Chapter 1729: Return to the Ruins

The Human World

Qin Sang, oblivious to the changes behind him, dragged the Thunder Turtle away from the battlefield. He then chose a spot to stop, dispatched a doppelganger to guard the Thunder Turtle, and his main body began meditating directly on the Thunder Turtle's back.

After his True Essence recovered, Qin Sang stood up, looked down at the Thunder Turtle, and appeared lost in thought.

The Thunder Turtle was still unconscious, frozen into a massive block of ice, drifting on the sea.

After their confrontation, Qin Sang had determined that normal communication with the Thunder Turtle was impossible. He would have to forcibly perform soul-scouring to glimpse its experiences through its memory fragments.

However, soul-scouring the Thunder Turtle was not easy. He had to be cautious of the madness that would spread uncontrollably during the process. Back then, after two Deified cultivators captured a Manta Ray alive, they spent a long time deducing and preparing various secret arts, even setting up spirit arrays to assist them, before daring to proceed.

Qin Sang wasn't afraid of being tainted by madness, but his cultivation was inferior to the Thunder Turtle's. Attempting to soul-scour it alone would likely end in failure.

After a long period of deduction, Qin Sang repeatedly pointed his fingers. The Devil Flame Black Rope deformed, growing sharp black spikes that pierced deep into the Thunder Turtle's body.

Even in its unconscious state, the Thunder Turtle trembled, making it easy to imagine the agony it was enduring.

Yet, under Qin Sang's exquisite control, the Thunder Turtle never woke up. As time passed, it grew progressively weaker, its aura diminishing.

Finally, the Thunder Turtle was startled awake, letting out sharp, piercing roars that made one's hair stand on end.

At this point, the Thunder Turtle was utterly powerless and at Qin Sang's mercy.

Qin Sang gestured again, and sword threads danced around him. The Seven Souls Killing Array reappeared, but this time not to slay the Thunder Turtle. Instead, he used the killing intent of the array to affect its primordial spirit, combining it with the Devil Flame to assault the Thunder Turtle's consciousness.

Seeing that the time was right, Qin Sang's expression subtly darkened. He pressed one hand onto the top of the Thunder Turtle's head, closed his eyes, and began the soul-scouring!

His external doppelganger, holding a spiritual treasure, guarded the perimeter.

Waves crashed and surged.

The Thunder Turtle's massive body struggled frantically, but it couldn't escape Qin Sang's grasp. Its cries went from sharp to faint, until finally its whole body twisted in convulsions, and its aura vanished completely.

Qin Sang let out a light breath, withdrew his hand, and looked down at the now deceased Thunder Turtle, his eyes flickering with thought.

The information obtained from the soul-scouring flowed through his mind.

Most of it was meaningless, as madness had infected the Thunder Turtle's consciousness, making its memories exceptionally chaotic.

The only relatively clear fragment was likely due to the profound impression it left on the Thunder Turtle, and because it hadn't happened long ago.

The memory fragment showed a monstrous maw full of fangs, a head that seemed a fusion of a wolf's and an alligator demon's, and a long, slender body resembling a flood dragon.

This was another fierce beast, responsible for the Thunder Turtle's injuries. With a single bite, it shattered the Thunder Turtle's lightning armor and swallowed a large chunk of its flesh, leaving the Thunder Turtle with an unforgettable pain.

Qin Sang didn't know how the Thunder Turtle eventually escaped, but through the memory fragment, he could personally experience the terror of that fierce beast, and a chill ran down his spine.

If the depths of Guixu were teeming with such fierce beasts, it was no wonder the Path of Ascension was fraught with danger.

That scene took place in water. Since Qin Sang was unfamiliar with the environment of Guixu's depths, he couldn't tell if the two fierce beasts had battled within Guixu or if they had both left their lairs and encountered each other while roaming outside.

Apart from learning about an even fiercer beast, Qin Sang hadn't obtained any useful information.

He sighed inwardly, then pointed his finger. The Devil Flame detached from the Thunder Turtle's corpse, forming a fiery blade in the air, and the ice on the Thunder Turtle's body began to melt.

