Chapter 2419: Heaven and Earth Spiritual Veins

Wuxia and Xianxia

“Sky-Climbing Vine?”

Qin Sang looked at the green vine. As the Vermilion Bird descended, the green light gradually dimmed, and the vine subtly coiled, its roots dangling from the void.Eventually, the vine shrank until it was only as long as a forearm, a slender cord as thin as a hemp rope. Its leaves transformed into delicate, pointed shoots, coiling around the Vermilion Bird like a spirit snake, blending with its feathers as if it were a tattoo.

The Vermilion Bird chuckled, “The Sky-Climbing Vine is a real treasure, a rarely seen wonder of the world. I never expected to find a seed for it in the Storm Realm—it truly is a treasure trove! Once we return, we must scour it thoroughly again!”

“What makes it so good?”

Qin Sang pondered carefully. He had read quite a few ancient texts, especially many precious classics from the Dao Court in the Talisman Realm, but he had never encountered any records related to the Sky-Climbing Vine.This Sky-Climbing Vine was clearly a spiritual plant, not an inanimate object.

“Hehe…”

The Vermilion Bird grinned, its face beaming with pride.

“Just to name a few of its wonderful uses.“The Sky-Climbing Vine thrives best in Minor Worlds. Once it sprouts, it can directly root itself into the Spiritual Veins of the world, drawing in its spiritual energy!“Furthermore, it can sense the Gate of Markers. Once it fully matures, a single green vine will extend beyond the heavens, hence the name ‘Sky-Climbing’! If the Storm Realm had a Sky-Climbing Vine back then, there would have been no need for a Soul Transformation cultivator; even Nascent Soul cultivators could have climbed out along the vine!”

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang looked at the Sky-Climbing Vine with astonishment, “Such a treasure exists in this world!”

The Spiritual Veins of the world that the Vermilion Bird spoke of were no ordinary spiritual veins. They were the main arteries of a world’s spiritual energy, one of the foundational elements for the existence of a Minor World. If these veins withered, the spiritual energy would decline, leading to the world’s demise. If a cultivator could build a cave dwelling atop a world’s Spiritual Veins, they would be truly blessed.However, these Spiritual Veins were neither visible nor perceptible. Although Qin Sang had read about them in ancient texts, he had always considered them mere conjectures by cultivators, believing that even if they existed, it wouldn't be in a way ordinary people could imagine.He never expected that in this vast world, full of wonders, there would be a spiritual plant capable of growing on the Spiritual Veins of the world!

“Of course! The Sky-Climbing Vine takes the world’s Spiritual Veins as its earth and the Gate of Markers as its heaven! If a Minor World has a Sky-Climbing Vine, it can even help support the Gate of Markers, resisting...”The Vermilion Bird suddenly covered its mouth. It had gotten carried away in its excitement, inadvertently saying too much.

Qin Sang’s eyes lit up at this. His small grotto-heaven was a Minor World, and while he could hide within it in times of crisis, he would be powerless if an enemy discovered and forced their way through its Gate of Markers.

“Don’t even think about it!”The Vermilion Bird knew exactly what Qin Sang was planning just by looking at his expression. It instantly bristled like a fire crow guarding its food, glaring fiercely at Qin Sang, all traces of drowsiness gone from its face. “The Sky-Climbing Vine belongs to me, the great divine bird! It grew by drinking my essence blood and recognized me as its master long ago!”

“Yes, yes, yes, it’s yours, no one can take it...”Qin Sang’s face showed a perfunctory expression, but what he truly thought, only he knew.However, the Vermilion Bird probably wasn’t entirely bluffing. The Sky-Climbing Vine’s ability to integrate with it meant it at least recognized the bird. Moreover, despite the Vermilion Bird’s cultivation being inferior to the Skyeye Butterfly’s, it hadn’t fallen asleep, likely due to the Sky-Climbing Vine’s influence.

Suddenly, Qin Sang asked out of the blue, “How do you suddenly know so much? Have you remembered things from your past life?”

“Uh...” The Vermilion Bird’s expression stiffened, its arrogance deflated. It rolled its eyes and shook its head like a rattle-drum, “No! No! I haven’t remembered anything. I read it all in an ancient text.”

“Is that so?” Qin Sang asked, suspicious. “What text? Why haven’t I seen it?”

“I... I’ve forgotten the name too, haha...”The Vermilion Bird let out a few dry laughs. “Let me think about it properly. Once I remember, I’ll show you that text.”

Qin Sang gave the Vermilion Bird a deep look, said “Alright,” and didn’t press further. Gazing at the green vine pattern, he mused, “You just said... Minor World?”

The Vermilion Bird secretly sighed in relief, nodding repeatedly. “Yes, that’s what the text says. The Sky-Climbing Vine only grows in Minor Worlds. I never expected to actually cultivate it here. This place doesn’t look like a Minor World at all, and the Sky-Climbing Vine grew so large before without any reaction. But then it suddenly sensed the world’s Spiritual Veins!”The Vermilion Bird lifted its head, looking at the dark void with a puzzled expression.

