Chapter 185: Sword Demon

"Are you sure this cave dwelling is ownerless?" Qin Sang asked in a low voice. He didn't want to inexplicably provoke a powerful enemy; it would be better to take the trouble himself and help them find a suitable dwelling instead.

Le Xing nodded repeatedly. "I'm sure. The owner of the cave dwelling has indeed been dead for a very long time... Senior, do you recall a well-known case from several hundred years ago in the Cloudmist Great Marsh?"

Qin Sang naturally knew nothing of such a case. He shook his head and said, "Tell me about it."

"It's said that a bloody incident was triggered when an immortal's abode emerged from the depths of the Cloudmist Great Marsh. A female cultivator obtained a precious treasure inside the abode but was subsequently surrounded and killed..."

As Le Xing recounted the story, Qin Sang gained some understanding of the so-called well-known case. However, due to the passage of time and Le Xing's limited cultivation and background, the information she could gather was sparse, and many details were ambiguous.

The Cloudmist Great Marsh stretches endlessly with its myriad waterways, making it extraordinarily vast. Over countless years, it has been explored by innumerable cultivators, yet many undiscovered secret realms and ancient residences remain hidden deep within its depths. Many cultivators diligently search the Cloudmist Great Marsh, hoping to acquire ancient cultivation inheritances or treasures to change their destiny.

The Cloudmist Great Marsh is sparsely populated. Generally, even if a secret realm or ancient residence emerges, it doesn't cause much of a stir. Those who are lucky enough to enter would quietly make a fortune, then seclude themselves for arduous cultivation after acquiring treasures, never leaking the news until their dying day.

This immortal's abode, however, was different. When it emerged, immortal music resonated, and strange phenomena appeared continuously. Rainbows hung across the sky, and heavenly mist obscured the sun, visible even from great distances.

Such unusual phenomena indicated the definite emergence of an extraordinary treasure. All cultivators present in the Cloudmist Great Marsh were exceptionally surprised and delighted, rushing towards the source of the phenomena.

Although the immortal's abode appeared in the depths of the Cloudmist Great Marsh, the phenomena lasted for a full day before the abode finally opened. By then, many cultivators had already gathered outside and entered together.

The bloody incident occurred inside the immortal's abode. It is said that the female cultivator obtained a precious treasure but accidentally leaked the news, leading to her being surrounded and killed by those who had entered with her. Two Golden Core cultivators from the Illusionary Gate were also involved in the attack.

Hearing this, Qin Sang wasn't surprised at all. Precious treasures incite greed, and killing for treasure is a common occurrence in the cultivation world.

However, what caused a huge uproar was not the female cultivator's demise, but the fact that she had a terrifyingly powerful Dao companion who emerged after her death to avenge her.

At that time, that person, wielding a single sword, slaughtered all cultivators who had entered the immortal's abode, causing blood to flow like rivers in the Cloudmist Great Marsh and striking terror into people's hearts. He even broke into the Illusionary Gate, slaying the two Golden Core cultivators there, and then retreated completely unharmed, disappearing without a trace. This earned him the title of 'Sword Demon.'

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang's first reaction was: How is that possible!

The Illusionary Gate, like Shao Hua Mountain, has its sect's entrance situated within the Cloudmist Great Marsh, with Shao Hua Mountain to the west and Illusionary Gate to the east. The Illusionary Gate's entrance is even more remote, closer to the sphere of influence of the Heavenly Demon Mound in the Western Regions.

As one of the Eight Orthodox Sects, the Illusionary Gate also has a Nascent Soul ancestor presiding over it. Would they simply stand by and watch their Golden Core disciples be killed?

Furthermore, the Illusionary Gate excels in the art of formations. When the founding patriarch of the Yuan Zhao Sect set up their protective formation, they invited a Nascent Soul ancestor from the Illusionary Gate to assist. The Illusionary Gate's own protective formation would undoubtedly be even more formidable; even a Nascent Soul cultivator personally arriving might not fare well.

