Qin Sang stood by the shore of Ink Lake, waiting for Qingyuan to send him away. Isolated from the outside world, he had no idea what was happening, but he could imagine a cataclysmic battle was surely unfolding.
Suddenly, Qin Sang saw a rift open beside him, and Qingyuan's voice echoed in his ears, "Go, Taoist Priest. We shall meet again."
"We shall meet again!"
Without seeing Qingyuan, Qin Sang bowed to the void and stepped through the spatial rift.
*Whoosh!*
A blast of icy wind, carrying bone-chilling seawater, slapped Qin Sang's face, only to be repelled by his protective vital energy, scattering into droplets.
Qin Sang steadied himself and surveyed his surroundings. All he saw was an endless expanse of ocean with icebergs floating on the surface. It seemed he had left that minor realm.
A storm raged over the sea. Under the night sky, thunderclouds gathered, and the tempest churned the ink-black water, pouring down from the clouds. Occasionally, lightning illuminated the surface, revealing waves grotesquely distorted by the gale, millions of tons of seawater torn apart, crashing into bone-shard-like spray. Abyssal chasms abruptly opened in the troughs, bottomless, swallowing an iceberg that, with a crunch, was crushed into ice powder.
Quickly orienting himself, Qin Sang strained his eyes northward but could only see a pitch-black sky, with no battlefield in sight.
"I wonder where Qingyuan sent me," Qin Sang murmured. "This terrible weather is probably a result of the great battle."
Qingyuan and Moyan's next opponents would be Dragon Island, Phoenix Pavilion, and the Demonic Court. Who knew how many demonic powerhouses had arrived upon hearing the news? Such powerful beings clashing could cause repercussions far and wide.
Though he couldn't see the battlefield, Qin Sang still felt uneasy and knew he needed to leave this place as soon as possible.
He swept his gaze around, looking southward.
Qingyuan had mentioned that the minor realm was located in the Northern Pole of the Spirit Realm, within the River of Wickedness. He should now be near the Northern Pole of the Spirit Realm. To return to Great Zhou, he simply needed to travel south.
However, on the way, he would first have to cross the vast North Sea and then traverse the Wild Demonic Domain, a journey of not just millions but billions of miles.
"The Void Butterfly and Jianmu actually sent me this far," Qin Sang sighed inwardly. "I wonder where the Void Butterfly is now."
In that minor demonic realm, the Void Butterfly never appeared at the end, seemingly having gone to a different place than he did.
With that thought, Qin Sang transformed into a streak of lightning and sped through the storm.
"Oh, you're awake?" Not long after flying, Qin Sang sensed activity in his miniature grotto-heaven and released the awakened Vermilion Bird.
"Where is this?" The Vermilion Bird shook its head, still a bit groggy.
"If nothing unexpected happened, we should be back in the Spirit Realm," Qin Sang said.
"The Spirit Realm?" The Vermilion Bird looked surprised, glancing around. "How did you get out?"
"Luck," Qin Sang replied.
It truly was luck. If he hadn't happened to encounter Qingyuan arriving to retrieve the River and Mountain Painting, he wouldn't have known how to resolve the situation.
"How do you feel now?" Qin Sang scrutinized the Vermilion Bird. It seemed its nature remained unchanged, unaffected by the Return to Ruin.
All things considered, they hadn't stayed in the Return to Ruin for very long. After entering Ink Lake, they also received Moyan's protection, which should have prevented irreversible damage to the Vermilion Bird and the others.
The Vermilion Bird examined itself, shook its head, tapped its head with a wing, and let out a big yawn. "I'm just… so sleepy!"
Suddenly, the Vermilion Bird seemed to remember something and quickly covered the Sky-Climbing Vine on its body with its wing, looking warily at Qin Sang.
"Hmm? This guy woke up quickly." Just as he spoke, Qin Sang sensed that the little Qilin had also awakened. He was surprised the little Qilin was the second to wake; Little Wu and the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly were still asleep.
*Swish!* Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird entered the miniature grotto-heaven. The little Qilin eagerly pounced at Qin Sang's feet, still holding the token in its mouth.
"What's this? Let me see," the Vermilion Bird's eyes lit up when it saw the token, and it snatched it away before the little Qilin could speak.
"Wuwu..." The little Qilin rubbed against Qin Sang's trouser leg, its face full of grievance.
Qin Sang patted the little Qilin's head and saw the Vermilion Bird intently examining the token. "Do you recognize this item?"
"I think I've seen something similar before," the Vermilion Bird said, a hint of doubt in its voice.
"Think?" Qin Sang saw that the Vermilion Bird's expression didn't seem feigned.
He had long suspected that the Vermilion Bird could recall some things; it seemed its memory hadn't fully recovered yet.
The Vermilion Bird glanced at the aggrieved little Qilin and sneered, "Hmph! I think you shouldn't be called Qilin anymore. Call yourself a Qilin-dog! You're disgracing the Qilin!"
"Stop teasing him," Qin Sang finally said fairly. "Try to remember properly what this thing is."