Rip!

The fiery blade sliced through flesh, stripping skin and dismantling bones.

As it was Qin Sang's first time encountering a Thunder Turtle, he could only use his past experience in artifact refining to determine the value of each part and dissect the corpse accordingly.

With the help of the Devil Flame, the dissection was swift. Finally, only the skeleton remained. Qin Sang beckoned, and a streak of light flew out, shooting into his palm.

Fierce beasts also possessed demon cores!

Qin Sang held it, examining it. He provisionally called it a demon core. It looked much like an ordinary demon beast's core, also formed from the Thunder Turtle's concentrated essence, similarly shimmering and beautiful.

The surface of this demon core shimmered with silver light, with what appeared to be flickering electric arcs. It might have integrated the Thunder Turtle's innate divine ability and thus possessed special power.

A demon core of the Deified cultivation level!

Qin Sang pondered, then sent a wisp of his spiritual sense to probe the demon core's interior, intending to analyze its power. His expression then changed.

He had handled a considerable number of demon cores, but he had never encountered one like this. This was definitely not a difference caused by cultivation level; the power within the demon core was extremely chaotic, just like the fierce beast had been in life.

Yet the Thunder Turtle was dead, and there was no remnant of its consciousness within the demon core.

Qin Sang shifted his gaze to the Thunder Turtle's corpse, retrieved a segment of its bone, and found it to be the same. However, Qin Sang tried various methods but couldn't even determine the source of the agitation.

If he couldn't calm this agitation, it would be impossible to use these materials for artifact refining or pill concoction!

How could this be?

Could it be an effect of the Heavenly Change, where the Demonic Sounds of the Heavenly Dao not only assaulted primordial spirits but also completely transformed affected beings?

Another possibility was that the environment in Guixu's depths was unique, and fierce beasts were simply born this way!

Qin Sang recalled that the sacred object of the Dragon Whale clan was called the Frenzied Whale. It was said that the Dragon Whale clan had poured their entire clan's vital essence into it for a long time before barely refining it, and this was before the Demonic Sounds of the Heavenly Dao appeared.

The artifact refining techniques Qin Sang had learned couldn't handle these spiritual materials. He tried applying everything he had learned throughout his life to refine the demon bones, but he ruined several pieces consecutively, completely abandoning the idea.

Such a large demon corpse was like a chicken rib to him—valuable but not very useful.

However, given the Thunder Turtle's high cultivation level, these spiritual materials, regardless of whether they could be used immediately, were extremely rare and precious. Since he couldn't refine them, and the space in his Thousand Jun Ring was limited, Qin Sang could only seal away the most important parts for later attempts.

After a major battle, he had only obtained these spiritual materials that he couldn't currently use.

Consequently, Qin Sang's desire to hunt fierce beasts diminished, and he focused on his journey.

After leaving Central State, Qin Sang's direction of travel had consistently been southeast.

However, the Beacon Gate, as sensed, was located directly east of Central State.

The Beacon Gate was located within Guixu, but Guixu itself was not just confined to the Beacon Gate; it was a boundless chasm in the deep sea.

Judging from the sea map left by the Witch Clan's Deified cultivator, Canglang Sea shouldn't be too far from Guixu. Qin Sang's current trip to Canglang Sea also intended to make a detour to see Guixu.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Qin Sang's heart was pounding violently.

He hovered in mid-air, his face grim as he gazed ahead.

The scene deep within the storm was no different from elsewhere, but from the sound of the wind, a strange rumble faintly echoed, like the pulsing of heaven and earth. Hearing this sound, Qin Sang's blood and qi surged uncontrollably, and he felt an inexplicable sense of oppression.

He transformed into a bolt of lightning, speeding towards the source of the sound.

Not long after, his escape light abruptly stopped, and Qin Sang reappeared, gazing ahead, almost speechless!

"In the Eastern Sea, there is a great chasm, truly a bottomless valley. The waters of the Eight Cardinal Points and Nine Regions, and the flow of the Heavenly River, all pour into it, yet it neither increases nor decreases..."

