Chapter 1583: Seeking Someone

Listening to the cultivators nearby, Qin Sang gathered information.

This was the third area Su Zinan had searched, the previous two having yielded nothing. Cultivators had gathered on several nearby islands, watching for results. It was unclear what methods Su Zinan was employing, but in the distance, the sea surface rose sharply, and seawater continuously drained outwards from within. Qin Sang flew up a little higher and saw that the raised area was circular, forming a bottomless sea pit in the center.

Inside the pit, lights of various colors flashed incessantly, and the fluctuations generated by magic treasures and Taoist arts were clearly discernible. Some figures floated within the sea pit, several of whom were clearly central figures. Qin Sang narrowed his eyes, discerning their appearances. One man, clad in a white robe with a jade belt, was elegant and dashing – none other than Su Zinan, currently at the height of his fame. His appearance indeed suited Moon Consort well. Qin Sang realized that the old devil was indeed not Su Zinan, recalling Old Man Wu. He remembered that the old devil didn't have the Underworld Moon Seal on his forehead, meaning he wasn't a member of the Underworld Moon Guard. His status in Luye was unknown. As his gaze swept over the others nearby, Qin Sang noticed the man beside Su Zinan. This man stood silently, not uttering a word, giving off an aura of detachment from the world. Qin Sang mused about Mo Xingdao, the foremost rogue cultivator of the Northern Barrens, wondering about his connection to Luye. He realized that as a Soul Transformation lineage, they indeed had at least three grand cultivators, overt and covert. He questioned if the old devil hadn't come, or if he was hidden in the shadows, ready to assist Su Zinan. Qin Sang observed Mo Xingdao for a moment, then awakened his Sky-Eye Butterfly to search secretly, scanning from Su Zinan's immediate vicinity to the outermost crowd of onlookers. Qin Sang scanned generally but didn't find anyone resembling Old Man Wu.

The setting sun dipped into the sea. As night fell, the treasure light in the sea pit suddenly extinguished. Su Zinan flew out of the pit with a somber expression, followed closely by Mo Xingdao and the others. The seawater receded, returning to its original state. Su Zinan then ignored the onlookers and flew straight back to the Chinan Island Chain. As expected, this search also failed.

For over a month afterwards, Qin Sang followed Su Zinan through various locations, each time departing with excitement only to return disappointed. Su Zinan's movements were erratic, going in all directions – east, south, west, north. After numerous attempts, Qin Sang couldn't help but wonder if Su Zinan truly had a way to pinpoint the Boundless Hall ruins, or if he was deliberately stalling for time. These days, the crowd of onlookers clearly had many more Nascent Soul cultivators of unknown origins. Some had subtle, deliberately concealed auras, but they couldn't escape Qin Sang's spiritual sense. Since his cultivation of the *Golden Lotus of Fire Seed* wasn't affected here, Qin Sang decided to continue waiting Su Zinan out.

Another half month passed. Qin Sang was cultivating when the innkeeper sent someone to report that Su Zinan had left the island again. Su Zinan always acted with great fanfare, saving Qin Sang the trouble of constant surveillance. Qin Sang slowly concluded his cultivation, and the fire lotus seed receded into his glabella. Without needing to ask where Su Zinan was going, Qin Sang stepped out of the inn and looked up to see streaks of light flying high in the sky, all heading in the same direction. He followed unhurriedly. He soon discovered that this time was different: as soon as Su Zinan left the island, he flew southeast at maximum speed, his destination clearly defined. Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he accelerated, surpassing most of the cultivators.

Before long, everyone followed Su Zinan to a new sea region. Qin Sang habitually landed on a deserted island, finding a spot with a good vantage point to observe. From a distance, he saw Su Zinan and his group stopped on the sea surface, forming a circle, seemingly discussing something. After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Mo Xingdao and the other Nascent Soul cultivators each received an oddly shaped wooden stake from Su Zinan, then dispersed in all directions. Only one Underworld Moon Guard remained by Su Zinan's side. The wooden stakes were thigh-thick and only three feet long, with densely carved grooves on their surface. Under the sunlight, they reflected an eerie crimson glow, as if blood was constantly flowing within their veins. Everyone held a stake, encircling an area roughly ten *li* in circumference. Su Zinan was at the very center, suspended above the sea surface, meditating in mid-air with his eyes tightly closed. The others began to busy themselves. Being too far away, Qin Sang couldn't discern what they were doing for the moment, but it seemed they were setting up a formation.

