Ran Luo and the others saw everything Qin Sang did, and their attitude toward him grew increasingly warm as the lingering distance between them gradually faded away.
Even the young man surnamed Zhuo, who was originally meant to be the chief artifact craftsman, had let go of whatever little resentment he had left after Qin Sang took the initiative to exchange thoughts and insights on artifact forging with him several times.
Of course, Qin Sang gained quite a lot from these exchanges as well.
However, when making friends, Qin Sang always kept a layer of emotional detachment. It was exceedingly difficult for him to truly trust anyone now.
From his discussions with the young man, Qin Sang confirmed that the youth's sect, the Sword Cauldron Sect, was indeed a renowned artifact-crafting sect in the Canglang Sea.
Qin Sang seized an opportunity to ask him about the Ten Great Divine Woods.
Looking sheepish, the youth admitted that due to his limited talent, he had never been valued by his sect, which was why he had ventured out on his own. Unable to access the core secrets of the sect, he had no idea whether the major artifact-crafting sects of the Canglang Sea possessed any of the Ten Great Divine Woods in their collections.
Yet in the century or so he had spent at the Sword Cauldron Sect, he had never heard of anyone obtaining any of the Ten Great Divine Woods either.
Notably, over the past six months, Ran Luo had procured four live flood dragons for him.
After Qin Sang extracted and collected their spirit souls, the number of flood dragon spirit souls accumulated in the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman reached six. Back in the day, who knew how much effort Daoist Xuan Yu had expended just to gather this many.
Qin Sang traveled to an uninhabited stretch of sea near Duyan Island to test the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman. Working in concert with the Sword Qi Thunderclap, his evasion technique was now easily superior to that of ordinary mid-Core Formation cultivators.
Should he encounter danger, his ability to escape with his life would be vastly improved.
Afterward, Qin Sang stayed on Duyan Island for a few more months, finally finishing most of his assigned tasks.
Since Ran Luo had been unable to deliver any new live flood dragons, Qin Sang decided to head out to sea himself to hunt for flood dragon spirit souls. Once he gathered ten flood dragon spirit souls, the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman would undergo a fundamental transformation!
When Qin Sang approached Ran Luo, she did not stop him, and as he requested, she helped him find a reliable squad.
"Daoist Priest, according to the guild's intelligence, flood dragons occasionally appear along the southern edge of the sea trench. However, beyond Demon Spirit stage flood dragons, some have even spotted traces of Demon Core stage flood dragons in the depths of the trench. Flood dragon bloodlines rank at the very peak among demons. Why not wait a little longer until Huiwen returns so she can go with you as support?" Ran Luo advised.
Qin Sang had specifically requested a squad made entirely of False Core stage cultivators, leaving him as the sole Core Formation cultivator. Ran Luo was naturally a bit uneasy.
The reason Qin Sang made this demand was that traveling with cultivators of equal standing would easily spark disputes when dividing spoils, and they would be difficult to manage—cultivators of the same cultivation realm would hardly be willing to take orders from an equal.
Traveling with this weaker group meant their combat strength was a bit lower, but as long as they remained cautious and did not provoke late Demon Core great demons, Qin Sang was confident he could easily extricate himself.
Huiwen had only recently departed Duyan Island and would not return for some time, and the guild had few Core Formation cultivators on the island, all of whom had their own affairs to attend to.
"There is no need to trouble Fellow Daoist Huiwen. This poor daoist only intends to hunt peak Demon Spirit flood dragons and will return immediately once the spirit souls are gathered. There will not be any real danger," Qin Sang declined.
Ran Luo saw no point in pushing further, so she sent someone to summon the demon-hunting squad and briefed Qin Sang on their background.
"There are five people in total in this squad, recruited into the guild by Manager Ning before he left half a year ago. Although their cultivation is not particularly high, they have spent many years on Duyan Island and enjoy a solid reputation. Most valuable of all, they happen to have operated in the southern trench for a long time and know the demons around Duyan Island intimately. Whether it comes to tracking beasts or providing early warnings, they have unique methods. Of course, I have already instructed them that once out at sea, they are to follow your every command, Daoist Priest..."
Ran Luo introduced the members of the squad to Qin Sang.
All five were False Core stage cultivators without exception. Every one of them had come to the Demon Sea in pursuit of Core Formation, meeting on Duyan Island and gradually building mutual trust.
Qin Sang noted down their information. He was taking them along mainly because of their familiarity with the areas where flood dragons roamed, needing them to lead the way and help track the beasts.
Before long, Qin Sang met the five cultivators.
"Junior pays respects to Daoist Qingfeng," the five greeted him in unison with bows.
Qin Sang sat upright, sizing up the five individuals before him.
Three women and two men. Two of the younger women bore a close resemblance to each other and were biological sisters.
They reminded Qin Sang of the Yue sisters from the Lesser Cold Domain. For two sisters to both reach such high cultivation, and as rogue cultivators no less, was exceedingly rare.
Another old woman and an elder in green robes were husband and wife.
Both of them were well over two hundred years old, with unmistakable weariness and the marks of time etched onto their faces.
At this age, reaching Core Formation was virtually impossible.
Ran Luo had told him that the couple had entered the Canglang Sea several decades ago. Fortunately, they had never suffered fatal mishaps, but regrettably, neither had succeeded in forming a core.
They had a son who was currently cultivating in the inner sea.
Having given up on Core Formation themselves, they were spending their remaining years accumulating cultivation resources for their son.
The last one was a middle-aged man in grey robes, a sword cultivator.
Though these five appeared unexceptional, Qin Sang could sense a faint, subtle murderous edge emanating from them. Even as they bowed to him, their positioning was deliberate and meticulous, keeping them linked to one another at all times.
This was something only battle-hardened cultivators could possess.
Qin Sang had spent years in the Luandao Waters and experienced countless grueling battles, allowing him to spot these telltale signs with ease.
If the five joined forces, an ordinary early Core Formation cultivator who underestimated them might well suffer a nasty setback.
"No need for such formalities. Once we leave the island, this poor daoist will need your help. If anyone has suggestions, feel free to speak up; so long as they are reasonable, this poor daoist will certainly follow them."
Qin Sang stood up, his gaze sweeping over each of them as his tone turned sharp and stern. "However, if anyone acts on their own without permission or dares disobey my orders, this poor daoist will not hesitate to add another life to my blade!"
Before his words had completely settled, a sudden burst of killing intent erupted from Qin Sang. Amplified by his cultivation method and his years of life-and-death tempering, the killing intent was so heavy and suffocating that even Ran Luo was visibly startled.
The five cultivators were thoroughly terrified, hurriedly stammering their deference.
Qin Sang nodded in satisfaction. "No time like the present. Go back and make your preparations. We set out tomorrow."
Early the next morning.
Six figures quietly departed Duyan Island.
Initially, they flew westward, but after traveling a short distance, they made several wide detours before heading directly toward the southeast.
Qin Sang had the elderly couple lead the way while he urged the Nether Silk Cloud along behind them.
Seeing how cautious they were, Qin Sang nodded inwardly. Surviving in the Demon Sea for decades indeed proved they had real competence.
To accommodate their pace, Qin Sang deliberately slowed down while taking the opportunity to observe the environment of the Demon Sea.
In a perilous place like this, demon beast ambushes could happen at any moment; even the altitude of flight held specific rules and considerations. The elderly couple answered every question without reservation, providing Qin Sang with a great deal of valuable practical experience.
Chapter 681