A sinister wind suddenly arose.
The Ten Directions Yanluo Banners flapped loudly, pouring out an endless stream of black, ominous clouds that completely shrouded the narrow passageway. The subterranean cave plunged into pitch darkness as ghostly howls erupted in full force, sobbing and wailing until the cave seemed like a nether realm.
After obtaining Sun De's Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, Qin Sang had refined them for his own use, but he had never upgraded their grade.
To elevate all of them into supreme-grade spiritual tools would require an unknown number of living souls and blood food, costing the lives of countless mortals. If he did that, he would truly be no different from the demonic path.
Even so, the might of the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners was not to be underestimated.
Once arranged into a formation, the six Yanluo Banners complemented one another, multiplying their power far beyond simple addition. Qin Sang’s previous banter with Gu Tiannan had merely been stalling to prepare the Ten Directions Yanluo Array.
The banners fluttered, and vortexes formed within the black mist permeating their surfaces. The vortexes grew larger and larger until they turned into black holes, spewing forth even more dark mist that chilled the cave to the bone.
Immediately afterward, a chorus of ghostly wails rang out as the main souls of the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners pounced forth.
Six vicious ghosts encircled Gu Tiannan, their backs slightly hunched, bodies crouching low, and features twisted in shapes that were only vaguely human. Their consciousness had long been assimilated by the demonic banners, leaving behind only the instinct to slaughter. They glared fiercely at Gu Tiannan, their eyes filled with a ravenous hunger for flesh and blood.
Whoosh!
A fierce gale roared as the ghostly mist condensed into sabers, spears, swords, and halberds that fell into the vicious ghosts’ hands. With a thought from Qin Sang, the main souls suddenly raised their weapons and lunged at Gu Tiannan with reckless abandon.
"What kind of demonic tool is this?!"
Gu Tiannan was both shocked and enraged. Seeing three vicious ghosts pouncing toward him, he shifted swiftly and swept his palms outward. His sharp claws were like blades, glinting with cold light, turning his entire person into what seemed like a bladed array.
Facing such a display, the vicious ghosts did not dodge or evade in the slightest, utterly unafraid of death.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amid a rapid series of explosive impacts, the vicious ghosts struck by Gu Tiannan burst into clouds of black mist, easily shattered.
Seeing this, Gu Tiannan was stunned for a moment, then burst into boisterous laughter. "So it's just a hollow embroidered pillow—"
Before his words could finish, the clusters of black mist twisted and condensed back into the shapes of the vicious ghosts, ferociously lunging forward once more. At the same time, the black mist transformed into countless black threads that wrapped toward Gu Tiannan.
Gu Tiannan's laughter cut off abruptly, and a grave look crept onto his face.
Boom!
The black mist surged. Time and again, Gu Tiannan shattered the vicious ghosts, yet time and again, they revived.
Gu Tiannan finally realized how troublesome these ghosts were. Once dispersed, they could instantly restore themselves. The endless black mist supplied by the Ten Directions Yanluo Array served as their nourishment; as long as the mist flowed, the ghosts seemed incapable of dying.
Moreover, an unending stream of black threads kept coiling toward him, radiating bone-chilling yin energy that could not be ignored.
Knowing that he would sooner or later be worn down to death at this rate, Gu Tiannan threw his head back and roared furiously, "Break!"
The Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Swords flew out from his mustard seed bag, transforming into streaks of light that stirred the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, stabbing straight toward the true forms of the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners.
Qin Sang knew the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Swords were remarkably effective at breaking arrays and had prepared for this all along. The moment he saw Gu Tiannan summon the swords, before the incantation could be completed, Qin Sang directed the ebony sword with his mind to charge into the array and intercept them.
The ebony sword's sword qi swept across the space, fighting one against five.
Several streaks of sword light intertwined in midair like swimming dragons. The cave rang with the clash of metal on metal. In the end, the quality of the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Swords was far inferior to the ebony sword, and they were gradually suppressed. One of the swords was even struck directly by the ebony sword, hairline fractures spreading across its blade.
Seeing that the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Swords could not help him break free, Gu Tiannan grew increasingly agitated. Qin Sang keenly noticed that the reason in Gu Tiannan's eyes was gradually being replaced by madness, and bizarre changes began to overtake his body. The flesh and blood beneath his skin seemed to writhe with countless insects, bulging bit by bit as his frame swelled, presenting a grotesque sight that made one nauseated.
Less and less sanity remained in his eyes, replaced solely by an endless aura of bloodlust.
Once the transformation was complete, Gu Tiannan's speed surged explosively, and his attacks grew even more ferocious. The blade-like gleams from his claws poured down like a waterfall. The vicious ghosts were ripped to shreds the instant they revived, and the black threads could hardly get close to him.
Seeing this, Qin Sang did not dare to be negligent. He pushed the spiritual power in his body to the limit, pouring it unreservedly into the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners.
Carrying out this move took a tremendous toll on Qin Sang as well. His face turned pale, and he promptly retrieved an elixir that restored spiritual power from his mustard seed bag, swallowing it without hesitation.
