Elder Leng's visit was only the beginning.
Over the following days, more Nascent Soul cultivators came to call, one after another.
Regardless of their origins, Qin Sang merely met with them briefly before retreating into quiet seclusion under the guise of healing from his injuries, instructing the Zhou couple to take them directly to the backyard to interrogate the blue jiao.
Some even wanted to buy the blue jiao outright.
Having never witnessed such an occasion, the Zhou couple had initially been terrified receiving so many Nascent Soul experts in succession, but with time, they grew accustomed to it and took it in stride.
One day, the couple was keeping watch in the front hall, making bets on whether any more Nascent Soul cultivators would visit that day.
The door to the quiet room suddenly opened.
Qin Sang emerged from within. Glancing at the two, who scrambled hurriedly to their feet, he instructed, "Pack your things. We are leaving the Chinan Island Chain."
Zhou Jin froze. "Senior Qin, just the three of us going to the outer sea?"
They had been paying close attention to the situation on the island.
Ever since word got out about great demons appearing, everyone on the Chinan Island Chain had felt threatened. Heavy security was established, and no low-level cultivators dared venture into the outer sea anymore.
By now, multiple factions had converged on the Chinan Island Chain.
It was said that those Nascent Soul Patriarchs moved about in secret, plotting some grand plan.
Over these days, Qin Sang had claimed publicly to have been wounded by a Transformation stage great demon and stayed behind closed doors, seemingly showing no interest in allying with any faction currently on the island.
Zhou Jin had assumed Qin Sang had other reinforcements lined up, yet they had not seen a single ally thus far.
Qin Sang shook his head. "We aren't going to the outer sea. We're going back!"
"Going back now? But the ancient immortal sect ruins..."
Zhou Jin and Ruan Yu wore looks of astonishment, completely caught off guard by this decision.
The Chinan Island Chain was boiling with turmoil, with powerful figures from both the human and demon races arriving in droves. It was clear that something monumental was brewing, and the legends were very likely true. Senior Qin was more than qualified to claim a share of the spoils, yet he chose to pull out now.
"What immortal sect? Does it offer an opportunity for Deity Transformation?"
Qin Sang let out a dry laugh and walked toward the backyard with his hands behind his back, leaving the couple dumbfounded.
First came the appearance of the demon king. Then, upon returning to the island chain, Elder Leng had visited in the dead of night, dragging a mysterious Gu God Cult into the picture.
Qin Sang had sensed something amiss back then, suspecting that this was far more complicated than some ancient immortal sect, and that the rumor itself might have been deliberately spread.
He had merely stumbled into this mess by accident.
During this period, the island chain had become a chaotic mire of mixed elements, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface.
Qin Sang had openly kept the blue jiao in the pond, hoping to draw snakes from their holes with news of the demon king, yet he still could not untangle the threads or see through the mystery behind it all.
He had no desire to serve as a vanguard for others, nor would he let himself fall into a perilous vortex to become someone else's pawn.
Since he could not see through it, he might as well jump out of the board entirely!
His true body was getting closer and closer to a breakthrough.
Action was inferior to inaction.
Even if there truly were ancient immortal sect ruins nearby, the likelihood of finding a Deity Transformation opportunity inside was minuscule, not to mention that the rumors had yet to be substantiated.
Naturally, Qin Sang would not stray too far for now. He planned to find a place to settle down and calmly watch how the winds and clouds shifted.
Once the situation on the Chinan Island Chain became clear, or once he acquired concrete information, he would act as circumstances warranted—whether that meant contacting his true body or joining the fray to fight for the prize.
The Zhou couple did not understand the profound considerations behind his choice, but they had no choice but to obey. Quickly gathering their belongings, they followed Qin Sang to the backyard.
In the pond, the blue jiao had shrunk to the size of a carp. Floating motionless on the water's surface with its white belly turned up, dull-eyed, it resembled a dead fish.
Qin Sang had used it to receive one Nascent Soul guest after another, leaving the blue jiao thoroughly battered. With only a breath of life left in it, it had suffered immense trauma in both body and mind.
