Chapter 2370: Reception Platform

The scholar asked in surprise, "Are there still fools who would refuse the reception?"

The old man replied, "The Reception Platform sensed it in the Arctic Ice Field. It must be a fierce demon that achieved enlightenment there..."

The scholar suddenly understood.

The Reception Platform was one of the few relics of the ancient Demon Court that miraculously survived to this day. Firstly, after the ancient Demon Court's demise, the Reception Platform was severely damaged, losing much of its former power. Secondly, out of concern for the natives of the Lost Continent, it had always focused solely on the southernmost regions of the Lost Continent.

Not long ago, he had heard the old man vaguely mention that something seemed to have happened in the Arctic Ice Field recently, which led to their attention temporarily shifting there. This allowed them to unexpectedly sense a fierce demon from the Arctic Ice Field undergoing tribulation.

The Arctic Ice Field was the place with the densest "Six Heavens Ancient Qi" on the entire Lost Continent. The demonic beasts living there had intelligence only slightly better than savage beasts. That particular beast had just undergone tribulation, so its consciousness was likely still unclear, and it had foolishly refused.

"That fellow probably has no idea what he missed," the scholar quipped.

The old man nodded, but in his mind, he was pondering that the aura that had severed the Reception Platform's sensing must belong to a Demon Saint.

"I wonder which Demon Saint on the Lost Continent has subdued the Qilin?"

The old man's eyes flickered slightly.

The scholar merely treated the matter as a joke and did not delve deeper. He cupped his hands and said, "I have imposed on you for several days. I have come to bid farewell, Brother Mu."

"Your wise words, virtuous brother, I will keep them in mind and consider them carefully," the old man replied.

The old man returned the bow solemnly, "Please forgive me for not seeing you off!"

"With your words, Brother Mu, I am at ease. You have your duties, Brother Mu, so there's no need for us to be so formal. Farewell!"

The scholar gently fanned himself, his demeanor unrestrained. He stepped into the air, and his figure gradually vanished into the distance.

The old man stood with his hands behind his back, watching the scholar depart.

After a long while.

The old man withdrew his gaze, slowly turned, and walked towards the main hall, muttering to himself.

"The Qilin's emergence... it truly is a time of many troubles!"

The place where the young Qilin underwent tribulation was first ravaged by the Heavenly Tribulation, then by lightning, leaving it in utter ruins.

The land was scarred, crisscrossing fissures and deep valleys, and countless collapsed peaks. Even several heavy snowfalls couldn't conceal the terrible marks.

Another day, after the heavy snow had cleared.

The morning sun rose in the east, dispelling the darkness and bringing a touch of warmth to the cold ice field.

Occasionally, small creatures would burrow out from the thick snow, diligently searching for food. However, this particular area remained eerily silent, and those creatures dared not approach it.

As the sun gradually ascended higher in the sky, a dark silhouette suddenly appeared on the western horizon.

The dark figure flew through the sky at an extremely high speed, creating a powerful presence. The strong winds it generated whipped up fragmented snow from the ground, leaving a vast, white trail in the air.

As it drew closer, the dark figure revealed itself to be a giant bird, with a wingspan exceeding a hundred zhang, flying in the sky like a dark cloud.

Seated atop the dark figure's wings were several human figures, each wearing a crimson cloak. They were all Weeping God Guards.

The Grand Commander of the Weeping God Guards was also among them.

He sat cross-legged on the great bird's head. When he saw the scene on the ground ahead, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he bellowed.

"Descend!"

The great bird immediately swooped down, rapidly descending to the ground. Its downward momentum ceased abruptly, demonstrating exquisite control over its physical body.

'Thud, thud, thud...'

The Grand Commander and the other Weeping God Guards leaped to the ground. The great bird folded its wings and also transformed into a brawny man clad in a crimson cloak.

The Weeping God Guards were well-trained. Without the Grand Commander's order, they dispersed on their own to establish a perimeter.

The Grand Commander and the enchanting woman flew towards the central area. The more they observed, the more alarmed they became, proceeding with even greater caution.

Soon, they arrived at the site of the ice mountain where the young Qilin had undergone tribulation.

The ice mountain was long gone, leaving only a huge snow hole on the ground. Some unusual auras lingered here, but they were very chaotic.

"Why are there fluctuations from a Heavenly Tribulation?"

The enchanting woman asked in surprise, "Could this place have been caused by someone undergoing tribulation? Is a new Grand Saint about to appear?"

"No!"

The Grand Commander, having apparently discovered something, said with great certainty. He flew a circle around the ice mountain ruins before flying off into the distance.

The enchanting woman patiently considered it, then realized why the Grand Commander had spoken with such certainty. The Heavenly Tribulation fluctuations were actually very weak, a mere insignificant fraction. What truly brought destruction here was that terrifying power of lightning.

The mere lingering lightning aura in the void sent shivers down her spine.

The enchanting woman shivered. Seeing the Grand Commander searching around, she quickly flew over and whispered, "This must be the work of a Grand Saint."

