Chapter 2167: Having Children

Qin Sang summoned the lightning crystal into his hand. It was about the size of a thumb, clear and transparent inside. Before he could examine it closely, the lightning crystal suddenly melted in his hand, merging into the mark on his palm.

The mark became more complex, gaining a bit more brilliance, and its spiritual light grew even purer.

Qin Sang stared at it for a while, unable to discern anything. Seeing that the mark had stopped changing, he frowned and flashed to the palace gate.

The vermilion lacquer on the palace gate was as vibrant as new. The gate was unlocked but sealed by ancient restrictions.

Even though the Thunder General had been killed by Qin Sang, the restrictions on the palace gate had not dissipated.

He raised his right hand, aligning the mark on his palm with the palace gate. As soon as his palm touched the gate, a change occurred.

A stream of light glided across the surface of the palace gate, and the ancient restrictions melted away like ice and snow, finally dissipating completely.

With a gentle push, Qin Sang slowly opened one of the palace gates, revealing a crack.

Through the crack, Qin Sang saw that the ground behind the door was the same as outside, revealing another empty space.

Inside were three grand halls, which appeared ancient and imposing under the illumination of the lightning. These consisted of a main hall directly facing the palace gate, and two side halls to its left and right. There were no other doors, suggesting that one could only enter the next part of the palace by opening the main hall.

Qin Sang pushed open the palace gate and observed for a moment. As he stepped one foot over the threshold, his expression suddenly changed, and he raised his right hand.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the mark on his right hand seemed to be sealed, preventing him from using it to leave.

When Qin Sang stepped back out, the mark returned to its original state. It seemed that once inside the palace, he would have to rely solely on his own strength and wouldn't be able to use the mark to escape danger.

Moreover, after Qin Sang stepped into the palace, the thunder energy within the clouds also underwent a peculiar change.

Standing at the palace entrance, he looked up at the sky and sensed three surges of thunder power stirring, ready to strike at any moment. The situation was similar to before the Thunder General appeared, but this time, there might not be just one Thunder General, but three!

Three Thunder Generals, each comparable to a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, were not to be taken lightly by Qin Sang, even if they were inanimate constructs.

Furthermore, he discovered a hidden formation on the plaza in front of the ancient hall, whose spiritual power subtly connected to the thunder in the sky. Once someone stepped onto the plaza, activating the formation and provoking the three Thunder Generals, no one could guarantee a safe retreat.

Qin Sang hadn't expected the difficulty to escalate so drastically, and he found himself hesitating, uncertain of his next move.

While he might have a chance to defeat the three Thunder Generals one by one if he maneuvered carefully, his greatest concern was that the spiritual formation might grant them combined attack abilities. That would be far more formidable than a simple stacking of their individual strengths.

If the spiritual formation was a trapping array, breaking it would become extremely difficult under the constant harassment of the three Thunder Generals.

Even if he brought Min Zhuo here, Qin Sang would have hesitated; now, he had even less confidence.

Since he couldn't leave via the mark, getting trapped here meant he wouldn't be able to escape quickly.

Qin Sang wasn't blinded by the opportunity and gradually considered retreating. Compared to unknown prospects, reuniting with Liuli and restoring Mount Daiyu were undoubtedly more important. Furthermore, only he knew how to enter this place, so there was no need to worry about others beating him to it. It wouldn't be too late to return and slowly explore this area after completing more critical tasks.

The first challenge after entering the palace was already so difficult that if he wanted to enter the Thunder Hall, he would likely need to invite a few helpers.

As Qin Sang was pondering, his nostrils suddenly flared slightly, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. "How can there be poison here?"

He actually sensed toxins here; at some unknown point, a trace of poisonous aura had drifted over.

Moreover, this trace of toxin was not simple. Qin Sang attempted to inhale it and felt his true essence subtly stir within his body.

Qin Sang immediately activated his true essence to create an internal barrier, then suddenly turned around, his gaze sweeping across his surroundings before looking up at the sky, his surprise growing.

He discovered that the toxin was actually drifting down from the clouds, originating from outside this space.

Where was this place? What lay beyond the thunderclouds?

Qin Sang had always been curious about this but hadn't had time to investigate thoroughly. Now, sensing the toxin, he could confirm that this place was not isolated and was connected to other areas outside.

The potency of this poison indicated that the outside was not safe. Although Qin Sang had lost his poison bead, he had cultivated the "Poison God Scripture" and thus possessed his own methods for dealing with it.

Ultimately, Qin Sang retracted his foot, stepped back out, flapped his lightning wings, and slowly ascended into the sky.

*Crack!*

*Zap!*

Lightning was close at hand. Qin Sang weaved through the bolts, his figure disappearing into the dark clouds as he continuously ascended. He encountered little obstruction, feeling as if he had passed through an invisible barrier, until he finally burst out of the sea of clouds.

