning into specks of black mist that dissipated into the air.
After dealing with the evil spirit, Qin Hao gently patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist. A flash of light appeared at the pouch's opening, and a small monkey, about the size of a palm and covered in eerie green fur, jumped out and landed steadily on his shoulder. It was the Soul-Crying Beast. The little guy yawned as soon as it appeared, its eyes glazed over, clearly still half asleep.
"Don't be lazy if there's food to eat. Let's clear the way." Qin Hao gently scratched the chin of the Howling Soul Beast with his finger. The Howling Soul Beast feeds on Yin spirits, and the Yin spirits of the Spirit Abyss are its best snacks.
Hearing "there's food," the Soul-Crying Beast instantly perked up, squeaking twice before leaping off Qin Hao's shoulder and landing on the dark soil. It opened its small nose and gently inhaled—and the mist within a hundred-foot radius surged violently. Dozens of Foundation Establishment stage Yin spirits hidden within the mist seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, transforming into streams of pale black energy, which the Soul-Crying Beast inhaled. After finishing its meal, the little creature patted its belly contentedly, its eyes sparkling as it looked at Qin Hao, seemingly seeking praise.
The man and the beast worked in perfect harmony, venturing deeper into the Spirit Abyss. Along the way, any Yin spirits they encountered at the Foundation Establishment stage became "snacks" for the Soul-Crying Beast, which swallowed them whole. Occasionally, they would encounter a few Yin spirits at the Core Formation stage—these spirits had more solid forms, were surrounded by dense black energy, and could cast soul-based spells. Qin Hao would then take action, gathering golden spiritual power at his fingertips to shatter the spirit's soul, allowing the Soul-Crying Beast to seize the opportunity to rush forward and swallow the scattered soul fragments.
The souls of the Core Formation stage Yin spirits were clearly more to the liking of the Soul-Crying Beast. With each one it swallowed, the green light around the little guy intensified, and its eyes became more lively.
Looking at its cheerful appearance, Qin Hao couldn't help but smile slightly. With the Soul-Crying Beast around, the Yin spirits in the Spirit Abyss not only posed no threat, but instead became "nourishment" for the Soul-Crying Beast, which saved him a lot of trouble.
About an hour later, Qin Hao and the Crying Soul Beast finally arrived at the end of the Spirit Abyss. Here stood an ancient teleportation array. The Crying Soul Beast had eaten its fill and was now lying on Qin Hao's shoulder, patting its round little belly and burping contentedly. Its green fur was covered with a little black mist, but it was not dirty at all.
Qin Hao gently rubbed its head and said softly, "Now that you're full, go inside and rest."
"Squeak~~~" The Soul-Crying Beast rubbed against Qin Hao's finger, turned into a green light, and burrowed into the spirit beast pouch.
Qin Hao withdrew his gaze and stepped into the teleportation array. He wasn't worried about Han Li. Han Li's Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword contained Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder, so he could roam freely in the Spirit Abyss Land without any trouble.
As the teleportation light dissipated, the scene before them abruptly changed. The dense yin energy vanished, replaced by a scene of birdsong and fragrant flowers—beneath their feet lay lush green grass dotted with colorful wildflowers, a clear stream babbled in the distance, several brightly colored birds chirped in the branches, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, brimming with vitality.
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Zhang is indeed extraordinary, passing through the Spirit Abyss so quickly!" A hearty laugh rang out. Qin Hao looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wan Tianming sitting on a blue stone on the grass not far away, playing with a light purple spiritual herb in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Hu Manzi also emerged from the flower bushes, his rough voice tinged with excitement: "Kid, it seems you really have some skills, not just empty talk! Maybe you can actually make that old codger Ji Yin suffer a bit. I'll definitely have to see how you do then!"
Qin Hao chuckled inwardly; his target was not just the Extreme Yin Old Demon.
"You two are too kind. It was just good luck that the place I was teleported to was close to the end of the Spirit Abyss. It's nothing special."
Just as the three were exchanging pleasantries, several streaks of light flew out from a teleportation array in the distance. It was none other than the Extreme Yin Ancestor and several other Nascent Soul cultivators. As soon as the Extreme Yin Ancestor landed, he saw Qin Hao, and a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes.