Ever since they were in the Arctic Ice Plains, they had been speculating whether this place was a part of the Spirit Realm or a Minor World. All signs seemed to align with it being a part of the Spirit Realm.Even after hearing about the so-called ‘High Immortals’ and ‘Guidance,’ they still couldn’t definitively conclude it was a true Minor World. It seemed more like a continent within the Spirit Realm, isolated from the Great Zhou by some unknown reason.

If this was indeed a Minor World, then the direction indicated by the star charts in the Qilin’s origin essence would be unreliable, as the same constellations could be seen in both Minor and Major Worlds.

“Just now?” Qin Sang immediately caught on, pressing further, “How long ago was ‘just now’?”

After listening to the Vermilion Bird’s description, Qin Sang’s eyes flickered.The time the Sky-Climbing Vine sensed the world’s Spiritual Veins perfectly coincided with the time Mo Yan entered the Guixu!Was it a coincidence, or was there some connection?

Qin Sang immediately had a theory: the Spiritual Veins of this Minor World were sealed deep within the Guixu, isolated from the outside. That’s why the Sky-Climbing Vine couldn’t sense them. But when Mo Yan entered, she unsealed them, and the Sky-Climbing Vine immediately detected them, pulling the Vermilion Bird in.

“Something’s off here! The Sky-Climbing Vine brought me in, but couldn’t find the Spiritual Veins, so it just spun around aimlessly, almost making me dizzy... Ah!”The Vermilion Bird yawned widely again. Drowsiness swept over it, making it even sleepier than before.

“Don’t you feel like something’s wrong? If you can’t find the Spiritual Veins, why aren’t you trying to get out?” Qin Sang asked, his tone peculiar.

“I wish I could, ah! This guy hasn’t grown up yet. It consumed too much energy when it came here, sacrificing all its other branches. See, only this tiny vine is left. I want to get out, but I can’t... I can’t get out!” The Vermilion Bird propped its wings open, showing Qin Sang.

“So you didn’t know if there was any danger inside, and you dared to come in without waiting for the Sky-Climbing Vine to grow?” Qin Sang sighed helplessly. He had thought that with the Sky-Climbing Vine, he would be able to advance and retreat freely, but clearly, such good fortune was not to be.He should have known this fellow was unreliable and not had any expectations.

“What’s there to be afraid of? At worst, we can just plant the Sky-Climbing Vine again, and it’ll grow quickly!” the Vermilion Bird said nonchalantly.

“Do you know what this place is?” Qin Sang shook his head with a light sigh. “This is the Guixu.”

“The Guixu? Which Guixu?”The Vermilion Bird suddenly shivered, instantly becoming a little more alert. “No wonder... This is a good place to overcome inner demon tribulations, but apart from the Black Tortoise clan, no other living beings can endure it...”

“You know a lot!” Qin Sang stared at the Vermilion Bird.

“Really? Did I say something just now?”The Vermilion Bird shook its head, widening its eyes to feign ignorance. “What are you doing here?”

“I acquired a treasure, and it brought me in,” Qin Sang said, shaking the clam pearl in his hand, attributing all credit for resisting the Guixu’s power to the pearl.The Jade Buddha was his greatest secret. Although the Vermilion Bird had followed him for years and might sense something unusual about him, it didn’t know about the Jade Buddha’s existence.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Sang briefly recounted his experiences to the Vermilion Bird, from entering the ink landscape and the Seven Mansions of the Black Tortoise, to discovering the Guixu here, hoping the creature might offer some good advice.

“The Black Tortoise Sacred Palace! A treasure of the Black Tortoise clan!”The Vermilion Bird was no longer sleepy. Its eyes gleaming, it stared into the depths of the void, urging Qin Sang, “Hurry up and go!”

“It’s best to find a place to plant the Sky-Climbing Vine first,” Qin Sang said.He wasn’t sure if the Sky-Climbing Vine could go back the same way. If the sea of clouds remained impenetrable and the Seven Mansions of the Black Tortoise stayed closed, the Sky-Climbing Vine would be the only way out of here.

And the world’s Spiritual Veins—if there was a chance, he definitely had to find them.This Minor World was clearly abnormal, to have so many Demon Sages willing to guard it, no matter how vast it might be.One should remember that the Talisman Realm only had a few powerful beings at the Demon Sage level!Minor Worlds also experienced waxing and waning, strength and weakness. When a cultivator’s cultivation surpassed the limits of a Minor World, they could sense the location of the Gate of Markers. Could it be that this Minor World was so high-tier that even Integration Stage mighty figures couldn’t perceive it?

Qin Sang still had too many things to do and didn’t want to be trapped here. Once the Sky-Climbing Vine rooted itself in the world’s Spiritual Veins and matured, he could use it to leave.However, thinking of the mysterious Mo Yan, Qin Sang had a feeling that things might not go so smoothly from now on.

“There’s no need to specially look for a place, you just need...”Before it finished speaking, both the Vermilion Bird and Qin Sang’s expressions changed slightly.

