Chapter 2358: Encountering a Demon

The endless snowy plains reflected the sunlight. The scenery ahead was monotonous, and the road stretched out, quiet and despairingly long.

A streak of light flew overhead.

Twenty more years had passed since his departure. Qin Sang now maintained his flight almost entirely by instinct, speeding along while contemplating the Great Dao.

He flew openly in the sky, not bothering to conceal his aura or traces. In fact, he now hoped to encounter some expert demon cultivators. After his experiences in the dream, he could impersonate a Green Luan almost perfectly, making it easy to disguise himself as a demon cultivator.

Of course, no one could claim absolute flawlessness before a demon lord, so caution was still necessary.

At that moment, he was immersed in comprehending the *Purple Tenuity Sword Scripture*. Trapped in the vortex for three hundred years, his cultivation progress had stalled, partly due to confusion with the cultivation method itself.

Throughout his journey, Qin Sang devoted himself to comprehension, eventually achieving enlightenment.

Qin Sang awoke from his meditative state within the streak of light, but his expression remained grim. Resolving the issue with his cultivation method didn't guarantee smooth progress for his future cultivation.

His stalled progress stemmed from two reasons: firstly, the *Purple Tenuity Sword Scripture* became increasingly abstruse; and secondly, the accumulation and insights he gained from establishing the Azure Goat Realm and practicing the Mahayana Killing Dao were no longer sufficient to support his continued advancement.

For him, the Azure Goat Realm was too small!

To attain the Dao, he needed to control a force larger than the Azure Goat Realm. However, even with the Azure Goat Realm as a foundation, developing a large power was far from simple.

If he were to develop steadily and methodically, with Qin Sang acting diligently as an "operator," it would likely take at least several millennia for the Azure Goat Realm to barely meet his requirements, assuming no unforeseen changes.

Annexing other forces would naturally lead to faster growth, but it would also sow numerous hidden dangers. The cultivators of the Azure Goat Realm came from the same minor world, and regardless of their race, they shared a common identity. Once other forces were introduced, this sense of identity would be broken.

Previously, Qin Sang had returned as a savior, but annexing other forces would cast him as an aggressor.

The deeper his understanding of the Mahayana Killing Dao, the more Qin Sang grasped a fundamental truth: forced efforts yield no sweet fruit.

The Mahayana Killing Dao, as Qin Sang understood it, teaches that one must know whom to protect to know whom to kill.

The emphasis was on "protection." Therefore, on two previous occasions, he had stepped forward in times of critical danger, turned the tide, and earned genuine gratitude and praise from the people.

While there were various ways to deceive people in the world, the journey of cultivation was also a journey of introspection. How could one comprehend the true Dao if one knowingly engaged in falsehoods?

Furthermore, allowing the Azure Goat Realm to expand and annex more forces would inevitably attract more enemies and karmic entanglements. The world was unpredictable, and no one could control all variables...

This was likely the terrifying aspect of the Formless Tribulation.

Qin Sang gazed at the vast snowfield, sighing softly. He couldn't even escape this snowfield himself, let alone know when he would return to the Azure Goat Realm.

Outside, without a foundation, building a major power from scratch would only be harder.

Qin Sang's mind wandered as he stared ahead; he had actually just been startled awake.

Faint, unusual fluctuations emanated from ahead. Qin Sang reined in his flight, descended, and his figure flickered across the snow.

Before long, Qin Sang stopped above a cliff and peered down into a bottomless chasm below.

Bone-chilling winds swept through the area year-round. Qin Sang saw only an inky black darkness, as if man-eating beasts lurked within.

No wonder no demon beasts were found around the chasm; it was likely a forbidden zone in their eyes.

Qin Sang concentrated his senses. A moment later, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He sensed a strong presence of the Six Heavens Ancient Qi emanating from the chasm, as if it were a sedimentation point for this energy, scarcely less concentrated than the Cursed River.

In fact, this wasn't the first such location Qin Sang had encountered. The first time, he had spent a month thoroughly investigating, concluding that it was formed by a combination of celestial phenomena, geographical features, and various other factors.

At this chasm, Qin Sang not only sensed the Six Heavens Ancient Qi but also made a new discovery.

A faint, elusive aura had just flickered and vanished. The opponent's strength was considerable; even Qin Sang couldn't immediately pinpoint its location.

"Could a great demon be hiding inside?"

Qin Sang was puzzled. What kind of demon beast would dare to live in such a place? If it were a fierce beast, it wouldn't be so calm.

After traveling alone across the snowfields for so long, he had finally encountered a true formidable being. Qin Sang felt compelled to investigate.

He first made some arrangements on a snowy mountain not far from the chasm, then leaped directly into it.

Unsure of the opponent's identity, Qin Sang summoned the Bright Mountain Armor for protection to avoid misunderstanding. In his hand, he held a small rock, which was actually the Daiyu Immortal Mountain with all its power restrained.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Frigid winds continually blew from the depths of the chasm, not only intensely cold but also carrying an eerie chill.

As he continuously descended, the Six Heavens Ancient Qi grew denser.

