Chapter 1984: Moon Channel Bay

Proving the Dao has nothing to do with personal grievances.

With the prevalence of the Grand Ascension Dao, demons and monsters are constrained; they harbor reservations and dare not wantonly slaughter ordinary, vulnerable people.

Order is never a bad thing, but there are certainly those who dislike it and are unwilling to be constrained.

Just as heroes emerge in chaotic times, great opportunities often arise amidst disorder, giving birth to the so-called chosen ones.

Cloud Heaven claims to be the leader of the righteous path, yet to the mortals of the human world, their actions are far from honorable.

If Old Man Guyun had also been killed by Qin Sang, and Cloud Heaven subsequently destroyed, it would not have been without reason.

However, Qin Sang was not confident he could kill both of them simultaneously.

Void Refinement cultivators act cautiously and value their lives; even if they were to fight over the copper pillar, it would be difficult for both to suffer severe losses.

If Qin Sang had intervened during their fight, the two would inevitably have joined forces to counterattack, and the Four Symbols Sword Array would not have been able to trap them.

In that scenario, if the Thunder Altar were activated, the two would detect it and immediately flee, leaving Qin Sang without any other options.

Even if they couldn't escape the Thunder Altar's range and joined forces to resist the Thunder Incantation, its power would be greatly diminished.

Furthermore, the Thunder Altar cannot be activated consecutively; even if it could, Qin Sang would be unable to do so, as a single activation already greatly strained him.

If he couldn't kill them in one blow, an endless struggle would ensue.

Qin Sang did not fear powerful enemies, but a failure would mean missing a great opportunity.

The struggle between the two major powers had plunged the human world into great chaos and deep resentment. His sudden emergence, turning the tide and saving the common people from dire suffering, presented a perfect opportunity to validate his Dao.

It would be impossible to lure them here again in the future, and Qin Sang, not yet possessing the strength to slay a Void Refinement cultivator on his own, would see his cultivation affected.

By exploiting the mutual wariness between Old Man Guyun and Ancestor Minghu, he could divide them, blocking one and trapping the other, employing a strategy of feints and true attacks.

Now, by destroying Falling Soul Abyss and deterring Cloud Heaven, Qin Sang achieved his objective nonetheless.

Leaving Old Man Guyun alive was not without purpose either.

Qin Sang glanced at Old Man Guyun, having deliberately created the impression of a powerful backing.

It was clear that Old Man Guyun had been intimidated.

After all, he wasn't a rootless rogue cultivator; having a sect meant having concerns.

Unless Qin Sang intended to destroy Cloud Heaven, Old Man Guyun would surely not dare to fight to the death.

Old Man Guyun could serve as a perfect stepping stone for Qin Sang to connect with the wider world.

Meeting Qin Sang's gaze, Old Man Guyun's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained normal as he continued to explain the method to break the array.

With Ancestor Minghu fallen and no Void Refinement cultivator overseeing Falling Soul Abyss, the sect-protecting array's power was greatly diminished and no longer a concern.

After listening and finding no omissions, Qin Sang nodded and swiftly vanished into the ravine.

The ravine was deep and long, teeming with countless creatures. As he descended, Qin Sang observed lush jungles growing on both cliff faces, extending all the way to the bottom.

Specks of phosphorescent light scattered among the jungles, making the inside of the ravine glow green.

The phosphorescence came from the leaves of a special vine-like plant, seen everywhere, which served as the underground light source.

They could move like living creatures, their tendrils acting as tentacles, climbing among the branches.

The further down he went, the dimmer the phosphorescence became, until he entered a world of darkness.

The main gate of Falling Soul Abyss was located in the middle section.

Qin Sang and Old Man Guyun positioned themselves at opposite ends of Falling Soul Abyss's main gate, one north and one south, while the remaining cultivators of Falling Soul Abyss remained completely unaware.

The power of the grand array manifested, and a strange black mist enveloped Falling Soul Abyss. The mist swirled, and chilling winds howled, making the place appear even more eerie.

Beneath the black mist were numerous terrified faces and dozens of suspended black coffins.

