Chapter 733: Mid-Stage of Nascent Formation

Rain pattered on the bluestone.

The good news was that the fat silkworm’s process of devouring the poisonous beast’s demonic core went smoothly, even showing signs of a breakthrough.

After checking the state of the two spirit insects, Qin Sang settled into meditation, and the cave dwelling returned to silence.

An unnamed barren island.

The island was exceptionally vast, teeming with large groups of demonic beasts.

Beneath the barren island, there was a massive cavern, where peculiar crystals shimmered with a dreamy, ethereal light.

Deep within the cavern, a stalactite pillar had been cleanly severed at its base by a sharp weapon. Upon the severed stalactite sat a figure, meditating in quiet cultivation.

This figure was none other than Qin Sang.

The stalactite pillar was large, and Qin Sang sat in its center, surrounded by a temporary spirit-gathering array.

Strangely, the spiritual energy within the cavern was exceptionally abundant, more than enough for his cultivation.

His complexion was rosy, and he remained perfectly still, yet his aura fluctuated. Any other cultivator witnessing this scene would undoubtedly feel envious, for it was a clear sign of an impending breakthrough!

The Flying Yaksha and the Twin-Headed Hou faithfully guarded him nearby.

The Twin-Headed Hou occasionally looked up at Qin Sang, its eyes gleaming, seemingly even more eager than Qin Sang himself.

It clearly remembered Qin Sang’s heart demon vow: once he broke through to the late Core Formation stage, he would set it free.

The day of its freedom was drawing closer!

The Twin-Headed Hou's intelligence was not low; it could discern advantages and disadvantages.

During its years following Qin Sang, although Qin Sang had commanded it in battle, he had never abandoned it when facing danger, which could be considered principled.

Examples of spirit beasts rising with their masters were not uncommon.

Qin Sang’s talent seemed rather good.

However, this was not what the Twin-Headed Hou desired; it had never forgotten the joy of being truly free.

Qin Sang focused intently, his true essence surging within his dantian, and his five-colored Golden Core spun at an astonishing speed.

Inside the cavern, day and night became indistinguishable.

This state had lasted for an unknown duration.

After another period, Qin Sang suddenly let out a muffled groan, his expression slightly contorted. His Golden Core burst forth with a brilliant light, and the surrounding spiritual energy surged, then madly rushed towards Qin Sang’s dantian.

In an instant, the surrounding spiritual energy was completely drained.

Qin Sang suddenly let out a long howl, and with a 'boom,' his aura erupted, sending out a ripple almost imperceptible to the naked eye. It instantly destroyed the spirit-gathering array.

The spiritual stones of the array were already nearly depleted of energy, looking utterly pale, and were effortlessly crushed.

The stalactite beneath him also vibrated with a 'crackling' sound before collapsing with a crash.

Dust billowed everywhere.

The next moment, a figure shot skyward, followed by a hearty, uninhibited laugh that echoed through the cavern for a long time.

The laughter ceased.

Qin Sang’s figure flickered, landing on the ground.

At this point, twenty-two years had passed since he arrived at Wuyuan Island, and nearly fifty years since he was teleported to Canglang Sea.

Knowing that the Seven Kills Hall was to open earlier than expected, Qin Sang dared not relax for a moment. He had spent almost all of those twenty-two years deep within the Demonic Sea, journeying alone with demonic beasts as his companions.

After decades of arduous cultivation, he had finally broken through!

“Twenty-two years have passed,” Qin Sang murmured. “I remember Old Zou saying the Seven Kills Hall would open in twenty-something years, but there’s been no precise timing. Still, it should be soon now…”

He muttered to himself, eagerly looking inward at his body, his eyes shining with unusual brilliance.

Not only had his true essence grown stronger, but his spiritual consciousness had also significantly improved.

As expected, after breaking through to the mid Core Formation stage, the fragments of the forbidden talismans left by Count Dongyang were finally swept away. Although the influence of these fragments was negligible due to the presence of the Corpse Pill, having them in his body was always annoying.

