Chapter 1431: Dan Ding Association

When the situation was urgent, Qin Sang had only quickly scanned the Golden Summit Buddhist Hall after breaking its restriction.

There were Buddhist statues, stone statues, and offering tables, along with bones and magic treasures. He could confirm that there were no written inscriptions.

The Seven-Tier Pagoda was hidden inside the Guanyin statue, encased within a Buddhist shrine that rested at the center of the offering table. Its position suggested it was more important than both the Ganoderma Ruyi and the Ruyi Pearl. Such a placement could not be without reason.

"Could it be a symbol of a senior's identity, holding special significance for the Pure Sea Sect?" This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind. He then turned his gaze to the Seven-Tier Pagoda. "Are these someone's relics, worshipped as a sacred object?"

He recalled the stone statue that should not have been in the Buddhist hall. The stone statue and the Buddhist statue were worshipped side by side as equals in the hall. This was a desecration of the Buddha and of their own faith. The Pure Sea Sect should not have made such a mistake; even a life-saving grace could not compel Buddhist disciples to this extent.

Qin Sang developed a strong curiosity about that stone statue. Unfortunately, Tan Hao knew nothing about it. The stone statue was lifelike, with clear facial features. If this person was a powerful senior from the North Sea, it should not be difficult to find information about them.

"I will consider it further once I clarify that person's identity." Qin Sang temporarily put away the Seven-Tier Pagoda.

Afterward, Qin Sang remained in his cave dwelling, secluded from worldly affairs. He simultaneously refined the Demonic Flame and the Ruyi Pearl, while also contemplating how to modify the Demon-Slaying Pestle. By studying the pestle, he gained significant insight into Buddhist artifact refinement techniques, yielding fruitful results.

Since the goal was to alter its appearance, not to upgrade its quality, excessively valuable materials were not required. Qin Sang gathered a few items from his Qianjun Ring, which were almost sufficient.

More than two months later, Qin Sang activated the Demonic Flame and re-forged the Demon-Slaying Pestle. In his hands, the formidable Demon-Slaying Pestle underwent a drastic transformation. Its Buddhist patterns vanished, and its surface swelled in various places, forming sharp spikes, ultimately turning into a spiked mace.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Qin Sang swung it in his hand, a slight curve forming on his lips as the image of the burly Tan Hao fiercely smashing opponents with a spiked mace appeared in his mind.

He put away the spiked mace, and not long after he resumed his meditation, the cave dwelling's restriction was suddenly triggered. Qin Sang awoke, pushed open the door, and sure enough, Tan Hao had returned.

"Try it out." Qin Sang tossed him the spiked mace.

"The re-forging is complete?" Tan Hao grabbed the spiked mace, his face beaming with joy. He fondled it, swinging it a few times, then refined it according to Qin Sang's instructions. The spiked mace immediately glowed with streaks of eerie blue light, clearly a deadly weapon.

"I did my best to conceal it. However, the essence of a Buddhist treasure cannot be changed. Once you engage in combat, your opponent will still be able to sense the unique fluctuations of the Buddhist restriction. Be careful not to leave any lingering trouble." Qin Sang cautioned him, then changed his tone and asked, "What have you found?"

Tan Hao happily put away the spiked mace and replied seriously, "The stir caused by the Pure Sea Sect has not yet dissipated. Many cultivators still linger in the Void Spirit Sea, some even traveling thousands of miles to get here. However, all traces of the Pure Sea Sect have been erased from the world by the Fiery Aura. For now, there are no reports of anyone finding treasures, though many swindlers are taking advantage of the situation. In the initial days, Nascent Soul patriarchs frequently appeared, but recently, they've been nowhere to be seen..."

Next, Tan Hao highlighted the key information he had uncovered. "The collapse of the seal caused countless cultivators to perish tragically, an uncountable number. The islands near the Void Spirit Sea are filled with lamentations. However, apart from the unusual phenomenon of the Fiery Aura eruption, there were no other anomalies. The Elder of Chaos and other Nascent Soul cultivators did not engage in a major battle. After waiting for the phenomenon to disappear, they searched the vicinity for a while before leaving one by one."

