Stone Tablet

Deep in the Sacred Ground. The darkness was thick and impenetrable. There were no floating mountains here. The void was fraught with terrifying, invisible turbulent currents; a single misstep could see one swept away and torn to pieces. Even Nascent Soul cultivators entering this place had to weave and dodge with utmost caution. Within the darkness, several figures wended their way through the turbulence, led by none other than Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng. "Are you certain a stone tablet could remain intact in a place like this?" Great Sage Tianpeng's gaze was sharp as he scanned the dark expanse inch by inch, a tinge of doubt in his tone. It was too chaotic here. The destructive force of these currents far surpassed anything outside; this was the very fountainhead of chaos. One could easily imagine that even if a floating mountain from outside drifted in, it would be unable to withstand the barrage of currents, torn to shreds and reduced to ash in less than half an hour. Perhaps floating mountains had once existed here, only to be obliterated. Since entering, they had searched all over and found not a single tangible object. Yet Old Man Hunmo insisted they look for a tablet in such an environment. "According to the information I obtained, such a stone tablet indeed exists and serves as a marker. Something like that naturally wouldn't be destroyed by mere turbulence." Old Man Hunmo scanned their surroundings back and forth, replying with absolute certainty. "Since you know of the tablet's existence, do you not know what lies within?" Great Sage Tianpeng scrutinized Old Man Hunmo, growing suspicious of his prior claims. Old Man Hunmo chuckled. "Originally, this old man didn't want to alert the enemy. My plan was to slip into the Sacred Ground alone, conduct a discreet reconnaissance, and verify whether the intel was true, then make further plans the next time Xuantian Palace opened the Sacred Ground. An unexpected discovery gave me sixty percent confidence in its veracity, and now that has risen to a hundred percent!" "An unexpected discovery? You mean that lingzhi ruyi?" Great Sage Tianpeng grew even more suspicious of his explanation. He felt Old Man Hunmo was concealing crucial information. After entering the Sacred Ground, Old Man Hunmo had promptly put the treasure away, which was clearly unusual. "If this treasure came from the Sacred Ground, surely its function isn't just to point the way to its location?" "Nothing escapes the Great Sage's discerning eyes." Old Man Hunmo glanced at Great Sage Tianpeng with an open, calm expression. He looked back over his shoulder. Seeing no pursuers, he hesitated briefly, waved his hand to set up an isolating restriction, and cautiously retrieved an object. It was the lingzhi ruyi. At this moment, the lingzhi ruyi was enveloped in a small orb condensed from demonic qi. Though Old Man Hunmo made no movement, the lingzhi ruyi trembled incessantly, its intense precious glow nearly piercing through the demonic qi to dispel the darkness. One could well imagine that had Old Man Hunmo not sealed it with demonic qi, the lingzhi ruyi would currently shine as brilliantly as a full moon in the night sky. Seeing this, Great Sage Tianpeng's eyes flickered, vaguely guessing a few things. "Why hasn't Xuantian Palace pursued us in?" Old Man Hunmo let Great Sage Tianpeng take a glance before immediately stowing the lingzhi ruyi, countering with a question. Without waiting for Great Sage Tianpeng to speak, Old Man Hunmo answered himself, "The Sacred Ground has always been occupied by Xuantian Palace. Successive generations of their experts must have explored it countless times and concluded that we couldn't possibly gain anything here. So they wait outside at their leisure, looking forward to watching us make fools of ourselves. If I were to unleash the lingzhi ruyi right now and Xuantian Palace witnessed the anomaly..." Old Man Hunmo paused, leaving the rest unsaid. Yet everyone present understood what would follow. Xuantian Palace tolerated their intrusion only because they were convinced the intruders knew nothing about the Sacred Ground and were bound to return empty-handed. Once they discovered the intruders possessed a treasure linked to the Sacred Ground, they would stop at nothing to seize it! Engaging in a fight to the death with Xuantian Palace right now was not what they wanted. Old Man Hunmo preferred to keep the lingzhi ruyi sealed, patiently search for the stone tablet, and only then release the treasure to see what changes