"Even if it isn't the one from back then, it must be their descendant. Hidden in the magma, unable to leave the ancient cultivator's abandoned abode, it has somehow lived until now without being discovered. Still, after so many years, it remains trapped at the peak of the second metamorphosis. The difficulty of these rare insects metamorphosing truly lives up to its reputation..."
Qin Sang sighed with emotion.
At that moment, small ripples stirred across the magma, and a crimson silhouette shot forth like an arrow loosed from a bow, pouncing toward the jade plate.
Qin Sang's figure flashed into sight.
By the time the fire jade centipede realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
Without breaking a sweat, Qin Sang captured it—the rare insect was recovered!
The fire jade centipede's size was not much different from when it had been in the first metamorphosis. Its entire body was merely a deeper, richer crimson, lustrous as a long piece of fiery jade.
Spreading its hundred legs, the fire jade centipede channeled flames as it struggled in Qin Sang's grasp, but how could it possibly break through the restrictions Qin Sang had placed on it?
*This fellow has already grown to the second metamorphosis, yet it doesn't seem to possess any powerful divine abilities. Could it really only be useful for treasure hunting?*
Qin Sang muttered to himself. Seeing the centipede flailing about in clumsy, desperate antics, he smiled faintly, beckoned the jade plate back, and guided the Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold to the fire jade centipede's mouth.
The fire jade centipede froze, then without the slightest hesitation gulped the Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold down into its belly. Showing not a shred of gratitude for Qin Sang's favor, it immediately resumed struggling.
"Stubborn creature! Its intelligence is low—inferior to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and far behind the fat silkworm."
Qin Sang shook his head.
If he wanted to plant a soul imprint, he could only do so when it metamorphosed into an egg.
However, the disparity in their cultivation was vast. By executing several secret techniques from the witch clan and the Spirit Beast Sect in succession, Qin Sang forcibly suppressed the fire jade centipede's resistance.
After spending some time taming it, he barely managed to make the fire jade centipede obedient.
"I'll leave the remaining Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold for it. Who knows if it might help it metamorphose."
Having unexpectedly acquired a third rare insect, Qin Sang was in high spirits, feeling that this trip had been well worth the effort.
The fire jade centipede had lived in the ancient cultivator's abandoned abode for many years and was intimately familiar with the place.
Qin Sang ordered the fire jade centipede to lead the way. Protected by the power of the tortoise shell and mysterious water, he dove into the magma, successfully finding a passage through the ancient restrictions to infiltrate the interior of Heavenly Peak.
The further he went, the more Qin Sang realized how severely damaged the interior was. Had the fire jade centipede not led the way, he most likely would have returned empty-handed.
Revisiting an old haunt.
Inside Heavenly Peak, the ancient restrictions were also heavily damaged, and the fire birds were far fewer than before.
Fortunately, the remaining restrictions were fairly stable and had not been completely destroyed.
Unafraid of the fire birds, Qin Sang released his divine consciousness and searched extensively.
From the crater to the bottom of the peak, he found not the slightest trace of the talisman's existence.
"As expected!"
Qin Sang sighed softly. "Back then, Daoist Xuanyu merely fabricated that claim to trick me into showing myself... The Neijing Origin Talisman was most likely destroyed along with Daoist Xuanyu's death."
Sweeping his gaze downward, he discovered that the stone platform and stone hall were still there.
Then, Qin Sang's eyes narrowed sharply. To his surprise, he found that the restrictions protecting the stone hall—which Daoist Xuanyu had failed to open despite exhausting all his strength back then—had gone dark.
He could not tell whether the restrictions had been damaged by the upheaval, or if someone had visited this place and opened the stone hall.
Qin Sang's figure flashed, landing on the stone platform.
The restrictions were already broken. Conjuring a giant hand of true essence, he moved the stone platform aside with ease.
The sight inside was unexpectedly rudimentary.
The ceiling inside the stone hall was very low, giving off an immensely oppressive feeling. There was no sacrificial altar or treasure cache as one might imagine.
Just as Qin Sang thought the place had already been stripped bare, he unexpectedly noticed a black iron chain in a corner of the chamber.
