Outside Mount Tianpeng.
Qin Sang waited patiently for an entire day before a streak of black light finally flew out from the mountain.
Old Man Hunmo rode his escape light and departed alone.
Before long, Great Sage Tianpeng led a throng of demons out of the mountain. Heading due east to continue the campaign, they took a completely different direction from Old Man Hunmo. Bi Fang was prominently among their ranks.
Once both sides had departed, Qin Sang emerged from the shadows.
He stared at the demon cloud drifting eastward, then cast another glance in the direction Old Man Hunmo had left.
For a full day, who knew what the old devil and the demon sage had been plotting?
Qin Sang had originally intended to shadow them in secret if Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng went hunting for treasure together or launched some scheme, biding his time to intervene and give them a taste of their own medicine.
Seeing this scene, Qin Sang deduced that the most likely reason was that the time was not yet ripe, and they had agreed on another date. Since it was impossible for him to trail these two supreme experts indefinitely, he could only abandon the idea.
By now, Bi Fang had also left, leaving no reason to keep watch here.
After some thought, Qin Sang secretly contacted a Xuantian Palace operative, passed along word of Old Man Hunmo's clandestine meeting with the demon sage to Xuantian Palace, and paid no further mind to the matter.
Next, Qin Sang traveled through the remainder of the Demon Realm before heading out to sea and venturing north.
...
The Cape of Heaven.
This was an isolated stone island marooned out at sea, close to the storm belt.
Jagged peaks loomed high, riddled with grotesque rocks and countless gashes and scars. It was desolate and utterly devoid of life, covered everywhere in the remnants left behind by raging hurricanes.
Fortunately, the demon race had not destroyed the island after seizing it.
At the highest peak, an iron sword was planted upside-down into the summit.
Mottled with rust and displaying no divine might, it looked like a battered remnant weathered by wind and rain—much like the person who had driven it into the rock back then, whose legends had gradually blurred with the passing of time.
Yet the story and meaning behind this sword still inspired profound yearning.
Qin Sang climbed the Cape of Heaven and arrived at the very spot where Master Tianyue had driven his sword into the ground all those years ago. Honored to gaze upon this blade, he bowed three times before it.
After becoming a guest elder, Qin Sang had learned more about Master Tianyue's past deeds from Xuantian Palace.
Back then, after Master Tianyue had challenged every major sect with his sword and planted it at the Cape of Heaven, the turmoil had not ended. Two elders of Xuantian Palace had once joined forces with experts from other domains—including the righteous and demonic factions as well as demon kings of the Demon Realm—and set out together for the Beichen Realm, never to be heard from again.
Not long afterward, generous "gifts" were delivered to each of their sects: their severed heads, preserved intact within jade boxes, quietly appeared in their sects' forbidden grounds!
That included Xuantian Palace.
The elders' heads were delivered back to Lingxiao Peak. The Palace Master of Xuantian Palace at the time, a late Nascent Soul expert meditating on Lingxiao Peak, had noticed nothing at all.
From then on, the North Sea was gripped with terror; none dared cross the boundary by half a step, and the Beichen Realm knew peace.
In a sense, Qin Sang could be considered a beneficiary of Master Tianyue's legacy.
...
After paying homage at the sacred site, Qin Sang entered the Star Sand Islands.
Showing his demon form before demons and reverting to his human self when dealing with humans, he moved between the two races with effortless ease.
The situation in the Star Sand Islands was not optimistic. The human race could now only hold out in a corner, while the greater part of the islands had become demon dens. Fortunately, Great Sage Tianpeng had turned his gaze toward Xuantian Palace, granting them a momentary reprieve.
Qin Sang claimed to be a special envoy of Xuantian Palace, visiting the Nascent Soul experts of the Star Sand Islands to discuss standing together and resisting the demon race. He was not lying to them; he had already discussed this with Shixue before coming.
Taking this opportunity, Qin Sang learned about numerous secret locations throughout the Star Sand Islands. He made a swift circuit of the area, but likewise found no Killing Sword fragments, obtaining only two spiritual herbs of passable quality.
