Unsealing

The cloud cluster of the ancient restriction was dyed into blood-red clouds, with bloody vapor permeating everywhere. Qin Sang suspected that the blood miasma along the edge of Boundless Valley had formed under the influence of this bloody aura. Peering through the ancient restriction, he caught a faint glimpse of the Blood Lake's boundaries. It was less than half the size of the one in the Abyss Ruins, but the aura emanating from it was identical, which was why Fat Chick had recognized it at a glance. The blood within the lake seemed like rootless water, flowing forth from the void. At that moment, the seal of the Blood Lake was in turmoil, and crimson waves surged repeatedly. Not only did it ripple across the immediate vicinity, but other parts of the inner valley were also affected. Qin Sang observed the seal on the Blood Lake closely, sensing that this place was merely the tip of the iceberg of the entire restriction. He secretly commanded the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to activate its divine ability and gaze into the Blood Lake, but within his line of sight lay only endless bloody water, revealing nothing else. "After Fellow Daoist brought back that news last time, we gathered secret records regarding Boundless Valley and the Blood Lake from all over and studied them together, forming several conjectures about this Blood Lake." Xiang Qing stepped up, watching the Blood Lake with his hands behind his back. "In ancient times, the two blood lakes were likely one and the same, separated across different places for reasons unknown. Since the seal was never completely severed, the internal spaces should still be connected even though they span half of the Beichen Realm. The great divine abilities of the ancient cultivators truly evoke marvel." Qin Sang asked, "In other words, could these two forbidden areas have originated from the same place—one crashing into the Heavenly Scar to form the Abyss Ruins, and the other falling here to form Boundless Valley?" Xiang Qing nodded. "That is very likely. You mentioned last time that you suspected the Abyss Ruins was used to suppress an ancient demon. Little did anyone realize that Boundless Valley once possessed independent seals just like the Abyss Ruins. However, they suffered severe damage and were not preserved as intact as those in the Abyss Ruins. That was how the inner valley turned into a perilous forbidden area littered everywhere with fragmented seals. Even if any ancient cultivators were suppressed here, they would have perished long ago back then." As he spoke, Xiang Qing raised his head and gazed toward the boundless north. "Do not forget, Fellow Daoist, that Ziwei Palace and Sin God Palace lie even farther apart, yet they are likewise connected via demonic caves. That proves Sin God Palace, and perhaps even the Abyss Ruins, was once part of Ziwei Palace. "Looking at it now, the famous secret realms of our Beichen Realm are probably all related to Ziwei Palace. "Unlike the ancient cultivator cave dwellings in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, Ziwei Palace did not originally belong to the Beichen Realm. It was struck down here from some unknown place. "Back then, a cataclysm struck Ziwei Palace. Perhaps the master of Ziwei Palace encountered an invincible foe who shattered their very mountain gate, sending countless fragments plummeting into the mortal world." The conjecture Xiang Qing spoke of was also the one generally accepted by all as the most probable. From the endless storms circling the Beichen Realm, one could deduce that a terrifying war must have occurred in the ancient era, causing devastation that could not subside even after ten thousand generations. It was not at all surprising that Ziwei Palace had been shattered. The main body of Ziwei Palace had fallen onto the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, while Sin God Palace had landed in the Heavenly Scar, spanning the entire Beichen Realm. Boundless Valley was perhaps one of the larger fragments, while other smaller fragments had their traces worn away after their restrictions crumbled. Qin Sang knew even more. Aside from Sin God Palace, there was also the Hall of Seven Kills—which had deep ties to Ziwei Palace—that had fallen into the distant Canglang Ocean. Xiang Qing looked up at the firmament, his face filled with yearning. "Above the nine heavens, or deep within the storms, there must surely be a vaster world. I wonder if I will ever have the chance in this life to walk out of this cage..." Qin Sang remained silent. He had traveled through the Xiaohan Realm, the Canglang Ocean, and the Demon Sea. Without exception, every cultivator who knew of the Storm Belt regarded it as a cage, hoping that one day