Tianwu Island

Qin Sang activated the power of the teleportation talisman as instructed. A protective barrier of light immediately enveloped the surface of his body. The ancient teleportation formation then flared with brilliant radiance, initiating the familiar process of transit. His two previous experiences riding ancient teleportation formations in the Shangyuan Qingjing Palace had both turned the world upside down and sent his head spinning violently. The time in the Ziwei Palace had been even more wretched, costing him an arm. This transit was far smoother than those three occasions, causing him little discomfort. In moments, his feet touched solid ground. The teleportation was complete, proceeding without a hitch. Qin Sang, Elder Zou, and the others materialized inside a spacious hall. As the light of the teleportation formation gradually receded, they saw Witch Clan guards standing ahead, each exuding a fierce, menacing aura. While Qin Sang took in his surroundings, Elder Zou took the lead and walked out of the hall. Qin Sang hurried to keep up. Stepping outside, a vast vista opened before his eyes. The teleportation formation was built on a mountain on Tianwu Island. At the foot of the mountain lay a sprawling city, completely visible in a single glance from before the hall. Tianwu Island truly lived up to its reputation; it was immense. The city occupied only a small corner of the island, with rolling mountain ranges encircling the outer perimeter until, at the distant horizon, the boundless emerald waves of the sea came into view. Back in the Western Frontier of the Witch God Continent, Qin Sang had made inquiries about the Storm Demon Sea and heard all sorts of rumors. Some said the seawater of the Storm Demon Sea was blood-red and reeked of a pungent stench. Others claimed that demon beasts patrolled the skies and waters at all hours, ready to swarm and slaughter anyone who dared enter... Such rumors were too numerous to count, painting the Storm Demon Sea almost as an Asura hell on earth. From the look of things now, the water outside the island seemed no different from that of the Canglang Sea. Qin Sang gazed out for a moment and found no trace of demon beasts. Instead, streaks of light from flying cultivators could occasionally be seen crossing the sky. "This old man must first visit a few friends and gather some information along the way. Ran Luo, take our fellow Daoists for a stroll around the city. There are plenty of good things to be found here. The Demon Sea has many undeveloped islands where people often discover rare treasures sorely lacking in the Canglang Sea, most of which flow to Dahuang Island and Tianwu Island. You might just stumble upon something useful..." Elder Zou turned around and addressed the group. Qin Sang's interest was piqued. If he could purchase Everlasting Camphor here, it would save him a great deal of painstaking searching. He had sufficient spirit stones on him, and if push came to shove, he would not mind parting with some Jinlan grass. Ran Luo voiced her agreement. Elder Zou was about to depart with the Witch Clan woman when he seemed to remember something. He paused, pointed at the mountain peaks on either side, and said, "Those two places are forbidden grounds on Tianwu Island, where many Nascent Soul Patriarchs are in secluded cultivation. Do not wander there without reason. The mountain on the left houses the cave abodes of our human Nascent Soul Patriarchs, while the one on the right belongs to the Witch Clan." "Why are there so many human Nascent Souls on Tianwu Island?" Qin Sang turned to look at the mountain on the left. These two mountains gathered all the spiritual essence of Tianwu Island. Soaring pavilions with cinnabar eaves and magnificent, fragrant halls were nestled among clear springs and lush forests, exuding an air of supreme tranquility. The spiritual energy within them was extraordinarily dense. Qin Sang was certain that these two peaks occupied the very best spirit veins on Tianwu Island. Surprisingly, judging by Elder Zou's tone, the number of human Nascent Souls on Tianwu Island was by no means small. Humans and the Witch Clan had allied out of necessity to resist the demon beasts in the Demon Sea, but a divide still persisted between them. Otherwise, the slightest movement from the Witch Clan would not have thrown the human cultivators of the Witch God Continent into panic, sending them fleeing for safety. Even in the Demon Sea, such estrangement was difficult to erase entirely. Tianwu Island was the headquarters of the Witch Clan. It was normal for human Nascent Souls to pass through, but for the Witch Clan to tolerate so many of them taking up residence was rather peculiar. Elder Zou said softly, "When this old man first arrived in the Demon Sea, I shared the same doubts as the Daoist. Later, I heard rumors that the Witch Clan's construction of the teleportation formations was closely linked to great figures of our human race. Ever since Tianwu Island was first established, human Nascent Soul Patriarchs have been stationed on that mountain. As for the true underlying reason, that remains unknown..." After seeing Elder Zou off, Qin Sang and the others walked down the mountain into the city, soon discovering that Tianwu Island was entirely different from what they had imagined. Having repeatedly heard how dangerous the Demon Sea was, cultivators in the Canglang Sea assumed that only Core Formation experts ventured in to hunt beasts, while Foundation Establishment cultivators dared risk their lives only if they were exceptionally bold or desperate to break through bottlenecks. To Qin Sang's surprise, alongside Core Formation experts, there were plenty of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement cultivators in the city, and even an immense number of mortals. It was hardly any different from a city in the Canglang Sea. The Daoist nun Huiwen also seemed to be entering the Demon Sea for the first time. She looked around, equally perplexed. "What is so strange about this?" Ran Luo said, "These people didn't teleport here. They are the descendants of cultivators who ventured into the Demon Sea in the past. Some lacked talent, and most didn't even possess spiritual roots. Unable to afford the spirit stones for teleportation, they could only scrape together a difficult living in the Demon Sea. Once you leave the island later, you will see that many islands without spirit veins outside Tianwu Island are inhabited by mortals grouped into villages and hamlets. A similar situation exists on Dahuang Island. In fact, on stable, large islands like Douyan Island, there are also quite a few mortals and low-level cultivators." "Aren't they afraid of demon beasts? Mortals shouldn't have the means to fend them off. Does Tianwu Island send people to protect them?" Huiwen asked. Ran Luo shook her head. "Tianwu Island and Dahuang Island are different from other islands. Aside from the period when they were first settled, when they suffered sieges and raids by demon beasts, the surrounding beasts have largely been cleared out as the cultivators expanded their territory. Even during the most perilous crises, these two islands remained quite secure. Still, accidents are inevitable. Occasionally, a reckless beast blunders in, and if the patrolling cultivators fail to eliminate it in time..." Ran Luo did not finish her sentence, but Qin Sang and the others understood what would happen. In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, Tianwu Island was naturally unwilling to invest heavy manpower and resources for useless mortals. They could only hope the patrol cultivators fulfilled their duties conscientiously. As they conversed, the group arrived before a large cluster of tall buildings, constructed from stone and wood, with many cultivators bustling in and out. Ran Luo stepped into the foremost building and came out shortly afterward with a wry smile. "What poor timing. The Grand Auction won't begin for another month, which I doubt we can wait for. These buildings are where various treasures are sold. Why don't we split up and look around for items we might need, then reconvene at the city gate tonight to meet Elder Zou?" The Grand Auction was the grandest event on Tianwu Island, held once every three months with countless treasures on offer. They had hoped to broaden their horizons, but the timing was unfortunate. Qin Sang had been hoping for just that. After listening to Ran Luo's explanation, he bid farewell to the others and entered one of the buildings alone. This establishment mainly sold various spiritual materials for artifact crafting as well as spiritual herbs for alchemy. The moment Qin Sang stepped inside, the eyes of several maidservants lit up, and the most attractive among them came gliding gracefully forward to greet him.