"It's definitely not the one I saw before; otherwise, I, the Vermilion Bird, would surely remember it!" The Vermilion Bird declared firmly.
"You mean the Vermilion Bird clan also has such tokens..." Qin Sang mused thoughtfully.
This treasure was obtained from the Black Tortoise Saint Palace, yet it carried the aura of a Qilin. Considering the status of the Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and Qilin within the Demonic Court, could it be that this type of token was bestowed upon the Four Saint Clans by the Qilin Demonic Emperor?
Qin Sang took the token. He wondered if the little Qilin's quick awakening was related to it. Unable to discern anything, he returned it to the little Qilin, who immediately hugged it tightly and scurried into the cave, refusing to come out.
Qin Sang shook his head, recalling Qingyuan's words that the Qilin clan was widely implicated. His mount would probably have to hide again. The dream of riding a Qilin and traveling across the major realms seemed far from realization.
Qin Sang then went to where the Five Elements Crown was kept. Before long, Little Wu's aura also began to change, indicating he had awakened.
Only the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly remained. Qin Sang waited for a long time, but she didn't show any signs of waking up.
"Could something be wrong?" Qin Sang felt worried, yet he couldn't detect any abnormalities in the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly.
"Wait!" Qin Sang suddenly noticed that a wisp of aura within the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly seemed different from before.
This wisp of aura was what the Void Butterfly had gifted the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly, guiding her path of transformation. The Void Butterfly hadn't directly told them what to do but allowed the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly to comprehend it herself.
During the three hundred years trapped in the ice and snow vortex, the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly had been digesting the Imperial Pulp, breaking through to the late stage of the sixth transformation. Afterward, she drifted with Qin Sang and still hadn't comprehended the secrets within the grey aura. It seemed the Return to Ruin had provided an opportunity, and the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly appeared to have made progress.
Confirming that there was nothing wrong with the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly, Qin Sang felt relieved and did not wake her.
Amidst the storm, a bolt of lightning tore through towering waves, streaking across the sky.
"Ah!" The Vermilion Bird yawned, yet its expression was quite excited. "Finally, back in the Spirit Realm! Qilin essence, here I come!"
Qin Sang poured a bucket of cold water on its enthusiasm. "Don't get too excited. The Qilin essence is probably not in the North Sea."
Just now, they had pierced through the dark clouds and observed the celestial phenomena at night, determining their next direction. It was still very far away from them. Considering the previous sight of starfire falling onto the wilderness, it had probably landed within the Wild Demonic Domain.
To reach the Wild Demonic Domain, they first needed to cross the North Sea.
"Where's Immortal Wutu? Wasn't he with you? Where did you lose him?" Qin Sang asked.
The Vermilion Bird chuckled. "When you suddenly disappeared, that guy thought you were dead and dared to harbor ill intentions toward me, the Vermilion Bird! I killed him with a flick of my hand!"
Qin Sang gave the Vermilion Bird a glance, unsure how much of its words were credible. However, Immortal Wutu was controlled by a restriction and had no loyalty to him, so it was normal for him to take the opportunity to defect.
In a golden palace hall.
Two rows of seats were arranged inside the hall.
A green-robed elder sat in the central main seat. Seeing the demonic saints enter the hall, he smiled and rose to greet them. "Fellow Daoists, you've worked hard. Please, have a seat."
Grand Saint Stealing Pills, leading the way, cupped his hands in return, then hesitated, saying, "Wood..."
The green-robed elder laughed heartily. "There's no such thing as an immortal in this world! What I said before was just a joke. Let's simply address each other as fellow Daoists."
Hearing this, the demonic saints relaxed a little. Addressing him as "Fellow Daoist Mu," they took their seats. Grand Saint Stealing Pills and the demonic saints who had previously defected to the Demonic Court sat on the green-robed elder's left. Grand Saint Beiheng sat on his right. Neutral figures like Grand Saint Meteor Frost and other demons consciously took seats furthest down, with the three factions clearly delineated.
Looking at the green-robed elder in the main seat, the demonic saints' expressions were complex. The previous great battle had ended. Although they weren't clear about the final outcome, they had all been invited by the Demonic Court, so presumably, the Demonic Court was the victor.
However, they still hadn't seen a single Sky Demon. This Fellow Daoist Mu, who communicated with them the most, only possessed cultivation at the Integration Stage.
"Regarding my previous proposal, what are your thoughts, fellow Daoists?" The green-robed elder looked around.
The demonic saints exchanged glances. The green-robed elder had previously urged them to join the Demonic Court. Having just entered the Spirit Realm, as long as they could establish themselves, joining any faction wouldn't make much difference. However, joining the Demonic Court required changing their cultivation path.
Grand Saint Beiheng glanced at Grand Saint Stealing Pills. The demonic saints who had previously joined the Demonic Court remained silent, clearly having already made their decision.
After a moment of thought, Grand Saint Beiheng bowed slightly and asked, "After we join the Demonic Court, must we switch to cultivating ancient methods?"