"Huh?"
Bai suddenly emerged from the corpse puppet bag and went over to pick up the iron chain.
When Qin Sang got a clear look at the iron chain, a sense of familiarity washed over him, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.
This iron chain was remarkably similar to the one they had seen not long ago in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion within the Trial Realm, only longer than that one.
Yet that was not all that surprised Qin Sang.
The two exchanged a look.
Bai handed the iron chain over.
Qin Sang channeled his divine consciousness to probe it briefly.
The iron chain was unmistakably a treasure crafted by ancient cultivators. Furthermore, the ancient restrictions and ripples within it were identical to those of the dark iron pillar used to refine the demonic banners!
However, the restrictions inside the dark iron pillar were far more intricate and profound, beyond what this iron chain could compare to.
When Patriarch Kuiyin discovered the dark iron pillar, it had already been broken into two pieces, whereas this iron chain was most likely intact.
"Back in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, when it was sealed off by the orb of light, you felt familiar with it. Can you remember its origin now?" Qin Sang looked up and asked.
Bai said in a deep voice, "The iron chain in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion probably wasn't the genuine article, but a replica crafted by later generations in imitation of this treasure. This iron chain should be called the Demon Binding Rope. I only recall that it was specifically refined to counter ancient demons..."
"The Demon Binding Rope! Crafted to counter ancient demons!"
Qin Sang's heart stirred.
That dark iron pillar had been prized by Patriarch Kuiyin precisely because it could counter the Nine Nether Demonic Fire.
Could the two be the same type of treasure?
"Fellow Daoist, do you remember if there are any other treasures similar to the Demon Binding Rope?" Qin Sang hastily pressed.
Bai shook his head. "I can't recall, but there must be. The power of this sort of Demon Binding Rope is limited, incapable of dealing with high-rank ancient demons... I remember that this type of treasure requires an accompanying formation to unleash its full might, but I cannot remember how to lay the array."
As he spoke, Bai looked down at the floor.
Qin Sang had already noticed the extraordinarily complex runes carved into the ground.
However, the array's power had long since been completely exhausted, and it was impossible to reconstruct it from these lingering traces alone.
"Could this place also be a cage used to seal an ancient demon? With no demon in sight, who knows whether it escaped or perished long ago in the endless passage of time."
Qin Sang looked around.
"The Demon Suppressing Stele on Yitian Peak suppressed a demon lord, Patriarch Kuiyin found the dark iron pillar in Ziwei Palace, and now there is the Demon Binding Rope here. Could they all be the same class of treasures crafted to counter ancient demons?"
The high-rank ancient demons Bai spoke of undoubtedly possessed cultivation surpassing that of Nascent Soul cultivators.
He did not know what rank of ancient demon the Demon Binding Rope was meant to combat. Regrettably, without the corresponding spirit array to assist it, they could not activate the treasure.
Qin Sang took out a demonic banner and summoned the Nine Nether Demonic Fire.
Facing the Demon Binding Rope, the demonic fire shrank back slightly as well, though not as noticeably as it did before the dark iron pillar.
As for the replica of the Demon Binding Rope in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the Four Sages had probably learned of the Demon Binding Rope from somewhere and forged a copy, hoping to counter ancient demons, only to find it was of little use and abandon it in the Trial Realm.
"Let us record these runes first. When you have free time, Fellow Daoist, you can study them; perhaps you can restore the spirit array. Demonic figures seem to be lurking around Sin Abyss as well; if we have a fully functional Demon Binding Rope, dealing with them will be much easier..."
Qin Sang took out a jade slip and made a rub of the runes on the ground.
At the same time, he thought of the dark iron pillar.
Once he refined the Nine Nether Demonic Fire into a fire lotus, the dark iron pillar would no longer be needed.
If he could repair that treasure and obtain the corresponding array method, it would grant him another formidable weapon against ancient demons.
*Patriarch Kuiyin used half of the dark iron pillar to refine the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners. I have only obtained three; who knows where the other seven are scattered. Only when I find time to retrieve all of them can I even talk about repairing it.*
Qin Sang pondered silently.
Chapter 1103