Zhongzhou

This differed from Qin Sang's previous assessment. Was the Ghost Mother not an old monster from antiquity? A supreme expert of her caliber could not have been a complete unknown, so why were there no legends of her in the North Sea? "That is true!" Tan Hao nodded, but just as he was about to elaborate, something suddenly occurred to him. In the sheer joy of reuniting with an old friend, he had nearly forgotten the most critical matter. He hastily pressed, "Brother Qin, how did you get in?" Qin Sang looked up and pointed overhead. "Naturally by breaking through the formation. Didn't you two do the same?" Tan Hao gave a bitter laugh and said repeatedly, "This is bad! Brother Qin, you might not know, but the Pure Sea Sect itself is a colossal seal. I heard Senior say that the undersea flame veins across a radius of a thousand li were shifted here by ancient figures of vast supernatural power, gathering a staggering amount of crimson fire aura that could erupt at any moment. The seal is now on the verge of collapsing. Senior Ghost Mother hesitated for a long time before devising an unconventional method to minimize damage to the seal, only then daring to enter. With the protective array broken, I fear..." Hearing this, Qin Sang was not surprised. The various signs he had discovered upon entering the Pure Sea Sect had already led him to a similar deduction. "I wasn't the only one who entered. Old Man Hunmo and others are here as well, and they've likely already begun scouring the area for treasures. How much longer can the Pure Sea Sect's seal hold?" "Old Man Hunmo—he's here too?!" Tan Hao clearly knew of Old Man Hunmo's reputation and was horrified. "The seal was already fragile and teetering on the edge. The restrictions on places like the pagoda, the golden dome, and the herb garden are actually parts of the seal, serving as delicate pillars. Breaking any one of them damages the seal and makes matters worse. Precisely because of this, Senior only took a portion of the treasures. She intended for me to retrieve the rest after I formed my nascent soul, treating it as a trial. Just now, Brother Qin, you must have been harvesting spirit herbs, right? I thought the tremors were caused by the crimson fire battering the seal. I had no idea this place had been exposed." The most precious treasures within the Pure Sea Sect had already been taken by the Ghost Mother. Yet the spirit herbs she deemed beneath her notice and left for Tan Hao, such as the Spirit Cup Flowers, were things that could tempt even Nascent Soul cultivators. The extent of the Ghost Mother's power was readily apparent. Qin Sang fell into thought. No wonder Qi and Wang had suddenly discovered the Pure Sea Sect. Calculating the timeline, the anomaly had been caused when Tan Hao and the Ghost Mother entered. It had simply lasted too briefly, and the situation inside the Pure Sea Sect was so complicated that Tan Hao and the Ghost Mother had overlooked it. "Senior Ghost Mother isn't here? I was hoping to ask her to save someone." Qin Sang glanced around and stated his intention. He no longer cared as much about the treasures in the Pure Sea Sect. His urgent desire was to meet the Ghost Mother and ask whether Yagu could truly be revived. From Tan Hao's tone, the Ghost Mother not only kept her promises but also treated him well, so she was likely not malicious by nature. Yagu's situation was similar to Tan Jie's. Both had been branded with a Heavenly Corpse Talisman during the Qi Refinement stage and had long surpassed the limits of their lifespans. Whether the outcome was good or bad, a conclusion had to be reached. "You want to save someone as well..." Tan Hao froze, casting an empathetic, somber glance at Tan Jie's grave before sighing regretfully. "Brother Qin, you've arrived a step too late. Senior has already left the North Sea." "What?" Qin Sang was taken aback and pressed, "Did she go to the Beichen Realm?" "No," Tan Hao shook his head, hesitating before saying, "Senior mentioned going to a place called Zhongzhou, but I don't know where that is. After returning to the North Sea, she had been searching for a sea chart, going so far as to infiltrate the Xuantian Palace and wreak havoc there. Breaking into the Pure Sea Sect served the same purpose. Once she obtained the sea chart, she departed immediately. She left me behind in the Pure Sea Sect because it is secluded enough, and the sect is extraordinary—every