"Fellow Daoist speaks sense. Now that Sin Abyss's plan has been exposed, they must also guard against us taking the opportunity to counterattack, so Old Demon Ye will not dare take all his forces inside. We shall divide our forces into two: half will enter the Blood Lake, which will be enough to contend with them, and the other half will remain stationed on the Tianxing Plateau."
Daoist Zhenyi paused briefly, flicked the horsetail whisk in his hand, and smiled. "This poor daoist understands the Blood Lake far less than all of you, so it falls to me as a matter of duty to remain behind and guard against the army of Sin Abyss, seeking opportunities to probe and strike back. As for the matter of the Blood Lake, I leave it in your capable hands."
Sin Abyss had planned this meticulously; there were bound to be tremendous benefits inside the Blood Lake.
Yet it also entailed immense danger.
With Sin Abyss's army pressing at the gates, the Celestial Alliance bore the brunt of the onslaught, unlike the Xiaohan Realm, which still had room for a buffer.
Daoist Zhenyi sought only to preserve the Celestial Alliance in his lifetime and had little interest in the treasures of the Blood Lake, so he agreed without further ado.
Losing the chance to hunt for treasures left the two armored battle-generals somewhat disgruntled, but both took their lead entirely from Daoist Zhenyi and would never contradict his decision in front of outsiders.
Demon Monarch Tongyou had not expected Old Daoist Zhenyi to remain completely unmoved either. Cupping his hands, he responded, "Rest assured, Daoist Zhenyi. We will certainly live up to everyone's expectations and do everything in our power to thwart Old Demon Ye's conspiracy."
However, inside the Ice Crystal Palace were two demon kings who did not belong to the Xiaohan Realm.
Qingjun spoke up at an opportune moment. "It is entirely thanks to our two fellow daoists that we were able to see through Old Demon Ye's scheme. May I ask if the two of you, or any other demon kings, would be willing to lend a hand and venture into Sin Abyss with us to avenge yourselves for being hunted by Old Demon Ye?"
Demon Monarch Tongyou and the others had no objections; one more person meant one more chance of victory.
In truth, they did not object to other factions sharing a piece of the pie.
Whether they could repel Old Demon Ye and snatch food from the tiger's jaws was far from certain.
Quarreling now over treasures that did not yet belong to them would be utter foolishness.
The Snake King shook his head and refused on the spot. "This king has yet to heal from his wounds and urgently needs to return to my mountain to rest. Before my injuries heal, I dare not venture into dangerous places again, lest I never return. However, I can return and ask the Feather King what he thinks."
Qin Sang did not state his stance directly. "This king nearly lost his life at Old Demon Ye's hands. If there is a chance for revenge, nothing could please me more. However, Fellow Daoist Tongyou mentioned earlier that it will still be some time before the Blood Lake opens. It will not be too late to decide then."
Regarding the Thunder-Devouring Falcon Demon King being trapped in the Blood Lake, Qin Sang kept his lips sealed, not uttering a single word.
Even if the Thunder-Devouring Falcon Demon King was still alive, the situation would hardly be optimistic.
Anyone who learned that a demon king had been trapped in the Blood Lake for two hundred years and was at the end of his rope would be sorely tempted. That would not be saving him, but borrowing a knife to kill him.
...
The gathering of titans from both domains was not just for this one matter.
Qin Sang and the Snake King were tactful enough to take their leave early.
"I asked the Feather King what he thought. He has little interest in the Blood Lake and thinks this is a fine opportunity to let the humans test Old Demon Ye's true mettle. Humans are treacherous; those not of our kind are sure to have different hearts. If you go to the Blood Lake on your own, be exceedingly careful so as not to be plotted against."
The Snake King cautioned Qin Sang out of goodwill.
Having gone through adversity together, he now regarded Qin Sang as a bosom friend.
Qin Sang felt a touch of shame, wondering if the Snake King would turn hostile on the spot if he ever learned Qin Sang's true identity.
...
Not long after returning to Sandie Pass, his senior sister sent a transmission informing him of what had been discussed in the Ice Crystal Palace. Qin Sang gave it a brief glance, saw that none of it concerned him, and tossed it aside.
From then on, he remained at Sandie Pass.
Sin Abyss continued deploying its troops in an unhurried manner, and the two sides traded blows back and forth.
It was said that other battlefronts were raging with intensity, but at Sandie Pass, both sides seemed to have an unspoken agreement to slack off, sending out disciples to fight a fierce bout before sounding the retreat.
