Chapter 2389: Five Immortals

The Mortal World

"Greetings, Protectors!"

Gu Mei and Chi Lian bowed in greeting.

At the same time, Qin Sang received a telepathic message from Chi Lian, learning that the two demons before them were the Black and Yellow Protectors of the Five Immortals Sect. The Five Immortals Sect had a total of five Protectors, and the Black and Yellow Protectors were among them, holding immense power within the sect, reportedly second only to the mysterious Sect Master. The short, stout one was the Black Protector, a spirit mouse in human form. The tall, thin Yellow Protector was originally a weasel. The other three Protectors were a snake, a fox, and a hedgehog, collectively known as the Five Immortals. Internally, they also had revered titles: each generation of Protectors was referred to as the Gray Immortal, Yellow Immortal, Willow Immortal, Fox Immortal, and White Immortal. It was said that the previous Gray Immortal was still called the Gray Protector, but for some unknown reason, this generation’s Gray Immortal forcibly changed the title.

The Five Protectors of the Five Immortals Sect were rarely seen; outsiders only heard their names but never saw their forms. The fact that two Protectors had arrived simultaneously showed just how crucial Gu Mei’s mission was. By seeing the Black and Yellow Protectors, Qin Sang had already come into contact with the Five Immortals Sect’s most core secrets. A thought flashed through his mind, and he also bowed, imitating the two women.

In fact, Qin Sang had had an opportunity to act just now. If he had suddenly made a move and forcibly taken Gu Mei away, the Plague Fiend Sovereign and the Black and Yellow Protectors would not have reacted quickly enough to stop him. However, Qin Sang ultimately did not act rashly, as he was still unsure of the true objectives of the Five Immortals Sect and Gu Mei. If their goals aligned, then remaining undercover by their side was better than alerting them. It was unlikely that all these demonic cultivators possessed Mo Yan’s ability to see through his disguise. Even if he were truly exposed, Qin Sang was confident he could escape.

"Please, Protectors, examine this!"

Gu Mei stepped forward and handed over a jade box. The Yellow Protector took the jade box but did not open it. He ran his hand over it a few times, then nodded to the Black Protector. A sly grin appeared on the Black Protector’s face. His lips moved slightly as he said something to Gu Mei with a smile, and she answered him in turn. Unfortunately, they were communicating secretly through a divine ability, so Qin Sang and Chi Lian heard nothing.

After their exchange, the Black Protector’s sly grin widened, and he lavishly praised Gu Mei, "Gu Mei, you deserve the greatest credit for this mission. Once it's complete, the two of us will certainly report to the Sect Master and request a reward for you!" The usually serious Yellow Protector also showed a look of approval upon hearing this.

Gu Mei was overjoyed. "Thank you, Protectors!"

The Black Protector turned his gaze to Chi Lian. "Fortunately, you arrived in time to rescue Gu Mei; your contribution is also significant. You may atone for your past misdeeds through this merit; your previous punishment is annulled, and you are restored to your former position." If Chi Lian’s plan had been successfully executed, developing Heavenly Cloud Port into a major power second only to overlords like the White Dragon King and the Plague Fiend Sovereign, she would undoubtedly be more valued and receive greater rewards than she did now, and she wouldn't have been overshadowed by Gu Mei. Although Chi Lian felt a surge of resentment, she could only express her gratitude.

Seeing the Black Protector look at Qin Sang, Chi Lian quickly explained on his behalf: "Reporting to the Protectors, this fellow Daoist’s Daoist name is Qing Feng. He joined the Five Immortals Sect long ago and ascended to the Wuzi Altar. When I was ordered to infiltrate Lotus Lake, I invited Fellow Daoist Qing Feng to join Heavenly Cloud Port and assist me. During that time, Fellow Daoist Qing Feng diligently trained demonic soldiers for Heavenly Cloud Port. In this rescue of Gu Mei, Fellow Daoist Qing Feng also contributed significantly." Qin Sang glanced at Chi Lian, thinking inwardly that this female demon still had some conscience.

