Chapter 239: Cooperation
This unexpected encounter, though it had startled the other party, had completely disrupted Qin Sangâs plan. As he desperately activated the Yan Luo Banners, he felt his spiritual power depleting at an astonishing rate. Qin Sang couldnât help but inwardly sigh.
Suddenly, the Five-Colored Glass above his head erupted with brilliant rainbow light, and endless raindrops, resembling steel needles, manifested with a murderous intent, instantly clearing away a large number of the flying monkeys around him.
Unhesitant, he allowed the Five-Colored Glass to explode, and the pressure on him greatly eased. However, the Five-Colored Glass could not last much longer, so Qin Sang seized the opportunity, trying to close the distance between him and the next stone platform.
After advancing for a while, Qin Sang heard a crisp cracking sound.
The Five-Colored Glass, which had transformed into a five-colored cloud, shattered into pieces. The remaining fragments turned into a storm of wind and rain, carving out a path for him, before completely dissipating.
Although it was a pity that the power of the Five-Colored Glass had been exhausted at this stage, Qin Sang felt much lighter. As he saw the outline of the stone platform appear through the mist ahead, despite the immense depletion of his spiritual power, he was unharmed.
The monkeys were blocked behind a barrier, and Qin Sang, somewhat disheveled, leapt onto the stone platform. Suddenly, his body stiffened. There was someone on the stone platform!
The person had a restrained aura, hidden in the shadows, sitting cross-legged and meditating.
Qin Sang hadnât sensed anyone before, and it was only after shaking off the monkeysâ siege and getting closer to the stone platform that he discovered the personâs presence.
Fortunately, he had hidden the Yan Luo Banners in advance.
Standing at the edge of the stone platform, Qin Sangâs ebony sword circled around him as he kept a wary eye on the personâs hiding spot.
Moments later, the figure emerged, looking at Qin Sang in surprise.
"Junior Brother Qin, is it you?"
"Senior Brother Yu?"
Qin Sang was also somewhat taken aback. It was Yu Dayue.
Yu Dayueâs condition seemed poor. His aura was obviously disordered, and his left arm hung limply by his side, covered in countless scars from fire staffs. It seemed that the bones of his arm had shattered completely.
His clothes were stained with blood, and given his numerous injuries, it appeared that all the blood on him was his own.
It seemed that Yu Dayue had only recently passed the previous trial and hadnât had time to tend to his wounds. He had been meditating to recover his spiritual power, for in such a place, regaining spiritual power was the most pressing concern.
Yu Dayue was far more disheveled than Qin Sang. Seeing that Qin Sang had passed the trial without any noticeable injuries, Yu Dayue was deeply surprised. His gaze flickered, and in a hoarse voice, he spoke.
"I didnât expect Junior Brother Qin to have grown so strong. You made it look so easy against those terrifying monkeys. I was entangled by them and nearly lost my life in there. In the end, I had to sacrifice an arm to escape. Compared to Junior Brother Qin, I really feel ashamed!"
The person Qin Sang had encountered earlier was probably not Yu Dayue, but rather one of the late-stage Foundation Building cultivators.
As he thought about this, Qin Sang, hearing Yu Dayueâs words, gave a helpless smile. "Senior Brother Yu, you think too highly of me. Donât you know my situation? I had to destroy a precious top-grade artifact just to escape the flying monkeysâ pursuit. In comparison, I would rather have lost an arm. After all, an arm can always heal, but top-grade artifacts require so much energy to obtain. Especially in a place like this, losing one is a huge blow to my strength. The road ahead is going to be tough..."
Shaking his head, Qin Sang sighed deeply, his expression one of great discouragement.
Yu Dayueâs expression softened a little at these words, and he nodded in agreement. "It is indeed a pity! But Junior Brother Qin, this spiritual sword of yours is quite impressive. It must be your life-bound sword, right? With this sword, youâll surely be fine... To be honest, thinking about the trials weâve gone through, I still have lingering fears. The trials in this ancient immortalâs estate are far more difficult and dangerous than I had imagined. I donât know how many more trials await us, and Iâm not very confident that Iâll make it through. Since weâve encountered each other, why donât we team up? Together, we should be able to go further. What do you think, Junior Brother Qin?"
"I couldnât agree more. From now on, I'll be in your care, Senior Brother Yu!"
Qin Sang replied, feigning joy, but in his heart, he had already calculated the gains and losses.
Traveling with Yu Dayue meant that Qin Sang couldnât use the Yan Luo Banners, and it was best not to use the Thousand-Mechanism Sword Array either, lest Yu Dayue suspect something.
But in the past twenty years, Qin Sang hadnât wasted his time. He had accumulated several decent artifacts, their power far inferior to that of the Yan Luo Banners, but still enough to deal with enemies. Besides, he still had his talisman astra, the jade ruyi.
If the situation became dire and he had no choice, he could always come up with some reason to distance himself from Yu Dayue. After all, it was completely natural for people to act in their own interest when facing great danger.
Having previously teamed up with Yu Dayue and being from the same sect, it would be easier for them to trust each other than with outsiders. Even if Yu Dayue harbored ill intentions, Qin Sang wasnât defenselessâhis hidden abilities would certainly make Yu Dayue regret it.
Seeing Qin Sang agree so readily, Yu Dayue smiled with satisfaction. "I still need to treat my injuries. Junior Brother Qin, you should also focus on your recovery. Once weâve rested, weâll set off immediately. Those senior brothers with profound cultivation must have already passed the trials and entered the immortalâs estate. If we delay any longer, there wonât be any spoils left for us."
Qin Sang had already greatly benefited from the demonic artifact, having advanced the Yan Luo Banners to the advanced stage. He was content, but if there was more to gain, he certainly wouldnât refuse. He sat down at the edge of the stone platform, entered a meditative state, and began to circulate his cultivation method.
Yu Dayue glanced at Qin Sang, swallowed a healing pill, and closed his eyes.
The stone platform remained quiet.
During their meditation, no one else arrived. After a time, Yu Dayue suddenly woke from his trance and said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Qin, my injuries have stabilized. We can move now."
Yu Dayue supported his left arm, which still caused some discomfort, though it didnât hinder him much.
Qin Sang, now fully restored to his peak strength, immediately stood up upon hearing this. He summoned his ebony sword, then paused. He took out the Sky Poison Veil from the black-robed elder and secretly placed the Profound Yin Thunderbolts and the jade ruyi in his palm.
A poisonous miasma enveloped him, exuding a chilling and strange aura.
It wasnât unusual for Foundation Building cultivators in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield to possess two or three top-grade artifacts. Yu Dayue glanced at him but didnât ask any further questions.
The two briefly discussed their next steps and quietly walked into the mist.
However, after traveling some distance into the mist, they didnât see any familiar red clouds passing by. Not even the shadow of a Fire Spirit Beast appeared. It seemed there were no Fire Spirit Beasts in this area.
Qin Sang and Yu Dayue exchanged glances, both puzzled and increasingly wary.
When things are abnormal, thereâs usually something sinister at work!
There might be a more troublesome presence than the Fire Spirit Beasts.
At that moment, Qin Sang suddenly sensed an unusual feeling at the edge of the poisonous miasma, as if he had touched something.
Yu Dayue also noticed something was wrong. He suddenly shouted, "Be careful!"