Once he was safely out of the black-armored man's line of sight, Qin Sang maintained a calm, steady flight for some time. After confirming that no one was tailing him, he abruptly came to a halt.
He turned his head toward the direction of Cold Flame Island, a look of hesitation flickering across his face.
After a moment of contemplation, he glanced around, landed on a nearby islet, and set up a concealing spirit array to lie low.
An idea had suddenly occurred to him earlier, but he wasn't certain whether it was feasible.
Setting up the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, he summoned the Nine Nether Demonic Fire.
The demonic fire coalesced into a ball. With a hook of Qin Sang's finger, it obediently settled into his palm. He stared at the flame, feeling the aura emanating from it, and fell deep into thought.
There was no question that the power currently displayed by the Nine Nether Demonic Fire was only on par with a medium-grade magic treasure—a world apart from the cold flame.
Even a tiny wisp of the cold flame was far more terrifying than this demonic fire.
Yet this was not the true form of the Nine Nether Demonic Fire. Its core was sealed within the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, suppressed by the banner poles forged from the dark iron pillars. The might it displayed on the surface was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Whether it was Qin Sang or Patriarch Kuiyin of the past, both could only manipulate the Nine Nether Demonic Fire through the demonic banners.
The dark iron pillars were extraordinarily mysterious, their restrictions profound enough to make even the Nine Nether Demonic Fire cower in fear.
As his mastery of artifact crafting progressed by leaps and bounds, Qin Sang's understanding of the dark iron pillars had deepened as well. He had once entertained the idea of using them to forge other magic treasures, but now he didn't dare even consider it.
Daoist Jiupao had attempted to forge a life magic treasure with the dark iron pillar, but the notes and insights he had left behind were nothing more than wishful thinking. Had Jiupao not been slain, even if he had successfully possessed a body, achieved rebirth, and gained the chance to try, he would certainly have tasted bitter defeat, squandering top-grade spirit stones for nothing.
The restrictions within the dark iron pillar were exceedingly profound and completely integrated into a seamless whole; not even someone as powerful as Patriarch Kuiyin had been able to reshape them.
It was only because the dark iron pillar had somehow suffered damage that a single flaw had been exposed, allowing a clever trick to divide it without truly harming the artifact's core essence.
Without the dark iron pillar, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire—just like the cold flame—would have been impossible for anyone to subdue.
*In that case, is there a hierarchy of strength among different spiritual and demonic flames?*
This thought had been turning in Qin Sang's mind. Having come into close contact with the Dongming Cold Flame and comparing it to the Nine Nether Demonic Fire sealed within the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, he sensed that the Nine Nether Demonic Fire should be stronger.
This could also be deduced from Patriarch Kuiyin and Master Dongming.
Master Dongming had failed to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, whereas Patriarch Kuiyin had dominated the Lesser Cold Domain with the Ten Directions Yanluo Array—and that had represented only a portion of the Nine Nether Demonic Fire's true might.
Before the Dongming Cold Flame had fragmented, he naturally would not have dared harbor any designs on it.
The power of spiritual flames was also tied to their quantity.
Compared to such an enormous mass of cold flame, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire sealed in his three Ten Directions Yanluo Banners was simply too meager; there was a real chance it would be devoured instead.
Now that the Dongming Cold Flame was shattered, however, an opportunity might just exist.
Qin Sang's cultivation could not hold a candle to the Master of Huntian Island, but he possessed something that Nascent Soul patriarchs did not.
Since both were spiritual flames, could he use the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners and the Nine Nether Demonic Fire to suppress the violent volatility of the Dongming Cold Flame and spirit a portion away?
Qin Sang knew very little about the heavenly and earthly spiritual flames; it was merely a conjecture.
If he could make off with a single wisp of the Dongming Cold Flame, then even if he ultimately failed to refine and master it, he could at worst unleash it as an unexpected trump card to annihilate an enemy.
At the very least, late Core Formation experts would have no choice but to flee before it.
The risk was well worth taking!