The Sword Demon could not only slay two Golden Core cultivators but also retreat unharmed from the Illusionary Gate. What was his cultivation level?

Full of doubt, Qin Sang turned to Granny Jing for confirmation. Unexpectedly, Granny Jing glanced at him and said, "It's true. Fellow Daoist Qin can verify it by checking the records at Sky Scar Tower. As far as I know, that Sword Demon also has a significant connection with Shao Hua Mountain; he might very well be someone named Qing Zhu from Shao Hua Mountain."

Senior Qing Zhu!

Qin Sang was utterly astonished. He suddenly recalled that when he first joined the sect, Zhuang Yan had mentioned the Sword Gate Pass and Senior Qing Zhu's legend: how, in a fit of rage for a beloved woman, he split the front mountain with a single sword, broke through the formation, and left behind the Sword Gate Pass.

To this day, Shao Hua Mountain disciples, gazing at the peach blossoms covering the mountain, still recall Senior Qing Zhu's impressive bearing.

After Qin Sang decided to cultivate the "Chapter on Nurturing Swords with the Soul," he had considered emulating Senior Qing Zhu's cultivation process. However, records of Senior Qing Zhu in Treasure Pagoda Peak were extremely scarce, with only a mention of him forming his Golden Core within forty years.

Even Senior Brother Wen's knowledge of Senior Qing Zhu was superficial.

Later, Qin Sang found his own cultivation path and did not delve deeper.

He suddenly realized the significant implications. If Qing Zhu truly killed two Golden Core cultivators from the Illusionary Gate, even if he had already rebelled against Shao Hua Mountain, it would undoubtedly have a major impact on the relationship between the two sects.

No wonder Shao Hua Mountain deliberately erased all traces of Senior Qing Zhu.

However, Senior Qing Zhu was able to slay Golden Core cultivators. Since the incomplete "Chapter on Nurturing Swords with the Soul" could only be cultivated to the early Golden Core stage, did he perhaps switch to another cultivation method?

Qin Sang was astonished. After a moment of thought, he asked the Le sisters, "The owner of the cave dwelling you found, was he killed by the Sword Demon?"

"That's right. The owner of the cave dwelling was Daoist Cang Li, a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a well-known rogue cultivator at the time. He also entered the immortal's abode. Although no one personally witnessed him being slain by the Sword Demon, Daoist Cang Li completely disappeared after that, and no one ever saw him again. Later, everyone discovered that all those who had entered the immortal's abode, even if not publicly executed, had their bodies found one after another, all killed by the Sword Demon, including Daoist Cang Li. My sister and I stumbled upon this cave dwelling by chance. After extensive investigation, we confirmed it belonged to Daoist Cang Li. Unfortunately, the cave dwelling is heavily protected by restrictions, and my sister and I couldn't break through them, so we had to seek help from Senior Qin."

Le Xing looked at Qin Sang with anticipation. "As long as Senior Qin agrees, we will leave this section of the tree root with Granny Jing. Once the cave dwelling's restrictions are broken, the tree root will belong to Senior Qin."

Qin Sang remained noncommittal. After a moment's thought, he said, "Since this cave dwelling was discovered by your sisters, I presume you've already attempted to test it. What kind of restrictions are they? How powerful are they? Could you tell me more about them?"

"Of course."

Seeing Qin Sang's tone soften, Le Xing spoke with a hint of excitement, "Daoist Cang Li's cave dwelling is extremely well-hidden, located deep underwater. If not for an accident, my sister and I would never have found it. His cave dwelling is built on an underwater hill, and the entire hill is sealed off by a water-element restriction. This restriction is not only extremely sturdy but also possesses fierce counterattacking capabilities, resistible only by Foundation Establishment cultivators. My sister and I tried many times but were helpless. We've already had two defensive artifacts destroyed and nearly died in front of the restrictions. However, we weren't without gains. From our observations, Daoist Cang Li's cave dwelling should only have this single layer of protective restriction. Once it's broken, there shouldn't be any dangers inside."