Chapter 2185: Merging

The Thunder Palace existed to seal the Thunder Beast Warrior. Once Qin Sang subdued the warrior, the grand sealing array began to collapse.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Palaces shattered into pieces.

Knowing the place was doomed, everyone left the palace. Just as they flew out of the thunderclouds, an earth-shattering roar erupted behind them.

The thunderclouds dispersed, and the Thunder Palace collapsed. Countless fragments danced wildly in the shimmering light.

Qin Sang turned to look. The area where the Thunder Palace once stood had transformed into a giant, iridescent orb of light, constantly expanding. It was particularly striking in the darkness, resembling a large lantern suspended in the void.

Where should they go now?

Everyone felt somewhat lost, including Patriarch Fu and Fu Jiang.

They were supposed to leave the Sacred Land, but the passage hadn't opened yet, so they could only follow Qin Sang. Having personally witnessed most of Qin Sang's methods, he couldn't easily let them go; otherwise, they would pose a potential threat.

Qin Sang and Liu Li wanted to find the Heart Lake but had no leads.

Various signs indicated that the Sacred Land and the Serene Void were not distinct spaces but were intertwined and chaotic. Even if they had entered from the edge of the Heart Lake, they could still be thousands of miles away.

Based on the clues they had, it was impossible to determine which location in the Serene Void marked the edge of this realm, or in which direction the deepest part of the space lay. There was no distinction between up, down, left, or right—only endless darkness and absolute silence.

The secret talisman left by the Jie Gou clan's ancestor might offer some guidance, but it remained unresponsive. They couldn't just wait indefinitely, yet they also worried about choosing the wrong direction and straying even further.

"If you two have no idea where to go, perhaps we could return to the Jade Scorpion Ancient Hall and see how things unfold," Patriarch Fu suggested.

He had his own motives; many palaces on the surface had not yet been opened. These palaces contained treasures left by their ancestors, and if they couldn't be retrieved this time, they would be reduced to ashes in the shimmering light.

Even if Qin Sang claimed all the treasures without sharing, there was at least a future possibility of exchanging for them from him.

"The Jade Scorpion Ancient Hall might not have lasted until now..." Qin Sang said.

It was evident that whenever a lake of shimmering light appeared, it swiftly destroyed everything around it.

"However, there's no harm in checking," Qin Sang changed his tone. With nowhere else to go, they could only seize the opportunity to explore some hidden realms and ancient ruins while waiting for the right moment. As newcomers, he and Liu Li knew little about the Sacred Land and had no better objectives.

Before leaving, Qin Sang surged into the shimmering light, returned to the Sacred Land, and soared high into the sky, surveying his surroundings.

The island protection array was destroyed, and the mist dispersed.

Half of the visible landscape was water, half land, with only faint traces and outlines visible. The shimmering light, however, was ubiquitous.

In the days they spent conquering the Thunder Palace, the Sacred Land had already undergone drastic changes. Qin Sang immediately noticed at least five lakes of shimmering light, big and small, in the vicinity alone. The Sacred Land was likely covered in these "light patches," greedily devouring everything.

They would eventually merge into one, engulfing the entire Sacred Land!

For countless years, the Sacred Land had been deeply ingrained in the hearts of the Bizarre Race. Seeing it utterly transformed, Qin Sang wondered how the Bizarre Race cultivators felt. He clearly sensed that both Patriarch Fu and Fu Jiang were suppressing their unease, and presumably, most Bizarre Race cultivators were bewildered.

Returning to the Serene Void, everyone set off, flying towards the Jade Scorpion Ancient Hall.

The path had been relatively calm on their way in, but on the return journey, they encountered several "shimmering light lanterns," indicating that the barrier between the two spaces was now riddled with holes.

Perhaps the Serene Void was far vaster than imagined; they hadn't encountered any other cultivators on this journey and returned smoothly to the Jade Scorpion Ancient Hall.

The sight before them shattered everyone's lingering hope, prompting sighs from both Patriarch Fu and Fu Jiang.

As Qin Sang had predicted, a lake of shimmering light had formed here, destroying the Jade Scorpion Ancient Hall and creating a passage between the two realms. No wonder they had felt the poisonous mist was much denser than before on their way.

"There might still be some surviving treasures..." Fu Jiang said, unwilling to give up.

While spiritual elixirs couldn't withstand the destructive power of the shimmering light, spiritual treasures might still endure.

Everyone rushed into the shimmering light and searched separately. They did indeed find two spiritual treasures, but unfortunately, both were tailor-made for the Jie Gou clan.

Since they had found something, they thought about re-entering the shimmering light to search more thoroughly. Just then, Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. Sensing something, he abruptly looked up into the darkness.

Patriarch Fu sensed the faint fluctuation almost simultaneously with Qin Sang, followed shortly by Fu Jiang and Liu Li, who also felt a subtle presence.

"This fluctuation... Daoist priest..." Patriarch Fu said, his words trailing off, somewhat uncertain.

"Heavenly might!" Qin Sang declared firmly. "It's a heavenly tribulation."

