"I will go and deal with him. We will leave all final decisions until the Grand Elder returns," Elder Lan said after a moment of quiet contemplation.
Pausing briefly, he added a few words of explanation. "That man had several opportunities to strike Shixue dead, yet he refrained. He must have deduced why we intercepted him and wanted to take a living captive to uncover the sacred relic's origins.
"Though he was ultimately frightened away by Old Man Hunmo, he clearly pulled his punches, showing that unless left with no alternative, he does not wish to form an irreconcilable enmity with Xuantian Palace. At the very least, he does not act with the reckless abandon of demonic path cultivators.
"His cultivation is only at the middle Nascent Soul stage. Once he realizes the seal cannot be undone and that keeping it brings him more harm than good, he might take the initiative to contact us. In the end, it will amount to nothing more than a transaction.
"Unless absolutely necessary, there is no need to cooperate with Old Man Hunmo and provoke a top-tier powerhouse of his caliber. Not only would we be exploited by Old Man Hunmo to deal with his enemies, but we would also be inviting a wolf into our fold.
"Of course, we can feign an alliance with Old Man Hunmo to bluff and exert pressure on that man, but we must prevent Old Man Hunmo from turning the tables on us and usurping control. Striking the right balance is exceedingly difficult. A matter of such magnitude requires the Grand Elder's ruling.
"Since this concerns the sacred relic, we must not let cleverness overshoot the mark and ruin everything."
Having watched the fierce clash between Old Man Hunmo and Qin Sang from the sidelines and realizing there had been no room for them to intervene fully, Elder Lan had swiftly sorted through the situation in his mind, weighing every potential outcome and balance of interests.
More than anything, it was the words Qin Sang had left before departing—ostensibly a warning, yet Elder Lan had detected an implicit undertone beneath them.
Elder Mei nodded in agreement with Elder Lan's reasoning.
Previously, when the sacred relic's whereabouts were unknown, their greatest fear was that the traitor would succeed, which had driven them to take the risk of cooperating with Old Man Hunmo.
Now that it was confirmed the sacred relic was neither on the traitor nor in the hands of the Nine-Headed Grand Sage, they did not need to fear the seal being broken or the relic being damaged in the short term. They could afford to orchestrate their moves at a measured pace.
They had always remained on guard against Old Man Hunmo.
Cooperating before the Myriad Demons Assembly had already been a huge gamble. During the battle just now, Old Man Hunmo had lurked nearby, holding back until the right moment—clearly harboring his own designs.
Elder Mei glanced back and sent out a signal to assemble all the Nascent Soul cultivators and members of the Disciplinary Hall.
Weighing his words and steadying his mind, Elder Lan took several strides forward to meet Old Man Hunmo.
***
Night fell.
Upon the calm sea, an uninhabited, desolate island stood in silence.
A somewhat illusory figure suddenly materialized on the shore. After glancing in all directions, the figure darted into the jungle, weaving through the woods without disturbing a single beast or insect.
Silently, the figure halted before an ancient tree so thick it would take dozens of people to encircle it. With a wave of his hand, several spirit flags were cast out, sinking into the ground. Together with the ancient tree, the figure vanished into thin air.
"Phew..."
Qin Sang entered the tree hollow, sat down cross-legged, and let out a long breath.
After shaking off Old Man Hunmo, Qin Sang had not headed for Mount Danding. Instead, he had changed directions and flown for a while longer until he found this inconspicuous deserted island.
"I'll make a trip in a moment. Daoist Yinquan probably hasn't pulled out yet. I'll ask them to stay for one more day," Qin Sang murmured.
Immediately after, recalling the final moments of that chase and clash, Qin Sang could not help but chuckle wryly. "To think Old Man Hunmo was ultimately scared off by Great Sage Tianpeng. Using the Thunder Escape technique requires relying on the Heavenly Demon Transformation; flying at full power makes it impossible to distract oneself and conceal demon qi. Great Sage Tianpeng might have been drawn over by that demon qi. Just as I anticipated, the more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for me. But this is almost too chaotic—plans truly can't keep up with changes..."
Rubbing his temples with a slight headache, Qin Sang closed his eyes and reviewed the course and details of the chaotic melee.
