Chapter 1245: Trapping the Enemy

Although Qin Sang possessed numerous supernatural abilities, killing Dongyang Bo had never been an easy task. Only by luring him into the devilish flames did there seem to be a real chance.

Because of this, before making his move, Qin Sang had already simulated the entire plan countless times in his mind.

He first used the Seven-Yin-Soul Killing Array to catch Dongyang Bo off guard and bind him. If he could directly trap and kill him within the sword array, that would be ideal. If not, he could at least use the opportunity to obscure Dongyang Bo’s senses and deploy the eighteen devilish banners.

The ebony sword was a top-grade astra, and the Seven-Yin-Soul Killing Array was no ordinary sword array. Given more time to fully integrate and refine it, Qin Sang could potentially trap and kill enemies beyond his level.

However, at this moment, there were still weaknesses. It could easily suppress cultivators of the same level, but against higher-level opponents, its flaws could be exposed. Besides, Dongyang Bo happened to possess the Azure Lotus Treasured Lamp, which specifically countered sword arrays.

As expected, when the sword array was broken, Qin Sang swiftly formed hand seals. Eighteen devilish banners emerged in the surrounding void, silently expanding into towering banners three zhang tall.

The banners fluttered. Even before the devilish flames were fully unleashed, the blood shadows trapped within the array began to grow restless, darting about in panic as if instinctively sensing danger.

Moments later, the aura of devilish flames surged outward. The blood shadows near the banners stiffened, then silently melted away.

Dongyang Bo had used the bronze treasure lamp to bait Qin Sang into unleashing the Blood Defilement Divine Light, then launched a surprise attack with the Dragon-Phoenix Stone Pillar, while his spiritual consciousness had remained locked onto the surroundings the entire time.

Although the Dragon-Phoenix Stone Pillar could not damage a weapon of the ebony sword’s caliber, delaying it for even a moment had been enough. That delay had exposed a flaw in the sword array.

In a battle between experts, everything was decided in an instant. Dongyang Bo seized that fleeting opening.

The ebony sword finally broke free from the Dragon-Phoenix Stone Pillar. But by then, it was already too late for Qin Sang to repair the flaw or alter the array to stop him.

Boom! Light erupted from the Vajra Bangle like a white rainbow piercing the sun, forcibly breaking through the sword array’s confinement.

In an instant, the sword array collapsed. A faint streak of blood-red light shone in from outside.

Without any visible movement, Dongyang Bo appeared at the flaw in the array, on the verge of breaking free. At that exact moment, the ebony sword reappeared before him, flickered slightly, and slashed forward with explosive speed.

Clang! The strike was blocked once again by the Vajra Bangle.

Seizing the opportunity, Dongyang Bo’s figure flashed, and he successfully escaped the sword array.

The moment he emerged, just as he was about to seize the talisman puppet, he suddenly sensed something amiss. Before his eyes, streams of black flames surged forth, instantly incinerating the surrounding blood mist and blood shadows before crashing toward him.

Qin Sang had anticipated his intention and had already laid down the banner array in advance. The devilish flames struck head-on!

Seeing this, Dongyang Bo’s expression darkened, yet he remained composed.

He recalled that Qin Sang possessed a banner array. Since it had only appeared once on the battlefield, information about it was incomplete. Some suspected it had been refined based on Founder Kuiyin's devilish banners, though Qin Sang’s set contained two additional banners.

Even if these banners truly matched the original in power, Dongyang Bo was confident in his ability to protect himself. There was a full realm difference between them. If the battle dragged on, Qin Sang would undoubtedly be the first to exhaust his true essence.

Dongyang Bo simply did not wish to prolong the fight. He was not worried about his safety. But when he clearly saw the scene around him, his expression changed drastically.

Counting carefully, beyond the sea of flames, the banners rose and fell in the void. There were not twelve... There were eighteen!

Qin Sang had only reached the Spiritual Infant Realm a few years ago, yet the strength he had displayed already far exceeded Dongyang Bo’s expectations. And now it turned out that this was still not his full power.

