Chapter 1196: Alone

After another period of private discussion, the Serpent King added more conditions, but Qin Sang rejected them all.

Qin Sang wasn't lacking in magic treasures. His Ebony Sword was on the verge of evolving into a supreme-grade magic treasure, and the demonic banner's power was equally formidable. These were sufficient to ensure he wouldn't need to specifically seek out more treasures during his Nascent Soul stage.

Realizing Qin Sang genuinely didn't want to go and wasn't merely bargaining, the Serpent King reluctantly bid farewell.

After seeing off the Serpent King, Qin Sang thought to himself that he couldn't keep waiting for the Ebony Sword. He decided to depart as soon as possible, allowing it to slowly refine on the journey. He also planned to maintain a low profile upon arriving at the Sinister Abyss. Otherwise, if the Serpent King and his group caused any trouble there, leading to a lockdown, Qin Sang would also suffer an undeserved calamity.

Considering this, Qin Sang quickly arranged all his affairs. He found Jing and Lin, informing them of his impending departure for a period. Although they weren't entirely pleased, they understood there was no valid reason to stop him. Fortunately, the Sinister Abyss's influence hadn't been as aggressive lately, and Zen Spirit had completely retreated into hiding.

"I've already refined the Azure Luan Thunder Force, and my Thunder Evasion technique has greatly improved. Moreover, I've felt the late-stage bottleneck loosening. Master, if you venture into such a perilous place alone and encounter any trouble, wouldn't it be difficult without someone to assist? I am willing to lay down my life and serve you with utmost loyalty, always obeying your commands."

Before his departure, the Fat Chicken showed up, shamelessly begging Qin Sang to take it with him. Qin Sang glanced at the Fat Chicken. "Aren't you afraid that if a Sinister Abyss Nascent Soul cultivator chases us, I'll just throw you out as bait?"

The Fat Chicken's expression stiffened. "As long as it buys Master a chance to escape, I'm willing to die!" it stammered. It was unclear if even it believed what it was saying.

Qin Sang sneered but still decided to bring the Fat Chicken along, thinking it might prove useful.

Less than half a month after the Serpent King's departure, Qin Sang set off. According to his planned route, he couldn't traverse the enemy lines directly or pass through the grasslands to enter the Sinister Abyss. It was best to take a detour through the Great Desert. This would take more time but would be safer.

He first traveled west, crossed Stonebend Mountain, and arrived near Hukou Pass, where the demon race was stationed. The Sinister Abyss's defenses here were much more relaxed. Qin Sang found a gap and quietly left the Skywalk Plateau. The surroundings became increasingly desolate. After traveling a distance into the Gobi Desert, he saw endless stretches of yellow sand.

The desert was unbearably hot, a stark contrast to the cold Skywalk Plateau; it felt like two different worlds. Between the massive sand dunes, scorching winds prevailed, gradually forming the precursors of a sandstorm.

At that moment, a figure silently appeared atop a dune, frowning as he gazed ahead, seeing the world turn a hazy yellow as a sandstorm approached! An invisible barrier seemed to surround him, keeping all wind and sand at bay, making him appear oblivious to the formidable sandstorm.

This person was Qin Sang. He observed the path ahead, muttering to himself, "The patrols are becoming fewer and fewer. After another stretch, I should be able to travel boldly at full speed." Given his cultivation, he had little to fear, unless he encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Sinister Abyss. Considering that this area was occupied by the Sinister Abyss, Qin Sang maintained a very low profile to avoid trouble, which naturally slowed his pace.

*Boom!*

In an instant, the sky darkened, and the land became dim. The sandstorm swept in.

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes, his figure shimmering before he vanished, passing through the sandstorm with remarkable ease. After flying for a while longer, a patch of green suddenly appeared in his sight.

"Another oasis, and the spiritual energy seems quite abundant..."

