Progress

The rest of their journey passed without incident. As they neared Hukou Pass, Qin Sang and the Snake King grew exceedingly vigilant, wary of an ambush set by Sin Abyss. Fortunately, there was no sign of anything amiss from Sin Abyss, and they returned safely to the Tianxing Plateau. The Snake King remained at Hukou Pass for the time being to confer with the Feather King about Old Demon Ye and the blood lake. Old Demon Ye was wildly ambitious and unfathomably powerful; the demon race needed to make preparations in advance as well. Once Qin Sang contacted the Two Domains Alliance and came over to provide testimony, the Snake King would then return to his mountain to nurse his injuries. Qin Sang returned alone to Mount Shiqu and went openly to meet Senior Sister Qingjun. After his previous visit to Mount Shiqu, Qin Sang and his senior sister had exchanged letters several times, making them appear well-acquainted on the surface. There was no need to meet in secret like last time. "Junior Brother, have you just returned from Sin Abyss? Did you run into something there?" Qingjun's cave dwelling was located inside what had once been a princely mansion in the city. She had been in quiet cultivation when Qin Sang disturbed her. Qin Sang had been waiting in the grand hall. When he saw his senior sister enter, the entire hall seemed to brighten several shades. She still wore a fiery crimson dress that formed a striking contrast with the cold, aloof demeanor she had exuded when he first saw her true appearance. However, as one drew close to her, one could still sense an otherworldly detachment—not unrelated to her approach to living. Back then, she had refined herself into a puppet to seal off her emotions and suppress inner demons. He did not know whether, after resolving the hidden perils of the Lifeless Demonic Seal, her temperament, cultivation, and everything else had been influenced by that ordeal. Although Qin Sang had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, his senior sister still gave him an aura of mystery, like a riddle he could never see through. "Can't I come visit Senior Sister unless there's an emergency?" Qin Sang stood up and smiled, but his tone soon turned solemn. "I discovered some interesting things in Sin Abyss, and I'd like to ask Senior Sister's thoughts first." "Oh? Could it be that Sin Abyss truly has ties to an ancient demon, and you found some clues?" With a wave of her hand, Qingjun set up a sound-isolating barrier. "Not that." Qin Sang shook his head. This time, he had traversed nearly the entirety of Abyss Ruins, Sin Abyss's most vital forbidden ground, yet had found no signs related to ancient demons. The senior sister and junior brother sat down facing each other. Qin Sang continued, "I happened to find a path within the Heavenly Scar and paid a visit to Abyss Ruins." Qingjun's eyes flashed with surprise. "Back then, I weighed the options repeatedly, but feared being exposed and trapped inside to die, so I never dared trespass. I didn't expect you to have the guts to venture into Abyss Ruins, Junior Brother." "Most of Sin Abyss's Nascent Soul cultivators are tied down on the front lines. The danger in Abyss Ruins now cannot be compared to back then, and besides, I had a way out." Qin Sang shook his head. "I ran into Old Demon Ye in Abyss Ruins..." Qingjun paused slightly, listening with a grave expression as Qin Sang recounted the encounter. Qin Sang and Old Demon Ye had only traded blows a few times while pursuing and fleeing; he could hardly claim to know the man well. He could only describe what he had observed and let his senior sister judge whether it was the true body or an incarnation. Then Qin Sang also recounted everything about the blood lake. After a moment of silent contemplation, Qingjun said, "I once guarded Daoist Zhenyi's flanks and watched him battle Old Demon Ye. The magic treasure you mentioned should be Old Demon Ye's Blood Moon Wheel. However, the man's repertoire is quite varied; not only are his blood dao secret arts perfected to the utmost degree, but he has also dabbled in five-element Daoist arts and other demonic techniques. He is exceptionally difficult to deal with. While you were away, both sides have been relatively quiet, with only small-scale skirmishes. Though Old Demon Ye hasn't been seen taking action, that alone isn't enough to conclude that what you met was his external incarnation." "Old Demon Ye gave me an impression even more dangerous than a true peak mid-Nascent Soul cultivator from Canglang Ocean. Relying solely on blood dao secret