Chapter 2158: First come, first served

Streams of Ever-Bright Fire transformed into fierce fire dragons, relentlessly pursuing Qin Sang and Young Master. By the time Qin Sang and Young Master retreated near the Eight Extremes Map of Uncertainty, the entire area was engulfed in boundless, eerie blue flames.

The Jiao-girl pressed closer, her form appearing and disappearing as she used her Mirror Divine Art to change positions, making her elusive. She did this to prevent Qin Sang and Young Master from launching a sudden counterattack.

The Eight Extremes Map of Uncertainty was close by, yet Young Master did not fully activate its power. The two seemed to have forgotten about the treasure map, focusing only on running forward.

This was, of course, intentional. They did not wish to continue the entanglement with the Jiao-girl, but if she became overconfident and failed to spot the danger, walking straight into their trap, they wouldn't mind teaching her a lesson.

As they retreated into the Eight Extremes Map of Uncertainty, Qin Sang was already prepared to summon the Heaven-Trapping Golden Lock. Both kept a close watch on the Jiao-girl's movements.

Unfortunately, the Jiao-girl was extremely cautious. Just as she was about to approach the Eight Extremes Map of Uncertainty, a warning flared in her mind. Her gaze swept over the nearby mountains, her expression subtly shifted, and her figure suddenly burst into water droplets.

The next moment, she reappeared on a mountain several thousand zhang behind them. Simultaneously, the Ever-Bright Flames dispersed, and the fire dragons swam back above her head, glaring menacingly at Qin Sang and Young Master.

Seeing no opportunity, Young Master extended a hand, and a profound yellow light flowed across the earth, transforming into a scroll that leaped into his palm.

Qin Sang looked past the Jiao-girl and saw a long mycelial mat covering the ground, stretching all the way to the horizon.

In a short time, experts from the Myco-human tribe had arrived at their previous combat location. A giant red mushroom, significantly taller than the surrounding mountains, had sprouted from the ground.

Its cap spread wide on both sides, resembling a peculiar house.

A slit appeared on the red mushroom, which, upon opening, revealed a colossal eye. Its pupil rotated nimbly, fixing its gaze on their position.

Qin Sang's pupils contracted. Without hesitation, he and Young Master activated their escape techniques, departing without a backward glance.

The Jiao-girl, eager to pursue them further, seemed to be dissuaded by someone. She said reluctantly, "Sister, why aren't you making a move? Are we just letting them go? The treasures in the Great Beast's lair might have been completely taken by them."

A moment later, an ethereal voice came from high above: "There's no opportunity! Young Master is Emperor Si's right-hand man, and that human cultivator, having gained the Si You tribe's recognition, might not have revealed his true strength. We must use this initial period to complete our mission as quickly as possible. Any gains this time are an unexpected bonus; if there are none, it's no great loss—we can only blame ourselves for arriving a step too late."

The Jiao-girl forcefully swished her long tail, let out a delicate huff, then put away her Ever-Bright Fire and turned to fly towards the colossal red mushroom.

Qin Sang and Young Master continued to fly rapidly for a while. Once they confirmed there were no pursuers, they lowered their escape light.

Their entry into the sacred land had been fraught with complications, but fortunately, their journey was not without gains. They had gained a rough understanding of the terrain in this area, at least confirming that it was not Rootless Island.

After a brief discussion, the two decided to investigate separately. They agreed to meet at a designated spot two hours later.

"What have you found, Venerable Qin?" Young Master asked.

Qin Sang shook his head. "I haven't found any special markings indicated on the topographical map, but there are a few spots that can help you determine..."

He recounted his findings. Young Master nodded, saying, "Venerable Qin's discoveries largely corroborate my judgment. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be near the Hundred-Legged Divine Mountain!"

"Hundred-Legged Divine Mountain..."

Information about the Hundred-Legged Divine Mountain flashed through Qin Sang's mind. It was a massive mountain range composed of a main ridge and countless branch ridges. Located in the western part of the sacred land, its main body ran north-south, slightly tilted, while its branch ridges mostly ran east-west, resembling long legs extending from the main mountain, hence its name.

"Are we on the eastern or western foothills of the Hundred-Legged Divine Mountain?" Qin Sang immediately asked.

There was a significant difference between the eastern and western foothills. Their rendezvous point with Emperor Si was east of the Hundred-Legged Divine Mountain, so if they were on the western foothills, they would have to cross the main mountain.

"Observing the surrounding terrain, I initially thought we had landed on the western foothills of the divine mountain, but upon noticing some details, I believe we are on the eastern foothills!" Young Master said, his tone relaxed.

Qin Sang's expression eased slightly. The Hundred-Legged Divine Mountain was not easily traversed. While they were not afraid of danger, the fewer troubles, the better.

"If Venerable Qin has nothing else to attend to, shall we depart now?" Young Master suggested.

Qin Sang had no objections. The two identified their direction and immediately flew east.

As they flew for several days, the terrain below gradually flattened, and the mountains became lower. However, the water flow became more abundant.

