Chapter 692: Far Journey

"Fellow Daoists, since you've just emerged, you must have made thorough preparations and likely haven't used many of your elixirs and other supplies, have you? I, on the other hand, have just run out of provisions. I'd like to trade some demon carcasses and demon cores with you for some of your supplies. What do you two think?"

Qin Sang kept his promise, tossing them a top-grade magical artifact. He then had a sudden idea to trade with them.

The elder brother was surprised and asked, "Daoist friend, are you not planning to return to Duyan Island to take refuge?"

Qin Sang shook his head and said, "I came to the Demon Sea specifically to hunt demons and accumulate cultivation resources. I fear that if I return, I'll be trapped on the island and unable to leave. I am alone, unlike you two Daoist friends who have many disciples and can come and go as you please. I've decided to stay out here for a few more years and observe the situation. By exchanging elixirs for demon cores, you two won't have made a wasted trip either."

After a brief discussion, the two indeed agreed to trade with Qin Sang. After some bargaining, they tossed over a mustard seed bag. At the same time, Qin Sang threw over several demon cores, while also guarding against any greed on their part.

After checking the contents of the mustard seed bag, Qin Sang cupped his hands and said, "Farewell, fellow Daoists!"

"Farewell, Daoist friend!"

The two returned the gesture, their tone considerably softer than before.

"Oh, right," Qin Sang said, just as he was about to depart. He suddenly remembered something and turned back, saying, "The vicinity of Duyan Island seems to be unstable. The patrolling cultivators are nowhere to be seen, so you two should be careful."

The elder brother was startled. "Thank you for the warning, Daoist friend..."

Qin Sang activated his escape light and flew away through the air.

After confirming he wasn't being followed, he landed on a desolate island and transferred the contents of the mustard seed bag into his Thousand Jun Ring.

The two had made very thorough preparations. With these items, he wouldn't fear running out of supplies even if he stayed in the Demon Sea for several more years. This gave him much greater flexibility.

"The place where we fought earlier isn't far from Duyan Island. If those five are careful, they should have already entered Duyan Island by now and reported the situation to Ran Luo. If Ran Luo sends people out to meet them, should I go back and proactively contact them?"

Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the ground, stroking his chin with his right hand, pondering his next course of action.

Ultimately, Qin Sang decided not to make contact.

After learning about the conflict between the two races and the sealing of Duyan Island, Qin Sang almost without hesitation decided firmly not to return to Duyan Island until the chaos subsided.

It was precisely for this reason that he traded with those two, to ensure he had enough supplies to act independently in the Demon Sea.

He had experienced the great war between the Minor Cold Domain and the Heavenly Axis Alliance, and having been on the front lines of that battlefield for five years, he clearly understood how terrifying wars between cultivators could be.

If even Foundation Establishment cultivators were like that, the battles between Core Formation masters would be even more unpredictable and volatile.

In the Minor Cold Domain, as a disciple of Shaohua Mountain, and for the sake of comprehending the Killing Talisman, he had no choice.

Now, however, it was different. He could comprehend the Killing Talisman through hunting demons. He had been accidentally teleported here, and had no deep entanglements with the powers of either the Human or Witch races in the Azure Waves Sea.

Duyan Island seemed very stable, with a Nascent Soul cultivator presiding over it.

However, if the war escalated, it was likely that no one from either the Human or Witch races could escape unscathed. Duyan Island, in particular, would become a bigger target. Lin Hai's desire to seal off the island and remain detached from worldly affairs would also be wishful thinking.

At that time, the cultivators on the island would be forced into battle, obeying Lin Hai's commands. Qin Sang would also have no choice but to stand with the human race.

Although he was not a cultivator from the Azure Waves Sea, his identity as a human meant he had no other choice. At such times, being a fence-sitter was most taboo, leading to a swifter death.

Qin Sang was merely an outer-sea guest elder of the Qiongyu Merchant Association. He had no foundation on Duyan Island and no one above him to rely on. The most dangerous missions would undoubtedly fall to him.

