Chapter 1090: Afterglow

"Senior..."

Qin Sang cautiously flew over. Qingzhu's aura was very weak. He wanted to go help Qingzhu, but Qingzhu waved him off. Qingzhu opened his eyes, which shone with divine light, glanced at Qin Sang, then looked at the Demonic Lord and Lingzhuzi, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Lingzhuzi and the Demonic Lord scrutinized Qingzhu, their gazes flickering, both remaining silent. The blood coffin was suppressed, and the three supreme demon-subduing treasures appeared together. The seal even merged with sword energy, falling into the black hole. The blood-red crystal wall dissolved, and space neared collapse.

At that moment, Qingzhu's voice sounded in Qin Sang's ear: "Bring them over." Before her demise, Fairy Nangui had requested Qingzhu to protect her descendants, to prevent them from falling into the hands of Lingzhuzi or the Demonic Lord. Seeing that Qingzhu's condition seemed not as bad as he had imagined, Qin Sang felt a slight relief. He flashed over, helped the young man and woman to their feet, took spirit pills from their mustard seed bags, gave them to them, and led them to Qingzhu's side.

The two barely managed to suppress their injuries and regained the strength to move, whispering thanks to Qin Sang. Passing by Sunu, Qin Sang crouched down to check and discovered that Sunu was surprisingly still alive. Perhaps because the ghost patterns were controlled by the Demonic Lord, Sunu was protected by them and not killed by the demonic roar.

Seeing Sunu covered in ghost patterns, Qin Sang hesitated, then looked up at the distant Demonic Lord, the Ghost Seal still in his hand. Half of the Demonic Lord's body appeared normal, while the other half was withered and lifeless. He sat cross-legged, fully suppressing his injuries, seemingly in no better condition than Qingzhu. Whether he would recover in the future remained unknown. Sensing Qin Sang's gaze, the Demonic Lord's eyes swept over.

"Hehe... cough! cough!" As the Demonic Lord chuckled, his aura fluctuated violently. He composed himself, glanced at Qingzhu, and with a half-smile, told Qin Sang, "You're audacious, kid, daring to refine the ancient demon's chosen vessel into a soul slave!" Then, the Demonic Lord picked up the Ghost Seal, surprisingly restoring it to its original form and tossing it to Qin Sang, disdaining to use it as a threat.

Qin Sang was slightly startled, took the Ghost Seal, helped Sunu up, and bowed, saying, "Many thanks, Senior!" The Demonic Lord cackled, "Those others were scared witless, but you dared to get involved in the fight with the ancient demon; your courage is commendable. My sect is lacking a successor. Young man, would you be willing to join Demonic Isle?" The Demonic Lord had actually extended an invitation to Qin Sang.

"I appreciate your high regard, Senior." Qin Sang replied neither obsequiously nor arrogantly, "I will seriously consider it." Since he had seen Qingzhu's true form, Qin Sang would certainly return to the Little Cold Domain with him. Whether he would return to the Canglang Sea in the future remained uncertain. However, Qin Sang also didn't want to offend this demonic overlord, so his tone was ambiguous.

Lingzhuzi interjected, "Why make things difficult for him, Daoist? I observe that this young friend's conduct is not typical of the demonic path. This time, sealing the ancient demon was entirely thanks to this young friend and you, Daoist. May I ask your Daoist title?" "I am Qingzhu. Out of necessity, I sent a clone to hide in your esteemed sect. I hope you don't take offense, Daoist." Qingzhu's expression was calm, like an ancient well, as he spoke indifferently.

"It's a minor matter." Lingzhuzi said unconcernedly, his tone rather eager, "Since you sent a clone into the Heavenly Dao Sect, we have a certain karmic connection. I wonder if Daoist Qingzhu has a place to settle? You might consider choosing an excellent cave dwelling at the Heavenly Dao Sect. If not for your valiant efforts this time, we would all have followed in the footsteps of the Grand Witch Priest. Please allow this humble Daoist to express my gratitude." "If fate allows, I will visit in the future." Qingzhu neither confirmed nor denied.

