Chapter 251: Black Flame Camphor

Most of the prominent disciples of the Kuiyin Sect had been slain by the Yuanzhao Gate, leaving very few survivors. The sole surviving Core Formation cultivator had also lost his physical body, and his Golden Core was severely damaged, greatly diminishing his strength. He dared not show himself and would be unable to recover anytime soon.

This was good news for Qin Sang; the great burden of the Kuiyin Sect had finally been lifted from his mind. However, while the Kuiyin Sect was only a potential future threat, the Old Devil Di Que was the immediate concern.

“Do you want to get rid of the Heart-Eating Worm Gu and regain your freedom?” The Old Man Di Que's tone was heavily laced with temptation.

Qin Sang countered, “Senior, can you help me remove the Gu? Are you willing to help me remove the Gu?” His voice grew notably heavier as he emphasized the word 'willing.'

The Old Man Di Que smiled and replied, “While I cannot remove the worm Gu personally created by the Kuiyin Ancestor, I do possess methods to conceal it and obscure it from others' perception. Once done, even those from the Kuiyin Sect won't be able to control the worm Gu in your primordial spirit. Furthermore, I have no ties with the Kuiyin Sect. Although you schemed against me, you helped me recover the Fire Jade Centipede and steal the Scarlet Gold Vine fruits. I should have thanked you, so your merits and demerits balance out. In fact, I appreciate you more now; your cunning is exactly what I need to achieve my goals. As long as you work diligently, why would I not be willing to help you?”

Qin Sang's eyes flickered, and he said mockingly, “Senior just mentioned that the Kuiyin Sect has been annihilated. If so, merely concealing the Gu, rather than removing it, doesn't seem particularly useful to me. Senior, just tell me directly what you want me to do. There's no need to use such grand words to disguise this as a fair transaction.”

“You wouldn't want me to reveal your identity to Che Yutao, would you? Although the Kuiyin Sect is no more, Shaohua Mountain would surely not tolerate a demonic spy like you within its ranks, as it would dishonor their sect. The best solution for them would be a swift palm strike to eliminate you and erase all evidence. Old Devil Che Yutao is certainly not a soft-hearted individual…”

The Old Man Di Que's smiling expression sent a chill down Qin Sang's spine.

“However,” the Old Man Di Que's tone shifted, “I am no elder of Shaohua Mountain. Why should I help them expose a spy and undertake such a thankless task? As the saying goes, 'carrot and stick.' What I least prefer is to use threats to force compliance. Only mutual benefit provides the most stable foundation, allowing you to commit wholeheartedly. How about this: I observe that your Destiny Spirit Sword is quite remarkable, being a pure wood embryo. Do you perhaps need spirit wood to enhance its power?”

“Senior has keen insight.” The Ebony Sword was indeed very unique, so it was not surprising that the Old Man Di Que had seen through it.

Qin Sang sneered inwardly. He didn't believe a single word the Old Man Di Que uttered; any promise of great benefits would merely be an empty one. He had to find a way to escape his predicament. Ideally, he could kill the Old Man Di Que. However, the vast chasm between a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Core Formation cultivator was like the difference between heaven and earth; Qin Sang dared not even consider it.

The second option was to first break free from the Old Man Di Que's control, then, before the old man could reveal his identity to Shaohua Mountain, flee elsewhere or find a sufficiently hidden place to conceal himself. The depths of the ancient immortal battlefield, the Land of Disorder, offered a good hiding place, but it was far too dangerous. Alternatively, since the Kuiyin Sect's power had waned, he could simply hide within the demonic sects' sphere of influence and become a rogue cultivator. He had never truly harmed Shaohua Mountain, so it was unlikely they would boldly invade demonic territory to conduct an extensive search for him. Hiding should not be difficult. The only regrettable aspect would be losing access to Shaohua Mountain's resources and the many conveniences it offered. Nevertheless, compared to Qi Condensation cultivators, those at the Foundation Establishment stage were considered significant figures in the cultivation world, capable of venturing out independently and accumulating cultivation resources through their own efforts. This was not an unacceptable outcome. However, none of this could be achieved within the confines of the ancient cultivator's sealed abode. He would have to leave it first to find a suitable opportunity.