Replenished by Qin Sang's spiritual power, the six Ten Directions Yanluo Banners shuddered. Black light erupted, and countless streams of black mist surged out to enter the bodies of the vicious ghosts. Their forms grew increasingly solid and ferocious. Yet instead of attacking Gu Tiannan directly, they charged toward one another and fused into a single entity!
This vicious ghost's build was not the least bit inferior to Gu Tiannan's. Seeing Gu Tiannan charging over, it met him head-on with savage ferocity, engaging in brutal melee.
Like two ferocious beasts colliding, rumbling tremors echoed incessantly throughout the cave. Gu Tiannan's strength was surprisingly even greater than the ghost's; a single rake of his claws left startling wounds across its body. Had it not been for the unending supply of black mist, the ghost would have been torn apart by Gu Tiannan long ago.
Qin Sang had not expected Gu Tiannan's true strength to be so terrifying. He estimated that Gu Tiannan would rank among the very peak of cultivators at the thirteenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage. Fortunately, Gu Tiannan lost his sanity after transforming and could no longer use magic tools, relying purely on brute physical strength. Otherwise, the Ten Directions Yanluo Array might not have been able to trap him.
Not daring to delay any longer, Qin Sang swallowed another elixir. Once the spiritual power in his body recovered, he immediately directed his attack.
Swoosh!
The ebony sword's sword qi flared brilliantly, coordinating with the vicious ghost to pincer Gu Tiannan.
It was, after all, a fragment of a magic treasure. Gu Tiannan's formidable physique could not entirely withstand the ebony sword, and sword wounds multiplied across his body. Blood flowed freely, his aura grew weaker, and the vicious ghost began to take the upper hand.
The ghost roared at the ceiling, seized an opening, and threw Gu Tiannan over, leaping onto him and pinning him firmly to the ground. Qin Sang's eyes lit up. Seizing the opportunity, he drove the ebony sword with all his might.
A dazzling streak of sword light descended from above, piercing straight into Gu Tiannan's heart with unerring precision.
Blood gushed like a fountain.
Gu Tiannan, who had been struggling violently, suddenly froze. The madness in his eyes gradually ebbed away, and his body deflated like a punctured balloon, reverting to his original form.
His eyes were wide, unresigned even in death, as he was devoured by the vicious ghost.
Qin Sang put away the Yanluo Banners and the ebony sword. Spotting the mustard seed bag at Gu Tiannan's waist, he waved his hand to summon it, sending his spiritual sense inside. He quickly found a jade slip.
After examining the jade slip's contents, Qin Sang's brow furrowed tightly. After a moment of contemplation, he moved toward the depths of the cave. Gu Yuan apparently had not managed to shake off the white cat yet, and it would be best to capture him alive.
Chapter 122: Spirit Eye and a Deal
Nearing the end of the cave, Qin Sang saw azure light flooding the space ahead, followed by the white cat emerging from the glow.
"Young Master, did you kill Gu Tiannan?"
Qin Sang nodded and had the white cat release Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan was far weaker than Gu Tiannan; even after transforming, he was not difficult to handle. Qin Sang left Gu Yuan with a breath of life, sealing his cultivation in preparation for an interrogation later.
At that moment, the white cat walked up to Qin Sang, bowed, and said, "On behalf of Hei Wa, I thank Young Master Qin for your chivalrous heart in avenging him. He can finally rest in peace."
Qin Sang felt secretly ashamed. Looking at the unconscious villagers lying at the back of the cave, he considered for a moment, then tossed over a bottle of healing pills and said to the white cat, "Dissolve the pills in this bottle with water and feed them to these people; it should replenish their depleted qi and blood. Wake them up and escort them down the mountain. Though you are a demon, you carry no scent of blood, so I will not make things difficult for you. I hope you will take care of yourself from now on, or even that green bamboo of yours won't be able to save your life."
After offering a few words of warning to the white cat, Qin Sang picked up Gu Yuan and turned to leave.
"Young Master, please wait!"
The white cat called out suddenly to stop Qin Sang.
Qin Sang turned back and noticed a hint of anticipation in the cat's eyes. He could not help feeling curious. Gu Tiannan was already dead, so what else did she want?
"What else is there?"
The white cat hesitated, then said, "Young Master has a kind and benevolent heart... I would like to make a deal with you, if you are willing."
A deal?
In the dim, gloomy cave, negotiating a deal face-to-face with a cat gave Qin Sang an odd sensation.
Just then, he noticed the white cat's fur bristling slightly, as though she were very nervous. His heart stirred. Could this cat demon possess something of value?
"Let's hear it," Qin Sang replied noncommittally.
The white cat hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Young Master should know what a spirit eye is, right?"
After saying this, a wary expression surfaced in the cat's eyes. She subtly drew the green bamboo closer to her chest. The bamboo faintly radiated a dim azure glow, as if she were prepared to flee at any moment.
"A spirit eye?"
Qin Sang's eyes lit up, and he pressed urgently, "You know where a spirit eye is?"
