Beast Tide

“Die!” Her great vengeance was about to be exacted. Tears in the corners of her eyes, Madam Liu gave vent to her feelings with a loud cry. Qin Sang did not slacken in the slightest, giving Xiang Yi no opportunity whatsoever. Trapped by the Yuan-Restricting Talisman, Xiang Yi's true essence grew sluggish and his magic treasure's power plummeted. Besieged by Qin Sang and Madam Liu, he was forced back step by step. Despair gripped his heart as he struggled desperately. Xiang Yi was on the verge of defeat, with no possibility of escape remaining. Right at that moment, an unexpected turn occurred—the Heavenly Eye Butterfly suddenly issued a warning. Qin Sang ordered the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to open its Heavenly Eye and keep watch, and he truly did discover an anomaly. Deep within the Demon Sea, surging waves roiled as dark clouds blotting out the sky swept swiftly toward them. “A greater demon!” Qin Sang's expression changed abruptly. Why would a greater demon appear at such a coincidental moment? Dense dark clouds rolled with immense grandeur, and there was no telling how many were inside. No, perhaps it was no coincidence. The commotion created from his battle with Xiang Yi had been massive, very likely startling a greater demon. The Demon Sea was truly perilous right now, no different from a dragon's pool or a tiger's den. Qin Sang sighed inwardly. At the same time, Madam Liu and Xiang Yi also noticed the disturbance. Madam Liu grew anxious and urged Qin Sang to kill Xiang Yi quickly. Xiang Yi, however, saw a glimmer of hope and actually chose to turn around and charge toward the beast tide. Staying here meant certain death, but plunging into the beast tide might offer a sliver of hope—or at the very least, drag his enemies down with him. Unfortunately, with the emergence of a bolt of blue lightning, all of Xiang Yi's plans vanished like bubbles in a dream. Qin Sang was forced to release the star conch after all, seeking only a swift resolution so they could flee at once. The star conch pierced straight through Xiang Yi's chest, leaving a gaping hole. Filled with disbelief, he looked down at the bloody cavity in his chest as the light in his eyes rapidly faded, and he fell silent forever. Having fulfilled her long-held wish of seeing her enemy die a wretched death, Madam Liu's body went limp, as if all her strength and spirit had been drained away. Qin Sang, meanwhile, swiftly darted over to Xiang Yi's corpse, stripped him of his belongings, and consigned the body to the flames. A pity about that treasure garment—pierced in succession by the two-headed hou and the star conch, it was now completely destroyed. “Madam Liu, let's go!” Qin Sang urgently urged Madam Liu, who was standing there in a daze, lost in thought. Glancing back toward the approaching demon beasts, Qin Sang thought to himself that their appearance might not entirely be a bad thing. Even if any traces remained, the demon beasts would destroy them completely. Others would only believe Xiang Yi had perished at the claws of demon beasts, making it even less likely for suspicion to fall upon them. Jarred by Qin Sang's shout, Madam Liu snapped out of her daze as though waking from a dream. “Thanks to you, Daoist, we were able to slay this villain,” Madam Liu said in a low voice. She felt immensely fortunate that she had made the right choice back then by allying with him. Xiang Yi was too strong and exceedingly cunning. Madam Liu suspected that even if she had teamed up with another late Core Formation cultivator, they might still have botched it and let him get away. What shocked her even more was that throughout this prolonged battle with Xiang Yi, Qin Sang had not even exerted his full strength. She had not clearly seen what treasure that final fatal blue flash was, but the trembling dread it instilled in her remained fresh in her memory. ‘I must never offend this Daoist in the future,’ Madam Liu thought to herself. “Without the Yuan-Restricting Talisman you meticulously prepared, Madam, things would not have gone so smoothly. I only hope you will remain tight-lipped about today's events and not reveal this poor Daoist's secrets...” Qin Sang said calmly. Madam Liu immediately swore an oath. The two sped away in haste. After fleeing a long distance, they discovered that the demon beasts were still giving chase furiously behind them, and their momentum showed signs of growing ever larger. “Don't tell me this is turning into a beast tide?” Qin Sang muttered under his breath, feeling uneasy. After conferring with Madam Liu, he decided to head straight