He was too late.
Qin Sang slipped into the sinkhole and found it plunged exceptionally deep.
Judging by the traces left behind, the pit had not been formed by an external strike. An immense power had erupted from within, completely obliterating both the cave abode and the entire lake above it.
With the passage of countless years, weathering had eroded away any useful clues.
Qin Sang had no way to tell whether this explosive force had originated from the abode itself or was the ruinous result of an intruder forcing their way inside.
One thing was certain: this place could no longer serve as a cave abode.
"Time changes all things indeed," Qin Sang could not help sighing.
It was hard to say how much of what Senior Xiaoxiangzi had recorded in the jade slip still held any value. Chances were that many other locations shared a similar fate—either already uncovered by others or utterly destroyed.
Were it not for Senior Xiaoxiangzi's remark that only a Deity Transformation cultivator could discern the secret behind the Buddhist relic, Qin Sang would not have dared harbor much hope in the first place.
Beneath Heavenly Fissure Valley, day and night blurred together.
Counting on his fingers, he realized that over a month had slipped by while searching through the valley.
According to the cycles of the valley's drifting vapor, the chasm opened only once every ten years or so, each window lasting anywhere from a dozen days to nearly a month.
This was now the valley's most perilous period; the vast majority of cultivators had already retreated outside.
Returning empty-handed, Qin Sang had little interest in plumbing the valley's other secrets and prepared to head back the way he came.
***
Deep within Heavenly Fissure Valley.
A sheer precipice was densely overgrown with vines.
They coiled like gigantic pythons across the cliff face. What ought to have been a place teeming with life felt unspeakably eerie, for every single vine was an ashen gray.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Wisps of baleful wind threaded through the gaps between the vines, whistling faintly.
Across the entire cliffside, only the wind made any sound—no beast roared, no insect chirped—deepening the grim atmosphere.
At that moment, tucked inside a slightly wider crevice beneath the vines, two figures lay concealed. Peering through the tangled foliage, they cautiously watched the cliff top.
They were a man and a woman. The woman was merely in the Foundation Establishment stage, her face tinged with a sickly pallor, while the man was a Core Formation master.
What made them so cautious, as if facing a mortal foe, was a rocky cavern at the summit.
Inside, the cave was pitch black.
The cold wind carried a rank, foul stench.
Prone and motionless, they had lain in ambush here for over a dozen days, enduring the foul odor without daring to cast any secret art to block it, terrified they might miss their window.
Now accustomed to the stench, the woman glanced at the man beside her, who remained fixed on the ledge above. Her eyes softened with tenderness, and parting her lips, she transmitted her voice carefully, tinged with worry. "Senior Brother, Heavenly Fissure Valley has already closed."
"The tip wasn't certain about the bloom time of this snake shadow flower, only giving an approximate window. We just had bad luck that it didn't bloom while the valley was open," the man sighed. "If we miss this one, there's no telling how long we'll have to wait, and your illness cannot afford more delay. Refining this snake shadow flower will buy us time. Even if I must search to the ends of heaven and earth, I will find a spiritual cure for you. Master entrusted you to my care on his deathbed; how could I break my word? We must secure it this time."
"But..."
The woman looked anxious, but the man cut her off.
"Junior Sister, have you forgotten that I am no longer what I once was?" The man put on a relaxed air. "I am already a Core Formation cultivator. Heavenly Fissure Valley is no longer as dangerous as it used to be for me. Besides, before setting out, I had someone craft a Yang Luo Parasol specifically for this trip. Even if we run into the valley's common lightning calamities, I have the means to withstand them..."
Just then, amid the overpowering stench, a faint wisp of subtle fragrance emerged.
The stench was thick and the fragrance faint, making it easy to miss.
Having lurked for days waiting precisely for this moment, they detected the subtle shift instantly. Swallowing his remaining words, the man whispered in delight, "I'll go draw away the eagle demon now. Junior Sister, remember: in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the snake shadow flower will reach full bloom and peak potency. Be sure to refine it on the spot using the secret art—do not pick it!"
Though he had repeated this warning countless times, he was still uneasy.
The woman felt only warmth. Gazing at his resolute face, she softly urged, "My ailment has already sunk into my core. If it proves impossible, Senior Brother, you must never—"
"Don't speak such foolishness!"
The man snapped sternly, brooking no argument, and shot out in a flash. He unleashed his treasured sword and drove it straight into the cavern.
An instant later, a furious shriek echoed from the cave, piercing and shrill.
The sword tumbled backward out of the entrance, its radiance dimmed.
A demonic gale burst out in pursuit, its heavy stench rivaling poison gas and making the head spin. Within the howling wind lurked a demonic beast: a creature with the body of a vulture, but a neck as slender and sinuous as a snake's.
It looked as if half of a serpent's torso had been grafted onto a vulture—bizarre in the extreme.
Seeing that he had so easily lured out the snake-eagle, the man felt a surge of quiet relief. Without a trace of fear, he took the initiative to meet the monster head-on.
Unfortunately, he had not formed his core long ago and possessed no magic treasure. Facing a Demon Core stage snake-eagle, he was inherently at a disadvantage and quickly fell into a defensive posture.
