As he walked, the middle-aged man retrieved one ice mirror after another from his mustard seed bag. Without looking back, he said, "I am condensing an ice key capable of sensing the sacred relic. Those who commit many injustices will inevitably bring about their own destruction. What if that wretched beast died at the hands of someone else and the sacred relic fell into another's possession? If that person knows nothing about the relic, they might even bring it to the Myriad Demons Assembly. Heh... then it would fall right into our laps without any effort on our part."
The old woman let out a soft sigh. "An ice demon physique does not perish so easily."
Even so, she made no move to stop him.
After all, they had expended far too much effort in searching for the sacred relic, and every possibility had to be taken into account.
The old woman looked away and sank into deep thought, considering how to ensure nothing would go amiss once the traitor was flushed out, as well as how to guard against Old Man Hunmo.
***
Outside Myriad Demons City.
Among the mountain ranges wreathed in immortal clouds.
Inside a somewhat gloomy cave abode.
At that moment, the cave abode's entrance stood wide open. A man in black robes with slightly high cheekbones and a sinister, chilly aura stood respectfully before it, looking at the seated figure whose back was turned to him.
"Have you found the person wielding that demonic fire?"
The seated figure remained completely motionless as Old Man Hunmo's voice drifted out.
Hearing the voice, the black-robed man felt his heart instinctively tighten.
His expression grew even more reverent. "Master, no one wielding that kind of demonic fire has been found in the Boundless Sea. Disciple intends to expand the search to outer realms such as the Crescent Moon Realm. In addition, many fellow daoists from outer realms have arrived to attend the Myriad Demons Assembly. Disciple is doing his utmost to make contact with them and gather information."
An unsettling silence filled the cave abode.
Just as the black-robed man began to feel uneasy, Old Man Hunmo spoke again. "Has there been any unusual movement from the Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley?"
The black-robed man pondered for a moment and replied, "Junior Brother sent men to secretly monitor Hundred Flowers Valley. They found that after returning, the Valley Master completely sealed the valley off, and no one has entered or left to this day. However, because Hundred Flowers Valley is located in the Black Marsh—a remote and desolate place—it is difficult to stay hidden. Those juniors have low cultivation bases and dare not venture too close. Once the Myriad Demons Assembly concludes, Junior Brother will go in person."
Old Man Hunmo's voice softened slightly. "Forget it. There is no need for you to expend too much effort on that person. Just leave a few hands to keep an eye on Hundred Flowers Valley's movements. When contending for the treasure, that person spared no effort to cloak himself in that black spiritual fire from start to finish, blocking my perception. It might not necessarily be that person... Heh, acting so secretive—perhaps it was an acquaintance."
The black-robed man lifted his eyelids slightly and said thoughtfully, "Primordial Lady Yuyi suspects it might be General Gui, or someone from the Bamboo Court."
General Gui was an overlord of the demonic path in the Boundless Sea.
It was said he had served as a general in the mortal world, which was why he had taken such a strange daoist moniker.
This person specialized in refining puppets, but the materials he used were the bodies and Nascent Souls of immortal cultivators. His methods were ruthless, leaving his enemies wishing for death yet unable to die, and his demonic infamy was second only to Old Man Hunmo.
The Bamboo Court, on the other hand, was the North Sea's most renowned sect in the art of puppetry. They belonged to the righteous path, and their disciples mostly roamed the outside world using puppets while concealing their true bodies in the shadows.
Their puppets were lifelike enough to pass for real people, making them exceptionally mysterious.
Old Man Hunmo recalled the puppet that had snatched the seven-tiered stupa in the Buddhist temple. He gave a low grunt of assent and said, "Puppets rivaling the middle Nascent Soul stage are uncommon. Primordial Lady Yuyi's conjecture is not without merit. Still, it was merely two magic treasures. Since what he took wasn't a spirit treasure, there is no need to dwell on it. You have more important matters to attend to. How could he have known that the most precious treasure on the altar was actually the one he cast aside?"
