Heavenly Scar

The Sin Abyss was anciently known as the Heavenly Scar. It was the largest chasm in the Beichen Realm. This heavenly scar ran almost straight from north to south, cutting through most of the Sin Abyss and dividing its entire domain into eastern and western halves. After immortal cultivators discovered the Sin God Palace deep within the abyss, some began to refer to the Heavenly Scar as the Sin Abyss, and eventually, the name came to be applied to the surrounding powers as a collective term. On the topographical map drawn by Senior Sister Qingjun, most of the prominent sects of the Sin Abyss were built along the Heavenly Scar. To be as close to the scar as possible, some sects were situated right next to one another, sharing a single massive spirit vein. Although spirit veins could be relocated, doing so required a heavy price to lay out the necessary formations. Furthermore, the super-veins that served as sect foundations could not be moved very far. The reason for this concentration was precisely the rich cultivation resources within the Heavenly Scar. It was said that even the narrowest stretch of the Heavenly Scar was nearly a hundred li wide, while its broadest points were immeasurable. To mortals, it was nothing short of an impassable natural chasm. It was teeming with spirit herbs and rare treasures, and those blessed with great fortune might even stumble upon ancient cultivators' relics, rising to the heavens in a single leap. However, opportunity always walked hand in hand with peril. The deeper one ventured into the Heavenly Scar, the more the terrain constricted, and it was fraught with layer upon layer of ancient restrictions. It was extraordinarily dangerous, having claimed the lives of countless cultivators. It was somewhat like the Boundless Valley, though vast in comparison—though, of course, it could not compare to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. At the very depths of the Heavenly Scar, in its most dangerous and innermost heart, lay the Sin God Palace. Ever since the Sin God Palace was discovered, it had manifested at the exact same time as Ziwei Palace on every occasion. There was undoubtedly an intricate web of connections between the two secret realms. In the past, during periods of eased relations, cultivators from all three regions had banded together more than once to explore both secret realms in hopes of deciphering their mysteries and unlocking the secrets of Ziwei Palace, but each attempt had ended in failure. It was only when Old Demon Ye led troops into the immortal formation of Ziwei Palace to ambush the cultivators of the two domains that it was definitively confirmed the Sin God Palace and Ziwei Palace were linked. "...The Sin Abyss has deployed heavy forces to the front lines, and most of their top experts are on the Tianxing Plateau. Their interior is currently hollowed out, so heading to the Sin Abyss now will be safer than at any other time," the Snake King explained. Qin Sang thought to himself that it was truly a coincidence that the Snake King also planned to go to the Sin Abyss. The Snake King had only mentioned that the great demon's cave dwelling was deep within the Heavenly Scar, which was still very vague. He was already bound for the Sin Abyss anyway; traveling together, regardless of how many treasures they might find, would at least allow them to watch each other's backs if unexpected danger arose. Still, Qin Sang did not immediately agree, intending to get all the details first. "Aside from the two of you, who else will be joining?" Qin Sang estimated they would likely all be demon kings; only they would have the leisure to go treasure hunting in the Sin Abyss under the current circumstances. To his surprise, the Snake King shook his head. "To tell you the truth, Qianji isn't strong enough, so he won't be going. Nor are the other companions demon kings of Tianyao Mound; rather, they are fellow Daoists I met while roaming the desert in the past." "There are fellow Daoists at the Transformation stage in the desert?" Qin Sang asked in surprise. On second thought, the Great Beichen Desert was so vast that no matter how barren it was, it was entirely normal for a few Nascent Soul cultivators or Transformation stage great demons to emerge there. The Snake King nodded. "Indeed! The cave dwelling was actually discovered by another fellow Daoist. Right after our wagered duel concluded, I immediately sent word to them, wishing to invite Fellow Daoist Mingyue to come along. They worried that you had only just advanced to the Transformation stage, that your divine abilities had yet to reach perfection, and that you might drag them down, so I was never able to persuade them. It wasn't until you slew Old Demon Pei in battle not long ago—a piece of news that shook the entire cultivation world—that they finally acknowledged