Chapter 82: Zheng and the Demon

Mortal Realm

Mortal Realm

Not long after, Qin Sang opened his eyes. The ebony sword, previously still, suddenly moved and flew to the edge of the mirror array.

At this moment, there was no movement inside the mirror array. The young man in the tight-fitting suit appeared to have succumbed to the Soul-Bewildering Mirror's hypnotic effect.

Qin Sang made the ebony sword hover before the mirror array, then took a deep breath. He reached out and retrieved all the Soul-Bewildering Mirrors. With a thought, and without waiting for the mist to clear, the ebony sword immediately pierced into the array.

Immediately, a crisp 'clang' echoed from the mist.

As the mist slowly dissipated, the ebony sword was revealed, firmly blocked by a crescent-shaped scimitar. The two weapons were evenly matched, locked in a mid-air stalemate, neither able to advance an inch.

The young man in the tight-fitting suit, his face a mix of shock and anger, cried out, "You have a talisman treasure too? No, why is your talisman treasure so strange?"

Qin Sang stared coldly, remaining silent, a wave of apprehension washing over him. He hadn't expected this person to resist the Soul-Bewildering Mirror's hypnotic power. He then noticed the young man was wearing an unfamiliar gray cloth cap on his head, which must have been the magical artifact responsible.

What surprised Qin Sang even more was the scimitar, which, judging by the young man's tone, was indeed a talisman treasure.

This was Qin Sang's first encounter with a talisman treasure. The scimitar was crescent-shaped, slightly larger than the ebony sword. Its blade emitted a chilling, cold light and was incredibly sharp, making it no surprise that it could match the ebony sword.

While Qin Sang had prepared his ebony sword outside, the young man had feigned hypnosis, secretly preparing his talisman treasure within the mirror array. Both had surprisingly anticipated each other's moves.

Qin Sang was now filled with immense regret. Even with the ebony sword, he hadn't managed to kill his opponent. Had he known the young man would be so formidable, he would have undoubtedly steered clear.

With the ebony sword now pressed against the crescent scimitar, neither dared to yield an inch, knowing it would mean instant death. Should the stalemate continue, it would be impossible to predict the victor.

The young man in the tight-fitting suit, his expression grim, had also realized this. He certainly didn't wish to lose his life here for no reason, and a mutual destruction was out of the question; his life was far more valuable than that of a mere rogue cultivator.

With this thought, the young man secretly gritted his teeth, pouring all his spiritual energy into the crescent scimitar. The scimitar's cold light intensified dramatically, forcing the ebony sword to steadily retreat.

Qin Sang's expression subtly shifted. Without hesitation, he urged the ebony sword forward, forcefully pushing back against the crescent scimitar.

At this point, the spiritual energy within both their bodies was being consumed at an alarming rate.

Soon, a crisp sound emanated from Qin Sang's palm; the spiritual stone he held shattered, becoming useless. He immediately replaced it with a new one, as did the young man facing him. However, compared to the furious rate of consumption, the spiritual energy replenished by these stones was merely a drop in the bucket.

The young man's expression flickered as he suddenly exclaimed, "You're definitely not a rogue cultivator! Which family do you belong to?"

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He said in a deep voice, "I am a rogue cultivator!"

The young man scoffed in dissatisfaction. "A rogue cultivator could never possess such wealth as you do. Talisman treasures are beyond the reach of rogue cultivators. Even if you deny it, I can tell you're not here to join the Yuanzhao Sect; you've infiltrated merely for experience and to gather some useful magical artifacts along the way."

Hearing this, Qin Sang was surprised and retorted, "Isn't that your objective?"

"Precisely!"

The young man made no attempt to hide it, declaring proudly, "I'm not afraid to tell you, I am the most talented junior in my family, and naturally, I wouldn't become a menial disciple of the Yuanzhao Sect. This Green Leaf artifact was taken during the last Immortal Ascension Assembly and is very useful. However, I've never encountered an opponent as formidable as you. Since our goals align, there's no need for a life-or-death struggle. How about we make peace and stay out of each other's way from now on?"

Qin Sang sneered, "You're mistaken. I'm participating in the Immortal Ascension Assembly precisely to join the Yuanzhao Sect. However, if you put away your talisman treasure first, I can agree to cease hostilities."

"Are you taking me for a fool?"

The young man, his face flushed with anger, flipped his hand, produced the jade bottle containing spiritual pills, and made to swallow them.

Qin Sang, unwilling to show weakness, disregarded his reluctance and took out his last medium-grade spiritual stone, indicating his willingness to pay any price.

The young man's expression stiffened, his gaze shifting erratically. After a moment, he said bitterly, "Fine! I admit defeat today! Aren't you here to join the Yuanzhao Sect? I have four jade tokens here; I'll give them all to you. That should be enough for you to stop, right?"

As he spoke, the young man produced the jade tokens and threw them all onto the ground, seemingly indifferent to them.

Qin Sang glanced at the jade tokens on the ground, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. Then, his eyes suddenly fixed keenly on the young man. "Given your strength, if you're merely here for experience, why set a trap in such a remote place and wait for prey, instead of actively seeking opponents? Unless you were certain that someone, and a formidable one at that, would pass through here. Either you possess more than four jade tokens, or you already knew that this location is an unavoidable path to the core area. Am I correct?"

The young man's expression shifted slightly. He opened his mouth, but Qin Sang interrupted him again. "Don't tell me you coincidentally landed in the same area twice. That kind of story might only fool a simpleton."

The young man was speechless for a moment, then forced a bitter smile. "You arrived too quickly. I genuinely only have four jade tokens."

Qin Sang's gaze narrowed slightly. "So you mean..."

The young man nodded. "That's right, I have a map of the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Zone. Although the Yuanzhao Sect now occupies it, before its treasures were fully plundered, it was jointly governed by several factions. This map of mine originates from that period. If you're willing to stop, I can give you a copy. It outlines a shortcut that will guide you past the dangers ahead, ensuring you secure a spot. But you must swear not to reveal it!"

Qin Sang said, "You wouldn't believe my oath anyway. All I can tell you is that I definitely won't do anything that doesn't benefit me. You're just taking advantage of the chaos at the Immortal Ascension Assembly. The Yuanzhao Sect is a major righteous sect; would they really pursue you over such a trivial matter?"

"A major righteous sect?"

The young man sneered, "You truly hold them in high regard. Have you ever considered why they go to such great lengths, holding an Immortal Ascension Assembly that could simply be a martial arts arena, but instead come to this forbidden zone, causing so many deaths each time?"

Qin Sang asked curiously, "Why?"

"The restrictions of the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Zone were on the verge of collapse two hundred years ago. However, the Yuanzhao Sect discovered a secret method to maintain them until now. Since then, their Immortal Ascension Assembly has been held within the forbidden zone, and the rules have grown increasingly cruel... What truly defines righteousness? What defines evil?"

The young man, a mocking smile on his face, produced a jade slip. "This contains the map. If we both retrieve our talisman treasures simultaneously, I'll give it to you."

Qin Sang gently shook his head. "Wait..."

The young man erupted in anger. "Do you truly believe I'm afraid of you?! If you push your luck any further, I'll drag you down with me, even if it means my own death!"