"Canghong, it seems you didn't take the Kuyuan Pill. What a pity, what a pity..."
Daoist Zhenyi held command over the Celestial Alliance and had clashed with Sin Abyss for many years; he and Daoist Canghong were old rivals with grievances built up over decades.
Seeing Sin Abyss reduced to such a wretched state, Old Daoist Zhenyi could not help but gloat, sneering, "You all prided yourselves on peerless intellect, yet you were run in circles by Old Demon Ye and nearly lost everything. Word of this will make you the laughingstock of the entire world!"
"Old bull nose, if an opportunity to break through were placed right before you, I don't believe you wouldn't be tempted," Daoist Canghong retorted coldly with a sneer.
As he spoke, he cast a glance at Qu Huan, knowing full well that this traitor must have leaked the secret.
Because of Qu Huan's betrayal, Sin Abyss could no longer conceal the truth. Their situation had worsened, making negotiations far more difficult.
Standing beside Daoist Zhenyi, Qu Huan wore a faint smile, nodding in greeting with complete nonchalance. Since he had dared to defect from Sin Abyss, he feared offending no one.
A flash of disdain crossed Daoist Canghong's eyes, and he ignored him.
Upon hearing those words, Daoist Zhenyi's expression stiffened.
Old Demon Ye had planned so deeply and laid his schemes for so long; had it been any of them, they likely would have fallen into the trap as well.
Daoist Canghong had already been cautious enough, testing the pill's effects on juniors and holding back from taking the Kuyuan Pill for so long. Otherwise, Sin Abyss would have been wiped out in one fell swoop by Old Demon Ye.
"Qin is quite curious," Qin Sang suddenly spoke up. "What exactly happened when you fellow Daoists hunted the demon in the Sin God Palace back then? Why did so many people walk into the trap without realizing it? Could Daoist Canghong enlighten us?"
Since this was a trap set by Old Demon Ye, had that demon truly died, or was its death a sham?
The Sin God Palace sealed demons, and the Nether Crystal Pagoda's aura closely resembled that of the Demon Sovereign. Connecting all these clues gave Qin Sang a foul premonition that he had to guard against.
He had no desire to face the Demon Sovereign again.
Qu Huan did not know the details, but Daoist Canghong was an eyewitness and might reveal something informative.
Daoist Canghong did not play coy. He nodded to Qin Sang and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Qin wishes to know, this poor Daoist shall recount the events in full. After all, there is no longer any need to conceal them."
"Thank you, Daoist Canghong," Qin Sang said, cupping his hands in courtesy.
Demon Monarch Tongyou and the others also had their curiosity piqued.
For a moment, everyone seemed to set aside the negotiations.
Below them, the battle between both armies raged on, shouts of slaughter echoing to the heavens.
The earth shook, and the golden protective barrier flickered continuously.
To the east, morning clouds filled the sky, bathing the cloud terrace in the golden glow of the rising sun.
A look of reminiscence crossed Daoist Canghong's face. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Though many years have passed, this poor Daoist remembers it as if it were yesterday. The Sin God Palace is similar to the Blood Lake; both are places where ancient fiends and demons were sealed and suppressed. In ancient times, they were likely part of the same entity. As such, the scenery inside the Sin God Palace is vastly different from that of the Ziwei Palace, containing numerous sealed domains. Over the years, we broke through several seals, only to find the demons had long since perished—save for one exception, that very demon. A fellow cultivator discovered the demon-sealing grounds and nearly unsealed it. Fortunately, he sensed something amiss at the final moment and sent word just before being devoured. After being tormented for who knows how many millennia, the demon had lost its sanity, becoming bloodthirsty and deranged. We gathered at the sealing grounds and engaged it in a bitter battle."
At this point, Daoist Canghong let out a long sigh, a flicker of regret showing in his eyes. "Old Demon Ye was not present at the time. The demon possessed formidable strength, and we were unable to match it, so we took the initiative to invite Old Demon Ye and others to join us. When it came time to perform soul searching on the demon, Fellow Daoist Tianzheng and I acted in person to prevent Old Demon Ye from tampering with it.
