Anchor

A multicolored halo enveloped the surroundings. The only defect was that it was too conspicuous, making it easy for others to notice something was amiss and defeating any element of surprise. Qin Sang trained the fat silkworm, commanding it to manipulate the halo's size and shape. After countless attempts and putting every ounce of strength it had into the effort, the silkworm finally managed to shrink the multicolored halo by a ring, making it appear somewhat more solid as well. "Not bad. Practice more. It would be even better if it could form a suit of poison-warding armor in the future." Qin Sang nodded in satisfaction. After being put through the wringer for half the day, the fat silkworm was nearly exhausted to collapse. It lay in Qin Sang's palm, panting for breath, not daring to utter a single complaint, obediently doing whatever it was told. After all, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire was hovering right above its head. "Go back and rest. Don't slack off. I will inspect your progress next time." Qin Sang warned the fat silkworm and rewarded it with a wisp of Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold. The fat silkworm had been full of resentment, but the instant it saw the Scarlet Fire Flowing Gold, all its suffering was flung beyond the ninth heaven. Licking up the gold in huge gulps, it looked at Qin Sang with an ingratiating expression, as if swearing it would definitely do a fine job. Compared to the fat silkworm, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly was exquisite, a soothing sight that lifted the spirits. Fed on essence blood along with Qin Sang's generous supply of various spirit fruits, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's cultivation advanced rapidly, and it would be able to begin its second metamorphosis in just a few years. After playing with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly for a while, Qin Sang routinely checked the restrictions on Yagu. Yagu was like a sleeping beauty, lying there quietly with a serene expression. Looking at her condition, Qin Sang let out a soft sigh. Naturally, he had not forgotten about removing the talisman. During his stay in Pingbo Port, he had tried to learn as much as possible about the secret arts of the Corpse and Ghost Path in the Canglang Sea and had gathered a few, but they were all unremarkable. The true inheritances of the great sects could not be obtained so easily. Who knew when he would find a way to awaken her? "Huh?" Qin Sang stared at Yagu and let out a soft gasp. He noticed that she seemed slightly different from before, though he couldn't put his finger on where the difference lay. Her appearance remained unchanged—nourished by the vital energy of the Three Light Jade Liquid, her complexion was rosy, bearing no trace of corpse transformation whatsoever. "Could it be...?" A thought struck Qin Sang, and he retrieved the fat silkworm. Sure enough, he spotted a clue. Sensing its master's aura, the originally listless silkworm suddenly perked up. It leaped onto Yagu's palm and snuggled against her fingertips like a kitten, chirping softly, filled with deep attachment and affection for her. Its affection for Yagu came straight from the heart, without the slightest stray thought. This was a stark contrast to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, which Qin Sang had forcibly subdued. Qin Sang noticed that following the fat silkworm's metamorphosis, an inexplicable connection existed between Yagu's origin soul and the silkworm. Perhaps it had been present before, but it had been too faint for Qin Sang to detect. It was precisely this connection that brought a sliver of vitality to Yagu's origin soul. It was as if the fat silkworm had become an anchor for Yagu in the real world, allowing her to grasp a ray of dawn amid endless darkness. Although this vitality was minuscule, it was remarkably clear in the midst of dead silence, making it all the more precious. Discovering this, Qin Sang was overjoyed. With the Three Light Jade Liquid, there was no need to worry about damage to Yagu's physical body. Qin Sang had always feared that if he could not awaken her in time, her consciousness would sink completely into oblivion. Now, with the fat silkworm serving as an anchor and warm jade protecting her, Yagu could hold out for much longer. It stood to reason that the higher the fat silkworm's cultivation, the clearer this connection would become, and the longer Yagu could endure. "It seems that while looking for a way to awaken Yagu, I must also help the fat silkworm