Seeing Qin Sang at last, a glimmer of vitality sparked in the blue jiao's dull eyes. Struggling to roll over, it mustered what little strength it had left to swim to the edge, crying pitifully, "Spare me, Master! Spare me, Master!"
Qin Sang walked to the edge of the pond, looked down at the blue jiao, and pointed at Zhou Jin. "Are you willing to acknowledge him as your master?"
Had it been Qin Sang, the blue jiao would not have hesitated in the slightest.
But this man...
The blue jiao sighed in sorrow. Circumstances were stronger than men—or beasts; it had no choice but to nod in resignation.
Qin Sang turned to Zhou Jin. "Take it back with you and make it Loutai View's mountain-guarding spirit beast."
Zhou Jin had never dreamed they would reap such enormous benefits from this trip. Ruan Yu had received a pill bestowed by Elder Leng, and now he had gained a Demon Core stage spirit beast.
It truly was easy to enjoy the shade under a big tree!
Running errands for Senior Qin truly brought immense fortune.
Zhou Jin happily subdued the blue jiao and made a promise: "Fellow Daoist Blue Jiao, we shall treat each other as equals from now on. If you can achieve transformation one day, Loutai View will grant you your freedom."
Only then did the blue jiao feel slightly better.
Settling their bill for the lodging, they left the market, headed to the western shore of the island chain, activated their flying magic treasure, and sped away through the air.
***
Inside the market, within an independent courtyard.
This was the finest location in the entire market, where pavilions and towers stood in quiet, elegant seclusion.
*Creak.*
The door was pushed open from the outside, and Leng Qi hurried into the courtyard. Keeping his head slightly lowered with respectful demeanor, he walked briskly to the main hall. "Master, Senior Qin and the Zhou couple have left the market. Rumor has it they headed west."
Inside the hall, Elder Leng was playing a game of go with another person.
*Clack.*
Elder Leng placed a white stone down.
The other person was completely enveloped in a black robe, with even his face shrouded tight. Holding a black stone, his hand was as smooth and tender as a youth's, yet his voice sounded remarkably ancient as he remarked impassively, "Since he left, he was probably just here by coincidence, not a fellow traveler on our path."
Elder Leng gazed at the board, pondered for a moment, and shook his head slightly. "He is an intelligent man; it might not be impossible to win him over... Still, the time has not come. There is no rush."
The black-robed man grunted in assent. "The factions that arrived earliest are clearly those most concerned with the disappearance of the Deity Transformation cultivators. We must carefully distinguish who is an enemy and who is a friend."
Twirling a stone between his fingers, Elder Leng said with slight hesitation, "Yet there is no movement from Bajing View or Ganlu Zen Monastery. If Deity Transformation figures have gone missing, they ought to be the most concerned."
The black-robed man chuckled eerily. "The leaders of the Buddhist and Daoist sects naturally possess some composure! The demon race's movements are quite intriguing; the demon king's prompt appearance was an unexpected boon. It seems the disappearance of Deity Transformation figures is not an isolated incident. If we can confirm that the demon race's Saint King has also vanished, that will say quite a lot. Come to think of it, how many years has it been since there was any word of that old devil in Northern Desolation's Luye? The world has already forgotten him. A pity the Plain of Luye slipped beyond the mortal realm, drifting unpredictably, and no successors of Luye have shown themselves! Even if those old fellows can return, so long as we seize the opportunity in the interim, it will be more than enough for our plans..."
Elder Leng nodded.
The two spoke no more, and only the crisp clacking of stones landing on the board resonated in the hall.
After waiting outside the door for a moment, Leng Qi silently withdrew.
***
In the outer sea.
The sun shone brightly over a calm, waveless sea.
Suddenly, waves surged, and a white line appeared on the horizon, streaking forward at startling speed. It was a handsome young man clad in brocade robes and jade armor.
At that moment, a pair of white wings unfolded behind the youth like a cloak of crane feathers. With a gentle flap, his speed became astonishing, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Reaching an unfamiliar sea territory, the youth circled briefly overhead before retracting his wings. Parting a waterway through the sea, he plunged toward the seabed, soon coming upon a crystal palace suspended in the depths.
