Shen Jing, clutching her copper mirror artifact, nervously watched the mirror array.
Her fingers quickly tapped the surface of the mirror several times. The mirror then floated into the air and positioned itself above the array, sealing the only gap.
The trembling copper mirrors immediately stabilized and emitted even more black mist, which gathered into a dark, iron-like curtain.
Sweat beaded on Shen Jing’s forehead as she exhaled deeply, murmuring, "Junior Brother Qin, it’s not easy to set a trap for you."
A look of hesitation appeared on Shen Jing's face. Finally, she tapped her Mustard Seed Pouch, from which flew a crystal-like arrow. Infusing spiritual power into the arrow, it shone with a cold light as it shot into the sky.
Mid-air, it exploded with a loud bang, shaking the mountains and spreading ice shards like fireworks.
Moments later, a gray whirlwind roared towards them from the direction they had come. It soon arrived before Shen Jing, where the wind abruptly ceased, and the swirling mist was drawn into the mouth of a young man.
The man carried a treasured sword and had a small azure snake coiled around his left arm.
The azure snake hissed and flicked its tongue, then leapt from his arm to Shen Jing's hand, rubbing its small head affectionately against her palm.
The man glared at Shen Jing, his expression clearly displeased. "Junior Sister Shen, I told you before that I could refine the hundred-year-old Stone Milk in a few hours. Once I break through to the seventh stage, gathering our jade tokens won’t be a problem. Why did you have to wake me with the azure snake?"
Shen Jing turned her head away with a huff. "The Stone Milk can’t be lost if not refined immediately. In Senior Brother Yang’s mind, is my life less important than those few drops of Stone Milk?"
The man’s expression turned awkward. After a moment of hesitation, he walked over to Shen Jing, gently lifting her shoulders and softly reassuring her. "Junior Sister, I’m anxious too. With so many experts in the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground, if we can’t enter the Yuanzhao Sect, we don’t know how those old demons from the Kuiyin Sect will deal with us. Besides, this person has already been easily trapped by your Bewitching Mirror. What are you still afraid of?"
Qin Sang, trapped within the mirror array, heard their conversation clearly. The sound of the man’s voice and Shen Jing’s address shocked him profoundly.
The newcomer was also a Kuiyin Sect disciple—Senior Brother Yang Yuanzang, whom he had encountered at the sect leader’s cave dwelling while obtaining the Chi Dragon Sword.
It was a coincidence that all three had ended up in the same area, and these two had evidently been colluding!
"What do you take me for?!"
Shen Jing looked utterly aggrieved, on the verge of tears. "Ever since I committed myself to you, I've been loyal and devoted! After being coerced by Junior Brother Qin, I had no choice but to put on an act while secretly signaling the azure snake to call for your help. I never forgot to seek an escape for even a moment, and yet you still doubt me!"
"I only care about you, that's why..."
Seeing Shen Jing’s tearful expression, Yang Yuanzang's fiery temper quickly dissipated. He hurriedly apologized, but when it didn’t seem to help, he immediately shouted, "Junior Sister Shen, open the mirror array! That wretch Qin dared to threaten you; I’ll cut him down with the Chi Dragon Sword and avenge you right now!"
"The one I hate the most is you!"
Shen Jing cast a seductive yet annoyed glance at Yang Yuanzang. "Why are you in such a hurry? I suspect Junior Brother Qin's winged artifact likely has an escape ability, and the artifact refined by the sect might be too fast for your Empty Wind to catch. Let him stay in the array for a while longer. The mist from the Bewitching Mirror has a disorienting effect. Once he’s confused and disoriented, it won’t be too late to strike. He’s carrying at least three jade tokens. You absolutely can’t afford to let this opportunity slip!"
Yang Yuanzang's eyes gleamed. "Three jade tokens? With ours combined, that makes seven!"
Shen Jing smiled and nodded.
...
Inside the mirror array, countless fragments of ice swirled into a pale blue wind, filling the confined space and crashing against the mist barrier, blocking any view outside.
Qin Sang, however, sat cross-legged, holding a spirit stone in each hand. His ebony sword flew out from his Qihai acupoint and hovered in front of him, its spiritual power growing ever brighter. The blade trembled incessantly, as if it could barely contain its thirst for blood.
Trapped in the mirror array, Qin Sang initially planned to escape the moment Shen Jing opened the array by using the Falling Cloud Wings. However, after hearing the conversation between Shen Jing and Yang Yuanzang, he immediately decided to deploy his ebony sword instead.
He hadn’t felt any disorienting effects from the mist inside the mirror array; his mind was as clear as ever.
To quickly accumulate enough spiritual power, Qin Sang took a risk by simultaneously absorbing the energy from two spirit stones. The immense spiritual power surged into his meridians, causing him excruciating pain, as though his meridians were being torn apart. His Qihai felt like it was on the verge of exploding.
Gritting his teeth to endure the agony, Qin Sang’s face twisted with pain, but his gaze remained icy calm.