they might walk out into the world beyond. After expressing their sentiments, the two turned the topic back to the Blood Lake. "If that is the case, could an ancient demon also be suppressed within the Blood Lake?" Qin Sang stared at the Blood Lake, his brow furrowing slightly. Xiang Qing hummed in acknowledgment and said, "We considered such a possibility before. However, Old Demon Ye cannot fail to understand the consequences of releasing an ancient demon that has survived until now. Even if Old Demon Ye has gone mad, the others wouldn't join him in his madness. Of course, we have still made some preparations..." Qin Sang nodded secretly to himself. In the Hall of Seven Kills, releasing the ancient demon had been pure coincidence. Only the masters of the Three Great Merchant Alliances and Green Bamboo's demonic soul had been seduced by the ancient demon, and each harbored their own hidden motives. If the Flood Dragon King, the Grand Shaman, the Demon Lord, and Lingzhuzi had known beforehand just how terrifying the ancient demon monarch was, they certainly would never have dared to entertain such thoughts. The demon might be able to beguile Old Demon Ye alone, but it could not command the entire Sin Abyss to serve it; otherwise, why go through so much trouble? Nascent Soul patriarchs were all shrewd schemers, not easily fooled. "There is another piece of supporting evidence," the cultivator surnamed Hong said, walking over to add. "When the Boundless Blood Mulberry emerged into the world, the Blood Lake's seal was opened once, and within it was like purgatory. If any ancient demon had survived until now, it would have escaped back then." The righteous and demonic factions of the Xiaohan Realm had joined forces to scour the relics of a Nascent Soul cultivator who had once fought over the Boundless Blood Mulberry, unearthing a record of those events. While the three conversed, the Core Formation cultivators stood obediently at the perimeter, not daring to draw close. A few hours later, Demon Monarch Tongyou, Qingjun, and the others arrived side by side. As the sole demon king present, Qin Sang conscientiously stood off to the side, leisurely watching their actions. His gaze occasionally swept over Dongyang Bo, a sharp glint flickering deep within his eyes. The enemy was in the open, while he remained in the shadows. In an unknown, perilous place like the Blood Lake, finding an opportunity would be much easier. If a Nascent Soul patriarch suffered bad luck and died inside, it would be entirely normal, and afterward no one would ever uncover the slightest clue. One had to admit that this was the best opportunity for revenge. With the grand formation deployed by the eighteen demonic banners, Qin Sang was confident that his strength was not inferior to Demon Monarch Tongyou and the others, and he should be a cut above Dongyang Bo. Yet that did not mean he could slay Dongyang Bo. Controlling demonic fire through the demonic banners could hardly be kept completely airtight. Dongyang Bo was at the helm of a prestigious sect and possessed countless treasures. He was not lacking in life-preserving methods; if he was bent on escaping, the chances of pinning him down were slim. Should that happen, Qin Sang would expose himself and step into the light. Once Dongyang Bo was on guard, finding another opportunity later would become even more difficult. In Qin Sang's mind, the most ideal time to strike would be after the fire lotus seed sprouted and Bai advanced into a corpse king. Qin Sang secretly felt it was a pity. Finding the bone curse had happened too late, and it wasn't a complete one either. As luck would have it, Bai was currently at the crucial juncture of comprehending the bone curse. If only Old Demon Ye had moved a bit more slowly. Otherwise, teaming up with Bai to ambush Dongyang Bo once he was isolated would have given them a very high chance of taking him down. Even if Dongyang Bo were killed, having Bai around would mean their faction wouldn't lose much combat power. Bai possessed a mysterious background and could not be treated lightly; once he made his breakthrough, his strength would be far beyond what an ordinary corpse king could compare to. Bai was searching for his lost memories and was intensely interested in secret realms, so he would definitely have been willing to come. ... Demon Monarch Tongyou and the others laid down a spirit formation above the Blood Lake. The Core Formation cultivators retreated far into the distance; during this period, several more had arrived one after another. Qin Sang stepped aside and watched as Dongyang Bo and Demon Monarch Tongyou took their posts at their respective formation eyes, driving the grand formation in unison to crash violently against the seal!