Chapter 807: Riftwind Archipelago

The moment Qin Sang had this thought, a surge of power automatically rushed towards his back.

The next instant, a blue light pulsed from his spine, and a pair of wings unfurled with a whoosh.

The wings were proportionate to Qin Sang's body size, yet their shape was identical to that of an immortal Qingluan bird.

Qin Sang felt the new appendages on his back, his eyes filled with astonishment. The sensation of having wings was entirely new to him, but he quickly learned how to control them.

"Fly..."

With a gentle flap of his wings, Qin Sang, without using any Daoist magic, slowly floated up from the ground. Though a bit wobbly at first, he soon gained full control, moving gracefully in all directions.

*Swoosh!*

A sudden gust of wind erupted in the small courtyard.

Qin Sang's figure vanished in a flash, transforming into a streak of blue light, appearing in another corner the next moment. His speed was remarkable.

"A divine ability producing Qingluan wings... Am I human or demon now?"

Qin Sang looked down at his shadow on the ground, feeling both puzzled and a little worried.

Landing back on the ground, Qin Sang retracted the divine ability, and the wings on his back vanished.

Qin Sang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had no intention of abandoning his human identity, so being able to retract them was a relief.

This was a major human core island, home to countless high-level cultivators. Going out with a pair of wings would be too stressful; if he were mistaken for a demon, he'd have no way to explain himself.

"These demonic wings offer impressive speed. From now on, I'll focus on refining them. Once the 'Heavenly Demon Transformation' breaks through the third stage, my escape speed will increase significantly!"

The marketplace of Tianxing City.

Inside a shop, the owner was chatting and laughing with a man in a green robe.

Both looked towards the entrance simultaneously and saw a young man hurrying over. As he entered, they stood up to greet him.

The shop owner seemed quite familiar with the young man, smiling as he said, "Fellow Daoist Qin, it's been a while since you've visited. If I hadn't unexpectedly received some good news today, it would have been difficult to see you."

Then he introduced him to the man in the green robe: "This is Fellow Daoist Qin, whom I've mentioned to you. Like you, Fellow Daoist Qin is a rogue cultivator. He's already broken through to the middle stage at such a young age and spent many years hunting demons in the Demon Sea. Now, he spends his days diligently cultivating on Mount Baogu. Everyone who knows him admires him greatly."

The newcomer was indeed Qin Sang.

Qin Sang purchased all his cultivation necessities from these few shops and had become very familiar with the owners. Sometimes, he would also entrust them with gathering information.

He had rushed over this time because the owner had sent a message, saying that a fellow cultivator had visited the shop and knew of a particularly unique Spirit Turtle Island, which sounded quite peculiar according to him.

The Canglang Sea region was vast, and many islands shared the name "Spirit Turtle Island," but none of them had any connection to Senior Qingzhu.

"Is this Fellow Daoist Wang?"

Qin Sang was polite to both of them and asked the shop owner.

He secretly observed the man, who appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties, possessed a refined demeanor, and was already a Core Formation cultivator, rumored to be a rogue cultivator as well.

The shop owner nodded and led them to a quiet room. "Fellow Daoist Wang is from the Splitwind Archipelago. According to him, there's an island called Spirit Turtle Island near the Splitwind Archipelago where many incredible things have happened. That made me think of you, Fellow Daoist Qin. Perhaps that's where your old friend went."

"Splitwind Archipelago..."

Qin Sang recalled that this should be an archipelago located in the southwestern waters of the Canglang Sea, very far from Tianxing Island. It was vast, containing countless islands of varying sizes.

Remote and beyond easy imperial control, the powers there were naturally complex. The southwestern waters were frequently plagued by storms and sea beasts, making them extremely dangerous. Historically, this area had been difficult to govern, with frequent chaos, and was often left to its own devices.

Such places were not uncommon in the Canglang Sea.

Conditions only improved after the Demon Sea was opened up, but achieving true stability remained an impossibility.

After his return, he had consulted detailed maps of the entire Canglang Sea, and these important place names were still fresh in his memory.

"On the maps, there doesn't seem to be a large island named Spirit Turtle Island within the Splitwind Archipelago?"

The cultivator surnamed Wang smiled slightly. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you definitely won't find it just by looking at the maps. Spirit Turtle Island isn't a large island, and its location is extremely remote. In fact, most cultivators in the Splitwind Archipelago don't even know its whereabouts."

"Oh?"

Qin Sang's interest was piqued. He promptly invited the cultivator surnamed Wang to sit and personally poured him some tea.

"Spirit Turtle Island was actually a deserted island before, not very large. Because its shape resembled a spirit turtle, someone casually named it 'Spirit Turtle Island,' and the name stuck. No one expected that a spirit vein was hidden on the island. Over two hundred years ago, a mysterious person discovered it and established a cave dwelling there..."

The cultivator surnamed Wang took a sip of tea and began to narrate in a soft voice.

"Initially, no one paid much attention to this barren island. People came and went, yet no one discovered the cave dwelling on the island.

"It wasn't until several years later that someone was surprised to find the island transformed into a riot of color, covered entirely in blooming peach blossoms, clearly an artificial creation.

"Subsequently, busybodies went to the island to investigate, including those with ill intentions. Unexpectedly, all of them inexplicably died there, leaving no trace of their bodies.

"Nearby cultivators were horrified, realizing that a formidable grand formation protected the island and that the island master's power was unfathomable. Gradually, no one dared to provoke them.

"The island master was also extremely mysterious, never appearing publicly after occupying Spirit Turtle Island; no one even knew their true appearance. Local powers were initially wary, but upon witnessing this, they realized the island master was a pure ascetic, which reassured them, and both sides maintained a peaceful coexistence.

"It wasn't until several decades later that the island's spirit formation suddenly opened. The island master announced that a Dharma lecture would be held for one night on Spirit Turtle Island, open to all rogue cultivators. This news caused quite a stir, and people, curious about the island master's identity, flocked there.

"Various factions had initially been highly vigilant, believing the island master intended to establish a sect. However, it turned out the island master simply delivered the lecture. At dawn, everyone was promptly escorted off the island, which was then sealed once more, without a single wasted word during the entire process.

"The mysterious island master lectured amidst the peach blossoms, explaining profound principles in an easy-to-understand manner. The audience was captivated and all gained insights. Thereafter, every few or ten-odd years, the island master would hold another lecture, attracting many cultivators, even those from distant lands who came specifically to hear them. Yet, the island master continued their reclusive ways, never revealing their face.

"Some attempted to become disciples, but all were rejected.

"Cultivators who had attended his lectures consistently showed him the reverence due to a teacher when speaking of the island master, indicating genuine profoundness in his teachings.

"My hometown isn't far from Spirit Turtle Island, so I'd heard about it. Before I left my home to travel, the Spirit Turtle Island master held one more lecture."

As the cultivator surnamed Wang recounted his story,

the more Qin Sang listened, the more convinced he became that this Spirit Turtle Island might be the place he was looking for, and the island master was none other than Senior Qingzhu!

Peach blossoms, peach trees...

The peach trees on Jianmen Mountain had flourished even more after Senior Qingzhu split the mountain and departed, producing incredibly sweet Red Jade Peaches. This imagery had become intrinsically linked with Senior Qingzhu.

The mention of the island being covered in peach blossoms had sent a jolt through Qin Sang's heart.

However, he couldn't guess why Senior Qingzhu would hold public lectures and guide rogue cultivators.