Madam Wen was among them. When she saw Qin Hao pass through the Spirit Abyss before her, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She had encountered a late-stage Core Formation Yin Spirit in the Spirit Abyss and had spent a lot of effort to deal with it. She hadn't expected Qin Hao to be faster than her.
Over the next few hours, more and more cultivators emerged from the teleportation array in the Spirit Abyss Land, and the garden gradually became more crowded, but Han Li was nowhere to be seen.
Han Li arrived late, as the sun was setting and Elder Jin Kui of the Star Palace and another Star Palace cultivator emerged from the teleportation array.
Elder Jin Kui surveyed the cultivators in the garden, cleared his throat, and said in a majestic voice, "Congratulations on passing the first trial of the outer hall, the Spirit Abyss. You will have one day to enter the Spirit Grassland to gather spiritual herbs and fruits, which will greatly benefit your cultivation and alchemy. This is also a reward for passing the Spirit Abyss. After one day, you can choose to continue to the next trial, or stay here and be automatically teleported out when the Void Heaven Palace closes in a month."
As soon as the words were spoken, many cultivators couldn't wait to fly towards the Spirit Grassland deep within the garden—the spiritual herbs in the Spirit Grassland were extremely precious, and if they were even a moment late, they might be picked clean by others. Qin Hao and Han Li exchanged a glance, not rushing to act, but waiting until most of the cultivators had left before heading towards the Spirit Grassland together.
"Junior Brother Han," Qin Hao took out a jade plate engraved with complex array patterns from his storage bag and handed it to Han Li: "This array is specially made by me to capture the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng... I have already told you about its growth location and the specific capture method. We only have one day, so let's part ways here. It will be more efficient to split up."
Han Li took the jade plate, carefully examined the array patterns on it, and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and bow, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother."
"Look at you, being so polite again." Qin Hao chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Besides, I'm hoping that after you refine the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng into a pill, you'll give one to my concubine."
Yuan Yao has the Yin Body, so breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage shouldn't be a problem for her; as for Yan Li's aptitude... it's better to be prepared than not. If she can reach the late Core Formation stage with the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng Pill, he won't be stingy with a pill.
Upon hearing this, Han Li's eyes flashed with understanding, and he nodded: "Don't worry, Senior Brother, as long as we capture the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, I'll take care of refining the pills."
The two said no more and walked in two different directions toward the Spirit Grassland.
After parting ways with Han Li, Qin Hao steered the Ink Dragon Boat, speeding towards the depths of the Spirit Grassland. The Ink Dragon Boat was extremely fast, and flying at low altitude, it was almost unnoticed. Before long, it passed through the dense area of spirit herbs and arrived at an extremely cold land covered in ice and snow.
This place was completely different from the vibrant wilderness of the Spirit Grassland. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, the ground was covered with a thick layer of ice, the wind howled, and the temperature was so low it could freeze a cultivator's spiritual energy. Qin Hao jumped off the Ink Dragon Boat, his feet crunching on the ice. He looked around, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "The cold here is so intense; this must be the habitat of the Ice Snow Toad."
The Ice Snow Toad is a level six demon beast that feeds on the cold air of the extreme cold. Its inner core contains pure ice-attribute spiritual power, which is very beneficial to cultivating the "Heavenly Demon Art". As for the most famous longevity fruit in the Spirit Grassland, it is almost useless to him - his current lifespan is enough to support him until he ascends to the Spirit Realm, and he does not need to rely on the longevity fruit to prolong his life.
The Ice Snow Toads weren't particularly strong in combat, but their camouflage abilities were exceptional. Completely white, they blended seamlessly with the surrounding ice and snow, hiding beneath thick layers of ice, making them difficult to detect even for a Nascent Soul cultivator's divine sense. However, this didn't stump Qin Hao. He took out over a hundred palm-sized puppet beasts from his storage bag—these puppet beasts were forged from cold iron, possessed inherent ice attributes, and could move freely in extremely cold environments. Using them to force the Ice Snow Toads out was perfectly appropriate.
Qin Hao scattered the puppet beasts around him, and with a flick of his fingertips, the puppet beasts dispersed like ants and burrowed into the cracks in the ice.