The words and sentences from ancient texts floated through Qin Sang's mind, describing precisely the sight before him, yet they couldn't fully convey the shock this natural wonder brought him.

This was the easternmost extreme of the sea. All the seawater flowing here poured into the great chasm.

Rumble... Rumble...

Qin Sang saw a waterfall stretching across the front.

The ends of the waterfall extended endlessly into the distance, its terminus unknown. Seawater flowing here would pour down, the sound of the water roaring deafeningly, making the storm sounds barely audible.

For countless years, the seawater had been endless and ceaselessly flowing.

Countless amounts of seawater flowed into the great chasm, yet the water in this realm never decreased, nor could the chasm ever be filled.

Looking down into the great chasm, one could only see the waterfall plunging into an unknown region, profoundly bottomless!

This was Guixu!

This waterfall seemed to be the end of the storm belt, like a dark blue silk ribbon, dividing this realm into two worlds: one black, one white.

On the side where Qin Sang stood, hurricanes roared, and it was dim and gloomy. However, the overwhelming hurricanes couldn't enter Guixu. This wasn't due to a barrier or boundary, but because there was a force within the great chasm stronger than the hurricanes, capable of resisting their onslaught.

Inside Guixu, it was a vast expanse of white. Water vapor ascended, forming dense mist that spread out into an endless sea of clouds.

When hurricanes swept into the sea of clouds, they caused the mist to undulate, creating layers of ripples. As the hurricanes penetrated deeper, their force visibly weakened until they were swallowed by the mist.

Unlike the dim storm belt, above Guixu, bright light shone all around. It was unclear where the light source originated, as if a great sun hung on the far side of the sea of clouds, yet the depths of the great chasm remained in absolute darkness.

Within the sea of clouds, ethereal immortal clouds drifted and transformed in myriad ways.

Upon closer inspection, pavilions, towers, flying birds, and walking beasts—all sorts of wondrous scenes—constantly flickered into view, mesmerizing the observer.

There also appeared to be incredibly vast spaces, layers upon layers of immortal realms!

Qin Sang stood frozen in mid-air, gazing at Guixu. His blood and qi surged, and his thoughts churned, unable to settle for a long time.

He already possessed Deified cultivation, standing at the peak of this realm, yet before such tremendous power of heaven and earth, he felt his own insignificance, which ignited an even stronger fighting spirit!

Void Refinement?

Body Integration?

Or Grand Ascension?

He only wished that one day, after seeing all the scenery in the world, he could view this place as nothing special!

He stopped right before the waterfall, not advancing further.

He hadn't forgotten the ancient texts' descriptions: beneath the beautiful scenery lay dangers capable of devouring Deified cultivators. He exerted his vision to its limit, staring into Guixu's depths. Within the sea of clouds, there seemed to be a hint of gloom, and he wondered if it was the legendary Black Tide.

Without even entering Guixu, Qin Sang could already feel the incredibly chaotic qi ahead. Even with his cultivation, he dared not be careless, especially since fierce beasts also roamed here.

Qin Sang scanned the sea of clouds, observing for a long time. He noticed occasional enormous ripples appearing deep within Guixu, and even from outside Guixu, he felt a sense of trepidation. Unfortunately, the distance was too great, with numerous obstructions in between, making it impossible to see clearly even with his Heavenly Eye Divine Ability, so he couldn't tell if they were fierce beasts.

That Guixu was easy to enter but difficult to leave was absolutely true!

He wasn't yet ready to venture onto the Path of Ascension. He merely wanted to see the legendary Guixu and had no immediate plans to enter. If he were to brave Guixu, he wouldn't do it from here; he would instead head north, first seeking Daizhen Immortal Mountain, then planning his approach to the Beacon Gate.

Not having personally witnessed a fierce beast within Guixu, Qin Sang felt somewhat unwilling to leave. He lingered at the edge of Guixu for a long time.

After several months passed in this manner, Qin Sang finally got his wish.