The woman remained hidden in the crevice, her face taut with anxiety.
Black demonic wind churned across midair, blotting out the sky, until neither human nor beast could be seen.
She knew full well her senior brother was exerting every ounce of strength to lure the beast away and buy her time.
As time trickled by, the fragrance of the snake shadow flower grew richer, nearing full bloom. Unable to kill the man quickly, the snake-eagle grew increasingly shrill; drawn by the scent of the blossom, it attempted to turn back toward its lair.
The man launched into a desperate counterattack, completely disregarding his wounded body as he fought tooth and nail to pin the beast down.
Tears welling in her eyes, the woman bit her lip and dared not look at the sky, slipping swiftly into the cavern.
At this critical juncture, however, the snake-eagle made an astonishing move.
Mid-clash, the creature suddenly seemed petrified with terror. It forgot to strike, and the man's blade slashed deep into the root of its wing. Jolted awake as if from a nightmare, it let out a rasping screech.
Unlike before, this cry held not just pain, but pure panic, as if it had encountered its natural nemesis.
Even the man could sense the beast's abject dread.
Then, abandoning both its cave and the spiritual medicine without a second thought, the snake-eagle flapped its wings and fled in disarray, lurching clumsily through the air before it could even balance itself.
Seeing that it was not returning to the cave, the man did not pursue.
Yet this bizarre behavior left him suspicious and uneasy, a heavy premonition rising in his chest.
What on earth could terrify the snake-eagle so?
Suppressing his shock, the man hurriedly dropped down before the cavern mouth. Seeing his junior sister absorbed in refining the snake shadow flower, he turned and surveyed his surroundings in bewilderment.
An instant later, he witnessed a sight of horror he would never forget in his life. A freezing chill struck through the crown of his head, causing the blood in his veins to run cold.
In the depths of Heavenly Fissure Valley, forest-like spires of stone stood tall.
At the very edge of his vision, the clouds along the horizon took on a yellowish cast. Looking closer, he realized it was a massive yellow cloud.
The yellow cloud surged like fire, blanketing the sky in an all-consuming blaze as it spread toward them at astonishing speed. Ahead of it rolled a dark, dense mass—flocks of birds fleeing in front of the advancing cloud.
It was this yellow cloud that had scared away the snake-eagle!
"Senior Brother, did you drive the snake-eagle away?"
Having already refined the snake shadow flower to safely absorb its medicinal power later, the woman emerged from the cave. Finding the snake-eagle gone, she asked in surprise.
Before the words had finished leaving her lips, she noticed the strange look on his face. Following his gaze toward the rapidly nearing yellow cloud, her entire body trembled. Utter terror seized her face, and a despairing murmur escaped her lips: "Ghostfire Swarm Cloud!"
"Run!"
The man grabbed her arm and prepared to use his movement art to flee, only to feel a sudden wrench of pain across his palm as she forcefully tore herself free.
"Junior Sister..."
He turned back in shock, only to find she had already backed away. Tears ran down her cheeks, yet her gaze was resolute as she shook her head repeatedly.
If he tried to carry her along, both of them would surely die.
If he fled alone, there might still be a slim chance of survival.
After years of searching for a cure, they had only just glimpsed hope, only for brutal reality to cast them straight back into the abyss.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice interjected between them.
"To think I'd run into such devoted lovers here. You make quite a pair."
Startled, both turned toward the sound. A figure was slowly materializing before the cave mouth without a single ripple of energy. Had the newcomer not spoken of his own accord, they would never have sensed his presence.
At any other time, they would have been struck with dread and suspicion.
Now, however, a spark of hope ignited in the man's eyes.
"Is that an insect swarm?"
The newcomer was none other than Qin Sang, who was preparing to leave the valley.
"Reporting to Senior, that yellow cloud is indeed a swarm," the man replied with clasped hands, ignoring his junior sister's frantic urging. "Inside are terrible venomous insects known as ghost bugs. Countless ghost bugs exhale poisonous mist that resembles raging fire and clouds—one of the three deadliest insect scourges in Heavenly Fissure Valley, the Ghostfire Swarm Cloud. Facing it, flight is the only option. If overtaken, one can only take a Turtle Breathing Pill to enter suspended animation and rely on a Fire Smoke Pill to ward off poison for a sliver of hope. But the price of those pills..."
The man spoke at rapid speed, his expression helpless toward the end.
A seasoned Core Formation cultivator might afford them, but having only recently formed his core, he had spent nearly everything just to secure word of the snake shadow flower.
"Ghost bugs?"
Qin Sang mused thoughtfully.
Just as he had anticipated, the languages of Zhongzhou and the North Sea shared a common root. With their eidetic memory, immortal cultivators could easily adapt to regional divergence, not to mention the specialized Comprehension Mantras designed for such circumstances.
The prominent scripts of the cultivation world and the ancient texts unearthed in both regions were essentially identical.
To Qin Sang's knowledge, several types of spirit insects could produce a similar swarm cloud, but none were called 'ghost bugs.'
