Chapter 1926: Spirit Corrosion

The Human Realm

"Please come in, Taoist priest."

The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City wore luxurious robes, exuding a dignified and noble aura. This nobility, supported by his formidable cultivation, was beyond what mortal royalty and nobles could possess.

Qin Sang hadn't visited often, but the two were already quite familiar with each other.

Guest and host took their seats.

Before Qin Sang could speak, the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City waved his sleeve, and several jade bottles materialized on the table.

"This bottle contains Spirit Blossom Nectar, and this is Marrow-Seeping Pill..." The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City introduced them one by one.

Some jade bottles contained elixirs, others spiritual liquids. They all shared a common trait: they contained potent poisons, so virulent that even Soul Transformation cultivators would blanch at the mention of them.

"The Marrow-Seeping Pill was personally refined by me; the others were collected from various places. Unfortunately, your requirements are too high, Taoist priest. Despite my best efforts, I have only managed to gather these for now..." After explaining the properties of each, the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City pushed the poisons toward Qin Sang.

Qin Sang thanked him, opened the seals on the jade bottles, and sensed their potency.

Seeing that he took no precautions, the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City narrowed his eyes slightly. Little did he know, even without the Poison Pill, Qin Sang's accumulated knowledge in the way of poisons was already profound.

Qin Sang examined each one and nodded gently. All these poisons met the requirements for cultivating the 'Poison God Scripture'.

The problem was the quantity was insufficient, still far from what he needed!

The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City was a grandmaster of alchemy, but such potent poisons couldn't simply be refined at will. Moreover, the City Lord couldn't possibly serve only him. Qin Sang sighed inwardly, recalling his blissful days in the flower fields, where flower dew was endlessly abundant.

"Given your status, is this all you could obtain?" Qin Sang frowned. "Besides these, have you gathered any other clues? Are there any forbidden lands in this world, born from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth?" Such places were most likely to harbor highly poisonous substances.

The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City shook his head slightly. "Cloud Heaven Mountain is a pure and spiritual land, untouched by malevolence. Even if there were any, they would have long been suppressed by the masters of Cloud Heaven. The greatest place of malevolence is undoubtedly the Soulfall Abyss. However, haha... even the most ferocious devils in Muluo Mountain dare not trespass into the Soulfall Abyss's territory. As for Muluo Mountain itself, I govern a city, and countless eyes watch my every move. I must try to avoid contact with that side."

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly, sensing a veiled implication in his words. "Cloud Cauldron City is renowned throughout Cloud Heaven Mountain and Muluo Mountain as a sacred land for alchemy. Surely, many Muluo Mountain cultivators disguise themselves to seek elixirs here. There must be some rumors circulating; could you share a little?"

The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City feigned hesitation and said: "Indeed, there are some unverified rumors... Taoist priest, have you heard of a person named Ling Shi?"

"Ling Shi? I am unlearned and have not heard of him." Qin Sang shook his head.

"Ling Shi is known as the foremost master of poisons in Muluo Mountain. His poison arts are exquisite, allowing him to kill invisibly. Other devils flee hundreds of miles upon encountering him. This person, being proficient in poison arts, must be extremely knowledgeable about all poisons in the world. I have a stone bead here, supposedly from Ling Shi himself. If you present this bead at his door, you might be able to ask him for a favor."

As he spoke, the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City produced an opaque, milky-white stone bead. It was far less clear than a jade bead and looked quite ordinary. Even cultivators as profound as Qin Sang and the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City could sense a peculiar fluctuation hidden within the stone bead, like a unique mark.

Qin Sang took it and examined it carefully. "Where did this bead come from?"

"That's the biggest problem; tracing its original owner is difficult," the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City sighed softly. "Legend has it that only those who have shown kindness to Ling Shi, or who have gained his appreciation through serendipitous encounters, are granted such stone beads. I had heard of these beads before, and since you have such a request, I kept this one." The implication was that presenting the stone bead directly at his door carried inherent risks. Ling Shi might react with a poisonous palm if he saw that the true owner hadn't come in person.

He then added: "Ling Shi's whereabouts are erratic; no one knows the location of his cave abode. I've tried many methods, but all have yielded no news. Only with this stone bead is there hope of finding him."

"If you are willing to part with it, I shall accept this stone bead."

Qin Sang put away the stone bead and, after calculating its value against the poisons with the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City, took out three jade bottles of his own. Inside the jade bottles were three bottles of the purest essence blood from Soul Transformation stage demonic beasts.

Qin Sang had nearly used up all the spoils he had personally obtained from slaying Demon Marquises and fierce beasts. These were acquired from the relics of two Demon Kings, a massive haul sufficient for him to spend freely for a while. Additionally, Qin Sang possessed demonic corpses of Void Refinement stage, but they were unsuitable for trade here. Anything valued by a Demon King was invariably the most essential part of a demonic beast or fierce beast's body. The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City was so attentive precisely because the allure of these items was immense.