"Heh heh, Chi Lian, you worry too much. When has the Five Immortals Sect ever mistreated a meritorious servant?" The Black Protector scrutinized Qin Sang. "Fellow Daoist Qing Feng is not from the Five Clans, is he?" Qin Sang knew he was referring to the five great demonic clans represented by the Five Immortals of the Five Immortals Sect. It turned out that not just anyone could become a direct descendant of the Five Immortals Sect; one had to originate from these five great demonic clans.

"Black Protector’s eyes are like lightning; I am indeed not a descendant of these five clans," Qin Sang replied.

"What a pity," the Black Protector shook his head. "However, the Five Immortals Sect is fair in its rewards and punishments. Later, Fellow Daoist will still be able to share in the rewards with them. But before that, we must ask Fellow Daoist to bear with us and stay with us." As he spoke, he looked at the two women. "And you two, you must not leave without permission, and you may not send any messages outside without our approval. Understand?" The smile on the Black Protector’s face abruptly vanished, his gaze turned icy, and a terrifying pressure enveloped Qin Sang and the two women. Their expressions changed, and they respectfully acknowledged the command.

"The pursuers are coming soon. Enough talk, let's shake them off first," the Yellow Protector, who had been gazing at the horizon, suddenly interjected. The Black Protector commanded, "Follow me." Immediately, the Black and Yellow Protectors leaped into the lake, with Qin Sang and the two women following closely behind.

Qin Sang honestly followed behind, vaguely sensing a wisp of aura firmly locked onto him, indicating that the Black and Yellow Protectors clearly did not trust him. It seemed fortunate that Chi Lian had spoken well of him, otherwise, the Black and Yellow Protectors might not have tolerated him. Of course, Qin Sang was not afraid of them turning hostile; even if the Black and Yellow Protectors teamed up, they might not be able to keep him. The only one he truly feared was the mysterious Sect Master of the Five Immortals Sect. However, if the Sect Master of the Five Immortals Sect were here, why would they be fleeing? It was precisely because Qin Sang saw through this point that he chose to follow.

The lake water parted on its own, leading directly to the lakebed. The lakebed was dim. The Black Protector landed at the bottom and stomped heavily, causing mud and sand to churn. A stone hall slowly rose from beneath the sediment. The stone hall opened, revealing five stone statues: a spirit mouse, a weasel, a snake, a fox, and a hedgehog. However, these statues had form but no spirit, differing greatly from the statues Qin Sang had seen before in the Five Immortals Sect. This stone hall and its statues were clearly not recently constructed. Qin Sang was astonished by the extensive reach of the Five Immortals Sect’s arrangements. How many such stone halls had the Five Immortals Sect actually set up across this continent?

The Black and Yellow Protectors each walked to the statues of the spirit mouse and the weasel, forced out a drop of their vital blood, and flicked it into the statues’ mouths. A flash of blood-light, and the statues immediately gained a vitality they had lacked before. Most notably, their eyes became exceptionally lively, as if alive. Chi Lian and Gu Mei, without any hesitation, followed suit before the snake demon and fox demon statues. Finally, only Qin Sang and a hedgehog statue remained, and the gazes of the four demons fell upon him.

Qin Sang’s expression subtly changed. He took a step back and gave a dry laugh. "I don't need to, do I? The Plague Fiend Sovereign surely wouldn't notice a minor character like me..." A cultivator’s vital blood could not be given away casually, especially since demonic cultivators of this era primarily cultivated their physical bodies, and vital blood was their very foundation. Once given to someone else, it would plant countless hidden dangers within oneself.

The Black Protector burst into laughter. "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. For those who are not descendants of our Five Clans, applying vital blood has no effect whatsoever." Qin Sang’s face stiffened, and he gave an awkward laugh. Chi Lian shook her head slightly, giving Qin Sang a look that said she couldn’t help him. If this was a test, Qin Sang had failed the very first step. Handing over his vital blood would naturally make it easier to gain their trust, but the Five Immortals Sect only accepted descendants of the five great demonic clans. Even if Qin Sang showed loyalty, it would be useless. It was better to probe their bottom line. The Black and Yellow Protectors did not make things difficult for Qin Sang. The two demons joined forces to activate a demonic art, initiating the stone hall’s grand formation.