Even offending the Master of Huntian Island and Old Devil Mou did not frighten him; both the inner and outer seas were boundless. He was a lone wanderer with no ties. At worst, he would simply hide for a while longer and keep a low profile thereafter.
What could they possibly do to him?
With that thought, Qin Sang resolved to make the attempt.
The sole obstacle was the black-armored man. Collecting the Dongming Cold Flame would take time, so he needed to lure him away first.
Qin Sang waited patiently on the islet for five full days. Only at noon on the sixth day, beneath the blazing sun, did he quietly slip away to carry out his flame-heist.
After leaving the island, Qin Sang summoned the two-headed hou, concealed its Yang Ring, and whispered a few instructions into its ear.
Before Qin Sang could even finish, both of the beast's heads shook frantically, refusing adamantly.
Qin Sang used both threats and inducements, but the two-headed hou would not yield.
If the beast did not carry out this plan willingly, it was bound to fail.
Helpless, Qin Sang pondered for a moment before saying, "Help me steal a wisp of the Dongming Cold Flame, and I promise to grant you your freedom the moment I break through to the late Core Formation stage!"
The two-headed hou snapped its heads up, staring at Qin Sang with deep suspicion.
"I swear on my inner demons... How about that?"
With the protection of the jade Buddha, Qin Sang didn't fear inner demons, but he had no intention of deceiving a spirit beast either. Once he advanced to the late Core Formation stage, the two-headed hou would be of little use to him anyway; at worst, he could simply replace it.
The two-headed hou let out a low growl, seemingly warning Qin Sang not to go back on his word. Then, spreading the wings along its flanks, it flew silently northward. It would trace a wide arc to approach Cold Flame Island from behind and draw the black-armored man's attention.
The black-armored man was stationed there under orders; any abnormal movement from a demon beast would certainly put him on alert.
Though the two-headed hou was a minor realm lower in cultivation, it possessed the life-preserving divine ability of shadow bifurcation. It wouldn't need to engage the black-armored man in close combat; keeping him occupied for a brief period should be well within its power.
Even so, Qin Sang could not predict how much time the hou could buy, and he prepared himself for failure.
After dispatching the two-headed hou, Qin Sang's gaze sharpened slightly. He then brought out his painted scroll, vanishing from where he stood, and silently glided toward Cold Flame Island.
Earlier, he had already tested the range of the black-armored man's divine sense. Reaching the edge of that boundary, he stopped, quietly slipped beneath the waves, and remained motionless.
At the same time, he released the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.
Concealed, the butterfly flew ahead to scout in his stead.
The black-armored man's cultivation was too formidable, so Qin Sang didn't dare let the Heavenly Eye Butterfly draw too close; as long as it kept track of the man's movements, that was enough.
Ripples drifted across the ocean's surface.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly rested silently atop the crest of a wave, rising and falling with the swell. Before long, gusts of wind swept in from the east, and the waves gradually grew rougher—an entirely ordinary occurrence in the Demon Sea.
Yet the black-armored man took notice and breached the water's surface.
Everything around appeared normal. The black-armored man frowned slightly, then his eyes narrowed as he locked onto an empty patch of air to the east. A flash of light appeared in his palm, revealing a black spear that he hurled forward with explosive force.
The spear streaked like lightning, its arrival instantaneous just as the piercing shriek of parted air rang out.
*Boom!*
Under the tremendous impact of the black spear, an unsteady figure was forced out of the void, looking thoroughly disheveled.
With its azure wings spread, the two-headed hou stabilized itself on the sea surface, baring its fangs and uttering a savage, low growl at the black-armored man.
"A demon beast!"
The black-armored man's expression turned solemn.
Instead of rushing in to attack the two-headed hou, his other hand covertly turned over, sliding a jade talisman into his palm. It resembled a voice transmission talisman, but its inscribed runes were several times more intricate and delicate.
Holding the jade talisman inverted in his grip, the black-armored man kept his gaze locked onto the two-headed hou, while the corners of his vision swept every inch of the surrounding area, searching for signs of other demon beasts.
Chapter 721