it would induce. Even if Xuantian Palace noticed by then, their adversaries would still be a step behind. This was indeed a seasoned, prudent course of action. Great Sage Tianpeng gave a slight nod and said no more, accepting this explanation. Old Man Hunmo said with deep meaning, "It seems the Great Sage is very wary of Yin Changsheng. Could your initiation of the war between the two realms have been an attempt to test him?" Great Sage Tianpeng snorted but did not refute it, tacitly acknowledging the point. A look of curiosity crossed Old Man Hunmo's face. "By the time my cultivation was accomplished, Yin Changsheng was already living in seclusion and rarely showed himself, so I can hardly say I know him well. I heard that the Nine-Headed Great Sage made a name for himself even earlier than Yin Changsheng; he must have crossed paths with him, yes?" "Senior Nine-Headed also once sought to lead our race out of the Demon Realm." Great Sage Tianpeng wore an impatient scowl. Saying this was tantamount to exposing his own side's shortcomings—bolstering the enemy's prestige while deflating their own. Hearing this, the others exchanged astonished glances. Throughout the North Sea, it was common knowledge that the Nine-Headed Great Sage had an indifferent, aloof disposition. To think it was actually forced upon him! Everyone's curiosity immediately peaked. What exactly happened back then that compelled the Nine-Headed Great Sage to endure in silence until now? Great Sage Tianpeng looked thoroughly displeased and had no intention of elaborating. The others could hardly press him on the matter, so they had to suppress their curiosity. "It seems this old man underestimated this Palace Master of Xuantian Palace. Fortunately, I invited the Great Sage to come along." Noticing the strange expressions on the others' faces, Old Man Hunmo chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoists, there is no need to worry overly much. The Sacred Ground was exposed, yet Yin Changsheng has hidden in his jeweled carriage the entire time like a turtle shrinking into its shell. There must be a reason for it. The Great Sage and I already suspected that Yin Changsheng's condition is amiss—he is likely trapped in some predicament that makes it inconvenient for him to act." As he spoke, Old Man Hunmo glanced around. Ghost General, Yellow-Browed Demon King, Primordial Lady Yuyi, Bi Fang... The renowned demons and monsters of the North Sea were all among them. "Since Xuantian Palace hasn't pursued us inside, let us split up and search to find the stone tablet as soon as possible. Do not be careless, everyone; watch out for Xuantian Palace experts lurking in the shadows." Great Sage Tianpeng stayed close to Old Man Hunmo, still not fully trusting him. Old Man Hunmo didn't mind in the slightest. The group split into smaller parties, searching in pairs through the endless, dark turbulence. *** In the Body Cleansing Pool. No one knew how much time had passed. Qin Sang's tightly shut eyes slowly opened, bloodshot, yet his gaze held a sense of immense relief. Toward the end, the excruciating agony in his body had gradually receded. "I finally pulled through." A surge of joy rose in Qin Sang's heart. He found himself still suspended in an empty void. The flickering lights around him were no different from before, but that bizarre energy had completely vanished without a trace. It had likely been entirely absorbed by him. Qin Sang took a deep breath. As his body moved slightly, his brow furrowed involuntarily. He focused inward to examine himself. The increase in his cultivation was not particularly noticeable, for that was not the true purpose of the Body Cleansing Pool. Yet as he examined his Nascent Soul, he felt it had become lighter than before, as though a heavy shackle had been cast off. Through the torment, it had undergone some manner of transformation, emerging even more stable and resilient. Could the "body" cleansed by the Body Cleansing Pool refer to the body of the Nascent Soul? "I wonder how much faster my cultivation speed will become?" The thought crossed Qin Sang's mind, but he was in no hurry to leave the pool to test it. He turned over, looking downward. Having promised Liuli to retrieve the treasure for her, he could not go back on his word. As far as his eyes could see, the void was unfathomably deep, filled everywhere with five-colored radiance. Even his Heavenly Eye Divine Ability could not pierce through to see the depths of the pool. Qin Sang checked his condition. There were no obvious injuries to his