They followed a large river for several days, which eventually merged into a vast, boundless expanse of water, marked as the Falling Sky Lake on the topographical map.

Their arrival at Falling Sky Lake confirmed Young Master's judgment; they only needed to cross the lake, and their rendezvous point would not be far.

They didn't stop, immediately flying over the lake, taking turns to keep watch. They encountered almost no dangers along the way, only sensing the presence of other cultivators twice, but didn't stop to investigate thoroughly.

In fact, while many foreign experts entered the sacred land, spread across its vast expanse, most had clear objectives, especially in the beginning, and tried to avoid conflict. If one intended to hide, encountering others was not easy.

Had it not been for the Great Beast's immense rage and the disturbance it caused, they wouldn't have encountered three groups of opponents in quick succession. Therefore, Qin Sang was not concerned about琉璃's safety, especially since Venerable Ning would surely have given her protective treasures.

On the eighteenth day after entering the sacred land, they finally crossed Falling Sky Lake and reached its eastern shore.

The topography of the eastern shore was entirely different from the western. The ground was riddled with cracks, as if parched after a long drought, yet the bottoms of the ravines were teeming with life. However, most of the vegetation and soil here were pitch-black, giving the area an eerie feel.

They flew above the ravines, and Young Master, concentrating his senses, finally pinpointed the correct direction.

Three days later.

They arrived above a ravine, looking down into its depths.

The scenery inside was no different from elsewhere; perhaps the vegetation was slightly denser, but they detected no anomalies whatsoever.

Young Master took out a jade token and crushed it. A moment later, a calm voice echoed from the depths of the ravine, "Has Young Master arrived?"

"It's the First Prince!"

Young Master transmitted a message to Qin Sang, then cupped his hands towards the void, saying, "Indeed, it is I. Greetings, First Prince."

As the voice resonated, faint ripples appeared in the ravine, forming a gateway.

Qin Sang followed Young Master, flashing through the gateway and arriving at the bottom of the valley, where he met the First Prince. The prince had a dignified and regal bearing, though it was evident he deliberately mimicked Emperor Si in some ways.

It was said that among all the princes, the First Prince was the only son born from Emperor Si's harmonious balance of Yin and Yang, making him the most similar to Emperor Si and the most favored. The First Prince had lived up to expectations, having already broken through to the mid-stage of the Second Void Realm, with prospects of succeeding to the throne in the future.

Standing beside the First Prince was a person whose face was veiled by a light gauze, and whose physique resembled that of a woman. This individual also possessed a cultivation at the mid-stage of the Second Void Realm. Young Master showed him no disrespect, bowing his hands and addressing him as Guest Elder Chao.

This person's name was simply "Chao." His family background was unknown, and although he held no official position as a guest elder in the First Prince's mansion, the First Prince treated him with the deference due to a master.

Young Master was Emperor Si's right-hand man, not the First Prince's master.

The First Prince turned his gaze to Qin Sang. "This humble one, Sige, greets Venerable Qin! Sige has long admired Venerable Qin's deeds. We hurried here just before the sacred land opened to enhance our strength, regrettably without the chance to visit Venerable Qin."

"This humble Daoist dare not accept such high regard from the First Prince," Qin Sang replied, bowing in return.

Qin Sang bowed in return, but finding no trace of Emperor Si's aura, he secretly frowned.

"Has Emperor Si not arrived yet?" Young Master asked.

"We happened to land nearby and have been waiting for several days, but there's still no news from Father Emperor..."

A flicker of worry crossed the First Prince's eyes, not for Emperor Si's safety, but for fear that too long a delay might lead to unforeseen complications.

Without Emperor Si, none of them knew the exact location of their objective, so they could only wait patiently. Fortunately, Emperor Si did not make them wait too long; on the morning of the third day, Emperor Si's voice was heard from outside the valley.

With the three parties converged, Emperor Si appeared weary from travel, suggesting his journey had not been easy.

He scanned the group. "Only four of you?"

The First Prince respectfully replied, "There's no news of anyone else yet. Shall we wait a bit longer?"

"No need!" Emperor Si said gravely. "There's no time to lose. Leave a secret mark, and we'll depart immediately!"

He had undoubtedly invited more helpers than these, but his most valued ones were clearly Young Master and Qin Sang; the others were secondary. Having them travel together was to ensure their timely arrival.

The group of six left behind a guiding mark, then each displayed their divine abilities, vanishing into the distance in an instant.

Among those accompanying Emperor Si was his concubine, conferred the title Concubine Anling, whose cultivation was comparable to that of the First Prince, indicating formidable strength.

With their combined strength, these six were among the most formidable in the entire sacred land. Unless they encountered a Sacred Realm fierce beast, there were few entities that could deter them.

Emperor Si led the way, with the others following closely, flying north along the eastern shore of Falling Sky Lake.

Several hours later, as dusk settled, they sped through the night and finally reached their destination.

Above a certain ravine, Emperor Si stopped and looked down into its depths.

