Qin Sang had yet to reach the Fake Core Realm, but through the sect’s ancient tomes and discussions with fellow disciples, he had gained a general understanding of it.
This was the advantage of being a disciple of a sect.
Cultivators of the same realm varied in strength, but when it came to raw cultivation, the difference was never insurmountable—excluding the influence of external factors.
Now that he understood the astra’s massive energy consumption, Qin Sang could make an educated guess about Yu Hua’s current state. A bold plan immediately took shape in his mind.
"Retrieve!"
He withdrew the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells, rolled up the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions, and summoned the Five-Elemental Breaking Sword. Rising to his feet, he took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness—heading back toward the chamber!
The flying yaksha feared the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells and was suppressed only because Yu Hua was using the astra to keep it at bay.
Yu Hua would never expect him to return!
Qin Sang mentally counted the time. After another dizzying teleportation, the barrier appeared before him once more.
The scene in the chamber surprised him.
Yu Hua had somehow conjured a massive flaming cage of demonic flames completely trapping the flying yaksha within. Inside the infernal prison, the flying yaksha’s evasion technique appeared completely ineffective.
Its fear of the flames far exceeded even Qin Sang’s expectations. The creature roared madly inside the cage, yet dared not take a single step beyond the fire.
However, Yu Hua had paid a heavy price. His right arm had been severed at the elbow. Judging from the wound, it was not torn off by the yaksha, but rather cleanly severed by a blade.
It was easy to infer what had happened—Yu Hua had likely been wounded by the yaksha, forcing him to amputate his own arm to prevent the spread of corpse poison.
Moreover, Yu Hua’s aura was unstable, and his breathing was labored. His energy had been drastically depleted. Yet he was still standing before the barrier, desperately racing against time to break it open.
The barrier was already close to being broken
At that moment, Qin Sang appeared!
Their eyes met through the barrier.
"You actually dared to return?"
Disbelief flickered in Yu Hua’s eyes, quickly followed by vigilance. He had never imagined Qin Sang would come back.
Qin Sang responded with a savage grin before abruptly activating the Five-Elemental Breaking Sword.
This barrier, just like the ice wall beyond, was primarily designed to repel external threats. The one who had set it up seemed more concerned with preventing wandering demonic beasts from stumbling in and damaging the teleportation array at the core.
Breaking it from the inside was already easier, and since Yu Hua had partially unlocked it, Qin Sang merely leveraged his efforts—the Five-Elemental Spiritual Swords slashed forward, instantly tearing open the barrier!
Caught off guard, Yu Hua’s first instinct was to retreat.
However, Qin Sang decisively discarded the Five-Elemental Breaking Sword and swung his arm, revealing the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions, which had been concealed behind him. The primary souls roared, surging forth. Black demonic flames converged, forming a long arrow that shot forward like a lightning bolt.
Yu Hua’s pupils dilated in terror.
"The Demonic Flames of Nine Hells! You—"
Whoosh!
The raging demonic flames swallowed his words. Panic-stricken, Yu Hua instinctively retreated, but Qin Sang moved too fast. Being so close to the barrier, Yu Hua had no room to maneuver.
As the infernal flames expanded rapidly in his vision, Yu Hua’s heart pounded frantically. In his desperation, he hurled a jade bracelet forward.
The jade bracelet was a top-grade artifact, something Yu Hua had kept in reserve precisely to counter unexpected dangers while breaking the barrier—a prudent move.
But against the power of an astra, the artifact was far too weak.
Crack!
The jade bracelet shattered upon impact with the demonic flames. Still, it had done its job—it bought Yu Hua a brief moment of reprieve.
He staggered backward, barely avoiding total incineration. At this point, Yu Hua had only one option—to recall the demonic flames and use the astra against Qin Sang.
But if he withdrew the flames, what would happen to the yaksha?
Yu Hua had no answer.
Yet he had no time to think. Qin Sang pressed the attack relentlessly, giving him no chance to reassess the situation.
All Yu Hua could do was pray that the yaksha, lacking intelligence and not being one of Qin Sang’s refined corpses, would not distinguish between friend and foe...
Boom!
Two torrents of demonic fire collided.
Qin Sang’s entire body shuddered violently, but he gritted his teeth and held firm!
The moment Yu Hua had been counting on never came. The yaksha’s eyes didn’t seem to register Qin Sang at all—it was fixated solely on Yu Hua, as if he were the only living person in the chamber!
"Why?!"
Yu Hua roared in frustration, frantically activating his astra, forcing Qin Sang back while simultaneously wielding the demonic flames to narrowly fend off the yaksha’s sudden assault in a desperate bid to escape.
But before he could flee, a figure flickered before him—Qin Sang had already blocked his only exit from the chamber.
Yu Hua had coveted the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid and wouldn’t let Qin Sang go.
Likewise, Qin Sang had never stopped thinking about killing Yu Hua!
If he had no opportunity, he would flee.
But now that he had one, he would seize it without hesitation.