Chapter 2368: Ghost Storage Great Sage

"What is the relationship between Saint Yuanshuang and Saint Guizang?"

Qin Sang had just learned through soul-searching that the master of those Crying God Guards was a Demon Saint, titled Guizang. Mount Wutu was not under the jurisdiction of Saint Guizang but within the territory of another, Saint Yuanshuang. Previously, Immortal Wutu mentioned having listened to the Dao under a Great Saint, which should be this Saint Yuanshuang.

Immortal Wutu gave a wry smile. "Friend, you overestimate me. How could a minor demon like me know about the feuds between Great Saints?" What he called "listening to the Dao before the Great Saint" was actually Saint Yuanshuang giving a public sermon, open to anyone. He and Prime Monarch Meishan could only sit at the very back, on the outermost seats. The information about the tomb also came when another Demon King asked Saint Yuanshuang for guidance, and the Great Saint casually mentioned a few things.

The temperaments of Demon Saints varied greatly. Saint Yuanshuang was among the most aloof, practicing a laissez-faire approach within his territory, and only appearing in person during sermon ceremonies. Very few direct descendants were truly valued by Saint Yuanshuang, and he and Prime Monarch Meishan were certainly not among them. This was evident from the location of their cave dwellings, which were almost at the outermost edge of Saint Yuanshuang's territory, very close to the Arctic Icefield. They were only nominally under Saint Yuanshuang's protection and did not even have the right to ask questions during the sermons.

Immortal Wutu and Prime Monarch Meishan had considered whether to report the matter to Saint Yuanshuang. However, upon reflection, when they first got the clue, they were intent on keeping it for themselves. Only after discovering the tomb had been emptied did they think of taking credit. They feared they would not only receive no reward but also be punished, so it was better to avoid trouble. There was also a subtle, unspoken thought: if they conspired with Qin Sang to conceal this matter, once they discovered who emptied the tomb, they might have an opportunity to double-cross them. Looking back, if they had reported this to Saint Yuanshuang then, they might have avoided this calamity. Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now.

Qin Sang nodded. His question was actually to confirm the relationship between Immortal Wutu and Saint Yuanshuang.

"What is so special about the phoenix bloodline?" Qin Sang wondered. Immortal Wutu betrayed him, and the Crying God Guards ambushed him—all for the phoenix bloodline he possessed.

Immortal Wutu hesitated. "The potential of divine beast descendants far surpasses that of other demons, and they are always highly valued by Demon Saints... I heard a rumor before that Saint Guizang has been recruiting phoenix descendants." In both human and demon races, divine beast bloodlines were highly sought after. Whether such recruitment was a good or bad thing was hard to say. If Immortal Wutu had told Qin Sang about this earlier, it would have been guiding Qin Sang towards a good future, and Qin Sang would have owed him a favor. Now, even if Immortal Wutu wanted to argue on his own behalf, he couldn't, because Qin Sang was not a fool.

As he answered Qin Sang's questions, Immortal Wutu's gaze flickered. Now, as if having made a decision, he said, "Friend, you are not from the Arctic Icefield, are you?"

"What if I am, what if I'm not?" Qin Sang asked.

Immortal Wutu suddenly fell to his knees with a thud. "Regardless of your origin or purpose, you cannot handle everything yourself. You will always need subordinates to manage trivial matters for you, to serve you, and to scout paths. I am willing to serve you as my master, to be your slave and servant forever! I only beg my lord for mercy, to allow this old servant to atone for his sins!" He prostrated himself deeply, forehead touching the ground, utterly humble.

Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. Judging by Immortal Wutu's previous actions, he had expected him to seek a dignified end, accepting death calmly. He hadn't expected him to ultimately choose to cling to life. The Void Refinement cultivators he had previously encountered, no matter what predicament they faced, always retained a shred of pride in their nature. Therefore, when Qin Sang decided to subdue them, he would give them a promise, even if that promise was far-off, to preserve a semblance of their dignity and hope. It was rare to see someone like Immortal Wutu, who could completely abandon all dignity.

At this moment, Immortal Wutu reverted to his true form, prostrating himself before Qin Sang, completely opening his mind to him, humbling himself to the dust.

"If there's danger and I tell you to die, would you still be willing?" Qin Sang scoffed.

"No complaints whatsoever! I only beg my lord to grant this old servant a chance to live in ignominy!" Immortal Wutu pleaded sorrowfully.

"One guide is enough... Very well then, I will give you a chance." Qin Sang considered for a moment. As it wished, he effortlessly placed a restriction within its body. From then on, a single thought could determine its life or death; Immortal Wutu couldn't even self-destruct in front of Qin Sang.

Immortal Wutu was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed. "Thank you, my lord, for sparing my life!"

Qin Sang shook his head. With a flip of his hand, two items appeared in his palm: a precious mirror and a black feather.

