Chapter 1292: Old Demon Qin
Chapter 1292: Old Demon Qin
The Secret Brilliance Stone was a precious spiritual material used to refine astras. It was extremely difficult to mine. Any carelessness would cause the ore’s power to dissipate and turn it into waste. Only Golden Core cultivators, or at least Foundation Building cultivators using secret techniques, could carefully extract it.
Deep within the vein, inside a quiet chamber, a man sat in meditation. He wore a small goatee. His figure was shorter than most, yet he dressed in a loose black robe. His aura was extremely concealed, as if he did not exist at all.
This man was the Sin Abyss Spiritual Infant cultivator guarding the mine.
His appearance was ugly. His face was covered in pits and scars, like it was riddled with pockmarks. Fellow cultivators of the same level who knew him called him Hu Mazi.[1]
Hu Mazi had once been charming and elegant. While exploring a hidden realm in Abyssal Ruin, he suffered an accident and was poisoned by a strange toxin. He barely survived, only to discover that the residual poison had seeped into his bones, leaving even his appearance grotesquely altered.
He tried several secret techniques, but none restored him. In the end, he accepted it and stopped wasting effort.
A sharp screech suddenly came from outside the chamber, jolting Hu Mazi awake. Then panicked shouts echoed from above. "Something’s wrong! Enemies have invaded! Stay alert!"
Hu Mazi’s expression sank. After a brief moment of thought, he flashed out of the chamber.
He understood the current situation well. He had expected the Two-Domain Alliance to send people to seize these spirit mines, but he had not expected them to arrive so quickly.
After years of mining, a massive rift had been carved above the Secret Brilliance Stone Mine. The defensive barriers within the rift had already been activated.
Hu Mazi’s figure flickered as he appeared inside the rift. He looked up and saw the defensive barrier shaking violently. The enemy had only just begun their attack, yet the barrier was already on the verge of collapse.
Four Spiritual Infant cultivators! When he saw four figures, his heart trembled. Then he noticed one of them stood out so much it was impossible to ignore.
That person’s figure blurred, surrounded by towering devilish flames of terrifying power, treating the barrier as if it were nothing.
Hu Mazi suddenly thought of someone. He hurriedly activated his spiritual sight and finally saw the man’s face. His expression changed drastically as he cried out in alarm, "Old Demon Qin!"
In the next instant, Hu Mazi activated his evasion light and fled straight into the depths of the mine without a word. The surrounding cultivators had been waiting for his command. When they saw this, they all froze in disbelief.
Qin Sang’s face darkened the moment he heard the shout. After the battle of Shuangjing Mountain, the title Old Demon Qin had spread like wildfire. It first circulated among low-tier Sin Abyss cultivators, and now nearly everyone knew it.
Boom! Qin Sang and Jingyu joined forces and broke through the barrier. They ignored the fleeing low-tier cultivators and activated Lightning Evasion, turning into two streaks of lightning as they pursued Hu Mazi.
Hu Mazi sensed the rapidly approaching aura behind him and felt immense terror. Knowing he had no way to escape, he suddenly halted and turned to face them.
Qin Sang and Jingyu did not slow down at all. Their coordination was flawless. They split to either side and attacked together.
Hu Mazi was only at the early stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm. He was no match for Qin Sang, let alone both of them.
To avoid complications, Qin Sang directly summoned the eighteen devilish banners, while Jingyu wielded a lightning trident they had seized earlier, perfectly suited to her abilities.
Whoosh! Crack! Devilish flames roared as violent lightning erupted.
Hu Mazi held his breath as he summoned a black ancient cauldron above his head, but in the next instant, he was swallowed by flames and lightning. Soon, there was no sign of him.
"Hmm?" Qin Sang sensed something was off. Hu Mazi had died far too easily.
When he withdrew the flames, he found nothing inside. Hu Mazi seemed to have been reduced to ashes. Only the ancient cauldron remained, floating alone in mid-air.
Qin Sang and Jingyu exchanged a glance and moved to inspect it. The cauldron suddenly exploded!
At the same time, several hundred li away from the mine, deep underground, a narrow hidden chamber contained only a strange and sinister altar. A faint glow suddenly flickered, and a figure appeared upon it, shifting from illusion to solidity.
It was Hu Mazi. He stumbled slightly upon appearing, then steadied himself. His face looked somewhat pale.
"Fortunately, I made preparations in advance. I never expected Old Demon Qin to come personally. Those devilish flames were terrifying. The rumors were not exaggerated at all. If I had been even a bit slower, I would have been injured. I originally thought that even if I could not defeat him, I could use the Douxuan Malevolent Bead in the cauldron to ambush one of them. But that kind of trick likely would not harm Old Demon Qin. It is better for me to leave first. As for the others, they can fend for themselves."[2]
Hu Mazi still felt lingering fear. His eyes flickered as he rushed out of the chamber.
Not long after, Qin Sang and Jingyu followed the trail and found the hidden chamber, but Hu Mazi had already vanished without a trace.
"These old ghosts are all cunning." Qin Sang shook his head helplessly.
Jingyu gave a light laugh. "Those who were not cunning enough died long ago. How else could they have survived until now? That Dongyang Bo is even more cautious. He never travels alone and always has other Spiritual Infant cultivators with him. There is no opening to exploit. What are your plans? My cultivation has almost stabilized. In a while, I will return to my cave dwelling to enter seclusion and refine the Corpseflower Blood Amber."
"If you sense an opportunity to break through, return and cultivate in peace. Crossing the tribulation is what matters most." Qin Sang waved his hand. "Dongyang Bo is no longer a major threat. Unless there are overwhelming benefits, it will be difficult for him to sway the Two-Domain Alliance. I only need to guard against him colluding with outsiders and using others to strike at me. If he seeks his own destruction, I would not mind sending him off personally."
Jingyu nodded. "As long as you remain cautious."
Afterward, the four split up and seized all the nearby spirit mines. Sin Abyss had no time to destroy them. Everything proceeded smoothly. It seemed like Sin Abyss no longer had the capacity to care about these places.
Elder Ji stayed behind to guard the area. The other cultivators assigned to take over the mines were still on their way.
Qin Sang and the other two returned. Of course, they did not make the trip for nothing. The previously mined resources, which Sin Abyss had not yet transported away, were quietly divided among the four.
On their way back, after completing the mission, they encountered a small battle. A dozen Foundation Building cultivators, led by two Golden Core cultivators, were locked in combat.
Cangqing raised his hand and shot out a black spike the size of a thumb from his sleeve. In an instant, it appeared before a Sin Abyss Golden Core cultivator’s face.
Only then did the man notice the three figures in the air. He panicked and tried to flee, but it was too late. The spike pierced his forehead, killing him on the spot.
The Two-Domain Alliance cultivators were overjoyed. They quickly finished off the remaining enemies and flew up to pay their respects.
After questioning them, they learned that the two armies had encountered each other ahead and had already engaged in a large battle. Sin Abyss had been well prepared, while the Two-Domain Alliance had been caught off guard and was now locked in a bitter fight.
The three immediately set off to reinforce them. Ahead, the battlefield burned with war, and the sound of killing echoed endlessly.
After flying some distance, Qin Sang swept his gaze across the battlefield to assess the situation. By chance, he noticed a figure that seemed familiar, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
1. Mazi can also translate to pockmarks in Chinese. ☜
2. Douxuan is the name of a kingdom in a novel from the Tang Dynasty. ☜