'Buzz!'

The stone hall trembled, then sank back into the mud and sand. Qin Sang sensed the stone hall moving away underground; by then, the stone hall had taken on the aura of the four demons. Once the Plague Fiend Sovereign was misled by the stone hall, the Black and Yellow Protectors’ strategy of "shedding the cicada’s golden shell" would be successful.

"Let's go!"

The Yellow Protector flicked his sleeve, emitting a cloud of yellow smoke. The smoke enveloped Qin Sang and the four demons, and they silently vanished into the distance. Inside the yellow smoke, he smelled no foul odor. Qin Sang only felt the yellow smoke carrying them southeast. They occasionally stopped to observe, but most of the time they were traveling. At this speed, they had already left the territories of the Plague Fiend Sovereign and the White Dragon King. They hadn't seen any pursuers, so it seemed they had been led away by the stone hall. It was unknown where the yellow smoke had taken them. Finally, they descended from the sky over an unknown desolate island.

'Whoosh!'

The yellow smoke landed, revealing Qin Sang and the four demons. The Black Protector tapped his foot forcefully, and a mountain peak on the island split open, revealing a stone hall. Qin Sang was no longer surprised; he followed the four demons into the stone hall. This stone hall also contained five stone statues, but this time, the Black and Yellow Protectors did not apply vital blood to them.

The Black Protector turned around and said, "Let's rest here for a while." They each found a spot in the stone hall and gradually entered meditation. Qin Sang and the two women remained constantly within the Black and Yellow Protectors’ sight. The wisp of aura monitoring Qin Sang was ever-present, and Qin Sang also sensed it on Chi Lian and Gu Mei. Gu Mei had performed a major meritorious deed. Yet she couldn't earn the Black and Yellow Protectors' trust, which showed how critical this operation was, allowing no room for error. So why did they keep him? Was it merely because of their rule of clear rewards and punishments? The Five Immortals Sect was a major power spanning across various Demonic Saint Daoist sites. It was not strange for them to adhere to rules, otherwise, they couldn't maintain such a vast organization. However, rules could always be flexible, and the Black and Yellow Protectors didn’t seem to have rigid personalities. Qin Sang secretly remained vigilant, wondering what their intentions were.

For the next few days, they remained hidden in the stone hall. Qin Sang felt as though the Black and Yellow Protectors were waiting for something. One day, a faint light suddenly illuminated the dark stone hall. Qin Sang and the two women were startled awake. They looked up and saw a firefly that had appeared before the Black Protector sometime unnoticed. The shimmering light flickered, then merged into the Black Protector’s glabella. A moment later, the Black Protector suddenly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Crimson Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra have set off!"

The Yellow Protector gasped softly, "Why so fast?" Qin Sang and the two women dared not interject. Hearing this, they were secretly puzzled. Crimson Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra had been training troops for so long; logically, they should have set off earlier. After waiting all this time, the Black and Yellow Protectors still found it fast. The Five Immortals Sect clearly knew a great deal about Crimson Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra, things unknown to them.

"In that case, we can't wait any longer," the Black Protector stood up. "Send a message to Willow Immortal and the others, telling them we'll go ahead and for them to catch up as quickly as possible."

"Understood!"

The Yellow Protector nodded, activated the stone hall, and immediately, an invisible ripple spread through the void, gradually dissipating. Hearing the two demons’ conversation, Chi Lian and Gu Mei were both astonished. From the Protectors’ tone, the other three Protectors were also rushing to Lotus Lake. The Five Immortals Sect was a vast organization; its five Protectors usually presided over different regions. It was difficult for them to meet even one Protector normally. Two Protectors coming was already a sign of great importance, and the instances of all five Protectors gathering were exceedingly rare. They felt both joy and apprehension. Joy because they could participate in a major event and had an opportunity to earn merit. Apprehension because with all five Immortals gathered, the path ahead was surely fraught with danger, and they feared for their own safety.

