Chapter 622: Stormy Demon Sea

"When elixirs meet their kind, forms take shape; when the Dao aligns with the subtle, nature unfolds. A single Golden Core swallowed, only then does one truly know their destiny is not dictated by the heavens."

Cui Xuanzi bowed deeply to the ground, his voice filled with deep envy, tinged with a hint of sorrow, before finally transforming into a congratulatory remark, "Congratulations, Senior, on forming your core."

Qin Sang appeared very young, around twenty years old, while Cui Xuanzi had white hair.

If a mortal were to witness such a scene, they would undoubtedly be astonished, thinking it should be the other way around.

However, in the cultivation world, where strength reigns supreme, this was perfectly normal.

"The initial formation of the Golden Core merely sheds a few limitations. The path to immortality remains arduous, with countless powerful figures ahead; one dare not presumptuously claim destiny is not dictated by the heavens."

A faint smile appeared on Qin Sang's face. He recalled the Flying Yaksha and looked up in the direction where the Five-Insect Sect disciples had departed. "Does your esteemed sect have any Golden Core cultivators available? My Golden Core has just formed, and I have many questions. I hope to pay a visit and discuss the Dao with a fellow cultivator."

Cui Xuanzi's eyes flickered upon hearing this, his tone unwavering as he explained, "Replying to Senior Qin, my Martial Uncle, after forming his core, unexpectedly embarked on a journey and I do not know if he has already left West Jiang. It is said he was also inviting fellow cultivators to hunt demons in the Stormy Demon Sea. It's unlikely he'll return anytime soon. If Senior can stay for a while longer, I will send a message to my Martial Uncle."

Just now, Cui Xuanzi had observed that although Qin Sang commanded a Flying Yaksha, his tone was kind, not like a bloodthirsty demon. This had lessened his worries somewhat.

However, upon hearing Qin Sang suddenly mention Golden Core cultivators, Cui Xuanzi's heart tightened once more.

The Five-Insect Sect had indeed produced a Golden Core cultivator, who was one of Cui Xuanzi's Martial Uncles.

However, when that Martial Uncle left on his journey, Cui Xuanzi had only recently taken over as sect master. Now, Cui Xuanzi was already in his twilight years, and that Martial Uncle had remained untraceable, never having left a life soul lamp.

Currently, they didn't even know if that Martial Uncle was alive or dead.

Outsiders were unaware of this, so they could invoke his Martial Uncle's name to bolster their prestige, and Cui Xuanzi wouldn't proactively explain the situation to Qin Sang.

The Stormy Demon Sea...

Qin Sang heard another new place name. It sounded like a place similar to the Demonic Beast Mound, likely a territory of demon beasts.

However, since Golden Core cultivators would actually venture there together to hunt demons, the demon beasts in the Stormy Demon Sea were definitely not as harmonious with cultivators as those in the Demonic Beast Mound.

"Never mind. I came to West Jiang to search for spirit insects suitable for forming my Lifebound Gu. I heard that in the wilderness of West Jiang, spirit insects abound, including many rare and seldom-seen varieties. My core formation here was also unexpected; I won't be staying in your Bear Mountain region for too long."

Qin Sang glanced deeply at Cui Xuanzi. With his keen insight, he could tell there were untruths in Cui Xuanzi's words, but he didn't delve into how much was true or false. He waved his hand and said, "Since that fellow cultivator isn't here, there's no need to trouble yourselves."

Unexpectedly, before Qin Sang had even finished speaking, he noticed Cui Xuanzi staring at him with a look of utter shock, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

"Senior, you... you formed your core without even choosing a Lifebound Gu yet?"

Cui Xuanzi's face was filled with disbelief.

Qin Sang's heart stirred. For Cui Xuanzi to react so uncharacteristically, could it be that Lifebound Gu offered some aid in core formation?

After conversing with Yuan Hu that day, Qin Sang learned that the Witch tribe and the human race had an extremely poor relationship, having fought wars and harbored mutual animosity.