According to the original plan, testing whether Xuantian Palace could sense the mysterious ice chest and determining their sensing range would have been enough to achieve his objective.
It was only when he unexpectedly discovered that the cultivators dispatched by Xuantian Palace were not strong enough that Qin Sang grew tempted to capture the green-robed woman, never anticipating that it would trigger such a chain of unforeseen events.
"No, something isn't right! Old Man Hunmo and Xuantian Palace didn't behave like people bound by mortal enmity at all."
Qin Sang's eyes snapped open, a sharp, flickering light gleaming within them.
If the rumors were true and several Nascent Soul cultivators had been slaughtered by Old Man Hunmo, then no matter how magnanimous Xuantian Palace might be, they should never have reacted like that upon seeing him.
Moreover, the Nascent Soul cultivators of Xuantian Palace had clearly taken separate positions, encircling Hunmo Island. Acting so conspicuously and dispersing their strength like that was practically courting death.
Qin Sang flipped his palm and brought out the mysterious ice chest, holding it in his hand.
Just because he could not break the seal did not mean the traitor had no way.
After gazing at it for a long while in deep contemplation, Qin Sang muttered in a low voice, "Could Xuantian Palace have feared the seal would be broken, so they joined hands with Old Man Hunmo to set a trap, advancing the date of the Myriad Demons Assembly to lure the traitor out? But how could they ensure Old Man Hunmo wouldn't be consumed by greed?"
*Tap, tap, tap...*
Qin Sang's finger lightly tapped on the ice chest. "Unless there is a powerhouse that Old Man Hunmo fears—either the Palace Master of Xuantian Palace came in person, or they have another mysterious master hidden away. For some reason, that person never showed themselves."
To his mind, this was the most reasonable explanation.
Otherwise, had Old Man Hunmo harbored ill intent, that group of cultivators could hardly have kept him in check.
"Xuantian Palace's foundation truly runs deep. Aside from the Palace Master, they even have hidden masters unknown to the outside world. There was nothing wrong with my plan or my choices; flawed intelligence was the root cause. It forced me to face Old Man Hunmo head-on, battle him with demonic fire, and lure him into the Bewildering Array, which exposed my identity in the end."
Qin Sang sighed, though he felt little fear.
Forcing Old Man Hunmo to reveal his transposition divine ability in this battle was no small gain. It spared Qin Sang from being ambushed by it in a future encounter, which could have led to far greater losses.
The question now was how deep the cooperation between Xuantian Palace and Old Man Hunmo went, and whether they might continue to join forces to hunt him down.
Images flickered through Qin Sang's mind.
When Old Man Hunmo appeared, the shock and vigilance on the faces of the Xuantian Palace cultivators had not been feigned.
"Just harboring their own sinister designs, nothing more!"
Qin Sang gave a soft chuckle, looking down at the mysterious ice chest with a relaxed expression.
Then, he opened his other palm, revealing the ice bead Chen Yan had secretly passed to him.
Under those circumstances, Chen Yan had taken the initiative to communicate with him, requesting to meet him alone, and had even given him this ice bead—an item capable of temporarily suppressing the fluctuations of the mysterious ice chest.
He placed the ice bead beside the mysterious ice chest.
Qin Sang hesitated slightly, suspecting that when he withdrew earlier, Chen Yan might not have been entirely powerless to fight back; she might have held back on purpose. Of course, had he insisted on capturing the green-robed woman, Chen Yan would certainly have taken action.
He could not decipher Chen Yan's motives, nor did he believe their past entanglements were enough to warrant her going this far.
"Could she also want to play the thief from within and lay claim to the treasure sealed in the mysterious ice chest?"
When this possibility crossed Qin Sang's mind, he felt a twinge of pity for Xuantian Palace.
On second thought, before attaining the Nascent Soul stage, Chen Yan had always cultivated at Shaohua Mountain, only returning to Xuantian Palace after forming her Nascent Soul. She likely held little sentiment toward her sect.
Still, what kind of terms could she offer?
Qin Sang pondered for a moment. Regardless of Chen Yan's motives, he decided to wait and see. Using her to find out what was sealed inside would be worthwhile as well.