A few green jiao drifted around the crystal palace.
Seeing the young man, the green jiao grew wary at first, but soon prostrated themselves one after another, trembling in fear.
Flying straight to the palace gates, the youth slapped the doors hard and smirked with schadenfreude. "Old Freak Fish, I hear you ran into someone tough and took a beating?"
An irritated snort drifted from within.
The palace gates opened silently, and the youth stepped inside. Seeing the disgruntled sea-patrolling yaksha, he laughed even more heartily. "I warned you long ago not to be so arrogant. Did you really think no one in the human race could keep you in check? If you end up caught and made into a mountain-guarding spirit beast, no one will be able to save you."
"Damn you, featherless crane! Did you come all this way just to gloat at this king?"
The sea-patrolling yaksha fumed, "This king only saw that the ship carried plenty of golden core cultivators—tender, delicious, and truly tempting. It was merely a spur-of-the-moment decision! Who could have known there was a Nascent Soul cultivator hiding like a rat! You tricked this king into coming here just for some bullcrap ancient immortal sect? What good treasures could a human ruin possibly hold?"
Wiping away his mocking smirk, the youth's eyes flickered. "Old Freak Fish, think about it carefully. With an ancient immortal sect built in this location, how could they not have crossed paths with our race? Rumor has it our clan was heavily oppressed back then, with countless seniors enslaved by the immortal palace. How could the ruins lack treasures? This time, our fellow Daoists from the Saint King Palace will also be present. Don't say I didn't warn you—rein in that temper of yours and don't ruin our grand plans."
"The Saint King Palace?"
The sea-patrolling yaksha was both surprised and delighted. "An order from the Saint King?"
The youth shook his head, offering no reply.
***
Qin Sang departed from the Chinan Island Chain, stepping out of the storm's reach.
Taking the Zhou couple westward, he traveled until he felt far enough, then stopped at an island that hosted a market town.
Qin Sang kept to his quarters, rarely stepping outside.
The Zhou couple operated in the vicinity, tasked with gathering information.
While their intelligence might not be completely timely, it gave him room to ponder and reflect.
First came the legend of the ancient immortal sect, followed by the appearance of a demon king. Every sign pointed toward the Chinan Island Chain being extraordinary, and as time passed, things fermented steadily.
As the news spread, Nascent Soul cultivators showed themselves frequently around the Chinan Island Chain.
In the outer sea, demon activities also grew increasingly frequent, even sparking beast tides.
At the start, both sides maintained restraint, tacitly keeping their distance as they repeatedly scoured their respective territorial waters.
Later, when neither side found anything, they had no choice but to expand their search outward, inevitably trespassing onto the other's turf. Friction grew steadily, and every so often, rumors would circulate of battles between Nascent Soul experts and demon kings.
During that time, someone unearthed ancient texts from countless years ago, confirming that an overarching power named Wuwang Hall had indeed existed near the Chinan Island Chain, igniting even greater fervor.
This chaos dragged on for a long time, yet yielded no results whatsoever.
The waters around the Chinan Island Chain were turned upside down and combed through countless times, yet where was there any trace of ancient immortal sect ruins?
As enthusiasm waned, the grand treasure-hunting frenzy could no longer sustain itself and came to an abrupt, unceremonious end.
The scheming and infighting along the way only appeared ridiculous and pointless in retrospect.
Fortunately, the powerful figures of both races had kept their wits about them and avoided sparking a full-scale clash over baseless rumors, averting a catastrophic massacre.
Watching from the sidelines, Qin Sang felt it had been an anticlimactic farce, confusing and bewildering even to an observer.
There were no traces of any mastermind pulling the strings either; it truly seemed like an ordinary treasure hunt. When he had first heard of Wuwang Hall, he had even briefly considered whether to have his true body make a move.
Even after the farce ended, it was difficult for the Chinan Island Chain to regain its former tranquility.