The black feather was not a demon bird's feather but a treasure refined from a certain spiritual metal. Qin Sang broke the restriction on the feather, and a translucent shadow emerged, transforming into a sika deer—it was Prime Monarch Meishan's soul essence. Those Crying God Guards had tortured Prime Monarch Meishan in front of Immortal Wutu, destroying her physical body but not directly killing her. Instead, they sealed her soul essence into the black feather, intending to take it back to report.

"...Fellow Daoist Mingyue?" Prime Monarch Meishan, having suffered greatly, looked listless and was extremely weak. She had expected to be released only to be tortured again, but to her surprise, she saw Qin Sang, completely unharmed. "Where are those... Crying God Guards?" She was somewhat bewildered, glancing around. Seeing no trace of the Crying God Guards, she wondered if she was dreaming.

"The Crying God Guards have all self-destructed..." Qin Sang didn't keep her in suspense and explained what had happened. Prime Monarch Meishan listened, her face full of disbelief, her gaze at Qin Sang filled with astonishment. "You... who exactly are you?"

"Who I am is not important," Qin Sang said. "Although I rescued you from the Crying God Guards, I cannot simply let you leave. I'm sure you understand." Prime Monarch Meishan was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand! How does Fellow Daoist Mingyue intend to handle me?" Falling into the hands of the Crying God Guards was a sure death, so merely saving her life was a stroke of luck. Moreover, Qin Sang was straightforward, so she felt little resistance.

"I have a method that allows me to control demon soldiers..." Qin Sang briefly explained it to Prime Monarch Meishan, who didn't deliberate for long before entering the inscription altar and becoming Qin Sang's demon soldier.

Next, he looked at the precious mirror, the only relic left behind after the leader of the Crying God Guards self-destructed. The mirror's survival was not due to its material hardness but to a restriction on its surface. "This must be Saint Guizang's work! What a pity..." He dared not keep a treasure belonging to a Demon Saint by his side. Qin Sang used his divine sense and discovered that the mirror was neither a true treasure nor a post-celestial spiritual treasure, but merely an unusual item with a special function. This made him feel less regretful. Concerned that the mirror might bear Saint Guizang's mark, Qin Sang dared not destroy it directly. He planned to find a place to discard it, which might buy him some time.

The demise of these Crying God Guards would surely alarm their headquarters. However, a Grand Unification cultivator, once in seclusion, could not be easily disturbed. The first wave of investigators would most likely be a Crying God Guard commander, and Qin Sang intended to use this time to escape far away.

Without hesitation, Qin Sang immediately flew back to the tomb, destroyed the restrictions they had previously left, and erased his tracks as much as possible. After much activity, Qin Sang escaped from the tomb, then activated his escape light and headed straight east. Having just emerged, returning deep into the icefield was not advisable, and going south would lead into a Demon Saint's territory. After asking the two demons about the surrounding situation, Qin Sang decided to first head east, temporarily not intending to leave the Arctic Icefield.

After flying a considerable distance, Qin Sang descended from the sky and looked down at the black mole on his wrist; the calamity had originated from it. If possible, Qin Sang would willingly offer the turtle shell to Saint Guizang for peace of mind. At this thought, his gaze turned cold. He formed his fingers into a sword and severed his left arm at the elbow. *Puff!* The severed arm spontaneously combusted without fire, instantly turning to ash. Yet, Qin Sang's brows remained tightly furrowed. Flesh wriggled at the stump, and a new arm gradually grew. At his current cultivation level, regenerating a limb was a trivial matter. As soon as the new arm had fully formed, a conspicuous black mole appeared on the wrist. Qin Sang exhaled a turbid breath, feeling somewhat vexed but helpless. He transformed into light and departed.

After Qin Sang left, the snowfall intensified, and the battlefield was gradually covered by thick white snow, all traces of the struggle long gone. An unknown time passed before a figure quietly appeared above the snowy mountain. This person wore a blood-red cloak, uniform with the Crying God Guards, and a black mask on his face. The mask was exaggeratedly shaped, fierce and malevolent. Yet, his aura was unusually serene; standing there, he seemed almost nonexistent. His gaze slowly moved, sweeping over every inch of ground around the snowy mountain.

*Snap!* A whip-like shadow sprang from the void, and a woman descended from the clouds. She had a voluptuous figure, wearing tight leather armor beneath her blood-red cloak that only covered essential areas. Her fair, bare feet lightly touched the snow. The woman said, "Commander, is this where those three stupid birds met their end?" Her voice was as seductive as her appearance, enough to stir the hearts of ordinary people.

The masked man was none other than the Grand Commander of the Crying God Guards, Saint Guizang's most trusted subordinate. He cast a warning glance at the woman. "Our colleagues died for the Master." The woman stuck out her tongue, abandoning her gloating expression. She looked around and remarked, "It's been cleaned up so thoroughly. Was it the phoenix descendant who did this?"