The Grand Commander neither confirmed nor denied it.

The enchanting woman flashed in front of him, staring at him. "Could our target have already been taken by that Demon Saint?"

The Grand Commander stopped, his face gloomy, staring intensely at her, his eyes slightly red.

The ferocity in his gaze startled the enchanting woman, causing her to involuntarily take a step back. However, she understood that the Grand Commander wasn't targeting her, but rather unwilling to accept this outcome.

No matter how much they wanted to deny it, the truth was right before them!

The enchanting woman said, "There's only one Demon Saint's trace of intervention here, which means its opponent wasn't another Demon Saint! It didn't need to create such a huge commotion, yet it did so. And before leaving, it didn't clear its tracks, openly leaving them for us to see. There's only one possibility..."

Exhaling a breath, the enchanting woman said gravely, "It's a demonstration of power!"

Of course, it wasn't a demonstration to *them*, but rather a message to Grand Saint Guizang: 'I have taken the treasure, there's no need to pursue it.'

Whether the other party intended to force Grand Saint Guizang to retreat or compel him into a transaction, this was already a battle of Demon Saint-level power. The Weeping God Guards had no right to intervene, and they didn't even know which Demon Saint it was.

"Do you still intend to continue the pursuit?" the enchanting woman challenged.

Pursuing a Demon Saint would only lead to certain death!

The fierce glint in the Grand Commander's eyes gradually receded, and he regained his composure. After a moment of silence, he ordered, "You all stay here and guard this place. I will personally return to report to His Lord."

His expression was unusually solemn. The last time the Weeping God Guards were killed and a treasure was lost, he had sensed dissatisfaction in His Lord's tone when reporting to Grand Saint Guizang, and he worried that this time His Lord would vent his wrath upon him.

As the Grand Commander of the Weeping God Guards, this tribulation was unavoidable. The Grand Commander sighed inwardly and produced a crystal.

The crystal was perfectly smooth, its interior as clear as water. It flew into the air, emitting a faint, ethereal glow.

The light rippled outwards, covering the entire ruins. After a moment, the ripples receded, returning to the crystal. Every detail of the site was imprinted within the crystal.

The Grand Commander put away the crystal, gathered his subordinates, gave them instructions, and then transformed into a streak of light and departed alone.

The enchanting woman led the other Weeping God Guards, guarding the site and awaiting orders.

Grand Saint Guizang's dwelling was located in a renowned abyss called the Blood Abyss.

It was said that this place was once an endless marsh. Grand Saint Guizang, using immense magical power, drained the lake water. Later, he performed some unknown act, causing blood mist to continuously surge from the abyss, replacing the original water and transforming the area into a sea of blood.

The Grand Commander galloped all the way. Seeing the drifting blood mist ahead in the distance, he increased his speed by another third, instantly plunging into the sea of blood.

Although the blood mist pervaded the area, there was no bloody smell at all. Instead, it carried a fragrant scent, and the vegetation growing there was unusually vigorous.

The Grand Commander held a very high position under Grand Saint Guizang. After entering the Blood Abyss, several sharp divine senses swept over him, but no demon cultivators appeared to stop him.

He proceeded unimpeded, arriving at the center of the Blood Abyss, where his figure plummeted rapidly.

Below seemed to be a bottomless pit. The Grand Commander finally touched a layer of restriction, quickly stopped, struck a talisman seal downwards, and then respectfully stood on a nearby stone platform.

After waiting for a full three days, the Grand Commander remained motionless, finally receiving a response.

"Has it been recovered?"

The blood mist below churned, and Grand Saint Guizang's deep voice emanated from within.

The Grand Commander knelt on both knees, proactively confessing his fault, "Your subordinate handled the matter poorly. I beg Your Lord to punish me!"

"Speak!"

Grand Saint Guizang's tone was somewhat impatient.

The Grand Commander's heart sank, and he quickly explained the situation.

"Your subordinate pursued the treasure according to the method taught by Your Lord, but unexpectedly encountered... Your subordinate suspects another Demon Saint intervened and did not dare to act on my own. I await Your Lord's instructions!"

He recounted the events in full detail, then took out the crystal, holding it above his head with both hands.

Immediately, he felt the crystal in his hands vibrate, then shoot abruptly into the abyss.

Following that, Grand Saint Guizang let out a soft exclamation of surprise.

"Lightning Arts?"

His tone revealed a hint of surprise.

After a moment of silence, to the Grand Commander's surprise, Grand Saint Guizang did not erupt in anger, but simply ordered, "Let them return."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

The Grand Commander still wished to express his loyalty, "I don't know which Grand Saint seized the treasure, your subordinate..."

His words were cut short before he could finish.

"If it was *that* one, even more Weeping God Guards would only be sent to their deaths. There's no need to add superfluous efforts. When this old man emerges from seclusion, I will personally retrieve the treasure. Now, you are to do something else..."

The Grand Commander carefully noted the instructions. As he flew out of the abyss, he was ecstatic, having passed the trial so easily, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped death.