meridians, his Nascent Soul had stabilized, and only the true essence in his sea of qi remained turbulent. The agonizing pain from earlier had not inflicted any lasting damage upon him. Qin Sang swallowed a medicinal pill, rested for a short while until he had fully recovered, and then slowly descended toward the bottom of the pool. What appeared to be a narrow pool was actually extraordinarily deep. The five-colored radiance shifted unpredictably around him, making him feel as though he had fallen into a vibrant kaleidoscope, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. Qin Sang dived swiftly, but soon came to a halt, gazing down with rapt attention. The five-colored radiance was still present here, but it carried an added sense of danger. Qin Sang's gaze swept over the beams of light, finally fixing upon the point where they converged. "Ancient restrictions." Qin Sang discerned the clues, realizing he had found the right place. Back then, Liuli's master, Bing Yao, had passed through this very area and discovered the treasure at the bottom of the pool. Not having cultivated the Ice Soul Divine Light, Qin Sang could only search methodically. He summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, channeling its divine ability to the fullest as he peered downward. His sight pierced through the five-colored radiance, only to see layers upon layers of ancient restrictions. After a moment's thought, Qin Sang drew the Jinchen Sword and slashed out a beam of sword qi. The sword qi descended slowly. This strike was merely a probe. Still inside the pool, he dared not act recklessly. Unexpectedly, the ancient restrictions swallowed the sword qi with ease, producing no reaction whatsoever. Qin Sang increased his strength, unleashing three strikes in quick succession. Doing this served another purpose: attempting to contact Liuli. Liuli was waiting at Taotie Lake. If the restrictions of the two places were connected, she ought to feel the disturbance here and send back a signal, which would make locating the treasure far simpler. Unfortunately, things did not go as hoped. Receiving no response from Liuli, Qin Sang had no choice but to descend alone. The further down he went, the denser the ancient restrictions grew. The five-colored radiance here was blindingly bright, with countless ancient restrictions woven into a single beam of light, where moving one part would affect the whole. Back then, Bing Yao had exerted all her efforts, only managing to crack a portion of them before being forced to turn back in defeat. Given enough time and the assistance of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang might have been able to unravel the layers of restrictions and reach the deepest depths. Now, however, he had to take action from time to time to breach them by force. The counterattacks from the ancient restrictions grew increasingly ferocious. Acting with great care, Qin Sang activated the Ruyi Pearl to form a protective qi barrier. Still feeling unsafe, he summoned his demonic fire, condensing a suit of flaming armor around himself. *** At the bottom of Taotie Lake. Around Liuli, layers of light walls formed what looked like a cage. She remained where she was, refraining from reckless actions and waiting patiently. Just then. Liuli seemed to sense something. Her expression shifted slightly, and she turned her head toward one of the light walls. She sensed ripples coming from behind the wall. The ripples were faint, but completely distinct from the suction force—in all likelihood caused by Qin Sang breaking restrictions. There truly was a connection between the Body Cleansing Pool and Taotie Lake! A dark blue glow flickered in Liuli's eyes as she channeled the Ice Soul Divine Light to corrode the light wall, drawing closer in the direction of the ripples. Taotie Lake was equally bottomless. The ancient restrictions here were not as tightly packed as those in the pool. Moving forward without danger, Liuli found herself arriving at the edge of Taotie Lake before she knew it. Her delicate brows knitted slightly. Only upon closer inspection did she notice an extremely concealed opening in the stone wall before her, just wide enough for a single person to enter. Fortunately, there was no suction inside the cave. After a brief hesitation, Liuli flashed inside. The interior was a labyrinth of interconnected tunnels, highly complex, with suction lingering in the deeper reaches. Following the ripples of the restrictions and taking numerous forks to bypass the suction, Liuli finally felt an inexplicable