Now, with the Witch tribe driven to the Witch God Continent by humans, their hatred for humanity ran even deeper. Even Yuan Hu, who had never left the Bear Mountain region, displayed such animosity. Qin Sang felt it best to act under the guise of a Witch tribe member.

Fortunately, after observing during these two encounters, Qin Sang found that humans and the Witch tribe appeared to be indistinguishable in appearance.

The Witch tribe referred to cultivators as Witch God Messengers and had many peculiar customs.

However, after interacting with Yuan Hu and Cui Xuanzi, both cultivators of the Five-Insect Sect, Qin Sang noticed that these Witch tribe customs had faded in them; their speech and demeanor were not significantly different from human cultivators. Qin Sang only needed to pay slight attention.

Only the Bimo and priests of the villages fully retained the eccentric customs.

Qin Sang surmised that they did this to facilitate their rule and maintain their status among mortals.

The Witch tribe feared the power of the Witch God Messengers, yet simultaneously held a firm belief in the Witch God. This faith, seemingly ethereal, could sometimes be incredibly powerful.

Witch tribe cultivators were skilled in insect manipulation arts, even refining spirit insects into Lifebound Gu.

He wondered what path the human cultivators here had taken, and if it was similar to the Witch tribe's.

With a thought, Qin Sang calmly stated, "I had been in secluded cultivation for many years, but I never found a suitable Lifebound Gu, which caused some delay. Some time ago, I encountered a core formation bottleneck and decided to go out and search for suitable spirit insects, as well as gain some experience. Unexpectedly, I had a sudden inspiration midway and successfully formed my core in one go. Even I hadn't anticipated it."

Qin Sang was deceiving him with a fabricated story. Yet, he secretly mused to himself, 'Do you know how many hardships I endured to form my core?'

"Senior's talent is unprecedented in my experience..."

Cui Xuanzi was shocked by Qin Sang, shaking his head repeatedly. "To form a core independently without relying on a Lifebound Gu... even the direct disciples of major sects outside West Jiang cannot compare to Senior. If Senior needs anything while gaining experience in West Jiang, please do not hesitate to command; I and my disciples will certainly do our utmost."

Discovering that Qin Sang didn't even have a Lifebound Gu, Cui Xuanzi became even more convinced of Qin Sang's extraordinary background, sparking a desire to form an alliance and build a good relationship.

With Qin Sang's thick skin, he naturally didn't blush. Hearing Cui Xuanzi's words, he grew even more curious.

Could it be that Witch tribe cultivators formed their cores not by relying on various spirit elixirs and treasures, like cultivators in the Lesser Cold Domain, but on Lifebound Gu?

Qin Sang looked at Cui Xuanzi with a playful glint in his eyes, chuckling softly as he said, "If I wanted to borrow a glance at your sect's true inheritance secret arts, would you also be willing?"

"This..."

Cui Xuanzi's expression changed. He hadn't expected Qin Sang to covet their sect's true inheritance. The power behind this person must be extraordinary. What could their humble sect's legacy possibly possess that would catch his eye?

"Senior must be joking with me, right? In West Jiang, the cultivation methods of various sects are actually quite similar. My sect's legacy is very shallow and probably not worthy of Senior's attention," Cui Xuanzi forced a smile.

Qin Sang said blandly, "Would I joke about such a matter? By drawing inferences from one instance to another and learning from various strengths, I am interested in anything that benefits my cultivation. Your sect has managed to stand firm in West Jiang, becoming a dominant force in Bear Mountain, and cultivating Golden Core masters; you certainly have your strengths. A glance might even allow me to gain some enlightenment. Of course, I wouldn't force anyone..."

Cui Xuanzi secretly groaned, realizing that using his Martial Uncle's name had only brought trouble.

At this moment, Qin Sang took out an item from his Qianjun Ring and showed it to Cui Xuanzi.

"If you are willing, I can exchange it for this item."

Cui Xuanzi focused his gaze and saw a talisman paper, feeling a hint of confusion. After clearly seeing the true nature of the talisman paper, an expression of shock appeared on Cui Xuanzi's face. "Is this a Talisman Treasure?"