Soon, a puppet beast sent a signal—it had discovered traces of the Ice Snow Toad beneath a layer of ice. Qin Hao flashed to the top of the ice and slammed his hand on the surface. With a crack, the ice shattered, and a snow-white toad, about the size of a fist, sprang out from beneath the ice—the Ice Snow Toad. Just as it tried to escape, Qin Hao made a grabbing motion in the air, then reached out and caught it in his hand, crushing its head and extracting a pale blue inner core.
Over the next eight hours, with the help of the puppet beast, Qin Hao cleared out almost all the Ice Toads within a radius of several dozen miles, harvesting over a hundred Ice Toad Inner Cores. He stored the inner cores in his storage bag, looking at the empty ice layer, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
However, seeing that it was almost time, Qin Hao did not delay any longer. If he returned late and missed the deadline, it would be too much of a loss to be eliminated by the restrictions of the Void Heaven Palace.
At this moment, the Nascent Soul cultivators, including Manhuzi and Wan Tianming, had already returned to the garden.
Another hour passed, and Han Li returned. He remained as unassuming as ever, walked to Qin Hao's side, and said through telepathy, "Senior brother, everything went smoothly."
Qin Hao nodded almost imperceptibly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "Alright, thank you for your hard work. There's another challenge ahead, so recover your spiritual energy first."
Han Li nodded, found a quiet corner, sat down cross-legged, and began to close his eyes and regulate his breathing.
Qin Hao also found a blue stone to sit on, probed his storage bag with his divine sense, checked the inner core of the Ice Snow Toad and his previous gains, and then closed his eyes, waiting for the next level to begin.
A day passed in the blink of an eye. The next morning, Elder Jin Kui summoned all the cultivators who had chosen to continue their trials and led them to a plaza deep within the garden. Two teleportation arrays stood in the plaza: one radiating a scorching heat, leading to the Lava Road; the other radiating a chilling heat, leading to the Frost Road—this was the second trial of the outer hall, the Ice and Fire Road.
"Everyone, the Ice and Fire Path is extremely dangerous. You can choose according to your own attributes and abilities..." After Elder Jin Kui finished speaking, he activated two teleportation arrays.
The cultivators chose the teleportation arrays that suited them best.
After a moment of contemplation, Qin Hao chose to enter the Lava Road.
The Iron Fire Ant deep within the Lava Road—the Iron Fire Ant is the 37th ranked rare insect on the list of rare insects. Its queen ant body condenses "refining crystals," which are rare and excellent materials for refining weapons. Incorporating them into magical artifacts can greatly enhance the artifacts' sturdiness and sharpness. His gilded armor-piercing blade needs refining crystals to improve its quality.
Stepping into the teleportation array on the lava path, Qin Hao was instantly enveloped in a fiery red glow. After the teleportation ended, he found himself standing on the edge of a lava pool, surrounded by crimson rocks. The air was thick with scorching heat, so intense it seemed to distort the atmosphere. He summoned the Frost Pearl, a pale blue bead that hovered above his head, emitting a cool aura that instantly dispelled the surrounding heat, making him feel much more comfortable.
Qin Hao didn't linger and sped towards the desert in the center of the lava road. Along the way, he encountered many foolish fire-attribute spirit beasts—fire lizards engulfed in flames, fire crows that could breathe fireballs, and fire pythons hiding in the lava. Most of these spirit beasts were at the Foundation Establishment stage and were no match for Qin Hao. With a casual wave of his hand, golden streaks of spiritual energy slashed them down. Occasionally, he encountered a few Core Formation stage spirit beasts, but he only needed to summon his gilded armor-piercing blade to easily deal with them.
About half an hour later, Qin Hao finally arrived at the desert in the center of the Lava Road. This desert was not ordinary sand, but composed of red volcanic sand, which was scorching hot to the touch, and the air temperature was even higher than before. As soon as he stopped, he saw several jet-black insects, about the size of a thumb, fly out of the volcanic sand and pounce on him—the insects' exoskeletons shimmered with a metallic luster, and their wings made a buzzing sound when they flapped; they were iron fire ants.
