At the Six Prefectures Hall station.
After Ghost Mother's rampage, the Six Prefectures Hall was under heavy guard.
Jiang You had originally planned to attend the grand auction, but now he dared not leave the station.
Someone stepped into the courtyard. Jiang You turned to look and saw Jiang Mu. "Still no word from Elder Qin?"
"Elder Qin probably hasn't returned to Hong City yet," Jiang Mu said, shaking his head. He hesitated slightly. "The one who stole the treasures might have some connection to Elder Qin. If the losses are within reason, we could consider..."
Jiang You sighed. "The other treasures are of secondary importance, but one was specifically requested by the Law Enforcement Elder of the Qiongying Sect. It was supposed to be delivered straight to their doorstep, and was only brought to Hong City to bolster the prestige of this treasure exchange. You know the Hall Master shares some history with the Qiongying Sect, and they secretly aided us through several difficult crises. If that treasure is lost, I'm afraid it won't be easy to explain."
"This..."
Jiang Mu was also put in a difficult spot.
Jiang You handed him a jade slip. "The grand auction is about to begin. Go ahead to the main peak first. Bid on the treasures listed here as best as you can. I will wait at the station for Elder Qin."
"Understood!" Jiang Mu took the order and left.
Not long after Jiang Mu departed, the restrictions were triggered, and Jiang You hurried up to welcome the visitor.
Qin Sang strode into the station. Seeing Jiang You, he took out several jade boxes, handed them over, and said with a smile, "Fortunately, I have not failed my mission!"
Ghost Mother had stolen the treasures merely to draw Qin Sang into making a move so she could verify his identity. The treasures of the Six Prefectures Hall were hardly worth her notice, so she had returned every single one.
Jiang You breathed a sigh of relief. He did not ask about the thief's identity, only taking the item requested by the Qiongying Sect elder and offering all the rest to Qin Sang.
Qin Sang declined and looked around. "Hall Master Mu hasn't arrived yet?"
Jiang You hummed an affirmation. "The Hall Master sent word that matters in the Eastern Sea have proven somewhat tricky and will delay him a few more days, but he will certainly make it back before the treasure exchange."
Too late!
Qin Sang shook his head inwardly. It was impossible for him to wait in Hong City for Hall Master Mu.
On this trip to Nanzhou, he was traveling alone.
The Bajing Belvedere and the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect each harbored their own hidden agendas and were locked in sharp opposition.
He was seeking the Deity Transformation remains and the subsequent cultivation method, so he had no conflict of interest with either side. Even so, there was no guaranteeing that unexpected turns wouldn't happen; having an ally would have made things much easier.
He and Hall Master Mu were far from being sworn friends bound through life and death, but in ordinary circumstances, they could still cooperate.
"Has the Ganlu Zen Monastery made any moves?"
Qin Sang glanced in the direction of the main peak.
According to Ghost Mother, the Sect Master of the Bajing Belvedere present here was an imposter, while the top experts of the Ganlu Zen Monastery, including Master Xingji and others, were all in Hong City. It was unclear whether they were cooperating with the Bajing Belvedere to mislead the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect or if the Ganlu Zen Monastery was entirely in the dark.
Qin Sang leaned toward the latter.
The Daoist and Buddhist sects certainly had their own separate designs.
As far as Qin Sang knew, the Taiyue Sect had deep ties with the Bajing Belvedere; rumors even claimed that the Taiyue Sect had been covertly nurtured by the Bajing Belvedere. Similar rumors circulated regarding Wandu Mountain and the Ganlu Zen Monastery.
The Bajing Belvedere likely had confidence in handling the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect and saw no need to let the Buddhists share a piece of the pie.
Jiang You mistook Qin Sang's question as an inquiry about the Ullambana Festival and replied, "The proceedings of the grand assembly remain as usual, with only minor tweaks in the details. On the third day of the festival, the inter-sect tournament will take place, involving Nascent Soul cultivators. Its results will directly affect the geopolitical landscape of Zhongzhou for the next five hundred years. It is bound to be a fierce contest."
Qin Sang had weighed the matter carefully: when it came to the Immortal Palace and the cultivation method, it was best not to make it public knowledge.
When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman benefits.
With the Bajing Belvedere and the Wuxiang Immortal Sect facing off, he would have an opportunity to seize an opening.