day, the morning bell and evening drum ring out, purifying the soul, which aids my breakthrough..." Zhongzhou. The Ghost Mother wreaking havoc in the Xuantian Palace. Tan Hao's words carried an immense amount of information. Ever since learning the name 'North Sea', Qin Sang had wondered: in relation to what was it 'north'? It seemed Zhongzhou was another cultivation world. He wondered what kind of realm it was. Was it another cage like this one, or did it hold an entirely different landscape? The Pure Sea Sect actually possessed a sea chart leading to Zhongzhou! Its origins were truly extraordinary. Qin Sang's thoughts raced. He questioned Tan Hao and learned that he had not seen the sea chart. It truly was a pity. Arriving a step too late meant missing not only the chance to awaken Yagu, but also the sea chart itself. However, the Ghost Mother's initial target had been the Xuantian Palace. Could the Xuantian Palace also harbor a sea chart leading to Zhongzhou? As the undisputed, long-standing hegemon of an entire realm, the likelihood was high. Wait... Qin Sang suddenly remembered the mysterious ice chest inside his Qianjun Ring. Could that man in white have stolen it from within the Xuantian Palace while it was thrown into chaos? He had not expected that his own experiences in the North Sea could all be connected through the Ghost Mother. "I'm a bit confused. What exactly is Senior Ghost Mother's origin?" Qin Sang knitted his brows slightly. Tan Hao hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell Qin Sang everything. Even though resurrecting Tan Jie had failed, it did not diminish the kindness Qin Sang had shown them. He was never one to be ungrateful. Moreover, the Ghost Mother had placed no restriction forbidding him from sharing it. Knowing that Old Man Hunmo had appeared in the Pure Sea Sect, Tan Hao understood full well that those treasures no longer belonged to him. "I heard Senior mention that she isn't a cultivator of this era. She once slumbered here." Tan Hao lowered his gaze toward the ground beneath his feet. Qin Sang nodded slightly. It seemed his guess was correct. Tan Hao continued without pause, "Furthermore, a demon is sealed here, and the Pure Sea Sect served as the guardians of that seal." Another demon! Qin Sang's heart tightened. He inwardly lamented that his fate was truly cursed with ancient demons—others might not encounter a single one in their entire lifetimes, yet he had already run into three! "Back then, an accident occurred with the seal. The Pure Sea Sect exhausted everything they had to stabilize it, and the entire sect perished. Senior Ghost Mother awoke because of that catastrophe. After awakening, she had been searching for a certain person. Once she recovered a portion of her strength, she went to the Beichen Realm to look for them. Unexpectedly, she encountered Master Tianyue. After a fierce battle, Master Tianyue sealed her inside the Abyss Ruins." What Tan Hao recounted were the events that befell the Ghost Mother prior to her imprisonment in the water dungeon. He then explained, "After we returned to the North Sea, Senior first targeted the Xuantian Palace. She was reluctant to breach the Pure Sea Sect out of fear that the demon had not perished, which could lead to a grave disaster. Fortunately, the demon never appeared... Well, at least there is no longer any demonic aura within the seal." Master Tianyue. The powerhouse who had swept through the North Sea and planted his sword at the Horn of Heaven! Even an ancient cultivator had been no match for him. Master Tianyue had likely treated the Ghost Mother as an intruder who disrupted the established order. Qin Sang mourned silently for the Ghost Mother in his heart. "Who was the Ghost Mother looking for?" Qin Sang interrupted Tan Hao to ask. Could there be other ancient monsters lurking within the cultivation world, keeping their heads down and remaining unnoticed? Thinking of Bai, the Jade Bone demon, and the Ghost Mother, Qin Sang felt the possibility was very high. This world harbored far too many secrets. "Senior said she was looking for descendants of the Witch Clan. Yet both the North Sea and the Beichen Realm are territories of the human race." As Tan Hao spoke, a look of confusion and bewilderment crossed his face. He merely knew the facts without understanding the reasons behind them; it was from the Ghost Mother that he had heard of the Witch Clan for the very first time.