Chapter 1751: 妖箓

The Mortal Realm

Gods are conferred by mortals!

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly.

He had just learned from the Weasel Demon that the City Gods and Mountain Gods under the Daoist Court's jurisdiction were not only responsible for restraining demons and ghosts within their territory, but also had to dispatch official soldiers to apprehend any unruly ones to prevent disturbing the common people.

Additionally, when mortals in this realm offered sacrifices to gods, gathering at local temples, the deities could use their magic during the rituals to cleanse the 'Six Days Old Qi' that had invaded the mortals' bodies.

Beyond the Daoist Court's control, mortals did not enjoy such peace. They lived and died on their own and were said to resemble evil spirits, thus being called 'Ghost Folk'.

According to this explanation, could it be that the Daoist Court maintains peace in this realm by conferring divine titles?

Qin Sang knew very little about the divine path and couldn't fathom how it was done. However, he had no intention of becoming a god. Besides being subject to the Daoist Court's jurisdiction, he would not be allowed to leave his appointed territory casually, and he wasn't sure what other restrictions might be placed on his cultivation, keeping him under others' control for his entire life.

However, receiving a Daoist Register required going through the Daoist Court's altars or the ancestral altars of various sects, which was clearly not easily obtained.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang couldn't help but glance at the Weasel Demon again. This demon had stolen the Register Altar after destroying the altar and fled, yet it could still manipulate the Register Altar and command demon soldiers. Was there some deeper mystery at play?

When questioned by Qin Sang, the Weasel Demon guessed his thoughts, muttering to itself that this Daoist master was by no means a benevolent person, and immediately became a bit more cautious.

Thinking about this matter, it also secretly groaned in dismay.

Many crucial points were only understood after seizing the altar.

The Weasel Demon's former master was a True Man of the Ascended Mystery rank.

The Weasel Demon was not a fostered soldier of Danxiao Prefecture. That True Man, seeing its mysterious talent and potential as an extraordinary soldier, recruited it. He didn't expect to have recruited such a calamity.

Because the True Man encountered a powerful enemy, suffered severe injuries, and had his personal guards slaughtered, and coincidentally, he had obtained a treasure extremely useful to the Weasel Demon, the Weasel Demon's malicious intent grew bolder. It seized the opportunity, infiltrated while he was vulnerable, and, leading the Wolf Soldiers, destroyed the altar.

After the Daoist was betrayed by his troops and the Register Altar was seized, a subtle connection had been forged because the troops had always contemplated deities together with the Daoist. Thus, the Weasel Demon could still utilize and shelter under the Register Altar.

However, the Weasel Demon was merely usurping the Register Altar, not its rightful master.

During regular cultivation, the contemplation of deities required the Register Altar's master to lead, unifying the troops' spiritual thoughts, connecting with the will of heaven above, and contemplating deities.

The Weasel Demon was unaware of these intricacies. It not only couldn't continue contemplating deities but also couldn't activate the altar-guarding divine generals in the slightest. It could only passively receive protection, and the effect was inevitably greatly diminished.

At that time, the Weasel Demon was only at the late-stage demon core cultivation. Initially, it didn't feel anything unusual, thinking it had succeeded in its scheme. However, when it used that treasure to break through to the transformation stage, it then felt that something was wrong; the altar-guarding divine generals could no longer fully protect it.

Furthermore, as the Weasel Demon's cultivation advanced, the protective effect would become weaker and weaker.

For a demon cultivator like it, the chaotic qi was actually more beneficial for tempering its demon body. The most crucial aspect was the altar-guarding divine generals.

If it merely sought freedom and leisure, that would be fine. As long as it paid attention to suppressing its malevolent thoughts, it shouldn't fall into a state of mental confusion during its lifetime.

However, this Weasel Demon also had ambitions for advancement. As its cultivation deepened day by day, even if there were no obvious abnormalities in the short term, over time, it would eventually follow the same path as others of its kind.

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang became contemplative.

Having just heard about the method of contemplating deities, he had initially thought it was a visualization technique. In fact, he had encountered similar methods long ago.

At the beginning of cultivating the 'Heavenly Demon Refinement' technique, one needed to visualize a great demon. He had chosen the Azure Luan. Cultivating this method in his human form, he had not only forged a pair of thunder wings, but after integrating the Azure Luan's essence blood, a Heavenly Demon Dharma Idol was actually born. This showed that visualization techniques were not illusory.