"As you all know, performing soul searching becomes exponentially harder the higher the target's cultivation, and such entities almost always have countermeasures.
"Fortunately, the demon had been driven mad by torment. Relying on an ancestral secret treasure of the Xingheng Sect, we were able to extract a few fragments from its remnant soul.
"That was precisely why we never suspected Old Demon Ye.
"The formula for the Kuyuan Pill came from that soul searching, but the method for refining the Nether Crystal Pagoda was actually discovered by a fellow Daoist from the Xingheng Sect while exploring another secret realm. Who could have imagined that both were traps laid by Old Demon Ye?
"As for whether Old Demon Ye had long been colluding with the demon, or whether the demon itself was merely a pawn in his hands, that remains unknown."
After listening to Daoist Canghong's tale, Qin Sang and his companions exchanged glances. They knew Daoist Canghong was certainly withholding some secrets, but the events he described were likely true.
Qin Sang then asked about the demon's methods of attack.
Qin Sang inquired in great detail. Although Daoist Canghong could not guess his motives, he still recalled everything carefully. In truth, the demon had been entirely unhinged at the time, displaying no coherent patterns.
Once he finished asking, Qin Sang fell into deep thought.
From Daoist Canghong's description, the demon had never used soul attacks resembling the Split-Essence God-Slashing technique.
"Are you certain that demon was completely annihilated?" Demon Monarch Tongyou asked with a furrowed brow.
"The demon's soul scattered right before my eyes," Daoist Canghong replied. "Someone was keeping watch over Old Demon Ye the entire time, so he had no chance to tamper with anything—no remnant soul could have survived! Nor could the demon have easily possessed Old Demon Ye in front of so many people; any drastic change in temperament would have been nearly impossible to disguise without flaws. It is virtually certain that this entire scheme was crafted by Old Demon Ye from start to finish. What matters is the role he was playing behind the scenes."
"In other words, you suffered a catastrophic blow and still don't even know what Old Demon Ye's goal is?" Daoist Zhenyi sneered, then steered the conversation back on track. "Since you wish to sue for peace, why not show some sincerity first? Hand over the refinement method for the Nether Crystal Pagoda."
The Nether Crystal Pagoda was undeniably a lethal weapon on the battlefield.
Sin Abyss's monopoly over it had always posed a great threat.
Only if they relinquished the Nether Crystal Pagoda would the Alliance have no cause to worry about releasing a tiger back into the mountains.
"Very well!"
To everyone's surprise, Daoist Canghong agreed without hesitation. He immediately retrieved a jade slip and placed it between the two parties.
"The refinement method is inside."
All five members of the Two Domains Alliance were thoroughly astonished, quickly realizing there had to be a catch.
Over the years, the number of Nether Crystal Pagodas held by Sin Abyss had never increased.
The undamaged pagodas had been destroyed by Old Demon Ye.
It was very likely that they were missing a crucial component and could no longer forge new ones!
"Does refining the Nether Crystal Pagoda require some exceptionally harsh conditions?" Qu Huan asked in confusion. Although he had held status in Sin Abyss, he had never been privy to their core secrets.
Daoist Canghong did not answer. Pausing briefly, he said, "Aside from the Nether Crystal Pagoda, there is another condition you will find impossible to refuse. Sin Abyss can open the Sin God Palace to both domains. From now on, you will be able to enter the Ziwei Palace through the Sin God Palace, without needing to expend massive resources setting up defensive arrays to breach the Ziwei Palace's guardian immortal formation."
This condition was indeed enticing.
Doing this would cause Sin Abyss virtually no loss, as the Sin God Palace fell far short of the Ziwei Palace. Anything easily obtainable had already been plundered, and future competition between both sides would center on the treasures within the Ziwei Palace.
Qin Sang and his companions were no fools either. Sensing that Daoist Canghong had an ulterior motive for inviting them into the Sin God Palace, Qin Sang asked in alarm, "Did Old Demon Ye flee into the Sin God Palace?"
Chapter 1308