His experiences over this period confirmed his earlier suspicion.
The Killing Sword fragments accompanied the cultivation art; they were not scattered at random, but deliberately placed across different locations for reasons unknown.
The places where they lay were bound to be ancient immortal palaces like Ziwei Palace or the Hall of Seven Kills. There was no need to waste further time on minor secret realms or small forbidden grounds.
There was also another possibility, similar to the first fragment, which had been accidentally discovered by the founding patriarch of Shaohua Mountain and brought back to the sect.
However, the odds of that were slim, requiring sheer luck.
Thinking back to the places where the first two fragments were kept, both were in the deepest, most secluded parts of their respective secret realms.
The founder of Shaohua Mountain had only obtained his fragment after discovering the secret passage of Mount Tianshan.
The second fragment was kept in the Nether Valley at the summit of Yitian Peak in the Hall of Seven Kills, its entrance hidden on the wall of the ancient palace, impossible to obtain through ordinary means.
Now, Qin Sang placed his greatest hopes on the Xuantian Holy Land. If even the sacred land had no Killing Sword fragments, his only choice would be to leave the North Sea and seek them in Zhongzhou.
Having traveled through the Star Sand Islands, Qin Sang intended to finish one final matter in the Demon Realm before returning to the Crescent Moon Realm.
...
In the southwestern Demon Realm.
Near the sea, the landscape here was winding and picturesque.
Mountains, rivers, and valleys were interlaced like crisscrossing footpaths, with subterranean rivers linking beneath them into an extensive water system that ultimately flowed into the sea.
Deep mountains, winding ravines, rushing living waters.
Qin Sang's figure quietly emerged.
Scanning his surroundings, he flew noiselessly to higher ground, surveying the rivers and streams of the region.
Based on the intelligence he had gathered earlier, Qin Sang deduced that the frogfish's cave dwelling was likely hidden here.
However, this demon kept an extremely low profile, commanded no demon troops, and acted with great caution. Its cave dwelling was so well-concealed that no one knew of it. When Tong Lingyu had marched north, she had dragged out both Bi Fang and the little fox, yet failed to find the frogfish alone.
This demon had not joined Great Sage Tianpeng's assault on Xuantian Palace. Perhaps terrified by what had happened to Bi Fang and the little fox, it had vanished without a trace in recent years.
A gentle breeze brushed against Qin Sang's cheeks.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out, gently flapping its wings as it fluttered affectionately around him.
Qin Sang caressed its soft wings, cast a concealment art, and plunged into the mighty river. Diving deep all the way to the riverbed, he moved through the water weeds, beginning an aimless search.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Qin Sang could not unfurl his divine sense. He could only search every corner in person, relying on the divine power of the Heavenly Eye to locate the frogfish's water manor.
Within a thousand li, the subterranean water network was dense and tangled, but Qin Sang possessed immense patience. Subterranean rivers and water channels—he searched every inch without rest.
Heaven never disappointed the diligent.
After more than a month, Qin Sang finally detected an anomaly in a deep subterranean pool.
The deep pool was hidden at the bottom of an underground river, pitch-black inside, the black stones at its mouth polished smooth by the rushing currents. The water flowed steadily past this spot, yet possessed an added chill.
Qin Sang halted upstream in the underground river, peering toward the deep pool. A moment later, a faint smile touched the corners of his lips. "It looks like the handiwork of human cultivators, and quite ingenious at that. Could the frogfish have traded for it from the Boundless Sea?"
A spirit array was concealed within the deep pool.
The way it was laid out was ingenious. Its fluctuations were exceedingly faint, and it was designed specifically against divine sense.
If Qin Sang were standing on the surface right now and unfurled his divine sense to sweep the area, not only would it be difficult to spot the deep pool, but it would also trigger a reaction from the array, alerting the great demon within the water manor.
Having taken precautions beforehand and relying on the Heavenly Eye's divine ability, he had avoided exposure.
