Qin Sang said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Fan, you sent a voice transmission in the market claiming you knew a sailing route through the Thousand Demons Sea. You were not spinning empty words just to lure me here, were you?"
The cultivators present had all seen Qin Sang seeking this information in the cultivation market, so they were not surprised.
The plump cultivator smiled. "Fellow Daoist Qin, there is no need to worry. Your condition is actually the simplest—in fact, it can hardly even be called a condition. That cave dwelling was discovered by pure chance along that very route. Before we enter the Thousand Demons Sea, I will give all of you the topographical map..."
"The Thousand Demons Sea!"
"The cave dwelling is in the Thousand Demons Sea?"
"Do you have any idea how dangerous the Thousand Demons Sea is right now?"
...
Alarmed, the group burst into an uproar.
The plump cultivator pressed both hands downward. "Calm yourselves, everyone. Though the cave dwelling lies in the Thousand Demons Sea, it is far from where the wicked cultivators gather. As you all know, the recognized sailing route lies near the sea's southernmost reach, which is precisely where those wicked cultivators run rampant. This cave dwelling, however, is at the northern edge. With such a vast distance between them, those wicked cultivators are individually infamous, but they have not formed a major force in such a short time. They would not dare risk provoking both races by stretching their tentacles that far..."
Only after repeated assurances did the others accept his explanation.
For a time, silence fell over the island.
The plump cultivator did not press them, his expression radiating confidence.
Qin Sang weighed his options. In his heart, he was already inclined to agree. Both the Nascent Soul treasures and the sailing route made the trip well worth taking.
Every single person chosen by the plump cultivator was in the early Core Formation stage. Though they were all standouts among their peers, Qin Sang was confident in his own abilities. Even if he could not defeat them, none of them could ever catch him.
Just then, a voice transmission from the green-robed scholar reached his ears: *Fellow Daoist Qin, how have your deliberations gone?*
Qin Sang replied impassively, *Has Fellow Daoist Lan decided to accept Fellow Daoist Fan's proposal?*
*Indeed!* to his surprise, the green-robed scholar answered readily. *The treasures Fellow Daoist Fan produced were not fakes. If his goal were merely to harm others, destroying three peerless treasures in the process would be utterly absurd. What worries me most is whether Fellow Daoist Fan is concealing something about the cold mist. Moreover, once the restrictions are broken, should the treasures prove too valuable, human hearts may prove treacherous. I fear something deplorable might happen... I wish to form an offensive and defensive alliance with you, Fellow Daoist. What do you think?*
Qin Sang furrowed his brows slightly and lowered his head in thought.
The green-robed scholar added, *Look at the others, Fellow Daoist. They likely share thoughts similar to mine. I do not know any of the others, but you were the first person I met just now, and seeing your extraordinary bearing, I felt moved to propose this...*
Qin Sang looked up and saw that the two female cultivators had naturally drifted together.
The other three, including the plump cultivator, had their lips moving as they exchanged secret messages.
At the same time, voice transmissions from others reached Qin Sang as well. He brushed them off with noncommittal replies, then finally transmitted back to the green-robed scholar: *Very well. If we run into danger, you and I can watch each other's backs...*
After a short while.
Once the two female cultivators finished conferring, the one who had spoken before turned to the plump cultivator and asked, "Fellow Daoist Fan, when do you intend to set out? Could you grant us a few days to discuss and make preparations?"
The plump cultivator chuckled. "Do not blame me for being overly cautious, fellow Daoists, but with treasures so precious, one cannot be too careful. If you wish to go, give me your answer right now, and we set out immediately. If you cannot decide now, I cannot afford to wait. We will part ways here and pretend we never met."
The woman's delicate brows knit together. She nodded, then whispered a few words to the other female cultivator, and the two seemed to fall into a dispute.
Perhaps bold through sheer skill, five of the six people invited by the plump cultivator—including Qin Sang—readily accepted. Only the dark-faced burly man hesitated visibly. After a long exchange of voice transmissions with the plump cultivator, he finally gave a reluctant nod.
Delighted by this, the plump cultivator clapped his hands and stood up. "No time to lose! We will travel through the night, preferably without stopping along the way. Bear with the fatigue, everyone."
As Core Formation stage experts, traveling continuously for several days was of no concern.
Seven streaks of escape light flared up across the island one after another. Following behind the plump cultivator, Qin Sang and the rest soared into midair and sped away.
Not wishing to reveal his Sword Qi Thunderclap or the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman, and having no flying magic treasure at his disposal, Qin Sang had to make do with a flying magic tool to journey.
Fortunately, the other cultivators were in a similar state.
The entire journey went smoothly.
After several days of dull, monotonous flight, the group gradually grew familiar with one another. Bored, they began sharing insights from their cultivation, which benefited Qin Sang considerably.
Returning the favor, Qin Sang shared a few insights of his own.
What he excelled at most was swordsmanship.
Though he had obtained the divine abilities of Sword Qi Thunderclap and sword light differentiation through his cultivation method, Qin Sang had never slacked off. Especially during those years just after reaching Core Formation when he could not cultivate peacefully, he had constantly contemplated the path of the sword.
His natural talent could not compare to true sword prodigies, but with the aid of his cultivation method and prolonged contemplation and study of the sword path, he had attained modest achievements, far surpassing ordinary cultivators in swordsmanship.
With years of accumulation, coupled with the boost from his rising cultivation, Qin Sang felt it would not be long before he could comprehend Sword Qi Thunderclap on his own.
When that time came, stepping into that realm of swordsmanship through his own ability would mean he no longer needed to rely solely on the ebony sword. Even if the ebony sword were temporarily unusable, he would still be able to unleash the technique.
Still, he had a very long way to go before comprehending sword light differentiation.
Yet Qin Sang was not discouraged. With his cultivation method illuminating the path ahead, he was far more fortunate than others.
A harmonious atmosphere settled over the seven. After more than a dozen days of continuous flight, they drew near the Thousand Demons Sea. At this point, everyone grew exceptionally vigilant, abandoning their careless flight to approach with utmost caution.
"Fellow Daoist Fan, can you produce the topographical map now?"
Having finally arrived at the northern edge of the Thousand Demons Sea, Qin Sang asked eagerly.
The plump cultivator produced a beast hide. "It seems Fellow Daoist Qin is anxious. The topographical map is right here. Pass it around, fellow Daoists."
Qin Sang took it and looked. It was indeed a sea chart hand-drawn on beast hide. At both the northern and southern ends of the Thousand Demons Sea, two winding routes clearly cut through the waters from end to end.
Surrounding the Thousand Demons Sea lay the even more perilous, boundless Demon Sea, densely populated by demon beasts and rarely traversed by cultivators. Fortunately, the area frequented by the fire-repelling sparrows was near the Thousand Demons Sea, so once through, the distance to that location would not be far.
Qin Sang swiftly memorized the chart and passed it to the others.
"Why is there no cave dwelling marked on it?" the gaunt elder questioned with a frown.
The plump cultivator chuckled. "A sailing route does not guarantee absolute safety. My evasion techniques are lacking, and I fear you fellow Daoists might abandon me if danger strikes, so allow me to keep you in suspense for now. Furthermore, I managed to purchase this sea chart from a friend by sheer luck, and very few people know of it. In the future, you would all do best not to leak it carelessly, lest it become common knowledge and spoil our advantage."
Chapter 701