sensation originating from her Ice Soul Divine Light. "It's here!" Liuli sat down cross-legged at once. Following the method taught by her master, she attempted to use the Ice Soul Divine Light to resonate with that treasure. Back then, Bing Yao had discovered that channeling the Ice Soul Divine Light according to a specific rhythm could induce resonance with the treasure, creating an unseen connection to serve as a guide. According to Bing Yao's plan, one would need to continue breaking restrictions and advancing until one could affect the Body Cleansing Pool, coordinating from within and without to help the person inside retrieve the treasure. However, Qin Sang was capable of retrieving the treasure on his own. Liuli could conserve her strength and merely guide his way. By this point, Qin Sang had already plunged into the extreme depths, trudging forward with difficulty, yet he still had not found his target. The ancient restrictions had been stirred into disarray by his actions, making it hard to tell directions; without guidance, searching for the treasure here was as difficult as ascending to heaven. His earlier fears had come true: Qin Sang suspected the treasure might have shifted positions. Fortunately, he possessed plenty of magic treasures and formidable strength, so he had yet to encounter mortal peril. Just as Qin Sang was patiently searching within the pool. A faint, unusual ripple appeared toward his lower left, not far from him. Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he immediately moved toward it. The ripples followed a distinct rhythm, and their position shifted continuously. As expected, this was likely caused by Liuli. Good thing we prepared for both possibilities; otherwise, who knows how long I would have had to search! Qin Sang breathed a sigh of relief. As agreed, he struck the restrictions once every ten breaths, repeating it three times to signal to Liuli that her method was working. Then, locking onto the ripples, he closed in as fast as he could. Whoosh! Demonic fire shot forth, landing upon the surface of a beam of green light and spreading rapidly. Qin Sang followed closely behind. After a brief pause, he carefully controlled the demonic fire to gently unravel the ancient restrictions within the green light. The ripples lay right behind this green light! The green light grew increasingly faint. Before long, a crack split open in the middle. Qin Sang finally caught sight of what the treasure looked like. It was actually a cicada! "Eight-Winged Heart Cicada!" A flicker of astonishment crossed Qin Sang's eyes, and he recognized it immediately! The Eight-Winged Heart Cicada possessed an extraordinary appearance. On its back grew eight wings like ice crystals arranged side by side; its entire body was translucent, as though sculpted from mystic ice, and its eyes resembled two snowflakes, breathtakingly magnificent. Never had Qin Sang imagined that what Liuli and her master sought was actually a spirit insect. In the rankings of the Spirit Taming Sect, the Eight-Winged Heart Cicada undoubtedly belonged among the rare insects. However, whether on the Rare Insect Chart or the Shamanic Insect Chart, there were no detailed records of the Eight-Winged Heart Cicada's divine abilities, as this kind of spirit cicada had disappeared countless years ago. Qin Sang studied it closely and made a new discovery. "This isn't an Eight-Winged Heart Cicada—it's a cicada slough! Liuli and her master went to such great lengths just for a mere slough? What benefit does an Eight-Winged Heart Cicada offer to the Ice Soul Divine Light?" Qin Sang was somewhat bewildered. He knew very little about this spirit insect and could not tell which metamorphosis stage had left this slough behind. This Eight-Winged Heart Cicada had slept at the bottom of the Body Cleansing Pool for untold years, completed its metamorphosis, left behind its slough, and departed in its true form. Unable to deduce the reason, Qin Sang hesitated no longer. He retrieved a spirit talisman, released the Ice Soul Divine Light sealed within toward the slough, and prepared to fish it out. The Ice Soul Divine Light touched the cicada slough and easily merged into it. Yet an inexplicable, eerie sensation arose in Qin Sang's heart. This cicada slough... Whoosh! A sudden change erupted. Without the slightest warning, a tremendous suction force burst forth. Qin Sang's face fell in shock. Caught entirely off guard, he only had time to activate his magic treasures for protection before the world spun around him and he was sucked inside.