arts, he fought two of us at once and nearly forced out all my means," Qin Sang lamented. "If Old Demon Ye possesses an incarnation of this caliber, even without ancient demons, we will have to seriously consider an exit strategy." Qingjun, however, showed not the slightest worry. Lifting her gaze, she gave a light smile. "With secret arts like refined corpses, incarnations, second primordial spirits, and puppets, it's not unheard of for their power to exceed the cultivator's own. Either it costs enormous effort to refine, or it requires a tremendous serendipitous encounter. Old Demon Ye has been stuck at the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage for many years without a breakthrough, so it's only normal that he diverted his attention to refining an incarnation. That said, Daoist Zhenyi and Demon Monarch Tongyou are just as extraordinary. We might as well wait and see..." Qin Sang thought about it and realized she was right. When he had been at the mid-Golden Core stage, he had possessed a peak Golden Core external incarnation—though that was under the special circumstance of hitting a bottleneck and being unable to cultivate. Old Demon Ye had dominated Sin Abyss for years and was unfathomably deep; it wasn't surprising for him to possess such an incarnation. Qin Sang had said so much merely to warn his senior sister. Seeing her completely unfazed, he pressed the matter no further. If Old Demon Ye truly proved invincible, Qin Sang wouldn't fight to the death. Taking the little demons of the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea and a few juniors out to sea would afford just as carefree a life. Having discussed Old Demon Ye, Qingjun asked, "The matter of the blood lake, however, requires careful consideration. Although I've never set foot inside, I have heard a few legends; things there are quite unusual. This will likely require convening the cultivators of both domains to discuss together. When that time comes, you'll certainly need to give a firsthand account. Will that touch upon your secrets?" "The Snake King is currently at Hukou Pass. He'll be there as well." Qin Sang had already discussed this with the Snake King. He still did not wish to draw too much attention to himself and had pushed most of the credit onto the Snake King, who jokingly cursed him for being a slippery fox. The senior sister and junior brother chatted for a while longer. Qin Sang seized the opportunity to ask for advice on several cultivation perplexities, all of which Qingjun answered with ease, offering him ample guidance. This gave Qin Sang a renewed appreciation for his senior sister's capabilities. Before they knew it, over four hours had passed. Qin Sang stood up to take his leave and visit Meigu to see if there was any new progress. In her current appearance, it was inconvenient for Qingjun to go outside, so she only saw Qin Sang to the entrance of the hall. "I nearly forgot something! I've recently been meditating on the Demon Binding Rope and have made some headway. Though after expending so much effort, I wonder if there will even be a chance to use it." "Better to be prepared than caught off guard." Qin Sang secretly thought it would be better if it never saw use. Ancient demons were far too terrifying; he had no wish to run into a second one. Leaving the mansion, Qin Sang arrived at the courtyard from last time. Before long, Meigu received his signal and hurried over. Qin Sang sized up this nominal disciple of his and nodded in approval. "Not bad, your cultivation has progressed again." "Thank you for the spirit pills you bestowed, Master." Meigu looked extraordinarily excited. "Furthermore, this disciple followed Master's guidance to contemplate while fighting, which indeed proved remarkably effective. That is how I made such noticeable progress." This was the experience Qin Sang had accumulated while cultivating killing dao techniques; guiding Meigu with it was more than enough. A thought crossed his mind: later on, he might as well summon Li Yufu and the others to the front line in turns to temper themselves. With him watching over them anyway, there was no need to worry about their safety. "Seeing you so pleased, has there been some progress?" Qin Sang put away his stray thoughts and looked at his disciple with a smile. Meigu said with a grin, "Nothing escapes Master's discerning eye. Lately, this disciple took the initiative to get close to that fellow Daoist and probed discretely. I gathered some scattered pieces of information, and pieced together, they are enough to verify several things."