"Someone is actually undergoing tribulation here?" everyone exclaimed in surprise.

At their cultivation level, longevity was not an issue. Heavenly tribulations were the greatest obstacle to their cultivation path, and no one dared to underestimate them.

The Sacred Land was a place of contention and uncertainty. If a heavenly tribulation happened to coincide with the Sacred Land's opening, most people would cautiously choose to forgo entering and focus solely on facing the tribulation.

If it wasn't the 6-9 Heavenly Tribulation, then was someone attempting a breakthrough?

At this thought, Patriarch Fu's face showed surprise. There were no cultivators below the Empty Realm in the Sacred Land, meaning only one possibility: someone was attempting to reach the Sacred Realm!

He didn't know that a Nascent Soul cultivator was standing right in front of him.

"Let's go take a look!"

With that, Qin Sang soared towards the source of the fluctuations.

It wasn't to interfere with the tribulation; once a heavenly tribulation descended, outsiders would avoid it at all costs, as a single misstep could lead to disaster. This was the first cultivator they had encountered since entering the Serene Void, and the person might know some secrets.

The probability of the person breaking through to the Sacred Realm was low. Throughout countless years of Sacred Land trials, only a select few elites had ever achieved a breakthrough to the Sacred Realm on the spot.

Liu Li and the others quickly followed. As they sped along, the sensation became clearer, but the distance was far greater than imagined.

Gradually, Qin Sang's expression grew more solemn. Even without seeing the person, the answer was obvious: the fluctuations of a Void Refinement stage heavenly tribulation could not be this vast or far-reaching.

"The Sacred Realm..." Patriarch Fu murmured.

Qin Sang and the others empathized with his feelings. Among the four, the highest cultivation was merely at the mid-Void Refinement stage; the Integration stage was an unattainable dream, yet someone ahead was about to enter that realm.

"The heavenly might hasn't dispersed. It seems this person has broken through the barrier and is now undergoing the tribulation," Qin Sang sighed softly.

This was his second time encountering someone attempting to reach the Integration stage, but the previous person had only touched the bottleneck and might never cross that hurdle in their lifetime, incomparable to this individual.

As he had predicted, the anomalies in the Sacred Land this time presented countless opportunities amidst the crisis. He wasn't the only one benefiting, and the greatest advantages wouldn't necessarily fall to him, an outsider.

The person ahead might have obtained a great fortune, breaking through the bottleneck in one go and undergoing tribulation on the spot!

Compared to the opportunity of reaching the Integration stage, a mere Thunder Beast Warrior was insignificant. Qin Sang's joy diminished somewhat.

They didn't stop, wanting to get closer.

"The Tribulation of Bìfēng has already begun," Patriarch Fu whispered.

Based on the fluctuations emanating from ahead, they could faintly discern the type of heavenly tribulation.

At this point, Qin Sang intentionally slowed down. After flying a bit further, he suddenly stopped and said gravely, "The person has passed the Tribulation of Bìfēng; the Lightning Tribulation is about to begin!"

Everyone else stopped as well, knowing they couldn't get any closer to avoid misunderstanding. Moreover, if the person successfully broke through to the Sacred Realm, it would be best to keep their distance.

They focused their attention, waiting for the tribulation lightning to descend.

A moment later, Qin Sang felt a vast heavenly might sweep over him, causing his heart and mind to tremble. Even from such a distance, an involuntary sense of dread arose, as if his soul would be annihilated the next moment.

Influenced by the heavenly tribulation, the void frequently trembled.

Next, everyone saw a faint light appear from deep within the darkness. Activating their spiritual eye abilities to their fullest, they could only vaguely discern a speck of golden light, where golden lightning permeated.

The Bizarre Race's heavenly tribulation was actually golden lightning, just like the Demon Race's!

No wonder many human cultivators, when referring to the Bizarre Race, grouped them with the Demon Race as "demonic aberrations," their tone implicitly contemptuous.

Qin Sang and the others couldn't imagine the extensive impact of an Integration stage heavenly tribulation. The golden tribulation lightning they saw must have been merely the outermost edge of the thunderclouds, just the tip of the iceberg.

Rumble...

Muffled thunder rumbled.

Before long, everyone heard an unusual peal of thunder, and their hearts tightened. They knew the individual had begun their lightning tribulation.

Unfortunately, they dared not approach to witness the true tribulation scene. They could only infer the process from the thunderous roars and successive fluctuations.

Even from such a distance, they could feel immense waves of fluctuations surging towards them like a mountain roaring and a sea raging. It was as if they witnessed a scene: an unparalleled expert fiercely battling the tribulation lightning and the heavens themselves!

They completely lost track of time. After an unknown duration, a long cry suddenly pierced through the thunder, like the call of a wild goose, its sound surprisingly overpowering the tribulation lightning.

Immediately after, Qin Sang's pupils contracted. He watched as the tribulation lightning abruptly froze, then shattered by a single green ox-hoof. Through the gaps in the lightning, a massive figure vaguely appeared, resembling a green ox, furiously ramming the thunderclouds.

"Could it be him?" Qin Sang wondered, recalling a similar phantom he had seen during a previous experience.