Qin Sang, meanwhile, pondered: what connection did the actions of Crimson Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra have with the Five Immortals Sect’s objective? The Three Flying Immortals had never mentioned this matter, and Wu Xian claimed they had no conflict with the Demonic Saint’s subordinates. Could it be that the Five Immortals Sect’s goals were actually not aligned with theirs, and he had been overthinking it? "Why isn't Mo Yan here yet?" Qin Sang had sent out a message with foresight; the Three Flying Immortals should have received it long ago, yet there had been no response. Once the Three Flying Immortals arrived, they would know whether the Five Immortals Sect was their opponent. If their objectives did not conflict with the Five Immortals Sect’s, and the Five Immortals Sect intended to oppose the Demonic Saint’s forces, Qin Sang thought it best to find an opportunity to slip away and watch from the sidelines.

The Black and Yellow Protectors seemed very urgent. They immediately flew out of the stone hall with them, then hurried on without pause. This time, their speed was even faster than before. The Black and Yellow Protectors’ expressions were very grave, the atmosphere tense, and the two women dared not ask many questions. Qin Sang stood silently in a corner of the yellow smoke, pondering inwardly. Suddenly, his heart stirred. His right hand clenched into a fist, and the talisman seal in his palm grew faintly warm. This was a talisman seal Wu Xian had given him earlier. Mo Yan had finally arrived. Qin Sang secretly glanced at the Black and Yellow Protectors; the two demons showed no unusual reactions. Mo Yan must have already known there were experts near him. This move was actually somewhat risky, but it seemed Mo Yan was very confident in this talisman seal. The faintly warm talisman seal indicated that Mo Yan was telling him not to act rashly. In an instant, the talisman seal vanished again. Qin Sang couldn’t directly question Mo Yan and could only wait and see. However, since the Three Flying Immortals had arrived, even if all five Protectors of the Five Immortals Sect were present, Qin Sang was no longer worried.

The yellow smoke continuously sped forward, having long left the Daoist sites of the White Dragon King and the Plague Fiend Sovereign. However, there was still no trace of Crimson Meteor Mountain or Lunar Mire Tundra. Finally, one evening, the yellow smoke paused and released them. Qin Sang looked around, seeing only rippling blue waves and the sky merging with the water, as if they had entered a vast ocean. This place was even more expansive than the lake where the Water Dragon Palace was located.

"Eh?"

Qin Sang noticed that the lake water below had two different colors, varying in depth. They happened to be right at the intersection of the two depths, where the two sides were distinctly separated, forming a clear dividing line. The Black and Yellow Protectors descended, their feet touching the lake’s surface, and stared intently at the line in the water. The Yellow Protector raised a hand and pointed upwards. The yellow smoke churned violently, spreading high in the sky and transforming into a yellow cloud that blotted out the sun. Next, the Yellow Protector nodded to the Black Protector. The Black Protector took out the jade box Gu Mei had given him earlier. Without opening it, he directly threw the jade box down. The jade box landed precisely on the dividing line of the lake water. Surprisingly, when the jade box entered the lake, it did not create the slightest ripple. It was as if an invisible mouth in the lake had swallowed the jade box whole. The instant the jade box submerged, Qin Sang lost his spiritual connection to it, and his gaze sharpened.

The next moment, the previously calm lake surface suddenly churned.

'Splash!'

The lake water simultaneously churned up two great waves. These two waves surged in opposite directions, centered on that dividing line. The waves were immense and powerful, their spray making the dividing line even more striking. It stretched as far as the eye could see, bisecting the entire great lake into two halves. As the lake water parted beneath their feet, what they saw was not the mud and weeds of the lakebed, but a bottomless, dark abyss. Just as Qin Sang was about to activate his Heavenly Eye divine ability to carefully investigate the abyss, the talisman seal in his palm suddenly became scorching hot. This was Mo Yan’s warning!