Following Ji Wu's arrival, two more streaks of light landed one after another.
At that point, there were thirty-three people gathered on Stargazing Island, including Qin Sang—encompassing every top Foundation Establishment expert in Luandao Waters.
These people were mostly from various sects across the Lesser Cold Domain, large and small, while the remaining rogue cultivators also had varying degrees of connection to Yinshan Pass.
All of them were human cultivators; not a single demon cultivator from Heavenly Demon Mound was among them.
Throughout the three years of standoff, no demon cultivator had ever made an appearance.
At most, one would see spirit beasts tamed by cultivators, predominantly disciples of the Yuling Sect. In fact, one was present right now—a man named Mu Zhige. His spirit beast was a golden eagle, said to be a descendant of a demon king from Heavenly Demon Mound.
As for the political maneuvering among the various powers of the Lesser Cold Domain, Qin Sang had no way of knowing.
Once the final person arrived, the stone doors of the grand hall swung open on their own.
The crowd ceased their chatter, exchanged glances, and walked inside together in silence.
Gold bricks paved the floor, illuminated by the dazzling glow of luminous pearls.
Within this magnificent hall, however, stood only a few imposing dragon pillars, devoid of any other furnishings.
Two people stood in the golden hall.
It was none other than Snake Granny and Vice Island Master Xiao together!
Such a sight was rare.
Recognizing the two island masters, the crowd felt a surge of surprise. Reverence washed over their faces, and they carried themselves with heightened caution.
"Greetings, Island Masters!"
Leaning on her snake-headed staff, Snake Granny hobbled over. Her face was aged and wrinkled, and her triangular eyes gleamed with a somewhat chilling light, bearing a subtle resemblance to the snake-bodied man from before.
Feeling Snake Granny's gaze sweep past him, Qin Sang felt his stomach tighten, even though he knew she harbored no malice and would hardly bother with a minor figure like him.
"You are the finest talents to have distinguished yourselves in this great war, every one of you having amassed remarkable military exploits..."
For the first time ever, words of praise came from the mouth of a Golden Core Master—and the master of Stargazing Island at that.
The crowd looked at one another.
Some rejoiced inwardly, wondering if rewards were in store.
Snake Granny spoke at an unhurried pace, yet everyone listened with utmost patience, not a single person showing even a hint of restlessness.
"...There is a matter that requires your service."
Her tone brooked no disobedience. Arriving at this point, she paused slightly and took a deep, lingering look at Qin Sang and the others.
"We await the Island Master's command!"
Qin Sang and the others bowed without hesitation to receive the order.
It was not a reward, but a new task.
Amid their disappointment, unease also crept in. For the two island masters to personally step forward and summon every renowned expert, the mission was certainly far from simple—and likely accompanied by great peril.
Yet their response was prompt and unified. Having spent years engaged in brutal warfare, they had long grown accustomed to obeying orders.
Above all, when the command came directly from Snake Granny and Vice Island Master Xiao, who would dare raise an objection?
Seeing this, Snake Granny nodded with satisfaction.
Mu Zhige of the Yuling Sect was bolder than the rest and ventured, "May I ask, Island Master, is it just us? Or will everyone in our squads..."
"Only you."
Snake Granny swept her gaze over them, as if seeing right through their thoughts, and let out an inscrutable chuckle. "Danger certainly awaits you on this journey. However, for some among you, it may well prove to be an opportunity."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they looked at Snake Granny with eager anticipation.
To their surprise, Snake Granny shifted the topic: "Quite a few of you should already know of Heaven-Pointing Peak's existence. It lies directly beneath the pillar of light from last night's battle, sealed behind a restriction. Once the restriction opens, you must enter and gather a rare item called Star Element Stones."
"Star Element Stones!"
Before Snake Granny even finished speaking, someone gasped in surprise. Forgetting decorum, they eagerly blurted out, "Senior, could you be referring to the legendary Star Element Stone—the rare treasure born of stellar power, capable of channeling the star element energy of the heavenly circuit, almost impossible to find in this world?"