"These should be the Ironfire Ants." A glint flashed in Qin Hao's eyes. He didn't act rashly, but instead urged the Frost Pearl to fly towards the Ironfire Ants. The pale blue cold air instantly enveloped the Ironfire Ants, freezing their wings and turning their bodies into ice blocks. As the Frost Pearl landed on the ground, it shattered into pieces.
With a "crack," the ice block shattered, and the volcanic sand suddenly surged violently. Immediately afterward, a huge black "cloud" rose from the desert and rushed towards Qin Hao—thousands upon thousands of fire ants, densely packed together, forming a giant ant ball, exuding a dangerous aura.
"Hmm, courting death!" Qin Hao snorted coldly, making a hand seal with one hand, his fingertip aimed at Han Lizhu.
In an instant, countless tiny ice spikes formed in mid-air and rained down on the swarm of fire ants like a torrential downpour.
Although the Ironfire Ant is ranked among the most unusual insects, with an exoskeleton as hard as iron and impervious to blades and spears, it has a fatal weakness—it is vulnerable to ice magic.
The ice cones fell into the ant colony, instantly freezing a large number of fire ants. Their exoskeletons became extremely fragile at the low temperature, and they shattered into ice shards when they hit the ground.
In just a few moments, the ant colony shrank by half.
Qin Hao didn't stop, continuing to control the ice spikes as he headed deeper into the desert. Behind the swarm of iron fire ants, there must be a queen—only a queen could command such a massive colony.
Sure enough, after he killed more than a dozen small groups of fire ants, a giant ant, ten times larger than a normal fire ant, emerged from the desert. It was the fire ant queen.
This queen ant was entirely black, with dark red patterns covering her exoskeleton. Her wings were as transparent as cicada wings, yet they radiated a scorching heat. As soon as she appeared, the surrounding fire ants swarmed towards her, clearly following her command.
"This must be the Ironfire Ant Queen. It looks like she's leading a team to take revenge on me?" Qin Hao sneered. "Unfortunately, an insect is an insect. Even if it's ranked high on the Strange Insect List, without intelligence, it's still just meat on the chopping block!"
As Qin Hao activated the Frost Pearl, large swarms of hail fell from the sky, crashing down on the swarm of fire ants. Many fire ants were smashed into ice shards, but under the queen's command, they continued to charge towards Qin Hao relentlessly, showing no fear of death.
Qin Hao didn't engage the Ironfire Ant swarm. While using his escape technique to evade their attacks, he continued to activate the Frost Pearl to kill the remaining Ironfire Ants. His escape technique was extremely exquisite; he moved through the swarm like a ghost, and not a single Ironfire Ant could touch the hem of his clothes. In less than a quarter of an hour, more than half of the ants surrounding the Ironfire Ant Queen had disappeared, leaving only a few scattered individuals still putting up a stubborn resistance.
The Ironfire Ant Queen seemed to sense the anomaly; its wings vibrated violently, emitting a high-frequency buzzing sound. Immediately afterward, the remaining Ironfire Ants around it also began vibrating their wings, their frequency perfectly synchronized with the Queen's. The next second, bursts of black flames spewed from the Ironfire Ants' mouths, raining down on Qin Hao like a storm—this was the Ironfire Ant's innate divine power, "Black Flame," with an extremely high temperature, enough to melt magical artifacts.
Qin Hao pushed his escape technique to its limit, his body moving like a streak of azure lightning as he constantly dodged the attacks of the iron fire ants. However, the number of iron fire ants was simply too great, and their coverage area was extremely wide. Although he avoided most of the attacks, he could not escape the coverage of the black flames for the time being, and could only continuously use the Frost Pearl to protect his entire body.
"Hmph, let's see how many rounds you can launch!" Qin Hao's eyes turned cold.
Just as Qin Hao had predicted, after five rounds of iron fire attacks, the iron fire ant swarm's movements became noticeably slower, and they were no longer able to unleash such a dense "fire net" as before. The frequency of their wing vibrations decreased, and the light in their eyes dimmed.
"Hmph, to catch the thief, you must first catch the king. Let's start with you!" Qin Hao no longer hesitated. He flashed and used his escape light to shoot towards the Ironfire Ant Queen.