The chasm was extremely deep, narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. The terrain beneath became increasingly expansive, and the frigid winds combined with the Six Heavens Ancient Qi to create even fiercer gales, reminiscent of the Cursed River.

"Found you!"

Qin Sang had memorized the aura that had just flickered and headed straight for its location. Unexpectedly, the opponent hadn't fled far, and Qin Sang quickly pinpointed it shortly after entering the chasm.

"Huh?"

Qin Sang abruptly paused, realizing the opponent was suddenly heading straight for him.

The chasm was much deeper and wider than expected. The opponent was in its deeper reaches, and with the Six Heavens Ancient Qi in between, Qin Sang only had vague senses, unsure if the opponent carried good will or ill will.

He decided to remain still, quietly preparing for defense.

The aura rapidly ascended with astonishing speed. Using his Celestial Eye ability, Qin Sang finally saw a mass of black mist.

Within the black mist, there was a gigantic demon beast: a snake demon with nine heads.

"A nine-headed snake, a Xiangliu bloodline?"

Qin Sang had read in ancient texts about the divine beast Xiangliu, which had nine heads and a serpentine body, capable of devouring dragons and phoenixes. Wherever it went, it transformed the land into a swamp, its divine might truly terrifying.

Although the snowfields were vast and mostly populated by ordinary beasts, divine beast bloodlines were exceedingly rare.

This snake demon, suspected to be a descendant of Xiangliu, had an extremely powerful aura, likely possessing cultivation at the late-stage Void Refining realm.

Qin Sang was both surprised and delighted, not expecting his first encounter to be a late-stage Void Refining expert. However, the feeling he got from the opponent was somewhat strange.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist..."

Qin Sang put the Daiyu Immortal Mountain into his sleeve, trying to show goodwill, and greeted aloud.

The waves of sound rolled down, surely reaching the snake demon.

The opponent didn't seem like a mere fierce beast. A demon beast capable of cultivating to the late-stage Void Refining realm would certainly not be mindless; it should be able to communicate.

However, Qin Sang's greeting was met with nine furious roars.

Nine serpentine heads extended from the black mist, eighteen cold eyes fixed on Qin Sang, revealing terrifying killing intent.

The snake demon's roars echoed through the chasm. Qin Sang's brows furrowed deeply, somewhat surprised.

Immediately after, Qin Sang's heart tightened as he saw all nine of the snake demon's heads simultaneously open their enormous mouths.

Whoosh!

A stream of black liquid sprayed from each serpentine mouth. Nine streams of black water first pierced through the darkness, assailing him.

Before the black water even arrived, Qin Sang faintly caught a foul odor, knowing that it surely contained potent venom. Although he had once practiced the Way of Poison, he dared not let the black water get close.

Since the snake demon attacked without a word, Qin Sang would not show mercy. If peaceful overtures failed, he would capture it and then question it!

Whoosh!

A sword light leaped forth in front of Qin Sang, ready to strike.

The black water changed again. The nine streams intertwined and merged, instantly filling the chasm and forming an boundless black sea.

Rumble...

The water level rapidly rose, churning up monstrous waves that swiftly approached Qin Sang's feet, threatening to engulf him.

A blue light flickered behind Qin Sang as he transformed into a streak of lightning, shooting upwards. At the same time, the Grey Oriole Sword firmly locked onto the snake demon's true form.

Above the water, scattered starlight suddenly appeared. The star sea was only visible for an instant before Qin Sang unhesitatingly unleashed the strongest killing move of his Four Symbols Sword Array.

A beam of starlight descended. Compared to the turbulent black water, it seemed remarkably calm, yet as the starlight pierced the water's surface, the towering waves instantly subsided.

The snake demon hidden beneath the surface sensed danger and had to abandon its attack on Qin Sang's main body.

Splash!

Ripples appeared on the water again, and serpentine heads emerged from the surface, transforming into black snakes.

The smallest of these black snakes were as thick as a bucket, each fiercely malicious, emitting strange hissing sounds before thousands of them scrambled to pounce on the starlight.

The next moment, countless severed snake corpses flew outwards, and a painful roar suddenly erupted from below.

Splash!

The snake demon's true body burst out from another part of the water's surface. Scales on the neck of one of its heads were peeled back, and blood gushed from the wound.

Its body was enormous, and blood flowed like a small river. This head was barely connected by a thin layer of skin; it had almost been severed by Qin Sang's single sword strike.

Unexpectedly suffering such a heavy blow, the snake demon cried out in pain, consumed by extreme rage. Towering fury erupted from its serpentine eyes, as if it wished to devour Qin Sang whole. At this moment, its blood, falling into the black water, merged with it, causing a strange transformation.

Although Qin Sang seemed to have the upper hand, he sensed an even greater threat.

The snake demon's nine heads thrashed wildly. The wound on the head struck by the spiritual sword healed quickly, appearing to have no effect on it whatsoever.

At the same time, Qin Sang felt his body tighten, seeing black water mist rising around him, and his expression subtly changed.

He realized he had underestimated this snake demon. The water mist subtly carried the aura of a Void Domain, indicating that this snake demon, if not at the peak of the Void Refining realm, was certainly not far from it.

