Chapter 691: Witchcraft Turmoil

## Mortal Realm

Qin Sang flew for several consecutive days. He did not return to the Fuhu Sea; instead, he continuously changed direction, heading deep into the Demon Sea, originally intending to find a place to hide.

Unexpectedly, along the way, Qin Sang encountered cultivators returning from the Demon Sea more than once, and all of them seemed to be in a hurry. This made him change his mind.

A lush, uninhabited small island.

Many ancient trees grew on the island, some so thick that it would take more than a dozen people to embrace them. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy was scarce, making such excellent scenery unsuitable for a cultivation cave.

Tree shadows swayed gently, and the tide gently lapped against the reefs.

On the island, where everything seemed as usual, several figures now appeared.

These people sat cross-legged around two individuals, holding spirit stones in their hands and meditating to regulate their energy. The two in the center were both Core Formation cultivators, while the others' cultivation levels were much lower, only at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Around them, there was a spirit-gathering formation temporarily set up with spirit stones. On its outer perimeter, more than a dozen earthy yellow formation flags were planted. The formation flags formed an illusion array whose power seemed considerable. From outside the array, the place appeared to be just a patch of overgrown grass; only if someone came close and searched carefully would they discover any clues.

At this moment, the two individuals in the center successively awoke from their meditation. They looked at the disciples around them who were still regulating their energy but did not rush to wake them. Instead, they began communicating via spiritual transmission.

"I didn't expect the chaos between the two races to have already spread from the Inner Sea to the Demon Sea," one person sighed, his tone carrying a hint of resentment. "The Island Master actually chose to protect himself. We had only left a few days ago when he decided to seal off the island. If only we had known, we wouldn't have come out. It's been a wasted effort."

The other person asked doubtfully, "Senior Disciple Brother, do we really need to rush back to Duyan Island so quickly? Even if the two races truly begin an unending war, it couldn't possibly affect the Demon Sea's situation so quickly, could it? We've prepared for so long and brought our disciples out for this trip. It shouldn't be too late to return after hunting the demon beasts."

"When Junior Nephew Zhao urgently came to deliver the message," the one addressed as Senior Disciple Brother said, "you wanted to ask me why I decided to return immediately, didn't you, Junior Disciple Brother?" He shook his head and continued, "What I'm worried about isn't the chaos between the two races, but those who exploit the situation for their own gain. Before, with the Island Master's authority suppressing everything, no one dared to act recklessly. Now that he has suddenly announced the sealing of the island and will not intervene in outside affairs, you can imagine how chaotic things will become. Both you and I are only at the early Core Formation stage, and we're bringing so many disciples. If we don't return as soon as possible, it might become difficult later. The chaos between the two races is unpredictable. Legend has it that a great war between the two races thousands of years ago lasted for several centuries. What if we get trapped deep within the Demon Sea and run out of supplies? What then?"

The Junior Disciple Brother's expression changed slightly. "Senior Disciple Brother, are you saying that cultivators of the two races in the Demon Sea will also hunt each other?"

"Those who initiate such deeds will surely suffer the consequences!" the Senior Disciple Brother sighed softly. "Without the direct instruction of the Nascent Soul cultivators from both races, how could such chaos erupt in the Inner Sea? And how could the cultivators in the Demon Sea truly be disconnected from the Inner Sea? If this turmoil is not quelled soon, the cultivators in the Demon Sea definitely won't be able to stay out of it, especially since the Demon Sea has already been affected. Besides the Witch Clan, human evil cultivators will certainly exploit the chaos, killing people and seizing treasures everywhere. It will surely become a complete mess. Under such circumstances, our only choice is to hide in Duyan Island. With a Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing it, our chances of survival during this great upheaval will be much greater."

Hearing his Senior Disciple Brother's words, the Junior Disciple Brother was completely convinced. "Senior Disciple Brother, you've thought things through thoroughly. I was thinking too simply..."

