Chapter 1492: Stone Tablet

Deep within the Holy Land, the darkness was so thick it couldn't be dispersed. There were no floating mountains here; the void was filled with terrifying, invisible turbulent currents. A single misstep would result in being swept away and crushed to dust. Even Nascent Soul cultivators had to move carefully and dodge here. In the darkness, several figures traversed the turbulent currents. The two leading them were the Old Demon of Chaos and the Heavenly Peng Great Sage.

"Are you certain a stone stele could remain intact in a place like this?" The Heavenly Peng Great Sage's gaze was sharp, sweeping inch by inch across the dark area, his tone tinged with doubt. "It's too chaotic here. The destructive power of the currents here was incomparable to those outside; they were the source of chaos. One could imagine that even if a floating mountain from outside drifted in, it wouldn't withstand the currents' impact and would be torn to shreds, turning to ash, in no time. Perhaps floating mountains once existed here, only to be annihilated. They had searched everywhere since entering, yet found no solid object. Yet the Old Demon of Chaos wanted them to find a stele in such a place."

"The information I received confirms such a stone stele exists. It's a landmark. Such an object, of course, couldn't be destroyed by mere turbulent currents." The Old Demon of Chaos scanned the surroundings, replying with certainty.

"If you know the stele exists, aren't you aware of what's inside?" The Heavenly Peng Great Sage looked at the Old Demon of Chaos with a scrutinizing gaze, growing suspicious of his previous words.

The Old Demon of Chaos chuckled, "I originally didn't want to alert anyone. My plan was to sneak into the Holy Land alone, discreetly investigate and verify the information, and then make further plans when the Xuan Tian Palace next opened the Holy Land. However, an unexpected discovery gave me a sixty percent certainty that this was true. Now, I am a hundred percent certain!"

"An unexpected discovery? You mean that Ganoderma Ruyi, right?" The Heavenly Peng Great Sage grew even more suspicious of his explanation. He felt the Old Demon of Chaos was concealing crucial information, especially since the Old Demon had put away the treasure immediately upon entering the Holy Land, which was clearly unusual. "If this treasure originated from the Holy Land, it wouldn't merely serve to indicate its location, would it?"

"Nothing escapes the Great Sage's discerning eye." The Old Demon of Chaos glanced at the Heavenly Peng Great Sage, his expression calm. He turned to look behind him, found no sign of pursuers, hesitated briefly, then waved his hand to set up an isolation barrier and cautiously took out an object. It was indeed the Ganoderma Ruyi. At this moment, the Ganoderma Ruyi was enveloped by a small sphere of condensed demonic energy. The Old Demon of Chaos made no movement, yet the Ganoderma Ruyi trembled frequently, its intense spiritual light almost piercing through the demonic energy to dispel the darkness. One could imagine that if the Old Demon of Chaos hadn't sealed it with demonic energy, the Ganoderma Ruyi would now be as dazzling as a bright moon in the dark night.

Seeing this, the Heavenly Peng Great Sage's eyes flashed, dimly discerning a few things.

"Why didn't Xuan Tian Palace pursue us?" The Old Demon of Chaos showed it to the Heavenly Peng Great Sage for a moment, then immediately put away the Ganoderma Ruyi and asked in return. Without waiting for the Heavenly Peng Great Sage to speak, the Old Demon of Chaos answered his own question: "The Holy Land has always been occupied by Xuan Tian Palace. Presumably, their masters throughout generations have explored it countless times and are convinced we won't gain anything. They're calmly waiting outside, expecting to see us make fools of ourselves. If I were to unseal the Ganoderma Ruyi now and Xuan Tian Palace saw the phenomenon..." The Old Demon of Chaos paused, not continuing his sentence. But everyone present understood what would happen.