Roars continued to fill the air.

Qin Sang dared not be negligent. With a thought, he heard a crisp clashing sound as the Heaven-Confining Golden Lock and Earth-Imprisoning Divine Ring spiraled out. The two spiritual treasures rotated around each other, shining brightly in the black mist. Their spiritual light enveloped Qin Sang, and the power of the Void Domain erupted, immediately blocking the mist's erosion.

Whoosh!

Just then, Qin Sang's vision darkened. He saw an enormous figure rapidly approaching him.

The snake demon closed in, its stench assaulting his senses. Qin Sang could clearly see the fangs inside its mouths.

The snake demon had assumed its venomous mist would surely kill Qin Sang and was ready to enjoy its prey. Only when it sensed the fluctuations of the two spiritual treasures did it realize something was wrong. Now, caught in a dilemma, the snake demon revealed an even more ferocious side, desperately lunging at Qin Sang, with colossal waves and a rolling black tide following it.

Crack!

The lock-rings vibrated.

The power of the Void Domain surged, instantly overwhelming the snake demon's venomous mist. The golden light, formed by the Void Domain, pressed back against the mist.

Qin Sang broke free from the restraints and retreated, though not quickly. With a flick of his sleeve, the Daiyu Immortal Mountain landed in his palm.

The small mountain expanded with the wind, revealing its true immortal mountain form.

In that moment, one controlling a mountain and the other water, the scene resembled a clash between an immortal mountain and a black sea.

Thump!

A colossal wave crashed against the immortal mountain, unable to budge it in the slightest.

The ferocity in the snake demon's eyes intensified. Its body submerged slightly, merging with the black water, and then it lunged, aiming its entire body to collide with the Daiyu Immortal Mountain!

Although this snake demon was mindless, its strength was indeed formidable. Unfortunately, Qin Sang's methods were beyond its comprehension.

The immortal mountain tilted, crashing down heavily onto the black sea.

At the same time, a silver light flashed above the snake demon; Qin Sang had actually summoned his Thunder Beast Battle Guard.

Crackle!

A world-shaking bolt of lightning split the water's surface. The Thunder Beast Battle Guard appeared in the water, perfectly positioned behind the snake demon.

The Thunder Beast Battle Guard, holding a lightning spear, raised its arm and thrust the spear forward. The spearhead erupted with countless rays of lightning, fiercely stabbing towards the snake tail submerged in the water.

The timing of this spear strike was incredibly precise, exactly as the Daiyu Immortal Mountain crashed down.

The snake demon had clearly underestimated the immense weight of the Daiyu Immortal Mountain. Upon contact, the black water's momentum was severely curtailed, and an opposing wave surged before the mountain.

However, the snake demon was truly ferocious, refusing to retreat, attempting to forcibly break the immortal mountain with its body.

Unfortunately, the Thunder Beast Battle Guard had intervened. The snake demon faced a predicament of being attacked from both front and back. The Thunder Beast Battle Guard also possessed peak Void Refining realm strength, no weaker than the snake demon. If struck by this spear, the snake demon would be severely wounded, if not killed!

In this critical moment, the snake demon's will to survive took over. The black sea churned with a thousand layers of waves, and the snake demon abandoned its attack, diving desperately. Although it dodged the spear, the Daiyu Immortal Mountain slammed firmly onto its back.

Boom!

The snake demon's body convulsed violently, and six of its heads profusely spurted blood.

The venomous blood greatly increased the black water's toxicity, but the Thunder Beast Battle Guard showed no fear, raising its spear for a fierce assault.

The next moment, a streak of blue light shot beneath the immortal mountain. Qin Sang merged with his Dharma Aspect, unleashed his strength ability, and swung the immortal mountain, smashing it fiercely onto the snake demon.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Facing two equally powerful opponents simultaneously, and having lost the initiative, the snake demon struggled, its injuries growing heavier. Wounds covered its entire body; it was only sustained by its immense vitality. At this point, it could neither advance nor retreat, and it was too late to escape.

Qin Sang kept his eyes on the snake demon's serpentine gaze. Even after such a severe beating, the demon's eyes hadn't cleared.

Suddenly, Qin Sang saw a flicker of red light in its pupils and felt a sense of danger.

"Roar!"

All nine mangled heads simultaneously reared back, furiously spewing black energy. The black energy coalesced in mid-air into a rapidly spinning black orb.

"Oh no!"

Qin Sang was alarmed; this snake demon was actually trying to self-detonate its demon core.

Thud! Thud!

The immortal mountain and the lightning spear simultaneously struck the snake demon. At the same time, Xiao Wu appeared before Qin Sang, pointing a small hand forward, and a five-colored divine light shot towards the demon core.

Amidst piercing screams, the demon core was enveloped by the five-elemental divine light and abruptly stopped spinning.

Swish!

A sword light slashed down, splitting the demon core in two.

The snake demon's aura immediately withered, leaving only whimpers.

Qin Sang sighed with slight relief, then watched in surprise as Xiao Wu suddenly showed an unusual expression and drifted towards the demon core.