The Ironfire Ant Queen seemed to sense Qin Hao's killing intent, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, but she did not retreat. She first spat out several huge fireballs in an attempt to stop Qin Hao, then flapped her wings again, emitting a sharp screech.
The remaining fire ants reacted instantly, quickly gathering the queen in the center and forming a dark shield that blocked Qin Hao's path.
"So you're really afraid of death, huh? Then take care of these little ones first, and then I'll deal with you!" Qin Hao sneered, forming hand seals and channeling spiritual power into the Frost Pearl. The Frost Pearl instantly erupted with a dazzling blue light, forming a vast ice crystal snowfield above the Iron Fire Ant swarm. The snowfield was covered with a thick layer of ice, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
"Fall!" Qin Hao shouted, pointing his fingertip sharply downwards.
On the icy snowfield, countless tiny ice spikes poured down like a torrential rain, crashing down on the swarm of fire ants.
The protective shield of the fire ant swarm was instantly pierced by the ice spikes, freezing and shattering countless fire ants, leaving the dark shield riddled with holes. Even so, the remaining fire ants stubbornly guarded their queen, refusing to retreat an inch.
Qin Hao's eyes narrowed, and he increased his spiritual energy output. The number of ice spikes increased, and their power grew stronger, until the last Ironfire Ant fell to the ground and shattered into ice shards. The Ironfire Ant Queen was now without any guards. A hint of despair flashed in its eyes, and it flapped its wings, trying to escape, but it was enveloped by Qin Hao's prepared chilling aura—a white mist instantly enveloped it, forming a huge ice sculpture in a flash.
Qin Hao flashed to the ice sculpture, summoned his gilded armor-piercing blade, and lightly slashed. With a "crack," the ice sculpture was cut in two, crashing to the ground and shattering into pieces of ice. From within the ice shards, a fist-sized, dark red crystal rolled out—the very crystal from within the Ironfire Ant Queen's body. The crystal's surface shimmered with a metallic luster and emitted a faint aura of heat.
"Such a large crystal, this trip to the Lava Road wasn't a waste." Qin Hao put the crystal into his storage bag with satisfaction, then sped off to the teleportation array at the end of the Lava Road and stepped into it.
The teleportation light dissipated, and the environment before him changed once more. Qin Hao found himself standing in a blue stone hall. The hall was spacious and bright, with luminous stones embedded in the walls, illuminating the entire space.
At this moment, the Nascent Soul cultivators, including the Yin Ancestor, the Barbarian Beard, and Wan Tianming, had arrived and were gathered in the center of the hall, seemingly discussing something.
When Qin Hao approached, he noticed that Wan Tianming's face was extremely gloomy, and he was staring intently at Elder Jin Kui, his eyes full of dissatisfaction. Clearly, Wan Tianming had discovered the Star Palace's underhanded tactics, possibly setting up additional traps in the Ice and Fire Path.
Elder Jin Kui, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Wan Tianming's gaze, cleared his throat, breaking the silence in the hall: "Ahem... Congratulations everyone on passing the second trial, the Ice and Fire Path. Next, you may choose any path to go to the 'Cultivation Techniques Pavilion,' 'Essence Pavilion,' or 'Treasure Pavilion,' and select one item as a reward—the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion contains fragments of ancient cultivation techniques, the Essence Pavilion contains high-level pill formulas and finished pills, and the Treasure Pavilion stores magical treasures left behind by ancient cultivators. You can choose according to your needs. After making your selection, you can proceed to the next trial, the 'Illusory Black Palace.'"
Upon hearing this, the cultivators dispersed. Some wanted ancient cultivation techniques, some wanted high-grade pills, and some wanted ancient magic treasures.
After pondering for a moment, Qin Hao decided to head to the "Treasure Pavilion." Regarding cultivation techniques, the Barbarian Beard's "Heaven-Supporting Demon Art" was sufficient for him to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage, so he didn't need any other techniques for the time being. As for pills, the Void Heaven Palace probably couldn't possibly have any better pills than the "Heaven-Mending Pill." However, ancient treasures—each one from ancient cultivators was unique, their power far exceeding ordinary magic weapons, and would be of the greatest help to him.
