Old Devil Mou

"The war between the two races ended five years ago? How could it have finished so quickly?" Back then, the conflict between the Lesser Cold Domain and the Heaven-Traversing Alliance had lasted for decades, from its initial flare-up until the opening of the Ziwei Palace forced a ceasefire. Yet neither of those two domains could compare to the Canglang Sea, whether in territorial expanse or in the number and strength of their cultivators. Qin Sang had originally estimated that the war between the two races would drag on for at least a century or more before a victor emerged. He had constantly worried that if the fighting grew too fierce, human cultivators would lack the energy and resources to open the Hall of Seven Kills, which would ruin his plans. Although the human race held the upper hand, the Witch Clan boasted no shortage of top Nascent Soul stage experts, not to mention that it was the Witch Clan who had provoked the war in the first place. Unexpectedly, after the Witch Clan mobilized their entire race for such a massive campaign, they sounded the retreat after barely a decade, ending things hastily like a farce. Such a thing had never happened before. "Between us and the Witch Clan, who won in the end?" Qin Sang asked curiously. The man in black armor shook his head. "There was no outcome. The two races have already made peace. Rumors abound, but they are all groundless and absurd—not worth taking seriously." For the Witch Clan to risk defeat and annihilation just to start a war, there had to be a deep-seated reason. Unfortunately, their cultivation levels were too low, leaving them unqualified to peer into those higher echelons. Qin Sang thought to himself that whatever the Witch Clan's motives were, it had nothing to do with him. Now that both sides had ceased hostilities and the situation had stabilized, it was a good thing; he no longer had to live in constant fear of being swept into the chaos and having to scurry for cover. Afterward, Qin Sang consulted the armored man further to learn more about the outside situation. He discreetly asked about several key points in time, and after mentally calculating them, he pieced together a rough picture of what had transpired on Cold Flame Island. When the war between the two races broke out, the island masters across the Demon Sea had been unwilling to get involved, adopting a policy of sealing their islands to avoid disaster. Before the war concluded, the Huntian Island Master had not noticed that a Transformation stage great demon was lurking in the Thousand Demons Sea, coveting the cold flame. It was not until five years ago, when the turmoil subsided and Huntian Island's seals were lifted, that the island gradually detected abnormalities in the Thousand Demons Sea. The Huntian Island Master arrived in person, ran into the Transformation stage great demon, and recognized the Dongming Cold Flame at a glance. The Dongming Cold Flame was the supreme divine ability cultivated by Master Dongming; naturally, it could not be allowed to fall into the demon race's hands. If that great demon devoured the Dongming Cold Flame, its strength would soar, and Huntian Island would be in grave danger. The two Nascent Soul tier powerhouses had fought an earth-shattering battle, and the shockwaves alone had effortlessly pulverized Cold Flame Island. The Huntian Island Master had been a notch superior to the Transformation stage great demon, driving it back into the depths of the Demon Sea. This battle had taken place two years ago, perfectly aligning with the timing of the unrest in the Demon Sea. Feigning curiosity about the cold flame, Qin Sang stepped closer to one of the smaller clusters. Far from stopping him, the man in black armor stood watching as if waiting for a show, eager to see Qin Sang make a fool of himself. Approaching the cold flame up close for the second time, Qin Sang felt a sensation completely different from before. Last time, the Dongming Cold Flame had not yet split. Blazing like a colossal torch, its terrifying chill had inspired dread, keeping everyone at a distance. This small cluster of cold flame seemed far gentler, resembling a tiny blue blossom quietly blooming on the sea's surface, appearing harmless to man and beast. Qin Sang observed it for a moment, then tentatively guided a wisp of true essence forward to lightly make contact. Yet the moment the true essence drew near, the seemingly insignificant speck of Dongming Cold Flame suddenly bared its fangs. Like a bud bursting into bloom, a ring of blue light abruptly shot forth from the Dongming Cold Flame, rapidly expanding outward with the flame at its center. Wherever the ring passed, a dense series of sharp cracking sounds rang out, and in the blink of an eye, a thick layer of ice formed. Even more startlingly, Qin Sang found that the wisp of true essence he had sent out was instantly frozen solid, and the dreadful chill was racing along the wisp straight toward him. Qin Sang was appalled. Reacting with extraordinary speed, he severed his connection to that wisp of true essence and hastily retreated in a blur. Only after a good while did the Dongming Cold Flame settle back into tranquility. Seeing Qin Sang's flustered state, the man in black armor burst into laughter. "Do not underestimate it just because it looks small, Fellow Daoist. With even a single tiny flame like this, if you or I were frozen, we would likely perish without hope of escape. After discovering this flame, that Transformation stage great demon guarded it here for who knows how many years, yet still failed to devour it. After chasing the demon off, our Island Master stayed here for several months, exhausting every method, yet could not shake the aura of Master Dongming within the flame to claim it. Moreover, because the flame is too ferocious, it cannot even be concealed beneath a restrictive formation. Fortunately, some of the measures Master Dongming set during his lifetime still partially remain, temporarily keeping the flame in check. The Island Master left me here to keep watch, lest that demon harbor lingering ambitions and stage a comeback." Having experienced the flame's power firsthand, Qin Sang knew the man in black armor was telling the truth. His eyes flickered, his thoughts unknown. "If even your Island Master cannot claim the cold flame, is there still any need to worry about the demon race succeeding? If the flame stays here, will you be trapped on guard duty forever, unable to leave?" "According to the Island Master, that great demon possesses the bloodline of an ancient fire toad. The Dongming Cold Flame was originally not split into fragments like this; it was entirely that beast's doing. Perhaps given more time, it really might have succeeded in devouring it, so we cannot let our guard down." The man in black armor said with a relaxed air, "I won't be trapped here for long either. The Island Master has already contacted an old acquaintance. It's said that a giant of the demonic path from the Inner Sea, the Island Master of Tianfeng Island, Old Devil Mou Lue, is interested in the Dongming Cold Flame. If he can take it away, this whole affair will naturally come to an end." "Old Devil Mou..." Qin Sang searched his memory. He only had a superficial understanding of the factions in the Inner Sea and had never heard of this person. "If that is the case, then I can set my mind at ease. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lu, for clearing my doubts. I have been stranded in the Demon Sea for far too long, and my supplies are completely spent. I cannot wait to return. Until we meet again, if fate allows." Qin Sang cupped his hands and was just about to leave when the man in black armor unexpectedly called him back. "Hold on, Fellow Daoist! Since you have hunted demons in the Demon Sea for so many years, with your strength, you must have reaped quite a harvest, yes? Do you have any spirit materials or demon cores from beasts carrying the bloodline of ancient divine beasts? Especially descendants of the divine beast Xuanwu—I am willing to buy all of them." Qin Sang nodded. "I do have some, and I happened to kill a black tortoise once. However, they are all only from beasts in the early Demon Core stage; I fear they might not catch your eye." Beasts known as descendants of divine beasts inherited some divine abilities of ancient divine beasts, and the value of their demon cores and spirit materials was significantly higher than those of wild sea beasts. "No matter!" The man in black armor waved his hand, his face lighting up with delight. "Beasts of this kind possess immense strength. Those with higher cultivation are not only rare, but extraordinarily difficult to kill. Fellow Daoist, could you take out that tortoise carapace and let me have a look...?" And so, suspended between sea and sky in the middle of nowhere within the Demon Sea, the two began striking a deal. Qin Sang sold him several demon cores and spirit materials and was very satisfied with what he received in exchange. The two chatted and laughed heartily, even agreeing to meet again in the future when parting. Bidding farewell to the man in black armor, Qin Sang cast his escape light and departed alone.