Chapter 1168: Tracking

After their discussion concluded, the Snake King stated gravely, "It's certain that the rate of anomaly is accelerating. Perhaps within a century, the full extent will be revealed. Barring unforeseen circumstances, everyone present here will live to see that day. This might be the greatest opportunity for our generation of cultivators! This is an unprecedented change, and we must prepare early. At the very least, our demon race must advance and retreat together to secure more treasures!"

The Red-tailed Demon King rubbed his palms, exclaiming excitedly, "We'll follow the Snake King's words! There's no deep-seated animosity between us to begin with. If there are any disputes, let's set them aside for now. Let the human race fight among themselves; the more chaotic, the better. Ideally, they'll fragment and never unite!"

The demon kings had various expressions, but none raised objections.

The Feather Demon King looked around. "No one can say for sure how the Ziwei Palace will evolve in the future. However, for our next entry into the Ziwei Palace, we'll still need the assistance of the human race's grand formation. Convening you all here is precisely to discuss the upcoming expedition to the Ziwei Palace."

While the demon kings debated, Qin Sang rarely interjected, learning many secrets of the Ziwei Palace from their discussions.

The Red-tailed Demon King felt curious and sent a voice transmission, asking, "Fellow Daoist Mingyue seems to lack enthusiasm. Aren't you planning to go to the Ziwei Palace?"

"I've heard the Ziwei Palace has been scoured repeatedly, and I know nothing about it myself. It would likely be difficult to find any treasures, so I genuinely don't have much interest," Qin Sang replied. "I'll go back and ask my master's opinion before making a decision. I've only recently formed my Nascent Soul, so the most crucial task for me is to stabilize my cultivation and practice my divine abilities."

Soon after, the demon kings agreed upon a simple protocol, though they would still need to adapt to circumstances when the time came.

Following this, a demon king finally brought up the war situation, which was Qin Sang's main concern.

"The Sins God Palace and the Ziwei Palace are connected. Since we've detected anomalies in the Ziwei Palace's immortal formation, the Sin Abyss must also be aware. Will they temporarily cease hostilities, like last time, to recover their strength, and then resume fighting after the Ziwei Palace expedition concludes?"

The Feather Demon King nodded. "That's precisely the second matter we need to discuss. Not long ago, the human race sent a message, indicating they have similar conjectures, but more importantly, they're on high alert."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

The demon kings were very curious.

"Actually, fellow Daoists, you must have sensed it from the scattered reports you've received: the Sin Abyss's offensive this time seems a bit strange. Since the war began, the Sin Abyss has been aggressive, putting on a show of a large-scale invasion, but their momentum is far less than last time. The Skyfaring Alliance lost a few cities but quickly stabilized, and then the conflict has inexplicably dragged on for several years."

The Feather Demon King lightly tapped the armrest with his fingers. "Old Taoist Zhenyi worries that the Sin Abyss is trying to lull the two-domain alliance into complacency. If the alliance relaxes even slightly, they might be caught off guard by a sudden shift, especially on the eve of the Ziwei Palace's appearance. However, I suspect the two-domain alliance might not be content with merely defending and may have other plans. Such prolonged fighting is also a huge burden for the Sin Abyss. Is the Sin Abyss's foundation truly unfathomable, or are they just bluffing?"

"So, Old Taoist Zhenyi wants to launch a proactive attack?"

The demon kings exchanged glances. One of them sneered, "Were it not for our ancestors' agreement, we wouldn't lend them a single soldier! We've already lent the human race so many demon soldiers, and that's still not enough. Now he comes knocking; does he expect us to act personally?"

The Feather Demon King flicked a finger, sending out a streak of light. "These are the terms proposed by the human race. Fellow Daoists, please take a look. When you go to the front lines, you only need to operate the city-protecting grand formation within the city and command the demon soldiers. If the situation turns unfavorable, you can retreat promptly. If there are other arrangements later, you can negotiate directly with the human race yourselves and then decide whether to participate..."

After speaking, the Feather Demon King added, "Among you all, I won't hide anything. I still hope the two-domain alliance can withstand the Sin Abyss. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but over the years, I've encountered several Nascent Soul cultivators from the Sin Abyss, especially Old Demon Ye, and they make me increasingly uneasy. This eerie, sinister feeling is something even Old Demon Tongyou, who has perfected demonic cultivation, never exuded."

The Snake King directly stated his stance, "I have similar thoughts. If the Little Cold Domain is swallowed by the Sin Abyss, it will likely be difficult to adhere to our ancestors' agreement as before. After this meeting, I will make a trip personally."

The streak of light circled the hall.

After reading it, the voices of opposition significantly weakened.

The compensation offered by the human race was indeed quite generous. Most importantly, they only needed to participate in defending the cities, which greatly reduced the danger. Even if they were defeated, with the abilities of transformed great demons, escaping beforehand should not be difficult.

For a moment, the hall fell silent as the demon kings weighed the pros and cons.

Ultimately, some demon kings agreed, while others refused.

Qin Sang was among those who agreed to take action. He had originally intended to go to the front lines. Being of human origin, and having many relatives and friends in the Little Cold Domain, he certainly felt compelled to contribute. With his escape techniques, it wouldn't be difficult to save himself even if he encountered danger. If they were truly outmatched, there would be no alternative but to become a defeated stray, exiled elsewhere. By posing as a demon king and participating in city defense, he could also receive compensation.

What Qin Sang was interested in was a rare spiritual wood called Jin-chen wood. The Ebony Sword didn't need to consume other spiritual woods for now. He wanted to prepare a second spiritual sword for himself in advance, as the artifacts he had previously acquired weren't quite suitable. Qin Sang planned to collect the spiritual materials himself and personally refine it. This would also improve his artifact refining skills, preparing him for eventually subduing the Southern Bright Flame. A spiritual sword would ideally be of the Wood element, and refining it with spiritual wood would be the most suitable. Jin-chen wood is hard and, when refined into an artifact, naturally acquires a degree of sharpness, making it a good choice.

After the two most important matters were settled, the Feather Demon King brought up a few minor issues, and the meeting quickly drew to a close.

Finally, the demon kings took the opportunity to hold a small trading session, exchanging needed items.

Having only recently advanced, Qin Sang's wealth was far inferior to that of these demon kings, so he could only watch as treasures passed by, drooling. Most of his possessions were things like Fiend Demon Pills and demon bones, which would be difficult to explain if he took them out in front of so many demon kings.

After the trading concluded, the demon kings dispersed.

Qin Sang also prepared to head south after leaving Ten-Thousand Demons City.

The Red-tailed Demon King bid farewell to Qin Sang, promising to meet again in the future. He explicitly refused to participate in the war, stating that no treasure was worth him risking his life for another race.

Returning to the temporary palace, Qin Sang called for White Crane and Fat Chicken, purchased some items in Ten-Thousand Demons City, and then headed straight out of the city.

Not long after leaving the city, Qin Sang and the two birds flew for a while when a sharp glint suddenly flashed in his eyes. Immediately after, his figure abruptly halted, and he turned his head to look behind him.

The two demons quickly stopped and looked back. The location was not far from Ten-Thousand Demons City, separated by only a few mountain ranges. At that moment, the mountains were silent, and no other figures were visible.

"Master, what's wrong?" Fat Chicken sensed something amiss and cautiously moved closer.

Qin Sang's gaze swept around, then suddenly fixed on a certain mountain peak. He let out a cold snort and declared loudly, "Fellow Daoist, following this king for no reason, I presume it's not a coincidence?"