However, hearing the Weasel Demon's account, Qin Sang felt that contemplating deities was not as simple as mere visualization.

If it were merely a visualization technique, then upon the death of the Register Altar's master, the altar-guarding divine generals would lose their foundation. Even if they could continue to exist, they would be nothing more than inanimate objects.

The Weasel Demon, as a transformed great demon whose cultivation was not much different from its former master, couldn't activate them in the slightest.

From this, it seemed that the key must lie in the 'Register' itself, which surely possessed unique power.

"Heavenly Gods..."

Qin Sang frowned slightly.

If there truly were deities in the heavens overlooking the mortal world and governing the heavens and earth, such an important secret, even if Bai couldn't recall it, the Ghost Mother would have reminded him. Yet neither of them had mentioned a single word.

It was a pity the Weasel Demon had lost the Register Altar; otherwise, he could have studied it for insight.

However, Qin Sang did not feel regret because of this. Knowing the crucial aspects of cultivation in this realm was already sufficient, and he would surely have opportunities to witness Register Altars and altar-guarding divine generals in the future.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then asked, "By whose orders did you plot to harm the Immortal Official of the Tianxu Institute?"

Having learned of the Daoist Court's strength, he was unwilling to offend such a colossal entity. The Weasel Demon should not have lost its sanity; there must be a reason!

The Weasel Demon did not hesitate in the slightest and revealed the entire story.

Ever since its cultivation breakthrough, it had felt its path forward was difficult. It dared not roam within the Daoist Court's dominion and spent its days wandering outside. It had once thought of going to the Demonic Ghost Kingdom in the East Pole, but the journey was long and unsafe.

As a 'Wandering Master,' any True Man of the Daoist sects encountering it would immediately move to capture it.

After aimlessly wandering for a while, it actually encountered an opportunity, unexpectedly stumbling upon a transformed great demon.

This demon was a Snake Demon, which had never submitted to humans. It cultivated on its own, and its cultivation was even higher than the Weasel Demon's, yet its mind had not been shaken by the chaotic influence.

The Weasel Demon was overjoyed and sought its advice. The Snake Demon did not conceal anything. It cultivated a demon register passed down from the Demonic Ghost Kingdom, which it could impart to the Weasel Demon, but it demanded an Immortal Official of the Daoist Court, or higher than a Branch Altar Master, as payment.

Killing a Daoist Court Immortal Official was an unforgivable grave crime, let alone a Branch Altar Master.

However, the Weasel Demon dared to betray a True Man and offend Danxiao Prefecture. Furthermore, it concerned its own path of cultivation. Why would it still care about so many things? After a slight hesitation, it agreed.

The Weasel Demon's nature was cunning. After much deliberation and investigation, it chose this location. The target was a newly appointed Altar Master with no prior experience. Unexpectedly, the opponent was more skilled, and it ended up losing the Register Altar and its troops.

Hearing this, Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. "Demon Register?"

Registers were apparently not exclusive to the Daoist sects.

This realm also had the Demonic Ghost Kingdom. That it could form a kingdom indicated it possessed a certain level of order. Furthermore, it could contend with the Daoist Court, so its strength was considerable.

Qin Sang mused inwardly.

He urgently needed to do two things now.

First, obtain a method to stabilize his primordial qi, allowing him to continue cultivating in this realm.

Second, confirm that using the chaotic qi to temper his body would have no other effects beyond his nascent soul.

The divine path remained ambiguous.

Since he saw hope in the Daoist Register system, he would not consider the divine path unless absolutely necessary.

For him, the altar-guarding divine generals were not essential, but he was currently at the Nascent Transformation stage of cultivation, and he needed a high-grade register to protect his cultivation.

Based on his current understanding of the Daoist Court, its jurisdiction had a strict and clear hierarchy, with almost no loopholes to exploit.

The entire Daoist Court was an interconnected whole. If he used extraordinary means and inadvertently provoked a Grand True Man, Qin Sang wouldn't be surprised.

He might be able to muddle through with a low-grade register, but high-grade registers would certainly not be easily granted by either the Daoist sects or the Daoist Court. Once he faced a Grand True Man or even a True Monarch, he would have nowhere to hide.