back to Yuheng Island to seek help. Having killed Xiang Yi and tied up all loose ends cleanly, there was no longer any need to leave in a hurry; they could conduct their affairs openly. Neither Qin Sang nor Madam Liu noticed that when Qin Sang unleashed the star conch to slay Xiang Yi, a greater demon resembling a leopard within the dark clouds seemed to catch a scent, and a greedy glint welled up in its eyes. Before landing on the island, Qin Sang took a moment amidst the rush to inspect Xiang Yi's relics, so as to avoid carrying anything he shouldn't and giving himself away. Xiang Yi's wealth was even greater than that of the Western Nether Alliance youth; obtaining it meant Qin Sang could live comfortably for quite a while. In addition to spirit stones and other items, there were rows upon rows of jade slips. Qin Sang had initially assumed they were cultivation methods and Daoist arts, which astonished him immensely—so many jade slips would be enough to found a sect. Only after sweeping his spiritual sense through them did he realize that the vast majority contained records regarding the Merchant Alliance's spiritual materials and their destinations. Qin Sang originally intended to destroy them outright, but with a sudden thought, he began inspecting them carefully instead. Looking through the contents of these jade slips, one could truly appreciate how formidable the Three Great Merchant Alliances' foundation was. The treasures listed were not all precious, but the quantity was immense, adding up to an astounding sum. The ones in Xiang Yi's hands were merely a portion, sourced from several nearby large islands. Most of the spiritual materials had been sent to the most secure Dahuang Island; the Merchant Alliance was also taking precautions for a rainy day. Qin Sang even saw soul-attracting grass—and more than just a single stalk—though the Flying Yaksha was no longer of much significance to him now. He was searching for Qingwu root and scorpion poison grass, hoping to try his luck. Only major factions like the Eastern Pole Alliance could gather so many spiritual items. “Found it! There really is Maoshan vine!” Qin Sang's eyes lit up. He actually found Maoshan vine—which was Qingwu root—recorded in one of the jade slips, though there was only one. Yet the following information caused Qin Sang's heart to sink: “This item has already been delivered to Dahuang Island!” Xiang Yi was only responsible for delivering these items back to Dahuang Island and knew nothing of their subsequent whereabouts; whether the Maoshan vine was still on Dahuang Island remained unknown. ‘I must return as soon as possible to inquire about the whereabouts of the Maoshan vine and find a way to buy it. I wonder where Elder Zou is, and whether he has any connections.’ During his time in the Qiongyu Guild, Qin Sang had met quite a few people, and the most capable among them was undoubtedly Elder Zou. Madam Liu also held considerable influence; with Xiang Yi dead, the connections she and her late husband once had could be put to use again. Upon learning Qin Sang's intentions, Madam Liu did not decline and promised to help inquire. Without pausing for a moment, the two flew swiftly toward Yuheng Island, with the demon beasts in hot pursuit behind them. Fortunately, they had slain Xiang Yi without delay; otherwise, while Qin Sang could certainly have escaped, Madam Liu might not have been so lucky. By the time Yuheng Island came into view, dark clouds blotted out the sky, pressing right up behind them. At this point, the island had clearly noticed the anomaly as well. The deep, resonant toll of a bell echoed across the entire island, alerting every cultivator. “Who goes there!” The moment Qin Sang and Madam Liu appeared, they were stopped and questioned by the guards. “Fellow Daoists, they are my friends!” Jin Ying had been waiting here for news all along. Seeing them return, she pushed her way forward and displayed her identity badge. As she spoke, she cast an anxious gaze toward Madam Liu in silent inquiry. Madam Liu gave her a smiling nod. Seeing this, Jin Ying let out a huge breath of relief, suppressed her excitement, and led them onto the island. Even with Jin Ying's cover, they still underwent a thorough inspection by the guards before being permitted onto the island. Faced with the beast tide, all of Yuheng Island seemed to come alive, the atmosphere palpably changed. All cultivators at or above the Core Formation stage had to obey orders; no one could stay detached. Before they even had time for a proper conversation, they were incorporated into the defense guards.