In an instant, the thunder ceased, and the surroundings fell into a dead silence.

What lay before him was a vast and boundless dark space, utterly devoid of anything.

Qin Sang looked back; his naked eye couldn't discern the dark clouds or lightning, nor was there any fluctuation, but he could sense them through the mark on his palm.

However, what the Heavenly Eye Butterfly perceived was somewhat different from Qin Sang's own observation.

The void wasn't entirely black; there was an extremely faint, almost imperceptible, pink aura. This aura was so faint that only the Heavenly Eye Butterfly could see it; Qin Sang couldn't, even when employing other spiritual eye abilities.

However, just because it was invisible didn't mean it was undetectable. This wisp of aura was precisely the toxin Qin Sang had sensed!

Qin Sang concentrated his perception and discovered that the faint pink toxin was drifting from elsewhere. After a moment of thought, he flew towards its source.

He flew for a while but did not find the source. The toxin grew increasingly concentrated, though it remained faint enough for Qin Sang to isolate with his true essence, without needing to resort to the secret arts from the "Poison God Scripture."

The space was too vast and empty, with no reference points, making it easy to lose direction. Qin Sang constantly monitored the mark on his palm, noticing that its sensation was indeed weakening, but the change was very subtle, so there was no immediate cause for concern.

What Qin Sang didn't expect was that this place was far more vast than anticipated. He flew for quite a while longer but still hadn't reached a boundary; the scenery remained uniformly monotonous.

Just as Qin Sang was silently frowning, he suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation emanating from a distance.

"This fluctuation... it seems like some restriction has erupted?"

Qin Sang's eyes flashed, and he turned to fly toward the source of the fluctuation.

Concurrently, he had the Heavenly Eye Butterfly activate its Heavenly Eye ability. Concentrating his gaze into the distance, he vaguely saw a ball of yellow light in the darkness.

Floating within the yellow light was a seven-foot-long wooden staff, its top carved with a lifelike dragon head.

Surprisingly, there was a person on the wooden staff.

This person was diminutive, only about the size of a thumb, and was rather awkwardly clutching the dragon-headed staff, looking forward with a face full of anger.

Beside the yellow light was a patch of dark blue glow, rippling like water and raising waves, mixed with fragments of restrictions. The fluctuation Qin Sang had sensed originated from this very spot.

Upon seeing this small person, Qin Sang immediately recognized him as an expert from the Jiao Yao tribe.

However, this person was different from Jihong, who was naturally innocent, delicate, and clean, with every movement exuding charm.

This person, however, had coarse features, a full beard, and was dressed in simple, practical attire, appearing as a robust man of the Jiao Yao tribe.

Qin Sang noticed that this person wore a grain-sized wooden pendant at his waist, similar to one he had seen on Jihong.

"Who's spying on me?!"

A furious roar suddenly erupted.

The small person sat up, glaring fiercely.

Seeing that the other party had also discovered him, Qin Sang did not hide. He flew forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "This humble Taoist is Qin Sang. May I ask, fellow Taoist, are you from the Ji clan of the Jiao Yao tribe?"

The small person looked at Qin Sang up and down with a puzzled expression, then asked in a muffled voice, "I don't know you. Where have you seen me before?"

Qin Sang replied with a smile, "This humble Taoist has not met you before, but I am quite congenial with a fellow Taoist from the Jiao Yao tribe. That fellow Taoist, Jihong, is currently a guest at my cultivation grounds, helping me cultivate spiritual trees. Do you know him?"

"So it's that boy Jihong!"

The small person indeed knew Jihong, and from his tone, their relationship seemed to be very close.

"My name is Jixia; I am his clan uncle!"

"So it's fellow Taoist Jixia!" Qin Sang's face lit up with joy, and he repeatedly cupped his hands, saying, "My apologies! My apologies!"

Jixia seemed quite pleased and asked, "Has that boy ever mentioned my formidable reputation?"

"This humble Taoist has indeed heard fellow Taoist Jihong mention you..."

As he spoke, Qin Sang secretly thought to himself that Jihong had indeed mentioned a few people he was most wary of, and his clan uncle was among them. However, Jihong had never specified that this clan uncle was a late-stage Void Refinement expert; otherwise, inviting him would have made it easier to help Silu get revenge.

Qin Sang noticed that Jixia's aura seemed somewhat unstable, but he saw no visible injuries. Perhaps Jixia had only recently achieved a breakthrough, and his foundation was not yet solid.

Pleased by Qin Sang's praise, Jixia accepted it with a smug expression. He then suddenly remembered something and asked seriously, "True Master Qin, has that boy married, and how many children has he had?"

"Uh..."

Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then vaguely replied, "This humble Taoist has not seen fellow Taoist Jihong's spouse or children. Perhaps he left his family at home."