Wuwang Hall had indeed once existed.
Some cultivators refused to leave, while others continued to arrive, each believing they were blessed by fortune and capable of unearthing Wuwang Hall's ruins.
Having confirmed that the various factions were withdrawing, beast tides were becoming increasingly rare, and most demons were retreating to the deep sea, Qin Sang felt there was no need to remain any longer.
He committed names like the Gu God Cult and Elder Leng to memory.
Perhaps the true repercussions of this treasure hunt would only manifest long into the future, at which point the full picture would become clear.
Just as Qin Sang prepared to return to Fudu Commandery, the Zhou couple brought back an unexpected visitor.
Inside the quiet room.
White mist billowed above Qin Sang's head, hovering like an auspicious cloud formed of profound qi as he cultivated the *Xuantian One Qi Great Capturing Hand*.
The profound qi condensed at times and dispersed at others, shifting into an assortment of shapes.
With each transformation, the surrounding void trembled with imperceptible ripples, completely within his control.
During this period, staying out of the fray had allowed Qin Sang to cultivate his divine abilities without disruption, making steady progress day by day.
Sensing movement outside, Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. The cloud of profound qi above his head trembled before suddenly retracting, pouring through the crown of his head into his body and vanishing into nothingness.
Opening his eyes, surprise flashed in his gaze as he pushed the door open and stepped outside.
"Fellow Daoist Lu!"
The person who had returned with the Zhou couple was none other than Lu Zhang of Mount Bunian.
Lu Zhang nodded and teased with a smile, "Earlier, I heard that a mysterious expert adept in ice divine abilities had appeared on the Chinan Island Chain at the very beginning, repelling a demon king with a single saber strike. I wondered then if it might be you. Cultivators proficient in such divine abilities are rare in Zhongzhou. Sure enough, I later ran into Zhou and Ruan... Why have you taken to using Fellow Daoist Qin's name? Aren't you afraid Fellow Daoist Qin will take issue with you?"
Qin Sang smiled as well. "Ever since Fellow Daoist Qin and I became acquainted, we've often used each other's identities to confuse observers. I never expected to reunite with Fellow Daoist Lu here. Come, please have a seat."
Lu Zhang could never have guessed that the two were one and the same. Nodding, he parted his robes and sat down. "I originally came to the Eastern Sea on an assignment for my sect. Once that was concluded, I heard that an ancient immortal sect had emerged near the Chinan Island Chain, so on a whim, I came over to join the excitement. Only upon arriving did I realize something was off—it's shrouded in riddles. Fellow Daoist, you used an alias at first, and then extracted yourself from the situation entirely. You must have noticed something as well, yes?"
"Indeed."
Qin Sang had been in need of someone to shed light on things. Recounting his recent experiences, he asked in a deep voice, "Does Fellow Daoist Lu also believe there is some hidden intrigue behind all this?"
Lu Zhang nodded. "Learning that you were here as well, I was worried you might get blindly dragged in. It is fortunate you pulled out; otherwise, endless trouble would surely follow. Bajing View and Ganlu Zen Monastery appear to be sitting on their hands, but no one knows what they are thinking. On the surface, everyone gathered at the Chinan Island Chain is merely a treasure hunter drawn in by Wuwang Hall. Yet among them are factions that had always remained hidden in the shadows, now uncharacteristically stepping into the open. Some are forces that even I have never heard of, yet their strength is far from weak."
Qin Sang chimed in, "Such as the Gu God Cult?"
Lu Zhang gave an affirming grunt. "Taking 'Cult' as its name, yet making no effort to proselytize—isn't that strange? Or perhaps the Gu God Cult only operates in remote corners, preaching in secrecy and keeping a low profile so as not to draw notice. Still, as long as they operate out in the open, they will inevitably leave traces behind. Once I return to my sect, I will send men to investigate."
The two exchanged their respective findings.
With insufficient information, neither could draw a definitive conclusion.
Cupping his hands, Lu Zhang changed the subject: "In truth, I came here this time to ask for your assistance with a matter."
Chapter 1554