"I wonder which Demon Saint it is that makes His Lord so cautious? Never mind, I should focus more on the next task and ensure I don't botch it again..."

The Grand Commander surveyed his surroundings and then shot through the air.

Qin Sang, utterly unaware, had inadvertently escaped a calamity.

They traveled non-stop, heading north and hiding deep within the ice field. After several months, seeing that the Demon Saint had not pursued them, they felt a little relieved.

Inside an ice cave.

Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird looked at the young Qilin before them.

The young Qilin, feeling a bit uneasy under their gaze, opened its mouth and spat out a ball of Qilin demon fire. After a series of transformations in mid-air, the fire was retracted by the young Qilin.

Yet, after manipulating it for such a short time, the young Qilin seemed somewhat tired.

Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird exchanged glances. The ability they had just made the young Qilin practice was a new divine ability it had comprehended after breaking through to the Void Refinement stage.

Divine beasts had innate imprints in their bloodlines, allowing them to comprehend things without a teacher once they reached a certain realm. However, true mastery still depended on their own enlightenment and diligent practice. The young Qilin had only just grasped the basics.

At this level, it was difficult even for the Vermilion Bird to guide it. Qin Sang could only share some of his own insights into the Great Dao as a reference for the young Qilin to comprehend on its own.

Just now, they wanted to see if the young Qilin would undergo any unexpected changes after its tribulation.

For example, being able to directly sense the Qilin's origin.

Unfortunately, the young Qilin showed no special sensing or unusual changes. Finding the Qilin's origin still relied solely on stellar guidance.

What was gratifying was that the young Qilin, as expected of a reincarnated divine beast, possessed extremely high comprehension. Listening to Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird explain Daoist principles, it quickly grasped them, drew parallels, and progressed rapidly.

Qin Sang said to the Vermilion Bird, "If you don't make progress, I'm afraid it will catch up to you soon."

At the same time, he felt immense pressure. The little ones around him were all of increasingly formidable backgrounds, cultivating as easily as drinking water. One day, he feared he too would be surpassed by them.

He certainly didn't want to become the Vermilion Bird's human pet.

The young Qilin lay beside Qin Sang, squinting to peek at the Vermilion Bird, secretly anticipating the day of its revenge.

The Vermilion Bird raised its head disdainfully, "When this Vermilion Bird masters that divine ability, it will surely shock you all!"

"Oh?"

Qin Sang was very curious.

He had long known that the Vermilion Bird was cultivating a divine ability, which had caused its cultivation to barely progress in recent years. Yet, this fellow had always kept it a secret, remaining mysterious.

He wondered what kind of divine ability it was to warrant such a bold claim.

The Vermilion Bird still wanted to keep them guessing. It scorned them with a sniff and then strutted back to resume its seclusion.

"To dare be so arrogant in front of the Grand Patriarch, showing no respect! I beg the Grand Patriarch to command, allow Qilin to give it a good lesson on behalf of the Grand Patriarch!"

After the Vermilion Bird returned to its mini-cave heaven, the young Qilin said indignantly, its voice tender like a seven or eight-year-old child, making it hard to imagine it was a Void Refinement stage divine beast.

Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird had always called it 'Qilin,' so after it gained sentience, it directly took Qilin as its name.

"You don't need to ask for my permission. As long as you have the ability to teach it a lesson, you can do it anytime."

Qin Sang smiled and patted the young Qilin's head, but he had no intention of offering it any help.

The young Qilin immediately deflated, dejectedly returning to its mini-cave heaven.

Next, Qin Sang mentally connected with the Talisman Altar and summoned Plum Mountain Monarch and Immortal Wutu.

A large topographical map appeared before them.

The map meticulously detailed the routes they had taken and the situation in Grand Saint Frostfall's territory, while annotations for other regions were much sparser.

These were drawn based on the two demons' descriptions. Most of the information outside Grand Saint Frostfall's territory was hearsay and not entirely accurate.

The two demons now recalled more details, so Qin Sang added further annotations to the map. Over these days, they had racked their brains to finally complete the map.

Qin Sang's gaze continually shifted south on the map. The further south he looked, the fewer annotations there were; the southern region was almost a blank chaos.

There were legends there about 'reception.'

There were also rumors that by continuously heading south, one could leave this continent and find a pure land.

Since arriving here, Qin Sang had encountered very few demon cultivators, yet he had stirred up a lot of trouble, and all from beings he couldn't afford to offend.

Qin Sang gently rubbed the mole on his wrist.

He had always acted cautiously, rarely feeling as restless as he did now, with a constant sense of impending turmoil.

Hiding in the Arctic Ice Field was not a long-term solution. Only by heading south was there hope of breaking out of the predicament.

Moreover, stellar guidance indicated that the Qilin's origin was also in the southeast direction.

However, heading south meant first passing through other Demon Saints' territories. He needed to find a relatively safe path, and based on the information provided by the two demons, he already had a destination in mind.

Qin Sang's gaze shifted to a marked location on the map.