Chapter 854: Voice Transmission Talisman

"Isn't this person Yue Xiangu's accomplice?"

Su Nü glanced at Qin Sang, lost in thought, unsure if he genuinely hadn't noticed or was feigning ignorance.

Qin Sang's expression remained unchanged.

Everyone returned to the rendezvous point, and Kong Yun arrived shortly after.

The trip was relatively smooth; Su Nü was successfully rescued, and all four of them escaped unharmed. Everyone was delighted and immediately decided to return.

Since the two-headed Hou's existence was now exposed, Qin Sang no longer kept it hidden. He let it stay outside, carrying the weakest among them, Su Nü, as they returned to Great Barren Island.

Along the way, Qin Sang proactively approached Old Man Zhushan, inquiring about the Lan Dou Sect and Qiyunzi. Old Man Zhushan, interested in befriending Qin Sang, didn't expose his intentions and answered all his questions, revealing much useful information.

With five experts, equivalent to cultivators in the late Core Formation stage, protecting Su Nü, they returned to Great Barren Island without incident.

The area around Great Barren Island was shrouded in darkness, their path blocked by a massive beast horde.

The number of demonic beasts had multiplied countless times since they left, covering the sky and obscuring the sun. Powerful auras emanated from the horde, unmistakable signs of shapeshifting greater demons, utterly daunting.

Witnessing this scene, everyone's hearts turned cold. Who would dare cross such a beast horde to return to Great Barren Island at this moment?

Yet, Yue Xiangu remained confident. She led them in a detour, where the beast hordes in other directions were much thinner. The formations of both sides had shifted, resembling two armies facing each other, and the seawater in between was stained crimson with blood, hinting at the ferocity of the battle.

"Wait here!"

Yue Xiangu said calmly, "I received news long ago that various forces from the Inner Sea would dispatch experts here. The cultivators on Great Barren Island are no weaker than the demonic beasts and aren't just sitting idle. Once their major battle begins, we'll seize the opportunity to break through the chaos and send out a signal. Someone will come to meet us."

They had no choice but to hide far away and wait patiently.

A few days later, the major battle finally erupted on a grand scale. They worked together to push forward, and Yue Xiangu sent out a signal. As expected, they received assistance and passed through without major incident.

"Three fellow Daoists, with this token, you can go to the Xiang'an Auction House and collect your rewards."

Yue Xiangu handed each of them a jade token.

Qin Sang accepted the jade token and bid farewell to everyone.

Su Nü watched Qin Sang leave.

Qin Sang noticed her gaze but made no move. On the journey back, he had found Su Nü somewhat strange; she had seemed on the verge of speaking several times but ultimately said nothing.

He wasn't in a hurry to claim his reward or leave the Demonic Sea. Instead, he first went to visit Old Zou.

With Xiang Yi, the hidden threat, eliminated, he re-established contact with the Qiongyu Merchant Guild. Naturally, he wanted to maintain a good relationship. For any tasks he needed done, leveraging the guild and merchant alliance would be far more convenient.

Only after visiting Old Zou did Qin Sang set off, flying towards Great Barren Island.

After several inspections, Qin Sang entered the city on Great Barren Island and retrieved two items from the Xiang'an Auction House. A weight was finally lifted from his mind.

At the auction house, he immediately requested a quiet room and eagerly took out the Maoshan Vine.

The Maoshan Vine, known as the Azure Root among the demon race, had a rough, mottled outer skin, indeed resembling a greenish root about the size of a fist. It was precisely the piece Xiang Yi had given him.

Qin Sang removed the restrictions on the spiritual medicine. A green light brushed his face, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted over him.

The three spiritual medicines mentioned in the cultivation technique each had different miraculous effects. The Azure Root could greatly strengthen muscles and bones, increase physical strength, and its medicinal effects were relatively gentle.

