Chapter 1848: Initial Encounter

The Human World

"So it's here."

Qin Sang looked at the boundless blue sea of light before him, deep in thought.

He was very familiar with this sea of light; the Venerable Youhuang had described its mystical properties when he first entered the Cure Altar. The sea of light was boundless and exceptionally vast. Qin Sang had been in the Cure Altar for many years, experiencing countless illusions, but he had never encountered anything comparable to this blue sea of light. Within his sight was a strange scene where golden and blue light merged: brilliant blue light lay beneath, with golden light above, like a tumultuous ocean under a golden sky. It was clear to the naked eye that the golden light was gradually fading. This golden light originated from the Primordial Embryo Array and had no connection to the Vajra Bodhi Tree.

The blue light at the bottom of the sea of light was exceptionally pure, without any mixed colors, and showed no signs of golden flames or tree shadows. Previously, when the tree shadow openly appeared, Qin Sang hadn't seen any obvious blue light surrounding it. However, through deduction, Qin Sang had determined that the Vajra Bodhi Tree was hidden deep within the blue sea of light. Although the tree shadow had vanished, the ripples hadn't subsided. As long as he acted quickly enough, there was still hope of finding the treasure.

Qin Sang recalled the Venerable Youhuang's description: years ago, she and several fellow Daoists explored the Cure Altar. Upon approaching the blue sea of light, they sensed an inexplicable danger, stopped there, and withdrew from the Cure Altar. The blue sea of light was not actually very deep, but its mystical properties likely surpassed even some illusions found deep within the Cure Altar. Qin Sang had also previously felt that the sea of light was not simple and held a faint apprehension towards it. Furthermore, the blue sea of light was not on his intended exploration path, and given its vastness, a thorough search would consume too much time and energy. Thus, he had only entered the sea of light once, staying for a while in the periphery without delving deeper, and neither party had caused any trouble for the other.

He hadn't expected such an ancient tree to be hidden within the sea of light, entering a treasure mountain without knowing it. It was too late for regrets now. Qin Sang glanced over the surging waves along the shore, where blue and golden light collided, creating spectacular scenes. Finding no other figures on the surface of the sea, Qin Sang shifted his gaze to the southern shore of the blue sea of light, towards the direction of the Jungle Domain. The coastline of the blue sea of light was long, and his current position was not close to the Jungle Domain. However, he was very familiar with the terrain around the Jungle Domain, so if any unforeseen events occurred, he could quickly find the fastest route to the Jungle Domain, no matter where he emerged from the blue sea of light.

With these thoughts in mind, Qin Sang quietly approached the coast and silently disappeared into the sea of light. Everywhere he looked, it was a shimmering blue; there were no tangible objects within his sight. The deeper he went, the denser the blue light became, transitioning from light blue to dark blue, eventually even gradually shifting towards black, though never reaching absolute darkness, always retaining a hint of dark blue. "Huh?"

As he submerged into the blue sea of light, a look of surprise flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. He remembered the feeling from his last entry here: it wasn't obvious at the edge, but after a short distance, he would feel a strange pulling force constantly drawing him deeper into the sea. This was a force Qin Sang had never encountered before; its origin was unknown, and various Daoist spells and treasures couldn't block it. It seemed to be one with the blue light itself. Although the force wasn't strong, it gave Qin Sang a very dangerous feeling. Coupled with the Venerable Youhuang's description that the sea of light could affect one's mind, it added to its strangeness. After weighing his options, Qin Sang had decided to give up. Yet now, Qin Sang had already delved a considerable distance, and he could no longer feel that force. "Could it be that the vibrations caused by the Vajra Bodhi Tree haven't subsided? Other illusions become more dangerous when impacted by golden light, but here it's the opposite; it seems to have become safer..."

Qin Sang summoned the Celestial Eye Butterfly and together they activated the Celestial Eye Divine Ability, their gaze penetrating the profound sea of light. In their eyes, the sea of light was intensely vibrating, and amidst the surging light, there was a fragmented beauty. Qin Sang thought for a moment and then accelerated his pace. The sea of light's inherent fluctuations could conceal some of his aura, and with the Celestial Eye Butterfly providing warnings, he hadn't even seen a shadow of an enemy, so there was no need to strive for perfect concealment. His objective was clear: to rush towards the center of the sea of light, the source of the vibrations, which was undoubtedly connected to the Vajra Bodhi Tree. In fact, Qin Sang was not the only one with this idea; for instance, King Lingyou and his party had entered the sea of light even earlier than him. The entire sea of light was filled with monotonous blue light, making it dull and lonely.

As Qin Sang delved deeper, he gradually shed his relaxed expression. He began to feel the impact from the vibrations, deducing that it would not be easy to gain a foothold at the source of the tremors. Qin Sang's thoughts shifted, and he performed a hand seal, activating the "Houtian Wooden Effigy Scripture" to transform into a Spirit Wood Body. The Spirit Wood Body had a keen sensitivity to wood spiritual energy. Although the Vajra Bodhi Tree's vitality had been severed, perhaps its wood spiritual energy had never leaked out. If even a trace were to escape now and be detected by him, he could pinpoint the location of the spiritual tree. When he cast the secret art, his physique didn't change, but his appearance became somewhat stranger.

