Sandie Pass

Elder Ji nodded. "Sandie Pass holds a critical position. Two fellow daoists are currently stationed there, but we are still not entirely at ease. We hope you can reinforce them and assist in operating the grand array. Of course, if you face any difficulties, Fellow Daoist Mingyue, do not hesitate to bring them up—everything is open to discussion." "Do you have a general map of our front-line defenses, Fellow Daoist? I would like to review the situation first." Qin Sang did not immediately accept or decline, raising his own request instead. "Naturally." Elder Ji agreed readily and produced a jade slip, handing it to Qin Sang. Qin Sang sank his divine consciousness into it and examined it closely. The contents were straightforward, and the so-called defense map was quite simple, yet it contained everything Qin Sang wanted to know. At present, the two most critical strongholds on the front line lay to the east and west: Wangdong City and Mount Shiqu. The foremost experts of the Two Domains Alliance—Old Daoist Zhenyi, Demon Monarch Tongyou, and others, including Senior Sister Qingjun—had split into two forces to garrison these two primary sites and establish main encampments. Senior Sister Qingjun was currently stationed at Mount Shiqu. Other strategic passes and cities were also garrisoned by Nascent Soul cultivators under the command of these two headquarters. Because Sin Abyss had stretched its front line so long, mixing feints with real offensives, the Two Domains Alliance had no choice but to deploy this way. As it happened, Sandie Pass fell under the jurisdiction of Mount Shiqu. There were several other strongpoints like Sandie Pass, secondary in importance only to the two main encampments. The human race had invited demon kings to aid the war effort precisely to secure these crucial positions. As long as these points held firm, even if other areas fell, they could withstand Sin Abyss's onslaught and potentially launch a counteroffensive. Beyond these, there was Hukou Pass at the westernmost edge. Its position was the most remote, situated at the far tail of the plateau, effectively serving as the gateway to the Heavenly Demon Mound. It was currently garrisoned by demon troops. Sin Abyss had arrived well-prepared; they had cleared out the desert factions adjacent to the Tianxing Plateau long beforehand, leaving Hukou Pass threatened as well. The demon race had no desire to let Sin Abyss breach their realm through that route, and King Yu had been keeping a close watch on the matter. Having grasped the overall layout, Qin Sang felt that Sandie Pass was a sound choice and saw no need to ask for a change. Seeing his tacit agreement, Elder Ji brightened and immediately produced a mustard seed pouch. "Inside is the Sinkgold Wood along with a sum of spirit stones. Please inspect them, Fellow Daoist." Qin Sang took it and checked inside. To his surprise, the piece of Sinkgold Wood was as thick as an arm. Sinkgold Wood was the concentrated heartwood essence of a spiritual tree; even in a fully matured tree, the trunk's core would hardly be much thicker than this piece. The Two Domains Alliance had truly invested heavily. "Then I shall accept with thanks!" Qin Sang pocketed it without hesitation. To trade for cultivation resources earlier, he had already sold off almost all the treasures he had brought back from the Canglang Ocean, keeping only the fiend demon pills and the finest demon cores and bones. Though a Nascent Soul Patriarch was rarely short on spirit stones, having extra on hand in a tense situation like this was always wise. "You and the others have fought Sin Abyss for so long, so you must know a great deal about them. Do you happen to have detailed records? That way, I can prepare myself against any unforeseen circumstances." Qin Sang's knowledge of Sin Abyss was limited to what he had heard from Senior Sister Qingjun. "Of course... Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I intended to give them to you. In addition, here is a token confirming your identity." Elder Ji handed him another jade slip and an identity medallion. Qin Sang then requested that the Old Macaque and the other beasts from the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea be reassigned to Sandie Pass. Elder Ji agreed to everything, though he noted that troop movements had to be coordinated centrally by the Two Domains Alliance, so it would take a few days. As for the disciples of the Demon Flame Sect, they were currently stationed at Mount Shiqu where Senior Sister Qingjun was based. Meigu had likely already made contact with the Qingyang Demon Sect. After discussing a few more details, neither side had any further objections. With no time to lose, Qin Sang rose and took his leave of Elder Ji. Heading south from here, they descended all the way, enjoying an unobstructed view ahead. In the distance, the mountain peaks grew visibly lower. When they reached the edge of the second tier of the plateau, Tan Yi'en could not help letting out a gasp of wonder. A sheer cliff plunged tens of thousands of feet, as smooth as a mirror, buffeted by howling wind and snow. Unless attacking through the few designated passes, attempting a diversionary assault up such a precipice would be extraordinarily difficult, giving even cultivators a severe headache. Sandie Pass was still some distance from Mount Shiqu. Since Elder Ji had urged haste, Qin Sang decided to head to Sandie Pass first before contacting Senior Sister Qingjun. Flying down from the second tier, they sped across an unknown distance until they finally arrived at the post he was assigned to guard. Whenever they encountered patrols along the way, presenting the token allowed them to pass without hindrance. *** Sandie Pass. Several peaks overlapped here in rugged, perilous terrain, making it a fiercely contested strategic position. There was no city here. Instead, the Two Domains Alliance had laid down a grand array, shrouding the surrounding tens of li in dense fog to keep Sin Abyss from discerning their true strength. Inside, not a trace of fog could be seen. At the center stood a tall pavilion, flanked by rows of neatly arranged stone houses. With no active fighting at the moment, the cultivators were resting in their quarters. The core of the grand array was housed within the central pavilion. Two Nascent Soul Patriarchs were casually conversing inside. One hailed from the Celestial Alliance, his Daoist name Jinglin. The other was from the Taiyi Dan Sect, a personal disciple of Daoist Chongyi named Si Di, who had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage a century ago. Both were at the early Nascent Soul stage. "Elder Ji sent word earlier that we would be allocated an assistant. I wonder which demon king it will be?" Daoist Jinglin looked forward to the arrival. Neither showed any urgency on their faces; the military situation clearly was not at a critical juncture, yet having reinforcements was always welcome. "Just let it not be that black bear!" Si Di snorted, evidently holding a grudge against the bear demon. "Otherwise, when the time comes, there is no telling which direction my Yuejin Mirror might strike!" Daoist Jinglin chuckled softly. "Why would Elder Ji send an ally who doesn't get along with us? Even if it were that black bear, its only role would be operating the Cold Bell Grand Array. Out of sight, out of mind, Fellow Daoist..." Before he could finish, a streak of light shot into the pavilion. Daoist Jinglin snatched it out of the air. "They're here!" The two flew out of the pavilion and flashed through the air toward the edge of the array. Outside the barrier stood two figures. One wore a mask and radiated pure demonic qi, unmistakably a demon king. "Oh?" The two exchanged a glance. Even if they had never interacted with all the demon kings of the Heavenly Demon Mound, they had at least heard of them. This newcomer, however, was entirely unfamiliar. "I am Demon King Mingyue of the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea. You two must be Fellow Daoist Jinglin and Fellow Daoist Si Di?" Qin Sang introduced himself, flicked his sleeve, and sent the medallion flying through the barrier. After verifying the token, they opened the array to let Qin Sang and Tan Yi'en inside. "No wonder neither of us recognized you—so Fellow Daoist Mingyue only recently broke through. We heard there is a very mysterious Senior Zhu in the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea, but we had no idea another demon king had emerged." Jinglin and Si Di were warm enough on the surface. Qin Sang keenly caught the flicker of disappointment in their eyes, but he paid it no heed. After exchanging polite pleasantries, the two invited Qin Sang into the pavilion for a detailed discussion, while a Core Formation cultivator led Tan Yi'en away to settle in elsewhere. Before Tan Yi'en departed, Qin Sang handed him the medallion. If Tan Hao's old acquaintance was not at Sandie Pass, Tan Yi'en would have to search for him at the other encampments, and only with Qin Sang's token could he move about freely here.