Chapter 1140: Demon King's Birthday

The Willow Spirit, seeing Qin Sang's dilemma, whispered, "These three treasuries might all contain treasures, or perhaps only one of them does. If Young Master Qin wishes to steal treasures, an opportunity will arise soon. You can seize the chance during Demon King Qianji's birthday banquet."

"A Demon King holding a birthday banquet?" Qin Sang was surprised. He then realized he had made another error based on his limited experience. Great demons who have awakened their intelligence, whether through the Emperor's Life-Giving Dew or by transforming themselves, are no less intelligent than humans, so holding a birthday banquet is not strange. After entering Heavenly Demon Mound, Qin Sang had noticed that the behavior of these demons showed even more emphasis on etiquette than humans, as if they feared being mocked for having achieved enlightenment yet still retaining their wild instincts.

"Animal spirits and monsters, in their ignorant state, do not know the year or month of their birth, and we plant spirits even less so. Therefore, most demons consider the day they suddenly awaken their spiritual sense and learn to absorb the essence of heaven and earth for cultivation as their birthday," the Willow Spirit explained briefly. It then continued, "After Demon King Qianji transformed, he holds a birthday banquet every sixty years. At that time, Demon King Qianji will leave his cave, and other Demon Kings familiar with him will send their lesser demons with gifts. That will be the most chaotic time in the Myriad Serpent Abyss, and you might be able to steal treasures amidst the confusion. The next banquet is next year…"

Qin Sang calculated with his fingers. It was already late autumn, so Demon King Qianji's birthday banquet was just a few months away. The Willow Spirit's suggestion held great promise, but they knew nothing about the Demon King's treasury, and Qin Sang couldn't guarantee he could open each one without alerting Demon King Qianji.

"Young Master Qin, the old monkey and I still have some strength; we can sneak in with you," the Willow Spirit said.

"No! You must stay outside and absolutely not appear before Demon King Qianji!" Qin Sang decisively refused without hesitation. He dared to contemplate the Demon King's treasures because, first, he relied on several great divine abilities, and second, he had comprehended part of the Corpse Soul Bead's power, making his strength far surpass that of ordinary Golden Core peak cultivators like Bai. Even if he failed, he had a good chance of escaping. The Willow Spirit and the old monkey, however, lacked such abilities. Once exposed, it would be a dead end for them and would also implicate the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea.

Hearing this, a strange gleam flickered in the Willow Spirit's eyes, and it silently nodded.

Qin Sang thought for a moment and said, "Please continue to gather intelligence on Demon King Qianji's birthday banquet. Find out if any other Demon Kings will personally attend to offer congratulations. Additionally, before taking this risk, I need to first determine the fastest escape route from the Myriad Serpent Abyss."

"As you command!" The Willow Spirit accepted the order and departed.

Qin Sang pondered for a long time, then suddenly returned to his cave, woke Bai, and told him his plan.

"Although your evasion techniques are strong, they can at most match a Demon King's. However, you don't have the Three Radiance Jade Elixir, and your True Essence is far inferior to a Demon King's. Simply focusing on escape won't work," Bai reminded Qin Sang.

Qin Sang understood that he couldn't yet be compared to a transformed great demon, but fortunately, he had already devised a countermeasure. "I purchased a Mist Veil Pill and a set of restraining magical artifacts. This spirit formation set is even more valuable than the Mist Veil Pill. With you personally overseeing it, we can set up an ambush in advance on my escape route. Even a Demon King, once caught, would find it difficult to break free instantly. At that point, we can calmly choose to escape, or use the Twelve Demon Banner Grand Formation to launch a sneak attack…" Seeing that Qin Sang had already made detailed plans, Bai raised no objections and agreed to help him steal the treasures.

After Demon King Lihong left, the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea returned to peace. Qin Sang continued his arduous cultivation in his cave, further perfecting his sword formation. Unbeknownst to him, another half a year had passed.

