Upon returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang shifted his thoughts slightly.
The external incarnation walked out from within.
"Fellow Daoist, you have returned."
The incarnation cupped his hands in greeting. He was no different from a real person, showing virtually no flaw.
Whenever he watched the incarnation's demeanor, Qin Sang would feel an instinctual vigilance rise within him.
According to the description of the secret technique *Planting the Yuan Demonic Embryo*, once the external incarnation also broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, the cultivator would possess a second Nascent Soul, which was tantamount to having a second life.
If anything happened to the primary body, one could be revived through the external incarnation.
However, undergoing such a transformation demanded an immense price that was difficult to accept.
While possessing the external incarnation and converting it into a second Nascent Soul, one would remain weakened for a very long time—at least a century. If a heavenly tribulation arrived during that period, one would possess no power to resist it.
Furthermore, the subsequent path of cultivation would be impaired, fraught with difficulties at every step.
Even so, it was still far better than losing one's life.
Qin Sang was not yet certain whether the secret technique, having been modified by Senior Qingzhu, still possessed this effect.
This exchange between primary body and clone instilled an absurd sensation in him. Which one was truly himself? If the clone turned against him, wouldn't that be equivalent to him killing himself?
*Planting the Yuan Demonic Embryo* made it very clear that the higher the external incarnation's cultivation grew, the greater the danger of backlash became. It was not impossible for the incarnation to usurp the master; the practitioner had to proceed with utmost caution.
Therefore, while cultivating the external incarnation, one could have melded his own emotions into it, but Qin Sang had refused to do so. He severed the split soul's memories and minimized the connection between the incarnation and himself as much as possible.
In any case, he was still far from Nascent Soul formation.
For the external incarnation to form a Nascent Soul would be even more difficult, the chances exceedingly slim. A second Nascent Soul was remote and far away; Qin Sang certainly would not place himself in such jeopardy for an illusory hope.
Qin Sang bade the external incarnation return.
The primal embryo had not yet successfully formed and still required some time. Qin Sang ordered the incarnation to cultivate alone inside the cave dwelling, forbidden from taking a single step outside, and laid down an isolating restriction.
That night, Qin Sang completed his preparations for departure and helped smooth out the incarnation's spiritual circulation. Before long, morning arrived.
He sealed the cave dwelling and set out to meet Madam Liu.
***
The shopkeeper led Qin Sang into the back hall. When Madam Liu saw him, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Evidently, she had been worried all along that Qin Sang might change his mind.
"Daoist, you are finally here!"
Madam Liu stood up and said in quick succession, "Do you intend to purchase anything else, Daoist? If not, let us depart."
Qin Sang nodded, then suddenly frowned and asked, "Has Madam always been moving about outside in your true appearance?"
"Of course not!"
Madam Liu smiled faintly and produced a mask as thin as a cicada's wing. After putting it on, her face transformed immediately into another countenance, even her aura subtly altering.
"This mask was lent to me by an old friend of my late husband. Fortunately, with this treasure in hand, I was able to shadow Xiang Yi without being discovered."
Qin Sang was surprised. This mask was actually a magic treasure. Once Madam Liu wore it, even he could detect no flaw, though aside from that, it seemed to have no other function.
Refining a magic treasure solely to change one's face was quite an extravagance.
However, when Qin Sang discreetly had the Heavenly Eye Butterfly open its heavenly eye to inspect her, he detected a faint imperfection—her expression held a touch of unnatural stiffness. It was evident that the magic treasure's power had its limits.
Naturally, he would not expose this on his own initiative.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's ability was unique under heaven; this mask was more than enough to hoodwink Xiang Yi's eyes.
With their appearances altered, the two traveled together toward the sacred mountain where the teleportation formation was located. Upon arriving at the teleportation hall, they noticed people pouring out, while those heading inside were very few.
This sight made Qin Sang realize that the turmoil in the Demon Sea was growing increasingly fierce, and he even felt a flicker of doubt regarding his decision.