metamorphose as quickly as possible, preparing on both fronts." Qin Sang looked at the silkworm and Yagu, murmuring softly to himself. Seeing that the fat silkworm was helpful to Yagu, Qin Sang's attitude toward it improved considerably. ... The night passed without incident. The next morning, Qin Sang woke from his meditation, drew aside the carriage curtain, and gazed into the distance to the southeast. A fine drizzle was falling, and through the veil of rain, he could now vaguely see the silhouette of a solitary peak standing beneath the dome of the heavens, towering like a pillar holding up the sky! This was Witch God Mountain. Standing proudly above the surrounding peaks with an air of solitary dominance, it was no wonder the Witch Clan revered it as their sacred mountain. The tallest, most majestic mountain Qin Sang had ever seen was the Heavenly Mountain in Ziwei Palace. Yet Witch God Mountain was not the least bit inferior to Heavenly Mountain, and perhaps even surpassed it. Heavenly Mountain was cloaked in countless terrifying immortal restrictions, giving people a sense of mystery and ancient desolation. Witch God Mountain, on the other hand, was venerated as a sacred mountain by an entire race and was shrouded in diverse myths and legends. Among them, it was said that this mountain reached the blue heavens above and connected to the Nine Nethers below, that the Witch God had once resided there, and that it was the site where the Witch God manifested miracles. Qin Sang peered through the rain, his gaze fixed on the sky above Witch God Mountain. The summit was shrouded in dark clouds, with lightning dancing wildly and silver serpents darting across the sky. Terrifying thunder crashed incessantly, presenting a harrowing scene of heavenly punishment. It made one instinctively feel like submitting. One should know that this celestial phenomenon was not caused by today's rainy weather. Even under a blazing sun, the dark clouds atop Witch God Mountain remained gathered without dispersing, and the lightning never ceased, persisting for who knew how many years. It was said that this celestial phenomenon had existed since the earliest records of Witch God Mountain, an extraordinary wonder. "This Witch God Mountain is truly remarkable. The Canglang Sea has many mystical places no less impressive than Ziwei Palace—the Hall of Seven Kills, Witch God Mountain... Who knows how many more such places there are..." Qin Sang sighed with emotion. Having witnessed the immortal traces inside Ziwei Palace, he did not feel overwhelming shock. Others, however, were different; the human cultivators visiting Witch God Mountain for the first time all had glances tinged with thinly veiled dread. "Is Daoist Qingfeng awake as well? Perfect, you can fly ahead with us to Witch God Mountain." Qin Sang was engrossed in the view when he heard Ran Luo's voice transmission. Glancing over, he saw that Ran Luo, Ning Kun, and several others had stepped down from their beast carriages at some point and were flying over together. "Not waiting for the caravan?" Delays breed trouble. Qin Sang could not wait to enter the Demon Sea as soon as possible. Without hesitation, he immediately retrieved the formation implements set up around the carriage and flew out. "We just confirmed that everything is normal at Witch God Mountain. Many fellow Daoists are growing restless, so it was decided to depart immediately. The caravan will send people to escort the carriages at a slower pace. We are very close to Witch God Mountain now, and no one dares make trouble here." Ran Luo offered a brief explanation, nodded to Qin Sang, and continued flying forward to arrange the personnel. Qin Sang looked around. The high-level cultivators who had kept a low profile throughout the journey were now showing themselves one after another, flying toward Witch God Mountain in groups of two or three. Though they belonged to different factions, they all shared deep concern over the situation on the Witch God Continent, which was why they had banded together to leave Pingbo Port. Among these people, Qin Sang only knew Ning Kun and Huiwen. After a moment's thought, he joined them, slowing his pace to wait for Ran Luo. Before long, Ran Luo caught up from behind, accompanied by a man and a woman. The man was a dashing, elegant middle-aged gentleman—none other than Elder Zou, the chief steward of the Qiongyu Guild. To Qin Sang's surprise, Elder Zou looked quite young. Qin Sang felt none of the oppressive pressure of a Nascent Soul Patriarch from Elder Zou; the man was likely at late Core Formation.