After entering the Treasure Pavilion, Qin Hao saw many low-level magic treasures on the first floor, mostly magic tools used by Core Formation stage cultivators. To him, they were like "junk," and he didn't even glance at them, heading straight into the depths of the pavilion. In a corner of the pavilion, he discovered a hidden door, engraved with complex array patterns—this was the passage to the second floor.
Entering the second floor of the Treasure Pavilion, Qin Hao found it much smaller than the first. His gaze swept over the ancient treasures one by one, finally settling on the bronze mirror. He probed the mirror's surface with his divine sense and instantly sensed a powerful restrictive force—a force that was neither offensive nor defensive, but rather inclined towards control. A thought struck him, and he reached out and grasped the bronze mirror, gently wiping away the dust from its surface.
The instant he grasped the ancient mirror, a burst of white light erupted from its surface, enveloping him. Qin Hao felt a blur before his eyes, and the next second he was teleported out of the Treasure Light Pavilion and back into the Blue Stone Hall.
"The Mirror of Condensed Light!" Qin Hao looked at the ancient bronze mirror in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Qin Hao tried to channel his magic into the ancient mirror, and a pale blue beam of light appeared on its surface, shooting towards a stone pillar inside the hall. With a "hum," the stone pillar was instantly covered with a pale blue halo. Although the stone pillar was inanimate, Qin Hao could clearly feel the powerful binding force contained within the beam of light.
"This beam of light... can actually freeze a cultivator's primordial spirit..." Qin Hao was secretly delighted: "I've struck gold! With this Condensing Light Mirror, even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator won't be able to escape my grasp once hit by the beam!"
After leaving Baoguang Pavilion, Qin Hao followed the other cultivators to the Illusionary Black Hall. The Illusionary Black Hall was the final barrier of the outer hall. The hall was filled with restrictions that could trigger the inner demons of cultivators. Once a cultivator's inner demons were triggered, they would fall into an illusion from which they could not extricate themselves and would eventually be swallowed up by the illusion.
But for Qin Hao, mere illusions and inner demons had no effect whatsoever. He had experienced countless worlds, and his mind was already as firm as a rock.
An hour later, all the cultivators who had passed through the Illusionary Black Palace gathered atop the tower. At the top of the tower was a spacious platform, and in the center of the platform stood a massive stone gate, which should be the entrance to the inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace.
The Yin Ancestor stood on one side of the platform, staring intently at Qin Hao, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He grinned and said, "Boy, we're about to enter the inner hall. I can't wait any longer! Once we're inside, I'll tear you to pieces!"
"What? So eager to die, rushing to be reincarnated?" Qin Hao said with a face full of disdain and a tone full of sarcasm.
Enraged by Qin Hao's words, the Yin Ancestor flew into a rage, his black spiritual energy surging violently as he gritted his teeth and said, "You sharp-tongued brat! Once we're inside the inner hall, I'll pull out every single one of your sharp teeth and make you taste a fate worse than death!"
"You?" Qin Hao scoffed, his eyes full of contempt.
Wan Tianming, Hu Manzi, and a group of other Nascent Soul cultivators stood aside, looking on with anticipation. A hint of amusement flashed in Wan Tianming's eyes; Hu Manzi rubbed his hands together excitedly and said, "Good! Good! When the fight starts, don't sneak around, make sure I'm there!"
The remaining Core Formation cultivators all lowered their heads, not daring to look into the eyes of the Extreme Yin Ancestor, but their shoulders twitched from time to time, clearly secretly laughing.
Han Li quietly walked up to Qin Hao and said using a telepathic technique, "Senior brother, the Extreme Yin Ancestor is quite powerful. Do you need my help? My Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword contains Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder, which has a restraining effect on Yin and evil power. Perhaps it can be of assistance."
"No need." Qin Hao shook his head and replied using telepathy: "Find a place to hide in the inner hall first. I'll meet up with you after I deal with the Extreme Yin Ancestor. The inner hall is fraught with danger, so be careful when you're alone."
Han Li nodded, said no more, and quietly retreated to a corner of the platform, ready to enter the inner hall at any time.
As soon as Qin Hao finished transmitting his voice, the stone door in the center of the platform slowly opened, and a rich ancient aura emanated from behind the door, revealing a long blue stone passageway inside.
