Tailed

Spirit Tortoise Island was covered with peach trees that bloomed all year round, and the island's protective ward was tied to the peach forest. Powerful and formidable, it possessed both disorienting illusions and lethal killing power. Whenever Senior Qingzhu gave sermons on the Dao, people were permitted to set foot on the island, but only on the outer beaches. Senior Qingzhu remained deep within the peach orchard; no one had ever seen his true face. All of this had come from Sect Master Wu. On the way to Bamen Island, Qin Sang took out a cloak and pulled the hood over his head, changing his appearance. An enemy whom even Senior Qingzhu had been unable to match could crush him as easily as an ant. Yet Qin Sang was unwilling to simply walk away. For some reason, he felt that things could not be so simple. Senior Qingzhu had found the teleportation formation, yet at the critical moment, he had abandoned his return to the Lesser Cold Domain. Now, not long after the Hall of Seven Kills opened, Senior Qingzhu, who had remained in hiding for two hundred years, was tracked down and attacked by his enemies. Some unseen thread connected these events. The culprit might not even be an old enemy! It was equally possible that Senior Qingzhu had made a single slip, and his secret had been discovered. At the same time, Qin Sang recalled falling from the Heaven Tower and waking up on the Witch Clan continent. Had it truly been the restrictions within the Hall of Seven Kills that transported him away? Qin Sang felt as though a colossal whirlpool swirled around him. It had not yet pulled him in, so he could not feel the raging tempest for now, but like the ocean at this moment, everything was shrouded in dense fog. He had a premonition that as long as he followed Senior Qingzhu's old path in search of the teleportation formation, he would inevitably be drawn into that whirlpool one day. A chill ran down Qin Sang's spine. At the very least, he had to uncover the identity of Senior Qingzhu's enemies so he would know whom to guard against. After flying for a time, Qin Sang spotted the misty outline of Bamen Island. He did not rush to land on it. Instead, he veered off and flew toward Spirit Tortoise Island. Skirting Bamen Island and flying a short distance further, he saw a cluster of scattered reefs and islets ahead, all deserted and barren. Spirit Tortoise Island lay just beyond them. Qin Sang flew back and forth over the sea several times, but found no trace of Spirit Tortoise Island. Only then did he realize that the portion of the island above the water had been completely shattered, leaving only its submerged base, now lying entirely below the waves. *** Small as a sparrow might be, it still possesses all the vital organs—and Bamen Island was far from small. According to Sect Master Wu, besides the Hanhai Sect, dozens of factions large and small were entrenched across Bamen Island, their roots deeply intertwined. In the center of Bamen Island stood a city where cultivators and mortals lived together, free of excessive rules. Qin Sang landed on the island and flew onward, crossing mountains and ridges until he saw a city built in a basin. Since Sect Master Wu had not witnessed that great battle in person, Qin Sang could only look for someone who knew the truth within the city. Disguising his cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage, he easily slipped into the city. The storm had only just passed, leaving sea fog blanketing the entire island. Figures were sparse on the streets, lending the place a desolate air. But once Qin Sang navigated several streets and reached the cultivation market, things grew lively. This was the largest market in the surrounding waters. Qin Sang strolled through the market, occasionally ducking into shops to purchase miscellaneous items while casually bringing up the Master of Spirit Tortoise Island. His efforts paid off, and he actually found a shopkeeper who had witnessed that battle firsthand. This shopkeeper was also at the Foundation Establishment stage, but advanced in age, with no hope left of breaking through to the next realm. "Back then, this old man happened to be returning from visiting a friend. Just as I was nearing Bamen Island, I heard a thunderous roar. Looking over, I saw glowing auroras spreading across the sky toward Spirit Tortoise Island, and monstrous waves surging to the heavens. The shockwaves even reached all the way here, churning up the tide..." The old shopkeeper recalled the scene from that day. "I thought some rare treasure had emerged and flew toward the glowing light at once, never expecting that Spirit Tortoise Island was under attack. Both sides were terrifying experts; those of us who drew even slightly closer nearly lost our lives. I could faintly see several figures amidst the glowing auroras, besieging Spirit Tortoise Island. Even so, the battle raged for more than half a day. It was clear everyone had severely underestimated the island master's strength before—he had to be a Nascent Soul Patriarch at least. Once that happened, all the major factions, including the Hanhai Sect, were relieved that they hadn't previously provoked him." Saying this, the old shopkeeper sighed with deep regret. "Who would have thought a Nascent Soul Patriarch was right beside us, living in seclusion for over two hundred years without anyone knowing? An immortal opportunity was at our fingertips, yet no one grasped it. Had I known, I would have gone to the island every day to kneel and beg for guidance." Qin Sang sat opposite the old shopkeeper, listening to him recount the past and piecing together the events of that day. Toward the end of the battle, someone had laughed madly within the glowing light. Right until the formation shattered and Spirit Tortoise Island was destroyed, no one was seen escaping. After demolishing the island, the assailants who had besieged it simply departed without a backward glance. When the onlookers approached, they found that Spirit Tortoise Island had already been submerged by the sea. *Did Senior Qingzhu really perish?* Having the outcome confirmed by the old shopkeeper gave Qin Sang an unreal feeling. The seniors he revered most were not Nascent Soul Patriarchs like Dongyang Bo, but Yunyouzi and Qingzhu. Though he had never met Qingzhu, Qin Sang had heard countless legends of the man throughout his journey. Practicing the *Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter* himself, Qin Sang knew all too well what horrific agony Senior Qingzhu must have endured without the protection of a jade Buddha. Yet Qingzhu had split his origin soul, endured to the end, and stunned everyone by becoming the fastest disciple in Shaohua Mountain's history to reach Core Formation! Even with an incomplete cultivation technique, he had refused to give up, creating two killing talismans on his own and pushing through to the peak of the late stage. Enraged by the death of his beloved, Senior Qingzhu had cleaved through the mountain to depart, charged into the tiger's den to slay his enemies with his own hands, and was forced to flee far from home—a true swordsman who repaid kindness and vengeance with equal passion. Who wouldn't admire such an unmatched sword cultivator? And yet, so quietly, he had been ganged up on and beaten to death. Leaving the shop, Qin Sang looked in the direction of Spirit Tortoise Island, unable to hold back a sigh at the unpredictability of the world. Beyond that, Qin Sang gathered no clues about the killers. Those people had come solely for Senior Qingzhu; after destroying Spirit Tortoise Island, they had left immediately, never directing their wrath at anyone else. Qin Sang planned to rent a cave dwelling in the market and stay for a while to see if any traces could be found. As he walked along the street looking for lodging, Qin Sang's eyes suddenly flickered. Without giving anything away, he turned into an alley, abruptly changed his mind, and headed straight out of the city. After Qin Sang departed, two figures slipped out and quietly tailed him. One tall and one short, both wore Daoist robes patterned with designs resembling ocean waves. Tracking Qin Sang out of the city, they saw him deploy a movement technique and dash toward the mountain forest. Exchanging a glance, they said in unison, "After him!" "Junior Brother, did you find out this man's identity?" the tall cultivator asked, glancing back. The short cultivator shook his head. "No. I asked the shopkeepers, and he claimed to be an outsider wanting to take the Master of Spirit Tortoise Island as his master. That's ancient history by now! Judging by his aura, he probably just broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage. He shouldn't be the person Master told us to watch for, so there's no need to report to the sect. Why not kill him ourselves and make a fortune?" "Huh, he's pretty fast." The two chased into the dense forest, only to lose their quarry. Suddenly, a faint voice came from behind them: "Are you two looking for me?"