Xuan Tian Palace tolerated them because they were certain they didn't understand the Holy Land and would return empty-handed. However, if they discovered the group possessed a treasure related to the Holy Land, they would undoubtedly fight for it at all costs! A deathmatch with Xuan Tian Palace at this moment was not what they desired. The Old Demon of Chaos preferred to seal the Ganoderma Ruyi for now, patiently search for the stone stele, and only then unseal the treasure to see what changes it might trigger. Even if Xuan Tian Palace noticed then, their opponents would still be one step behind. This was a seasoned strategy. The Heavenly Peng Great Sage nodded slightly, said no more, and accepted the explanation.

The Old Demon of Chaos said meaningfully, "It seems the Great Sage is very wary of Yin Changsheng. Did you provoke this war between the two realms to test Yin Changsheng?"

The Heavenly Peng Great Sage snorted but did not refute, implicitly acknowledging it.

The Old Demon of Chaos showed a curious expression, "By the time I achieved my cultivation, Yin Changsheng had already become reclusive and rarely appeared, so I don't know much about him. I heard that the Nine-Headed Great Sage became famous even earlier than Yin Changsheng; he must have dealt with this person, right?"

"Senior Nine-Headed also once tried to lead our race out of the demonic realm." The Heavenly Peng Great Sage looked impatient. This statement was akin to revealing one's own weakness, bolstering the opponent's morale, and diminishing one's own prestige. Hearing this, everyone exchanged surprised glances. It was widely known in the North Sea that the Nine-Headed Great Sage was of a detached nature, yet he was forced into this! Everyone's curiosity immediately peaked. What exactly happened back then to make the Nine-Headed Great Sage endure in silence until now? The Heavenly Peng Great Sage looked dejected and refused to explain. The others found it inappropriate to press further and had to suppress their curiosity.

"It seems I underestimated the Palace Master of Xuan Tian Palace. Fortunately, I invited the Great Sage to come along." The Old Demon of Chaos noticed the odd expressions on the others' faces and chuckled, "Fellow Daoists, there's no need to worry too much. The Holy Land has been exposed, yet Yin Changsheng has been hiding in his carriage like a coward. There must be a reason for this. The Great Sage and I have long suspected that Yin Changsheng is not in a good state and must be in some kind of predicament, making it inconvenient for him to act." As he spoke, the Old Demon of Chaos looked around. General Gui, Yellow-Browed Demon King, Yu Yi Yuanjun, Bi Fang... All the renowned demons and monsters of the North Sea were present. "Since Xuan Tian Palace didn't pursue us, let's split up and search. We need to find the stone stele as quickly as possible. All of you, do not be careless, and beware of Xuan Tian Palace masters potentially lurking in the shadows."

The Heavenly Peng Great Sage followed closely behind the Old Demon of Chaos, still uneasy about him. The Old Demon of Chaos paid no heed. The group split their forces, searching in pairs amidst the endless dark turbulent currents.

The Cleansing Pool.

An unknown amount of time had passed. Qin Sang's tightly closed eyes slowly opened, bloodshot. However, there was a sense of relief in his gaze. Towards the end, the intense pain in his body gradually subsided. "I finally made it through." Qin Sang felt a surge of joy. He found himself still in an empty void. The flickering lights around him hadn't changed, but the strange power had completely vanished, not a trace remaining. He figured he had absorbed it all. Qin Sang took a deep breath, his body stirred slightly, and his brow furrowed unconsciously. He focused his mind and examined his inner self. The improvement in his cultivation wasn't significant, as that wasn't the true purpose of the Cleansing Pool. As he contemplated his Nascent Soul, he felt as if it had become lighter than before, as if it had shed heavy shackles, undergoing some kind of transformation through the pain, yet becoming even more stable. The Cleansing Pool—did it refer to the Nascent Soul itself?