Qin Sang watched for a while, then carefully retreated, leaving the area to search elsewhere, where he discovered another suspected entrance.
This demon clearly understood that a cunning hare needs three burrows, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
A thoughtful look crossed Qin Sang's face.
His external incarnation was not yet fully cultivated, meaning he could not split up to blockade the exits. Moreover, he estimated that the frogfish's water manor had more than just these two exits; trying to seal them off would be futile.
He decided to stop searching, return to that deep pool, secretly unravel the array, and then storm the water manor!
This was an approach born of supreme confidence.
With Qin Sang's mastery of formations and the aid of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, seeing through the workings of this spirit array was not difficult. The key lay in acting swiftly during the breach so the frogfish could not escape.
Qin Sang knew well that this frogfish possessed formidable abilities underwater; he could not afford to let it flee into the subterranean rivers.
With this thought, Qin Sang picked up his pace, returned to the vicinity of the deep pool, and concealed himself.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly rested obediently on Qin Sang's shoulder, its wings spread slightly. The Heavenly Eye patterns resembled a pair of genuine divine eyes, gazing intently down into the deep pool.
This spirit array could not be called top-tier. Prioritizing resistance against divine sense inspection inevitably meant sacrificing other aspects.
He expended mental energy to map out the array's patterns, but did not act rashly. Instead, he rehearsed it countless times in his mind, considering the most efficient way to break it.
Just as Qin Sang had expected.
The defensive capabilities of this array left much to be desired. The frogfish had clearly never intended to build an impregnable water manor, maintaining a mindset of abandoning it at any moment.
Still, while breaking the array was easy, cornering the frogfish inside before it noticed would be difficult.
He had to strike like thunder and end it swiftly!
With a flash of the Qianjun Ring, the Sun Divine Tree rose gently into the air.
Its crimson brilliance radiated outward, though Qin Sang used secret techniques to conceal it. Otherwise, the underground river would have been dyed scarlet, and if even a sliver of its aura leaked out, the river water would surely vaporize, cutting off the underground flow.
At this moment, atop the nine flower buds of the Sun Divine Tree, nine divine birds stood proudly with raised heads and cocked tails!
The divine birds were crimson all over, their bodies formed entirely of flame. The fluttering of their feathers was merely the outward manifestation of the flowing aura of Nanming Primordial Fire.
The form of the divine birds bore some resemblance to the legendary Vermilion Bird.
Yet with nine divine birds perched together upon a divine tree, the scene also evoked the legends of the Golden Crow and the Fusang Divine Tree.
Qin Sang was accustomed to calling them Sun Divine Birds.
Not long ago, the Sun Divine Birds had coalesced into form, signifying that the magic treasure Qin Sang had long awaited was finally complete!
Over the prolonged waiting period, Qin Sang had already become intimately familiar with the Sun Divine Tree. Furthermore, since he had refined the treasure with his own hands, they were already one and the same, requiring no further mental effort to attune to it.
The Sun Divine Birds had lithe, dainty figures, yet the energy contained within them reached a hair-raising degree!
Even as their master, in close proximity to the Sun Divine Tree, Qin Sang still felt his scalp tingle, his movements subconsciously turning exceedingly gentle.
"Now, it's all up to you!"
Qin Sang extended a hand, holding the divine tree aloft, his gaze moving among the nine divine birds before settling on the three perched at the very top, murmuring to himself.
Mysterious white copper, the green copper fragment, Nine Lives Black Tortoise shell, the Vermilion Bird True Feather...
A magic treasure forged from the combination of several extraordinary treasures was going to battle with him for the very first time!
Turning his palm, Qin Sang put away the Sun Divine Tree. He then woke the fat silkworm and coaxed, "Put your back into it. If this demon has a toxic core inside, it might just be your lucky break."
The fat silkworm's eyes were hazy with sleep, but upon hearing this, it snapped fully awake. Its small eyes sparkled brightly, and wagging its head and tail, it spat out a seven-colored glow that materialized into the Poison-repelling Armor.
