Though Qin Sang was free from the peril of an inner demon tribulation, a layer of dust had settled over his heart, something external objects could hardly sweep away.
Qingjun, too, had once carried a blood debt as deep as the sea and fallen into demonic obstruction before clawing her way out with great difficulty. She empathized deeply with Qin Sang, yet she also understood that pointing it out directly would achieve little.
Qin Sang had just fought a bout with Dongyang Bo, making this the perfect opportunity.
"Thank you for the enlightenment, Senior Sister."
The look in Qin Sang's eyes shifted unpredictably before finally settling into tranquility. He felt as though a layer of dust had been swept clean, leaving his mind lucid and transparent.
Back then, he had been treated like a plaything, manipulated at another's whim. Two centuries of deeply rooted resentment were no small matter.
Today, he had finally laid it to rest.
Had there not been so many people present, it would not have been excessive for him to bow deeply to his senior sister.
Naturally, this did not mean he had forgotten the enmity between himself and Dongyang Bo; perhaps only a saint could achieve such a feat.
As the saying went, the tree craves stillness, but the wind will not cease.
Once Dongyang Bo returned, how could he let matters rest? There would surely be further entanglements in the future, and what needed to be done still had to be done.
Yet Qin Sang could now view it with calm detachment.
His gaze was no longer trapped in this grudge; instead, he looked toward his next heavenly tribulation and toward even higher realms of cultivation.
Smiling, Qingjun nodded and turned the topic to other matters. "This Nascent Soul talisman puppet should have been crafted through the Dao of talisman soldiers. Still, all Great Daos converge. Once this affair is concluded, I can try to help you find a method of control, and perhaps gain some insights of my own along the way. Even if this puppet is not the strongest to have emerged in the Beichen Realm, it cannot be far off."
Qin Sang also said, "A hundred ghosts dwell inside the puppet. Subjugating and controlling it will likely be no easy task."
"Since Dongyang Bo already knows it was you, there is no longer any need to disguise yourself as a demon king in the future," Qingjun reminded him. "Rather than letting Dongyang Bo make an issue of it, it would be better to reveal your identity proactively."
Qin Sang had considered this as well. Glancing around at the others, he said, "Revealing it outright would be too abrupt. I still need to find an appropriate opportunity. Besides, I will also have to give the demon race an explanation."
While they conversed in secret, the others had all gathered.
Demon Monarch Tongyou said, "Fellow Daoist Xiang and I just scouted ahead. We confirmed that the direction from which the blood souls attacked happens to align with the location where the phenomenon appeared earlier. These blood souls are exceedingly strange, appearing out of nowhere. Combined with the earlier anomaly, it is likely that Old Demon Ye triggered an ancient restriction and inadvertently released them."
"Does the Holy Monarch mean we should head straight to where the phenomenon occurred?" someone asked.
Demon Monarch Tongyou shook his head. "We shall split our forces! Both the basin's center and the site of the phenomenon are possible targets. Old Demon Ye is cunning; he may have deliberately staged the anomaly to mislead us, so we have no choice but to investigate. Sin Abyss possesses potent methods, and sending lone scouts would be no different from herding sheep into a tiger's jaws. If we split into two teams and form battle arrays, we will be able to hold our ground for a time even if we encounter Sin Abyss. Once you locate them, remember to exercise restraint and avoid picking a fight on your own. Send word to the other team and wait until everyone is assembled before making a move. This will cost us some time, but with this place densely covered in ancient restrictions, they will not be able to achieve their objective easily either."
These two locations were the most peculiar and the most likely to be Old Demon Ye's true goal. They had previously suspected the center of the basin, but after being disrupted, it was impossible to tell which one it was.
Given the circumstances, the crowd did not argue for long, choosing instead to trust Demon Monarch Tongyou.
Qin Sang and Qingjun joined Daoist Chongyi and the others to head for the site of the phenomenon, while Demon Monarch Tongyou led the other half toward the basin's center.
Along the way, the blood souls grew increasingly numerous, but having prepared themselves, the cultivators did not repeat their past mistakes. They slaughtered freely as they hurried forward, yet never lowered their guard, staying alert for any Sin Abyss ambush.