"Bastard!"

Jixia suddenly flew into a rage, "I cultivated so diligently to the second stage of the Void Realm specifically to avoid marriage and having children! This brat actually dares to run away from marriage? If he doesn't procreate, does he expect me to?!"

Qin Sang wondered why Jixia was so convinced Jihong had run away from marriage, and couldn't help but inwardly grumble, "Is that truly the sole purpose of your cultivation?"

Qin Sang had heard about the customs of the Jiao Yao tribe: it was said that each clan within the tribe must produce a certain number of descendants, and if the count was insufficient, the entire tribe would be punished.

The Jiao Yao tribe also included mortals, who did not reject marriage and childbearing. However, due to the tribe's inherently sparse population, maintaining its status as a prominent tribe required a sufficient number of strong cultivators. Relying solely on selecting from mortal offspring made this difficult to sustain.

There was never absolute fairness in the world. When immortal cultivators raised offspring, they would use various spiritual elixirs, secret techniques, and divine abilities from the fetal stage to regulate the child's innate talent, ensuring they possessed extraordinary natural endowments at birth.

Given their cultivation level, having children was extremely easy; they could even allow the fetus to gestate in the womb for several years, perfecting the offspring's innate talent to near-flawless levels.

However, at their level of cultivation, very few were still willing to have children. Only those who found true love, or knew their time was short, or had reasons related to their cultivation methods, would choose to leave descendants.

Because having one more child meant one more karmic tie and entanglement. In times of danger, children could easily become a weakness, exploited by enemies. Among demonic cultivators, there was no lack of evil secret techniques that exploited blood relatives.

Regulating the talent of an unborn fetus was, to some extent, akin to defying fate and altering destiny, and it was no easy feat. The higher the desired outcome, the greater the difficulty. It not only consumed vast resources but could also harm the vital essence of both parents.

While innate talent wasn't everything and acquired opportunities were equally important, cultivators naturally desired the highest possible talent for their children. Otherwise, they might prefer to have no children at all.

Jiao Yao tribesmen were born with this responsibility. Unexpectedly, even someone of Jixia's cultivation level, almost at the peak of the world save for the ancestors in the sacred land, still couldn't act as he pleased.

Qin Sang had originally intended to invite Jixia to Qingyang Prefecture, hoping to draw the Jiao Yao tribe into the merchant association. Now, however, he thought it best to delay. He didn't want to fail in his negotiations and risk Jihong being taken away too.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang changed his tone and shifted the topic, asking, "May I ask, fellow Taoist, how did you come to be in this place, and do you know where this is?"

As he spoke, Qin Sang looked at the blue light behind Jixia, which seemed to connect to another place below.

Jixia countered, "Did you also fall in here by accident?"

Qin Sang nodded. "This humble Taoist has been flying here for a long time. I sensed toxins and was about to look for their source when I happened to encounter you."

Jixia grunted, then said resentfully, "It was that detestable radiant glow! I was about to succeed in an ancient ancestor's cave dwelling when, out of nowhere, a radiant glow appeared, tearing the dwelling apart, and I fell in through the crack."

"Radiant glow again!"

Qin Sang's heart stirred. As expected, the radiant glow wasn't confined to just one or two locations.

It could appear anywhere: dangerous beast lairs, secret realms, ancient sages' cave dwellings. It seemed likely that the radiant glow was continuously erupting throughout the sacred land.

Qin Sang couldn't help but worry if the radiant glow would affect their plans.

What was even more surprising was that they met here despite being so far apart. What exactly was this place?

"Oh no!"

Jixia suddenly cried out, "The crack is closing! The cave dwelling was torn apart by the radiant glow, and all the treasures are about to be exposed!"

In a hurried frenzy, he controlled the dragon-headed staff, preparing to leap into the blue light.

It was at this moment that Jixia seemed to finally realize there was another person beside him. He turned his head and warned, "If you can't find an exit, you can leave through here. But you must wait until I've collected all the treasures. No stealing!"

Jixia merely gave a verbal warning without taking any precautions. Qin Sang wasn't sure if Jixia genuinely trusted him this much, but he certainly had no intention of snatching anything.

Qin Sang looked at the blue light and saw it shrinking. Unsure if the crack would eventually disappear, he knew he couldn't follow Jixia; if he ended up on the other side of the sacred land, it would be too late to return.

The changes caused by the radiant glow were intensifying, and Qin Sang felt a growing urgency. He had to reunite with Liuli and the others as soon as possible.

"This humble Taoist knows another exit, so I won't be going that way..."

Qin Sang cupped his hands in farewell and made a verbal agreement with Jixia, hoping for a chance to cooperate in the future.

Jixia readily agreed, and before leaving, he gave Qin Sang a token, explaining that it would react when both parties were within a certain range of each other in the future.