The Yin Ancestor looked at Qin Hao, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and then rushed into the stone gate first. He was afraid that Qin Hao would escape, so he wanted to make his move in the passage—the passage was narrow, and Qin Hao would not be able to use his escape techniques, so his chances of winning would be greater.
Qin Hao sneered and followed him through the stone gate.
The passage behind the stone gate was indeed narrow, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The walls of the passage were engraved with complex restrictive runes, emitting a faint glow. It was clearly a protective barrier of the Void Heaven Palace, designed to prevent cultivators from making moves in the passage.
Although the Yin Ancestor hated Qin Hao to the bone, he dared not easily trigger the restriction. He could only suppress his thoughts of attacking for the time being and followed closely behind Qin Hao, his eyes filled with killing intent.
The two traveled at high speed for about half an hour before finally arriving at the end of the passage. At the end was another stone door, without any runes or restrictions.
Seeing this, the Yin Ancestor's eyes flashed with wild joy. He rushed into the stone gate first, and with a flick of his right hand, a jade-green scythe appeared in his grasp—his natal magic weapon, the "Soul-Devouring Scythe." The scythe exuded a dense, malevolent aura, capable of devouring the souls of cultivators, and possessed immense power. As soon as he entered the stone gate, he swung the Soul-Devouring Scythe, aiming to catch Qin Hao off guard.
Qin Hao was prepared. He dodged the Soul-Devouring Scythe's attack with a swift movement, and simultaneously summoned the Gilded Armor-Piercing Blade. The golden blade and the emerald green scythe collided in mid-air, producing a loud clang and sparks flying everywhere.
"Boy, I didn't expect you to have some skill!" The Yin Ancestor grinned maliciously, raising the Soul-Devouring Scythe once more and slashing towards Qin Hao. The Soul-Devouring Scythe drew a bright green arc in the air, accompanied by a whistling sound, as it struck towards Qin Hao's neck.
Qin Hao's eyes narrowed, and he wielded the gilded armor-piercing blade to meet the attack. The golden blade clashed with the scythe once more, the clanging sounds ringing out incessantly, the two locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle in the main hall behind the stone gate.
The gilded armor-piercing blade was incredibly sharp, leaving a tiny scratch on the Soul-Devouring Scythe with every impact; while the Soul-Devouring Scythe contained sinister power, each attack carrying a corrosive effect on spiritual energy, forcing Qin Hao to circulate his spiritual energy and carefully defend himself.
After fighting for about ten rounds, the two were still evenly matched. A hint of impatience flashed in Qin Hao's eyes, so he opened his mouth and spat out his natal magic treasure, the Myriad Talisman Record, which flew out and hovered above his head. The record instantly opened, and with the rustling of the pages, ten golden talismans flew out, namely the Sky-Piercing Golden Radiance Slash Talisman.
"Golden Blade of Sky-Piercing Light, go!" Qin Hao shouted, pointing his fingertip with spiritual energy. Ten talismans simultaneously erupted with dazzling golden light, transforming into ten golden blades, each over ten feet long, slashing towards the Extreme Yin Ancestor with a sharp whooshing sound.
The Yin Ancestor's expression changed drastically. He could feel the terrifying power contained within the golden blade light and dared not be careless in the slightest. He flipped his right hand, and a black skull-shaped magic weapon appeared in his hand—this was the defensive magic treasure he had crafted, the "Soul-Devouring Skull," which could release a black shield to withstand cultivators' attacks. He poured his spiritual power into the skull, and the skull instantly burst forth with black light, forming a thick shield in front of him.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Ten golden blade beams struck the black shield one after another, producing dull, resounding sounds. The shield trembled violently, and countless cracks appeared on its surface, but it ultimately managed to block the blade beams' attack.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the main hall—Wan Tianming, Hu Manzi, Qingyi Jushi, and other Nascent Soul cultivators arrived one after another.
As soon as they entered the main hall, they saw Qin Hao and the Extreme Yin Ancestor locked in a fierce battle, and a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes. They had originally thought that Qin Hao, as a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator, would definitely be inferior to the Extreme Yin Ancestor in terms of raw strength, but they did not expect that he could fight the Extreme Yin Ancestor to this extent, and even gain a slight advantage.