The Myriad Serpent Abyss is located south of the Cloud Cang River, close to the edge of the desert. Here, countless abysses crisscross like a fishing net, with the longest extending for hundreds of thousands of miles, cutting through the desert. The Myriad Serpent Abyss is actually just a portion of these abysses; after Demon King Qianji occupied it, the vicinity became his territory and was named Myriad Serpent Abyss.

Outside the abyss, mountains stood in abundance, verdant as far as the eye could see. It was the height of summer, and the heat was oppressive, yet the Myriad Serpent Abyss remained persistently cold and eerie.

On this day, with sand and stones flying, lesser demons frequently arrived in droves, riding demon mist and demon wind, entering the abyss. Inside the Myriad Serpent Abyss, an atmosphere of celebration prevailed. Even uncultivated lesser demons could feel the joy, dancing with glee.

Demon King Qianji's cave was in the deepest part of the Myriad Serpent Abyss, but the birthday banquet was held by the shore of a beautiful dark lake, the most picturesque spot in the abyss. As night fell, lanterns and colorful decorations adorned the area, and human-head-sized luminous pearls were embedded everywhere. A group of beautiful women, like butterflies flitting among flowers, moved to and fro with smiles, carrying wooden trays, unafraid as they weaved through the strangely shaped demonic beasts.

Golden tables and jade altars, jade liquor and exquisite beverages, rare delicacies were all neatly arranged, emitting an exotic fragrance. On the stage, human women played music, while demon snakes danced in unison. Though these demon snakes had serpentine bodies, they wore flower crowns, their scales were pink or purple, and their vertical pupils, far from being cold, conveyed endless charm. Their dances were extraordinarily alluring, and even the occasional flick of their tongues had a unique allure. Far from being terrifying, they captivated the lesser demons even more than the human women, driving them wild with desire. The lesser demons' hearts burned, and they howled excitedly.

Inside the cave, Demon King Qianji heard the commotion outside and burst into laughter. He said to the stunning half-human, half-snake demoness beside him, "My Lady, the auspicious hour is approaching. If we don't show ourselves soon, the little ones will be impatient."

"What's the hurry? If they can't wait, let your favorite concubine accompany you out," the snake demoness, who was still grooming herself, shot him a glance. Although she was half-human and half-snake, like Granny Snake's spirit beast, she had not yet broken through the transformation stage, possessing only a mid-stage demon core.

"Ah! She is merely a plaything; how could she compare to my Lady? It is my birthday, and of course, I can only fully enjoy it with my Lady by my side!" Demon King Qianji thumped his chest righteously. "I just acquired a batch of excellent spirit wine. It's a pity that my father-in-law is caught up in trivial matters and cannot come to drink with me."

"Nonsense! Since when does a father-in-law personally attend his son-in-law's birthday celebration?" The snake demoness glared at him.

Demon King Qianji laughed heartily. "My fault! My fault! I will personally deliver the immortal brew to my father-in-law another day."

The snake demoness leaned slightly against the Demon King, smiled charmingly, gently raised her jade arm, and said in a sweet voice, "My dear, aren't you going to help me up?"

"As you command—" Demon King Qianji and his wife appeared, triggering a storm of cheers like a mountain roaring and a tsunami. The auspicious hour had arrived, and the birthday banquet began.

Demon King Qianji and his wife took their seats of honor. Subordinates sent by other Demon Kings came forward one by one to present congratulatory gifts. Then, the lesser demons serving under Demon King Qianji offered their respects, wishing their great king eternal immortal blessings and a lifespan as long as the heavens.

Inside the Myriad Serpent Abyss, immortal music played, a stark contrast to the desolate Gobi, making it seem like a paradise.

Little did anyone know, a figure was already lurking in the shadows, using the chaos to stealthily approach the Demon King's cave.

"Fortunately, no other Demon Kings have appeared so far, and the guards here are indeed significantly weaker, with everyone's attention drawn to the banquet ahead, their minds drifting…" Qin Sang, having stealthily arrived, hid in the shadows, cautiously observing the area ahead.