"I wonder how much my cultivation speed will increase?" This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, but he wasn't in a hurry to leave the Cleansing Pool and try it out. He turned his body, looking downwards. He had promised Liu Li to help her retrieve a treasure; he couldn't break his word. As far as his vision reached, the void was incredibly deep, with five-colored lights everywhere. Even with his Heavenly Eye ability, he couldn't see through to the depths of the Cleansing Pool. Qin Sang checked his condition. His meridians had no obvious injuries, his Nascent Soul was normal, and only the True Essence in his Qi Sea was still unsettled. The intense pain earlier hadn't caused him severe harm. Qin Sang took a medicinal pill, paused briefly, recovered completely, and slowly submerged towards the bottom of the pool.

The seemingly narrow Cleansing Pool was exceptionally deep. Five-colored lights shifted around Qin Sang, making him feel as though he had fallen into the depths of a kaleidoscopic world, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. Qin Sang descended rapidly, then suddenly stopped shortly after, lowering his head to gaze below. The five-colored lights were still present here, but they now carried a sense of danger. Qin Sang's gaze swept over the various lights, finally settling on where they converged. "Ancient prohibition arrays." Qin Sang discerned the clue, realizing he had found the right place. Back then, Liu Li's master, Bing Yao, had passed through this very spot to discover the treasure at the bottom of the Cleansing Pool. Qin Sang hadn't cultivated the Ice Soul Divine Light, so he could only search slowly. He summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, fully activating its divine ability, and gazed downwards. His vision penetrated the five-colored lights, but all he saw were layers upon layers of ancient prohibition arrays.

After a moment's thought, Qin Sang conjured his Golden Sinking Sword and unleashed a sword qi. The sword qi slowly descended. This was merely a test; Qin Sang himself was still inside the Cleansing Pool and dared not act recklessly. Unexpectedly, the ancient prohibition array easily swallowed the sword qi, showing no reaction. Qin Sang increased his effort, unleashing three more sword strikes consecutively. He had another purpose in doing this: to try and contact Liu Li. Liu Li had been waiting in Taotie Lake. If the prohibitions between the two places were connected, she should be able to sense the disturbance here and send a signal, making the subsequent treasure hunt much simpler. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Qin Sang received no response from Liu Li and had to descend alone.

The deeper he went, the denser the ancient prohibition arrays became. The five-colored lights here were extremely dazzling; countless ancient prohibition arrays were intertwined within each ray of light, where moving one could affect everything. Bing Yao, back then, had done her utmost, only managing to partially break through before being forced to retreat. Given enough time, with the help of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang might be able to break through the layers of ancient prohibitions and reach the deepest part. However, now he had to forcefully break through the prohibitions intermittently. The counterattacks from the ancient prohibitions also became increasingly fierce. Qin Sang acted cautiously, activating his Ruyi Orb and its protective barrier. Still feeling uneasy, he conjured his demonic flames, forming a fiery armor around himself.

At the bottom of Taotie Lake. Around Liu Li, layers of light walls formed a cage-like sight. She remained here, not acting rashly, patiently waiting. Just then, Liu Li seemed to sense something, her expression shifted slightly, and she turned her head to look at a light wall. She sensed a fluctuation coming from behind the light wall. The fluctuation was very slight, but distinctly different from the suction force, most likely caused by Qin Sang breaking a prohibition. The Cleansing Pool and Taotie Lake were indeed connected! A dark blue light flickered in Liu Li's eyes. She activated her Ice Soul Divine Light, eroding the light wall, and approached the direction from which the fluctuation came.

Taotie Lake was equally unfathomable. The ancient prohibitions here were not as strict as in the Cleansing Pool. Liu Li, with some minor scares but ultimately safe, found herself unknowingly at the edge of Taotie Lake. Her delicate brows furrowed. Upon closer inspection, she discovered an extremely hidden opening in the stone wall before her, just large enough for one person to enter. Fortunately, there was no suction force inside the cave. Liu Li hesitated for a moment, then flashed into the cave. Inside, it was a complex network of interconnected passages, and a suction force also existed deep within the cavern. Following the fluctuations of the prohibition arrays, Liu Li bypassed the suction force, passing through countless diverging paths, until finally an inexplicable sensation arose, originating from her Ice Soul Divine Light. "This is it!" Liu Li immediately sat down cross-legged and, following the method taught by her master, attempted to use the Ice Soul Divine Light to draw out the treasure.

