Chapter 20: Life Amidst Yellow Sand

Sword glares filled the air, striking down on the earthworm monster.

Ping-ping-ping…

Sparks flew in all directions.

The earthworm monster’s fine scales barely held against the sword glare assault.

After this barrage, the area touched by the Cyan Lotus Sword Glare was left with a dense web of cracks across its scales.

The creature thrashed wildly, its eight-part mouth opening wide to spew streams of highly corrosive acid into the sky.

Acid rain fell like arrows from above, piercing holes into the ground below.

Qin Shu’s left hand flashed with green light as he summoned the Azure Lotus Banner.

“Let the wind rise!”

A fierce gale howled to life, forming a protective barrier around him.

Next, his right hand blazed crimson as the Flame Banner appeared.

“Fire rises, fueled by the wind.”

Whoosh!

A sea of flames erupted out of thin air, riding the winds to engulf the earthworm monster in an inferno.

The acidic fluids proved to be the perfect accelerant.

The raging blaze completely enveloped the earthworm monster, consuming it in roaring flames.

Its massive body writhed in constant struggle, emitting shrill, ear-splitting cries.

An acrid odor assaulted the senses.

While the fine scales could withstand the Cyan Lotus Sword Glare, they were no match for the searing heat of the flames.

In no time, the creature was thoroughly roasted. Its body had turned into black charcoal both inside and out before it crashed heavily onto the ground and shattered.

All traces of life vanished from its essence, quickly dissipating into nothingness at that very spot.

Qin Shu extended his hand with a wave, causing the apricot-yellow flag, azure lotus banner, and flame light pennant to transform into three beams of light that merged into him.

The five colors flowed over his skin, forming a protective divine power. In accordance with the Five Elements’ generative cycle, he absorbed the Abyss’s aura, converting it into his own true energy.

“It’s said that for dozens of kilometers around where earthworm monsters appear, no other creatures can be found. I wonder if there’s any truth to that.”

The previous battle between the two had dispersed the sandstorm. Now, with the fight concluded and aided by the intense heat of the flames, the wind kicked up once more, even stronger than before.

Qin Shu decided to explore the area, particularly intrigued by that tall building. Despite appearing incredibly ancient, it somehow stood firm amidst the swirling yellow sands.

Climbing astride his sword, he circled around the skyscraper. Through each window frame, he glimpsed the interior scene:

It was nothing but an empty shell, devoid of any contents.

He attempted to tap it with a point of energy.

“Boom!”

The moment sword qi touched the skyscraper, it crumbled like loose sand, collapsing in an instant.

“What’s going on now?” Qin Shu thought, bewildered. The sandstorm was fine, but my sword energy can’t even handle this?

In the next moment, the wind and sand ceased once again.

The world transformed instantly from a blurry 360p to crystal-clear 8K, as if a veil had been lifted.

While the storm had abated, something strange began to unfold.

The yellow sand on the ground started coalescing towards the pile of collapsed building debris.

Qin Shu hesitated, wanting to act but finding himself too late.

An army of yellow sand materialized before his eyes.

Banners filled the sky, and golden spears gleamed in the sun. A thousand-strong force roared at him with fury.

Drums thundered across the land.

The commanding general bellowed, “Die!”

Arrows flew like rain.

Qin Shu’s mind raced back to his studies—sand elemental life forms.

These creatures typically remain dormant, he recalled, but upon being disturbed, they transform into battle mode. After defeating their enemies, they assimilate them, gaining nearly all of their defeated opponent’s abilities.

Such beings were common in the God Soul Continent, but exceedingly rare in the Infinite Abyss—and even more so in this fragmentary abyssal realm.

He realized he’d stumbled upon something extraordinary.

The sand elemental army before him must have formed by consuming an entire human force.

The moment the arrow shower descended, Qin Shu took flight on his sword.

The arrows failed to strike their target, disintegrating mid-air and reforming into a colossal blade that bore down on him.

What a fancy trick!

