Seven Masters' Buddhist Seal

"Why was the Myriad Demons Assembly suddenly moved forward? When did you receive this news?" Qin Sang was startled, his brow furrowing tightly. In that instant, many thoughts raced through his mind. Did moving the Myriad Demons Assembly forward have anything to do with Old Man Hunmo or the Jinghai Sect? If not, what was the real reason? If it was a trap, why hadn't he convened the Myriad Demons Assembly right after leaving the Jinghai Sect, rather than waiting a year and a half before announcing it had been moved up? Daoist Yinquan heard the suspicion in Qin Sang's voice. "The news only broke recently, so it can't be confirmed just yet. But the source is very reliable, so it's unlikely to be false. Fellow Daoist Qin, be patient and stay a few more days; a partial list of treasures should be delivered soon. After all, only half a year remains, and fellow Daoists traveling from afar will need time to make the journey." Qin Sang shifted his hands and stored the Hidden Fragrance Pill into the Qianjun Ring. He leaned slightly against the back of his chair and asked quietly, "Has there ever been any precedent for this in the past?" Daoist Yinquan pondered for a moment. "I hail from Mount Danding and have only attended the Myriad Demons Assembly once. Supposedly, the interval between assemblies is only approximate, and the exact date is confirmed only when the time draws near. The rumored date was originally seven years from now, but that was never verified." Qin Sang nodded slightly, tapping his fingers gently against the table, pretending to contemplate. "Have there been any major events in the Boundless Sea recently worth noting? I heard Old Man Hunmo once appeared in the Kongling Sea, and an ancient ruin surfaced." "I heard about that too, but it's unlikely to be the reason. I heard it was a Buddhist ruin, and not particularly ancient. Before the sect-protecting grand formation could even be unsealed, it was destroyed by an eruption of scarlet flames. Every Nascent Soul cultivator present was thrown into disarray, nearly losing their lives. The Buddhist treasures were swallowed by the torrent of fire; they only managed to snatch away a tiny portion. Even if there were any Buddhist treasures or secret scriptures inside, they wouldn't be worth much to us, and certainly couldn't prompt the Myriad Demons Assembly to be held early. The Buddhist cultivators might want them, but they can't afford the price." Daoist Yinquan shook his head repeatedly, then added, "The history of the Myriad Demons Assembly is lost to time, far older than Old Man Hunmo. The participants are not limited to the Boundless Sea, and many factions are involved. It is held on Hunmo Island simply because a great cultivator provides deterrence there. Old Man Hunmo cannot decide things on his own; various factions must negotiate to settle on a suitable time and set of rules." Just as Qin Sang had suspected, Old Man Hunmo was on his own without a clan or sect; he could not dominate completely. The other factions would never permit him to act recklessly and ruin the reputation of the Myriad Demons Assembly. Even if Old Man Hunmo wanted to do something, he could not make it too obvious. Qin Sang pondered in silence. Right then, Daoist Yinquan suddenly remembered something and smiled. "Rather than the Buddhist ruin, it's more likely due to another matter." "What matter?" Qin Sang looked up. Daoist Yinquan said, "Huang Longshi's temporary palace has appeared!" Qin Sang was bewildered at first. Only then did he recall having heard the name once. Huang Longshi was the foremost figure of the Boundless Sea two generations before Old Man Hunmo—unquestionably a great cultivator whose might had shaken the Three Realms of the North Sea. Huang Longshi's temporary palace appeared? How didn't I know? This was far more valuable than the Jinghai Sect. Supposedly, Huang Longshi had been merely a step away from Deity Transformation, and had fallen precisely because he failed an attempt to break through. There might well be some of his relics inside his palace. Whether there were Spirit Treasures was hard to say. For instance, notes recording breakthrough experiences. For instance, secret arts assisting Deity Transformation. Any of those would be enough to make Nascent Soul cultivators flock like moths to a flame. "It happened just a month ago. The details are still unclear, but rumors say Old Man Hunmo was involved once again. Supposedly, when Huang Longshi's temporary palace was discovered, several