Shortly after, Su Zinan let out an unintelligible low growl. Mo Xingdao and the others immediately threw their stakes straight into the sea. A series of splashes erupted as the stakes pierced the sea surface, mostly submerging, with a portion remaining exposed and suspended motionlessly. Simultaneously, Su Zinan raised his hands, swiftly formed a hand seal, then pressed his palm downwards, sending a stream of light into the sea. The stream of light silently merged into the seawater. Suddenly, the outer stakes underwent a transformation: the blood in their grooves flowed rapidly, emitting an intense crimson light. The stakes resonated with each other, and the blood lights drew together. With swishing sounds, the crimson lights formed lines, connecting all the stakes and creating a complex pattern on the sea surface. Su Zinan, as the primary controller of the formation, seemed to bear a heavy burden. His face flushed, and his upper body swayed slightly. Just as outsiders thought something had gone wrong with Su Zinan, he suddenly faded and vanished. Simultaneously, an image of Su Zinan appeared above each stake, flickering and merging into them. With a loud shout, all the stakes simultaneously submerged into the seabed. The seawater at the center of the formation turned entirely into blood, dazzlingly crimson, as if a blood-red gem had been embedded in the sea. The blood-water churned, transforming into a thick pillar of crimson light that shot skyward! Both Su Zinan's actions and this blood-wood formation were distinctly different from previous attempts. Anyone with discerning eyes could tell that something significant was about to happen today!

Qin Sang's gaze followed the crimson light, and he immediately witnessed an astonishing sight. The crimson light shot up to a thousand *zhang* high, then abruptly vanished. The blood-wood formation continued to operate, and the crimson light flowed endlessly like a pillar, yet only its lower section was visible. An invisible giant mouth seemed to be in the void, devouring the crimson light! Exclamations of surprise echoed around. Qin Sang stared intently at where the crimson light vanished, urging his Sky-Eye Butterfly to fully activate its Sky-Eye Divine Ability. At first, he saw nothing; there was no invisible barrier as he had imagined. As the crimson light grew denser, a change finally occurred: a faint black dot began to appear within the light, which then expanded at an astonishing speed. In an instant, the black dot grew to half the size of the crimson light and was still rapidly expanding. Even those without a Sky-Eye Butterfly noticed the anomaly within the crimson light. An inexplicable force tore a large hole in the void, strongly resembling some kind of passage. Voices exclaimed that it had indeed been found. Someone asked if it was truly the Boundless Hall, and if anyone present during the last opening of the ruins had witnessed something similar. Others mentioned Old Man Shen had been there, then wondered where he was. The island was in an uproar.

Qin Sang gazed at the black hole with a solemn expression. The black hole was utterly dark, and for some reason, it gave him a sense of dread. This feeling intensified as the black hole expanded. Suddenly, a grey aura flew out from the black hole. With a deafening boom that seemed to split the heavens and earth, everyone was stunned into silence, staring blankly upwards as the grey aura burst from the black hole, displaying incredibly violent power, and violently plunged downwards. A grey waterfall was born in the void. Even from such a distance, everyone could feel the tearing, destructive momentum, their hearts pounding in fear. The grey aura surged downwards. Those within the blood-wood formation bore the brunt of the impact. With whooshing sounds, streaks of escaping light fled the blood-wood formation. Su Zinan and his group were in a sorry state, and looking back, all wore expressions of lingering fear. The grey aura was clearly an extremely violent turbulence. The blood-wood formation was directly torn to shreds. Now even the black hole was no longer visible; endless grey aura surged out, chaotic within, filled with immensely disordered turbulence, spreading outwards at an astonishing speed. Qin Sang understood why it could flatten a large island. Seeing this scene, Qin Sang couldn't help but recall the sight of the Ziwei Palace's ascension back then. Spatial rifts also contained terrifying spatial turbulence. Even with the protection of an ascension platform, one needed late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation to have any self-preservation ability. Of course, the two types of turbulence were not the same. Qin Sang could clearly sense that the grey aura contained chaotic restrictive forces, most likely caused by the destruction of a spirit formation or a secret realm. Even a Soul Transformation cultivator likely couldn't set up such a spirit formation; it was at least of an ancient immortal formation level. The profound foundation of the Boundless Hall was beyond imagination. A long time had passed. The Boundless Hall had long become history. Recently, some ancient texts had been unearthed, but relevant records were scarce and not necessarily reliable. According to research, the Boundless Hall, at its peak, was a superpower spanning the continent and the East Sea, and it was very likely co-managed by human and demon races. The coexistence of two races within a single power was unimaginable to present-day cultivators. Nowadays, the human and demon races were fractured, and the Boundless Hall had turned into ruins. Fortunately, Middle-earth was vast enough, and the sea area between the continent and the East Sea was sufficiently expansive and desolate.

