"Though it comes a bit late, I must still say it: congratulations, Junior Brother Qin, on advancing another step along the Great Dao and becoming one of our peers."
The corners of Qingjun's lips curled upward slightly as she offered her congratulations.
Qin Sang smiled openly. "I am merely following in Senior Sister's footsteps."
"Heh, I don't possess such great skill as to slay a cultivator of the same rank right after forming my Nascent Soul," Qingjun retorted with a light chuckle, giving a slight shake of her head. "Even I hold a fair amount of apprehension toward Daoist Chanling, yet you actually managed to slay Old Demon Pei right in front of him. I already knew you practiced dual cultivation of dharma and body, and that your strength upon forming a Nascent Soul would be anything but ordinary, yet I never expected you to carve out such a reputation so quickly!"
There was a hint of wonder in Qingjun's eyes.
When she and Daoist Zhenyi first received word of it, they had assumed it was an erroneous rumor.
Qin Sang waved a hand dismissively. "The report submitted by Fellow Daoist Jinglin contained no small amount of exaggeration. In a one-on-one fight, even if I defeated Old Demon Pei, it would have been very difficult for me to destroy his Nascent Soul."
"That is true. The escape methods of a Nascent Soul cultivator are endless."
Qingjun's beautiful eyes flashed, and she added with deep meaning, "Still, there is no need to belittle yourself. Put anyone else in the same situation, and they wouldn't have been able to pull it off even under identical conditions. Fortunately, you disguised yourself as a demon king. Otherwise, if such a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, both domains would thoroughly investigate you, and the truth couldn't have been kept hidden for long."
Qin Sang did not mind in the least. "It wouldn't matter even if my identity were exposed. I did this not out of fear of Dongyang Bo, but because I do not yet possess the strength to defeat him head-on. If he knew it was me and took precautions, it would be even harder to find an opportunity."
Qingjun was well aware of the grudge between Qin Sang and Dongyang Bo. There was no resolving it peacefully, so she did not waste her breath trying to dissuade him.
Changing the subject, she asked, "So tell me, what important matter brought you here in person this time?"
Qin Sang glanced outside the side hall, then waved his hand to cast several more restrictions, sealing off all possibility of prying eyes.
Seeing Qin Sang acting with such caution, Qingjun's expression grew serious as well.
"There are two matters. The first concerns the Nether Crystal Pagoda. Do you still remember what I mentioned to you before about the bizarre divine abilities used by the ancient demon in the Hall of Seven Kills...?"
Qin Sang's tone grew subdued as he recounted his discoveries to Qingjun in detail.
Behind Sin Abyss, demonic shadows lurked, and he needed to have a proper discussion with Qingjun regarding how to deal with what might come.
"The Nether Crystal Pagoda is connected to an ancient demon!"
Qingjun's gaze narrowed. "How certain are you?"
"Intuition! The effects and fluctuations of the Soul-Extinguishing Awl share commonalities with the ancient demon's abilities, yet both their might and manifestation are worlds apart..."
Qin Sang struggled to find the words to describe what he had felt, then said, "Precisely because there is no concrete evidence, others would hardly believe me if I spoke of it, brushing it off as alarmist talk."
Qingjun did not doubt his judgment.
After pondering for a long while, she looked up and said, "During the years I was away, I was actually traveling in Sin Abyss."
Qin Sang was surprised. Back then, there had been no sign of Sin Abyss mobilizing its armies, and their Nascent Soul Patriarchs were all dwelling in their caves. Had Qingjun's identity been exposed, it would certainly have drawn sieges and relentless pursuit.
Sin Abyss was no different from a tiger's den or a dragon's lair, yet she had traveled there for so many years.
On second thought, Senior Sister Qingjun had managed to disguise herself as Leng Yuntian all this time, which was proof enough of her remarkable disguise skills.
Qingjun continued, "Prompted by your previous warning, I wanted to search for evidence connecting Sin Abyss to the ancient demon. In all my years of travel, aside from Sin Abyss's top sects and a few crucial secret grounds, I traversed nearly the entire territory. Aside from rampant militarism, I found nothing conspicuously out of the ordinary..."
Qin Sang frowned. "What does Senior Sister mean?"
