Chapter 618: Witch God Continent

“Thank you for your assistance, fellow cultivator!”

The three, having just recovered from their fright, cupped their hands in thanks to the Flying Yaksha.

The Flying Yaksha had merely assisted them in slaying the Blood-Winged Ghost-Head Bees and retrieving the beehive, without revealing its full power.

Given their perception, they couldn't discern the Flying Yaksha's true capabilities.

Nevertheless, after the recent battle, they could tell that the Flying Yaksha's strength surpassed that of the young man, and their tone became quite respectful.

Holding the beehive, the Flying Yaksha stood in silence.

The three exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Just then, Qin Sang emerged from the shadows. Like the Flying Yaksha, he wore a cloak that concealed most of his body.

“It was nothing; merely a minor effort,” Qin Sang said as he approached, under the wary gazes of the three. “This is my puppet. I was out for training but lost my way. Passing by here, I saw you three being attacked by these strange bees, so I instructed my puppet to intervene.”

The three men's expressions relaxed.

The young man stepped forward. “I am Yuan Hu from the Five-Insect Sect. These two are the High Priest and Young Priest of Sky Moon Fortress. May I ask your name, fellow cultivator?”

“You may call me Mingyue,” Qin Sang replied, not daring to use even his daoist name, Qingfeng. He then instructed the Flying Yaksha to approach and examine the beehive.

Inside were the larvae of the Blood-Winged Ghost-Head Bees. Since the adult Blood-Winged Ghost-Head Bees had killed so many creatures and reverted to their fierce nature, they could no longer be tamed. Thus, Qin Sang killed them all, leaving only the larvae.

“Mingyue…” The three exchanged glances, none having heard of this name before. They wished to invite Qin Sang back to Sky Moon Fortress for a discussion.

Qin Sang declined the invitation, explaining, “I've dedicated my life to cultivation since childhood, and having achieved a modest level of progress, I intended to explore. However, I unexpectedly got lost here. I was just about to ask for directions when I encountered you three. Could you please guide me?”

“That's no trouble at all!” Yuan Hu retrieved a jade slip. With a flick of his wrist, it floated towards Qin Sang. “Fellow cultivator Mingyue, this is a survey map issued by my sect. It marks nearby routes and dangers. You can simply follow its guidance.”

Qin Sang's expression stirred slightly. He took the survey map and activated a faint wisp of spiritual sense to examine it, only to be disappointed that the jade slip merely showed markings for a large, localized area.

The most prominent features on the map were a tall peak named Bear Mountain and the sect of the Five-Insect Sect.

Aside from these, there were markings for several major fortresses, including Sky Moon Fortress.

Among them, Sky Moon Fortress was ranked mid-tier, while Thousand Households Fortress wasn't even significant enough to be marked. The Five-Insect Sect appeared to be the strongest power in the vicinity.

Having reviewed the map's contents, Qin Sang gained a general understanding of the powers around Bear Mountain, but this wasn't the information he urgently sought.

“Fellow cultivator Yuan, does your sect's map cover only this region? I've only recently ventured out and am unfamiliar with the world beyond. How much does your esteemed sect know about other areas?”

“Maps of other regions are available, though my cultivation isn't high enough to require them yet. However, my martial uncles in the sect possess them. If you're willing, you could return to my sect with me, and we could borrow one from them.”

Yuan Hu explained, “The survey maps treasured by my sect not only chart other areas within our Western Frontier but also mark major powers and dangerous locations across the entire Witch God Continent. However, regarding the sea areas beyond the Witch God Continent, we have no knowledge. You would need to inquire with the powerful organizations outside for that information.”

The Witch God Continent! Hearing this unfamiliar name, Qin Sang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. A place named a 'continent' must be a vast territory, signifying that he had indeed left the Little Cold Domain.

Yuan Hu's mention of the sea areas beyond the continent piqued Qin Sang's curiosity once more.