Si Di and Jing Lin both laughingly remarked that they were benefiting from Demon King Mingyue's presence, and they even had spare strength to reinforce other places.
This state of affairs served as the perfect trial ground for the juniors to temper themselves.
The demons of the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea rotated through Sandie Pass for experience. After all, with the Master protecting them, they hardly had to worry about their lives so long as they did not act too recklessly, so they signed up enthusiastically one after another.
The Snake King even sent the young demons of Mount Hualong over, asking Qin Sang to look after them on his behalf.
Those making the swiftest progress were undoubtedly Fat Chicken and Li Yufu.
Fat Chicken had completely stabilized its realm. Born with the divine ability to control lightning and possessing the treasures left behind by its mother, it rarely met an equal among those of the same rank; it was mainly the one keeping an eye on the young demons.
Having weathered the ups and downs of his grandmaster's demise and receiving Qin Sang's personal guidance, Li Yufu gained insights through battle and finally found an opportunity to break through, returning to his cave dwelling for secluded cultivation.
Having learned that his father might still be in the world of the living, Tan Yi'en felt thoroughly reassured and was now preparing with all his might to charge for the Golden Core stage.
After stabilizing his cultivation, Bai Hanqiu also took the initiative to come to the battlefield to temper himself.
Disciples hailing from the Demon Flame Sect, such as Meigu, were looked after by Qingjun and had all made their own progress.
The White Crane and his lovely wife were inseparable, flying side by side like lovebirds, their minds not on cultivation at all. There was not a trace left of the anxiety and misery he had felt before marriage, leaving Fat Chicken somewhat green with envy.
Of the two major retainers under Yunyouzi, the prudent and steady Old Willow took turns with the Old Macaque traveling overseas to search for a cave dwelling site; they found several places, but none proved entirely satisfactory.
Qin Sang was also observing these demon beasts to see whom he could pass the Heavenly Demon Refining Form to.
The one he favored most was the White Cat.
Its aptitude was decent, or else it would not have been enlightened and taken in as a disciple by Yunyouzi. Moreover, the White Cat was exceptionally diligent and single-mindedly devoted to the Dao; Qin Sang saw a reflection of himself in it.
Passing down the Heavenly Demon Refining Form would, for one, establish his own lineage within the demon race, and for another, allow the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea to grow strong relying on this technique, thus living up to what Yunyouzi had entrusted to him.
As for the Essence Cultivation Sword Chapter, Qin Sang weighed the matter for a long time and decided not to pass it on to outsiders, nor would he leave it to Qingyang Temple in the future.
The Essence Cultivation Sword Chapter was different from the Heavenly Demon Refining Form; it involved an extraordinary treasure like the Killing Sword.
He did not know whether treasures possessing artifact spirits were numerous in ancient times, but their value was certainly beyond measure.
If someone with ulterior motives discovered both cultivation manuals kept at Qingyang Temple, wouldn't that be telling them plainly that the two Killing Sword fragments were in his hands?
This was by no means impossible.
Bai, the mysterious figure who had escaped from the Abyss Ruins, and the Azure Luan's lingering consciousness in the stone slab all proved that ancient cultivators surviving to the present day were not isolated cases; they were hidden deep.
Among them, there were bound to be those who recognized the true nature of such treasures.
He had no wish to invite a lethal calamity upon himself over this.
These were the embryonic foundations of the faction under Qin Sang's banner, thriving and growing stronger with each passing day.
Qin Sang presided over the Cold Bell Grand Array, staying inside his quiet room without venturing out. First was to cultivate, as one's cultivation realm was the foundation of all things; second was to continue comprehending the Seven Po Killing Array.
In the Abyss Ruins, the Seven Po Killing Array had displayed its prowess for the first time, aiding him in seizing treasures from within the evil spirit.
However, when driving the sword array against the enemy, Qin Sang had discovered flaws and oversights he had not previously noticed. That had not been the Seven Po Killing Array's true power!
It was a pity he could not fight a hearty, all-out battle against Old Demon Ye, which surely would have yielded deeper insights.
Qin Sang knew this could not be achieved overnight, so he was in no hurry.
Without realizing it, more than a year passed just like that.
On this day, Qin Sang quietly departed Sandie Pass and arrived at the Demon Flame Sect.
Three days later, Xiang Qing would return to his mountain, and the factions seeking shelter under the Qingyang Demonic Sect would choose this day to go to the sect and present their tributes.
Chapter 1221