These black coffins emanated a dim aura, their energies interlinked, and strange black mist drifted from their crevices, forming the sect-protecting grand array.

"As expected of corpse demons, even their sect-protecting array uses coffins."

Qin Sang mused inwardly. Immediately, his eyes lit up as streaks of escaping light descended from above, illuminating the underground.

Cloud Heaven cultivators, having received Old Man Guyun's command, came to break the array.

They were already impatient, rushing down one after another, then, led by the Nine Immortals of Cloud City, they fiercely attacked the grand array from nine different directions.

The cultivators' Dao arts and magic treasures formed nine colorful torrents, but the remnants of Falling Soul Abyss found the sight anything but beautiful.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Like waterfalls from the nine heavens, they continuously bombarded the grand array.

The black mist churned, the black coffins shook incessantly, and the iron chains suspending them rattled.

The heartstrings of the Falling Soul Abyss remnants trembled wildly, much like the iron chains.

"Old Ghost Yunxi, you are presumptuous! When my master returns to the mountain, he will surely refine you into a corpse puppet, seal your soul, and prevent you from ever transcending!"

Yunxi let out a cold laugh.

"That old zombie massacred countless beings, and karma has caught up to him. He has long since fallen; you'll likely have to invite him from the underworld!"

"You corpse demons, absorbing yin energy and using humans as sacrifices, deserve to be cast into hell to suffer endless torture! How can the living world tolerate you? It's fitting to send you back to the underworld to reunite with that old zombie!"

Yunxi's stern shouts echoed into Falling Soul Abyss, causing a commotion.

The one who had just spoken tried hard to appease them, but it was no longer possible to calm their hearts. The mountain-protecting array hadn't been broken, but they were already in disarray.

Ancestor Minghu had still not appeared to repel the enemy, and no matter how much they refused to believe it, they couldn't change the truth.

Under the fierce attacks of the Nine Immortals of Cloud City, the mountain-protecting array was forced to undergo numerous changes, which Qin Sang and Old Man Guyun observed, quickly gaining a complete understanding of the grand array.

"Bang!"

"Boom!"

At both ends of the grand array, purple light and sword energy erupted simultaneously.

Old Man Guyun raised his purple bamboo staff, aimed at the void before him, and pressed down heavily, its tip like a heavy hammer.

Purple streaks of light rapidly spread through the strange black mist, tearing it apart.

Qin Sang remained still, and a streak of sword energy shot from his sleeve.

The Gray Oriole Sword flew out of his sleeve, directly transforming into a beam of sword light. Without any flourish, it aimed at Falling Soul Abyss and slashed down from mid-air!

"Rumble..."

The cliff faces on both sides trembled violently.

The black mist churned violently, finally collapsing under the immense, combined assault of Qin Sang and Old Man Guyun.

"Crack!"

To the terrified eyes of the Falling Soul Abyss remnants, over a dozen black coffins shattered almost simultaneously, their fragments falling, leaving only swaying iron chains.

The black coffins shattered at an astonishing speed. When only a third of them remained, the grand array was already on the verge of collapse.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Cloud Heaven cultivators loudly shouted "Slay demons and eliminate devils!" and rushed into Falling Soul Abyss like hungry wolves.

At this time, Qin Sang and Old Man Guyun had already entered the depths of Falling Soul Abyss, standing by the Black River.

"Thud!"

Qin Sang threw a person onto the ground.

The person's expression was surprisingly calm, though the ripples in his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

He rolled over and prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "This junior, Jing Zang, greets the two seniors."

Old Man Guyun recognized Jing Zang and chuckled, "This fellow is the old zombie's favored disciple, quite strategic and highly valued by him. This chaos in the human world was his doing. Fortunately, this old man besieged Falling Soul Abyss early, otherwise, this fellow would surely have escaped."

"Please, seniors, see clearly," Jing Zang pleaded, "This junior was deeply trapped in the demon's lair, unable to act independently. Everything was done out of necessity, under the control of that old demon."

Jing Zang's heart was uneasy, unable to discern whether Old Man Guyun's attitude was favorable or not.

