Chapter 2430: Arrival

A pale, eerie aura permeated the area, with shadowy figures flickering within it. Though seemingly stable and calm, it gave one a profound sense of spatial disorientation.

Where Qin Sang stood, starlight shimmered brightly, and his figure flickered in and out of view, as if he had merged with the starry expanse.

In the sea of stars, the Morning Star shimmered faintly. Gradually, it grew brighter, and a faint halo appeared around its edge. A new point of light seemed to emerge within it. Upon closer inspection, this light, though occupying the position of the Morning Star, was in fact a new Morning Star. It merely overlapped with the original Morning Star, with the two stars existing in different spatial dimensions.

The original Morning Star was light projected in from an external source, while the new Morning Star truly belonged to this stellar expanse. Qin Sang had surprisingly chosen this moment to comprehend the Four Symbols Nine Luminaries Sword Formation and condense the Morning Star, one of the Nine Luminaries!

Qin Sang's comprehension of the Nine Luminaries began with the Lunar Star, originating from the Grand Yin Divine Sword. Perhaps because the beginning of all things is difficult, even with the guidance of the Grand Yin true meaning within the Grand Yin Divine Sword, progress had been slow. It wasn't until recently, when he fused the Grand Yin Divine Sword with the Gray Oriole Sword to create the Grand Yin Spirit Sword, that significant progress was made.

To condense the Morning Star here was akin to a pipe dream. Yet, Qin Sang did precisely that. With single-minded focus, he immersed himself in the sword formation, using it to perceive the Morning Star, which felt both incredibly close and infinitely far away.

The starlight contained a certain divine essence. Many things that were previously difficult to comprehend, Qin Sang was surprisingly able to derive answers directly from the starlight, as if the profound truths of the universe and the mysteries of the Great Dao had been openly laid out before him.

If the previous Grand Yin true meaning was a teacher imparting knowledge, where the student's comprehension and speed depended on their aptitude, then this Morning Star was directly infusing knowledge into Qin Sang.

He didn't need to understand; he only needed to accept. His insights into the myriad stars, the Nine Luminaries, and the Morning Star underwent a radical transformation. When he integrated this into the sword formation, everything seemed to fall into place naturally, as Qin Sang's understanding of the sword dao, thanks to Tianyue's guidance and his previous accumulation, already surpassed his cultivation level.

Qin Sang finally understood why the Black Tortoise Star Fiend could undergo metamorphosis here. It was clearly related to this grand formation. Within the formation, not only were the mysteries of the Black Tortoise Holy Race and the Northern Dipper Seven Mansions contained, but also the mysteries of the Morning Star. The one who laid out this grand formation must have achieved the pinnacle of understanding in the way of the stars!

The reason Qin Sang could achieve such significant and rapid improvement was precisely because he was so insignificant compared to the creator of the formation. If the other party was a vast lake, Qin Sang was merely a small wooden bucket; even seeing just a corner of the lake would provide enough water to fill many buckets.

Furthermore, he had to thank the clam pearl. Thanks to it, Qin Sang was not rejected by the grand formation and was able to clearly perceive its profound mysteries!

The subsequent progress was far smoother than imagined. The new Morning Star brightened at a visible pace, reaching a speed that even made Qin Sang feel a little uneasy.

In cultivation, the emphasis lies in the act of cultivating itself.

What is directly gained from others, rather than cultivated by oneself, can never truly be one's own.

Qin Sang was no stranger to such matters, having encountered similar situations before. The most memorable instance was in the Divine Court, when the Thunder Ancestor descended upon him, forcing him to break through to the Void Refinement stage, which later required a long time to rectify. Similarly, Qin Sang would have to re-comprehend the Morning Star in the future for it to truly belong to him.

If he were to slow down now, the time he would need to spend in the future would be significantly reduced. However, the situation did not allow him to do so.

The Morning Star in the sea of stars grew increasingly bright, even surpassing the Lunar Star to become the brightest star in the sky.

Finally, the new Morning Star completely overshadowed the light of the original Morning Star. Its starlight shone brilliantly, standing out prominently in the stellar sea. Its light illuminated all around, and the star's outline became increasingly distinct…

Before long, Qin Sang's eyelids fluttered slightly. He gazed at the dazzling Morning Star, his eyes filled with emotion.

Who would have thought that the first fully formed Nine Luminaries Sword Star of the Four Symbols Nine Luminaries Sword Formation would be the Morning Star!

With the appearance of this Morning Star, a brand new sword intent predictably triggered changes in the sword formation. Qin Sang, without time to carefully ponder it, fully activated the power of the sword formation, channeling it into the Morning Star.

Starlight rippled. The light of all stars was absorbed by the Morning Star. The sword formation and Qin Sang himself seemed to merge with the Morning Star, then moved closer to that point of light.

This time, to his pleasant surprise, Qin Sang discovered that the point of light did not move away from him.

"It's working!"

The point of light slowly expanded before him, but he couldn't discern what was inside. Though seemingly small to the naked eye, the light resembled a door or an entrance. Inside lay a vast expanse, which gave Qin Sang an overwhelming sense of grandeur and might, making him feel utterly minuscule.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's mind tensed. Despite no apparent changes around him, he felt a life-or-death crisis.