He informed Patriarch Fu of this discovery.

Patriarch Fu exclaimed in surprise, "Daoist priest, are you referring to the Zhu Huai clan's divine ability, 'World Collapse'?"

"Zhu Huai?"

Qin Sang recalled records of this tribe. The Zhu Huai were a Heavenly Division tribe, one of the Winged Race's vassal tribes, and one of the few who were dependent on the Winged Race but lacked wings themselves.

"This person is actually from a vassal tribe? Is it the Zhu Huai clan's patriarch?"

Patriarch Fu's face showed contemplation. He gently shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's not the Zhu Huai clan's patriarch!"

"Oh?" Qin Sang turned his gaze. "Has Patriarch Fu recalled something?"

Patriarch Fu nodded. "Daoist priest, you should know that our clan's divine abilities are best suited for battle formations. Therefore, whenever war breaks out between the Water and Heavenly Divisions, our clan's experts are always present. In ordinary times, when the two divisions deploy troops at the border, our experts are also stationed there, often clashing with the Heavenly Division. To my knowledge, the Zhu Huai clan's patriarch has rather mediocre talent. Even if he had obtained some fortune in recent years and entered the late stage, it would be absolutely impossible for him to break through to the Sacred Realm this quickly!"

"If not the Zhu Huai clan's patriarch, then who is this person?" Qin Sang was curious. Vassal tribes were called as such because there was certainly a gap between them and the higher-ranking tribes.

Among vassal tribes, the emergence of a late-stage powerhouse could be considered a strong clan.

"I recall an unverified anecdote that the Third Elder of our clan once mentioned..." Patriarch Fu began. "The Zhu Huai clan is subservient to the Winged Race, but among the Winged Race's many vassal tribes, they are one of the rare few who are naturally wingless and are considered anomalies by others. According to the Third Elder, while he was stationed at the border, a Zhu Huai clan expert, for unknown reasons, had a conflict with the Winged Race's general, caused a disturbance in the camp, and deserted. Yet, he didn't join the Water Division and eventually disappeared without a trace. At the time, the Third Elder and others thought the Heavenly Division was about to stir up trouble and were very tense for a while, until they later found out the reason..."

Hearing this, everyone was astonished.

If this person was indeed that defector, then having deserted the camp, he would certainly not be tolerated by the Winged Race, and his own tribe would surely not dare to take him in. To wander alone and still manage to break through to the Sacred Realm—what extraordinary talent must he possess?

"Hurry! It seems the lightning tribulation can't defeat this person!"

Qin Sang observed the changes in the tribulation lightning and immediately urged everyone to retreat.

After the lightning tribulation, only the Inner Demon Tribulation remained. The one undergoing tribulation might experience thousands of illusory worlds, though to outsiders, it would seem like an instant.

For this individual to have achieved such success after betraying his tribe, and to dare attempt to reach the Sacred Realm during the Sacred Land's anomalies, his mental fortitude must be exceptionally strong. The Inner Demon Tribulation should not be able to trap him.

No one dared to linger, and they quietly flew back.

"I never thought the first powerful cultivator of the Sacred Realm wouldn't be from the Merfolk or Winged Races," Patriarch Fu sighed.

"Not necessarily the first!" Qin Sang shook his head slightly. "Once someone breaks through to the Sacred Realm, will they be guided out of the Sacred Land by other ancestors?" he mused.

If a powerful cultivator of the Sacred Realm remained in the Sacred Land, who could contend with them?

"There are such rumors, but..." Patriarch Fu began, looking around.

Qin Sang understood his implication. The Sacred Land was on the verge of collapse; what were those ancestors doing? Were the old rules still relevant?

At this thought, Qin Sang's heart sank. Were they going to have to contend with a powerful cultivator of the Sacred Realm for opportunities later?

The thunder faded into the distance, and gradually, the heavenly might dissipated. It was unknown whether that individual had successfully passed the heavenly tribulation and entered the Sacred Realm!

On their way back, they encountered another lake of shimmering light and sensed a familiar fluctuation. Passing through the light, they indeed saw crisscrossing cracks in the sky, resembling scars on the Sacred Land—the passage out of the Sacred Land had reappeared.

"It's time for you two Daoist friends to leave," Qin Sang said, not attempting to persuade them to stay.

He couldn't trust them, and since they were familiar with his divine abilities, the best option was to send them away.

Seeing Qin Sang's resolve, which was unchangeable, Patriarch Fu cupped his hands and said, "We shall depart now! We hope Daoist priest will keep his promise; we will await your good news outside!"

Qin Sang bowed in return.

Patriarch Fu and Fu Jiang exchanged glances, then summoned their escape light and flew directly towards one of the cracks, disappearing into its depths in an instant.

Before they left, Qin Sang directly handed the two spiritual treasures he had later acquired to Patriarch Fu, instructing them to send any future treasures to Qingyang Manor.

After they left, Qin Sang and Liu Li still didn't know the exact location of the Heart Lake. Just as they were about to search around or inquire with other cultivators, the secret talisman finally reacted!