your extraordinary strength and agreed. If you feel it would be difficult to explain your absence to the human race right now, we can have Qianji come to Sandie Pass to temporarily take your place. After all, we're all family..." The Snake King spoke at length, having carefully considered every potential concern Qin Sang might harbor. After hearing all this, a look of hesitation appeared on Qin Sang's face, and he asked in return, "May I ask, how certain are you all of success in this treasure hunt? Where exactly is the cave dwelling located?" He sensed that something was amiss. Qianji Demon King's strength was by no means weak among early Transformation stage demons. He had only been defeated so quickly because Qin Sang's abilities countered his. Yet he wasn't qualified to join. Even with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly brought along to assist in unraveling restrictions, they were still walking on eggshells. One could well imagine how immense the danger was. Hearing this, Qin Sang felt like backing out. The Snake King hesitated. "I hope you can understand, Fellow Daoist. Only after you agree can I disclose all the details. Alternatively, if you swear an inner demon oath..." Qin Sang had a decent impression of the Snake King and had no desire to deceive him with an inner demon oath, so he waved his hand. "Let me name a few places, and you only need to tell me whether the great demon's cave dwelling is near any of them..." Qin Sang reeled off several place names in succession. Without hesitation, the Snake King replied candidly, "I did not expect Fellow Daoist Mingyue to be so familiar with the Sin Abyss! Indeed, the cave dwelling is near one of those locations. You should understand now why we are being so cautious." Qin Sang gave a dry chuckle. The places he had just mentioned were the locations of prominent sect headquarters in the Sin Abyss, as well as crucial secret grounds comparable to the Sin God Palace. Some of them were places even Senior Sister Qingjun would steer clear of. "I fear this might be beyond my abilities..." Qin Sang murmured. He weighed the matter in his mind, calculating whether it was worth taking such a massive risk to break into the cave dwelling of an ancient great demon. Seeing this, the Snake King hurriedly said, "In a few months, the ancient restrictions will enter a period of weakening. During this time, we have also gathered several methods for breaking restrictions. If we have the aid of Fellow Daoist Mingyue and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, we will take to the task like fish to water, slipping into the demon king's cave dwelling without alerting the Sin Abyss. The only reason they hesitated before was their reluctance to let another person share in the spoils. Once it succeeds, the treasures inside the cave dwelling will be divided evenly, though Fellow Daoist Lu, who discovered the place, gets first pick of one item. However, in my eyes, all of that is secondary. What matters most are the cultivation methods and secret arts collected by that great demon—no one may monopolize them, and they will be shared among us all!" The Snake King's tone was brimming with allure. A pristine, untouched cave dwelling of an ancient great demon was an immense temptation for any demon king. Unfortunately, he was talking to Qin Sang. "I am grateful for your high regard, Fellow Daoist, but I am afraid I cannot accompany you." Qin Sang rose, offered a bow, and voiced his refusal. "Won't you reconsider?" The Snake King could hardly believe his ears. Before coming, it had never crossed his mind that Demon King Mingyue would decline. Finding even a single cultivation method or Daoist art in the cave dwelling of an ancient great demon to gain inspiration for future cultivation would make the trip worthwhile. If they obtained an ancient secret art for enduring tribulations, it would be an immense stroke of luck. Demon King Mingyue was proficient in lightning evasion arts, and with his other divine abilities and treasures, he had ample means of self-preservation. If even this level of danger could frighten him off, he hardly deserved to be called a demon king! "I must disappoint your kind intentions, Fellow Daoist..." Qin Sang did not offer much of an explanation. He could hardly blurt out that he was a counterfeit demon king, and that demonic cultivation methods and secret arts held very little appeal for him. In Heavenly Demon Refining Form, he could only cultivate the body-refining portion; even after unexpectedly obtaining Azure Luan true blood, he could only integrate it into his wings. Had the risk not been so great, he might have considered it. Stirring up trouble in the heart of enemy territory through untold hardships, only to obtain secret arts he likely could not practice—Qin Sang would never do something so pointless.