"It is an ancient method, yet not an ancient method. It is the wondrous Mahayana Dharma!" the green-robed elder said meaningfully.
"Can we continue cultivating our previous techniques?" Grand Saint Garuda pressed.
"Of course, you may. However, once you understand the wondrous Mahayana Dharma, I believe you will make the correct choice."
The green-robed elder's words were pleasant to the ear, but all the demonic saints understood that without changing to the Demonic Court's cultivation methods, they would never gain its trust.
But if they didn't join the Demonic Court, would the Demonic Court let them leave?
"Forgive my presumption," Grand Saint Beiheng interjected, stopping Grand Saint Garuda from pressing further. "Is this place also within a minor realm?"
"Indeed," the green-robed elder nodded.
Grand Saint Beiheng's gaze sharpened as he looked outside the hall. The hall doors were wide open, revealing the brilliant star river in the night sky, with some stars appearing particularly dazzling.
The demonic saints had long noticed these stars; their starlight was distinctly different from other celestial bodies.
"Could those stars be..."
"Exactly as you're thinking, fellow Daoist!" The green-robed elder chuckled, seeing the incredulous expressions on the demonic saints' faces. "After ancient demonic techniques consecrated soul-stars, they hung high in the sky, manifesting to the world. Though they possess various wonders like inextinguishable starlight and immortal bodies and souls, there was one major drawback: wherever their starlight shone, all beings could see them. Soul-stars were difficult to move, and hiding them was as hard as ascending to the heavens! This was fine during the Demonic Court's peak, but once it declined, they became living targets, which was the root cause of the ancient Demonic Court's demise! Since that's the case, wouldn't hiding the soul-stars in minor realms solve this problem?"
"But..." Grand Saint Beiheng still looked puzzled.
Minor realms and major realms observe the same starry sky, so theoretically, it was indeed feasible.
But how could minor realms compare to major realms? Otherwise, why would cultivators in minor realms eagerly seek ascension to major realms?
The world they had previously inhabited was not an ordinary minor realm. After breaking through to the Demonic Saint realm, they had all felt constrained in their cultivation, as if burdened by an invisible shackles.
Why would the Demonic Court, seemingly in decline, willingly confine itself to a minor realm?
The green-robed elder tapped the armrest, then walked to the hall entrance under the gaze of the demonic saints. Outside, starlight illuminated everything. Azure mountains stretched like painted brows, and across the boundless land, plants thrived, exceptionally fertile. Birds and beasts congregated, and various demons occupied their respective places.
This was a world purer than the one Grand Saint Beiheng and his companions had been in, a world belonging solely to demons. Although a minor realm, it possessed an air of a major realm!
"It's a minor realm now, so if we work together to help it become a major realm, wouldn't that solve everything?"
At that moment, before the hall doors, the green-robed elder's slender figure seemed like a mighty mountain.
Silence fell within the hall.
The demonic saints knew that the green-robed elder was undoubtedly holding back information, yet they were still shaken by the Demonic Court's ambition.
"Wondrous Mahayana Dharma… Wondrous Mahayana Dharma..." Grand Saint Beiheng muttered, lost in thought.
Seeing that everyone remained silent, Grand Saint Stealing Pills lightly coughed and changed to a lighter topic. "Where is that human Mahayana now?"
"That individual promised to personally guard the geomembrane rift for a thousand years."
In an unknown space.
Ink-colored clouds, an ink-colored lake, ink-colored mountains, ink-colored stones—there was even an ink-colored sun! Everything around was black, yet the ink-colored mountains were vibrant with greenery. A banyan tree, only three zhang tall, had a not-so-wide canopy that gently tilted forward. Qingyuan sat beneath the tree, his breathing long and steady.
The green-robed elder returned to his seat, taking in the expressions of all the demonic saints. He knew that such matters could not be forced. The Demonic Court needed true companions; if they harbored resentment after joining, it would become a hidden danger.
After a moment's thought, the green-robed elder shifted his tone and asked, "May I ask which fellow Daoist's immortal abode is adjacent to the Arctic Ice Plain?"
Grand Saint Meteor Frost's expression subtly tightened. He exchanged glances with two other demonic saints, then rose and said, "Our abodes are near the ice plain, but..."
Seeing the hidden worry in Grand Saint Meteor Frost's expression, the green-robed elder waved his hand, speaking in a relaxed tone. "No worries! No worries! I merely wish to ask a small matter of you all."
Grand Saint Meteor Frost sighed in relief. "Please ask, Fellow Daoist Mu. We will certainly tell you everything we know."
The green-robed elder nodded. "In the past few years, have any strange events occurred near your immortal abode, fellow Daoists?"
"Strange events?" The demonic saints looked at each other. After clarifying the specific timeframe, only Grand Saint Meteor Frost wore a thoughtful expression.
"During that period, two demon kings under my command mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Initially, I suspected it was related to the Ghost Treasury..."
The green-robed elder inquired about the identities of the two demon kings, then closed his eyes to sense for a moment. "Found them!"
I have a busy day tomorrow, so I'm taking a day off in advance. (End of Chapter)
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