The Cave Dwelling

The spiritual energy within the storm belt was chaotic. Qin Sang channeled his true essence to shield Yuan Zhu's split soul from the tempest. One after the other, they sped through the howling gales and towering waves; throughout their journey, not a single sight other than the storm was visible. Without a guide, anyone lost in such a place would quickly be swallowed by despair. Yuan Zhu pointed out the direction. Qin Sang asked him many questions regarding the Demon Sea and the demon race. To some of the questions, Yuan Zhu held nothing back. But when it came to genuine secrets of the demon race, he remained guarded—after all, those who had betrayed them were only the demon kings. Even so, the information he learned from Yuan Zhu deepened Qin Sang's understanding of the demon race. "Found it!" Yuan Zhu suddenly let out a soft exclamation, delight sparking in his eyes. He had sensed the location of his true body. Qin Sang immediately shifted the direction of his escape light and flew toward where Yuan Zhu pointed. After a burst of rapid flight, he finally spotted a faint white light flickering amidst the storm ahead, remarkably conspicuous amid the dim, raging waves. It was precisely where Yuan Zhu's true body lay. The white light was on the verge of extinguishing, merely drifting with the current among the colossal swells. Yuan Zhu's true body was extraordinarily weak, on the brink of total exhaustion. His aura was nearly imperceptible, and he lacked even the strength to withstand the surging waters. Only when a gray hurricane swept toward him would he muster all his might to shift aside and evade disaster. Without rescue, Yuan Zhu would have died without a doubt. The split soul in the shape of a flood dragon darted toward the true body, and Qin Sang hurriedly followed on his sword. Arriving before it, Qin Sang saw an ice coffin. With eyes tightly shut, Yuan Zhu lay sealed within the ice coffin. He was in a ghastly state, his skin parched and cracked, raw flesh laid bare to the elements, and even the bones in his arms exposed. The blood fire had yet to be extinguished. The source of the flames was inside him, incinerating him from within. Spreading outward from his blood essence and bone marrow, it battered his internal organs before surging outside his body. Whether due to some secret technique Yuan Zhu had employed or the suppressive power of the ice coffin, though the blood fire enveloped every part of his body, the flames were countless times weaker than at the start, reduced to a mere thin layer. Yet the blood fire clung like an ulcer to the bone, impossible to eradicate. Yuan Zhu was terribly feeble, yet a breath of life still remained. The split soul plunged into the true body. At that moment, Yuan Zhu slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Qin Sang, the corner of his mouth twitched in an attempt to smile that failed to materialize. He wheezed with difficulty, "I have made a fool of myself before Fellow Daoist Mingyue." Qin Sang channeled his true essence to help shield Yuan Zhu's true body from the waves and said, "Fellow Daoist Yuan, your split soul and I made an oath: I save you, and you guide me out of the storm belt. How is your condition now, and how can I help you?" "Not bad... I won't die. As for the agreement, I already know..." Yuan Zhu fell silent for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly as he scanned their surroundings. With a tinge of melancholy, he muttered, "I am not surprised that Fellow Daoist emerged unharmed. It is just that... Gu Heng and the others are likely doomed..." Qin Sang nodded. "Even with all your preparations, you only managed to claw back a slim sliver of life. Unless Gu Heng and Fellow Daoist Caiyi possessed extraordinary treasures capable of suppressing this evil fire, the chances of them surviving are minuscule." Yuan Zhu sighed softly. "Enough! Fellow Daoist Mingyue, I have a way to expel the blood fire from my body and restore my cultivation, but I must avoid the disturbances of the storm and find a place where I can quietly cultivate. I must trouble Fellow Daoist to deliver me to my cave dwelling." Qin Sang was surprised. "Aren't you afraid of exposing the location of your cave dwelling?" "The ancient restriction on the cave dwelling is quite extraordinary. It took Yuan considerable effort just to gain control over a portion of it. Without my personal guidance, even if you knew the general area, you would never locate the exact spot. You will understand once you see it..." Yuan Zhu spoke calmly, his expression unchanging. "In that