As he spoke, Old Man Hunmo stroked the lingzhi ruyi in his hand, a hint of mockery in his tone.
After Qin Sang fled.
Old Man Hunmo and Primordial Lady Yuyi had divided the remaining magic treasures in the Buddhist temple, and the lingzhi ruyi had naturally fallen into Old Man Hunmo's hands.
The black-robed man listened intently, curious about what the remaining treasure was and why it was so precious.
Yet Old Man Hunmo showed no intention of explaining, and he dared not press further.
Hearing Old Man Hunmo mention more important matters, the black-robed man was taken aback at first, but then something came to mind, and he asked excitedly, "Master, are you referring to Huang Longshi's cave abode? Have you found it?"
Old Man Hunmo's transaction with Xuantian Palace had not been kept from him.
He knew full well that Old Man Hunmo had obtained an important relic of Huang Longshi from Xuantian Palace, one that pointed toward Huang Longshi's cave abode.
Old Man Hunmo said disdainfully, "Xuantian Palace, like you, thought Huang Longshi's cave abode held immense appeal for me. Heh..."
After a brief pause, Old Man Hunmo added indifferently, "Little do they know that my true objective was hidden within another inconspicuous condition. Otherwise, why would I have agreed to their request so easily without even asking for an explanation? I have basically confirmed an earlier suspicion, but a few more matters still need verification. Focus your efforts and secretly keep watch over Xuantian Palace's people in Myriad Demons City. I want to see what they are up to..."
"Disciple obeys!"
The black-robed man bowed respectfully and retreated from the cave abode.
The entrance closed silently, engulfed in darkness.
After a long silence, a faint sigh barely audible in the dark drifted out:
"Deity Transformation..."
***
Myriad Demons City.
At nightfall.
The first day of the assembly came to a flawless conclusion.
The various auctions had been spectacular.
No sooner had they ended than the complete list of treasures spread throughout the entire Myriad Demons City.
Low-tier cultivators stared at the covetable treasures on the list, unable to tear their eyes away. They could only lament their lack of spirit stones, watching helplessly as the treasures fell into the hands of others.
A bustling stream of people flowed before the gates of Myriad Demons City—some leaving contented, others entering filled with hope.
Tan Hao walked out of the wooden building.
Recalling how he had just spent money like dirt, as well as the treasures resting in his mustard seed bag, he grew even more vigilant. Inconspicuously scanning his surroundings, he set off.
Confirming that no one was tailing him, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief, though he knew he was probably making a mountain out of a molehill. After all, while the items he had purchased were valuable, they were not enough to tempt a Nascent Soul cultivator into taking a reckless gamble.
However, that might not be the case in the final days.
The Spirit Ascension Rite required a vast array of spiritual materials. Miscellaneous though they were, none came cheap, especially the three most crucial ones, all of which were rare treasures of the world.
Fortunately, there was a high likelihood those three would not appear at the auctions.
Returning to his rented cave abode, Tan Hao rested briefly before throwing himself back into work.
Over the next several days, Tan Hao did not get a single day of rest.
He shuttled frequently between trade fairs and auctions. The spirit stones in his mustard seed bag flowed out like water, but the bag gradually filled up in another way.
The Myriad Demons Assembly continued until noon on the ninth day.
Having assumed a new disguise, Tan Hao appeared before the gates of Myriad Demons City.
His luck had held; the auction just now had allowed him to gather everything Qin Sang requested. After inquiring about the afternoon's auction and finding no treasures matching Qin Sang's requirements, he decided to leave the island immediately.
Carrying so many treasures was truly stressful.
Tan Hao sighed inwardly and strode out of Myriad Demons City. Seeing guards flying overhead across the island from time to time, he felt somewhat reassured. Changing directions several times in succession, he quietly departed Hunmo Island from the south.
Once off the island, regardless of whether anyone was trailing him, Tan Hao activated a voice transmission talisman to notify Qin Sang, then shot into the distance.
Chapter 1439