Chapter 2320: Blood Spirit Vein

"The things Chief Shaman ordered me to deliver are all inside. Elder Qin, please inspect them." The envoy from the Kanghui clan handed a mustard seed pouch to Qin Sang, bowed, and then departed after completing his task.

Qin Sang opened the pouch and saw it was filled with jade slips. After a quick scan, he realized the contents were roughly divided into two parts.

One part contained records about the ancient sacred site, the Platform of Gonggong. It read like a mythological tale, lacking much substantive information. Perhaps crucial details were hidden within the mythological narrative, decipherable only by those deeply familiar with the Witch Clan and the Gonggong clan.

The other part detailed the Kanghui clan's explorations of the Platform of Gonggong. Back then, the Kanghui clan organized many experts to enter the forbidden area, seeking clues about the ancient Gonggong clan. For reasons unknown, these explorations abruptly ceased, covering a very short period compared to the long history, after which the Kanghui clan lost interest in the forbidden area.

Qin Sang cross-referenced the two parts. Indeed, as Li had said, the current forbidden area seemed to have no relation to the ancient sacred site, with almost nothing matching the mythological accounts.

This was related to the Kanghui clan's insufficient exploration depth.

Records concerning the Insect Tomb were scarce, with only a few mentions, appearing more like hearsay. This suggested that the Kanghui clan either failed to penetrate the core area of the forbidden zone or deliberately concealed that information.

In summary, Qin Sang reread the jade slips several times, feeling they offered little assistance for his upcoming actions. He had, however, expended a favor, which felt like a slight loss.

As Qin Sang examined the jade slips, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly also flew out from his Qi Sea, landing on his shoulder and gazing intently.

Qin Sang closed the slips, lost in thought, when he felt a gentle touch on his cheek. He glanced sideways, his eyes meeting the Heavenly Eye on the butterfly's wing.

Those Heavenly Eyes clearly conveyed a resolute gaze.

"You..."

Qin Sang gave a helpless smile, gently stroked the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and said in a firm voice, "Alright, I'll go with you this once!"

Joy immediately welled up in the Heavenly Eye, and the butterfly flapped its wings, flying and dancing around Qin Sang.

Qin Sang took out a map and located the Platform of Gonggong.

The Taihao clan's territory was at the very center of the Witch Clan's domain. They were currently south of the Taihao clan, heading north towards it.

The Fengju Jade Gate was situated in the easternmost part of the Witch Clan's territory, forming the border between the Witch Clan and Dazhou's Duizhou. It was roughly northeast of the Taihao clan. The Platform of Gonggong was also in the eastern part of the Witch Clan's domain, but southeast of the Taihao clan, within the Witch Clan's territory.

Traveling to the Platform of Gonggong at their current speed, even without incidents, would likely take three to five years. They would have to rely on teleportation arrays.

Sheshuang could not use the teleportation arrays. As the competition for the Chief Shaman position drew closer, all teleportation arrays throughout the Witch Clan territories were under strict surveillance. The appearance of any woman suspected of being a Witch Maiden would immediately trigger waves of scrutiny, quickly exposing their whereabouts.

With all clans vying for the Chief Shaman position, every other clan's Witch Maiden was a rival. If discovered, these clans would not hesitate to eliminate a competitor for their own Witch Maiden.

"Then I'll leave Sheshuang here and go alone. There's still enough time..."

Qin Sang calculated, his gaze sweeping over the locations of various teleportation arrays as he planned his route.

The situation for the Witch Clan was completely different from that of the Human Race. Nominally, all Eight Great Heavenly Provinces of the Human Race were under the governance of Dazhou. Dazhou established administrative offices in various provinces and cities, with their primary task being the oversight of teleportation arrays.

Today, Dazhou's control over the Eight Great Heavenly Provinces was weak. For instance, in Lizhou, major immortal cities had city lords, but these lords had no connection to Dazhou. People only knew the city lords and the abbots of various temples, not the provincial governors appointed by Dazhou.

These city lords were like regional warlords, possibly representatives of certain sects or powers. They were the actual controllers of their respective areas, completely overshadowing the authority of Dazhou officials. They could even entirely disregard Dazhou's decrees, and Dazhou was powerless against them.

The weakest Dazhou administrative offices even had to pay tribute to the forces under their jurisdiction, a complete loss of dignity.

However, no matter the faction, none would attempt to seize control of a teleportation array.

This would not only be tantamount to open rebellion against Dazhou but would also break the unspoken agreement between all parties, inciting widespread outrage. A mere single faction or a city lord could not bear such consequences.

Dazhou was the co-ruler of the world. It was precisely because of Dazhou's existence that cultivators could trust the absolute safety of the destination reached via teleportation arrays. Even in unfamiliar realms they had never visited, as long as it was an immortal city recognized by Dazhou, they could safely use the teleportation array for travel without fear of being ambushed upon arrival.

Once this unspoken agreement was broken, widespread chaos would not be far off!

