Chapter 1200: Save Me

There was too little information; Tan Hao's whereabouts remained a mystery.

Just then, Qin Sang made another discovery. He looked down at the floor, then with a sudden sweep of his sleeve, moved the meditation mat, spiritual array, and all other items out of the stone house.

A moment later.

Qin Sang extended a hand, palm facing the ground, and slowly pressed downwards. Within the Heavenly Eye of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, intricate patterns began to intertwine.

A cracking sound echoed. The ground, unable to bear the pressure, began to fracture, forming numerous cracks.

Just then, a surge of dark light erupted, the ground collapsed, and the stone house tilted precariously. There was a hidden world beneath the surface!

With a casual wave, Qin Sang stabilized the stone house. The Twelve Demon Banners continued to circle him, ready to counter any unforeseen changes.

However, the restrictions beneath the stone house were surprisingly weak, nowhere near as potent as the Witch Clan's restrictions outside. They had clearly been set up by human cultivators.

'This aligns with Tan Hao's cultivation level,' Qin Sang mused thoughtfully.

He easily uncovered the secret hidden beneath the stone house. Finding a rather spacious area below, he entered a crack and slowly descended.

Qin Sang quickly landed on solid ground. His divine sense spread out, surveying the entire surrounding terrain.

In the center of the space stood a peculiar circular altar. Aside from it, the entire area was empty, though Qin Sang noticed some fragments. These were likely remnants of artifacts or other items that had been here, now damaged by some impact. Only the altar remained intact, hinting at its unusual nature.

As Qin Sang was about to approach the altar, he seemed to spot something. He paused, reached down, and drew a fragment into his palm. The fragment was exquisitely translucent, pure white like jade, without the slightest blemish. 'White jade…' he murmured.

Qin Sang recalled the time they had broken into a branch of the Heavenly Corpse Sect. When the Earth Fiend Qi erupted, he and Yu Daiyue had taken refuge within the Heavenly Corpse Sect's grounds, escaping the calamity only by utilizing a spiritual array with white jade at its core.

'Is this a Heavenly Corpse Sect branch?' Qin Sang wondered. 'There's no Earth Fiend Qi; perhaps it was all dispersed by the upheaval a century ago.' His heart stirred, and he swiftly moved towards the altar.

The circular altar was intricately carved with peculiar patterns. At its center, a mass of black qi floated, remaining condensed and refusing to disperse, its true nature unknown.

Qin Sang observed it for a while, unable to discern the black qi's origin. After a moment of hesitation, he sent out a wisp of his divine sense, cautiously probing the black mass.

'Save me…' The instant his divine sense brushed against the black qi, a voice suddenly emanated from it. The voice was hoarse and grating, like two pieces of metal scraping together—the desperate, strained plea of an old woman who had seemingly been parched for countless years.

Qin Sang's expression shifted. He immediately severed that wisp of divine sense, and the demonic banners around him rustled. The black qi then returned to its normal state.

After waiting for a moment and confirming there was no abnormality, Qin Sang once again sent his divine sense to probe. 'Save me…'

The same voice echoed once more. Clearly, it wasn't a fresh cry but a persistent plea, emanating from within the altar, constantly seeking help.

Being both skilled and daring, Qin Sang used his divine sense to ask questions. However, the voice remained unchanged, offering no response to Qin Sang, merely repeating its plea again and again.

'Tan Hao must have found this altar,' Qin Sang thought to himself. 'Chen Heng must have been here too. It's highly probable they either saw the person calling for help or have already rescued them.'

Then, he discovered that the black mist contained not just a cry for help, but also a more complete message: 'Free me from this predicament, and I shall impart to you a supreme cultivation method. I hereby make a karmic oath; there will surely be a reward!'

'A karmic oath?' Qin Sang silently repeated the words. It was his first time hearing of such a thing. It sounded similar to a heart demon oath, but the term 'karma' itself was far more profound and mysterious than mere heart demons.

Such an abstruse concept as 'karma' was beyond the grasp of Nascent Soul cultivators. Qin Sang himself had never heard of it, let alone Tan Hao or Chen Heng. Who could say what a karmic oath truly was, or if it possessed any binding power?

After this message, the black qi suddenly churned, then formed an image, only to revert to its original black form moments later. 'That outline… it's the entire Sky Mark!' Qin Sang instantly imprinted the image in his mind. He then realized that a specific location on the Sky Mark image was uniquely marked, likely a guiding beacon to the mysterious person's trapped location.

At this point, the situation became clearer. This location was likely a branch altar of the Heavenly Corpse Sect. The sect itself had long perished, leaving this branch abandoned. However, a mysterious individual was trapped within the Heavenly Corpse Sect's confines, constantly trying to reach out for help. The upheaval a century ago was likely orchestrated by this mysterious person to draw someone in and secure their release. Chen Heng was indeed lured here, and he almost certainly acquired the Heavenly Corpse Sect's legacy, though whether he successfully rescued the mysterious person remained unknown. Tan Hao, acquiring Chen Heng's bequeathed items, tracked his path here, also discovering the mysterious person's plea. He stayed for a period before leaving and subsequently disappearing.

'The marked location is likely the Heavenly Corpse Sect's main altar. Such altars could facilitate communication between the main and branch altars, and even remotely activate their power; ancient texts contain similar records,' Qin Sang mused. 'Whether the sealed mysterious person is benevolent or malevolent is unknown, and that karmic oath is indeed quite daunting. However, Tan Hao is desperate to find a cure, so regardless of its authenticity, he would undoubtedly proceed to the marked location.' With the Heavenly Corpse Sect clue now unearthed, Chen Heng's whereabouts became less significant. Qin Sang analyzed these pieces of information, deducing Tan Hao's probable next move.

His greatest puzzle, however, was why Tan Hao had stayed here for so long, and from where the Witch Clan restrictions originated.

'Perhaps Tan Hao has already rescued the mysterious person, which is why no one responded to me. Then they returned here, used this place as a temporary dwelling to recuperate, and then departed… Could the mysterious person have left the restrictions?' Qin Sang theorized, feeling this was the only explanation that made logical sense.

The mysterious person either possessed mastery of Witch Clan secret arts or was, in fact, a member of the Witch Clan! A chill ran through Qin Sang. The Beichen Realm and the other three realms had no Witch Clan members. Could this mysterious individual be a powerful Witch Clan expert, like Bai, who had survived from ancient times until now? And where had they gone now?

As for why the mysterious person was trapped and their relationship with the Heavenly Corpse Sect, Qin Sang couldn't speculate. He would only know by investigating in person.

After lengthy contemplation, Qin Sang decided to personally visit the location marked on the image. His objective was the same as Tan Hao's – to find a way to save someone. He would undoubtedly retrace Tan Hao's path.

Qin Sang was extremely wary of the mysterious person. If this individual were the ancestor of the Heavenly Corpse Sect and had propagated its doctrines, they might not be aligned with the righteous path.

However, Tan Hao had already served as a trailblazer. Given Tan Hao's limited cultivation, he wouldn't have been able to perfectly conceal his tracks. As long as he had visited the marked location, Qin Sang was confident he would find clues, allowing him to make calm judgments and informed decisions.

Satisfied that he hadn't missed anything, Qin Sang ascended back to the surface. He channeled his true essence, restoring the stone house's restrictions and all its contents. After a moment's thought, he etched two characters – 'Kuiyin' – into a corner of the jade table. Only Qin Sang and Tan Yien knew of Tan Hao's brothers' experiences in the Kuiyin Sect. However, on second thought, Qin Sang erased the inscription.