The Demonic Lord suddenly rose, without a word, slowly retreated to the edge of the space, and flashed away. Lingzhuzi's gaze shifted, his face filled with sorrow. He then told the young man and woman, "Fairy Nangui sacrificed herself to the demon. Young friends, do not forget to take the fairy's relics. And that tortoise shell, with the demon race no longer present, it is now masterless and rightfully belongs to Daoist Qingzhu..."

The young man went up and picked up Fairy Nangui's only relic, the delicate spiritual sword, and was overcome with another wave of sorrow. The young woman gently sobbed. The young man put his arm around her, comforting her softly.

"You go pick it up." Qingzhu glanced at the tortoise shell, unmoved, and casually gave it to Qin Sang. Qin Sang, always adaptable, flashed over and picked up the tortoise shell. The tortoise shell had finger holes left by the Demonic Qingzhu, but this did not affect its powerful defensive capabilities. This treasure contained pure profound water energy, meticulously refined by the Nine-Lives Profound Tortoise for countless years. Its power was extraordinary, and with a little more refining, it would become a top-tier defensive artifact. Qingzhu might not value it, but Qin Sang considered it extremely rare. He had noticed the tortoise shell earlier but hadn't dared to claim it with so many powerful cultivators present.

"Many thanks, Seniors." Qin Sang happily put it into his Qianjun Ring.

Seeing that Qingzhu was unresponsive to persuasion, Lingzhuzi's gaze narrowed slightly. Just then, a ripple of energy arrived. The old man, having repaired the ancient restriction, immediately rushed back, his face filled with anxiety. "Grandmaster!" The young man and woman rushed over, finally daring to cry aloud, reporting everything that had just happened to the old man in detail. Seeing the spiritual sword they presented with both hands, the old man's body trembled abruptly, and he suddenly looked much older. He carefully took the spiritual sword, gazed at it for a long time, and finally let out an almost inaudible sigh.

Lingzhuzi walked over and said gravely, "The leaders of the three major merchant guilds have all died by the hand of the ancient demon, leaving the guilds leaderless. Old Demon Mou has fallen, the Demonic Lord shattered the Grand Yin Sky Ghost Divine Light, and I too have exhausted my origin, using blood refinement techniques. After returning, I must go into seclusion to heal, and my chances for the next tribulation are slim. Humanity needs pillars of strength to stabilize the situation and deter evildoers. I wonder what thoughts you two Daoists have?"

"I am but a wandering Daoist, unwilling to participate in worldly disputes. I will not trouble you two Daoists further. Qin Sang, come with me." Qingzhu turned to leave.

At this moment, the young man whispered something to the old man, then suddenly ran over and handed Qin Sang a token, cupping his hands and saying, "Many thanks to Senior and Daoist Qin for your protection. Daoist Qin, I am Bao Zhengnan, and this is my younger sister, Bao Xi. Your cultivation is not yet at the peak of the Core Formation stage, yet you possess such great divine abilities. My sister and I both deeply admire you. We hope you can visit the Four Saints Palace in the future. If you activate this token in the far north of the Rain Desert, I will sense its fluctuation and personally come out to greet you."

Qin Sang glanced at Qingzhu, and seeing no indication from him, reached out to take the token, thanking him. The Four Saints Palace was extremely mysterious, being the direct lineage of the Four Saints. It controlled the ancient restrictions of the inner hall and knew many secrets. Within its sect, there were countless ancient texts and secret techniques left by the Four Saints. Both the righteous and demonic paths were highly wary of the Four Saints Palace. Holding this token certainly wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Daoist, I have one more favor to ask..." Qin Sang remembered something and handed Sunu to Bao Zhengnan. "She also contributed to defeating the ancient demon this time. I see that her soul is not extinguished, and she should awaken soon. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to take her out?" "What's difficult about that?" Bao Zhengnan immediately had Bao Xi hold Sunu and took out a precious talisman to prevent Sunu from being harmed by the restrictions of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain once they left. "Where should I take her?"