The Old Man Di Que nodded, then carefully stored the remaining Scarlet Fire Gilt in a jade bottle, handling it with the utmost care as if it were a priceless treasure. Next, he produced a section of black spirit wood and presented it to Qin Sang. The spirit wood was as black as charcoal, adorned with intricate grain patterns that strangely resembled flickering flames, making it quite peculiar.

“This is Black Flame Camphor,” he explained. “I just obtained it from a restriction.”

Black Flame Camphor was even more precious than Gold Thread Cedarwood. If the Ebony Sword absorbed this section of Black Flame Camphor, it would certainly be able to withstand the second killing talisman. During life-and-death struggles, the speed of comprehending killing talismans would become exceptionally fast. Qin Sang was already close to fully comprehending the second killing talisman. After passing through the trial grounds and repeatedly entering the magma lake to battle the Flame Flying Monkeys earlier, he had now completely grasped it. From now on, he merely needed to seclude himself in his cave dwelling for diligent cultivation. Even with his talent, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would certainly be able to break through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment within another twenty years. Previously, he would have had to search for spirit wood if the Ebony Sword's quality proved insufficient. Now, with the Black Flame Camphor, he had no such worries.

“You will accompany me now to undertake a task,” the Old Man Di Que said, tossing the Black Flame Camphor enticingly. “Once it's half-completed, I'll give you the Black Flame Camphor. After the task is fully accomplished, there will be even greater rewards.”

“Does this junior have any other choice?” Qin Sang remained silent for a long time, then gave a bitter smile. “I wonder what Senior requires of me?”

“Come with me; you’ll know in a moment.” The Old Man Di Que turned to glance at the magma sea, then lifted his foot and began walking towards the ground.

With the spiritual fruits stolen, the monkey pack in the magma lake had fallen into a furious rage, attacking the restrictions with a desire to tear Qin Sang and the other man to shreds. Under their relentless assault, the restriction actually began to show signs of trembling.

Qin Sang quickly followed, flying out of the ancient well and passing through the water mirror.

Just as the Old Man Di Que was about to step out of the illusion formation, he suddenly gasped in surprise, as if he had encountered something completely unexpected. “How is that old hag out here?”

The Old Man Di Que stopped, his expression fluctuating between anger and frustration. He suddenly cursed aloud, clearly harboring intense resentment towards the person he spoke of, which left Qin Sang very puzzled. Then, the Old Man Di Que abruptly waved his hand, unleashing several streams of spiritual energy to conceal both their auras and figures. Only then did he step out of the illusion formation.

In the distant sky, nestled among the peaks, a gigantic Eight Trigrams symbol appeared. Above the Eight Trigrams stood over a dozen figures, all disciples from various sects who had entered the ancient cultivator's remnant abode together. Among them was a woman in palace attire. She stood directly in the center of the Eight Trigrams, her aura no less formidable than the Old Man Di Que's. It was Sikong Muyue, one of the five Core Formation cultivators!

The others, following a specific arrangement, encircled Sikong Muyue, positioned at different points of the Eight Trigrams. Spiritual energy surged from everyone's bodies, channeling into the Eight Trigrams, making the black and white energies on it grow increasingly dense. Then, the Eight Trigrams trembled, and countless black and white energies transformed into two flood dragons, descending with world-shaking power.

In an instant, the black and white energies slammed into the restriction on the mountaintop below.

Boom!

The restriction emitted a seven-colored divine light, attempting to fend off the black and white energies' assault, but ultimately it couldn't withstand the force. Its radiance dimmed further and further until it was finally breached by the torrent of black and white energy.