The Senior Disciple Brother hummed in acknowledgment. "The last time there was chaos between the two races was a very long time ago. Even our master hasn't experienced it, so it's normal that you didn't anticipate this, Junior Disciple Brother. Alas! There's a proverb among mortals: 'Better to be a dog in prosperous times than a human in chaotic times.' Aren't we cultivators the same? We can only hope this great chaos passes quickly..."

As they were speaking, the Senior Disciple Brother suddenly sensed something. His gaze sharply changed, and he abruptly stood up, summoning his magical artifact and pointing it directly outside the array. He roared, "Who's there!"

The Junior Disciple Brother also reacted immediately. The two stood side by side, staring coldly outside the array. Their illusion array had actually been discovered, and someone had approached closely, leaving both of them extremely shocked and angry.

"Fellow Daoists, please don't be alarmed," a gentle voice came from outside. "I bear no ill will. I merely wish to ask a few questions..." Then a masked person openly appeared outside the illusion array, spreading his hands to show goodwill.

This person was Qin Sang, who had changed his attire. He had unintentionally discovered that among this group, there were only two early Core Formation cultivators, and decided to inquire about news from them.

"A Human Daoist?"

Seeing Qin Sang and realizing he was only at the early Core Formation stage, the two's expressions relaxed slightly. However, they remained very wary, as there were quite a few evil cultivators in the Demon Sea who killed people and seized treasures, and they were skilled at disguise.

"What questions do you wish to ask, Fellow Daoist? Why do you have to be so sneaky?" the Senior Disciple Brother snorted coldly, his tone unfriendly.

"If I hadn't done this, you two Fellow Daoists wouldn't have let me approach, would you?" Qin Sang replied, his voice deep. "There's no need to look; it's indeed just me. If I truly bore ill will, would I have alerted you first? I can offer a top-grade magical artifact in exchange for this information. I'll leave as soon as I've asked my questions and won't disturb either of you. I've been cultivating in the Demon Sea for some time and originally planned to return to Duyan Island for supplies, but I suddenly noticed the atmosphere felt off. Seeing you two Fellow Daoists also returning in a hurry... What exactly has happened?"

The two exchanged glances. The Senior Disciple Brother hesitated for a moment, then counter-asked, "Fellow Daoist, how many years have you been out hunting demon beasts?"

"By my reckoning, about seven or eight years." Qin Sang falsely reported the time.

"Fellow Daoist, you've been hunting demon beasts alone in the Demon Sea for so long?" The Senior Disciple Brother gasped softly, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. "No wonder you're unaware, Fellow Daoist. Indeed, many changes have occurred in the past two years, starting from the Inner Sea. Three years ago, the Witch Clan suddenly launched an attack without any warning. We don't know the cause, but the Inner Sea has already seen major battles. We originally thought it wouldn't affect the Demon Sea so quickly, but unexpectedly, shortly after we left the island, our disciples sent us a message that the Island Master had decided to seal off the island and would no longer intervene in outside affairs..."

Hearing the reason from these two, a strange look appeared on Qin Sang's face. The war between the two races had actually started!

When the forces at Pingbo Port fled, some people had mocked them for being cowardly. Little did they know that it was precisely this vigilance that saved their lives. The fate of the human cultivators who remained at Pingbo Port was now unknown.

The Witch Clan had always been at a disadvantage. After their Nascent Soul cultivators collectively disappeared, they returned and immediately challenged the human race. Had they perhaps obtained some treasure, giving them the confidence to defeat the human race?

It now seemed that coming to the Demon Sea early was the right decision. If he had remained in the Inner Sea, with the outbreak of chaos, it would have been impossible to stay out of it.

He didn't trust the Qiongyu Merchant Guild and had never told Ran Luo and the others his whereabouts. The chaos between the two races had already been ongoing for two years, yet he was only just receiving the news now.

Next, Qin Sang asked several more questions consecutively. These questions were common knowledge among the people of Duyan Island, so the two had nothing to hide and answered them one by one.