case, I would also like to see what a cave dwelling inside the storm belt looks like." Qin Sang's eyes flickered with interest as he offered a slight smile. Qin Sang then wrapped the ice coffin in true essence and flew on his sword in the direction Yuan Zhu indicated. Along the way, the jade talisman showed no reaction. He did not know whether he was still too far from the Hall of Seven Kills, or if the Hall of Seven Kills had already closed. After flying an unknown distance, Yuan Zhu suddenly spoke, telling Qin Sang to halt. Qin Sang had assumed the cave dwelling would be situated on an islet, but to his surprise, there was nothing around them. This stretch of sea was utterly desolate, devoid of any sign that a cave dwelling existed. He secretly roused the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, but the Heavenly Eye divine ability still failed to detect any anomalies. No wonder Yuan Zhu had been so confident. Qin Sang turned his gaze toward the ice coffin and saw Yuan Zhu's lips moving slightly, chanting some incantation in secret. In the next instant, Qin Sang's expression shifted as though he had sensed something, and he abruptly looked down beneath them. The surface of the sea was never calm for a single moment; hundred-zhang waves churned as though ready to crush anything in their path. At that moment, a bizarre ripple emanated from the seabed. A breath later, a pillar of milky white light erupted from the water with a boom, transforming into a light screen that spread out beneath their feet. Beneath the light screen, it appeared to be a fragment of a mountain peak. The peak was extraordinarily barren, devoid of vegetation and strewn with craggy, jagged rocks. The light screen produced by the ancient restriction shrouded its perimeter, safeguarding this fragment of a mountain peak down to the present day. The light screen shuddered faintly, revealing a fissure. Utilizing the Heavenly Eye divine ability, Qin Sang confirmed there was no ambush inside. After a brief hesitation, he followed Yuan Zhu through the gap. Promptly, the gap in the light screen sealed shut. Amidst a flurry of shimmering light, it sank back into the depths of the sea, vanishing beneath the colossal waves. Once inside, the deafening roar of the storm vanished instantly. "The spiritual energy is very sparse..." After sensing it briefly, Qin Sang evaluated inwardly. He surveyed his surroundings. The area was not small. Ahead lay a cavern, which was likely where the cave dwelling was located. Looking up, he saw heavy dark clouds hovering above—the physical manifestation of the ancient restriction. The ancient restriction kept all the chaos at bay, creating an atmosphere akin to a pure land. Eager to return to his dwelling, Yuan Zhu said to Qin Sang, "Yuan needs to enter closed-door cultivation for a time to recover. Aside from the cave dwelling itself, there are no secrets here. Fellow Daoist, please make yourself at home." Having spoken, Yuan Zhu opened the restrictions on the cave dwelling and entered. Qin Sang nodded. Seeing Yuan Zhu seal the cave dwelling's restrictions, he found a random spot, carved out a cave dwelling of his own with his flying sword, and laid down several layers of spirit formations and restrictions to serve as a temporary resting place while he waited for Yuan Zhu to emerge from seclusion. Afterward, Qin Sang walked a circle around the area; just as Yuan Zhu had said, it was completely desolate. "I'm finally out." Returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang sat down cross-legged, sighing with emotion to himself. Reflecting on his experiences in the Hall of Seven Kills, while his gains had been plentiful, he had encountered three experts at the Nascent Soul level one after another. Crisis had shadowed him at every turn, leaving him with lingering dread. Fortunately, he had pulled through without serious mishap. "I survived all the way into the present world, only to narrowly escape having my body and soul obliterated multiple times after breaking free from the demonic restriction." Bai emerged from the corpse puppet bag, casting a sidelong glare at Qin Sang with visible annoyance. Qin Sang refused to admit it had anything to do with him. He brought out a jade slip, recorded what he knew about the Canglang Ocean and various treasures onto it, and handed it to Bai. "For now, we can only stay here. Fellow Daoist, focus on restoring your cultivation first, and look over this to see if it jogs any memories." Bai sullenly took it and walked into another cave chamber. The entire space returned to silence.