Afterward, the two exchanged their insights on cultivating Heavenly Demon Form Refining and conversed with great pleasure.
One was a human cultivator, the other a descendant of flood dragons. Their understandings of the cultivation method differed greatly, each having distinct strengths, and after discussing the Dao, both came away with new gains.
"Since there is no need to travel to the sealed land, this poor Daoist will trouble you no further," Qin Sang said, bowing slightly.
Then, remembering another matter, he retrieved the Xuanjia Talisman from his Qianjun Ring. "In just over a decade, the Hall of Seven Kills will emerge. The Nine Phoenix King cast a long plume into the Inner Hall, and I suspect she will likely bring others inside again. Does Fellow Daoist have any way to meld my blood essence into the Xuanjia Talisman? If I encounter a similar situation in the future, it might buy me some leeway..."
Qin Sang was merely preparing for a rainy day.
No one knew how many demon kings had infiltrated the Inner Sea or what they were scheming.
He suspected the Nine Phoenix King was not the only one.
If he ran into other demon kings in the Hall of Seven Kills, this time Yuan Zhu would not be there to help cover for him.
Yuan Zhu paced back and forth, pondering for a long time before shaking his head. "These Xuanjia Talismans were personally crafted by the Flood Dragon King. Though I made inquiries here and there, I actually know very little. Tampering recklessly with the restrictions could easily damage the talisman itself. Trying to deceive a demon king's eyes with this method will likely be very difficult to achieve."
Qin Sang felt a touch of disappointment, but he understood such matters could not be forced.
He put away the Xuanjia Talisman and was about to take his leave.
Yuan Zhu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly spoke. "If Fellow Daoist is worried about being seen through by demon kings, I actually have a method that might make them wary of collateral damage, preventing them from attacking you rashly."
Qin Sang was overjoyed to hear this. "Please, do tell."
"I have an unnamed secret art I obtained by chance. Fellow Daoist has cultivated Heavenly Demon Form Refining, so the demon qi on your body is exceptionally pure. Casting this secret art could very likely make demon kings mistake you for a Transformation stage great demon. After all, the Nine Phoenix King and her cohort hail from the Demon Sea and know nothing of the demon forces in the Canglang Ocean. Surrounded by enemies here, when they see a fellow clansman, they will be eager to win you over and certainly won't risk offending you. Once you stabilize the situation, you can look for an opportunity to slip away."
As Yuan Zhu spoke, he produced a jade slip and handed it to Qin Sang.
"This secret art can only be used for bluffing, masquerading as someone at the Transformation stage. Other than that, it has no practical use. While casting it, you cannot recklessly move your true essence; the moment you strike, you will immediately give yourself away. Furthermore, this subtle difference can only be perceived by us demons and has no effect on Nascent Soul cultivators among humans. In addition, whether it can truly fool a demon king's eyes remains unknown. Do not become careless, Fellow Daoist."
Qin Sang sent out his divine sense to inspect the contents of the jade slip.
Just as Yuan Zhu had said, it was a chicken-rib secret art of little substance.
Once activated, it merely caused a bizarre change in one's demon qi, resembling a Transformation stage great demon—profound, restrained, and unfathomable—without boosting one's actual strength in the slightest.
It would be easily seen through in combat.
Even so, it was still a viable option.
"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Yuan."
Qin Sang stowed the jade slip, deciding to find time to master the technique.
Yuan Zhu chuckled. "If Fellow Daoist can stir up some trouble for the Nine Phoenix King and the others, it will count as avenging me."
***
Bidding farewell to Yuan Zhu, Qin Sang returned to the Inner Sea.
A decade was neither long nor short.
What he needed to do was prepare as thoroughly as possible for the next expedition to the Hall of Seven Kills, while also gathering resources that would still be useful after returning to the Xiaohan Realm.
*Better head to the Demon Sea...*
Qin Sang mulled it over and made up his mind.
Continuing to comprehend the Killing Talisman also required fighting demonic beasts in the Demon Sea.
These ten years would serve as laying the groundwork for the future.