If too many factions were dragged in and countless people fought over limited opportunities, the situation would inevitably spiral out of control into chaotic warfare, whereas other forces could more or less find trusted allies.
The waters of Zhongzhou ran too deep!
"I have other pressing matters and won't be able to attend the treasure exchange. I will apologize to Hall Master Mu another day." Qin Sang cupped his hands and departed in haste.
"What has gotten into Elder Qin...?"
Jiang You was thoroughly baffled, but he could not stop Qin Sang. He hurriedly summoned his subordinates to investigate whether any major events had occurred in Zhongzhou in recent days.
Flying out of Hong City, Qin Sang sped south without pause.
Upon reaching the vicinity of Zhuo Prefecture, Qin Sang made a quick calculation and saw there was still enough time. He released his avatar, while his true body carved out a cave dwelling in a deserted mountain.
The avatar flew to the mountain gate of Mount Bunian, beneath what had once been the White Cloud Waterfall.
With the Ullambana Festival about to begin, Mount Bunian still showed no sign of activity.
Looking up into the boundless void, the avatar summoned the Snow-Treading Divine Saber and slashed toward the sky. The saber qi displaced the air like towering waves of clouds tens of thousands of feet high, vast and majestic.
The saber qi surged straight into the firmament, visible from a thousand li away.
Lu Zhang had obtained the stone toad a century ago; barring any accidents, he should have refined it by now. If he had successfully broken through, he would be a powerful reinforcement.
Unlike last time, this matter concerned the contest over the Immortal Palace. Though it was somewhat presumptuous, this was the only way to summon them out of seclusion.
The saber qi lingered for a long time without dissipating.
Suddenly, a spot of rosy light shone in the void, gradually expanding into an opening. A man and a woman, both cultivators, flew out from within, gazing down with shock and suspicion.
"Eh? Could the visitor be Daoist Qingfeng of Fudu Commandery?"
"It is I," the avatar nodded. Mount Bunian indeed had people keeping watch.
"Greetings, Senior Qingfeng," the two saluted.
The avatar said bluntly, "Report to Sect Master Situ and Elder Lu at once. This poor Daoist has come on urgent business."
"This..."
The two exchanged a glance. Seeing that the avatar's tone brooked no refusal, they wasted no more words and flew back into Xiaguang Cave.
Before long, figures stirred inside Xiaguang Cave, and a man flew out, with the man and woman following behind him respectfully.
The newcomer wore Daoist robes and held a horsetail whisk, looking somewhat unfamiliar.
"This poor Daoist is Chengshenzi. Greetings, Daoist Qingfeng."
So it was him!
The avatar cupped his hands in return. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he said gravely, "Is it inconvenient for Sect Master Situ and Fellow Daoist Lu to come out and meet?"
Seeing that Chengshenzi was the one who had emerged, he essentially understood.
Chengshenzi glanced toward the north and said, "The Ullambana Festival approaches, yet our sect remains sealed. As you can likely see, Daoist, sealing our mountain is no empty gimmick, but a genuine necessity. Both Sect Master Senior Brother and Junior Brother Lu are in secluded bitter cultivation at a critical juncture and cannot be disturbed. Whatever business you have, I can only pass it on on your behalf. Once their cultivation reaches fruition, they will certainly visit Mount Pu in person to apologize to you."
Having heard this, there was little more the avatar could say. He excused himself for the intrusion and returned the way he had come.
Such was the drawback of burying oneself in cultivation while neglecting social ties.
One truly regrets having so few allies when need arises.
Yet Qin Sang felt no regret. Had he not devoted himself wholeheartedly to bitter cultivation, how could he possess his current realm?
Having failed to find strong reinforcements, he would simply brave the dragon's lair alone!
When the avatar returned, the true body had his brows tightly knitted, deep in thought.
The Gu God Cult's decision to act at this moment was truly poor timing.
Given a bit more time, Qin Sang could have achieved a comprehensive breakthrough: his true body refining the demonic fire, his avatar breaking through, and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly advancing—his strength would have skyrocketed!
Yet matters were caught at this exact juncture, stranded in between, precisely when it was most uncomfortable.
Divine abilities could not be accomplished overnight. Qin Sang could only seek an alternative path.