Back then, Bing Yao had discovered that activating the Ice Soul Divine Light according to a certain pattern could cause the treasure to resonate with it, indicating a subtle connection and serving as a guide. According to Bing Yao's plan, she needed to continue breaking through prohibitions until she could influence the Cleansing Pool, working from both inside and out to help the person inside the Cleansing Pool retrieve the treasure. However, Qin Sang was capable of retrieving the treasure alone. Liu Li could save her strength and simply guide Qin Sang.

Qin Sang had by now submerged to extreme depths, making slow progress, and still hadn't found his target. The ancient prohibitions were in disarray dueled to his actions, making it difficult to discern direction. Without guidance, finding the treasure here was as hard as ascending to the heavens. His previous worries had come true: Qin Sang suspected the treasure had shifted. Fortunately, he had enough magic tools and was strong enough that he hadn't yet encountered life-threatening danger.

Just as Qin Sang was patiently searching in the Cleansing Pool, a faint, unusual fluctuation appeared subtly to his lower left, not far from him. Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he immediately moved towards it. The fluctuation had a clear pattern, and its location was constantly shifting. As expected, it was likely caused by Liu Li. "It's a good thing I made two sets of preparations, otherwise, I don't know how long I would have had to search!" Qin Sang breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately followed their agreement, attacking the prohibition array once every ten breaths, for a total of three times, to let Liu Li know her method was working. Then, he locked onto the fluctuation and approached it as quickly as possible.

'Whoosh!' Demonic flames shot forth, landing on the surface of a green light and rapidly spreading out. Qin Sang followed closely, pondered for a moment, then controlled the demonic flames to gently dismantle the ancient prohibitions within the green light. The fluctuation was right behind this green light! The green light gradually thinned. Before long, a crack opened within it. Qin Sang finally saw the appearance of the treasure. It was a cicada!

"Eight-winged Heart Cicada!" A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Sang's eyes, and he immediately recognized it! The Eight-winged Heart Cicada had a very unique appearance: eight ice-crystal-like wings grew in parallel on its back, its entire body was translucent like carved profound ice, and its eyes resembled two snowflakes, making it exceptionally beautiful. Qin Sang had never imagined that what Liu Li and her master were seeking was actually a spirit insect. In the rankings of the Spirit-Taming Sect, the Eight-winged Heart Cicada was undoubtedly among the rare insects. However, neither the Rare Insect List nor the Sorcerer Insect List contained detailed records of the Eight-winged Heart Cicada's divine abilities, as this type of spirit cicada had long since disappeared.

Qin Sang observed it carefully and made another discovery. "This isn't an Eight-winged Heart Cicada, but a cicada exuvia! Liu Li and her master meticulously plotted to obtain mere cicada exuvia? What benefit could an Eight-winged Heart Cicada bring to the Ice Soul Divine Light?" Qin Sang was somewhat puzzled. He knew very little about this spirit insect and couldn't tell which transformation of the Eight-winged Heart Cicada had left behind this exuvia. This Eight-winged Heart Cicada had slept for an unknown number of years at the bottom of the Cleansing Pool, completed its transformation, left its exuvia, and its main body had departed. Unable to figure out the reason, Qin Sang no longer hesitated. He took out a spiritual talisman, sending the sealed Ice Soul Divine Light from it towards the cicada exuvia, preparing to retrieve it. The Ice Soul Divine Light touched the exuvia and easily merged into it. Yet, Qin Sang inexplicably felt a strange sensation. This exuvia...

'Whoosh!' An unexpected change suddenly occurred. Without any warning, a powerful suction force suddenly erupted. Qin Sang's expression changed drastically. Caught off guard, he only had time to activate his magical artifact for protection before everything spun around him, and he was sucked inside.