A Person

Qingjun and Bai had actually ascended to the Demon Realm! Qin Sang still remembered their promise beneath the Ascension Platform. If he had the fortune to ascend in the future, they would still be separated across two realms. When would they ever reunite? Qin Sang's expression grew somewhat somber. "What on earth happened in the ancient era?" "I do not know! Not only was my cultivation sealed, but my memories were also sealed or erased. What I remember are all inconsequential matters. I don't even know how much of these memories is real and how much is false, nor do I know who sealed me and erased my memories. Only by returning can I uncover my origins!" Ghost Mother's tone turned bleak. Memories that Ghost Mother deemed inconsequential were priceless treasures to Qin Sang. She was very similar to Bai, yet different. Bai had met defeat on the battlefield and was sealed in a desperate move by an ancient demon; his soul body had survived, and while his memories had faded across endless years, encountering familiar scenes could still restore them. Ghost Mother's background seemed even more unusual than his, shrouded in many secrets. Qin Sang could understand Ghost Mother's feelings. When he had first arrived in this world, he too felt like rootless duckweed. But back then, he was still a mortal, immersed in the joy of returning from the dead, turning sentimental only when thinking of his family. Ghost Mother had a way to return, yet he did not even know where his home was. Could it be some unknown Small Thousand World? Thoughts drifted through Qin Sang's mind, but he had no desire to seek out his home or return to his native land. His parents and kin had long since passed away; what meaning would there be in returning? Unaware that Qin Sang's thoughts were wandering, Ghost Mother continued her explanation: "That the Demon Lord Sacred Altar can ascend to the Demon Realm was something I learned from the ancient demon sealed beneath the Jinghai Sect. He was a pitiable wretch too, muddleheaded and ignorant of his own origins just like me, and tried to devour my soul body to eke out an existence." Speaking of the ancient demon, Ghost Mother laughed gloatingly. "However, that devil's luck was even worse; he never had the chance to verify whether his cultivation was sealed. After slumbering for so many years, the moment he woke, he happened to run right into Xiaoxiangzi!" "Indeed! Senior Xiaoxiangzi personally suppressed that ancient demon and left behind many contingency measures, ultimately using the Jinghai Sect's power to suppress and slay the demon. Otherwise, had the ancient demon escaped, the North Sea would have faced another demonic catastrophe!" Remembering Xiaoxiangzi's arrangements in the Xuantian Palace and its Sacred Ground, Qin Sang briefly recounted a few details. Ghost Mother was not the least bit surprised, saying with a faint smile, "Xiaoxiangzi had been scared out of his wits by the Zhongzhou ancient demon! Little did he know that although neither of these two ancient demons was anything good, they likely were not of the same faction. Once the Jinghai Sect's ancient demon broke free, he wouldn't have lingered in this realm for long; he would surely have done everything possible to find the Demon Lord Sacred Altar and return to the Demon Realm." An ancient demon had once wreaked havoc in Zhongzhou. After discovering the fragments of the Demon Binding Rope, Qin Sang had harbored such a suspicion, but clues had been exceedingly scarce. Naturally, this was also because he had devoted all his energy to cultivation, only laying down a few covert probes without yet launching a deep investigation. Ghost Mother, on the other hand, was bent on returning and had investigated these matters with all her might. "In Xiaoxiangzi's era, demons threw Zhongzhou into chaos, causing a great calamity. Yet an invisible hand in the cultivation world has deliberately erased that history, so hardly anyone in the present era knows of it." Ghost Mother had indeed unearthed many deep secrets. Hearing this, Qin Sang was stirred. Those capable of erasing history could likely only be Bajing Abbey and Ganlu Zen Monastery joining hands, and perhaps even top sects like Tianhao Tower, the foremost sect of the Demonic Path, were involved. He could not help but think of another entity that had been virtually wiped from history—the Wuxiang Immortal Sect! What connection was there between the demonic turmoil and the Wuxiang Immortal Sect? Ghost Mother nodded. "It seems you've found out a few things as well. One could say the demonic turmoil was caused by the Wuxiang Immortal Sect. They inadvertently unleashed an ancient demon, plunging the Southern Frontier into misery and devastation. Back then, the most affluent part of Zhongzhou was not the Central Plains, but what are now the Two Southern Barbarian Prefectures. That demonic turmoil not only drove the Wuxiang