His strength was by no means weak among cultivators of the same rank, but he was not so arrogant as to think himself invincible in the world. Against Daoist Zilei, the Belvedere Master of Bajing Belvedere, Qin Sang had to proceed with extreme caution.
After pondering for a long time, Qin Sang suddenly summoned the Sun God Tree.
The cave dwelling suddenly blazed with light as flames filled the chamber.
Ever since advancing to the late Nascent Soul stage, his true body had poured nearly all his energy into Fire Seed Golden Lotus. Recently, he had absorbed half of the near-dragon saliva and begun refining the demonic fire's origin, which had granted tremendous progress to his divine consciousness.
Though he had not yet broken through, the strength of his divine consciousness was unmatched among his peers!
The Sun God Tree hovered before Qin Sang. Fiery auras flowed between the Sun God Birds; with heads raised and tails lifted, beneath their cute appearance lay terrifying power.
After gazing at the divine birds for a while, Qin Sang made his decision. A black light flashed between his brows, and the fire lotus drifted out slowly.
Qin Sang partially closed his eyes. Using only a small portion of his mind to sustain the fire lotus, he connected the majority of his focus to the Sun God Tree and began his attempt.
Before long, the fire lotus stopped spinning. Its petals peeled open one by one, turning into streams of fire that began to flow around the Sun God Tree.
At the same time, Qin Sang acted. Hundreds and thousands of hand seals were completed in an instant, and the power of the fire lotus cautiously approached the Sun God Birds at a very slow pace.
Qin Sang had long been able to control three divine birds simultaneously; this time, he set his sights on six of them.
He knew well that he could not achieve this on his own. Controlling the Sun God Birds through the fire lotus was an ingenious shortcut, though he did not have much confidence in it either.
The power of the fire lotus soon enveloped the six divine birds.
But no sooner had Qin Sang formed the thought than successive popping thuds rang out. The power of the fire lotus was shattered by the Nanming Primordial Fire; it was indeed somewhat forced.
Undeterred, he continued trying, his true essence rapidly draining away.
Soon, Qin Sang was forced to pause and adjust his breathing. There was some progress, but he needed to coordinate the fire lotus, divine consciousness, and true essence. As he analyzed the lessons from his failure, he circulated his cultivation technique to recover.
Taking advantage of this interval, Qin Sang brought out the fat silkworm's poison bead.
Sensing the fat silkworm's aura, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out of his dantian on its own and landed on Qin Sang's shoulder. Nestling against him with folded wings, it was visibly downcast.
She and the fat silkworm had always clashed and bickered, yet now that the other was gone, she felt reluctant to part.
Qin Sang looked down at his waist.
The corpse puppet bag was empty.
Yagu and the fat silkworm had accompanied him for five hundred years, and now both had departed.
The fat silkworm had been rather indolent by nature, yet it could always be relied upon at critical moments. At times, its antics and banter had provided rare moments of lightheartedness along his lonely pursuit of the Dao.
Leaving behind the poison bead served as a keepsake, at least.
Qin Sang sighed inwardly and directed his divine consciousness into the interior of the poison bead. Even Ghost Mother did not know how to use it, leaving Qin Sang to figure it out on his own.
Recalling the scene of Ghost Mother extracting the poison bead from the fat silkworm, Qin Sang felt a slight chill run down his spine.
He did not know whether this was possible only because of the fat silkworm's special bloodline or if it applied to all spirit insects.
This only strengthened Qin Sang's resolve to keep the Heavenly Eye Butterfly hidden!
"Huh?"
Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. When probing the poison bead with his divine consciousness just now, he had ultimately sensed a faint, almost imperceptible connection between himself and the bead.
How could there be a connection between him and the fat silkworm's poison bead?
Qin Sang was puzzled. He sensed it carefully once more and confirmed that the connection truly existed—it was no illusion!
"Because of that last bite the fat silkworm gave me?"
Qin Sang curled his finger; the wound had healed long ago.
After a moment of contemplation, Qin Sang drew the poison bead into his dantian and focused on it again. The connection became even clearer—he could easily control the poison bead without even needing to spend effort refining it!
*Shhh!*
With a slight stir of Qin Sang's thoughts, a seven-colored halo erupted from his body, turning into a cuirass of light that covered him entirely—it was the intimately familiar Poison-Warding Armor!
The Poison-Warding Armor was still usable!
Now that the poison bead was separated from the fat silkworm, had the strength of the armor changed?