Qin Sang realized this had to be the local moniker.
His Heavenly Eye Butterfly could see through the cloud, but the front was merely the venomous haze spewed by the swarm. The poison cloud expanded rapidly, while the main army of insects followed behind.
Wherever the venomous cloud passed, it did not strip foliage bare like a swarm of locusts, but the devastation it wrought was far worse.
At its mere touch, flora withered away, their vitality draining away completely.
Beasts and birds fled for their lives, only to be swallowed by the poison cloud in the end, their blood and qi sucked dry in an instant until nothing remained but desiccated husks.
Like a colossal beast gorging on worldly life, the toxic haze transformed everything in its wake into a barren dead zone.
Yet Heavenly Fissure Valley was no ordinary place; in less than half a year, its vitality would be restored.
Finally, deep within the poison cloud, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly caught sight of the creatures.
"So they're rotphosphor fireflies!"
Qin Sang realized.
These spirit insects possessed limited combat capability on their own, making them poorly suited as Gu insects.
A small number packed little punch, while controlling a massive swarm placed an overwhelming burden on a cultivator's mind, far outweighing the benefits.
However, when a colony grew massive enough, their toxic cloud underwent a metamorphosis, turning into a threat that even high-level cultivators had to steer clear of. The larger the swarm, the more terrifying it became.
Seeing Qin Sang stand in silence, the man grew frantic. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak.
Reading his thoughts, Qin Sang smiled faintly. "I'm afraid we won't be able to run."
The man froze. He darted out of the cave and looked behind them, finally tasting true despair.
Behind them, another swarm cloud had appeared. The two clouds were closing in from both sides, cutting off any escape.
Paying no further heed to the lovebirds, Qin Sang tossed out several formation flags, laying down an aura-isolating array inside the cave, while simultaneously calling upon the fat silkworm.
After devouring the frog-fish's venom sac, the fat silkworm had been sound asleep.
Qin Sang had previously worried it might undergo tribulation within the storm belt, but even now, there was still no sign of an impending breakthrough.
The formation took shape in a breath, its flags cloaked in shadowy obscurity. Qin Sang stepped inside, his figure vanishing at once. Awoken from its slumber, the fat silkworm reluctantly exhaled a poison-warding halo that merged into the shadows.
"Get in here already!"
Qin Sang's voice rang in their ears like heavenly music.
Having already given up hope, the pair was ecstatic. They carefully stepped into the array, their movements stiff with deferential caution.
"This junior is Zhou Jin, and this is my junior sister, Ruan Yu. We are eternally grateful to Senior for saving our lives; we shall never forget it, and even if our bones are ground to dust, we could scarcely repay your grace."
Though the toxic cloud had not yet arrived, he was already convinced that Qin Sang could shepherd them through this disaster.
Qin Sang cast an incantation to raise a stone wall, sealing the entrance. He cast a sideways glance at Ruan Yu, and amidst their uneasy expressions, said, "A Core Formation cultivator is of some use. If you wish to repay me, doing one task for me will suffice."
Zhou Jin gritted his teeth. "Please speak, Senior. This junior will do his utmost to serve."
"No need to look so strained."
Qin Sang remarked calmly, "Gui Water refined fiend has invaded her heart meridian... Hm, no, that's not quite right! She has completely fused with the fiendish qi. Most likely, the fiend aura invaded her while she was still an unborn infant, leaving a deep-seated root. A blessing in disguise, it altered her physique and allowed her to reach Foundation Establishment smoothly, yet she has only a few years left to live. This spirit medicine merely delays the onset of the affliction; she cannot escape death."
Qin Sang's words were cold and brutal.
Yet rather than despair, the two were overcome with joy. They dropped to their knees in unison. "Senior, save her!"
"I happen to have a pill formula that can suppress the fiendish qi, though there is only a thirty percent chance of eradicating the hidden danger entirely. The pill is not difficult to concoct, and I can give you the formula—provided you carry out your task well."
Qin Sang turned his attention outside the cave.
The swarm had arrived. The toxic cloud even seeped through solid rock, seeking to rob all life, but it was firmly repelled by the fat silkworm's poison-warding carapace.
Hearing this, Zhou Jin and Ruan Yu exchanged a glance.
They had no way of knowing whether this senior could be trusted, but he was the only life-saving straw they could clutch at.
Moreover, Qin Sang had not exaggerated the efficacy, lending him an air of credibility.
Ruan Yu squeezed Zhou Jin's hand tightly, worry filling her heart.
Zhou Jin hesitated no longer. "I await Senior's command!"
Qin Sang produced a blank jade slip. "With your cultivation, you qualify to leave the Northern Barrens and travel abroad. Go to the Nineteen Misty Rain Prefectures and gather some information for me. Place names may have changed over time, so find a way to verify them yourself..."
Before he could finish, Qin Sang froze and uttered a soft exclamation.
The fat silkworm, which had been lying lazily in his palm, suddenly grew excited for some reason. It rolled over, squirmed and wriggled, urging Qin Sang to leave the cave. It seemed something outside had caught its attention.
Chapter 1532