Facing eighteen devilish banners, all ease vanished from Dongyang Bo’s eyes, replaced by a foreboding sense of danger.

"This is really the Yan Luo Banner of the Ten Directions!" he exclaimed.

Dongyang Bo had once dealt with Founder Kuiyin and knew the terrifying power of his banner array. Now Qin Sang possessed eight more banners than the original.

It was no longer a matter of whether he could seize the talisman puppet.

The eighteen banners stood firm in the void like eighteen gaping mouths, continuously spewing devilish flames.

Through the fire lotus seed, Qin Sang controlled the flames. In an instant, the devilish flames surged skyward, its momentum overwhelming as waves upon waves of fire rolled toward Dongyang Bo.

A warning surged in Dongyang Bo’s heart. Sweeping his gaze around, he felt as though he had fallen into an endless sea of fire with no path of escape. Above him, the Vajra Bangle rang sharply as its radiance was forced back by the flames, dimming and trembling on the verge of collapse.

"Founder Kuiyin's astra is powerful, but it has a flaw. These devilish flames are external forces and cannot be controlled as if they were part of one’s body. Against strong opponents, they may defeat them, but killing them is difficult." Dongyang Bo understood the array well.

However, once the number of banners reached eighteen, it was no longer the same. A qualitative transformation had occurred.

His thoughts raced. Though alarmed, he remained calm, reacting with extreme speed. He knew that if he did not escape quickly, he would be consumed by the devilish flames and doomed beyond redemption.

Immediately, he fully activated the Vajra Bangle to protect himself. His figure flickered rapidly, becoming a streak of white light darting wildly through the void. For a time, the devilish flames were thrown into chaos.

Dongyang Bo understood the flaw of the banner array. Standing still and confronting it head-on was absolutely not an option. Qin Sang had to control the flames to strangle him. Since the flames were not something Qin Sang had fully refined, the faster he moved, the easier it would be to find openings.

Seeing this, Qin Sang’s expression shifted slightly.

Dongyang Bo had struck directly at his weakness. Truly a cunning old fox, he had identified the flaw in the array so quickly. Fortunately, with the fire lotus seed serving as a bridge to control the devilish flames, Qin Sang was still better off than Founder Kuiyin had been.

With no other choice, Qin Sang sat cross-legged in the void, fully focusing on controlling the banner array, not daring to divide his attention.

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly also revealed itself, standing on Qin Sang’s shoulder. Its Sky Eyes opened, staring intently at the array.

First, Dongyang Bo had not yet reached his limit. Its lightning-control ability could not yet break through the Vajra Bangle’s defense, so it was better to prepare the Sky Eyes Divine Light to counter any Dao Techniques he used.

Second, Qin Sang needed it to focus entirely on using its Sky Eyes ability to lock onto Dongyang Bo and predict his movements in advance.

The devilish flames roared as they relentlessly pressed against the Vajra Bangle. Clang after clang echoed as the bangle flickered between light and darkness.

Dongyang Bo attempted to repeat his earlier tactic, smashing the flames with the Dragon-Phoenix Stone Pillar. Unfortunately, the flames were not physical and could disperse and reform at will. Realizing the treasure was useless and that he could not approach the banners, he withdrew it.

The eighteen devilish banners were indeed formidable. Dongyang Bo’s true essence was draining rapidly. Soon, he felt he could no longer sustain the Vajra Bangle, and anxiety surged within him.

Whoosh! As the devilish flames closed in, their pressure shook his mind, destabilizing his primordial spirit. He hastily reinforced the Vajra Bangle to keep the flames at bay, while also retrieving the bronze lamp.

The lamp had already been defiled. But Dongyang Bo could not afford to care. He poured his true essence into it with all his strength.

The result was a sharp cracking sound. The bronze lamp fractured all over, fragments falling away as it was destroyed.

However, a portion of the wick remained intact, barely sustaining a dim, yellow flame. Dongyang Bo’s face twitched in pain. The treasure had been extremely rare, but to survive, he had no choice.

He had never expected that a pawn from the past could push him to such a desperate state.

The flickering flame stabilized his mind, but it was still not enough to help him escape.

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