Free Web NovelChapter 1103: The Devil-Binding Chain
"If it wasn’t the same one from back then, then it must be its descendant. Hiding in the magma all these years, unable to leave the ancient ruins, yet still surviving unnoticed. But even after all this time, it remains trapped at the peak of its second metamorphosis. The difficulty of metamorphosis for such supernatural insects truly lives up to its reputation..." Qin Sang felt a wave of emotion.
Just then, ripples broke across the magma’s surface. A crimson shadow shot forth like an arrow, lunging straight toward the jade disk. Qin Sang’s figure flickered.
When the Fire Jade Centipede realized something was wrong, it was already too late. With little effort, Qin Sang subdued it, recovering his long-lost supernatural insect!
The Fire Jade Centipede’s size had not changed much since its first metamorphosis. Its whole body was covered in crimson red, its luster darker and richer, like a strip of fire jade.
It spread its hundred legs, conjuring flames as it struggled within Qin Sang’s grasp, but it could not break through the barriers he had imposed.
"This thing has already reached the second metamorphosis, yet it doesn’t seem to possess any powerful supernatural ability. Can it still only be used for treasure-seeking?"
He muttered to himself. Seeing the centipede wriggle about in an unsightly fashion, Qin Sang smiled faintly. He reached out, recalled the jade disk, and drew the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold toward the centipede’s mouth. freewebnovel.cσ๓
The Fire Jade Centipede stiffened, then unceremoniously swallowed the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold, showing not the slightest gratitude before resuming its futile resistance.
"Stubborn thing! Its intelligence is low, far below the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s, and nowhere near the silkworm’s." Qin Sang shook his head.
If he wanted to plant a soul imprint upon it, he could only do so when it underwent metamorphosis.
Still, the gap in cultivation between them was vast. By using several secret arts from both the witch race and Yuling Sect, Qin Sang forcibly suppressed the creature’s resistance.
After a period of patient taming, the Fire Jade Centipede finally became somewhat obedient.
"I’ll leave the rest of the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold for it. Perhaps it might help with its metamorphosis."
Having unexpectedly gained a third supernatural insect, Qin Sang’s spirits lifted. This trip has not been in vain.
The Fire Jade Centipede, having lived within the ruins for many years, was well-acquainted with the terrain.
Under Qin Sang’s command, it led the way. Protected by the black water power of the tortoise shell, Qin Sang dove into the magma and successfully found a path through the ancient barriers, slipping into the interior of the heavenly peak.
The deeper he went, the more he realized how badly the interior had been destroyed. Without the centipede’s guidance, he would likely have accomplished nothing.
Returning to this familiar place filled him with nostalgia. freeweɓnøvel.com
Inside the heavenly peak, the ancient barriers were severely damaged, and the number of Firebirds was far fewer than before. Fortunately, the remaining barriers were still mostly intact, not yet completely ruined.
Unfazed by the Firebirds, Qin Sang released his spiritual consciousness and began a sweeping search.
From the mountain’s entrance all the way down to its depths, he found not the faintest trace of a spirit talisman.
"As expected!" he sighed softly. "Daoist Master Xuanyu had lured me here merely to make me show myself... The Inner Vision Primordial Talisman must have perished with him."
He cast his gaze downward and saw that the stone platform and the stone hall beneath it still remained.
Then his eyes narrowed in surprise as he discovered the hall Daoist Master Xuanyu had exhausted all his strength yet failed to open. Its barrier's protective glow had completely faded.
Perhaps the upheaval had damaged the barrier, or perhaps someone had visited and opened it.
Qin Sang flashed down onto the stone platform. The barrier was already destroyed. With a wave of his true essence, he formed a giant hand and effortlessly lifted the platform aside.
The scene below was unexpectedly simple. The stone hall’s ceiling was low, its space narrow and oppressive. There was no altar, nor any vault where treasures might have been stored.
Just as Qin Sang assumed the place had been emptied long ago, he caught sight of a black iron chain in the corner.
