Jinghai Sect

The waning process was also exceedingly slow. Scorching heat rolled forth in waves, dyeing the sky a fiery red. Had there been any islands nearby, the living creatures on them would surely have been charred to cinders. Even at night, this expanse of sea was illuminated by the pillar of light as bright as day. Qin Sang and the others had not stepped away for days, occasionally drawing close to the Buddhist lotus to assess the intensity of the fluctuations. As night fell once more, the brightness of the light pillar had grown much dimmer compared to when it had been at its peak, and the scale of the sea crater had also shrunk. A streak of light flew out from the center of the sea crater. Valley Master Mu had gone down to probe it once again. Flying back into midair, he said cautiously, "The intensity has now fallen to a level we can bear. In another four to six hours, we should be able to enter." Mere ability to withstand the impact of the crimson flame aura was not enough. They had to wait until the phenomenon waned a bit further so they would have strength to spare against other hazards. Having waited this long anyway, a few more hours made no difference. The cultivator surnamed Qi let out a breath as if relieved. "Finally, we can go in! Who would have thought an incident like this would happen, forcing us to wait out here for days and drawing so many people..." With that, the cultivator surnamed Qi glanced into the distance. Amidst the surging tides, a massive crowd of cultivators had gathered. Figures stood aboard vessels or hovered in midair—Core Formation, Foundation Establishment, and even reckless Qi Refinement cultivators who had come along just to join the commotion. They had all been drawn here after spotting the anomaly in the Kongling Sea. A few among them were even juniors related to Qi and Wang. Only after inquiring did they learn that the phenomenon was clearly visible from thousands of li away. There was no telling how many more cultivators were already on their way. This outcome had caught them off guard, but there was nothing they could do to stop it. "Regardless of who shows up, we will still hold the first-mover advantage," Valley Master Mu said calmly. "As long as we move fast enough, one or two stray individuals won't pose any trouble for us. It's just a pity that some of the treasures inside might end up being claimed by others." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he glanced around, sweeping his gaze across the surface of the sea. "Has Daoist Master Chijie still not shown himself?" The cultivator surnamed Qi shook his head and snorted coldly. "No! Nine Precepts Island isn't far from the Kongling Sea. As long as that fellow hasn't left Nine Precepts Island, he must know about this—there's no way he wouldn't come! He has always been deceitful. Who knows where he's lurking or what scheme he's cooking up? Everyone, be on your guard once we go inside." Seeing Qin Sang's curiosity, Valley Master Mu explained, "Brother Qi's sanctuary isn't far from Nine Precepts Island. There was some friction over conflicts between their disciples, and later, an accident deepened the feud, leaving them on bad terms... It has only been two days since the phenomenon manifested, so other Nascent Soul experts would find it difficult to rush here so quickly even upon receiving word. Chijie's strength is comparable to Brother Qi's; alone against the four of us, he shouldn't pose much of a threat. Still, being cautious is never a mistake." Qin Sang nodded thoughtfully. The Boundless Sea was vast and sparsely populated, a chaotic tangle of diverse factions where the sanctuaries of Nascent Soul cultivators were situated far apart. If they moved quickly enough, they had a chance to scour the Jinghai Sect before other Nascent Soul cultivators arrived. Yet he wondered just how many dangers still lurked within the Jinghai Sect. Qin Sang did not feel particularly optimistic. He quietly watched the Buddhist lotus, his gaze flickering. As time went on, the crimson flame aura that had accumulated inside continued to vent outward, its momentum steadily diminishing. Meanwhile, battered by such a colossal torrent of crimson flame aura, the Buddhist lotus formed by the formation had long since been reduced to a battered wreck. The lotus could barely be recognized anymore, leaving only fragmented remnants of Buddhist light behind. Even so, the clash between these two forces remained extremely fierce. Four hours slipped by in a flash. After repeated probing, Valley Master Mu and Qin Sang decided to force their way into the Jinghai Sect now! Battered and torn, the Buddhist lotus could no longer pose an obstacle. The four appeared right before the Buddhist lotus. Faintly visible at the heart of the crimson flame aura was an expanse of chaos, where what seemed to be a gate-shaped entrance lay distorted and warped by the onslaught. Qin Sang could see a bit more clearly. Beyond the gate, the crimson flame aura remained abundant and fierce, and deep within that aura, a faint golden glow flickered in and out of view, though its true nature could not be discerned. "Move!" Valley Master Mu gave the command. Gripping his snake spear, he did not point it at the entrance, but held it horizontally before his chest. *Hiss...* The hissing roar of a python rang out as the shaft of the snake spear twisted. Suddenly erupting with mysterious light, it transformed into a black python a hundred zhang long. Its body was ethereal as it coiled in midair, its massive head even craning out of the sea crater to look down on the people upon the sea. When the onlookers saw Qin Sang and the others descend into the crater, they had originally wanted to draw closer to see if they might strike it lucky and pick up some scraps. But as the black python's chilling gaze swept over them, a shudder ran down their spines, stiffening their whole bodies. With a whoosh, the black python flew back, its form shrinking rapidly until it coiled around Valley Master Mu like a suit of serpentine armor. The snake spear was truly a magic treasure suited for both offense and defense. Qi and Wang stood side by side. The female cultivator surnamed Wang took out a turtle-shell-shaped magic treasure. Bringing her hands together, the shell vanished, replaced by the phantom image of a turtle shell hovering above their heads. Hanging inverted, the turtle shell cast down tassel-like radiance that encircled them—another remarkable protective treasure. The cultivator surnamed Qi brought out a spirit sword on guard. On the surface, Qin Sang still wielded the Jinchen Sword, but the Eighteen Demon Banners were already concealed within his sleeves. Qin Sang and Valley Master Mu were in front, while Qi and Wang brought up the rear. *Boom!* Sword qi and spear shadows erupted together, striking at an arbitrary breach in the Buddhist lotus. Amidst the thunderous crash, an opening was blasted into the pillar of light, which then began to rapidly knit together. Qin Sang and Valley Master Mu exchanged a glance and continued to urge their magic treasures, launching successive attacks at the pillar of light. As the breach widened until it could accommodate passage, they darted inside. Their judgment proved accurate, and everything proceeded very smoothly. The Buddhist lotus formation was no longer able to teleport intruders away. The four successfully breached the center of the light pillar, clearly seeing the gate inside. It was an entrance wide enough for more than a dozen people to pass through side by side. Intact, it had likely resembled an archway, but it was now severely damaged. There had originally been characters inscribed above, but only a single stroke remained. In all likelihood, it was a stroke from the character "Jing." The Jinghai Sect! They had found the right place! A flicker of delight surfaced in Valley Master Mu's eyes. After observing for a moment, he charged in without hesitation. Qin Sang, along with Qi and Wang, followed closely behind. As the four figures disappeared, the pillar of light reverted to its former state. The spectating cultivators outside waited for quite a while before daring to cautiously approach the sea crater. "Did the four seniors really go in?" someone asked, looking incredulous. The fluctuations radiating from the phenomenon were far too terrifying; Core Formation cultivators could barely hold their footing at the crater's rim, while those with lower cultivation did not even dare draw close. A nearby Core Formation cultivator nodded repeatedly, saying with envy, "With restrictions this powerful, there must be extraordinary treasures hidden inside. This is an immense opportunity, but alas, it's not meant for the likes of us!" "Did you actually expect to contend for treasures with Nascent Soul experts?" his companion replied, rolling his eyes. "Once the phenomenon dissipates, if I can just go in and get some leftover soup, I'll be more than satisfied." ... No one noticed that two ethereal figures had quietly arrived before the Buddhist lotus.