The spiritual energy between heaven and earth varied in abundance. In places where spiritual energy was dense, it would accumulate over time, gradually forming spirit veins of various sizes. The spiritual energy along a spirit vein was far richer than elsewhere, and most cultivators' cave abodes were established upon them.
A small spirit vein could support several cultivation abodes for cultivators to use.
A large spirit vein, such as the one at Yuanzhao Peak, was sufficient to serve as the foundation of a cultivation sect once an array was laid down. Such veins were exceedingly rare, with few to be found across the entire Lesser Cold Domain. It was said that the spirit vein of Shaohua Mountain was even superior to that of Yuanzhao Peak.
It was precisely for this reason that when people heard the Supreme Sect Master of the Yuanzhao Sect had decisively self-detonated their spirit vein, they found it so inconceivable. Still, the Yuanzhao Sect had later taken over the Kuiyin Sect's foundation, balancing out the gains and losses.
To cultivators, wealth, companions, methods, and land were all indispensable. What cultivators referred to as 'land' mostly meant the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within their cultivation cave abodes.
Cultivators who could not find a spirit vein could purchase a courtyard in a cultivation market if they had deep pockets, or simply set up a Spirit Gathering Array of their own. Impoverished cultivators had to endure thin spiritual energy, causing their cultivation progress to lag behind others for no other reason.
A spirit eye was the very confluence of spiritual power within a spirit vein. However, not every spirit vein could produce a spirit eye; only the purest spirit veins, where spiritual energy was concentrated to the utmost, could give rise to such a wondrous location. It was something one could only encounter by chance, without a doubt the finest choice for establishing a cave abode.
If news of an ownerless spirit eye were leaked, it would drive countless cultivators mad and inevitably provoke a massive war.
No wonder the cat demon was being so cautious. An innocent person invites disaster simply by possessing a treasure. What was more, they were human and demon; given the deep-seated prejudices of the cultivation world, mutual trust was inherently difficult.
Qin Sang's cultivation had previously been modest, so his requirements for spiritual energy had not been overly demanding. Now that he had broken through to the eleventh layer, he felt that the spiritual energy in his cave abode at Dichen Cave was beginning to stretch thin.
Even if he returned to Shaohua Mountain to cultivate, the prime cave abodes had long been occupied by senior martial brothers and martial uncles; the abode he would be allocated might not be much better than Dichen Cave.
If he could secure a spirit eye, it would be of immense benefit to his future cultivation.
With his poor innate aptitude, he could not afford to pass up any opportunity that could increase his cultivation speed. But he wondered what kind of deal this cat demon wanted to make.
Feeling the eagerness in Qin Sang's gaze, the white cat involuntarily clamped her tail, her fur bristling even more conspicuously. Her voice carried obvious nervousness. "After that senior enlightened me, he helped me find a spirit eye. Ever since then, I have stayed hidden inside the spirit eye to cultivate. If you are willing to make a deal, I can sell the spirit eye to you."
Hearing this, Qin Sang said in astonishment, "Do you know what a spirit eye represents?"
He had not expected the cat demon to actually sell her own cave abode. For any practitioner, this was unquestionably the height of foolishness.
The white cat sighed softly. "I know, but I have no other choice. I have no follow-up cultivation techniques, and I haven't made any progress for years. Before that senior left, he said he would return in a few years to take me away, but he never appeared again. The demons I meet around here are all unenlightened demon beasts that cultivate by instinct; they cannot give me guidance. Because I am a demon, I fear being slain by cultivators, so I dare not approach other cultivators and have no companions to discuss the Dao with. In the past, I once met a rogue cultivator who tricked me and later tried to skin me to refine into a magic tool. I truly have no way out. I've heard that the Heavenly Demon Mound in the west is entirely populated by demon beasts..."
Listening to the white cat, Qin Sang finally understood her intentions.
Unwilling to let her path of cultivation be severed, she was ready to brave danger, abandon her safe cave abode, and trek thousands of miles across human territory to seek the Dao at the Heavenly Demon Mound.
This reminded Qin Sang of his former self.
The cat demon was indeed prudent, knowing that trust between humans and demons was hard to come by. She had helped Hei Wa partly because of an ancestral bond, and partly because she wanted to make contact with a disciple of an orthodox sect to carry out this deal.
If Qin Sang would not tolerate Gu Tiannan, it proved he possessed a righteous heart; had he colluded with Gu Tiannan, the white cat would never have mentioned it at all.
The cat demon's thinking was still rather naive, though it was likely born of desperation.
Qin Sang naturally wanted the spirit eye, but he was crystal clear on its value. Among the things on him, only the ebony sword, the black pearl, and the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners were presentable, yet none of those could possibly be traded away.
"What do you want?" Qin Sang asked tentatively.
The white cat seemed to have prepared her answer, saying with some urgency, "I'm not greedy. I only want a detailed map to the Heavenly Demon Mound, as well as a few magic tools for self-defense."
Qin Sang nodded, sinking into contemplation. He already had a map of the Lesser Cold Domain on hand, but selecting magic tools was somewhat tricky, and might not satisfy the cat demon's appetite.
Chapter 121