"Huh?" Bai suddenly emerged from the Corpse Puppet Pouch and went over to pick it up.
When Qin Sang saw the chain clearly, a familiar feeling stirred within him, and his expression turned to surprise.
The chain looked nearly identical to the one they had seen in the Hundred-Treasure Pavilion of the trial realm, but notably longer. Yet what astonished him was not just that.
The two exchanged a glance as Bai handed the chain over. Qin Sang infused his spiritual consciousness into it for a test.
It was unmistakably a treasure refined by ancient cultivators. The ancient barriers and spiritual ripples within it were strikingly similar to those within the black iron column used to forge the devilish banner, though the column's internal barriers had been far more complex and profound.
When Founder Kuiyin had discovered it, the black iron column was already broken into two, while this chain appeared to be intact.
"The Hundred-Treasure Pavilion was sealed by that light sphere, and you said it felt familiar to you. Can you recall its origin now?" Qin Sang raised his head and asked.
Bai replied softly, "The chain in the Hundred-Treasure Pavilion was likely not the genuine one, but a later imitation. This one should be the true Devil-Binding Chain. From what I recall, it was specially crafted to restrain ancient devils..."
"The Devil-Binding Chain! Restrain ancient devils!" A thought stirred within Qin Sang’s heart. The black iron column too has the power to suppress the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, which was why Founder Kuiyin valued it so highly. Could these two be of the same type?
"Daoist, do you remember if there were any other treasures similar to the Devil-Binding Chain?" Qin Sang pressed.
Bai shook his head. "I can’t recall exactly, but there must be. The Devil-Binding Chain’s power alone is limited; it cannot restrain high-tier ancient devils. I remember that such treasures needed to be paired with corresponding arrays to unleash their full strength, but I can’t remember how to set up these arrays."
As he spoke, Bai looked down at the ground. Qin Sang had already noticed the faint, intricate runes etched into the floor. Yet the array’s power had long dissipated. With only these faint remnants, there was no way to restore it.
"Was this place also a prison for sealing an ancient devil? There’s no trace of one now. Did it escape, or perish over endless ages?" Qin Sang surveyed the surroundings slowly.
"The Devil-Suppressing Stele atop Yitian Peak held the Devil Monarch captive. Founder Kuiyin found the black iron column within Ziwei Palace. And now here, we’ve uncovered the Devil-Binding Chain. Were all these treasures forged to suppress the ancient devils?"
The high-tier ancient devils Bai spoke of clearly possessed cultivation far beyond that of a Spiritual Infant cultivator.
No one knew what level of ancient devil the Devil-Binding Chain had been created to suppress. Unfortunately, without the accompanying spiritual array, they could not activate the treasure.
Qin Sang drew out a devilish banner and summoned the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells.
When faced with the Devil-Binding Chain, the flames wavered slightly, showing faint timidity, though far less than what they had displayed before the black iron column.
The imitation Devil-Binding Chain in the Hundred-Treasure Pavilion had likely been modeled after the real one. The Four Saints must have learned of the chain’s existence from some ancient source and attempted to recreate it, hoping to use it against the ancient devils. Yet when they found its power insufficient, they discarded it in the trial realm.
"Let’s record these runes first. When you have time, study them. Perhaps you can reconstruct the spiritual array. If Sin Abyss truly harbors devil shadows, a complete Devil-Binding Chain would make dealing with them far easier..."
He took out a jade slip and imprinted the runes etched on the ground. At the same time, his thoughts turned to the black iron column.
Once he refined the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells into a fire lotus, the column would no longer be of much use.
If he could repair this treasure and rediscover the corresponding array, he would gain another powerful weapon against the ancient devils.
"Founder Kuiyin forged the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions using only half of the black iron column. I obtained three banners, but the remaining seven are still scattered somewhere. Once I recover them all, then only can I consider repairing the column." Qin Sang fell into deep thought.