"Based on your findings, it only proves that the Nether Crystal Pagoda is connected to an ancient demon. Perhaps the pagodas are treasures created by an ancient demon, and Sin Abyss somehow acquired the method to refine them..."
Qingjun shared her speculation, which aligned completely with what Qin Sang had previously considered.
Most likely, Sin Abyss had obtained some sort of ancient demon inheritance.
Qin Sang pondered for a moment, still somewhat uneasy. "Senior Sister, it is best to remain cautious going forward. I have already instructed my juniors to prepare a path of retreat. Should unexpected changes arise, it would be best to steer clear of the storm."
Qingjun appreciated the gesture. "Thank you for the warning, Junior Brother. I will be careful. If an ancient demon that formidable truly exists, I won't force myself into harm's way. I have no attachments here anyway, and can withdraw at any time."
She harbored no sentimental attachment to Yuanshen Sect.
Believing that Senior Sister Qingjun was capable of making her own judgments, Qin Sang refrained from pressing the issue further and brought up the other matter. "Some time ago, I went to Yuanzhao Sect to demand Patriarch Kuiyin's Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, and I learned that you were searching for them as well?"
Qingjun started, then came to an understanding. "The fire banners you used against Old Demon Pei were the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, weren't they? When I heard you unleashed twelve at once—two more than Patriarch Kuiyin ever had—I didn't dare make the connection. So Patriarch Kuiyin's inheritance fell into your hands! No wonder I found no trace of it despite searching for so long."
As she spoke, Qingjun raised a hand. Seven demonic banners materialized in her palm, and she handed them directly to Qin Sang.
"They're useless in my hands, so take them all. Once you repair all these Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, you'll be able to run rampant throughout the Nascent Soul stage."
One of the demonic banners was fully intact, while the other six were damaged beyond recognition.
Qin Sang swept his divine sense over them and found that the Nine Nether Demonic Fire within the six banners had completely dissipated. Fortunately, their banner poles were undamaged.
With this, he had all the dark iron pillars he needed.
Unfortunately, there was no Nine Nether Demonic Fire here, so he could not repair the damaged banners. Even in the future, he would have nineteen banners at most.
"Why was Senior Sister interested in Patriarch Kuiyin's demonic artifacts?" Qin Sang asked, curious.
Qingjun smiled enigmatically and pinched one of the bare banner poles. "You have so many Ten Directions Yanluo Banners and have seen an ancient demon with your own eyes. Don't you know the origin of this item?"
She paused briefly, then ceased teasing him. Under Qin Sang's astonished gaze, she said, "The restrictions inside these banner poles originate from an ancient treasure known as the Demon Sealing Stake, which is said to be a treasure made specifically to restrain ancient demons! I discovered them in Ziwei Palace while exploring a site sealed by ancient restrictions. Mindful of the demonic shadow from Sin Abyss's ambush, I grew concerned. Later, when I saw the banner poles at Wuji Sect and learned they were Patriarch Kuiyin's Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, I thought about restoring the Demon Sealing Stakes. But I eventually realized it was impossible; even if I gathered them all, I wouldn't know how to arrange the spirit array..."
Listening to Senior Sister Qingjun's explanation, Qin Sang became even more astonished. "Demon Sealing Stakes! Demon Binding Rope! They truly are treasures of the same kind!"
"You know of the Demon Binding Rope?" Qingjun was surprised.
Qin Sang nodded repeatedly. Sweeping his divine sense into his Qianjun Ring, he retrieved the Demon Binding Rope obtained from the ancient cultivator's abode. "Take a look, Senior Sister. Is this it?"
Qingjun recognized the Demon Binding Rope at a glance and said in delighted surprise, "It truly is the Demon Binding Rope! Where did you find it?"
"I found it in an abandoned cave abode on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield..."
Qin Sang briefly explained the rope's origins. "Unfortunately, the Demon Binding Rope also requires a specific spirit array to function. Otherwise, possessing an ancient treasure that counters ancient demons would offer far more peace of mind."
He and Bai had made a rubbing of the spirit array in the ancient cultivator's abode.
Originally, he intended to wait until Bai advanced into a Corpse King; if Bai regained some memories, he might be able to restore the array.
Chapter 1190