In the nick of time, Qin Sang remembered what Qingyuan had said earlier. He quickly called out, "Fellow Daoist Mo! It's me!"

Before his words even finished, Qin Sang felt the crisis vanish. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Qin Sang stopped, not daring to advance rashly. After a period of silence, he heard a familiar voice.

"Fellow Daoist Qingfeng? What are you doing here?" Mo Yan's voice sounded somewhat hazy, as if he had just woken up, filled with both confusion and wariness.

As a spirit artifact, upon entering the Return to the Void, Mo Yan had already learned everything.

Back then, the Painting Sage, collaborating with the Black Tortoise Holy Race, used supreme treasures like the Rivers and Mountains Scroll and the Black Tortoise Holy Palace as foundations to create this realm, transforming it into a boundary wall to seal the crack in the earth's membrane.

Among them, the Rivers and Mountains Scroll transformed into the spiritual ley lines of this realm, becoming the most crucial foundation. To ensure the seal's longevity and prevent the Rivers and Mountains Scroll from being taken, the spiritual ley lines were suppressed at the bottom of the Return to the Void.

As the spirit artifact, he was also suppressed. He only reawakened when the boundary wall's seal loosened, but he was in a daze, unaware of his origins or background, remembering only fragments and a single key.

Originally, he only needed to obtain the clam pearl and enter this secret realm to return to his true form. However, an unexpected seal was added outside the Return to the Void, causing his first attempt to enter to be fruitless.

When Mo Yan saw the Return to the Void, he finally understood everything: he was a spirit artifact, and by reuniting with his true form, he could restore the Rivers and Mountains Scroll!

The clam pearl was now useless to him, so Mo Yan gave it to Qin Sang, completely resolving their previous karmic ties. Although he had helped Qin Sang capture some Star Spirits, it was far less than what he had initially promised, and his ambush of the Miasma Plague Lord had failed. Only when one's cultivation reached a certain level did one truly understand the terrifying nature of karma. After returning to his true form, his future path was uncertain, and there would surely be more challenges ahead. Mo Yan did not want to carry too much karma on himself.

However, he had not anticipated that Qin Sang would dare to enter the Return to the Void and even manage to find him!

"Someone asked me to come find you, Fellow Daoist," Qin Sang explained quickly. "He said you would understand once you saw this item." As he spoke, he held up a painting scroll in his hand.

Then, Qin Sang's vision blurred. He found himself by a lake. Before him lay an ink-black lake, its dark waters perfectly still, as calm as the Return to the Void itself.

'Swish!'

The painting scroll slipped from Qin Sang's grasp and shot towards the ink-black lake.

The Lotus Crossing Great Marsh.

The Northern Dipper Seven Mansions had appeared, and all the Sages entered the Dipper Mansion.

However, the Northern Dipper Seven Mansions were just the beginning. As the stars grew brighter, their light illuminated the entire Lotus Crossing Great Marsh.

At this moment, various anomalies appeared in many places within the Great Marsh.

On the southern bank of the Lotus Crossing Great Marsh, cultivators from the Southern Territory were drawn by the anomalies within the Great Marsh. They gathered there, looking out towards it.

Before them lay a great river. Its waters surged tumultuously, flowing with great speed.

Suddenly, a whirlpool appeared in the water. It was as if a hole had opened at the bottom of the river, and instantly, all the river water was sucked into it.

Before the demon cultivators could react, they were locked onto by the suction force. In an instant, all of them vanished.

In the eastern part of the Great Marsh.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted. A mountain cracked open, revealing dazzling golden light, and golden mist gushed forth.

The golden mist was like scorching lava. Wherever it passed, it destroyed everything. Both demon cultivators and their cave dwellings were obliterated by the golden mist.

Various anomalies appeared one after another. Some brought opportunities, while others were incredibly dangerous, claiming countless lives.

As these anomalies appeared, the energies revealed within them subtly resonated with the Northern Dipper Seven Mansions in the distance. It seemed these anomalies were also part of the Black Tortoise Holy Palace!

At this moment, a graceful figure flashed at the edge of the Dipper Mansion. It was precisely the young woman who had previously refused to go north to the ice plains.

Her delicate nose wrinkled slightly. Sensing the changes outside, she revealed a look of pleasant surprise. She giggled, saying, "The 'Immortal Senior' truly went all out, summoning the entire Black Tortoise Holy Palace. You all can go fight over the northern part; this entire area is mine now…"

Suddenly, light and shadow flickered, and another figure appeared beside her. It was a slender man. "Chunmu, what have you gained in the Dipper Mansion? The Black Tortoise Holy Palace isn't that easy to explore. Why don't we team up and gather more treasures before they decide a victor?"

The young woman tilted her head, thought for a moment, and nodded. She took out several clumps of spiritual light. "Perfect, you can help me check these out…"

Just then, they sensed something. Their expressions suddenly changed, and they stared intently to the north.

"What dense malevolent energy!" the slender man exclaimed in alarm.

The Arctic Ice Plains had undergone earth-shattering changes.