Qin Sang had once considered approaching a force in this realm and directly explaining his origins. The premise was that the cultivators in this realm were not exceptionally powerful, so a Nascent Transformation cultivator would hold a crucial position, and they would only be able to win him over.

Given the strength displayed by the Daoist Court, while Nascent Transformation cultivators were not weak, they weren't necessarily highly valued.

Moreover, his current strength was far from what it used to be.

If he were thoroughly investigated, he would have no power to resist. He feared the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather would be impossible to conceal. This treasure concerned the Vermillion Bird's revival and his own cultivation, and absolutely could not be handed over.

Qin Sang was struggling to find a way to break this deadlock. Suddenly, hearing the Weasel Demon mention a Demon Register, a flash of inspiration struck him.

If a Demon Register also had the ability to stabilize primordial qi, he would need to be cautious. If it only had the ability to protect the nascent soul, he could confidently draw in chaotic qi to temper his body and quickly increase his strength.

He would first cultivate his body and slowly explore. Once 'Heavenly Demon Refinement' broke through, he would be much more at ease.

Additionally, by using a Demon Register, he might be able to glimpse some of the mysteries of the Daoist Registers.

Thoughts flickered in his mind, but Qin Sang did not act rashly. He keenly noticed a doubtful point: "The Snake Demon's cave is in the westernmost part of the Daoist Court's territory, and the Demonic Ghost Kingdom is tens of thousands of miles away. Where did the Snake Demon get this Demon Register method from?"

According to the Weasel Demon, the Nine Dragons Kingdom, where they were, was located at the southwestern tip of Zhongmao Dominion. Traveling west along the coastline and crossing a Command Altar's territory, one would reach the westernmost part of Zhongmao Dominion.

That area was not under the Daoist Court's jurisdiction, where demons ran rampant, but they were all disorganized. The Demonic Ghost Kingdom was located at the easternmost part of this realm, separated by two Daoist Court Dominions in between. By common sense, it shouldn't have been transmitted here.

The Snake Demon was hidden deep within that area.

"This is also this humble demon's doubt," the Weasel Demon said, scratching its ears and cheeks, "but I was already at my wit's end then, and feared angering the Snake Demon, so I dared not ask too many questions. Perhaps, perhaps..." Its eyes then lit up. "Perhaps a powerful being of my race passed down a lineage here to contend with the Daoist Court!"

Qin Sang nodded slightly, deep in thought.

Since he had already made a decision, Qin Sang no longer hesitated. He immediately ordered the Weasel Demon to lead the way. The man and the demon traveled west along the coastline. There were no incidents along the way. After traveling for over a month, they arrived amidst a vast expanse of mountains.

"Immortal Senior," the Weasel Demon said, planting its feet on the ground and standing upright like a human, then deliberately bowing beside Qin Sang, offering advice in a fawning tone. "The place where I encountered that snake is not far ahead. Although I have only seen that Snake Demon twice, I can tell it is extremely cautious. It usually only communicates with me through shadow manifestations and sound transmission. I don't know where its true body is hidden. We need to devise a foolproof plan to avoid startling the snake and letting it escape."

Qin Sang stood on the mountain peak, surveying the surrounding peaks in silence.

Upon leaving the Daoist Court's dominion, he immediately felt that the 'Six Days Old Qi' outside was even more rampant. The further he got from the Daoist Court, the more so it became. He had to use more of his spiritual sense to stabilize his true essence.

Thinking of how the Daoist Court established Pacification Altars, Command Altars, and Branch Altars, Qin Sang felt there must be a reason behind it, though he didn't know what role those deities played.

At this moment, sharp howls came from the foot of the mountain, along with sounds of running and pursuit.

Qin Sang had already noticed the area, but only now did he cast his gaze there.

Tree shadows swayed at the foot of the mountain, and sounds of snapping branches occasionally echoed, with leaves rustling.

A white figure leaped and weaved through the tree branches. Upon closer inspection, it was a white rabbit as large as a wolfdog. It occasionally turned its head to look behind it, its eyes filled with panic. It was clearly intelligent, obviously a rabbit demon.