As he was flying, Qin Sang's expression subtly changed. He abruptly paused and turned his head to look to his front right. To his eyes, it was just monotonous blue light, but the Celestial Eye Butterfly saw further, discerning something there, like a bubble floating by. Qin Sang didn't hesitate, immediately changing direction. But when he rushed over and searched the surroundings, he found nothing; the bubble had vanished into thin air. He furrowed his brows in thought. It certainly wasn't an illusion earlier; there was a bubble the size of a baby's fist, floating from the source of the vibrations. In a fleeting glimpse, Qin Sang remembered that the scene inside the bubble was somewhat blurry, covered by a layer of mist. There seemed to be faint architectural phantoms, and it was as if an independent space was sealed within. "The deep sea is indeed mystical..." Qin Sang couldn't figure out the origin of the bubble for a moment, so he stopped wasting time and continued forward.

'Boom!' Tsunami-like impacts assaulted him in waves. The force of these impacts was extremely strong, but Qin Sang, having activated his Spirit Wood Body, was able to remain steady. At this moment, he was not far from the source of the vibrations. No matter how dangerous it was ahead, retreat was not an option.

'Whoosh!' A blue wave of light surged forward with overwhelming force. Qin Sang's gaze deepened slightly, and he lightly pushed off, his figure leaping up slightly. Just as the wave of light arrived, Qin Sang precisely stepped onto its crest. His Bright Mountain Armor appeared, shimmering with precious light. Although he dodged the crest of the wave, a powerful impact still rushed towards him. At this moment, the power of the True Treasure fragment was integrated into the entire Bright Mountain Armor. This artifact could fully protect Qin Sang, leaving him completely unharmed by the impact. Qin Sang's speed did not decrease; instead, it increased. He heavily pressed his toes onto the wave's crest and leaped forward, flying hundreds of feet. He was like a wave-rider, constantly advancing by treading on the waves. Unfortunately, this good fortune didn't last. As Qin Sang drew closer, he suddenly heard muffled thunderous sounds emanating from ahead.

Qin Sang listened intently for a moment, then suddenly had an ominous premonition. His expression changed drastically, and without hesitation, he unleashed the Great Vajra Wheel Seal. The pure glass-like treasure light shimmered in the deep sea. In an instant, violent vibrations surged forward, accompanied by rolling thunder, as if the world were turning upside down. Qin Sang grunted, feeling as if his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he was sent flying instantly. His internal qi and blood churned, and Qin Sang was like a kite swaying precariously in the wind and rain. Before he could steady himself, he was struck again by another force even stronger than before, causing his Bright Mountain Armor to creak. At this moment, the blue sea of light was utterly chaotic. Centered on the source Qin Sang had previously sensed, the entire sea of light vibrated outwards. The blue light seemed to shatter into pieces, and the forces of impact collided with each other, creating even more chaos. This kind of chaos would occur periodically, for unknown reasons. Qin Sang had only just entered and knew nothing about this. His mind raced, and he quickly decided not to directly confront these forces. He closed his eyes tightly, protecting himself, and used his spiritual perception and the Celestial Eye Divine Ability to seek patterns within the chaos. No matter how chaotic it was, he only needed to remember the location of the source. By actively letting himself be pulled into the opposing forces, he used their momentum to approach the source. Surprisingly, his speed was not slow at first. However, the closer he got to the source, the more ferocious the impacts became. Qin Sang felt extremely strained but was unwilling to simply drift with the current, seizing every opportunity to advance.

'Bang! Bang! Bang!' The Bright Mountain Armor had endured countless impacts for him, its spiritual light flickering, like a lamp about to be extinguished at any moment. Finally, this wave of vibrations was nearing its end, and the force of the impacts began to weaken. Sensing the change, Qin Sang was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he suddenly felt something and abruptly turned his head to look to his right. The next moment, two piercing gazes, like sharp swords, also shot towards him from the right. Their four eyes met. Qin Sang's eyes felt a faint stinging pain. The chaos hadn't subsided, so he couldn't hide at all. The moment he discovered the other party, he himself was also exposed.

"A Daoist or a demon?" This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and the Celestial Eye Butterfly transmitted an image. In the distance was an old man with a long beard, looking benevolent, but radiating an unconcealed monstrous demonic aura. "A Demon Marquis! And at the late-stage of Soul Transformation!" Qin Sang's expression slightly hardened, then he heard a thunderous roar. "Who goes there!"

The long-bearded old man was indeed the Demon Marquis who followed King Lingyou, his most trusted subordinate, known as Marquis Dingxiang. His title was personally bestowed by King Lingyou, and from the name itself, one could sense King Lingyou's trust in him. When King Lingyou was in seclusion, Marquis Dingxiang could make all decisions regarding the King's residence on his own. The surrounding impact forces had considerably weakened from their peak. With a shout, Marquis Dingxiang's long beard beneath his jaw split into two strands and shot out. The front section was the long beard, and behind it were two streams of white mist. The white mist was like two white flood dragons scouting the way, parting waves and breaking through currents with lightning speed. Marquis Dingxiang stared intently at Qin Sang and, without hesitation, charged towards him, his clothes flapping.