Nascent Soul cultivators from Xuantian Palace and a few demon heads were there as well. A fierce battle broke out, and the people from Xuantian Palace were slaughtered, including an elder of Xuantian Palace." Daoist Yinquan chuckled. "I suspect it was Xuantian Palace that found Huang Longshi's temporary palace, only for Old Man Hunmo to seize it." That was indeed the old demon's style. Qin Sang nodded instinctively. He sighed in his heart. Was this what they called gaining some, losing some? Because he had offended Old Man Hunmo at the Jinghai Sect, he had deliberately curtailed his outings. If he had received the news in time, he might have had a chance to get a piece of the action. Though things like the Spirit Chalice Flower and the Ruyi Orb were precious, Qin Sang would much rather trade them for secrets regarding the Deity Transformation stage. Huang Longshi's temporary palace had surely been ransacked clean by Old Man Hunmo. Qin Sang doubted the old demon would be willing to share anything with him. Several Nascent Soul cultivators of Xuantian Palace had been slaughtered. Old Man Hunmo truly acted without scruples, doing whatever he pleased. Qin Sang thought of the ice chest inside his Qianjun Ring. A Xuantian Palace elder leading a team in person, wandering the Boundless Sea... they were very likely out searching for the ice chest, stumbled upon Huang Longshi's palace by chance, only to suffer such a calamity. *Xuantian Palace hasn't given up yet. Still, there has been no movement from the ice chest. I don't know whether it's because I haven't crossed paths with them, or because the Nine Nether Demonic Fire successfully severed the connection. Master Feng said he would use this matter to scheme against Bi Fang; I wonder if the word has been put out yet?* Qin Sang's thoughts branched out, leading him to consider many possibilities. Suspecting nothing, Daoist Yinquan continued, "Less than a month after Huang Longshi's temporary palace emerged, the Myriad Demons Assembly was announced early. Following your train of thought, perhaps Old Man Hunmo and those other old demons really did find something inside, and intend to sell it at the assembly, or urgently need to collect certain treasures..." At this point, Daoist Yinquan suddenly trailed off, his expression changing slightly. The two exchanged a look, the same thought surfacing in both of their minds—could it be related to Deity Transformation? Qin Sang gave a dry chuckle. "Over countless millennia, who knows how many brilliant and breathtaking figures have walked the cultivation world? The Deity Transformation stage is hardly so easy to break through to." If Old Man Hunmo really did break through to Deity Transformation, Qin Sang would have to figure out where to dig a hole and hide. The factions of the Crescent Moon Realm and Xuantian Palace certainly wouldn't want a Deity Transformation demonic cultivator emerging in the North Sea either. They talked for a while longer without reaching any definitive conclusions. Qin Sang planned to stay a few more days to see the treasure list. The news spread with incredible speed. On the third day, Daoist Yinquan obtained the list. "This is only part of it. Aside from the top few items, everything else can be bought at the auction. If you want to know what the truly supreme treasures are, you must attend the trade fair at the very end of the Myriad Demons Assembly." Daoist Yinquan handed a jade slip to Qin Sang as he spoke. The Myriad Demons Assembly would last ten days. Only on the final day would it reach its climax. Qin Sang took the list and saw dense, tightly packed rows of characters. At a single glance, he spotted several spiritual materials needed for the Spirit Ascension Rite. With a quick sweep, he found that aside from the three most crucial ones, all could be assembled at the auction. What grand scale! There were also materials that could improve the Jinchen Sword, but they were not the best choices. To obtain better ones, he would have to wait for the trade fair to barter goods for goods. Qin Sang shifted his gaze to the very top of the list. Just as he was about to examine it closely, a line of characters caught his eye: *Seven Masters' Buddhist Seal*, Buddhist body cultivation martial technique. Apart from that, there was no detailed description. This *Seven Masters' Buddhist Seal* would not be put up for auction; it was reserved for the final trade fair. From this alone, its value was obvious. It had to be a martial technique at the Nascent Soul tier!