However, what made Qin Sang frown was that the mass of gray mist remained stubbornly persistent.

He channeled his true essence, now even more vigorous than before, to collide with the gray mist. The result was no different from before; the gray mist unceremoniously devoured it, without causing the slightest ripple.

Fortunately, the gray mist had remained well-behaved since his Core Formation, so he decided to leave it be.

Qin Sang looked around, then severed another stalactite, and leaped onto it, intending to meticulously examine the changes within himself and try cultivating Senior Qingzhu’s cultivation method, to see how it differed from the original version.

Unexpectedly, after meditating for a while, Qin Sang was suddenly startled awake.

He looked up at the cavern ceiling, listening intently. A moment later, he raised a hand, recalled the Flying Yaksha and the Twin-Headed Hou, and swiftly moved towards the cavern entrance.

The cavern's entrance was extremely well-hidden, concealed within a patch of waist-high wild grass and obscured by scattered rocks.

The wild grass patch was situated on high ground, and as Qin Sang lay prone at the entrance, he could faintly discern the coastline.

To his surprise, the demonic beasts on the island had become restless for some unknown reason. The air was filled with an unusually shrill cacophony of beast roars and bird cries.

At that moment, in the Demonic Sea west of the barren island, despite there being no strong winds, waves surged one after another.

Among the towering waves, dark shadows of varying sizes swam past. Occasionally, a shadow would burst from the surface, revealing an incredibly ferocious aura that was astonishing.

“A beast tide?”

Qin Sang frowned.

During his years on Wuyuan Island, this wasn't his first encounter with a beast tide; the previous one had happened precisely when he was on Jinyuan Island.

Fortunately, Jinyuan Island had received an early warning, allowing the cultivators there to evacuate to Muyuan Island in time, resulting in minimal casualties.

That experience had also shown Qin Sang the terrifying nature of beast tides.

Demonic beasts were everywhere, overwhelming in number. Amidst such terrifying quantities, individuals seemed incredibly small, which only intensified his desire to become stronger!

Qin Sang later heard that the previous beast tide hadn't even been the most formidable.

“This is deep within the Demonic Sea, so far from Wuyuan Island,” Qin Sang mused. “And the beast tide is starting from here? Moreover, why has this beast tide come so quickly? It’s been less than ten years since the last one…”

Qin Sang's expression grew extremely serious. He had a premonition that this beast tide might be something extraordinary.

After some thought, Qin Sang left the cave dwelling, silently darting towards the eastern side of the barren island, resolved to return and deliver a warning.

Over the years, the Wang sisters had managed the merchant guild’s business, making it increasingly prosperous. Qin Sang had also reaped considerable benefits from this, acquiring some cultivation-aiding elixirs through the guild’s channels.

He didn't want the merchant guild to be destroyed by the beast tide.

“It’s a pity I was only focused on solidifying my cultivation,” Qin Sang sighed. “I haven’t had time to cultivate Senior Qingzhu’s self-created technique yet; I’ll have to wait until I return. It's also time to go back anyway. I haven't heard anything from Old Zou, for some reason. I absolutely cannot miss the Seven Kills Hall.”

With the beast tide nearby, Qin Sang dared not reveal his aura and proceeded with extreme caution.

Reaching the eastern side of the large barren island and seeing that the beast tide had not yet reached this area, Qin Sang felt a slight relief. He continued flying eastward, and only after putting a significant distance between himself and the beast tide did he activate the Nine Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman.

With the dragon soul enshrouding him, Qin Sang transformed into a streak of red light, vanishing into the horizon after a few blinks.

After his cultivation advanced, activating the Nine Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman indeed made him several times faster!

En route, Qin Sang tried combining his movement with Sword Qi Thunder Sound, feeling his astonishing escape speed. Even ordinary late Core Formation cultivators would likely be left far behind!

Qin Sang’s spirits soared. He alternated between using the Nine Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman and the Twin-Headed Hou for travel, all while sensing the changes in the beast tide.

“It seems they’re heading for Muyuan Island…”

Once he confirmed the beast tide’s target, Qin Sang immediately accelerated.