"Demonic Daoist, you bask in the company of twin blooming flowers, exciting everyone's envy. Instead of enjoying your comfortable days, aren't you afraid of dying in the Hall of Seven Kills? If you do, those two sisters will just find a new lover and make you a cuckold twice over!"
Having been bested by Qin Sang in full view of the crowd and unceremoniously driven off the island, Cui Ji had never been able to swallow that grievance.
With his temper, he had wanted to retaliate back then.
However, Elder Zou had secretly warned him and exerted pressure through the alliance's rules. Cui Ji knew he was in the wrong and outmatched in skill, so he could only accept his misfortune.
He was unwilling to admit that he harbored some fear toward Qin Sang.
That bizarre, astonishing divine ability capable of crippling another's magic treasure could sway the outcome of a battle. Only after returning and nourishing his life magic treasure for a long time had its spirituality finally recovered.
Seeing Qin Sang now, old grudges and new resentment immediately surged to his mind, and he could not resist sneering in cold mockery.
The others immediately grew intrigued, looking over with keen interest as their gazes darted between the two. Who would have thought that among just eight people, a pair of bitter enemies would emerge? There would be a good show to watch later.
Xiang Yi, however, frowned deeply.
Qin Sang replied impassively, "Before this poor Daoist passes on, I expect Fellow Daoist Cui will have already gone down ahead to scout the road for me. I just wonder whether down in the Yellow Springs of the Nine Nether, Fellow Daoist Cui's tongue will still be quite so sharp."
Xiang Yi intervened to quell their quarrel, warning in a cold voice, "Whatever grievances the two of you have, you had best forget every single one of them after entering the Hall of Seven Kills. If internal strife jeopardizes the alliance's grand undertaking, I will hold you to account! Believe me, no matter how great a backer you have in the merchant guild, none will be able to shield you!"
Cui Ji had no choice but to drop it. He sat on his stool in utter silence, glaring hatefully at Qin Sang.
Qin Sang paid him no mind. Back then, even without the two-headed hou's assistance, he had defeated Cui Ji just the same.
If Cui Ji dared to stir up trouble, the Hall of Seven Kills would be his burial ground!
Once everyone had assembled, Xiang Yi took a golden casket from his mustard seed bag and opened it before the group, producing eight jade pendants. "These jade pendants are the tokens for this expedition. One for each person. When the time comes, only by relying on the jade pendant can one enter the Hall of Seven Kills."
Pausing slightly, Xiang Yi raised his hand, and the jade pendants flew toward the cultivators.
Catching his pendant, Qin Sang swept his spiritual sense across it and discovered that its material was remarkably fragile, yet inside lay an exceptionally exquisite restriction that was impossible to counterfeit.
Afterward, everyone took turns asking about the circumstances within the Hall of Seven Kills and conversing with one another.
Of the eight people present, only Xiang Yi had ever been inside the Hall of Seven Kills, during its previous emergence. For all the others, it was their first time.
Although Qin Sang had gathered a great deal of information in advance, it was no match for Xiang Yi's firsthand experience, so he naturally seized this rare opportunity to consult him.
With little time remaining before the opening of the Hall of Seven Kills, after gathering together, they barely delayed before boarding a teleportation formation back to the Inner Sea.
***
Opposite Dahuang Island, the teleportation formation was built on the human race's largest island—Tianxing Island.
It was said that when the Witch Clan held absolute dominance and humanity faced its darkest hour, mankind had leaned upon this island to secure a firm foothold. Consequently, Tianxing Island enjoyed a transcendent standing among the human race.
Tianxing Island was home to mankind's greatest city. Qin Sang had long yearned to see it, but unfortunately, pressed for time, he could not take a proper look around before following Xiang Yi off the island.
The inner islands were noticeably far safer than the Demon Sea. Although demon beasts also lurked in the deep sea, they were not inexhaustible like those in the Demon Sea.
Traveling together as eight experts, they had no need to be overly cautious. Taking turns driving a flying shuttle, they traveled day and night, speeding toward the southeast.
