Chapter 1219: Progress
Chapter 1219: Progress
The journey passed without incident. As they neared Hukou Stronghold, Qin Sang and the Snake King became especially vigilant, wary that Sin Abyss might set up an ambush there.
Fortunately, there were no abnormalities from Sin Abyss, and they returned smoothly to Tianxing Highland.
The Snake King remained at Hukou Stronghold for the time being, planning to discuss Old Devil Ye and Blood Lake with the Feathered King. Old Devil Ye was ambitious and unfathomably powerful, and the demon race needed to prepare in advance.
Once Qin Sang contacted the Two-Domain Alliance and came to testify, the Snake King would return to the mountain to recuperate.
Qin Sang returned alone to Shiqu Mountain and openly went to see his senior sister.
After his previous visit, Qin Sang and his senior sister had exchanged letters several times, and on the surface, they had already become quite familiar. There was no need to meet in secret as before.
"You just returned from Sin Abyss, didn’t you? What did you encounter there?" Qinjun asked.
Qingjun’s cave dwelling was located within what had once been a marquis residence in the city.
She had been cultivating in seclusion and was disturbed by Qin Sang’s arrival.
Qin Sang waited in the main hall. When his senior sister walked in, he felt as though the entire hall had brightened. She still wore that fiery red dress, which formed a striking contrast with the cold, distant impression he had felt when he first saw her true appearance.
Yet when he drew closer, he could still sense a faint detachment from the world, closely tied to her way of life.
Back then, she had refined herself into a puppet, sealing her emotions and suppressing her heart devils.
Now that the hidden danger of the Lifeless Devilish Seal had been resolved, he wondered whether her temperament and cultivation had been affected by that experience.
Although Qin Sang had advanced to the Spiritual Infant Realm, his senior sister still felt mysterious to him, like an enigma he could never fully comprehend.
"Can’t I visit you if nothing’s wrong?" Qin Sang stood and said with a smile, before his tone turned serious. "I discovered something interesting in Sin Abyss and wanted to hear your opinion first."
"Oh? Could it be that Sin Abyss truly has ties to the ancient devil? What clues did you find?" Qingjun waved her hand and set up a soundproof barrier.
"Not that." Qin Sang shook his head.
This time, he had almost explored the most important forbidden land of Sin Abyss, Abyssal Ruin, yet he had found no signs related to the ancient devil.
The two of them sat facing each other.
"I accidentally found a passage in Heavenly Scar and entered Abyssal Ruin," Qin Sang said.
Qingjun’s gaze flickered with surprise. "Back then, after weighing the risks, I feared being discovered and trapped inside, so I didn’t dare enter rashly. I didn’t expect you to have such courage."
"Most of Sin Abyss’s Spiritual Infant cultivators are tied up on the front lines now. The danger of Abyssal Ruin is nothing like it was back then. Besides, I had a way out." Qin Sang shook his head slightly. "I encountered Old Devil Ye in the Abyssal Ruin..."
Qingjun was briefly stunned. Her expression turned serious as she listened to his account.
Qin Sang had only clashed with Old Devil Ye a few times while fleeing and pursuing, so he could not claim to understand him. He could only recount what he had observed and let his senior sister judge whether the Old Devil Ye he met had been the true body or an external incarnation.
He then described the matter of Blood Lake as well.
After a moment of silent contemplation, Qingjun said, "I once supported Daoist Master Zhenyi from the sidelines and witnessed his battle with Old Devil Ye. The astra you mentioned should be Old Devil Ye’s Blood Moon Wheel. This man’s techniques are extremely diverse. Not only are his Blood Dao secret arts mastered to perfection, but he is also proficient in five-elemental Dao Techniques and other devilish arts. He is very difficult to deal with. During your absence, both sides have remained relatively restrained, with only small-scale clashes. Although Old Devil Ye has not been seen taking action, we cannot conclude that the one you saw was merely his external incarnation."
"Old Devil Ye felt even more dangerous to me than peak middle-stage Spiritual Infant cultivators from Canglang Sea. Using only Blood Dao secret techniques, he fought two against one and nearly forced out all of my methods." Qin Sang sighed. "If Old Devil Ye truly has such a high-level incarnation, then even without the ancient devil, we must carefully consider our retreat."
Qingjun, however, showed no concern. She raised her eyes and smiled faintly. "Techniques such as corpse refinement, incarnations, second primordial spirits, and puppets often surpass the cultivator’s own strength. Either they require tremendous effort to refine, or they depend on extraordinary opportunities. Old Devil Ye has been stuck at the peak of the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm for many years. It is only natural for him to divert his efforts into refining an incarnation. However, Daoist Master Zhenyi and Devil Lord Tongyou are no simple figures either. We might as well wait and see."
Qin Sang considered this and found it reasonable. When he had been at the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm, he had already possessed an external incarnation at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, though that had been due to his own cultivation bottleneck.
Old Devil Ye had dominated Sin Abyss for many years. It was not surprising that he possessed such an incarnation.
He had only raised these points as a reminder. Seeing that his senior sister remained completely unafraid, he said no more.
If Old Devil Ye proved truly invincible, Qin Sang would not fight to the death. He could simply take the lesser demons and juniors of Thousand-Mountain Bamboo Sea out to sea and live freely.
After discussing Old Devil Ye, Qingjun said, "The matter of Blood Lake requires careful consideration. Although I have never entered it, I have heard of several accounts. It is highly unusual inside. We will likely need to gather cultivators from both domains to discuss this. At that time, you will certainly need to recount your experience in person. Will it involve your secrets?"
"The Snake King is at Hukou Stronghold. He will be there as well," Qin Sang said.
Qin Sang had already discussed this with the Snake King. He did not wish to draw too much attention to himself and intended to attribute most of the credit to him. The Snake King had laughed and called him cunning.
The two continued their discussion for a while. Qin Sang took the opportunity to ask about several cultivation difficulties, and Qingjun answered them with ease, offering considerable guidance.
This gave Qin Sang a renewed understanding of his senior sister’s strength.
Before he realized it, more than four hours had passed. Qin Sang rose to take his leave and went to see Mei Gu to ask whether there had been any progress.
Qingjun’s current appearance made it inconvenient for her to go out, so she only escorted Qin Sang to the entrance of the hall. "I almost forgot something! I’ve recently been studying the Devil-Binding Chain and have made some progress. I just don’t know whether all this effort will ever be needed."
"It’s better to be prepared." Qin Sang inwardly hoped it would not be needed. The ancient devil was far too terrifying. He did not wish to encounter another one.
After leaving the residence, Qin Sang arrived at the courtyard. Not long after, Mei Gu arrived upon receiving the signal.
Qin Sang sized up this nominal disciple and nodded. "Not bad. Your cultivation has improved again."
"Thank you, Master, for the spirit pills."
Mei Gu’s expression was filled with excitement. "Also, following your guidance, I’ve been gaining insights through battle. It has indeed been very effective, which is why my progress has been so noticeable."
This was the experience Qin Sang had summarized while cultivating the Dao of Slaughter. It was more than sufficient to guide Mei Gu.
A thought crossed his mind. In the future, he could rotate Li Yufu and the others to the front lines for training. With him watching over them, their safety would not be a concern.
"Seeing how pleased you are, I assume there’s been some progress?" Qin Sang set aside his thoughts and looked at his disciple with a smile.
Mei Gu smiled brightly. "Nothing escapes your eyes, Master. During this time, I’ve taken the initiative to grow closer to that Daoist and probed indirectly. I’ve gathered scattered bits of information, but when put together, they are enough to confirm certain things."