Immortal Sect to ruin, but also thoroughly pulverized the Southern Frontier, reducing it to a desolate expanse rarely trodden by man and choked with poisonous miasma!" Hss... Qin Sang drew a sharp breath. He had experienced the terrifying power of ancient demons many times. Yet to utterly shatter the vast Two Southern Barbarian Prefectures such that they still had not recovered to this day—just how terrifying of a battle had that been? It was definitely beyond the capability of Nascent Soul cultivators! "A battle of Deity Transformation?" Qin Sang pressed. Ghost Mother said calmly, "It was not as simple as merely a clash of Deity Transformation. The Witch Clan's Deity Transformation cultivator fell in that very turmoil. From what I know, the Wuxiang Immortal Sect was the undisputed hegemon of Zhongzhou back then, far more formidable than today's Bajing Abbey and Ganlu Zen Monastery, with generation after generation of Deity Transformation cultivators arising within its ranks. After the demonic turmoil, the entire sect fell; every last Deity Transformation cultivator must have perished alongside the ancient demon! Otherwise, even if they couldn't stage a comeback, their lineage would never have been entirely severed." "Could they have been taken advantage of after the turmoil?" Qin Sang recalled the dying words left by the Water Phase Lord in the tomb, every word oozing bone-deep hatred toward Bajing Abbey and Ganlu Zen Monastery. He simply did not know whether that person had been a Deity Transformation cultivator or a successor who took up the mantle after all the Deity Transformation masters had perished. Ghost Mother glanced toward Hongcheng, where the venerated figures of both sects were currently gathered. "The Wuxiang Immortal Sect exhausted all its power to contain the demonic upheaval in the Southern Frontier and spared the entire Central Plains from demonic catastrophe, fulfilling its responsibility. The cultivation world is full of deceit and scheming; taking advantage of a sect at its weakest is hardly uncommon. As for whether the Daoist and Buddhist sects were truly responsible, or how many opportunists rose by treading upon the corpse of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, it is impossible to verify now. But one thing is certain: it was no honorable deed, and those who concealed this history are undoubtedly intertwined with the culprits behind the scenes." The victors became kings and the vanquished were deemed bandits; it was as simple as that. If Senior Xiaoxiangzi was a descendant of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, it would make sense that after the sect fell, he became a thorn in the side of Zhongzhou and had no choice but to flee to the North Sea. Yet he was a magnanimous man at heart; upon discovering traces of an ancient demon in the North Sea, he did not forget the common mortals and laid down a trap to suppress the beast. Yet why did his parting letters not contain a single word about the Wuxiang Immortal Sect? Was it out of bitter disillusionment? Qin Sang fell silent. The Wuxiang Immortal Sect was wiped out, and the Witch Clan's Deity Transformation cultivator fell as a casualty. The Zhongzhou ancient demon was certainly not on the level of the Jade Bone devil. Most likely, only the true form of the Demon Sovereign in the Hall of Seven Kills escaping could have wrought such havoc. Ghost Mother had also just said that the Jinghai Sect's ancient demon and the Zhongzhou ancient demon were not of the same faction. Could ancient demons also be divided into factions? Were the Jinghai Sect's ancient demon and the Jade Bone devil of one camp, while the Zhongzhou ancient demon and the Demon Sovereign of the Hall of Seven Kills belonged to another? Or perhaps their origins were entirely distinct? "Where was the Zhongzhou ancient demon unleashed from? After the demonic turmoil, was it sealed again, or was it slain?" Qin Sang had encountered three ancient demons. Only the Jade Bone devil had been bound by the Demon Binding Rope and cast into spatial turbulence to be destroyed. Xiaoxiangzi had intervened in person, yet he could only seal the Jinghai Sect devil to wear down its true nature until it died. The Demon Sovereign was presumably still sealed in the Hall of Seven Kills, which showed just how difficult ancient demons were to kill. Ghost Mother said, "Whether the ancient demon is dead or alive does not matter; in the end, it was certainly the Wuxiang Immortal Sect that prevailed. The ancient demon's origins are not simple. I only confirmed it not long ago—it came from the South Sea Immortal Palace." "The South Sea Immortal Palace?" A gleam flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. The South Sea Immortal Palace had already been an object of his suspicion. In the doctrines of the Gu God Cult, it was described as the Pure Void Immortal Realm. He had intended to have his