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then activated his Breath Concealing Art and flew towards the oasis. Soon after, Qin Sang stood on a green mountain at the center of the oasis, looking at the surrounding ruins, and let out a barely perceptible sigh. This had clearly once been the site of a cultivation sect. Now, its gates had been destroyed by the Sinister Abyss, and its disciples' fates were unknown—whether dead or alive, or where they had scattered. Fortunately, the Sinister Abyss hadn't gone so far as to slaughter mortals; the ordinary people in the oasis could still survive, though life in the desert without cultivator protection was much harder.

Along his journey, similar scenes were common. Cultivators in the desert had faced the Sinister Abyss's wrath quite early on.

"What exactly does the Sinister Abyss want? And Old Demon Ye, is it just to become the co-ruler of the Northern Star Realm?" Qin Sang shook his head and continued on his way. The vast desert seemed endless.

This journey was also a form of training for him. Qin Sang focused primarily on travel, but whenever he encountered unique desert landscapes, he would stop to observe. He even deliberately ventured deeper into the desert to experience its cultivation world and the Sinister Abyss's influence there, aiming to learn as much as possible about it.

During this leg of his journey, he witnessed various cultivation sects in the desert and many unique Daoist techniques practiced by desert cultivators. Among them was a top-tier sect, overseen by a Nascent Soul cultivator, with an ancient lineage no less distinguished than the famous sects of the Little Cold Domain. Unfortunately, this sect was originally located in an oasis near the Sinister Abyss. Due to circumstances, they had to abandon their mountain gate and relocate deep into the desert to avoid disaster. Fortunately, the Northern Star Great Desert was vast enough that the Sinister Abyss's grasp couldn't reach every corner.

However, to Qin Sang's surprise, the Sinister Abyss was capable of fighting on two fronts! As Qin Sang traveled, he coincidentally met the Grand Elder of that sect. Their encounter was brief and coincidental; they didn't pry into each other's secrets but sat to discuss the Dao, both gaining insights. Afterward, Qin Sang departed gracefully.

The desert was not short of secret realms or forbidden zones, but Qin Sang had no mind to seek treasures. Traveling intermittently like this, it took him nearly two months to cross the Northern Star Desert diagonally and finally enter the Sinister Abyss.

Being wartime, the Sinister Abyss itself dared not relax its guard for a moment. Cultivators remaining in their sects frequently patrolled. Qin Sang's pace was forced to slow down again, which gave him an opportunity to gradually learn about the Sinister Abyss's geography, enrich his senior sister's geomancy map, and slowly approach the direction of Jinhun Mountain.

This was not the blood-soaked, corpse-strewn demonic realm that the Two Domains Alliance propagated. In the heartland of the Sinister Abyss, mortals lived in peace and prosperity. Because most cultivation sects were concentrated on both sides of the Heavenly Rift, the Sinister Abyss's strategy for mortals differed from that of the Little Cold Domain. They instead dispatched low-level disciples with no hope of further cultivation to become monarchs, manage mortals, and select talented disciples. Yet, for some unknown reason, warfare was still unavoidable in the mortal world. Qin Sang didn't delve deeper; after gaining a general understanding, he quickened his pace.

The Jinhun Mountain sect gate was on the eastern bank of the Heavenly Rift. After repeatedly evading patrol guards, Qin Sang finally saw the legendary Heavenly Rift! The sight before him was indeed astonishing, no wonder it was called the Heavenly Rift! The earth here had split open, a thousand *li* wide, bottomless, extending straight down to the Nine Netherworld! It made one wonder if, one day, the two landmasses would completely separate.

Endless white mist rose from the depths of the Sinister Abyss. Even cultivators pouring spiritual energy into their eyes found it difficult to see the opposite bank. Amidst the mist, fragments of restrictions floated, shimmering with strange colors and an aura of profound mystery. Ordinary cultivators dared not cross the Heavenly Rift directly by air. In some of the narrowest parts of the Heavenly Rift, various factions had established teleportation arrays. Their teleportation range was far inferior to ancient arrays but happened to be suitable for this location.

"What a Heavenly Rift!" Qin Sang exclaimed.