Their destination was Dongmen Island. Entering the storm from there to reach the Hall of Seven Kills was said to be one of the safer routes.
In truth, Dongmen Island was merely a small island of modest size. It was said that there originally had only been an obscure minor sect on it, and only when the Hall of Seven Kills was about to open did the island bustle with life.
By the time they reached Dongmen Island, many experts had already assembled there.
Lowering their escape lights, before even entering the city, Qin Sang sensed the auras within—some formidable, some veiled—among which were no shortage of Nascent Soul Patriarchs!
Everyone instinctively reined in their presence, keeping a very low profile.
"Let's go. After resting a while in the city, we will enter the storm."
Xiang Yi took the lead, striding into the city.
Qin Sang turned his head to glance eastward. East of Dongmen Island, the seawater appeared murkier than elsewhere. At the farthest reach of his vision, across the vast surface of the sea, a black line lay stretched across, its expanse reaching from south to north with no end in sight.
That was the storm belt whose very name struck fear into every heart.
It was not the first time he had heard how terrifying the storm was. Fortunately, the location of the Hall of Seven Kills was not deep within the storm, and the storm's ferocity only intensified the further in one went.
With their cultivation, they could still hold out until reaching the Hall of Seven Kills.
The group rented a courtyard in the city. Xiang Yi warned them that it was best not to go out looking for trouble, lest they drag the others down with them. The cultivators currently on the island were either formidable experts themselves or backed by powerful factions; none were to be trifled with, and there was no lack of arrogant and unruly figures, making it easy to court disaster.
Qin Sang was quite curious. From Dahuang Island to this point, Xiang Yi had never introduced them to or made contact with other teams from the Eastern Pole Alliance.
A faction as vast as the Eastern Pole Alliance could not possibly have secured only eight spots.
For all the teams to maintain complete isolation was truly rather bizarre. It seemed the Eastern Pole Alliance was plotting something grand; what kind of treasure could be worth mobilizing on such a scale?
Qin Sang did not dwell on it, nor did he wish to probe too deeply.
He had come for the ancient teleportation array and had no desire to be dragged into a violent tempest.
He was also well aware that he had only reluctantly agreed to assist Xiang Yi in exchange for an entry spot; he had not come to throw his life away. Once danger arose, finding an escape route would be his first priority.
The others surely held the same mindset.
Closing the door to his room, Qin Sang sat quietly for a while. He then took out a set of formation flags, set them up in the room, and cast several layers of severing restrictions one after another.
After confirming there were no oversights, Qin Sang brought out the jade casket containing the Dongming Cold Flame. After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately opened it.
Over these past years, he had continually pondered how to deal with the Dongming Cold Flame.
Refining it into a fire bead was too wasteful. Such a cold flame was exceedingly rare in the world, and being unable to claim it for his own always felt like a pity.
Yet after attempting to tame it many times, every effort had ended in failure. Master Dongming's imprint had already melded completely with the cold flame; indeed, the cold flame itself had been born because of Master Dongming.
His cultivation was simply still too low; he did not have the slightest chance.
He would be entering the Hall of Seven Kills very soon, an event that concerned his future. He could no longer afford to hesitate.
The Xutian Thunder was the sect-guarding treasure of the Xuling Sect. The notes left behind by that Core Formation cultivator naturally could not have contained the Xuling Sect's secret refining method, but they had mentioned a few lines about it.
Qin Sang had once possessed a Xutian Thunder and had studied it in his hands for a long time.
Most importantly, although the Dongming Cold Flame was violent, it was exceptionally docile before the Nine Nether Demonic Fire. This was equivalent to resolving the greatest difficulty—an advantage the Xuling Sect had never possessed.
As long as Qin Sang made no mistakes himself, there was no need to worry about the problem of backlash.
There was a great chance that, drawing inspiration from the Xutian Thunder, he could refine the Dongming Cold Flame into a fire bead.
Chapter 742