Chapter 1429: Demon-Subduing Staff

Rain on Bluestone

Disaster struck the Empty Spirit Sea.In the horrified eyes of countless cultivators, a fiery current erupted, shooting straight into the clouds. Some Golden Core cultivators, unable to escape in time, were instantly engulfed by the fiery current.

The Net Sea Sect was directly overturned by the fiery current, with surviving fragments of land pushed up from the seabed. Some of these fragments still bore pavilions and terraces, their Buddhist enchantments flickering, but they were all rapidly being consumed by the fiery current. Nearby cultivators witnessed figures rushing out from within. These Nascent Soul cultivators had not perished; instead, they each unleashed their unique abilities. Before retreating, they even remembered to snatch up treasures that had been dislodged by the fiery current. In their urgency, they didn't care about the grade of the items, simply grabbing what they could and fleeing. They quickly fled before the crimson flame aura fully erupted.

The fiery current brought forth a crimson flame storm, spreading rapidly in all directions and engulfing the low-level cultivators who watched in horror. The seawater evaporated. Giant waves surged. Large ships, unable to retreat in time, were either overturned or instantly disintegrated, swallowed by the flames. Low-level cultivators with insufficient cultivation bases had their flesh stripped away by the scorching storm, dying in terror. Only in their final moments did they recall an ancient warning passed down in the cultivation world: "Do not approach high-level cultivators, especially battlefields between Nascent Soul cultivators." For a time, tragic scenes continuously emerged.

In mid-air, Old Man Hunmo did not scramble for the Net Sea Sect's relics like the others. His pupils were dark, and he scanned his surroundings like a hawk, but ultimately, he failed to find the suspicious figure he sought.

Southeast of the Empty Spirit Sea, beyond its borders, occupied islands could occasionally be seen, where many cultivators were active. Two figures were flying discreetly over the sea, seemingly on guard. After flying for some time, the surroundings were an endless expanse of blue, with not even a desolate island in sight.

"Senior's aquatic dwelling is right here," said the burly man with a rough appearance after observing for a moment. He raised his hand and pointed forward, then flew ahead for a bit before submerging beneath the sea surface. The other person followed closely.

These two were none other than Qin Sang and Tan Hao. It was now the fourth day after the great battle at the Net Sea Sect. That day, upon leaving the Net Sea Sect, Qin Sang suppressed his injuries and fled far away with Tan Hao without looking back or stopping for a moment. He hadn't sought out Valley Master Mu and was unsure how the Net Sea Sect incident had concluded.

They were now searching for the Ghost Mother's former cave dwelling. Tan Hao had lived there for a while when he followed the Ghost Mother to the Northern Sea. The fact that this dwelling had remained undiscovered for so long demonstrated its extreme concealment. Qin Sang could use it to heal his injuries, organize his gains, and plan his next steps.

*Whoosh!*

The two hadn't descended far before they saw a submerged dark island. Tan Hao tried to form a hand seal, and the center of the dark island flickered with a faint light, which then transformed into a door. Qin Sang followed Tan Hao through the entrance. Inside, he found only a few stone chambers. The spiritual energy was exceptionally dense, but the furnishings were extremely simple, with several chambers being completely empty.

"Senior Ghost Mother hasn't returned," Tan Hao replied after pushing open a few doors and checking.

"It seems she really has left the Northern Sea," Qin Sang said, nodding without much hope. He casually chose a chamber and was about to enter when he paused slightly. "Brother Tan, how are your injuries?"

"I took a spiritual pill, and I'm fine now, all thanks to Brother Qin for blocking the fiery current," Tan Hao recalled their final encounter that day, feeling a lingering fear but also some excitement. After all, he had collaborated with Qin Sang to successfully snatch a prize from under the noses of Grand Cultivators!

Qin Sang hummed. "I remember you mentioned having been active in this area before and having some connections, so you shouldn't be suspected. Once the commotion dies down, go out and gather information. It's inconvenient for me to show my face for now. Also, see if there are any unusual movements from the descendants of Qi and Wang. Old Man Hunmo might be watching them, so be extremely careful and avoid direct contact."

Qin Sang was still concerned about the Spirit Ascension Ceremony but wasn't planning to visit Hundred Flowers Valley immediately. By observing the movements of Qi and Wang's descendants, he might be able to glean the outcome of that great battle and whether anyone had survived.

*Three against two.**At the last moment, I also seized the opportunity to guide the power of the Thousand Buddha Wall and dealt a blow to Old Man Hunmo, buying them time. At least one of them should have escaped, right?* Qin Sang mused silently.

Tan Hao nodded. "I'll go out in a few days."

"Also, help me inquire about individuals or factions in the Boundless Sea who are skilled in alchemy..." Qin Sang pondered the tasks he needed to accomplish next, then finally said, "Though your Demon Subduing Staff is a Buddhist treasure, cultivators outside the Buddhist sect can fortunately use it. Because it's a magical treasure focused solely on combat and slaughter, its abilities are singular, but its power has increased as a result. Although it's a top-grade magical treasure, once you've thoroughly refined it, it should be able to display power comparable to a supreme-grade magical treasure..."

The precious staff he had seized from the Buddhist temple was called the Demon Subduing Staff. Tan Hao's face lit up with surprise upon hearing this. With this magical treasure, he wouldn't fear those veteran Nascent Soul cultivators after his breakthrough.

Just then, Qin Sang's tone shifted, and he chuckled, "For now, keep it with me. Let's see if I can change the Demon Subduing Staff's form. Otherwise, even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't dare use it in public, unless you're not afraid of Old Man Hunmo's minions tracking you down."

Tan Hao shuddered at the thought of being targeted by Old Man Hunmo.

*Thump!*

Qin Sang closed the door and set up restrictions. He summoned the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet. The puppet was scorched black with no obvious external injuries, but a large section of its talismans had collapsed again. After inspecting it, Qin Sang clicked his tongue. "The puppet's injuries are comparable to when it was first brought out of the storm zone. Alas, you've suffered following me." He reached out and caressed it for a moment, then set the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet aside.

The Qianjun Ring flashed. Streams of light, like flowing water, landed on the ground.

"This is truly an unprecedented harvest..." Qin Sang rubbed his hands, eager to examine his spoils.

First, there were nine Myriad Spirit Fruits, laid out separately. The spiritual fruits had a dull luster, but this didn't affect their efficacy. "There's still quite a surplus, but it's a pity I didn't find the method for refining Soul Suppressing Incense..." Qin Sang wondered if the Ghost Mother had taken it with her. With this thought, he opened his spirit beast bag and summoned the Fiery Jade Centipede.

The Fiery Jade Centipede was curled into a ball, its red glow flickering on and off as if breathing. The injuries sustained from the Three Spirit King Array required a long recovery, and the Fiery Jade Centipede had been listless for the past few days. Qin Sang opened a jade box, took out a Myriad Spirit Fruit, and recalling Valley Master Mu's feeding method, gently activated his true essence to break the skin of the Myriad Spirit Fruit. Juice brimming with vitality flowed out, its fragrant aroma filling the air.

*Thump!* The Fiery Jade Centipede's body tensed and sprang up, standing straight like a rod. Qin Sang chuckled softly, cast several restrictions, and after refining it slightly, drew out a drop of the juice and fed it to the Fiery Jade Centipede, storing the rest in a jade vial.

The effect was immediate. The Fiery Jade Centipede's aura stabilized slightly, and then, looking sluggish, it shrank back into Qin Sang's palm, drowsy, beginning to digest the spiritual medicine. Qin Sang followed the same method, refining two more Myriad Spirit Fruits and feeding them separately to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly and the Fat Silkworm.