Chapter 445: Le Jia Sisters

What excited Qin Sang most was fighting against human cultivators, which accelerated his comprehension of the Killing Talisman far beyond previous levels. Especially after participating in several battles involving thousands of people, being in a terrifying battlefield, facing omnipresent slaughter, and the constant threat of death—his combat experience and understanding of the Killing Dao improved at an astonishing rate.

This was also one of the reasons Qin Sang cultivated at all costs; the Killing Talisman was no longer a hindrance.

“It’s a blessing in disguise, I suppose,” Qin Sang mused self-deprecatingly.

Inside the cave dwelling, there was only a single futon. Qin Sang sat cross-legged on it. After his aura was fully restored, he opened his eyes and unsealed his mustard seed bag and Corpse Puppet bag.

Various spiritual materials, magic artifacts, and other items flew out of the mustard seed bag. Magic artifacts were the most numerous, most of them damaged, with very few intact ones, though their quality was generally good. Qin Sang conjured the Stone Flame and selected the easily repairable artifacts, restoring them to perfection. Otherwise, unscrupulous merchants would drastically lower their prices when he sold them. Severely damaged ones were abandoned, as repairing them would be too time-consuming.

After repairing the artifacts, Qin Sang’s gaze shifted to the three corpses on the ground. He had gone out on a patrol, and naturally, he hadn't engaged in just one battle. During this patrol assignment, Qin Sang had experienced several skirmishes, but he had only managed to kill three cultivators from the Skyfaring Alliance, thanks largely to the Ebony Sword.

Initially, both sides had suffered heavy casualties, but as cultivators from both factions gained extensive combat experience, they became increasingly vigilant, their battle formations grew tighter, and it became much harder to succeed in engagements. Capturing anyone alive was even less feasible.

At first, Qin Sang often operated alone, but he no longer dared to. Not everyone was as wealthy as Qin Sang, with ample spirit stones. Many less powerful cultivators suffered immensely, forced to cultivate with meager spiritual energy and live precarious lives. They had been enduring, hoping for the war to end one day. What Qin Sang relied on was merely the substantial accumulation from the past two years. Recently, he had found an opportunity to return to his sect. The Earthly Fiend Qi in his Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottle was more than sufficient.

Qin Sang refined all three corpses into Fiend Corpses. After examining his own cultivation internally, he stood up, collected the spirit stones he had used, which were less than half consumed, and exited the cave dwelling.

The rain poured down. A biting wind howled. Visibility was dim, but numerous streaks of light could be seen darting and crisscrossing through the air. Qin Sang tightened his magical robe, activated his spiritual energy for protection, then also conjured a streak of light, soared into the sky, and sped towards the northeast.

On this patrol mission, he had returned early due to a personal matter. The rest of his team, led by Mu Yifeng, would continue to complete the assignment before they could return.

He flew over more than a hundred islands consecutively. Qin Sang had a thoughtful expression on his face. Suddenly sensing something, he looked up and gazed ahead. Directly in front of him, three streaks of light were flying towards him. The heavy rain obscured his vision, and Qin Sang didn't use his divine sense to check their identities. Within the True Water Myriad Illusions Array, even unruly demonic cultivators dared not act recklessly.

Swish, swish... As the streaks of light crossed paths, a surprised voice suddenly rang out. All four streaks of light halted simultaneously.

Qin Sang turned and looked at the three people opposite him: two men and one woman. The two men were of similar age, dressed in similar styles of green robes. One had a refined appearance and held a folding fan, while the other had a stern expression and carried a precious sword. The woman was a beautiful middle-aged lady in her forties. While not stunningly beautiful, she possessed a charming allure. She stood very close to the sword-wielding man, indicating an intimate relationship.

“Rou’er, do you know this fellow daoist?” the sword-wielding man asked, feeling curious when he saw the woman staring at Qin Sang with a surprised expression.

The woman hummed in acknowledgment, hesitated briefly, and was about to speak. Hearing the sword-wielding man's address for her, Qin Sang took the initiative to ask, “Are you Le Rou?”

This woman was, in fact, Le Rou, the younger of the Le family sisters who had sold him the spiritual spring item. Recalling it now, it had been sixty or seventy years ago. He had helped the Le sisters open their cave dwelling, and they hadn't met again since their parting. Back then, both Le sisters were at the Qi Refining stage. Now, Le Rou was already a master at the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage. Time had left few traces on Le Rou’s face. Qin Sang had found her familiar at first glance, but couldn't confirm if she was the elder or younger sister.

“Senior Qin, it really is you! I am Le Rou!”

Le Rou’s cultivation had deepened, and her temperament was more composed than Qin Sang remembered, yet she still retained a hint of her former self, her face filled with uncontrollable joy and surprise.

“Miss Le is already a master of the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage. We can address each other as fellow daoists,” Qin Sang said with a smile. He shook his head with a smile. “I took your tree root back then and promised to help you open your cave dwelling; it was only right. No thanks are necessary. And who are these two fellow daoists?”

“This is my husband, surname Luo.” Le Rou pointed to the sword-wielding man and asked, looking up, “I often told you about Senior Qin, do you remember?”

The sword-wielding man, whose cultivation was similar to Le Rou’s, nodded repeatedly and cupped his hands in greeting, thanking Qin Sang.

“This is Fellow Daoist Du, a friend of my husband and me.”

After the greetings were exchanged, Qin Sang asked again, “Is your elder sister, Le Xing, also here?”

Le Rou still addressed Qin Sang as Senior. “My elder sister didn’t manage to break through to Foundation Establishment and has since married. I settled her family on an island at the edge of the Cloud Cang Great Marsh. My sister now enjoys four generations living under one roof, living a stable and prosperous life... Senior Qin, it is because you helped my sisters open our cave dwelling back then that I am where I am today. I’ve always wanted to thank you. But you disappeared without a trace, and even Old Lady Jing couldn't find you...”

Qin Sang hummed in acknowledgment and briefly recounted his journey to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. “I didn’t expect to be gone for decades. When I returned to my cave dwelling and saw the transmission talisman left by Old Lady Jing, I went to apologize, but she was no longer there.”

Le Rou nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. “After we were invited by Old Lady Jing to help her with something, she told us she would be leaving temporarily. I didn't expect it to be this long. I was just conscripted and passed by Moon-Asking Market. I took a look at Old Lady Jing’s shop, but it was still closed. I don’t know where Old Lady Jing is...”

Le Rou’s face showed a worried expression, clearly indicating her deep affection for Old Lady Jing.

Qin Sang asked curiously, “Fellow Daoist Le, you were also invited by Old Lady Jing? I saw her transmission talisman when I returned, but it was unfortunately too late. May I ask what kind of help Old Lady Jing needed, and if it was successfully completed?”

Le Rou replied apologetically, “Please forgive me, Senior. I have sworn an oath to Old Lady Jing not to reveal anything to outsiders.”

Qin Sang expressed his understanding. He wasn’t that curious; he had merely asked out of politeness.

After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Sang told them the location of his cave dwelling and politely declined the couple’s invitation for a banquet before speeding off.

The cultivator surnamed Du watched Qin Sang’s streak of light disappear from sight, his expression somewhat strange. Le Rou looked over in surprise. “What are you looking at, Fellow Daoist Du?”

The cultivator surnamed Du, as if waking from a dream, spoke with a face full of envy. “I never imagined that the Senior Qin you spoke of is the renowned Shadowless Sword of Shaohua Mountain! He's a fierce individual who single-handedly slew a pseudo-Core Formation realm master!”