"Since you two Fellow Daoists set out not long ago, you must have made thorough preparations and likely haven't used much of your pills and supplies, have you? This old man happens to have run out of provisions and would like to trade some demon carcasses and demon cores with you. What do you think?"
Keeping his promise, Qin Sang tossed a top-grade magic tool to them, taking the opportunity to propose a spontaneous trade.
The senior brother asked in surprise, "Fellow Daoist, aren't you planning to return to Douyan Island to take shelter?"
Qin Sang shook his head. "This old man came to the Demon Sea solely to hunt demons and gather cultivation resources. My worry is that if I head back, I'll be trapped on the island and unable to leave. I am all on my own, free to come and go as I please, unlike you two who are accompanied by so many disciples. I have decided to stay outside for another few years and see how things develop. Trading your pills for demon cores ensures you won't have made this trip in vain either."
After a brief discussion, the two agreed to the trade. Following some haggling, they tossed over a mustard seed bag. Qin Sang threw several demon cores to them at the same time, remaining vigilant in case they were blinded by greed.
After inspecting the contents of the mustard seed bag, Qin Sang cupped his hands. "Farewell, Fellow Daoists!"
"Farewell, Fellow Daoist!"
The two returned the courtesy, their tone noticeably friendlier than before.
"By the way," Qin Sang called back just as he was about to depart, having suddenly recalled something. "Things seem unstable around Douyan Island, and none of the patrolling cultivators are anywhere to be seen. You had best tread carefully."
The senior brother was taken aback. "Many thanks for the warning, Fellow Daoist..."
***
Qin Sang summoned his escape light and broke through the air.
After ensuring no one was following him, he touched down on a desolate island and transferred the items from the mustard seed bag into his Qianjun Ring.
The two had prepared remarkably well. With these provisions, he would not have to worry about running low on supplies even if he stayed in the Demon Sea for several more years, giving him vastly more room to maneuver.
*The place where we clashed earlier wasn't far from Douyan Island. As long as those five were careful, they should have reached the island by now and reported the situation to Ran Luo. If Ran Luo sends people out to receive me, should I go back and proactively contact them?*
Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the ground, resting his chin on his right hand as he pondered his next move.
In the end, he decided against contacting them.
Upon learning of the turmoil between the two races and the sealing of Douyan Island, Qin Sang had made up his mind with hardly any hesitation: he would not return to Douyan Island before the upheaval subsided.
It was precisely for this reason that he had traded with those two, ensuring he possessed ample supplies to operate alone in the Demon Sea.
Having lived through the five-year-long war between the Lesser Cold Domain and the Heaven-Traversing Alliance right on the front lines, he knew all too well how terrifying war between cultivators could be.
That had been the case even for Foundation Establishment cultivators; battles between Core Formation masters were even more volatile and perilous.
Back in the Lesser Cold Domain, he had had no choice, bound by his identity as a disciple of Shaohua Mountain and his need to comprehend the killing talisman.
Now, circumstances were entirely different. Comprehending the killing talisman could be achieved by hunting demons, and having arrived here via an unexpected teleportation, he had no deep ties to either the human or Witch Clan factions of the Canglang Sea.
Douyan Island seemed secure with a Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing it.
Yet if the conflict escalated, neither human nor witch would be able to stay detached. Douyan Island would merely become an even larger target, making Lin Hai's wish to seal the island and shut out the world pure delusion.
When that time came, the cultivators on the island would inevitably be dragged into the war, forced to obey Lin Hai's commands, and Qin Sang would have no choice but to stand with the human race.
Though not native to the Canglang Sea, his human heritage meant he would have no alternative. In such times, sitting on the fence was the ultimate taboo, guaranteeing an even swifter death.
Qin Sang was merely an outer sea guest elder of the Qiongyu Guild, possessing neither roots nor backing on Douyan Island. The most perilous assignments would certainly fall upon him.
Why jump into the fire of his own accord?
In hindsight, being ambushed had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, granting him an excuse to sever ties with Douyan Island.
Thus, Qin Sang decided not to contact the Qiongyu Guild for the time being, letting them assume he had gone missing. Should they ever cross paths again in the future, he would have an excuse ready, sparing him from being forced into doing anything by the guild or Douyan Island and avoiding an ugly confrontation.
Qin Sang held a favorable impression of the Qiongyu Guild; maintaining that connection if possible was still preferable.
"Where should I head next? Should I go straight to Huntian Island in search of the fire-repelling sparrow? I wonder what Huntian Island's situation is like right now. Before the chaos broke out, one could travel there by boat, but now I'll probably have to fly myself. Fortunately, the distance between Huntian Island and Douyan Island isn't too great, separated by only one large island. With the secret talisman to protect me, there's no need to worry..."
Qin Sang looked toward the southwest and muttered softly to himself.
He had originally planned to make the trip once he gathered all nine dragon spirits anyway.
The Primordial Concentric Rings could provide early warnings, proving immensely useful in the Demon Sea.
Especially now, with the two races at war, he would predictably have to wander the Demon Sea alone for the foreseeable future. To evade the conflict, he might even have to retreat into its depths, making the rings all the more crucial.
"The sooner I refine the Primordial Concentric Rings, the sooner I can hunt demons with peace of mind. If total chaos erupts and even the calmer sea regions become unsafe, the worst that can happen is hiding in the depths of the Demon Sea. Either way, I'm not wading into these muddy waters..."
After weighing his options, Qin Sang reached a decision.
Before setting out, he would find a place to repair those few magic treasures, which would bolster his chances even further.
With that in mind, Qin Sang regulated his breath briefly, found a nearby islet with a spirit vein, laid down a restrictive spirit array, and immersed himself in studying the Gold Glow Armor and the other treasures.
A month later, Qin Sang withdrew the spirit array, stepped onto his flying sword, and flew toward Huntian Island.
He was now wearing an inner vest on his upper torso.
Pressing a hand against his chest, Qin Sang felt the protective might of the Gold Glow Armor, and a faint smile appeared on his face. With a flicker of his gaze, he drew the armor back into his dantian.
Over the past month of painstaking research, Qin Sang had consumed a great deal of demon bones and spiritual materials before finally discovering a way to restore the fissures in the Gold Glow Armor.
However, its spirituality, damaged by the Blood Filth Divine Light, had not fully recovered and still required a period of nurturing.
Qin Sang flew at a low altitude while keeping a safe distance above the sea surface to avoid being caught off guard by a sudden ambush from aquatic demon beasts.
Keeping his eyes sharp and ensuring no one was watching, he retrieved a topographical map of the Demon Sea.
*The regular sea routes are probably unsafe right now, so I can't follow them strictly. Yet those routes are charted paths where the demon beasts are weaker, whereas uncharted territory is fraught with hidden perils. I cannot stray too far from the course...*
Qin Sang put away the map, his mind made up. Adjusting his trajectory slightly, his figure gradually vanished into the vast expanse of the ocean.
***
Several months later.
A ray of white light descended from the sky, landing on an uninhabited islet. As the light dissipated, it revealed Qin Sang, his face worn with exhaustion from the prolonged journey.
Throughout this lengthy flight, Qin Sang had traveled either by maneuvering his flying magic tool or by soaring upon his sword.
He still remembered the leisurely spectacle of Daoist Xuan Yu driving a chariot pulled by flood dragon spirit souls back in the Lesser Cold Domain. That way, one hardly needed to exert any mental energy, merely leaving a wisp of spiritual sense locked onto the dragon spirits while even cultivating on the side.
Yet perils lurked everywhere in the Demon Sea. Qin Sang dared not be so arrogant and had to rely entirely on his own efforts.
Chapter 692