Seeing his defensive magic treasure cracked by Qin Hao's talisman, the Yin Ancestor felt utterly humiliated and, enraged, decided to unleash his ultimate move. He opened his mouth and spat out a ball of black flame, its surface flickering with an eerie light and emanating a dense aura of death—his trump card—the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire!
"Boy, taste the power of my Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire! Today, I will burn you to ashes!" The Extreme Yin Ancestor grinned maliciously, manipulating the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire as he lunged at Qin Hao.
A hint of surprise flashed in Wan Tianming's eyes, and he thought to himself, "That old codger Ji Yin really managed to cultivate this demonic divine power."
"Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, that old codger Ji Yin's hundred years of seclusion really wasn't a waste of time." A hint of seriousness flashed in the bearded man's eyes.
However, facing the deadly move of the Yin Demon, Qin Hao smiled slightly and flipped his right hand, and a ball of black flame flew out from his palm. This flame was exactly the same as the Yin Demon's Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, emitting the same corpse energy and scorching heat. It was the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire that Qin Hao had taken from the Yin Demon clone and successfully refined!
"What? He actually possesses Heavenly Capital Corpse Flame?"
"This...isn't this the natal flame of the Yin Ancestor? How did it end up in his hands?"
"Could it be... could it be that what the Extreme Yin Ancestor said before was true, and that this kid stole his Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire? And that this kid even successfully refined it?"
The cultivators in the main hall were utterly shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief at the sight before them. Wan Tianming nearly plucked out his beard, Hu Manzi's smile vanished, and Qingyi Jushi's mouth gaped open, his eyes filled with disbelief.
When the Yin Ancestor saw the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire in Qin Hao's hand, his pupils shrank drastically. As if he had seen a ghost, he exclaimed in shock, "Impossible! This is impossible! The Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire took me a hundred years to refine. How could you possibly refine it?!"
Previously, when the divine consciousness within the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire was erased, Ji Yin only thought that Qin Hao had used some means to seal the "Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire," never imagining that the supernatural power he had painstakingly cultivated would actually benefit someone else.
Qin Hao smiled calmly, controlling his Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, which confronted the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire of the Extreme Yin Ancestor in the air.
The Yin Ancestor was enraged and humiliated: "With the meager Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire you've refined, you think you can contend with me?"
"Don't rush," Qin Hao said with a playful smile. "One ball isn't enough? How about we add another one?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Hao flipped his left hand, and a ball of black flame with green undertones flew out from his palm. This flame was even more sinister than the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, and it exuded a terrifying aura that could burn the primordial spirit. It was the Profound Soul Yin Fire that he had taken from the Profound Bone Master and successfully refined!
As soon as the Mysterious Soul Yin Fire appeared, the temperature in the hall plummeted, and the cultivators all felt a chill originating from their very souls.
Upon seeing the Profound Soul Yin Fire, the Extreme Yin Ancestor's face instantly turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with terror—he recognized it; this was the Profound Soul Yin Fire, the innate divine power of the Profound Bone Immortal! The Profound Bone Immortal was already dead, so how could this flame be in Qin Hao's hands?!
"Who...who exactly are you? Could it be that you are..." The voice of the Extreme Yin Ancestor trembled. The four words "Xuan Gu Shang Ren" were like a nightmare that haunted his entire life. Even though he had long since become a Nascent Soul cultivator, he still harbored a deep fear of his "master".
Qin Hao didn't answer his question, but instead manipulated the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire and the Profound Soul Yin Fire, sending them hurtling towards the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire of the Extreme Yin Ancestor. The two balls of Yin Fire, like two venomous snakes, instantly entangled the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire of the Extreme Yin Ancestor.
Upon seeing this, the Yin Ancestor was greatly alarmed. He tried to retrieve the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, but found that the flames were tightly bound by Qin Hao's two balls of Yin Fire and could not be retrieved at all.
Hu Manzi was the first to react. He slapped his thigh and shouted excitedly, "Haha, kid, great skills!"
Wan Tianming also suppressed his surprise, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.
Qin Hao ignored everyone's reactions, his gaze fixed on the Extreme Yin Ancestor, his eyes filled with killing intent.