Upon seeing the jade bottles, the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City's eyes lit up. He picked up a bottle and opened its seal. "Indeed, it is the purest essence blood! With this essence blood, my chances can increase by twenty percent!"

The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City was completely engrossed. Seeing Qin Sang about to take his leave, he quickly called out, "Taoist priest, please wait. I have another matter to discuss."

"What urgent matter is it, City Lord? Please speak."

The City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City swiftly put away the three bottles of essence blood and said solemnly: "I am actually entrusted by someone. A fellow Taoist has discovered an ancient restriction, which may conceal an ancient secret realm within. However, it also harbors hidden dangers, and he seeks assistance to break the restriction together. If you are interested, Taoist priest, I can arrange for that fellow Taoist to meet you." Qin Sang's ability to produce so many demonic bones and blood indicated formidable strength, and he appeared to be a lone rogue cultivator, which perfectly met the employer's requirements.

"Ancient restriction? Can you determine its age or location?" Qin Sang's heart stirred. He secretly wondered if it could coincidentally be related to the Thunder Altar.

"It's likely over ten thousand years old, but the exact age is hard to determine. For now, I can only tell you, Taoist priest, that it's located east of Cloud Heaven, possibly the ruins of a vanished sect," the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City said cautiously.

It seemed unrelated to the Thunder Altar. Qin Sang estimated that the Thunder Altar's range extended at most to the western edge of Cloud Heaven Mountain, and its age couldn't be so recent.

"Taoist priest, you could ask that fellow Taoist to accompany you to Muluo Mountain. With two fellow Taoists visiting together, Ling Shi would surely not dare to act presumptuously," the City Lord of Cloud Cauldron City added.

Qin Sang, however, showed little interest. He stood up and cupped his hands in a salute. "Thank you for your kindness, fellow Taoist. Unfortunately, my cultivation is not yet complete, and I dare not be distracted."

Leaving Cloud Cauldron City, Qin Sang continued westward without a moment's pause. The journey was smooth.

Qin Sang passed through the fiery region and entered the Muluo Mountain range. Upon entering Muluo Mountain, there was an immediate sensation entirely different from Cloud Heaven Mountain. He wondered if it was due to preconceived notions. Cloud Heaven Mountain felt upright and peaceful, while Muluo Mountain, even under the blazing sun at noon, carried an lingering sense of gloom and eeriness.

Qin Sang flew high in the sky, heading deeper into Muluo Mountain. He hadn't gone far before witnessing several skirmishes, all of them struggles to the death. Although not all areas were so chaotic, the cultivators and demon cultivators Qin Sang encountered all possessed, to varying degrees, a sinister and ruthless demeanor. His swift flight continued without incident.

Whoosh!

A mass of white clouds flew over a mountaintop, and suddenly a streak of green light shot out from below. Within the streak of green light was a long arrow inscribed with runes, its tip reflecting a cold, incredibly sharp glint. The arrow pierced the air with astonishing speed, reaching beneath the white clouds in an instant, aiming to pierce them. Had the person on the white clouds been weak or caught off guard, they might have been severely wounded or even killed by a single arrow. This was Muluo Mountain: attacks could come at any time, without reason. One could only be careful and cautious.

Just as the arrow was about to pierce the white clouds, it suddenly froze, bound by an invisible force. Below the mountain, outside a cave, a man in black robes, a Nascent Soul cultivator, stood with a longbow. This was the arrow he had fired.

Seeing his spiritual arrow easily restrained, the man's expression drastically changed. Realizing he had provoked a formidable opponent, he plunged into the cave without hesitation, activating all its restrictions. He then continuously tried to escape using the arrangements within his cave dwelling. However, the earth rumbled. A giant spectral hand easily pierced through the mountain and snatched him out.

The man looked at the Taoist priest before him, his face filled with terror.

"Are there any recent tidings of True Lord Ling Shi?" the Taoist priest asked in a flat tone.

"This junior... this junior has not seen True Lord Ling Shi, senior, please forgive me! Senior, please spare my life!" The man pleaded repeatedly for mercy.

The spectral hand pressed downwards, directly embedding the man into the earth, where he fell completely silent.

The Taoist priest was none other than Qin Sang. He frowned, looking ahead. This place was not far from where the stone bead indicated. Could Ling Shi's cave abode not be here? If so, he could only wait for the other party to show up, hoping Ling Shi had not left his cave.