With these preparations complete, Qin Sang summoned the demonic fire and drifted downstream toward the deep pool.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's wings trembled slightly, transmitting every subtle shift in the spirit array to Qin Sang.
Soon, Qin Sang slipped near the deep pool, his five fingers twitching faintly.
Following his movements, the demonic fire divided into thin black threads that silently probed into the deep pool.
Coordinated by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang directed the demonic fire to infiltrate the spirit array without triggering the slightest reaction.
At this moment, the demonic fire wove into a fiery net within the spirit array. What Qin Sang was doing was akin to deploying an array of demonic fire to counter the spirit array—a level of exquisite control impossible before his divine sense had materialized!
Seeing that the timing was right, Qin Sang let out a low cry.
"Break!"
At that moment, inside the water manor.
Gemstones lay like sand, coral grew in groves.
Inlaid with lustrous pearls, the place was opulent and resplendent.
The frogfish had reverted to its true form, lying prone on a bed polished from the giant shell of a river clam. Its head thrust forward, eyes tightly shut, and mouth open, inhaling and exhaling a sphere of green light.
With every breath, the green light deepened in color while contracting slightly.
This continued until the orb of green light was refined into a single wisp, whereupon it spat out another sphere of green light, repeating the cycle.
Unaware that catastrophe loomed, the demon remained engrossed in cultivation.
Suddenly, a thunderous boom erupted from one of the exits!
The water manor shook violently.
Gems flew through the air and corals snapped, instantly turning the entire cave dwelling into a chaotic mess.
Caught off guard, the frogfish nearly tumbled headfirst from the clam bed. Hastily swallowing the green light, it resumed human form, sprang up, and glared at the exit in furious indignation.
In the next instant, its face twisted in horror.
Though it saw no human figure, it saw plumes of black fire surging within the spirit array.
In a single onslaught, the demonic fire shattered nearly half the array's restrictions, its might just as terrifying as in its memories.
The frogfish remembered this black fire vividly—back when they had fought three against one and held the upper hand, it had nearly been incinerated to ash by this very flame!
"It's him!"
The frogfish was paralyzed with fright.
The man had come for revenge—he actually dared to enter the Demon Realm!
Ever since learning that Bi Fang had been cornered by the Grand Elder of Xuantian Palace and had only escaped with his life by abandoning the little fox, the frogfish had been filled with regret.
Setting aside the fact that human treasures were of little use to them, it had gained nothing in the end, only bringing trouble upon itself and needlessly provoking powerful enemies.
Knowing it was no match for this foe, the frogfish had zero desire to fight. With a sweep of its broad sleeve, it scooped up the treasures in the water manor and prepared to flee through the other exit.
Right at that moment, an even louder boom sounded.
A deafening explosion reverberated through the water manor. The frogfish's head buzzed, hit by a sudden bout of dizziness. This dizziness was not caused by the loud sound, but by the impact of an unprecedented, terrifying shockwave!
The frogfish was petrified.
Its eyes stung sharply, as if blinded.
Everything within its sight vanished, replaced by nothing but brilliant white light.
"What a fine water manor!"
Amidst the white light, Qin Sang strode slowly into the water manor, the Sun Divine Tree hovering behind his head, three divine birds missing from its boughs.
Though he appeared composed, shock surged within his heart as well.
Although he had tested it briefly when the Sun Divine Tree was first completed, the sheer power of unleashing it at full strength for the first time still surpassed Qin Sang's expectations.
Even with his materialized divine sense, he could only barely drive three divine birds, yet they had wiped the deep pool's spirit array clean with effortless ease, blowing the entrance to the water manor wide open.
Qin Sang inwardly evaluated: if Tong Lingyu had not held back back then, the destructive force of the three divine birds exploding at that moment certainly far surpassed the power of the Fourfold Tengshe Seal in her hands! It might even reach thirty or forty percent of the seal's full potential!
The price was that nearly half of Qin Sang's true essence had been drained in an instant, leaving his body feeling thoroughly hollowed out.
Chapter 1470