Qin Sang stepped out of the cave dwelling and found all five cultivators gathered in the outer hall, deep in discussion.
"Keep someone on watch outside at all times to monitor the movements of the demon beasts in the trench. As for the rest of you, don't leave unless necessary. You have good eyes—this is an excellent location. Even if turmoil breaks out in the trench, we'll notice immediately and be able to slip away..."
Qin Sang gave detailed dispositions. Without anyone noticing, he also stationed one of his Flying Yakshas outside as an alert sentry.
The elderly couple exchanged glances. After a moment's hesitation, the old man said, "Reporting to Daoist Master, the few of us were just conferring and believe last night's anomaly was likely an accident. Even if those legendary royal demon beasts truly exist, they would only stay deep within the ocean trench. There is no way they would roam somewhere this remote. To tell the truth, we previously hunted a peak Demon Spirit fish demon nearby, and nothing ever came of it afterward."
Qin Sang's tone turned slightly grave. "Careful sailing keeps the boat afloat for ten thousand years. This poor Daoist shouldn't need to teach you that. I paid a heavy price to hire you out here to hunt flood dragons, not to throw away our lives for a single flood dragon spirit soul. If you obey this poor Daoist's orders and carry out your duties diligently, could I possibly mistreat you? Stay in the cave dwelling and cultivate quietly for a month. Once we are certain nothing has happened, we will head out to hunt flood dragons again."
A chill ran through the couple's hearts, and they chorused, "Your juniors understand."
Qin Sang nodded. Just as he was about to turn back, he remembered something, glanced back, and asked, "By the way, do any of you have a demon beast's inner core on hand?"
These five had hunted demon beasts in the Demon Sea for decades and were fairly capable; it wouldn't be surprising if they had obtained some inner cores.
Qin Sang intended to test other demon beast inner cores to see whether the fat silkworm was interested solely in toxic cores, or if other kinds would work as well.
"A demon beast inner core?"
The five looked at each other. The grey-robed man's eyes flickered with a hesitant expression.
Seeing this, Qin Sang knew what they were worried about and said coldly, "Taking a demon beast inner core back only allows you to find someone to refine a Fiend Demon Pill, and hiring a skilled alchemist costs a small fortune in spirit stones. This poor Daoist can trade with you directly using top-grade magic tools or Fiend Demon Pills. I don't have any Fiend Demon Pills on hand at the moment, but I give you my word: as long as the demon core you have is what I want, the moment we return, I will exchange a high-quality Fiend Demon Pill for you at the guild."
With a wave of his hand, two magic tools appeared in Qin Sang's palm.
One was a bone sword, lustrous as forged iron and gleaming with a faint, chilling light.
The other was a bone spear with a slender tip, visibly razor-sharp at a glance.
These were magic tools he had crafted while delving into artifact crafting to test his own concepts, and each possessed formidable power.
By comparison, the items he had handed over to the Qiongyu Guild were far more ordinary.
However, much like the divide between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators, an insurmountable chasm lay between magic tools and magic treasures. Qin Sang was confident few artifact masters could surpass him when it came to crafting magic tools, yet he still did not dare fire up a furnace to craft a magic treasure.
All five were discerning cultivators. The moment they saw the two weapons, infatuation washed over their faces.
An inner core was certainly precious, but magic tools of this caliber were far rarer. Obtaining one would boost their combat strength by thirty percent out of thin air—how could their hearts not race?
"We had long heard that Daoist Master's artifact crafting was second to none on Duyan Island, but today junior's eyes have truly been opened..." the old man sighed repeatedly in awe.
The grey-robed man stared intently at the bone sword. Stepping forward suddenly, he retrieved a jade bottle from his mustard seed bag. "Senior, please look at this inner core. Would it be enough to trade for that bone sword?"
Qin Sang took the bottle and found an aqua-blue inner core within. It brimmed with potent water elemental energy, the most common variety found in the Demon Sea.
"Wait here a moment..."
Qin Sang turned back into the cave dwelling and held the demon core before the fat silkworm. He found it had zero interest in it, clutching the blue flood dragon's inner core without letting go.
*Just as I expected. Its innate talent is linked to poison; only a toxic core will do.*
Qin Sang walked back out, returned the inner core to the grey-robed man, and explained that he only had need of toxic cores.
A look of deep disappointment appeared on the man's face, though he dared not grumble and silently put it away. None of the others had toxic cores either, so Qin Sang had no choice but to drop the matter for now.
From then on, the group cultivated peacefully on the island.
During this time, Qin Sang kept a close watch on the fat silkworm's transformation. Even after an entire month had passed, the inner core had only shrunk by a sliver, yet the fat silkworm's cultivation had noticeably climbed.
Qin Sang estimated that the creature would need several years at least to fully absorb the core, after which it ought to transition into the middle stage of its second transformation.
This was vastly faster than his own cultivation speed back in the day.
Fortunately, everything in the oceanic trench remained quiet throughout the month, showing no signs of unrest.
Seeing this, Qin Sang split the party into three groups to plunge into the trench and search for flood dragons.
He and the grey-robed man formed the center team, while the elderly couple and the Wang sisters flanked them on either side, maintaining distances that allowed for swift mutual reinforcement as they mounted a sweeping search through the trench.
The requirements of the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman were exceedingly strict. Even though the old couple and their companions had operated in these waters for years, tracking down suitable flood dragon spirit souls was no simple task.
Only after scouring the trench continuously for over three months did they finally hunt down and kill a red flood dragon!
They encountered several dangers along the way, but Qin Sang smoothly neutralized them all. The elderly couple and the others grew increasingly deferential toward him. Realizing that Qin Sang was not some ruthless monster, they put aside their worries and dedicated themselves to serving him with single-minded focus.
Naturally, this was also inextricably tied to the bulging mustard seed bags at their waists.
Whenever they crossed paths with demon beasts worth slaying along the hunt, Qin Sang would lend a hand. He only claimed the most valuable parts, leaving the remainder he didn't care for to be divided among the couple and the rest.
Qin Sang ate the meat, while they drank the broth.
***
Across the boundless expanse of the sea.
Two silhouettes sped forward in silence, pausing to rest briefly only when they encountered rocky islets before pressing on. They kept a short distance between them, keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings—it was none other than Qin Sang and the grey-robed man.
More than a month had passed since the hunt of the red flood dragon, and they had once again embarked on their long journey to locate more dragons.
As they were skimming over the water, Qin Sang suddenly noticed a voice transmission talisman flying in from afar. The grey-robed man caught it and came to an immediate halt.
Scanning the message, the grey-robed man promptly flew over and reported, "Senior, the Wang sisters just sent word. They found traces of flood dragon activity on an island. The marks are very fresh, and the pack appears to be quite large."
"Let's go take a look!"
Qin Sang's spirits lifted. Searching aimlessly for flood dragons was far too tedious.
Even the magnificent scenery of the Demon Sea had long lost its novelty.
Two hours later, Qin Sang and the grey-robed man landed on an island. The Wang sisters had been waiting and immediately stepped forward to greet them.
"Senior, please look. These are all traces left by flood dragons, and they seem to have been made just a few days ago. The pack appears to be migrating. We also discovered traces on several islands ahead," the Wang sisters reported.
Chapter 684