The numerous demons had followed King Lingyou into the blue sea of light, but when the chaos arrived, they found it difficult to maintain formation and were forced to disperse. However, even when dispersed, they wouldn't separate too far and would quickly rendezvous once the chaos subsided. There was another reason for their dispersal: King Lingyou believed there was something unusual about the chaos, harboring hidden mysteries, and ordered the demons to investigate separately to corroborate his judgment. Sensing Qin Sang's aura, Marquis Dingxiang immediately recognized that the newcomer was not one of their kind. Before entering the Cure Altar, all the Demon Marquises had gathered to memorize each other's auras, to avoid any misunderstandings. This person could only be from the Daoist sect! Since it was an enemy, Marquis Dingxiang naturally showed no mercy. If he could capture him and ascertain information about his companions, his side could gain the upper hand. Of course, Marquis Dingxiang also considered that if the opponent happened to be a Great True Man who had self-severed his cultivation, he could at least hold him off for a while, and King Lingyou was nearby and would arrive quickly. Therefore, Marquis Dingxiang attacked without hesitation. "The divine wood stirs hearts; as expected, someone came looking. With demons nearby, I wonder if there are any Daoist court experts close by," Qin Sang sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected to be exposed so quickly. He could no longer wait for an opportune moment; he had to engage directly.

'Whoosh! Whoosh!' Two streaks of white mist pierced through the air, their momentum astonishing. Qin Sang turned his body, facing Marquis Dingxiang directly. "So it's him..." Marquis Dingxiang was quite famous in the Gui Fang Kingdom, so it wasn't hard to recognize him. However, this demon held a high status and rarely engaged in combat, so outsiders knew little about his divine abilities. There were even several theories about what kind of demon beast his true form was. Qin Sang stared intently at Marquis Dingxiang, not looking at the two white streaks. Only as they approached did he raise his right arm, his right hand forming a palm, and struck heavily.

'Boom!' Under the blinding golden light, the two white streaks stiffened and burst apart in response. Marquis Dingxiang, who was rapidly approaching, his pupils constricted, his expression grew increasingly solemn, and his eyes mixed with doubt and surprise. "What kind of monster is this? Is it human or demon?" After the True Treasure fragment's power integrated, the Bright Mountain Armor seemed forged from water, and Marquis Dingxiang could vaguely discern a human figure within the armor. After seeing clearly, Marquis Dingxiang's expression became even more peculiar. His own demon body was strange enough, but he hadn't expected to encounter someone with an even stranger appearance than his. Qin Sang's aura was even stranger: pure demonic qi mixed with poisonous qi, completely lacking any demeanor of a True Man. For a moment, Marquis Dingxiang also began to doubt his judgment. "Could it be a demon soldier of a Great True Man?" A True Man shouldn't be able to cultivate a demon soldier of such cultivation level. Marquis Dingxiang felt this was the only possibility and secretly felt awe-struck, subtly scanning his surroundings. With a demon soldier here, the Great True Man shouldn't be far away.

However, Marquis Dingxiang had no intention of retreating. Seeing the white mist broken, he let out a soft snort, and a phantom elephant trunk materialized from his nose. With a flick of his long trunk, he sprayed out two more streaks of white mist. These two streaks of white mist were incomparably more powerful than the previous ones. The white mist intertwined, forming a dragon-like spear that rumbled as it tore through space, fiercely thrusting towards Qin Sang. Qin Sang gave Marquis Dingxiang a deep look. He had been retreating since before, and now he retreated even further. The white dragon spear was as fast as lightning, leaving trails of spear shadows, arriving in an instant. Had it been anyone else, a poor response would have led to being pierced through on the spot. Qin Sang unhurriedly raised his hand to meet it. A bloody light flickered in his palm, and a palm-sized sword emerged.

'Bang!' The dragon spear and blood sword clashed head-on, and a blinding burst of red and white light erupted. Qin Sang's entire body trembled. He then transformed into a flash of lightning, using the dragon spear's momentum to continue retreating, showing no intention of engaging Marquis Dingxiang in prolonged combat. Based on the cultivators and demon cultivators he had encountered previously, both sides typically operated in groups of several individuals. Encountering one implied there were more demon cultivators nearby, and very possibly a reclusive expert from the Grand Saint Palace. Even if Qin Sang had the ability to slay Marquis Dingxiang, he would absolutely not get entangled with him here. Events proved Qin Sang's judgment correct. As he left, he could faintly feel a powerful aura approaching, an aura even stronger than Marquis Dingxiang's. Unexpectedly, the opponent was so decisive. Marquis Dingxiang's expression subtly changed. His figure flickered, and he transformed directly into a streak of white mist to pursue, only to find that his evasion technique was completely inferior to the opponent's. After a short chase, he was left behind.