Refining this spiritual medicine now would undoubtedly advance his 'Celestial Demon Body Tempering' technique considerably. However, to achieve a breakthrough, Qin Sang had to resist the temptation, re-seal the spiritual medicine, and place it together with the Hegemon Blood Fruit.

"Two of the three main spiritual medicines have been collected; only the Scorpion Venom Grass is missing. However, there's been no news of this medicine so far, so I need to prepare a backup plan. Will the Lan Dou Sect be able to give me a surprise..."

Qin Sang held a teleportation talisman in his hand, deep in thought.

Besides the teleportation talisman, he also had a token.

Leaving the auction house, Qin Sang quickly walked towards the teleportation array, intending to leave as soon as possible to avoid any complications.

Kong Yun and Old Man Zhushan were nowhere to be seen; he wondered what their rewards were.

Outside the teleportation hall, countless guards formed a formidable defensive line. Qin Sang didn't dare act recklessly here. He stepped forward and presented the token.

"This humble Daoist is an old acquaintance of General Mo. Please, fellow Daoist, hand this item to General Mo."

The guard, sensing Qin Sang's cultivation level, did not dare to neglect him. He returned shortly after, respectfully telling Qin Sang, "General Mo has ordered that you, Daoist, please wait for a moment at the Pacifying Demon Hall..."

At that time, the teleportation hall was restricted to outsiders; no one was allowed to enter or exit, and no one was permitted to activate the teleportation array without orders. To leave Great Barren Island, one had to follow the arrangements.

Without a word, Qin Sang followed the guard to the Pacifying Demon Hall, where he found several people already seated.

These individuals wore various outfits; some sat with their eyes closed, meditating, while others idly practiced Daoist arts. The hall was silent.

Their attire alone was enough to identify the origins of most of them: disciples from major sects and influential families of the Inner Sea, each possessing extraordinary presence. Naturally, they had reason for their arrogance.

Qin Sang scanned the room but saw no familiar faces. He found an empty seat and sat down by himself.

More and more people arrived in the hall, and they waited for two hours. It wasn't until dusk that the mysterious General Mo finally appeared and led everyone towards the teleportation hall.

Upon reaching the teleportation hall, Qin Sang finally understood how strict the security was. Inside the hall were two white-haired elders, both surprisingly Nascent Soul Patriarchs!

Even the disciples from major sects could only bow their heads in deference before the Nascent Soul Patriarchs.

"Elder Feng, these are the individuals sent by various forces today."

General Mo stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a low voice.

One of the elders suddenly slammed the table, bristled, and fumed, "The Demonic Sea is at a critical juncture, facing life or death, and our very foundations are at risk of being lost. Yet, these factions, while speaking noble words, keep others tied down here, but rush to send their own disciples away to safety! Without experiencing true trials, I'd like to see how many of them will amount to anything..."

"Alright, this is a common occurrence. Why get so angry?"

Another elder interjected, smiling as he advised Qin Sang and the others, "Go stand on the teleportation array. Remember to keep silent after you return; don't stir up any trouble."

Qin Sang stepped onto the teleportation array. Then, a flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and he hastily crushed a teleportation talisman. After a dizzying sensation, he reappeared in front of a familiar teleportation hall.

"Finally back!"

Qin Sang murmured to himself, then was startled to discover that this hall also had a Nascent Soul cultivator guarding it. He quickly bowed.

The other party, however, didn't even glance at them.

Qin Sang gave a self-deprecating smile and quickly followed the guard out of the hall.

The scenery within Tianxing City was as before, but the atmosphere was distinctly different. Cultivators hurried about, their brows etched with worry.

Qin Sang continued walking without stopping, heading directly back to his cave dwelling.

He secretly hoped that after being away for so long, his external avatar was likely at a critical juncture, just one final step away from completion.

The cave dwelling's restrictions were intact, just as he had left them. Qin Sang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Pushing the door open, he found several sound transmission talismans floating in the courtyard.