Chapter 677: Arriving

With clues for both treasures, Qin Sang was in high spirits. He bought many things and shopped until evening, then hurried to the city gate to meet up with the others.

Ning Kun and the others had already arrived, and judging by their beaming faces, they must have had a very fruitful haul. Besides them, the guild members who had lagged behind had also gathered. It appeared they had purchased a significant amount of goods on Tianwu Island and were ready to depart at any moment.

"Elder Zou just sent word," Ran Luo said, looking expectantly at Qin Sang. "Coincidentally, a major power is dispatching a ship, and we've decided to depart immediately. Reverend, have you decided whether you'll join us?"

Qin Sang nodded. "I originally came to hunt demons, so any island works. I'll go to Duyan Island with you. If my artifact forging skills aren't valued by your guild, I hope Reverend Ran can still offer some assistance."

Ran Luo smiled slightly. "Reverend, you're too modest. Elder Zou has highly praised you. We would be honored if you were willing to join our guild."

With the itinerary settled in just a few words, Qin Sang was now considered part of their group, and Ran Luo and the others' attitude towards him became noticeably friendlier. As they were talking, more members of the Qiongyu Guild arrived by carriage. Ran Luo waved her hand decisively and led everyone, along with their goods, directly towards the port.

Along the way, Qin Sang learned that the ship they were taking belonged to the Nine Star Society, one of the top guilds in the East Pole Alliance. The ship's guards were formidable, and many fellow cultivators were also traveling with them.

Upon reaching the port, the ship hadn't arrived yet, so they waited. Standing next to Ran Luo, Qin Sang asked, "Didn't your guild send a ship?"

Ran Luo shook her head. "Our guild's main focus is on the Inner Sea and Great Barren Island, so we don't have enough escorting power on Tianwu Island. The probability of shipwrecks in the Demon Sea is extremely high, and the shipping routes are far from absolutely safe. We frequently encounter demon beast attacks along the way, and the storms that often rage in the Demon Sea are far more powerful than those in the Inner Sea. Each of these natural and man-made disasters can be fatal."

Qin Sang suddenly understood. No wonder the Qiongyu Guild valued him so much; compared to bulky demon carcasses, artifacts were naturally far easier to transport once refined. With such significant dangers in conducting merchant trade in the Demon Sea, the only way to mitigate risks is to reduce the number of trips while transporting more goods at once.

During this time, Qin Sang had heard more than once that storms in the Demon Sea were terrifying, a natural disaster comparable to a beast tide. Cultivators hunting demons, upon detecting signs of a storm, had to find shelter; otherwise, if caught within it, survival would be impossible.

However, Qin Sang always had a lingering question. "Reverend Ran," Qin Sang asked, "are the storms in the Demon Sea also natural disasters caused by overflowing power from a boundary storm belt, similar to those in the Inner Sea? Are the Demon Sea and our Inner Sea perhaps separated by such a storm belt?"

Ran Luo pondered. "The storms in the Inner Sea and the Demon Sea do bear some resemblance, but whether the two regions are separated by a stormy sea, I wouldn't know. There are too many rumors and conflicting opinions; to this day, there's no definitive explanation regarding the exact location of the Demon Sea relative to our Inner Sea."

As they spoke, Qin Sang felt a huge shadow drift over. He looked up and saw a tall, unluxurious yet clearly very sturdy treasure ship slowly approaching.

Once the grand ship drew near, Ran Luo settled the goods and led Qin Sang and the others to their passenger cabins. She then went to pay respects to Elder Zou and the ship's owner. As Qin Sang was not yet formally a member of the Qiongyu Guild, he stayed in his room and did not go anywhere else.

The grand ship stayed in the port overnight and set sail before dawn on the second day.

Qin Sang occupied a room by himself, where he set up spirit-blocking and spirit-gathering arrays. He then stood by the window, gazing out at the vast sea. In this world, it was his first time traveling by ship on the sea. As the treasure ship proceeded, his view became increasingly expansive, and soon Tianwu Island was left far behind, disappearing into the darkness. At this time, the stars had not yet faded. Above and below, the sea of stars converged at the edge of his vision. As far as the eye could see, there were vast waves and countless stars. Witnessing such a scene, one's mind also broadened. Qin Sang stood by the window, his eyes holding a touch of enchantment as he recalled various past events. When he suddenly came back to his senses and clearly saw the scene before him, he suddenly recalled the lines of a poem: "Drunk, unaware if the sky lies in the water, a boat full of clear dreams pressing down on the starlit river."

After the initial novelty wore off, the long journey began. It wasn't exactly boring; demon beasts would frequently attack the treasure ship, providing some excitement for everyone. Qin Sang initially went eagerly to the deck to watch the battles, to understand the demon beasts' habits and observe the strength of the Demon Sea cultivators. Later, however, he simply stayed in his room, meticulously studying the several artifact forging techniques he had bought at great expense on Tianwu Island.

According to common sense, refining artifacts, even with demon carcasses, would still require combining them with some precious spiritual materials. However, demon beast materials were so abundant in the Demon Sea that they were practically limitless. The artifact forgers there had found an alternative path, using various demon carcasses in combination with only a small amount of spiritual materials, and remarkably, they could still achieve excellent results. This was a different approach from the Void Spirit Sect's methods and an area Qin Sang had never encountered. Naturally, he had to study it meticulously. However, with his profound understanding of artifact forging, he could draw analogies and quickly master these techniques, which were more than sufficient for refining top-grade artifacts.

Qin Sang was so engrossed in the art of artifact forging that he lost track of day and night and couldn't remember how much time had passed. The treasure ship continued its voyage at sea, passing by island after island, stopping and starting as people boarded and disembarked. Fortunately, the journey was very smooth; they encountered neither large groups of demon beasts nor storm attacks.

One day, Qin Sang, having already reviewed the artifact forging techniques several times, was in his room experimenting with alchemy flames, striving to fully integrate the knowledge as quickly as possible. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. His spiritual sense swept out, revealing Ran Luo standing outside.

"Reverend Qingfeng," Ran Luo said softly, "we're almost at Duyan Island. It's time for us to disembark."

As if waking from a dream, Qin Sang shook his head, pushing down the artifact forging knowledge that filled his mind. He glanced at his messy room, then smiled and waved his hand to clean it up before pushing the door open to step out.

Walking to the ship's rail, he saw a black speck in the distance, gradually growing larger in his vision.

Ran Luo handed Qin Sang a token and said softly, "Elder Zou has already purchased several cave dwellings on the island, all in good locations on spirit veins. Reverend, please choose a cave dwelling to rest for a few days first. Then we can discuss proper business."

"Very well," Qin Sang nodded, taking the token. During this period, he had been engrossed in the art of artifact forging and indeed needed a few days of quiet cultivation to carefully sort through everything. He was certain that his artifact forging skills would greatly improve. The mutual verification of artifact forging techniques from both places had brought astonishing benefits to Qin Sang. He now had the confidence to refine top-grade artifacts even without the aid of the Nine Nether Demonic Flame.

Duyan Island turned out to be a stone island. Its mountains were rugged with strange, exposed rocks resembling knife blades, and greenery was rarely seen. On the seemingly desolate island, stone houses were neatly arranged, surrounded by a low, very crude city wall. However, the island's spiritual energy was remarkably rich.