"I don't know," the Grand Commander replied indifferently. It was indeed too clean; no valuable information could be found.

*Whoosh!* A cold wind swept over the mountaintop, and the two demons suddenly vanished. Soon after, they reappeared inside the tomb. There were more traces here, but they couldn't be used to make any conclusive judgments either. After an unfruitful search, the Grand Commander left the cave, formed a hand seal, and then, sensing something, flew north for a while. He broke through the snow layer and found the precious mirror in the underground lava flow.

"It seems our opponent is very cautious." The Grand Commander snorted coldly. If their opponent had succumbed to greed, they could have easily pinpointed their location.

"What now?" the woman sighed, at a loss. "With such a major blunder, how much longer do you plan to conceal it? Shouldn't we report to the Master?" The Grand Commander stared north, knowing that finding the culprit in the boundless icefield was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even if all the Crying God Guards were summoned and spread throughout the icefield, it would be insignificant. It was almost impossible for them to find the culprit on their own. The deadline given by their Master was approaching, and some things had to be faced.

Having thought of something, the Grand Commander's heart trembled slightly. He suddenly turned his gaze and fixed it on the woman. The woman felt a chill and tightened her cloak, shedding her casual demeanor.

"Fenyi and the others were ambushed and killed while desperately protecting the Master's treasure, ultimately failing to withstand the attack," the Grand Commander said gravely. The woman immediately understood what the Grand Commander meant. The truth was that the Grand Commander's negligence in not sealing the tomb led to the treasure falling into the wrong hands. By framing it as the culprit deliberately ambushing them, the Grand Commander's culpability would be significantly reduced. "You're only drinking poison to quench your thirst," the woman remarked. She didn't believe the culprit could ultimately escape the Master's grasp. Sooner or later, the truth would be revealed, and then his crime would be compounded.

The Grand Commander remained silent, sitting cross-legged. Strange runes appeared on his blood-red cloak, and an invisible aura spread out. The woman shook her head with a light sigh and dutifully stood to the side, acting as his protector.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang continued eastward across the icefield, still with no intention of heading south. He would only consider entering civilization once he was far from the territories of Saint Yuanshuang and Saint Guizang. After flying an unknown distance, Qin Sang saw a towering ten-thousand-foot ice mountain appear at the edge of his vision. Its ice cliffs rose almost vertically, magnificent and spectacular. However, such sights were common deep within the icefield, and Qin Sang had long grown accustomed to them. Yet, at this moment, he slowed his escape light and extended his divine sense, sweeping over the ice mountain and the surrounding area. Confirming there were no high-level demon cultivators nearby, Qin Sang flew directly to the main peak of the ice mountain, landing on an ice platform. Immediately, Vermilion Bird and the little Qilin jumped out.

The little Qilin landed on the ice platform and lay there motionless, abnormal fluctuations appearing within its body. Vermilion Bird whispered, "It's really about to break through." It had only been a short time since that wisp of essence was returned to the little Qilin, and its bottleneck had already loosened. They couldn't help but make a connection.

"That Qilin didn't really leave behind something we don't know about, did it?" Vermilion Bird said fiercely.

"Probably not..." Qin Sang shook his head. He had been present throughout the little Qilin's refinement of that wisp of essence. If there had been any abnormality, he would have sensed it. That wisp of essence was the purest Qilin aura, the best guide for a divine beast. The little Qilin must have achieved enlightenment because of it.

The little Qilin's breakthrough was also a good thing. Like Vermilion Bird, reborn divine beasts often cultivated extremely fast, and Qin Sang would soon gain another powerful combatant. They watched the little Qilin, sensing the aura on its body fluctuating, gradually becoming more intense.

"Something's wrong!" Qin Sang and Vermilion Bird exchanged glances, both looking surprised. They looked up at the sky, which seemed to grow increasingly gloomy. They could faintly sense the oppressive might of heaven.

"Heavenly tribulation!" Qin Sang exclaimed softly. How could it have attracted a heavenly tribulation? The little Qilin hadn't faced a heavenly tribulation when breaking through to the Form Transformation or Nascent Soul stages, nor had Vermilion Bird when breaking through to the Void Refinement stage. So why was there one now? Vermilion Bird also looked puzzled. Although both were reborn divine beasts, their origins were different. Vermilion Bird had fallen into the Storm Realm with the Ziwei Palace, while the Qilin must have been trapped in the Storm Realm much earlier. Their rebirth processes were also different. Vermilion Bird had never lost its spiritual consciousness until the First Sword Servant helped it reshape its body, always maintaining its self-awareness. The Qilin, however, was reborn from an egg, and Qin Sang and Vermilion Bird had interfered with the process. Could it be that the Qilin was not reborn, but *newborn*?