Liefeng Archipelago

The moment the thought entered Qin Sang's mind, that power surged toward his back of its own accord. The next instant, green light swirled along his spine, and a pair of wings unfurled with a crisp whoosh. The wings matched Qin Sang's build in size, yet their form was identical to those of the divine avian qingluan. Feeling the extra appendages on his back, Qin Sang looked on with astonishment. The sensation of possessing wings was completely alien, yet he quickly learned how to control them. "Fly…" With a gentle flap of the wings and without resorting to any Daoist arts, Qin Sang floated slowly off the ground. A bit wobbly at first, he soon gained smooth control, maneuvering with great agility. Whoosh! A sudden gust stirred within the small courtyard. Qin Sang's figure flashed and vanished into a beam of green light, reappearing in another corner the next instant. The speed was delightful. "This divine ability sprouted the wings of a qingluan. Am I human or demon like this?" Looking down at his shadow on the ground, Qin Sang felt secretly bewildered and somewhat worried. Landing back on the ground, Qin Sang withdrew the divine ability, and the wings on his back vanished. Qin Sang breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He had no intention of renouncing his humanity, so it was a relief that they could be retracted. This was the core island of the human race, home to countless high-level cultivators. Walking around with a pair of wings would draw far too much pressure; if he were mistaken for a demon, he would never be able to clear his name. "The speed of these demon wings is remarkable. From now on, I will focus on refining them. Once the Heavenly Demon Transformation breaks through to the third tier, my evasion speed will take another massive leap!" …… In the cultivation market of Tianxing City. Inside a shop, the proprietor was chatting and laughing with a man in green robes. Both looked toward the door at the same time to see a young man arriving in a hurry. When he entered, the two rose to greet him. The shopkeeper seemed well acquainted with the young man, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Qin, you haven't visited in quite some time. If not for unexpectedly getting some good news today, catching a glimpse of you would be no easy feat." He then turned to introduce him to the green-robed man. "This is the Fellow Daoist Qin I mentioned to you. Like you, Fellow Daoist Qin is a rogue cultivator. He broke through to the mid-stage at such a young age, spent many years hunting demons in the Demon Sea, and now undertakes bitter cultivation on Mount Baogu all day. Everyone who knows him holds him in high regard." The newcomer was naturally Qin Sang. The materials Qin Sang needed for cultivation were bought from these few shops, making him very familiar with the proprietors, and he would occasionally ask them to inquire about news. His visit today was prompted by a message from the shopkeeper, who mentioned that a fellow traveler had arrived with knowledge of a Spirit Tortoise Island that sounded quite peculiar, which had brought Qin Sang rushing over. The Canglang Sea was vast, and quite a few places went by the name of Spirit Tortoise Island, though none had any connection to Senior Qingzhu. "Is this Fellow Daoist Wang?" Qin Sang was courteous to both men as he asked the shopkeeper. He subtly sized up the man, who appeared to be in his forties or fifties with an extraordinary bearing. He was already a Core Formation stage cultivator and reportedly a rogue cultivator as well. The shopkeeper nodded and led them into a quiet room. "Fellow Daoist Wang hails from the Liefeng Archipelago. According to him, near the Liefeng Archipelago lies an island known as Spirit Tortoise Island, where many unfathomable things have occurred. That made me think of you, Fellow Daoist Qin. Perhaps that is where your old friend went." "The Liefeng Archipelago…" Qin Sang recalled that this was an archipelago located in the southwestern waters of the Canglang Sea, far from Tianxing Island. It was vast, comprising countless islands large and small. With the sovereign far away and the heavens high above, the factions there were naturally tangled and complicated. Furthermore, the southwestern waters were frequently lashed by storms and infested by rampaging sea beasts, making it fraught with peril. Historically, it had been a lawless place plagued by chaos and largely left to its own devices. Such regions were not uncommon in the Canglang Sea. Things had improved somewhat once the passage to the Demon Sea was established, but restoring true stability remained impossible. After returning, he had reviewed topographical maps of the entire Canglang Sea, so these prominent names remained fresh in his memory. "On the topographical maps, there doesn't seem to be any major island called Spirit Tortoise Island in the Liefeng Archipelago, does there?" Cultivator Wang smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Qin certainly won't find it just by looking at a topographical map. Spirit Tortoise Island is not large, and its location is exceptionally remote. In fact, the vast majority of cultivators in the Liefeng Archipelago don't know where it is either." "Oh?" Qin Sang's interest was piqued. He quickly invited Cultivator Wang to sit and poured tea for him personally. "Spirit Tortoise Island was actually a deserted island originally, modest in size. Because its shape resembled a spirit tortoise, someone casually gave it that name, and it stuck. No one could have foreseen that a spirit vein was hidden on the island. Over two hundred years ago, a mysterious figure discovered it and opened a cave dwelling there…" Cultivator Wang took a sip of tea and began narrating in detail. "At first, no one paid attention to such a barren, desolate island. People came and went without noticing anyone living there. "Only a few years later did someone notice with astonishment that the island was ablaze with vibrant color, covered entirely in blooming peach blossoms. It had turned into an island of peach blossoms, clearly through human effort. "After that, curious onlookers went to investigate, including more than a few with ill intentions. Unexpectedly, all of them perished inside under mysterious circumstances, leaving not even bones behind. "The surrounding cultivators were terrified, realizing there was a dreadful grand formation on the island and that the island master's strength was unfathomable. Gradually, no one dared provoke them anymore. "That island master was extraordinarily mysterious as well. After taking possession of Spirit Tortoise Island, he never once showed his face in public, so nobody knew his true appearance. The neighboring factions had initially harbored suspicion, but seeing this, they realized the island master was purely an ascetic cultivator, so they put their worries to rest. The two sides coexisted peacefully for years. "Until decades later, the spirit formation on the island suddenly opened. The island master announced that he would set up an altar on Spirit Tortoise Island to lecture on the Dao for a single night, welcoming any rogue cultivator to come and listen. When this news spread, it caused quite a stir. Curious about the island master's identity, people rushed over in droves. "The various factions had assumed the island master intended to establish a sect, so they were on high alert. To their surprise, the island master was merely giving a sermon. As soon as the hour of Mao arrived, he drove everyone out and sealed the island once more, without uttering a single unnecessary word the entire time. "Deep within the peach blossoms, the mysterious island master expounded the Dao, explaining profound mysteries in simple, accessible terms. The audience listened enraptured, each gaining insight. Afterward, every few years or decades, the island master would set up an altar to lecture again, each time attracting many cultivators. Some even came from afar, drawn by his reputation. Yet the island master continued to go his own way, never revealing his face. "Those who tried to become his disciples were all turned away. "Cultivators who had listened to his sermons always treated the island master with the respect due to a teacher whenever he was mentioned, proving that he truly possessed profound knowledge. "My hometown is not far from Spirit Tortoise Island, so I heard about it firsthand. Before I left to travel the world, the Master of Spirit Tortoise Island had held one such lecture." Listening to Cultivator Wang recount the tale, Qin Sang felt more and more convinced that this Spirit Tortoise Island was the very place he was looking for, and that the island master was Senior Qingzhu! Peach blossoms, peach trees… The peach trees on Mount Jianmen had grown ever more lush after Senior Qingzhu cleaved the mountain and departed, and the ruby peaches were incomparably sweet. That imagery had long been linked to Senior Qingzhu. The moment he heard of an island full of peach blossoms, Qin Sang's heart had skipped a beat. Yet he could not fathom why Senior Qingzhu would set up an altar to lecture on the Dao and guide rogue cultivators.