Seeing he couldn’t evade, he braced himself for impact.

Five divine lights blazed to life as the Five Elements Flags encircled him, coalescing into a barrier to meet the giant sword head-on.

Boom!

The colossal blade struck the barrier, shattering into sand once more and losing its power in an instant.

“Charge!”

Hooves thundered as tens of thousands surged forward. The leader, embodying the might of the entire army, swung his massive saber, channeling swirling sands into a gargantuan scythe, imbued with the force of their charge.

“Slash!”

“Hwoosh!”

Qin Shu was sent flying by the sheer force of this blow, disappearing into the horizon as streaks of light.

Yet, shielded by the Five Elements Flags, he suffered only minor vibrations—his body remained unscathed.

“Kill!” roared the commanding general.

His army of yellow sand dissolved, transforming into a tempestuous gale chasing after Qin Shu.

Regaining his footing in mid-air, Qin Shu realized these sand elemental beings were tenacious foes. To vanquish them, he’d have to locate their core.

“It’s time to test the mettle of my Five Elements Formation.”

The five flags touched down: the apricot-yellow flag in the center, the cyan lotus flag on the east, the cloud realm flag on the west, the flame light flag in the south, and the black water flag in the north.

Qin Shu extended his divine sense outward, enveloping a radius of one kilometer.

As the array activated, the flags vanished into thin air.

Even Qin Shu’s figure and aura completely disappeared.

With Qin Shu’s aura gone, the swirling sand paused momentarily before beginning to retreat.

It was then that Qin Shu flew out from the Five Elements Formation, riding his sword. His true self-cultivation energy circulated rapidly, causing his presence to abruptly appear in the world.

Now with a target, the yellow sand once again surged forward, bearing down on Qin Shu.

“Here you go, buddy!” Qin Shu called out enthusiastically, then turned tail and ran back into the formation.

The sky-filling yellow sand chased him relentlessly, entering the formation alongside him.

The space within the formation was not like that outside; the Five Elements interacted through their generating and overcoming relationships, expanding the space hundreds of times larger.

Once inside, the endless sea of yellow sand could no longer find its way out.

This Five Elements Formation served as both an entrapment and a killing array, harnessing the power of heaven and earth to manifest the strength of the Five Elements.

As the formation master, Qin Shu could also borrow this elemental power to slay enemies.

With a wave of his hand, within the Five Elements Formation, the power of the five elements transformed into towering waves that crashed down on the swirling yellow sand.

Boom!

The yellow sand had nowhere to hide. As it mixed with water, it coalesced, losing its fluidity.

It sought to mimic all things, but now it moved with clumsy sluggishness.

Qin Shu struck while the iron was hot: “Flowing Water! Whirlpool! Disperse the Sand!”

Currents flowed, gathering around the sodden yellow sand and forming a massive whirlpool that sucked it inside.

Within the vortex, the yellow sand shattered into individual grains.

Qin Shu’s gaze sharpened as he spotted the core of the sand—grains of golden sand, shimmering with an almost sentient glow.

“Aha, I’ve found you.”

“Wood Transformation: Ten Thousand Trees Take Root.”

Water nourishes wood, and tens of thousands of trees sprang up from the earth, their roots entrenching the liquefied yellow sand.

“Fire Transformation: Blazing Inferno! Wind Transformation: Gale Force!”

Wood fuels fire, wind fans flames.

Under Qin Shu’s control, the inferno raged towards those grains of golden sand.

The flames were intense; borrowing the might of the great array, they instantly melted the grains of golden sand into liquid form.

Qin Shu’s heart leapt. “Spiritual Acuity Sword, go!”

The sword flew forth, imbued with a sliver of his consciousness.

The sword flew into a pool of golden liquid.

“Circulate karma, merge.”

He could now harness a fraction of this divine ability, allowing the golden liquid to combine with the Spiritual Acuity Sword.

Karmic true essence poured in, akin to forging equipment but far more mystical than ordinary techniques.

Everything depended on fate, making it highly unpredictable.