Chapter 78: Taking Over a Body

## The Mortal World

"Senior Sister Shen has such cunning plans and has also obtained Senior Brother Yang's jade token, so why insist on dragging me along?"

Qin Sang pondered, secretly stalling for time, continuously absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stones. Since Shen Jing didn't want to leave, then she shouldn't! He would absolutely not cooperate with Shen Jing again. It was impossible to be on guard forever. He had to admit, a chill ran down Qin Sang's spine when facing this ruthless woman with excellent acting skills.

"To be honest, Junior Brother Qin," Shen Jing began, "my original set of needle-shaped magical artifacts was completely destroyed by Yang Yuanzang's Chi Dragon Sword. My Gold Casting Ring, Soul-Bewildering Mirror, Wind Strider, and even the Sand Illusion Spell I practice, while good for self-preservation, are insufficient for killing enemies. I had no other choice but to seek protection with you and Senior Brother Yang." As Shen Jing spoke, she glanced at the ground between them. The Chi Dragon Sword lay there quietly, with the Ebony Sword hovering above it.

Seeing that Qin Sang ignored her, Shen Jing opened Yang Yuanzang's mustard seed bag and took out four jade tokens, showing them to Qin Sang. "Junior Brother Qin, I'll give you two of these four jade tokens, and I'll keep two myself. With the two I already possess, we only need to seize one more together, and then we'll control them jointly. As for that bottle of century-old stone milk, I'll definitely give you half once we join the Yuanzhao Sect. What do you think?" Without waiting for Qin Sang's reply, Shen Jing decisively threw two of the jade tokens towards him, quietly awaiting his decision.

Qin Sang hesitated for a long time. As the distance was too great to examine them with his spiritual sense, he condensed a spiritual energy clone. The clone walked over, picked up the jade tokens, and found nothing unusual. The clone darted back to Qin Sang. Qin Sang raised his hand as if to grab the jade tokens, but suddenly stopped midway. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he roared, "Go!" The Ebony Sword, hovering in mid-air, shot out like lightning without any warning.

Unexpectedly, not a trace of panic appeared on Shen Jing's face. She didn't dodge the Ebony Sword, instead giggling, "I knew you wouldn't agree!" Before her words faded, the golden ring above her head suddenly flew up, emitting a dazzling golden light that precisely intercepted the Ebony Sword's trajectory. With a clang, the golden ring ensnared the Ebony Sword. An incredibly brilliant golden light erupted, pressing inward, making it difficult for the Ebony Sword to break free for a moment. *Bang, bang, bang...* The Ebony Sword continuously struck the ring, and cracks instantly appeared on the golden ring. Shen Jing was willing to sacrifice this defensive magical artifact just to trap the Ebony Sword for an instant!

At the same time, Qin Sang's roar of shock and anger echoed through the valley. Just as Qin Sang was fully concentrating on controlling the Ebony Sword, a shimmering blue orb suddenly floated out from the two jade tokens in the clone's hand. It was as fast as lightning, striking his face in the blink of an eye. It was Yang Yuanzang's primordial spirit! If a cultivator's primordial spirit didn't escape in time when their physical body died, it would perish along with it. However, Yang Yuanzang had died by Shen Jing's hand, and before killing him, Shen Jing had secretly extracted his primordial spirit.

Seeing her plan succeed, Shen Jing's face lit up with delight. Wind rose around her feet, and she instantly glided in front of Qin Sang. A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes as she raised her sword to stab his head. Just as she was about to succeed, the smile on Shen Jing's face suddenly froze. She saw Qin Sang's eyes open, clear and even containing a hint of mockery—not a trace of the fear or pain of someone about to be possessed. "You!" A strong sense of unease rose in Shen Jing's heart. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a red light flickering in one of Qin Sang's hands. He raised his hand and threw a stack of talismans at her.