Human cultivators had long grown accustomed to the convenience offered by teleportation arrays. If a cultivator from Lizhou learned of an opportunity in a certain part of the East Sea, they could appear in Kanzhou within a few days. Without teleportation arrays, even if they could reach Kanzhou alive, the opportunity would have long passed.

In contrast, the Witch Clan was not unified. Its major clans engaged in open and covert struggles. Even though they had emulated the Human Race in constructing a teleportation array system, it suffered from various issues.

Firstly, the Witch Clan lacked the grand teleportation arrays capable of spanning the Eight Great Heavenly Provinces. Most were limited to neighboring clans, meaning that if a destination was too far, one had to transfer repeatedly.

Secondly, there were no powerful means to restrain all clans. Passing through the territory of a hostile clan was akin to plunging into an enemy's stronghold, with predictable consequences. Even between clans without direct enmity, caution was necessary, as only allies could be trusted. Therefore, Witch Clan cultivators often had to rely on flying for travel.

For Qin Sang's journey to the Platform of Gonggong, the route had to be carefully planned. However, having expended a favor, he had acquired not only the texts from the Kanghui clan but also a token from Li.

With this token, he could use the teleportation arrays of the Kanghui clan's allies to reach the Platform of Gonggong as quickly as possible.

Coincidentally, the Kanghui clan had many allies, and they were concentrated in the southeastern part of the Witch Clan's territory.

"Are all these clans perhaps splinter groups from the Gonggong clan?"

Qin Sang mused to himself.

Despite his long dealings with the Witch Clan, Qin Sang had never had a clear understanding of their distribution of power.

Unlike the Yiren Tribe, which was divided into Water and Sky divisions, with further distinctions of Upper and Imperial clans based on strength, the various clans of the Witch Clan were scattered across the land like countless stars. They seemed to govern themselves independently, yet also appeared to have intricate relationships.

How many allies did a certain clan truly have? Why did they form alliances? Were their alliances reliable? If a smaller clan's territory bordered a larger one, did that automatically make them a vassal?

Outsiders were clueless, as if viewing flowers through a fog, completely bewildered, and felt the Witch Clan's internal affairs were in disarray.

Now, Qin Sang grasped some threads of understanding and decided to investigate later how many ancient clans similar to the Gonggong clan existed.

They were the original source!

"Water God..."

Qin Sang recalled the records of the Gonggong clan, thinking, "Among the Witch Clan, are all clans with innate divine abilities related to water connected to the Gonggong clan?"

At this thought, distant memories surfaced. He vaguely remembered that Liuying also seemed to possess such a talent, but unfortunately, the legacy of the Storm Realm was severed, leaving her bloodline's innate talent no room for application.

Could this clue lead him to Liuying?

Qin Sang's thoughts began to wander, but his gaze returned to the map. He decided that when he had time, he would thoroughly investigate the origins of the Gonggong clan.

Next, Qin Sang found a safe cave dwelling, set up a grand formation, instructed Sheshuang to wait there, and then embarked on his journey to the Platform of Gonggong.

Several months later.

Travel-worn, Qin Sang finally arrived at the Platform of Gonggong, guided by his map.

The journey was very smooth. All clans were preoccupied with the Chief Shaman competition, so Qin Sang, traveling alone, was immediately granted passage upon presenting Li's token.

"God-Weeping Blood Plain..."

Qin Sang looked ahead, murmuring the forbidden area's other name, curious about the sight that awaited him.

"Woooo..."

Even before seeing the Platform of Gonggong, Qin Sang faintly heard strange wailing sounds, truly like the weeping of ghosts and gods.

Looking down at the land, it was lush and vibrant.

The power emanating from the Fengju Jade Gate had transformed the land outside the Jade Gate Pass into yellow sand; such immense power altering the climate and topography was entirely normal.

Qin Sang estimated the distance; the Platform of Gonggong was still a thousand miles away, and this area was completely unaffected. It seemed the Platform of Gonggong's power was very contained.

As he continued to fly, Qin Sang's eyes suddenly narrowed. A thin red line appeared on the horizon. Only as he continued forward did he see clearly that it was a vast, sky-obscuring blood cloud.

Here, the mountain ranges on the ground began to change their course, like a river encountering rocks, forcing the current to split. Chains of mountains stretched out to both sides, extending into the infinite distance.

The Platform of Gonggong was not the largest of the Ten Great Forbidden Areas, but it still spanned tens of thousands of miles. Its terrain was said to resemble a basin, high on the outside and low in the center, surrounded by countless towering mountains.

From Qin Sang's direction, the basin extended outwards like a wooden ladle, forming the forbidden area's recognized entrance. This was where the Kanghui clan had entered years ago.

The entrance was actually a mountain pass. There were three such passes ahead of Qin Sang, all accessible with little difference between them.

Qin Sang quickly surveyed his surroundings, ascertained his direction, and chose a mountain pass at random. As he neared it, however, he slowed his pace.

Even when he was close to the pass, he didn't see a single person!

"It seems to be affected by the God-Weeping Sound..."

Qin Sang mused to himself.