Channeling his true essence to wrap around the ice bead, he sensed it thoroughly and confirmed there were no hidden traps.
Next, he laid down several layers of isolating restrictions in his surroundings before triggering the power within the ice bead.
The ice bead dissolved, turning into a cloud of white vapor.
In the next instant, Qin Sang felt a wave of frigid chill erupt. For a fleeting breath, the true essence touching the ice bead felt as though it had been frozen solid, giving him quite a shock.
Carefully guiding a wisp of the frigid aura, he brought it near the mysterious ice chest.
Only after confirming that this aura would not trigger an abnormal reaction from the seal did Qin Sang proceed with the rest.
*Whoosh!*
The white vapor enveloped the mysterious ice chest, threads of chill permeating the seal.
Throughout the entire process, Qin Sang kept his attention fixed on the chest.
The white vapor emitted a peculiar fluctuation. Under its influence, the seal underwent changes Qin Sang had never witnessed before, giving the impression that it was gradually seizing up and freezing over.
This was something Qin Sang had failed to achieve despite trying countless methods.
Eventually, the white vapor on the surface of the mysterious ice chest vanished, leaving no noticeable changes on the chest itself.
Focusing his senses, Qin Sang used the impact of the white vapor to vaguely perceive the seal's peculiarities. He confirmed that the ice bead could indeed suppress the seal, yet he could neither replicate such an unusual treasure nor grasp the method behind it.
The suppression was not absolute; if someone from Xuantian Palace approached the hollow outside the tree, they would still be able to sense the mysterious ice chest. However, the range was limited and would not pose much of a problem.
Furthermore, the seal was constantly resisting. Once the power of the ice bead was exhausted, it would return to normal.
After turning it over in his hands and examining it for a long while, Qin Sang stored the mysterious ice chest into his Qianjun Ring, brought out spirit pills and spirit stones, and began adjusting his breath to recover.
Before long, Qin Sang flew out of the deserted island, oriented himself, and tore through the sky.
***
To the southwest of Hunmo Island lay an archipelago.
Scores of islands, large and small, were scattered across this stretch of the sea.
The spiritual energy around the islands was sparse, which was why only mortals dwelt there. Mortals occupied several of the larger islands, and with a considerable number of cities established on them, life there was fairly bustling.
Qin Sang quietly appeared in the sky above one of the cities, holding the Danding Token in his hand. After observing for a moment, he slipped into the city unnoticed and arrived before a shop.
The moment he landed, the front doors swung open soundlessly, and Daoist Yinquan's voice drifted out: "Fellow Daoist Qin, please come in!"
Qin Sang paused briefly, then stepped inside.
"Is this also one of your association's properties? Don't tell me your backup arrangements are on this island?"
Qin Sang looked around before turning his gaze toward Daoist Yinquan, who came forward to greet him.
"The Danding Association has weak roots in the Boundless Ocean, so it is inconvenient to draw attention. Mortals are easy to blend among, and at times they are more useful than cultivators. Our real arrangements are not here, so as to avoid bringing calamity upon the innocent. Having received no warning from you, once the agreed time arrived, this poor Daoist pulled our people back," Daoist Yinquan explained.
As he spoke, Daoist Yinquan looked Qin Sang up and down. "Fellow Daoist Qin didn't run into any trouble, did you?"
Qin Sang countered without showing any emotion, "You seem to be hinting at something, Daoist."
Seeing that Qin Sang's aura was stable and that he had emerged completely unscathed, Daoist Yinquan gave an inward nod and said candidly, "Word just reached us that a mysterious master somehow offended Old Man Hunmo and was pursued across thousands of li, yet managed to escape successfully. This poor Daoist was just wondering whether that mysterious master might be Fellow Daoist Qin. Fellow Daoist Luan and the others haven't left yet and wished to pay their respects to you. Thinking that if it truly was you who pulled it off, you probably wouldn't want to meet outsiders right now, I had them settled elsewhere."
Qin Sang's heart stirred upon hearing this.
Even with the Danding Association's well-connected intelligence network, they had only heard about the chase.