Qin Sang pondered and continued testing, ultimately discovering that it truly wasn't that the fat silkworm hadn't been pulling its weight—it genuinely possessed only this single ability.
"Later on, I'll raise a few poison-type gu insects to test whether the poison bead can still devour toxins. If it can still grow, it truly is an extraordinary treasure. When I see them again in the future, I must thank them properly..."
More and more items were gathering inside his dantian.
The Nascent Soul sat cross-legged with the Earth Killing Sword resting flat across its knees.
The poison bead hovered before the Nascent Soul's chest, radiating a faint seven-colored glow.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly returned to the dantian, perching on the Nascent Soul's shoulder to doze.
"Just like Daoist Duobao!"
Qin Sang chuckled, set aside his stray thoughts, and resumed his attempt to control the Sun God Tree.
Having been momentarily distracted, he had actually gained fresh inspiration.
Through adjustment after adjustment, the demonic fire and Nanming Primordial Fire flashed alternately inside the cave dwelling, brightening and dimming in turns.
Suddenly, a flash of delight appeared in Qin Sang's eyes, yet his expression turned exceptionally solemn as he stared fixedly at the Sun God Tree.
Flames danced erratically on the Sun God Tree, and on the six divine birds enveloped by the fire lotus's power, the flames suddenly congealed. Then, the divine birds trembled in unison!
At the exact same moment, the true essence within Qin Sang's body surged forth wildly like a river bursting its dam!
The sheer ferocity of the drain made Qin Sang's heart leap in terror.
"Hiss..."
Qin Sang drew a sharp breath, thoroughly shocked.
An hour later, Qin Sang flew out of the cave dwelling with a joyful look on his face, heading straight south.
The journey was long.
Finding boats and flying artifacts too slow, Qin Sang spared no true essence, flying directly through the air. Leaving Zhuo Prefecture, he traversed the six prefectures of Jiangzuo, flying over countless mountains and rivers with hardly any rest.
The Taiyue Sect was in sight.
...
The Eastern Sea. The Chinan Island Chain.
A place that had once been obscure had gained immense fame over the past hundred years or so.
The emergence of Wuwang Hall twice in succession had drawn the eyes of countless cultivators, and legends of various kinds were still enthusiastically recounted to this day.
Around the time of Wuwang Hall's first emergence, the Chinan Island Chain had seen its liveliest period, with various factions and reclusive powerhouses appearing one after another.
It was not until Su Zinan reopened Wuwang Hall that the Chinan Island Chain's prosperity peaked and began to decline.
Everyone knew Wuwang Hall was here—a legendary Immortal Palace teeming with endless opportunities—yet unable to enter, all efforts were in vain. Even great cultivators as formidable as Su Zinan could only flee for their lives when facing the gray tide; for anyone else, going in was tantamount to suicide.
As the frenzy faded, most chose to depart.
The blazing sun hung high in a cloudless sky. The sea was calm, windless, and stiflingly hot.
A few scattered treasure ships drifted on the water. With no discoveries after all this time, even the most persistent treasure hunters had grown weary.
Without the slightest warning, an earth-shattering thunderclap suddenly tore through the clear sky!
The cultivators aboard the treasure ships blanched, rushing out of the cabins in a scramble. Seeing the spectacle high above, they were filled with shock and delight.
Without anyone realizing when it began, the sky had turned dim and gloomy as gray gales swept across the firmament.
Monstrous waves surged to the heavens, violently tossing the treasure ships. Unfazed by the rocking, the crowd stared blankly at the sky.
The tempest grew fiercer and fiercer.
The scorching sun was swallowed by the gale, the light dimming further and further, while endless towering waves battered the treasure ships consecutively—a scene straight out of an apocalypse.
*Rumble!*
Just as darkness completely submerged this stretch of sea, deafening thunder erupted.
From the center of the gale, arcs of silver-white lightning abruptly shot forth, tearing through the darkness only to usher in an even more terrifying celestial spectacle.
In an instant, thunderbolts fell like rain, terrifying in the extreme, powerful enough to tear everything in the world to shreds!
Witnessing this, none of the people on the treasure ships had any thoughts left of seeking treasure; every face was pale with panic.
Suddenly, someone pointed into the depths of the thunderbolts and cried out:
"There's someone over there!"
Chapter 1607