The crowd turned toward the speaker, only to find it was a disciple of the Yuanshen Sect who went by the title Jiuzhenzi.
Having fought side by side, they were all more or less familiar with one another. Jiuzhenzi was known to be aloof and proud, never once losing his composure even amid the chaos of the battlefield.
Yet he wore a look of pure shock, as if the Star Element Stone were an extraordinary treasure beyond imagination.
Qin Sang searched his memory, certain he had never heard of such a thing.
Snake Granny frowned, casting a cold glance at Jiuzhenzi. "Could there possibly be a second kind of Star Element Stone in this world?"
"Please forgive my impudence, Island Master. Junior was carried away."
Jiuzhenzi hastily begged for pardon, then glanced left and right, cleverly taking it upon himself to explain on Snake Granny's behalf.
"Fellow Daoists, unless you delve deeply into the study of spirit arrays, you likely know little of Star Element Stones.
"There exists a type of spirit array capable of calling down the star element energy of the heavenly circuit, possessing terrifying power. And the Star Element Stone is an indispensable material for laying such an array.
"In this day and age, such spirit arrays have nearly gone extinct and can no longer be constructed precisely due to the lack of Star Element Stones.
"In ancient times, legends spoke of mighty figures who could pluck the stars and seize the moon, and among those legends were records of artificially cultivating Star Element Stones. Alas, the method has long been lost to time.
"I only learned of these legends through my masters and originally thought them to be fabrications. I never imagined Star Element Stones had not vanished, and that they actually exist within Heaven-Pointing Peak. Overwhelmed by shock, I forgot my manners..."
*A rare treasure for laying arrays?*
Qin Sang was surprised.
He had assumed Heaven-Pointing Peak harbored some divine natural treasures or miraculous elixirs.
For the Heaven-Traversing Alliance and the Lesser Cold Domain to mobilize on such a scale, even drawing out Nascent Soul experts in the end, all for the sake of competing over Star Element Stones—he wondered what kind of grand array both sides intended to build.
"As expected of a fine disciple from the Yuanshen Sect, knowledgeable even about the secrets of Star Element Stones... Your sect must possess quite a collection of such ancient arrays, do they not?"
Snake Granny narrowed her eyes, shooting Jiuzhenzi a sidelong glance.
Jiuzhenzi's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly bowed. "Island Master, please forgive me! Junior's cultivation is low, and I am not qualified to touch the sect's innermost secrets. I truly do not know if our sect possesses any ancient arrays."
Snake Granny let out a cold snort, letting Jiuzhenzi off the hook without pressing further.
Jiuzhenzi breathed a silent sigh of relief, only now realizing his back was drenched in cold sweat.
"These magic tools are called Spirit-Locking Bracelets. Take them."
Snake Granny produced a handful of silver bracelets and tossed them to Qin Sang and the others. "These Spirit-Locking Bracelets are extraordinarily difficult to refine. You will need them to harvest the Star Element Stones. Take great care not to damage them, or you will return empty-handed."
Qin Sang caught a bracelet and brought it before his eyes to examine it closely.
It was a magic tool that could not be measured by standard grades. Such tools were created for unique functions rather than combat, and the Spirit-Locking Bracelet was no exception.
It was an exceptionally slender silver bangle set with a tiny crystal. Qin Sang studied it for quite a while without identifying the material.
The crystal was pure and flawless, radiating a clear, limpid light like a star that had fallen to the mortal world.
To all appearances, the bracelet seemed like nothing more than an exquisite ornament.
It was delicate enough to make one worry that the slightest excess of force might snap it in two.
After listening intently to Snake Granny's explanation of how to use the Spirit-Locking Bracelet, Qin Sang carefully stowed it away in his mustard seed bag. His thoughts, however, remained fixed on the reward Snake Granny had mentioned earlier.
Chapter 455