“Boom!”The void trembled without warning.Qin Sang spun around abruptly, his fingers clutching the clam pearl. The tremor was coming from outside the clam shell!

Above the Guixu.

Great Sage Guizang flew leisurely ahead, with the other demons obediently following behind him. The bloody shackles on their bodies were invisible but had already permeated their very beings.The demons felt a sinister power seeping into their bones, filling their hearts with terror.

Great Sage Guizang had only placed one set of shackles on them and did nothing further. At this moment, he held the transparent tortoise shell in his palm, which displayed various phenomena. Sometimes it conjured images of vast changes over time, other times it appeared like a paradise, accompanied by various distorted and bizarre scenes—all phenomena created by divine abilities and dao techniques.These phenomena were suppressed by Great Sage Guizang within the confines of his palm, but the demons behind him could already perceive the terrifying power of a Demon Sage just by sensing the fluctuations of his divine abilities.

Suddenly, Great Sage Guizang stopped, his face thoughtful.This transparent tortoise shell had detached from the stone wall because the seal had loosened. If so, it must share the same origin as the stream, and Great Sage Chanxin must have used similar divine abilities when crafting it.Thus, Great Sage Guizang quickly found a breakthrough and deciphered part of the transparent tortoise shell’s secrets.

“Could this item alone be enough?”Great Sage Guizang looked up ahead. The transparent tortoise shell vaguely indicated a direction. He had initially believed that the complete inheritance of Great Sage Chanxin required the transparent tortoise shell to merge with the missing items from the tomb.He hadn't been overly eager to search for Qin Sang and Mo Yan, as he believed they wouldn’t last long in the Guixu.Unexpectedly, they still hadn’t surfaced.

“Could those two fools have accidentally fallen asleep in the Guixu?”

Great Sage Guizang squeezed the transparent tortoise shell in his hand. Following its guidance, he arrived above a body of water. After a moment’s contemplation, he ordered the demons to follow him into the Guixu. Despite their fear, the demons dared not defy Great Sage Guizang’s command.The demons plunged into the water one after another, continually descending.

If Qin Sang had been nearby at that moment, he would have realized that this body of water was precisely where he had entered. However, Great Sage Guizang’s path differed from his; it was a straight line, and this path perfectly matched the route indicated by the black mole!

“Interesting...”After traveling for a while, a strange glint appeared in Great Sage Guizang’s eyes.This area of water was clearly different from other parts of the Guixu. Elsewhere, the Guixu’s power would subtly assimilate him, but here, while invading his will, it was also twisting his consciousness and memories.It felt as if he had fallen into an invisible vortex, and what was more terrifying was that this distortion was silent and imperceptible.

Great Sage Guizang looked at the demons behind him; all had fallen into slumber, their expressions varied, dreaming unknown dreams.In other locations, they wouldn’t have fallen asleep so quickly, and their dreams should have been peaceful. Now, even their dreams were being twisted.However, apart from the Guixu’s assimilation, there was no other danger, and the transparent tortoise shell’s guidance remained unbroken, not appearing to lack anything.

“Did Chanxin, worried that his legacy would be buried, make two preparations back then, leaving two tokens? So that whether one obtains the tomb’s inheritance or discovers the transparent tortoise shell, as long as they are a descendant of the Black Tortoise, they can receive guidance... What painstaking effort!”Great Sage Guizang remarked with emotion.

His speed increased. The demons, all asleep, could only be pulled downwards by Great Sage Guizang.The bloody shackles on their bodies reappeared, their crimson light like sharp needles piercing into their flesh, yet even that couldn’t awaken them.

Despite being a straight path and Great Sage Guizang’s speed far surpassing Qin Sang’s, it took Great Sage Guizang more time than Qin Sang to pass through the invisible vortex and reach the clam shell.

“Swish!”The transparent tortoise shell automatically detached from his palm and rested on the crevice between the two clam shells.Great Sage Guizang briefly inspected it, confirming that Great Sage Chanxin had indeed entered. He felt a surge of excitement, realizing he was close to the truth!

He glanced back. The demons could no longer scout ahead for him. He kept them around solely to observe what they would eventually become after being assimilated by the Guixu.After all, Great Sage Guizang’s understanding of the Guixu was also derived from rumors and ancient texts.

“It seems I’ll have to force my way in...”Great Sage Guizang stared at the crevice for a long while.Great Sage Chanxin had opened a path and perhaps left behind some things to aid latercomers, but Great Sage Guizang was neither a descendant of the Black Tortoise nor could he fully control the transparent tortoise shell, so he probably wouldn’t be able to use them.Although he could imitate Great Sage Chanxin’s divine abilities, there were limits; no Demon Sage could perfectly mimic another Demon Sage’s divine abilities.However, since this path undeniably existed, he would be able to enter!

A blood shadow separated from his body and lunged towards the transparent tortoise shell, instantly dyeing it crimson and adding a touch of demonic eeriness.The blood shadow passed through the transparent tortoise shell, then seemed to stick to it, drawing out countless bloody threads that slowly seeped into the crevice.