That day, a myriad of radiant lights suddenly burst forth from the sea of clouds, seven-colored cloud-like aurora soared into the sky, and simultaneously, a sharp, piercing cry echoed.

Qin Sang's subconscious reaction was to retreat, conceal his aura, then awaken his Heavenly Eye Butterfly and activate his Heavenly Eye Divine Ability to remotely peer into the light. Unexpectedly, the light vanished in an instant. With only a fleeting glimpse, Qin Sang managed to see just half a wing.

The feathers on the wing were brilliantly colored and iridescent, as magnificent as the legendary phoenix. Unfortunately, he couldn't see its true form and didn't know what kind of fierce beast it was.

The reason he was certain it was a fierce beast was because he recognized the familiar madness in its cry.

This colorful-feathered fierce bird's cultivation was likely even higher than the Thunder Turtle's, and it was also greatly troubled by the Demonic Sounds.

This showed that even though many fierce beasts had fled their lairs, there were still powerful ones remaining in Guixu, frequenting the area above it.

Guixu was now more dangerous than ever before!

Confirming that fierce beasts still roamed Guixu, Qin Sang no longer lingered. It would be unfavorable if a fierce beast suddenly burst out of Guixu and discovered him.

After a final glance at Guixu, Qin Sang began his return journey westward.

Amidst the storm.

Qin Sang's gaze swept back and forth as he recalled the markings on the sea map, continuously adjusting his direction.

An hour later, Qin Sang paused, seemingly sensing something, then flashed forward and to the left.

After flying for over a hundred li, Qin Sang looked up at the sky, then with a sweep of his sleeve, a streak of True Essence shot out from his hand, striking the void.

The previously empty void suddenly rippled and churned, then a crack appeared out of thin air. It was dark and lightless inside the crack, but Qin Sang could see a coiled dragon stone pillar within.

Above the stone pillar was a stone-carved meditation mat.

He flashed inside, leaving the storm behind him.

According to the sea map's markings, this was the first refuge after leaving Canglang Sea. From here, Qin Sang would head south and soon enter Canglang Sea.

This refuge hadn't been discovered by that particular Witch Clan Deified cultivator; it had been controlled by the Witch Clan long ago. Many years had passed, yet the sanctuary remained, showing no unusual traces.

Since the rise of humanity, the Witch Clan had been preoccupied with their own affairs, so it was likely that Witch Clan experts rarely had the leisure for distant travels.

Qin Sang sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and meditated, restoring himself to peak condition before setting off again.

In his thirty-fifth year since entering the storm belt, he finally arrived at Canglang Sea!

A scene entirely different from the storm appeared ahead. Qin Sang's face lit up with joy, and he swiftly charged forward, passing through an invisible barrier, finally escaping the storm!

Being close to the storm belt, this area was still affected, but it appeared much calmer than the storm belt itself.

It was nighttime.

The rain poured down, and raindrops constantly splashed into the sea.

Taking in the surroundings, with no sign of the downpour stopping, Qin Sang mused to himself, "This must be the Rain Desert, then?"

The Rain Desert was the northernmost part of Canglang Sea. Affected by the storm belt, heavy rain fell constantly throughout the year, and the sun was never seen. Qin Sang had not visited this place back then.

With a flip of his hand, a token appeared in Qin Sang's palm.

This was the token given to him by the successors of the Four Saints Palace after the Battle of Seven Kills Hall. They had said that if he activated the token in the far north of the Rain Desert, they would sense its fluctuations and come out to greet him personally.

Qin Sang recalled that the young man and woman were siblings: the brother was Bao Zhengnan, and the sister was Bao Xi. They were very likely descendants of Bao Gu, one of the Four Saints.

"Several centuries have passed. I wonder what the situation in Canglang Sea is like now, and if they are still alive?"

Qin Sang wished to unite the cultivators of a region, and the Four Saints Palace would be the best aid.

His spiritual sense activated the token, triggering the restrictions on it.

With his sleeves billowing, Qin Sang slowly flew through the heavy rain.

Not long after, his expression suddenly changed, and he stopped.