incarnation make contact with the Gu God Cult, but that had been delayed by the incarnation's breakthrough. The Zhongzhou ancient demon originated from the South Sea Immortal Palace. The Hall of Seven Kills suppressed a Demon Sovereign. The Hall of Seven Kills, Tianxiang Palace, and Tiantong Palace all contained Killing Sword fragments. The South Sea Immortal Palace was very likely one of those two immortal palaces! "The Witch Clan's Deity Transformation cultivator fell in the South Sea Immortal Palace all those years ago. If you agree to let me take her, I will instruct you on how to enter the South Sea Immortal Palace and how to locate his remains. All of his relics will belong to you!" Ghost Mother brought up Yagu again. Qin Sang was still pondering the immortal palaces. Could all these immortal palaces be places where demons were sealed? "Senior does not know the origins of these immortal palaces? Ziwei Palace, the South Sea Immortal Palace..." Ghost Mother shook her head. "I know nothing of these immortal palaces. I even suspect that these palaces do not belong to the same era as us; otherwise, the disparity between ancient demons would not be so vast. As for whether they came earlier or later than us, that is impossible to know. That is the most peculiar thing about this realm: ceaseless storms, eternal barriers, and far too many anomalies that defy reason." Qin Sang felt a headache coming on. The more he learned, the more he felt ignorant and insignificant. Had this realm undergone multiple heavenly cataclysms to become so dilapidated? Ghost Mother's words seemed absurd, yet Qin Sang could find corroborating evidence. Ziwei Palace was divided into an inner and outer section, the scenery of which was as different as heaven and earth, separated by immortal restrictions. At the time of ascension, only the immortal restrictions of the Inner Hall had transformed, restoring its grand former appearance and wondrous celestial scenery. Qin Sang still retained a vivid memory of the Inner Hall after that transformation. While the Inner Hall's immortal restrictions revived, the Outer Hall showed no change whatsoever, ultimately being destroyed after the Inner Hall ascended, pulling along the Abyss Ruins and Blood Lake into destruction with it. The Ascension Platform was situated in the Outer Hall and had not transformed when Ziwei Palace ascended; it had been activated manually. Could it be deduced in this manner? The Jade Bone devil, Ghost Mother, the Jinghai Sect ancient demon, the Ascension Platform, the Abyss Ruins, the Blood Lake, and the Outer Hall of Ziwei Palace arrived first, having little to do with Ziwei Palace itself. Then, the true Ziwei Palace descended from the heavens, happening to land near the Outer Hall. Later generations, unaware of the truth, mistakenly assumed they were a single whole. Palaces like the Hall of Seven Kills were clearly closely related to Ziwei Palace and had descended together. For this reason, the strength of the ancient demons in the immortal palaces far surpassed that of the Jade Bone devil—they simply were not of the same kind! Starting from when he had first entered Ziwei Palace, Qin Sang sorted through his experiences and discoveries piece by piece, finally arriving at a barely reasonable explanation. Seeing him sink into silence, Ghost Mother assumed Qin Sang felt the offer was insufficient. Her gaze drifted over him as she asked, "What kind of spirit insects do you rear?" Pulling his thoughts back, Qin Sang only then remembered that before him stood a grandmaster of insect mastery. Across Zhongzhou, none could rival her in the Dao of insect mastery. Consulting Ghost Mother on insect-rearing arts had originally been part of Qin Sang's plan, but she had revealed one shocking piece of news after another, making him nearly forget the matter. He patted his spirit beast pouch and summoned the Fire Jade Centipede. "A Treasure-Seeking Centipede, early fourth metamorphosis. Not bad." Ghost Mother recognized the Fire Jade Centipede at a single glance and gave an impassive evaluation. "Does this insect only have the ability to seek treasures?" What Qin Sang wanted to know was whether it had other potential, ideally to gain some combat prowess. A spirit insect's path was set without regret; how should it be guided? After considering briefly, Ghost Mother said, "The Fire Jade Centipede's potential can support it up to the peak of the fourth metamorphosis. If it lucks into breaking through to the fifth metamorphosis, that will be its limit. Such is heaven's decree; unless it meets with an opportunity for mutation, it can hardly be altered." Qin Sang frowned. The path of spirit insects was far more arduous than that of humans. Ghost Mother chuckled. "There is no need to pity spirit insects. Though their intellect is low and their divine abilities singular, they have no worry of the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, facing