Qin Sang walked shoulder to shoulder with Qingjun, releasing Fat Chicken from time to time so it could sense its kin.
Having traveled without mishap for quite some time, they finally laid eyes on their destination.
"It is actually a mountain of corpses!"
Everyone looked up at the sight before them, expressions filled with shock and doubt.
Before them stood a peak of modest height, nowhere near as majestic as the mountain ranges encircling the basin. The entire mountain was enveloped in blood mist.
Yet the mountain was exceedingly bizarre. Ancient restrictions blanketed its slopes, and blood light saturated the whole mountain, obscuring everything from view, while the summit alone lay exposed.
Hanging from the sheer cliffs on all four sides of the summit were massive black iron cages, each large enough to hold three or four people.
Most of the iron cages were severely damaged, but within the few intact ones lay skeletons wrapped in iron chains!
Hung here to endure the ceaseless scourging of yin winds alongside an array of tormenting tortures, the occupants had been slowly tortured to death.
The onlookers were chilled to the bone. The cultivators imprisoned in those cages had undoubtedly possessed cultivation far surpassing their own, yet they had been locked away to die here, leaving behind only stark white bones.
Upon arriving, they saw no sign of Old Demon Ye or his cohort, but they discovered that a patch of blood light behind the mountain was violently roiling, a clear sign of an anomaly.
"Just earlier, blood light soared into the sky from here, reflecting upon the blood mist!" Qingjun said in a heavy voice.
Rounding to the back of the mountain, they saw only an enormous blood-colored ceremonial archway towering at the mountain's base, with a flight of stone steps leading straight upward.
The archway was dilapidated and battered, its inscription long since worn away.
It was impossible to tell what color the stone steps had originally been; by now, the encroaching blood mist had corroded them into bloodstone.
"There is no one at the foot of the mountain, but there is no word from Fellow Daoist Tongyou either. Let us form a battle array and head up to inspect it first. Everyone, take care."
Daoist Chongyi took the lead, flanked on either side by his two disciples to guard the formation.
Qingjun brought up the rear, while Qin Sang was protected in the center. Knowing his perception was sharp, they had him focus on circulating his profound arts.
Qin Sang was glad for the ease. Silently channeling his Heavenly Eye divine ability, he remained vigilant against an ambush. Maintaining their array, the group passed beneath the archway. Hindered by ancient restrictions, they advanced steadily, securing each step as they made their slow ascent.
Unbeknownst even to Qin Sang, shortly after they entered the mountain, a figure silently flickered into view in the distant void—the Blood Demon avatar of Old Demon Ye.
A sneer crossed the avatar's face. "Old Demon Tongyou is cunning indeed, but luring half their forces here makes my arrangements worthwhile. Pity that Mingyue brat is also present, making it difficult to approach. Otherwise, this old man would certainly have made you taste the ancient restrictions of Corpse Mountain! A mere petty demon, daring to meddle in the struggles of our human race—reckless fool!"
The avatar turned and vanished into the blood mist, leaving behind a cold scoff. His arrangements here were far more extensive than this, but wary of Qin Sang, he had no choice but to give them up.
As alert as Demon Monarch Tongyou was, Old Demon Ye had still succeeded.
This was an overt ploy designed solely to delay their progress. Forced to divide their forces and tread with timid caution, the Xiaohan Realm granted Old Demon Ye and his group far more time.
...
"Not good! We've been duped!"
Halfway up the mountain, Daoist Chongyi suddenly cried out. The letter sword in his hand vibrated—it was a transmission from Demon Monarch Tongyou.
Everyone exchanged glances. Just as Demon Monarch Tongyou had previously suspected, Old Demon Ye had planted bait here and drawn the blood souls to guide them this way, concealing his true objective.
It was unknown what trick Old Demon Ye had used, but the blood souls had been lured here by him to obstruct their advance.
Fortunately, he could not actively command them; otherwise, they would have had no choice but to flee in disarray.
"Quick, move!"
The group dared not hesitate, rapidly descending the mountain and charging straight for the center of the basin.
Meeting no obstruction along the way, they arrived at the center of the basin, yet still saw no trace of Old Demon Ye and his party.
The two blood gates were tightly shut, and Demon Monarch Tongyou and the others were bombarding them with all their might.
Chapter 1250