Thief

The more Qin Sang thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. "A blessing in disguise—the saying truly holds. After everything that has happened, who would have thought it would lead to this? Whether my guess is right or wrong, taking the risk to sneak into the nest and see is well worth it." With this in mind, Qin Sang immediately left his cave dwelling, got his bearings, and flew swiftly toward the snowcapped mountain. ... Snow lay thick and white across the towering mountain. From the outside, the fire-repelling sparrows' nest appeared normal, yet after waiting for a good while, Qin Sang did not see a single sparrow fly out to forage. When things depart from the ordinary, something unusual must be afoot! Qin Sang pondered briefly, then quietly melted into concealment, silently approaching the island where the snowcapped mountain stood. Reaching the foot of the mountain, he slipped toward the summit. He moved quickly and soon drew near the peak, still undetected. The mountain's summit was circular, formed like a volcanic crater whose bottom could not be seen at a glance. Strangely, pristine white blanketed the crater rim, and cold qi welled up ceaselessly from the depths, resembling a cavern of profound ice. Because of this, the rock walls inside the crater were coated in a thick layer of ice, forming frozen walls. The deeper one went, the wider the cavern became, with countless sharp icicles hanging suspended, looking perilous indeed. And within those icy walls were countless densely packed hollows, each roughly the size of a human head. Inside these hollows nested the fire-repelling sparrows! Qin Sang lay flat by the rim, staring down into the honeycomb-like nest. Even here, the sparrows still had not discovered him, making Qin Sang feel even more confident. Tens of thousands of fire-repelling sparrows roosted throughout the crater, yet it was extraordinarily quiet. Only near the top of the crater were several slightly larger sparrows circling back and forth on patrol, their flapping wings producing a steady rustle. Aside from them, the other fire-repelling sparrows remained obediently nestled in their roosts. Their defenses were meticulous, layer upon layer, orderly and disciplined. Qin Sang observed in silence for a moment, then reached for his corpse puppet pouch. Two Flying Yakshas slipped out, gliding stealthily toward opposite sides of the crater rim. Once they were in position, at Qin Sang's command, they struck simultaneously. *Boom! Boom!* The two Flying Yakshas revealed themselves at once, corpse qi gathering on their fists as they pounded violently toward the interior of the crater. The fire-repelling sparrows on watch near the top were obliterated instantly, and the corpse qi continued to billow outward, corroding the sparrows beyond. In an instant, chaos erupted within the crater. Amid shrill screeches, streak after streak of blue shadows swarmed out of the opening, gradually coalescing in midair into a massive flock. Though the flock appeared chaotic, there was an underlying order to their movement. They screeched at the slaughtering Flying Yakshas as two balls of cold qi rapidly condensed amidst the flock, the dense frost nearly solidifying into ice crystals. "Their king truly isn't here! Good thing, too—the might of these two ice crystals is certainly not to be underestimated. If their king were still present, how terrifying would it be?" Lying motionless on the snow, Qin Sang sensed the aura of the ice crystals with a grim expression. He swiftly ordered the Flying Yakshas to flee down the mountainside, skirmishing with them to draw their attention. Immediately afterward, he took advantage of the turmoil to dive into the crater. By now, only a handful of sparrows remained on guard within the crater. As for those cowering inside their roosts, there was no chance they could detect him. Qin Sang successfully bypassed their senses and dived downward swiftly. Below, the cold qi grew increasingly heavy, giving way to an expanse of ice of indeterminate thickness. Qin Sang searched all around and finally found an icy crevice. Passing through the winding crevice, he found that the bottom was not solid ice, but opened into an immense cavern. At the sight within, Qin Sang paused slightly. Deep inside the cavern, a mass of exceptionally pure cold qi lingered without dispersing, slowly rotating. At the center of the cold qi, a palm-sized jade tree was faintly visible! "The Ten Thousand Generations Camphor!" Qin Sang's eyes lit up. He had finally found the Ten Thousand Generations Camphor! Yet he did not let excitement cloud his senses. He carefully surveyed his surroundings. Standing guard outside the cold qi were three fire-repelling sparrows, all at the peak of the Demon Spirit stage. Apart from them, there was no trace of any other sparrows. "It seems their king really was requisitioned, so these three guards pose no threat. The cold qi, however, is a problem. It was likely left by the sparrow king to protect the Ten Thousand Generations Camphor, probably pooling the collective power of the entire flock, which makes it troublesome. Fortunately, this demon is not like human cultivators versed in restrictive seals—its methods in forming this cold qi are crude, meaning there is an opening to exploit." Qin Sang considered his options, then quietly summoned the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner. With a wave of his hand, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire split into three streams, shooting toward the three fire-repelling sparrows. Under Qin Sang's deliberate sneak attack, the three sparrows were unable to mount much resistance. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Three sharp cracks sounded as the demonic fire pierced through their vitals, sending them crashing to the ground. Qin Sang flashed forward to the mass of cold qi. After studying it closely, he pondered briefly, then concentrated all the Nine Nether Demonic Fire into a single stream, shaping it into a black sword that thrust fiercely into the cold mist. With a strange noise, the rotating cold qi suddenly turned sluggish, shaking incessantly. The Nine Nether Demonic Fire was indeed the bane of the fire-repelling sparrows. A smile touched Qin Sang's lips as he poured even more true essence into the demonic banner. The fluctuations of the cold qi grew ever more violent until, with a rumble, a breach was finally torn open. Qin Sang seized the moment and darted inside, immediately feeling a refreshing coolness wash over him. The cold qi was naturally resisting the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, slowly closing up again. Knowing there was no time to lose, Qin Sang brought out a gold blade, crouched down, and examined the jade tree. Though only the size of a palm, the jade tree had its root system deeply anchored in the subterranean ice layer, complete with a rugged trunk and lush foliage. The jade possessed a rich green hue, giving an impression of boundless vitality. If one did not know the truth, who would ever imagine this was merely an extraordinary jade devoid of life? The Ten Thousand Generations Camphor feared gold. Holding a jade casket in one hand and gripping the gold blade in the other, Qin Sang carefully sliced through the base of the Ten Thousand Generations Camphor, neatly severing it and placing it into the casket. As long as the root was not dug out, the Ten Thousand Generations Camphor would slowly grow back; naturally, Qin Sang would not drain the pond to catch the fish. Having harvested the Ten Thousand Generations Camphor, Qin Sang immediately withdrew, stowed the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner, and left without looking back. The summit was already in utter turmoil. Obeying Qin Sang's orders, the Flying Yakshas had diverted the fire-repelling sparrows' attention, enduring countless barrages of cold qi and fleeing headlong under the onslaught. Qin Sang revealed himself, retrieved the Flying Yakshas, and promptly activated his secret talisman to make a clean escape. The fire-repelling sparrows gave chase for a time, but Qin Sang soon left them far behind, forcing them to return empty-handed. Having finally obtained what he desired, Qin Sang felt thoroughly relieved and pleased. Setting his sights south, he flew straight ahead. He flew all the way to the edge of this sea region, beyond which lay uncharted waters where no one had set foot. Only then did Qin Sang find an island with a spirit vein, excavate a cave dwelling, and prepare to settle down here for the long haul. Once his other chores were done, Qin Sang took out the Yin Ring of the Primordial Concentric Rings, the Ten Thousand Generations Camphor, and several other spiritual materials, preparing to begin refining the magic treasure!