Why should he willingly jump into a fire pit?

It seemed now that being ambushed and robbed was actually a good thing, allowing him to naturally separate from Duyan Island.

Therefore, Qin Sang decided not to contact the Qiongyu Merchant Association for the time being, pretending he had gone missing. This way, if they met again later, he would have an excuse. This would avoid the Qiongyu Merchant Association and Duyan Island forcing him to do anything, and prevent an open confrontation.

Qin Sang had a good impression of the Qiongyu Merchant Association, and maintaining this connection would be beneficial.

"Where should I go next? Should I go directly to Huntian Island to search for the Fire-Quenching Sparrow? I wonder what the situation is like on Huntian Island now. Before the chaos erupted, one could travel to Huntian Island by boat, but now I'll probably have to fly there myself. Fortunately, Huntian Island isn't far from Duyan Island; there's only one large island between them. With the secret talisman protecting me, I don't have too much to worry about..."

Qin Sang looked up towards the southwest, muttering softly to himself.

He had originally planned to make this trip after collecting all the Flood Dragon souls.

The Primal Chaos Concentric Ring could provide warnings, which would be very useful in the Demon Sea.

Especially now with the great chaos between the two races, it was foreseeable that he would have to wander alone in the Demon Sea for the next few years. He might even have to hide in the depths of the Demon Sea to avoid the war. In such circumstances, the utility of the Primal Chaos Concentric Ring would become even more apparent.

"The sooner I forge the Primal Chaos Concentric Ring, the sooner I can hunt demons with peace of mind. If things devolve into complete chaos and even safe sea areas become untenable, I can always hide in the depths of the Demon Sea. In any case, I won't get involved in this mess..."

After a period of deliberation, Qin Sang made his decision.

Before setting off, he would first find a place to repair those magical treasures, which would significantly increase his chances of success.

With this thought, Qin Sang took a brief moment to adjust his breathing. He then found a nearby small island with a spiritual vein, set up a spirit-sealing array, and focused on studying the Golden Radiance Armor and other magical treasures.

A month later, Qin Sang deactivated the spirit array, mounted his sword, and left the island, flying towards Huntian Island.

At this time, he wore an extra inner armor on his upper body.

Qin Sang reached out and pressed his chest, feeling the power of the Golden Radiance Armor. A faint smile appeared on his face. Then, his eyes flickered, and he stored the Golden Radiance Armor into his Dantian.

Over the past month, Qin Sang had painstakingly studied, wasting many demon bones and spirit materials, but finally found a way to repair the cracks in the Golden Radiance Armor to their original state.

However, the spiritual essence damaged by the Blood Impurity Divine Light had not fully recovered yet, and still needed a period of nurturing.

Qin Sang flew at a low altitude, while maintaining a certain distance from the sea surface, to avoid being suddenly attacked by demon beasts and caught off guard.

His eyes were vigilant. After confirming no one was spying on him, he took out a geomancy map of the Demon Sea.

"The shipping routes are probably not safe now, so I can't follow them completely. However, these routes are explored paths where demon beasts are not very strong. Outside of them, dangers lurk everywhere, so I can't deviate too far..."

Qin Sang put away the geomancy map. He already had a plan in mind. After slightly adjusting his direction, his figure gradually disappeared into the depths of the sea.

Several months later.

A white light descended from the sky, landing on an uninhabited small island. As the white light dissipated, the figure within was revealed: it was Qin Sang, his face showing exhaustion from the long journey.

Having flown for so long, Qin Sang had constantly been activating his flying magical artifact, or traveling by sword.

He still remembered the elegant scene from the Minor Cold Domain, where Daoist Master Xuanyu controlled a flood dragon spirit to pull his carriage. That way, one wouldn't need to expend too much mental energy; only a wisp of divine sense was needed to lock onto the flood dragon spirit, allowing one to even cultivate concurrently.

Dangers were omnipresent in the Demon Sea, so Qin Sang dared not be so complacent. He could only do everything himself.