These Void Refinement grandmasters were high above, and sects always needed someone to manage them. Perhaps he could use his strategic mind to save his own life. "Seniors, spare this junior's life, and I will surely strive to repay your great kindness," he begged.

He added, "This junior has followed the old demon for many years and knows a thing or two about the secrets of Falling Soul Abyss."

Qin Sang glanced around; there were several stone mansions on both sides of the Black River, presumably the treasure vaults of Falling Soul Abyss.

Ancestor Minghu had managed the sect for many years, so his foundation must be much deeper than just these. The secret realms and medicinal fields controlled by Falling Soul Abyss outside the main gate, among other things, each represented immense wealth.

It was more than enough to expand Qingyang Temple.

Qin Sang looked at Jing Zang and said indifferently, "Open your mind."

Jing Zang's face turned ashen, and his lips trembled, but ultimately he dared not resist, allowing Qin Sang to imprint a restriction into his body, merging with his soul.

From then on, he would be completely at Qin Sang's mercy.

Old Man Guyun took out a mustard seed pouch and handed it to Qin Sang. Inside were the spoils of war from this period, which Qin Sang accepted without hesitation.

"Splash!"

The Black River rippled, revealing stone steps.

The two descended the stone steps, revealing a spacious stone chamber at the river bottom. Its layout resembled a tomb chamber, with strange murals carved on its walls.

Old Man Guyun was also entering Falling Soul Abyss for the first time. He focused his gaze and remarked, "The first ancestor of Falling Soul Abyss was an ancient corpse buried here, undecayed for ten thousand years. It gained spiritual awareness and achieved enlightenment, emerging with a monstrous demonic aura. Our sect's ancestors originally sought to slay demons and eliminate devils, but after several battles, they couldn't destroy the ancient corpse. They watched as he established a sect here, becoming a major hidden threat."

His voice grew softer as his gaze became deeply drawn to the murals.

The murals were not very clear; it seemed the pigments had faded with the erosion of time, and several sections appeared to have peeled off.

The patterns on them were extremely simple, yet profoundly meaningful.

Old Man Guyun realized at a glance that this mural was very unusual!

Ancestor Minghu had fallen, and his relics had all fallen into Qin Sang's hands. Old Man Guyun had thought there was nothing valuable left in the cave-dwelling, but unexpectedly, there was also a peculiar mural.

Old Man Guyun was about to become engrossed when he suddenly became alert. He glanced at Qin Sang, seeing that his gaze was also drawn to the mural and that he had no intention of driving him away.

Unable to discern Qin Sang's intentions yet unable to resist the mural's allure, Old Man Guyun simply stopped overthinking and focused on studying it.

"So that's how it is..."

Old Man Guyun murmured.

The fundamental cultivation method of Falling Soul Abyss must have a deep connection with this mural. It might even be that the ancestor of Falling Soul Abyss comprehended the mural and, drawing inspiration from other methods, created the technique.

After observing for a while, he secretly sighed in his heart, "What a pity." The mural's content was primarily related to body cultivation, which would be of great help to body cultivators, but it didn't align with Cloud Mountain's heritage.

Old Man Guyun glanced at Qin Sang again, unable to discern anything from his expression.

This man cultivated both body and magic; for him, the value of this mural was probably greater than most of Ancestor Minghu's treasures.

He wondered if Qin Sang had obtained the complete legacy of Falling Soul Abyss.

Cloud Heaven had besieged the corpse demons, only obtaining partial cultivation methods below the Soul Transformation stage. The most important legacy was still in Ancestor Minghu's possession.

It must contain the insights of Falling Soul Abyss's ancestor from studying the murals. Just for that content, it would have been worth killing Ancestor Minghu.

Qin Sang was unaware that Old Man Guyun had considered so much, but he was also pondering the matter.

He had indeed obtained the legacy of Falling Soul Abyss, but he had only briefly scanned it, lacking the time for a thorough examination.

In his opinion, if he patiently comprehended the mural, he would most likely gain insights into bone-tempering methods.

The cultivation of "Heavenly Demon Refinement" had, up to now, increasingly focused on the Dharma Idol rather than purely on tempering the physical body.