From the moment he struck against Xuantian Palace to when he trapped Old Man Hunmo in the Bewildering Array, not much time had passed. Likely very few had witnessed the whole process or understood what had happened.
What had truly caused a commotion was the pursuit that followed.
Now it remained to be seen whether Xuantian Palace and Old Man Hunmo would spread word of it on their own initiative.
"No matter how great my abilities might be, I wouldn't dare provoke that old devil. If you happen to uncover that master's identity in the future, Daoist, don't forget to introduce me," Qin Sang said with a self-deprecating shake of his head.
Daoist Yinquan looked at him and let out a soft chuckle. "Indeed, this poor Daoist was overthinking."
Qin Sang did not care whether he believed it or not. Saying no more, he brought out the jade slip recording the ancient prescriptions.
"This..."
Seeing the payment far exceed what had been agreed upon, Daoist Yinquan looked at Qin Sang in surprise.
Qin Sang said, "I still have an incomplete transaction and would like to ask you to stay for one more day, Daoist. Following our previous agreement, the remaining ancient prescriptions serve as payment for this stay. If I require you and Fellow Daoist Luan to take action, there will be further generous rewards! Rest assured, the one I am dealing with is not Old Man Hunmo."
Daoist Yinquan hesitated for a moment before grasping the jade slip. "Very well. This poor Daoist was just about to play chess through the night with Fellow Daoist Luan anyway, as our game earlier was cut short."
Qin Sang had not expected Daoist Yinquan to agree so readily even after suspecting him.
Could the Sect Master of Mount Danding be nearby?
Or perhaps they were confident enough in their own preparations.
After conversing with Daoist Yinquan for a while longer, Qin Sang took his leave.
***
Southeast of Hunmo Island lay an island containing a major cultivator city that was beyond Old Man Hunmo's control.
Liuli sat cross-legged inside a quiet chamber, her eyes closed, still as a maiden at rest.
The quiet chamber was filled with pervasive chill, yet her face was flushed crimson and her eyelids twitched as if she were enduring some kind of agony. It took quite a while before she gradually returned to normal.
Just then, the chamber's restrictions were stirred. Liuli awoke from her meditation and saw her senior sister walk in.
Catching Liuli's inquiring look and knowing that this junior sister was always a woman of few words, Shixue huffed indignantly, "The elders have decided not to divide our forces for now, lest we repeat the same mistake. We will play along with Old Man Hunmo for the time being and wait for the Grand Elder to return before making a decision. They claim that fellow was constantly pulling his punches with me and leaving room for retreat—how come I didn't feel any of it! My Severe Winter Talisman, my two supreme protective treasures... By that logic, am I supposed to thank him?"
The more Shixue spoke, the angrier she became, her willow-leaf brows arching sharply.
Liuli remained silent for a moment before saying, "The sect will compensate us."
"I just hope the Grand Elder can vent this resentment for me!"
Lowering her head and knowing she had no hope of taking revenge herself, Shixue let out a helpless sigh.
She looked up at Liuli, hesitated for a moment, then sealed the chamber and engaged sound-isolating restrictions. "Junior Sister, do you have nothing to say to me?"
Chen Yan paused, startled.
Shixue stared into her eyes and said earnestly, "Junior Sister, you can fool others, but you can't fool me. Your Ice Soul Divine Light is on the verge of great attainment; it couldn't possibly collapse so easily!"
Seeing Chen Yan remain silent, Shixue's voice suddenly rose. "I know that you cultivate the Ice Soul Divine Light to seal your emotions with ice soul, sever your earthly ties of affection, and stabilize your Dao heart! Only a violent upheaval in your Dao heart that shakes your very foundation could cause the Ice Soul Divine Light to collapse! Before meeting you, Junior Sister, I always thought that mortal romance was nothing more than shackles placed on themselves by ignorant fools who lacked vision and understood nothing of the Great Dao. I never imagined that even a Nascent Soul cultivator could be trapped by love!
"Is he... that heartless man?"
Shixue looked at Chen Yan with heartache in her eyes. Thinking of that abominable figure, she gnashed her teeth, old grudges and new grievances surging up together.
Chapter 1456