The booming sounds were incessant and deafening. In just fifteen minutes, this turbulence covered a large sea area, only then slowing its expansion. It directly transformed the region into a storm belt, darkening the sky. The surrounding sea areas were all affected, with towering waves. Qin Sang activated his protective True Essence to resist the fierce winds, then shifted his gaze to Su Zinan and the others at the edge of the turbulence. Su Zinan's face was somewhat pale, but fortunately, he had escaped quickly and wasn't directly impacted. He channeled his True Essence, his voice cutting through the storm, and announced that his previous promises still stood for any fellow Taoist willing to help him enter the Boundless Hall. A silence fell over the distance. A moment later, someone high-pitched asked if Su Zinan intended to pass through the turbulence to reach the deepest part. Su Zinan's reply was unexpected: he replied that he knew little about the Boundless Hall and that its location deep within the turbulence would only be known upon entry. The crowd stirred at his words. There were precedents from the Eight Scenery Temple and the Sweet Dew Zen Monastery. Logically, both of these sects had returned defeated. Anyone with self-awareness would not risk accompanying Su Zinan, lest they repeat the same mistakes. However, Su Zinan had managed to locate the Boundless Hall so quickly, and the blood-wood formation was clearly extraordinary. This person must know some unknown secrets. Everyone was weighing the pros and cons; for now, no one responded. Su Zinan shook his head, about to lead his group into the turbulence, when someone else loudly asked if Su Zinan could disclose his purpose for entering the Boundless Hall, noting that since he had claimed to forgo all treasures, he wasn't there for treasure hunting. Su Zinan was silent for a moment before stating his purpose: to find someone. At this revelation, everyone burst into an uproar. Someone immediately pressed for information about who he was looking for. Su Zinan looked around, didn't find the speaker, and coldly refused to answer, stating in a deep voice that he would wait ten more breaths. Nine breaths passed in an instant. Just as the last breath was about to expire, a streak of light appeared on a distant island. A white-haired elder flew before Su Zinan and bowed his head, announcing he would accompany Su Zinan on this journey. Su Zinan was overjoyed. He eyed the elder and exclaimed in surprise, asking if he was the Crying Spirit Cave Master. The elder chuckled, expressing his honor that Su Zinan knew his humble name. Su Zinan passionately countered that the Cave Master was too modest, as everyone in Nanzhou knew of the Crying Spirit Cave Master, and it was his honor to finally meet him in person. Su Zinan was extremely enthusiastic. Seeing that no one else responded besides the Crying Spirit Cave Master, Su Zinan no longer hesitated and led his group into the turbulence.

As soon as they entered, various streaks of light flashed across the islands. Flying close to the turbulence, most cultivators felt its power and recoiled in apprehension. In such a place, a Core Formation cultivator would likely not get far, not only failing to obtain treasures but also losing their life. However, Su Zinan had caused too great a commotion, attracting no small number of Nascent Soul cultivators. Some came alone, others in small groups. Qin Sang entered the turbulence alone. He chose not to go with Su Zinan. Back then, to deal with Old Man Wu, he had used his sword formation, demonic flames, and the Divine Solar Tree, all of which the opponent knew about. If he encountered danger inside, he wouldn't be able to hide these abilities. At that point, he would face a pincer attack from three grand cultivators, making it not worth the risk. Furthermore, Qin Sang had a faint feeling that Su Zinan's objective wasn't simple. If Old Demon Lu was trapped in the Boundless Hall, it would contradict Moon Consort's statement. It was still necessary to go in and see.

Qin Sang flashed into the turbulence. The outermost area was relatively easy; he could avoid the turbulence's impact by dodging. However, the turbulence changed very quickly. Not far inside, it became incredibly dense, requiring him to withstand it directly. Qin Sang activated his Ruyi Orb, conjuring a protective qi shield around himself. His Sky-Eye Butterfly observed the surroundings for him. Traces of other cultivators could be found on both sides. Their direction was the same as Qin Sang's: they all wanted to follow Su Zinan. Qin Sang ignored the others, instructing his Sky-Eye Butterfly to fully activate its Sky-Eye ability, remotely locking onto Su Zinan's direction of travel. He hadn't gone far when Qin Sang's figure suddenly paused. Although there was clearly nothing around, at that instant, he inexplicably felt a change, as if he had entered a different space. With a whoosh, several streams of turbulence assailed him simultaneously. Qin Sang's expression changed slightly. He was then simultaneously struck by several chaotic forces. Rumbles echoed incessantly, and his qi shield vibrated, flickering erratically. Qin Sang hastily increased his True Essence to stabilize the qi shield. Qin Sang inwardly hissed, realizing the turbulence's power was immense even before fully entering. He noted that early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, without sufficiently strong protective divine abilities, would be forced to stop there. Qin Sang prepared himself and continued forward, discovering that the cultivators on his left indeed hadn't been able to keep up. Moving further, it became incredibly difficult, with more and more people falling behind. They could only remain in the vicinity to search, hoping to find something. Qin Sang's expression grew more serious. He had inquired about the scene during the last opening of the ruins in the Chinan Island Chain. Although the power of the outermost turbulence then was also strong, it hadn't reached this level.