Qin Sang hummed in acknowledgement. "No major battle occurred, so it seems the devil trapped within the seal has perished. Of course, it's also possible that it used some method to deceive everyone, but that doesn't concern us much. Continue, do you have any news about Qi and Wang?"

Tan Hao nodded. "It wasn't difficult to inquire about these two. The man named Qi and True Master Zhijie, the island master of Nine Precepts Island, are both dominant figures near the Void Spirit Sea. The two have always been at odds, and there's often friction among their younger generations. Qi didn't establish a sect, but he has eight disciples. The female cultivator named Wang recently formed her Nascent Soul and is said to be his Dao companion."

Qin Sang silently repeated True Master Zhijie's name, knowing he was the second person who ambushed them. However, the Elder of Chaos supported him, so it was not wise to confront him for now.

Tan Hao continued without pausing, "Initially, I didn't dare directly inquire about the eight disciples. However, I soon heard rumors that the island where the cultivator named Qi's cave dwelling was located had been attacked by a mysterious master. Both mortals and cultivators on the island were slaughtered, leaving no one alive. However, there are whispers that the eight disciples had already mysteriously disappeared before the massacre, their whereabouts unknown, but the truth of this cannot be confirmed."

The mysterious disappearance of the eight disciples suggested they might have been taken away. They were unaware of what happened in the Pure Sea Sect, and neither Qi nor Wang could have imagined that a single fortuitous encounter would cause such a massive upheaval. They couldn't have prepared for it in advance.

This implied that one of the three, including Valley Master Mu, had survived. Most likely, it was Valley Master Mu, who had the highest cultivation and also possessed the Four Transformations Tidal Limulus. Qin Sang's heart eased slightly. This would make it much easier to seek a trade with him later.

"These are the individuals and forces in the Boundless Sea who specialize in alchemy and accept commissions," Tan Hao said, handing him a jade slip. Unless it was a major event like the Pure Sea Sect incident, Nascent Soul patriarchs rarely appeared in public. Core Formation cultivators were the main figures in the cultivation world. The information Tan Hao gathered was very detailed.

"The Nine-Star Association's Grand Elder is widely recognized as having the best reputation and the deepest mastery of alchemy in the Boundless Sea." Qin Sang was somewhat taken aback when he saw this information. After a moment of contemplation, Qin Sang ruled out the Nine-Star Association. Before entering the Pure Sea Sect, he had inquired about the Void Spirit Sea at the Nine-Star Association. With this incident now public, the Nine-Star Association would surely connect the dots to something unusual, so it would be best not to deal with them again.

He quickly scanned through the list, his brow gradually furrowing. The other options either lacked skill or had poor reputations. Although he wasn't afraid of others coveting his treasures, he still preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Oh, the Pill Cauldron Association." Qin Sang's gaze settled on one organization, discovering it was also a merchant association, surprisingly backed by the prestigious Pill Cauldron Mountain sect from the Crescent Realm. Pill Cauldron Mountain had a great reputation in both artifact refinement and alchemy, comparable to a combination of the Taiyi Pill Sect and the Void Spirit Sect, and also had an excellent reputation. He had originally planned to go to the Crescent Realm if he couldn't find anyone suitable in the Boundless Sea.

He decided on the Pill Cauldron Association. Qin Sang put away the jade slip, exchanged a few words with Tan Hao, and then returned to his meditation chamber to resume his cultivation.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye. During this period, Tan Hao went out to gather information a few more times, but the results were largely similar. The turmoil caused by the Pure Sea Sect seemed to have completely subsided.

A figure broke through the water's surface, skimming across the sea westward—it was Qin Sang. He planned to go to the Pill Cauldron Association immediately to commission the refinement of Hidden Fragrance Pills. The Pill Cauldron Association was not a local force, and its strongholds were sparse. Qin Sang chose the nearest stronghold, an island called Blue Star Island, which was said to have flourishing commerce. Not in a hurry, Qin Sang took over half a month to arrive.