*Whoosh!* In an instant, all the talismans shattered, filling the space between them with swirling fragments that transformed into an endless shower of fiery feathers. These feathers, shimmering like the plumes of a fire phoenix, blotted out the sky. Each one burned with an illusory flame, creating a sea of fire. A hot, frantic aura swept in all directions, and surging heat waves rushed skyward. The vegetation in the valley withered in a flash. All the fiery feathers simultaneously pointed at Shen Jing. Shen Jing's hair stood on end, and she shrieked in terror, "No..."

Qin Sang sneered and, without hesitation, vigorously waved his hand. All the fiery feathers trembled slightly, then immediately shot forward. *Puff, puff, puff...* At such close range, Shen Jing had nowhere to escape. When the smoke cleared, a charred corpse lay on the ground. Qin Sang had specifically targeted her head, which was obliterated by the dense shower of fiery feathers. Her body was also burned beyond recognition by the flames on the feathers, effectively ending her life. At this moment, with the crisis resolved, Qin Sang felt an unprecedented sense of relief, despite the intense pain wracking his body. He looked at Shen Jing's corpse with a complicated expression. This woman had truly taught him a valuable lesson. Fortunately, he had never let down his guard, secretly holding the Fiery Feather Talismans in his palm. When Yang Yuanzang's primordial spirit appeared, he could have activated the talismans, but he held back. He chose to trust the jade Buddha and played along, which indeed led Shen Jing into his trap. Unleashing twelve Fiery Feather Talismans at once seemed somewhat wasteful, but Qin Sang wasn't sure if this deceitful woman possessed any other protective magical artifacts.

"There's still one more..." Qin Sang murmured, drawing his consciousness inward and entering his spiritual sea. There, he saw Yang Yuanzang's primordial spirit futilely attacking his own primordial spirit with spiritual sense, while the jade Buddha's golden light remained steadfast. Qin Sang immediately began to counterattack. As one waned and the other waxed, Yang Yuanzang's primordial spirit grew weaker and weaker. In his terror, he dared not linger and hastily flew out of Qin Sang's spiritual sea. "Junior Brother Qin, spare me! I can help you... Ah..." Yang Yuanzang's plea echoed in Qin Sang's mind, but he ignored it. He immediately controlled the Ebony Sword outside, mercilessly shattering Yang Yuanzang's primordial spirit.

*Thud!* Just as Qin Sang was about to stand up, a tidal wave of pain suddenly engulfed his entire body. His legs gave way, and he collapsed heavily onto the ground with a cry of agony. During the previous confrontation, his mind had been incredibly tense, allowing him to endure the pain. But now, with the relaxation, his entire body felt like a tattered cloth riddled with holes, aching everywhere. His Qi Sea and meridians, in particular, felt as if they had been churned with a knife. He had continuously absorbed four spirit stones; it was already a miracle that his meridians hadn't burst from the overflowing spiritual energy. Qin Sang forced a wry smile and took out several jade bottles from his mustard seed bag. These bottles were from the hat-wearing swordsman's bag; Qin Sang didn't recognize most of them, but one contained Water Dew Pills, which he had seen before. There were eight Water Dew Pills in the bottle. Qin Sang took out two, swallowed them, and a cool medicinal energy seeped into his body, significantly alleviating the pain. Qin Sang forced himself to stand, stumbled over, and thoroughly looted Yang Yuanzang's and Shen Jing's belongings. He burned their bodies and, not daring to retrieve the Ebony Sword, suppressed his pain. Using his remaining spiritual energy, he cast an escape technique to flee the dangerous area as quickly as possible.

He consecutively crossed several mountain ranges before finally hiding in a stone cave. Qin Sang didn't even have the inclination to count his spoils. He set up the Soul-Bewildering Mirror at the cave entrance and immediately began cultivating the *Netherworld Sutra* in meditation. After an unknown period, Qin Sang calmly awoke. Although a faint pain still lingered in his meridians and Qi Sea, time did not permit him to continue meditating indefinitely.