Qin Sang continued forward, flying over dozens of mountain ranges in succession. He landed in a flat valley and summoned the stone bead. He had brought the stone bead here, but felt no change from it, unable to deduce the other party's location. Qin Sang released his divine sense and swept the area, finding no anomalies. He simply chose a rock, sat cross-legged, and waited quietly.

***

A certain lake in the distance.

Beneath the mud and sand at the bottom of the lake was a solid block of hard black stone. Its interior had been hollowed out and carved into a cave dwelling. Several people were rummaging through something inside the cave. These individuals were dressed rather strangely, wearing crimson robes that covered them from head to toe. Twisted, enigmatic patterns were etched onto the backs of their red robes. The patterns on the backs of these few individuals also differed, with two of them being noticeably more complex, indicating higher status.

The two appeared to have over-expended their true essence. They sat cross-legged facing each other, recuperating while conversing.

"That old poisoner Ling Shi is indeed cunning. Who would have thought the formation's core wouldn't be set up inside his cave? It's a pity that despite Lord Tuyuan's unmatched stratagems and breaching the cave, he couldn't capture him," one of them, the taller one, remarked with a sigh.

His companion was short and stout, with a protruding belly that stretched his red robe into a bulge. He let out a cold chuckle. "We just couldn't capture him on the spot, that's all. He's already firmly trapped by Lord Tuyuan; he can't escape even with wings. Surrender is only a matter of time! What if he flees to the ends of the earth? He's the person the Ancestor specifically asked for. If that old poisoner dares to remain stubborn, and the Ancestor personally makes a move, I fear it won't be as simple as just capturing him!"

"Forcing the Ancestor to act means Lord Tuyuan has failed, and we will be punished along with him. I hope that day never comes." The taller cultivator seemed to recall something terrifying and shivered. "Although the old poisoner escaped, he didn't have time to destroy the items in his cave dwelling. We only hope there's some secret inside that can help Lord Tuyuan capture him, so we can report back to him!"

Just then, a faint light burst forth within the cave, accompanied by a cracking sound. The two were overjoyed. "Another quiet chamber has been opened! I can't believe the remaining restrictions were so strong; it took a full half-month just to break through this one!"

Their subordinates filed out, carrying various items from the cave: some treasures, others seemingly just miscellaneous objects. They brought each item before them and inspected it carefully. Fearing to miss any detail, they examined everything with great scrutiny.

Suddenly, the short, stout cultivator seemed to sense something. He glanced sideways and saw a stone mirror. The stone mirror was circular, set vertically on a stone base, standing nearly ten feet tall. Both the mirror and its base were made of the same material, but the mirror's surface had been polished to an exceptionally smooth, reflective sheen.

"Hmm?" The short, stout cultivator showed a surprised expression. The stone mirror had previously been in the main hall. They had examined it countless times before, finding nothing special about it. Now, a faint light spot suddenly appeared on the mirror's surface, and at the moment of its appearance, some lines emerged. They had been plotting for a long time and had been lurking nearby for days, so they immediately recognized that these lines were a topographical map of the surrounding area.

"What is this?" The two exchanged glances.

The taller cultivator's eyes lit up. "This mirror definitely isn't an investigative treasure; otherwise, the old poisoner would have detected us long ago!"

"Are you implying..." the short, stout cultivator mused.

"If this light spot represents a person, it must have a significant connection to the old poisoner! It's likely someone close to him. If we capture them, it might force the old poisoner to submit!" the taller cultivator stated decisively.

"I haven't heard of the old poisoner having any relatives or disciples," the short, stout cultivator said hesitantly.

"Wouldn't we know once we meet them? You all, come over!" The taller cultivator called all his subordinates over, left the cave, and flew towards the location of the light spot. However, they did not all reveal themselves. Once both their auras had fully recovered, they secretly approached, observed from a distance, and ordered two subordinates to go ahead and scout.

Little did they know, Qin Sang had already detected them when they began flying towards this location. Qin Sang remained impassive as he sat cross-legged on the rock. Noticing their movements, he couldn't help but feel curious. Were these people Ling Shi's subordinates? Why were their actions so peculiar? Their aura was also strange; it didn't seem like poison cultivation. Instead, they were filled with corpse qi, like a group of corpse refiners.

Whoosh!

A sinister wind swept in from beyond the mountain. Two red-robed figures broke through the air and landed on the ground before Qin Sang.

Thud! Thud!

Their bodies seemed extraordinarily heavy. Qin Sang rose from the rock. Looking at the two, a flicker of oddness crossed Qin Sang's eyes. Long-buried memories were stirred, and he couldn't help but recall the Flying Yaksha. Qin Sang could almost guess their origins.

From beneath the red robes, four chilling gazes brazenly scrutinized Qin Sang. One of them spoke in a hoarse voice, coldly demanding: "Who are you? State your name! And hand over any tokens you possess!"