Chasing it from behind was a human figure, extraordinarily tall, more than a zhang in height. Its entire body was rippling with muscles, burly and robust. It moved as swiftly as the wind.

This person's hands were larger than cattail leaf fans and possessed immense strength. A single clap could shatter a large tree. The rabbit demon was no match for him at all; it was cornered, with no way to escape.

"Immortal Senior, that is one of the Ghost Folk."

The Weasel Demon peered forward, pointed at the figure, and proactively introduced it to Qin Sang.

Even though the human figure clearly had the upper hand, and killing the rabbit demon was only a matter of time, Qin Sang's mood became somewhat heavy.

This Ghost Folk would undoubtedly be a giant in the mortal world. Its facial features and limbs were similar to those of mortals, but no one who saw it would consider it human.

Yet, the truth was precisely that: the Ghost Folk were indeed humans!

The reason was simple: the Ghost Folk had lived year-round amidst the 'Six Days Old Qi', and without the Daoist Court's protection, they had undergone earth-shattering changes.

The Ghost Folk's physical bodies were tough as iron, and they possessed boundless strength, incomparable to ordinary mortals. However, they had to pay the price of impaired sanity.

The animalistic nature of this Ghost Folk was very apparent.

At this moment, the rabbit demon was cornered against a cliff. Knowing it was doomed, a fierce glint appeared in its eyes. It suddenly turned around, sprayed a gust of foul-smelling wind from its mouth and nose, and its sharp teeth turned a deep bloody red, biting fiercely.

The Ghost Folk was not startled; instead, it was delighted. It let out a joyful cry and did not dodge. It furiously threw a punch, which, though launched later, arrived first, hitting the rabbit demon directly in its vital throat.

Only the crisp sound of bones shattering was heard. The rabbit demon shrieked in agony. The intense pain brought out its survival instinct, and it tried to escape, but the Ghost Folk seized its neck, and with a squeeze of its hand, the rabbit demon fell silent.

Blood gushed from the wound on the rabbit demon's neck. The Ghost Folk lifted the rabbit demon, opened its mouth, and caught the blood, drinking deeply. Satisfied, it dragged the rabbit demon's corpse towards a hidden valley.

In the valley, there was a cave, sealed off by large stones from the outside. The Ghost Folk knocked a few times, and the stones were pushed open from within, welcoming the Ghost Folk and its prey inside, before closing with a thud.

Qin Sang took it all in. The Ghost Folk had lived here for generations, fighting countless demons, spirits, and monsters. They had long since undergone a metamorphosis. Even if they returned to the Daoist Court, it would take generations of gradual recovery to return to normal.

In fact, the Daoist Court did not reject the Ghost Folk. Some Daoist Court members even deliberately went out to find the Ghost Folk and escort them back.

Qin Sang himself could barely protect himself and had no spare thoughts to care about others. He withdrew his gaze and said to the Weasel Demon, "You may go. This humble Daoist has his own plans."

The Weasel Demon froze for a moment. It had originally thought Qin Sang would use some method to restrict it, but unexpectedly, he let it go so easily to lure the snake out of its hole.

The Weasel Demon secretly inspected its entire body but found nothing unusual. It simply stopped overthinking, bowed to Qin Sang, and leaped down the cliff, disappearing into a patch of forest.

At this moment, a butterfly perched on its shoulder, its wings fluttering with its movements, but the Weasel Demon was completely unaware of it.

Qin Sang stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips. Concealment was the inherent divine ability of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Now that he was using it, a Nascent Transformation cultivator might overlook it without careful inspection, and a mere transformation-stage demon king would surely be unable to see through it.

Qin Sang lightly tapped his feet, following behind at a leisurely pace. Soon, he found a cave dwelling and stopped. He took out the Evolution Dao Tree and began to ponder in secret.

The Weasel Demon didn't know what methods Qin Sang had used, and its heart was still trembling with trepidation. However, it was highly skilled at disguise. It quickly swept to a secluded altar, took out a sharp fang, and drew three clockwise circles and three counter-clockwise circles in the pond water.

With a splash, a stream of water rose from the pond, transforming into a seven-foot-long brocade snake. Its gaze cautiously swept over its surroundings before finally looking at the Weasel Demon. Sensing its cultivation, it spoke in a cold tone, "You failed!"