Qin Sang vaguely felt that if this cultivation method continued, it had a tendency to consume all vital energy and completely merge into the Dharma Idol.

If he were to cultivate another body-refining method, giving equal importance to both the physical body and the Dharma Idol, it might bring about a significant improvement.

However, cultivating too many methods might not be a good thing.

The Four Symbols Sword Array, Thunder Arts, the "Purple Star Sword Scripture," "Heavenly Demon Refinement"...

How much more energy and time could he spare?

Void Refinement cultivators had no worries about lifespan, but they did face the concern of heavenly tribulations.

He was spread too thin!

Qin Sang sighed inwardly, hesitant. He decided not to dwell on it for now, withdrew his gaze, and seeing stone tables and stools inside the cave-dwelling, he walked over and sat down.

"Fellow Daoist, please sit."

Qin Sang gestured with his hand, like a host.

In fact, he was indeed the master here, as Old Man Guyun had made up his mind not to contend with him for Falling Soul Abyss.

"Does Daoist Priest wish to play a game of chess with this old man here?"

Old Man Guyun swept his gaze around and sat down with a chuckle.

At least Qin Sang's displayed attitude showed no obvious hostility towards him and Cloud Heaven.

"This humble Daoist is actually not skilled in chess."

Qin Sang said indifferently, then brushed his finger over the Qianjun Ring, causing a dozen jade slips to fly out and be casually placed on the table.

"How many ancient array ruins has your sect excavated in the Fire Domain?"

Old Man Guyun looked at the jade slips, knowing that the content inscribed within them were fragments of ancient restrictions left by the Coiled Dragon Ancient Array from those ruins.

These were precisely what Jitian Sect needed.

However, fragments alone were not enough; they needed to piece them together, connect all the ruins, and successfully activate and trigger one transformation of the Coiled Dragon Ancient Array to be of value.

"A total of thirteen ruins have been found, not yet fully replicated. However, all these things combined are not as valuable as a single Coiled Dragon Heaven Pillar."

"Are you talking about this?"

Qin Sang took out the copper pillar.

It was a mere bait, yet unexpectedly so valuable.

"Precisely!"

Old Man Guyun nodded. "The Coiled Dragon Heaven Pillar is the most important array artifact of the Coiled Dragon Ancient Array. If Jitian Sect wants to recreate the Coiled Dragon Ancient Array, the Coiled Dragon Heaven Pillar is indispensable; the more, the better!"

"The Coiled Dragon Ancient Array! A single ruin covers the entire Fire Domain. How vast must this ancient grand array be? The grandeur of the ancient cultivation world truly makes one yearn for it..."

Qin Sang seemed to be merely sighing with emotion.

Old Man Guyun didn't suspect anything else and echoed, "Indeed, otherwise, why would Jitian Sect attach such importance to it? The ruins of the Coiled Dragon Ancient Array lay dormant for countless years, their emergence uncertain in time or reason. To restore the Coiled Dragon Ancient Array, Jitian Sect mobilized a great force, sending disciples to search throughout Moon Ditch Bay for thousands of years. They had come here multiple times but never expected the Fire Domain to actually contain a ruin."

"Even if the entire cultivation world of Moon Ditch Bay were mobilized by Jitian Sect, newly excavated ruins are becoming fewer and fewer, and they still haven't met Jitian Sect's requirements. It is said that at this Jitian Grand Ceremony, Jitian Sect's rewards will be extremely generous. This old man congratulates Daoist Priest and Qingyang Temple in advance."

Qin Sang remained impassive, lightly humming in acknowledgement, and continued to examine the Coiled Dragon Heaven Pillar on his own, appearing completely unconcerned.

He hadn't inquired about these matters in detail and had only vaguely heard about the Jitian Grand Ceremony.

It is said that there are requirements for participating in the Jitian Grand Ceremony: one must be a Moon Ditch Bay force recognized by Jitian Sect to receive a formal invitation.

Old Man Guyun, intending to probe, said enviously, "It is rumored that among the various treasures Jitian Sect has offered, there is a small grotto-heaven!"