Chapter 703: Signal

"Perhaps."

The stout cultivator gave a wry smile. "Patrolling such a vast expanse of sea around the island won't be easy and will take a lot of time. Should we split up, or stay together?"

"I think it's better to stick together, just as we did when we arrived," the scholar in the green robe said calmly. "That way, we can look out for each other and search more thoroughly."

"Good! Then we'll go together!" the stout cultivator readily agreed. "Time is short; let's not waste any more. We should get moving."

Just as they were about to set off, the gaunt old man suddenly turned his head, frowning as he asked, "Fellow Daoist Qin, what are you doing?"

Only then did everyone notice that while they had been discussing how to patrol, Qin Sang had been squatting at the edge of the cold mist, holding a blade of grass frozen into an icy lump, intently observing something.

Qin Sang stood up, pulling the grass from the ground as he said, "Has it struck any of you that the cold mist here is very strange? When you try to dispel it with true essence, it doesn't feel like mere coldness; it's more like spiritual fire burning away your true essence. Furthermore, I've discovered something peculiar. Take a look..."

As he spoke, Qin Sang's fingertip glowed with true essence, melting the ice from the surface of the green grass. Then, to their surprise, the grass visibly lost its green color at a rapid pace, eventually turning into a black, ash-like substance. Qin Sang casually flicked his hand, and it turned to dust.

Witnessing this, everyone couldn't help but marvel.

"Fellow Daoist Qin's observation is truly keen. I've been here once before and never noticed this strange characteristic of the cold mist," the stout cultivator bent down, pulled up a blade of grass, and rubbed it between his palms; it, too, turned to ash.

Qin Sang merely smiled without speaking.

A female cultivator chopped down an ice-covered tree, and after the ice melted, the same phenomenon occurred. Staring at this bizarre sight, no one could explain it.

"The cold mist is indeed strange. If it were ordinary cold, it would only freeze plants to death, never turn them into this," the female cultivator stated with a serious expression.

Under everyone's gaze, the stout cultivator could only give a wry smile. "I've already sworn an oath by my heart demon that everything I said earlier was true, yet you still don't believe me. When I entered the underground cave, I truly didn't encounter this situation, nor did I dare to deplete my true essence inside and allow the cold mist to invade my body. If, at any point, you feel your true essence is being consumed too quickly, you should just retreat."

"Perhaps it's precisely because of the strangeness of the cold mist that the Nascent Soul Grandmaster chose to open a cave dwelling here?" someone sighed.

Since no one could discern the underlying cause, they decided to temporarily abandon their investigation. They concealed themselves, left the island, and began patrolling the surrounding waters.

They searched meticulously, not even neglecting the area beneath the sea surface. Upon returning to the island, they noticed that the cold mist had expanded further outwards. Wasting no more time, they discussed their plan and then headed together towards the underground cave.

The restriction at the entrance of the underground cave seemed to exist solely to contain the cold mist, not to prevent people from entering. Inside the cave, stone steps had been artificially constructed, but the thick cold mist obscured their vision, making it impossible to see anything.

The stout cultivator led the way, with the others following in pairs, walking side-by-side. Qin Sang proactively requested to stay at the rear with the gaunt old man. They remained close enough to each other that they could vaguely perceive each other's movements even within the cold mist.

The moment they stepped into the underground cave, everyone involuntarily let out a small gasp. The cold mist inside the cave was far more potent than outside. Everyone shivered and hastily channeled their true essence at full power. Sensing the rapid consumption of their true essence, they urged the stout cultivator to hurry.

Without hesitation, the stout cultivator quickened his pace towards the depths of the cave, and the others promptly followed.

The interior of the cave was unusually winding, becoming wider the deeper they went, unlike the narrow entrance. They created some distance between themselves, summoned their respective magical artifacts, and warily gazed into the cave's depths.

Qin Sang brought out the Ten Directions Yama Banner, and it was three banners at once. The three banners formed a formation, which Qin Sang then absorbed into his palm. Though brief, the sudden appearance and instant disappearance of demonic flame aura were still noticed by the others, who sensed something unusual.

Someone couldn't help but turn their head to look, but without seeing the true form of the Ten Directions Yama Banner, they felt uncertain and withdrew their gaze.

"Fellow Daoist, your magic artifact seems quite extraordinary?"

Hearing the gaunt old man's spiritual message, Qin Sang glanced sideways and calmly replied, "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. My cultivation is the lowest among all of you, having only broken through to Core Formation a few years ago. Fortunately, I possess a magical artifact of decent power, which allows me to establish myself in the Demon Sea. After all, magical artifacts are external aids; cultivation is the true foundation."

What Qin Sang said was indeed true. The gaunt old man chuckled and said nothing more.

At this moment, Qin Sang held the Ten Directions Yama Banner, a wisp of Nine Nether Demonic Flame coiling around his fingertip, his expression unchanged. However, his heart was now filled with doubts. Just moments before, when he set up the Ten Directions Yama Banner and secretly activated the Nine Nether Demonic Flame, he noticed that the demonic flame was different from before; it seemed to sense something and showed signs of restlessness.

He had possessed the Nine Nether Demonic Flame for a long time, yet this was the first time such a sign had appeared. Qin Sang curled his fingers, trying his best to soothe it, but the Nine Nether Demonic Flame still couldn't completely calm down. This feeling wasn't the excitement of encountering a kindred spirit; instead, it was as if it had met an opponent it was eager to eliminate.

Previously, among the opponents Qin Sang had faced who wielded spiritual fire, the highest-cultivated was the Core Formation cultivator from the Green Sun Demonic Sect. That person cultivated the Green Sun Demonic Flame, and Qin Sang had fought a great battle against him using the Nine Nether Demonic Flame, but even then, the Nine Nether Demonic Flame had not behaved this way. Could it be that the opponent was too weak, and the Nine Nether Demonic Flame disdained them?

"Could there be a spiritual fire hidden deep within the cold mist, one even more powerful than Wu Youdao's Green Sun Demonic Flame?" Qin Sang mused to himself. "Do these powerful spiritual fires sense each other's presence when they come close? It's a pity I didn't bring the Ten Directions Yama Banner when I infiltrated the Green Sun Demonic Sect back then. Otherwise, the sect's Ancestral Sacred Fire would surely have piqued the Nine Nether Demonic Flame's interest, and I could have verified it then..."

At this thought, Qin Sang's expression hardened. He stared at the end of the cave, his eyes flickering uncertainly. If there truly was a spiritual fire deep within the cave, one no less powerful than the Ancestral Sacred Fire, it would explain why even the beast hide of a Transformation Stage great demon corroded so quickly. However, such a perilous place was certainly not somewhere Core Formation cultivators like them could trespass freely.

"What is this person hiding?" Qin Sang didn't believe the stout cultivator would honestly reveal everything he knew; he was surely holding something back, though not necessarily the spiritual fire itself. Against a power of this magnitude, no scheme would work. The stout cultivator himself had entered the cave, so if he harbored ill intentions towards the spiritual fire, he wouldn't be able to escape either. However, Qin Sang couldn't be certain if his guess was correct. The Nine Nether Demonic Flame was an inanimate object and couldn't provide him with clear information.

"For now, it seems the cold mist's power is manageable. Let's see what the first layer of the cave dwelling's restrictions looks like." Qin Sang murmured to himself, his vigilance heightened. He watched the stout cultivator's back, ready to activate his secret talisman at any moment.