only the tribulations of metamorphosis. Moreover, high-rank spirit insects enjoy immense lifespans and possess extraordinary survival abilities. The Heavenly Dao has its own balance!" Qin Sang was enlightened. No wonder the ancient texts of both the Witch Clan and human race had never recorded instances of spirit insects undergoing tribulations. Qin Sang had assumed the intervals between their heavenly tribulations were exceptionally long; he never expected them to be entirely free of tribulation! Ghost Mother pointed at Qin Sang's dantian. "I was not referring to this centipede, but your natal insect gu. You bear the aura of a natal insect gu on you; it cannot escape my eyes. Natal insect gu are not unique to my clan—other races have their own legacies as well. While differences exist, most drew inspiration from my clan. Giving you some pointers is well within my ability." So she had long since sensed the aura of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Things having reached this point, there was no longer any need to conceal it. Qin Sang summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. An illusory silhouette of a butterfly flew out from Qin Sang's dantian, gradually solidifying. Lightly fluttering its wings, it alighted on Qin Sang's shoulder and nuzzled gently against his cheek, filled with deep attachment and affection. When facing Ghost Mother, both the fat silkworm and Fire Jade Centipede had fared miserably, yet only the Heavenly Eye Butterfly remained entirely normal, perhaps because it had Qin Sang backing it. Staring at the Heavenly Eye Butterfly for quite some time, Ghost Mother murmured softly in surprise, "Is this a Heavenly Eye Butterfly? Has it undergone a mutation?" After the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's mutation, its appearance had altered greatly, yet its heavenly eye characteristics were still retained. Qin Sang nodded without explaining, nor would he let the butterfly display its ability to manipulate tribulation lightning before Ghost Mother. Discreet enough not to pry further, Ghost Mother immediately uncovered another fact that astonished her. "Are you cultivating a secret technique of my clan?" "Junior only knows the portion prior to the Nascent Soul stage. Beyond Nascent Soul, each step has been fraught with difficulty. Only by obtaining the Spirit Ascension Sacrificial Rite passed down by Senior in Hundred Flowers Valley was I able to help it advance by one level," Qin Sang replied truthfully. Ghost Mother kept her eyes fixed on Qin Sang, clicking her tongue in amazement. "Most human techniques of insect mastery originated from my clan, yet they inevitably made compromises and alterations; it is nearly impossible for a human to cultivate my clan's complete secret techniques. Do you possess some special physique? Could you also carry the bloodline of my clan within you?" Qin Sang did not know how to explain it either. "Back then, Junior stumbled into the territory of the Witch Clan by accident and cultivated muddleheadedly all the way to this point. I have never felt myself to be special in any way." "Even within the same race, bodies differ. There are members of the Witch Clan unsuitable for cultivating natal insect gu, so it is only normal that an exceptionally compatible individual might appear among humans," Ghost Mother cautioned Qin Sang. "You do not possess our bloodline. The higher your realm grows, the greater the hidden peril. If you are relying on some external aid, there will always come a limit. You must be prudent and beware of a backlash from your insect gu." "Thank you for the warning, Senior," Qin Sang expressed his gratitude, thinking secretly to himself, *I truly wonder where the jade Buddha's limit lies.* Ghost Mother paced back and forth a few steps. After pondering for a moment, she said, "I can transmit to you the subsequent arts of the natal insect gu, and it will be no ordinary Witch Clan secret art. In addition, in my memories, I have personally seen a seventh metamorphosis Heavenly Eye Butterfly known as the Void Butterfly, which seems to share some connection with me. Once I return, I will do everything in my power to gather methods for raising the Heavenly Eye Butterfly for you. Even though yours has mutated, there will surely be things worth learning from. If you fail to advance to Deity Transformation and die trapped in this realm, nothing more need be said. But if you manage to ascend, seek us out in the Witch Clan territory. I cannot give you an exact location, but I will continue to act under the name 'Ghost Mother'." A seventh metamorphosis Void Butterfly was equivalent to the Body Integration stage! Ghost Mother did not believe Qin Sang could remain unmoved. Yet... Qin Sang sighed softly and looked toward Yagu. "Senior may have misunderstood something. She is a living person, independent, not a possession of mine."