However, Qin Sang did not head straight to Tianxing City. Taking a long detour, he first paid a visit to Lingchun Island.
Lingchun Island was where the Wang sisters' sect resided. Back then, they had been implicated on his account and forced into hiding under assumed names; he wondered how they were doing now.
Although Tianfeng Island had been destroyed, the danger was not entirely gone.
Qin Sang had indirectly inquired with Ning Wuhui about the outcome of the battle at Tianfeng Island, only to learn that even within Tiandao Sect, rumors abounded without any definitive conclusion. No one knew what had become of Old Devil Mou.
If Old Devil Mou had been slain on the spot, why hadn't the righteous and demonic factions proclaimed it to the world to deter everyone?
There had to be hidden details behind it.
Lingchun Island was modest in size, with picturesque scenery.
The Wang sisters' sect was actually just an unremarkable, petty sect; otherwise, the two sisters would not have had to venture into the Demon Sea during the Foundation Establishment stage to earn fiend demon pills.
Those living across Lingchun Island were ordinary mortals as well.
After stepping onto the island, Qin Sang followed the information the Wang sisters had previously left behind. Crossing several mortal cities, he found their sect nestled deep in a rugged mountain range that ordinary mortals could never reach.
Flanked by two mountains, a clear stream bubbled softly.
A charming landscape stretched before his eyes.
Standing atop a mountain peak, Qin Sang swept the area with his Heavenly Eye divine ability and easily spotted the anomalies here.
In a flash, he dropped before a stone cliff, pressed his hand forward, and sent true essence surging into the stone.
The next instant, the restriction hidden inside the cliff face was triggered.
Inside a bamboo pavilion.
A pretty young woman dressed in fine brocade was sitting in meditation with her eyes closed.
Suddenly, the mirror beside her shone with dazzling light. Startled awake, a look of shock flitted through her eyes. She waved her sleeve across the mirror's surface, and upon seeing the figure displayed within, she clapped a hand over her mouth and let out a soft gasp.
"Sister! Sister! Quickly, look who's here!"
This woman was none other than Wang Xiang.
Moments later, the two delicate, pretty women flew hurriedly out of the bamboo pavilion, faces full of urgency, resembling twin lotuses on a single stem.
Outside the pavilion, several young girls were frolicking about. Seeing their two martial aunts lose their composure like this, all of them were thoroughly astonished.
*Rumble...*
The stone cliff parted to either side, and two sweet cries rang out from within.
"Daoist Priest!"
The two women stood side by side, their faces blooming into smiles.
The elder sister, Wang Shi, was reserved, while the younger sister, Wang Xiang, grinned unabashedly.
Under their astonished gazes, Qin Sang pulled down the hood of his cloak and said with a smile, "This poor Daoist's surname is Qin, given name Sang. The identity of Daoist Priest Qingfeng provoked a powerful enemy and can no longer see the light of day, and I ended up implicating you sisters as well. My visit today is to offer you both an apology. Seeing that you are both safe puts my mind at ease."
"Yes, indeed!" Wang Xiang patted her chest, lingering dread written across her face as she said with a shudder, "We only found out later that the one hunting you down was actually that ferocious fiend, Old Devil Mou! Even the Qiongyu Guild was destroyed by his hands. Fortunately, my sister and I rarely had contact with outsiders after returning, or the consequences would have been unthinkable. Daoist Priest, how did you ever offend such a great devil?"
Wang Shi remained somewhat quiet, her eyes carrying a faint trace of sorrowful reproach as she uttered words no one had expected. "In that case, if this hadn't happened, Daoist Priest wouldn't have come to see us sisters at all?"
Wang Xiang's almond eyes rolled playfully, darting back and forth between her elder sister and Qin Sang.
Qin Sang rubbed his nose, at a loss for words.
Yet Wang Shi's expression quickly returned to normal, and she invited Qin Sang inside as a guest.
Watching Qin Sang's retreating figure, a flicker of disappointment surfaced in the depths of her eyes. In the end, she let out a quiet sigh in her heart, as though an old knot had finally been undone, finding peace at last.
Chapter 1002