The eastern shore of Falling Sky Lake at night presented a vastly different scene from daytime. Under the cover of night, the ravines were pitch-black, and the trees resembled menacing, clawing specters, making the area even more eerie and terrifying.

Qin Sang awakened his Heavenly Eye Butterfly and secretly employed his Heavenly Eye Divine Ability, but he could discern no abnormality below.

At that moment, Emperor Si sat cross-legged high above, raised his right hand, and gently rubbed his fingers together. A fine dust sprinkled down, scattering with the wind.

Following this, Emperor Si's hands rapidly changed incantations, striking towards the void and triggering profound changes. Emperor Si seemed to be searching for something, but a full quarter of an hour passed, and there was still no reaction from the surroundings.

Young Master and the others, who were aware of the situation, were not surprised by this. The place they sought was not fixed in one location but moved around. Since the imperial family discovered this place, each search had required considerable effort.

Another hour passed before Emperor Si suddenly stood up and sped off in one direction. Everyone quickly followed.

There were no other cultivators' auras nearby, yet they remained very cautious. Following Emperor Si, they quietly approached a circular deep valley.

This was the largest and deepest valley in the vicinity, seemingly bottomless. The aura emanating from within surprised everyone.

"There are so many fierce beasts residing here!"

The First Prince exclaimed in surprise.

The deep valley contained fierce beast lairs, and more than one type of fierce beast resided there. There were two distinct tribes on the western and eastern sides, and both tribes had powerful fierce beasts comparable to those in the Void Refining stage.

It was difficult to imagine how they coexisted peacefully. Perhaps the valley was wide enough, or perhaps they had only recently migrated there and had not yet contended for dominance.

Everyone looked to Emperor Si, awaiting his decision.

"Eliminate them," Emperor Si stated decisively. "Otherwise, if complications arise later and the fierce beasts riot, it will only worsen the situation. Make sure to thoroughly clean up all traces!"

"Yes!"

Young Master and Qin Sang flew towards the fierce beast lair on the eastern side, while Anling, the First Prince, and Guest Elder Chao headed west. Emperor Si, meanwhile, flashed down into the central part of the deep valley.

*Whoosh!**Whoosh!*

Qin Sang and Young Master quietly arrived before the fierce beast lair.

"I'll trouble Venerable Qin to summon the Heaven-Trapping Golden Lock to suppress the fierce beasts," Young Master said.

It was an open secret that the Grand Consort's Heaven-Trapping Golden Lock had fallen into Qin Sang's hands; there was no reason for him not to refine such a treasure once he obtained it.

They needed to eliminate this group of fierce beasts while also avoiding creating too great a disturbance that might attract attention. The drawback of the Eight Extremes Map of Uncertainty was that it required time for prior arrangement. Using the Heaven-Trapping Golden Lock was not overkill; there was a fierce beast below comparable to a mid-stage Void Refining cultivator, and its divine abilities were strange and unpredictable, so caution was advisable.

Qin Sang nodded, flicked his large sleeve, and a golden light shot through the air, transforming into the golden lock.

This action immediately alarmed the fierce beasts below, and a powerful aura erupted in response.

"Gulu!"*Whoosh!*

A streak of gray gas shot out from the dense forest, moving with extreme speed.

Within the gray gas was a strange beast, toad-like in form but with eight legs, and only a single vertical eye on its face. It glared furiously at Qin Sang, as if spewing flames.

"Gulu!"

Its throat rumbled, and its mouth slightly parted, as if about to spit something out.

Just then, a golden light suddenly descended from the sky, sweeping over the fierce beast. The golden light appeared gentle and harmless, yet it caused the beast's entire body to stiffen, its eyes to glaze over, and whatever was in its throat could no longer be expelled.

Indeed, a cultivation comparable to the mid-stage Void Refining realm struggled to resist the power of the Void Domain. Young Master, who had been waiting nearby, decisively struck without giving the fierce beast a chance to retaliate. A large, furry hand materialized in the void and ruthlessly swatted the fierce beast.

The fierce beast offered no resistance. With a splat, its head exploded, sending brain matter splattering.

*Splat! Splat! Splat!*

Young Master struck several more times, ending the fierce beast's life, then unleashed another palm strike towards the dense forest, utterly annihilating the entire fierce beast tribe.

Qin Sang stayed behind to clean up the aftermath, while Young Master went to help on the other side.

Soon, the fierce beasts were cleared, and Emperor Si also found the entrance.

The group arrived before a black jungle. Emperor Si used some unknown technique, and a small, winding path appeared within the forest, leading into a secluded area.

At the end of the path, a mountain appeared before them. Its rounded peak resembled a burial mound. At its base was a cave, constructed with green bricks, like a tomb passage.

A glint of joy flashed in Emperor Si's eyes. Just as he was about to step into the green-brick tomb passage, his expression suddenly changed, and he stared intently at one side of the passage.

Noticing his unusual behavior, everyone followed his gaze but could see nothing out of the ordinary.

Emperor Si's face grew increasingly grim. He said coldly, "Someone has already gotten here first!"