Learning that they wished to go to the Demon Sea, the cultivator in charge of the teleportation said, "Few cultivators are heading to the Demon Sea nowadays. You two fellow Daoists will have to wait a moment until we assemble enough people before opening the formation."
The two purchased a teleportation talisman and waited patiently to the side. Only after a long while was a full group gathered.
***
A salty, briny sea breeze flooded their nostrils, seemingly carrying a faint trace of demon qi and the stench of blood.
Returning to Dahuang Island, Qin Sang distinctly felt that the atmosphere had grown much heavier.
Nearby, a long line of people had formed outside the teleportation hall leading back to the Canglang Sea. These were cultivators who could afford the teleportation fee; many other cultivators and mortals could only wait here, facing an unknown fate.
The harbor was packed with large vessels coming and going frequently, all forced to travel in convoys.
The upside was that once Qin Sang and Madam Liu found a ship, not only did they not have to pay fare, but the captain even offered them a sum of spirit stones, begging them to lend a helping hand in times of peril.
Qin Sang felt that the entire Demon Sea was gripped by panic. The Liu couple had traveled back and forth across the Demon Sea for years, yet this was the first time they had encountered such a scene.
Madam Liu had prepared two identities in advance. Having disguised themselves well, Qin Sang and Madam Liu boarded the ship unobtrusively.
The vessel sailed across the sea.
Qin Sang struck up conversations with other cultivators to learn about the situation in the Demon Sea. He discovered that the Nascent Soul Patriarchs ruling over the various islands were forming alliances, agreeing to join forces to resist the beast tide while actively recruiting experts.
Many reclusive mighty figures who had kept out of worldly affairs could no longer remain in tranquil seclusion either. They emerged one after another to combine their strength against the demon race.
The two island masters who had abandoned their islands earlier had not actually been defenseless; rather, it was a tactical retreat. With reinforcements and aid from major factions, they would gather experts and rely on several large islands, standing without fear before the demon race.
"These are no longer the primeval barbarian days. So many mighty figures have entered the Demon Sea, and every faction has interests here. Having poured in such tremendous effort, how could they easily let the demons ruin it?"
This cultivator was brimming with confidence, ready to seek wealth amidst danger.
Qin Sang found some sense in those words. The various factions in the open—the righteous and demonic paths, the Three Great Merchant Alliances, and the Witch Clan—all placed immense value on the resources of the Demon Sea. In particular, for the Three Great Merchant Alliances and the Witch Clan, the Demon Sea represented their future hope.
The destruction of their foundations in the Demon Sea would inflict losses far greater than they could bear. For those critical positions, they would certainly fight to the utmost to defend them.
Though the demon race was formidable, it had not grown powerful enough to drive both the human race and the Witch Clan to utter extinction.
Of course, the abnormal movements of the demon race were very real; no one dared take them lightly, and everyone was on high alert.
Along the way, the fleet was frequently harassed by demon beasts. While slaying the beasts, Qin Sang unexpectedly made the acquaintance of a female cultivator from another ship, who hailed from Huntian Island.
"Back then, I also stayed on Huntian Island for a time, not long after the witch unrest had just ended. Rumor had it that heavenly flame had appeared outside the island, heralding the birth of a supreme Nascent Soul treasure. Was that true or false? Into whose hands did the treasure fall?"
Qin Sang asked without delay.
He was unsure how much commotion the Dongming Cold Flame had caused, so he could only speak in vague terms.
The female cultivator glanced at Qin Sang with surprise. "Fellow Daoist, you are quite well-informed. I only heard wind of it after the fact. It is said that the place where Senior Master Dongming passed into meditation was discovered, and the senior's divine ability, the Dongming Cold Flame, came to light, with Master Dongming's legacy treasures hidden within the cave dwelling. In the end, the island master invited Old Demon Mou Lue to subdue the cold flame. The treasures must have fallen into their hands."
Chapter 831