“It is said that our Witch God Continent is merely the largest island in the entire sea,” Yuan Hu began. “In the past, not only the Witch God Continent but also all the islands, large and small, across the seas, were territories of our Witch Clan cultivators. Later, the Human Race, being treacherous and shameless, seized our Witch Clan's cultivation resources and drove us from our ancestral lands. Now, we Witch Clan cultivators are persecuted by the Human Race, forced to cultivate only on the Witch God Continent and a few surrounding islands…”

Yuan Hu expressed great indignation when discussing Human Race cultivators. His cultivation was not high, and his knowledge was limited; much of what he spoke was hearsay and vague. Nevertheless, it provided Qin Sang with enough information to piece together some facts.

Qin Sang was secretly astonished. He had assumed he'd been teleported to an unfamiliar continent, never expecting to find himself in a vast, boundless sea region.

The cultivators here were divided into Human and Witch Clans, and they were not on amicable terms, having engaged in great wars.

The Human Race was thriving, while the Witch Clan had retreated to the Witch God Continent.

According to Yuan Hu, the Witch God Continent was vast, though he himself had no precise idea of its true extent.

Qin Sang yearned to learn more about the outside world but ultimately declined Yuan Hu's invitation. Knowing that this was not the Little Cold Domain, Qin Sang felt a sense of relief.

He was unfamiliar with the Five-Insect Sect's strength and disposition. Seeing that Yuan Hu also practiced corpse arts, Qin Sang presumed they were not benevolent. His priority was to first find a place to heal his injuries and form his Core.

Once his strength was restored, it would not be too late to pay them a visit.

Despite the refusal, Yuan Hu wasn't offended. He enthusiastically suggested, “If you're not in a hurry to depart, you might consider waiting a few more days. Annually, before the Witch God Festival, the Bimo and priests from all the fortresses, big and small, in our Bear Mountain region hold a gathering here to exchange goods and information. It's an opportunity not to be missed, whether you're seeking news or trading treasures.”

A thought stirred in Qin Sang's mind; this indeed sounded like an excellent opportunity to gather information.

He still had many matters to investigate, such as news of Senior Qingzhu, and whether any secret realms or ancient restrictions existed near the ruins, which would help him locate ancient teleportation arrays.

He was merely seeking temporary refuge and could not simply settle in. The Nine Illusory Heavenly Orchid was still in the Little Cold Domain, and he had to return before forming his Nascent Soul.

Yuan Hu's cultivation was too low, and his knowledge limited.

Qin Sang quickly ascertained the time of the gathering. By his estimation, he would have sufficient time to heal his injuries and form his Core before then.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Qin Sang decided to take his leave at once. Having seen the survey map, he now knew where to search for spiritual veins.

“Fellow cultivator, wait!” Yuan Hu, seeing Qin Sang about to depart, quickly called out to him, then sheepishly said, “I have an impertinent request: would you be able to leave one of these strange bee larvae for me?”

They had been in grave danger, and it was only with the Flying Yaksha's appearance that the Blood-Winged Ghost-Head Bees were eliminated and they were saved. Logically, the beehive was Qin Sang's spoils of war, and they had no right to a share.

Qin Sang pointed to the spiritual insects belonging to the two priests of Sky Moon Fortress and asked in surprise, “Fellow cultivator, with such high cultivation, do you not yet possess…?”

“No, no…” Yuan Hu shook his head repeatedly. “I already possess a life-bound Gu insect. I was simply focused on controlling the bone skeleton just now, which is why I didn't release it. I simply find this strange bee to have considerable combat prowess, and I've never encountered it before. It's not even recorded on the Witch Insect Compendium, which makes me quite curious.”

So it was called a 'life-bound Gu insect', and the 'Witch Insect Compendium'. Qin Sang silently committed these two names to memory, surmising that the Witch Insect Compendium was similar to the Imperial Spirit Sect's Exotic Insect Registry.

It appeared that Witch Clan cultivators possessed a more comprehensive and profound understanding of spiritual insects than the Imperial Spirit Sect, even refining them into life-bound Gu insects. The Witch Insect Compendium must certainly be more systematic than the Exotic Insect Registry.