A terrifying malevolent energy enveloped the ice plains. The creatures living there were plunged into unprecedented fear. Even the ferocious beasts, whose natures were violent due to the influence of the Six Heavens Ancient Qi, had their instincts awakened, prostrating on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

Around the demon Sages, smoke billowed, and malevolent energy surged skyward.

At this moment, the expressions of the demon Sages were exceptionally grim. Although the 'Immortal Senior' had repeatedly warned them, they had not anticipated that the power of this treasure would be so terrifying. No wonder it was able to capture the two demons, Jin and Qing.

"Kill!""Kill!""Kill!"

A fierce wind raged. Ahead, cries of battle shook the heavens, as a uniformly ordered, endless army formation resembled a black torrent.

This was a military killing formation. The warriors feared no death, with only one word in their hearts—kill!

The nearly substantial malevolent energy converged into black dragons. The terrifying killing intent was surprisingly able to assault the minds of the demon Sages. They had never seen such an army. They had long since summoned their respective domains, but these were suppressed by the malevolent energy, as they watched the malevolent energy black dragons maneuver expertly before them.

Faced with the enemy's charge, they gradually fell into a disadvantage. The army formation charged, and the malevolent energy black dragons crushed all who dared to resist. Had it not been for the 'Immortal Senior's' guidance and their prior preparations, they might have already been defeated.

It was unimaginable for ordinary people how a normal army in this world, no matter how well-trained, could suppress demon Sages simply by relying on a military formation.

The demon Sages now saw the outline of a mausoleum being drawn above the army formation. An endless stream of troops poured out from the dark mausoleum. No matter how many the demon Sages slaughtered, they were replenished, seemingly without end.

This mausoleum seemed to be reviving. Its true power had not yet been fully unleashed. Once it fully emerged, its power would likely be even more terrifying than it was now!

"Truly worthy of being a supreme military artifact!"

Grand Sage Dao Dan recalled what Fellow Daoist Mu had said earlier. His heart was filled with both shock and longing.

That such a treasure existed in the world was astonishing. No wonder it could become the cornerstone of a realm!

He shifted his gaze, looking with a hint of sarcasm at Grand Sage Bei Heng and the other demons who had just arrived. How ridiculous that these fellows actually deluded themselves into thinking they could subdue such a treasure.

If this treasure possessed a spirit artifact, even a Celestial Demon might not be able to subdue it!

In the distance, Grand Sage Bei Heng sensed Grand Sage Dao Dan's gaze and let out a cold snort. His expression became even more unpleasant. They had rushed there tirelessly, only to find this scene. Grand Sage Dao Dan and the others were barely holding on, let alone subduing the supreme treasure.

"Turn back now, and you will reach the shore! It's not too late for you to realize this," Grand Sage Dao Dan's voice carried over, advising the demons on behalf of the 'Immortal Senior'.

Now, the situation was clear. The power of the supreme treasure far exceeded imagination. It was almost impossible for cultivators within this realm to subdue it.

They were now only waiting for the 'Immortal Senior' to arrive. If they could persuade Grand Sage Bei Heng and the other demons to submit, it would ease some of the pressure on them.

Grand Sage Bei Heng's expression was fluctuating. He naturally understood the current situation. He had already offended the Immortal Senior, and now was the best time to rectify his mistake.

"I will lend a hand to my fellow Daoists!"

Before Grand Sage Bei Heng could speak, Grand Sage Jialou shouted and rushed towards the battlefield. Then, the Palace Master of Xianlin Palace and the others silently followed suit.

Only a discerning person knows when to adapt to circumstances!

Grand Sage Bei Heng let out a long sigh towards the sky. His spirit sword unsheathed, continuously humming, as if venting the unwillingness in his heart.

Ripples appeared on the ink-black lake. A phantom figure slowly emerged from the water.

"Fellow Daoist Mo!"

This person was Mo Yan. Yet, his aura felt unfamiliar to Qin Sang.

Qin Sang had previously been unable to discern Mo Yan's full extent, largely due to the secrets he carried, and hadn't felt that Mo Yan's cultivation would pose a significant threat to him. But now, Mo Yan, like Qingyuan's avatar, made Qin Sang feel an unfathomable depth!

Yunyou and Mo Yan were both spirit artifacts of acquired spirit treasures, yet there was a world of difference between them. It was unclear whether the Ziwei Emperor Sword or the Rivers and Mountains Scroll was stronger.

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He looked up and saw a rift suddenly opening in the ink-colored sea of clouds above.

The sky had split open. A beam of white light tore through the sea of clouds, descending from the heavens, and above the lake, Qingyuan's figure materialized.

"This must be his true form," Qin Sang thought to himself. He felt the pressure on him suddenly dissipate and hurried forward to bow.

Qingyuan's true form was identical to his avatar, but his aura was even more profound. He nodded to Qin Sang with a smile, "I owe you much this time, Daoist."

Next, Qingyuan looked at Mo Yan, appraising him from head to toe. He cupped his hands slightly and said, "I am Qingyuan. May I ask how I should address you now, Fellow Daoist?"

Mo Yan returned the gesture, saying, "You may still call me Mo Yan, Fellow Daoist."