Though both were among the Ten Great Forbidden Areas, the Fengju Jade Gate was even more perilous than the Platform of Gonggong, yet many low-level cultivators relied on it for survival. The outer perimeter of the Fengju Jade Gate was not as dangerous; with enough vigilance to avoid "natural disasters," low-level cultivators could even stumble upon opportunities if lucky.

The Platform of Gonggong, however, was different; not a single low-level cultivator was visible in its vicinity.

Qin Sang listened attentively. The God-Weeping Sound was like a demonic melody invading his mind, capable of stirring the deepest negative emotions in a person's heart: sorrow, pain, hatred, and others.

This was only the outermost area; even Nascent Soul cultivators would be affected and become restless if they stayed too long. Low-level cultivators, lacking the ability to resist the God-Weeping Sound, would be committing suicide by entering.

According to the records of the Kanghui clan ancestors, once one entered the forbidden area's depths, even Void Refinement cultivators could not entirely block the influence of the God-Weeping Sound, and this was merely one of the dangers of the forbidden area. It now seemed that after all these years, the power of the God-Weeping Sound had not diminished in the slightest.

Qin Sang possessed the Jade Buddha and thus feared no harm from the God-Weeping Sound. This was one reason he dared to come directly.

The blood clouds stretched endlessly, hovering less than a hundred zhang above the ground.

Looking in from the mountain pass, the blood clouds inside were even lower, creating an incredibly oppressive atmosphere.

This mountain pass was a thousand zhang wide, flanked by two towering stone mountains. The mountains were barren, devoid of any vegetation, and the rocks were the same color as the blood clouds, as if thoroughly stained by blood.

Yet, in front of the mountains, lush green grass and vibrant clusters of flowers thrived, creating a stark boundary between the forbidden area and its surroundings.

Beyond this boundary, the ground between the two mountains was desolate, and even the sand was blood-colored.

Qin Sang stepped across the boundary, and a dense, bloody scent immediately assailed his nostrils, making him frown. He then strode forward until his figure disappeared into the depths of the blood clouds.

Some time later.

A grasshopper, entirely green and an ordinary, spiritless insect, hopped out from the grass.

It leaped onto a blade of grass, lay there, its head facing the mountain pass, seemingly gazing at Qin Sang's disappearing figure.

Suddenly, the grasshopper's back split open, and a tiny yellow firefly floated out. The grasshopper's corpse fell to the ground, while the firefly drifted lightly into the distance, disappearing into the woods.

Deep underground, in a meticulously excavated cave dwelling, Yu Ling and others had set up numerous powerful formations. Even if someone passed directly overhead, they would never suspect a cave dwelling was there, unless they dug down a hundred zhang.

They were all in meditative cultivation. Yu Ling's long eyelashes suddenly fluttered, and she exclaimed in surprise, "He arrived so quickly!"

She had left surveillance measures at all three mountain passes. Because this particular pass was rarely used, any unfamiliar presence would be immediately noticeable.

The old man opened his eyes, startled, and asked, "Elder Qin has truly arrived?"

"Yes, he's very decisive and efficient; he's definitely to Father's liking," Yu Ling chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling, lost in thought.

"Young Master's calculations are flawless, I am truly impressed!"

The old woman said with sincere admiration, then asked, "Elder Qin has already gone in? When does Young Master plan to follow?"

The old woman was still completely bewildered, unclear about the Young Master's true intentions.

"Let's wait a bit longer! If we follow him, he'll surely notice us, and that would lead to misunderstandings," Yu Ling mused for a moment, then closed her eyes again, resuming her meditative cultivation.

The old man and old woman were helpless, able only to comply.

The cave dwelling fell silent again. Qin Sang had by now entered the forbidden area.

Rustle rustle rustle...

The blood clouds overhead grew increasingly low, with the lowest points less than ten zhang from the ground. Qin Sang simply gave up flying.

His footsteps rustled on the blood-colored earth.

Woooo woooo woooo...

The God-Weeping Sound continuously assailed his ears; there were no other sounds.

The terrain ahead gradually widened. Upon exiting the mountain pass, it opened up dramatically, but the scene was monotonously blood-red as far as the eye could see!

After entering the forbidden area, Qin Sang hadn't seen any living creatures.

The pungent smell of blood made Qin Sang instinctively cover his nose and mouth. It was as if all living beings had been swallowed by the forbidden area, transforming it into a furnace of flesh and blood.

The ground here was flat, without undulating mountains. Moving in any direction seemed to make no difference.

A record appeared in Qin Sang's mind—a method for discerning direction within the forbidden area, summarized by Kanghui clan cultivators. It involved utilizing the "spirit veins" beneath the ground.

Unlike the spirit veins commonly referred to by cultivators, the Kanghui clan cultivators called them 'blood spirit veins'!

Qin Sang observed for a moment, then turned and sped towards a blood spirit vein mentioned in the Kanghui clan's records. According to the records, if the forbidden area was seen as a body of flesh and blood, these blood spirit veins were like blood vessels running throughout it, possessing various wondrous uses.

By finding this blood spirit vein, he could discern certain signs by observing its changes.