Chapter 858: Hunting Demons

The shop owner received his payment and left.

Qin Sang quietly observed the young man.

The young man was handsome, his cultivation already at the late Core Formation stage. His spiritual aura was subtle, making him even harder for Qin Sang to discern than Immortal Aunt Yue.

More importantly, there wasn't a trace of demonic energy on him. This meant he had either acquired a spiritual medicine to remove the demonic malevolence or had never consumed a Demonic Fiend Pill, instead achieving Core Formation through his own understanding.

Among the Core Formation experts Qin Sang had encountered over the years, very few were like this young man.

Resisting the temptation of the Demonic Fiend Pill required not only sufficient talent but also an unyielding will. The young man's strength was undoubtedly superior to other cultivators at the same stage.

"I'm troubled by certain matters and couldn't personally travel to Tianxing Island to meet you, Fellow Daoist," the young man, whose surname was Fang, said with a cupped-hand salute. "I apologize for making you travel all this way."

Qin Sang chuckled nonchalantly. "Fellow Daoist Fang, you're too polite. As long as the task can be accomplished, a short trip is no big deal for me."

"Fellow Daoist Qin is straightforward!" Fang replied. "Then I'll be direct. I have an important matter and am looking for powerful assistance. The daoist I originally invited encountered an unforeseen event and cannot come. Coincidentally, the shop owner strongly recommended you..."

The young man, Fang, spoke eloquently, explaining the situation.

Qin Sang nodded subtly. After listening, he glanced towards the mountain peak and asked, "May I ask how many people Fellow Daoist Fang has invited, or is it just the two of us?"

Fang shook his head. "There are a few other daoists meditating on the mountain peak. They are all helpers I've invited and will accompany us. If Fellow Daoist Qin agrees to assist, I will introduce you."

"I am indeed interested," Qin Sang stated.

Qin Sang said gravely, "However, I know nothing of your objective, Fellow Daoist, and cannot make a decision lightly."

Fang smiled. "There's actually nothing to hide. My purpose is simple: I wish to enlist a few fellow daoists to help me hunt a demonic beast."

"Hunting a demonic beast?"

Qin Sang was taken aback, then frowned. "Are we going to the Demonic Sea?"

The current Demonic Sea was no different from a dragon's lair or a tiger's den. He had barely escaped it and had no desire to plunge back in.

Fang shook his head. "Not the Demonic Sea. That creature is in our inner sea. The situation in the Demonic Sea is common knowledge; I wouldn't dare risk my life for a demonic beast there."

It was good that it wasn't the Demonic Sea. He was a seasoned hunter of demonic beasts, having even collaborated with others to hunt a gigantic turtle in the late Demonic Core stage.

Qin Sang's expression relaxed. He looked the young man up and down. "Given your cultivation, ordinary demonic beasts shouldn't pose a problem, should they? Could it be a great demon in the late Demonic Core stage?"

Great demons of that caliber were not easy to hunt even in the Demonic Sea. If encountered, the first priority was usually escape, not hunting.

There were certainly many outside the Great Barren Island now; it just depended on one's ability to hunt them.

Great demons with powerful bloodline abilities could even be troublesome for Nascent Soul patriarchs. If such a creature was Fang's target, it was no wonder he needed helpers.

"Indeed, the creature I'm targeting is a great demon in the late Demonic Core stage, with unique innate talents and extraordinary divine abilities. Its strength surpasses that of ordinary great demons. To ensure success, I've also prepared a spiritual array, and those fellow daoists are currently practicing its variations..."

However, when Qin Sang pressed for more details, Fang was unwilling to reveal what kind of demonic beast it was.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, please don't ask any further. I will not reveal it until the very end," Fang stated emphatically.

Fang firmly stated, "That creature is extremely rare and possesses a spiritual item that I specifically need for my cultivation. This is precisely why I am willing to pay such a high price for your assistance. After the task is done, the creature's corpse will belong entirely to me; you may not take a single shred!"

The reward Fang promised disappointed Qin Sang: only one high-grade spirit stone.

"That demonic beast is in the North Sea? A round trip would likely take several months. To travel so far for just one high-grade spirit stone..."

Qin Sang's face showed hesitation.

Fang said, displeased, "It's just a demonic beast hunt, and Fellow Daoist Qin only needs to oversee the array. How many spirit stones do you want?"

Qin Sang glanced at the young man and gave a wry smile. "I would need at least six high-grade spirit stones."

"Six!"

Fang frowned deeply. "Not to mention I don't have that many high-grade spirit stones, even if I did, I couldn't possibly pay that much for a single demonic beast. I've invited more than just you, Fellow Daoist; I'd be bankrupt! How about this... I'm currently short-handed. If Fellow Daoist Qin can fully cooperate with me in hunting that demonic beast, after the task is done, I can give you an extra one as a gesture of goodwill."

This person seemed quite wealthy!

Qin Sang accepted his invitation without hesitation. At the same time, he quietly calculated that it would be beneficial to build a good relationship with this person. He thought of exchanging another high-grade spirit stone with him later, as that would be enough for refining the Ten Directions Yama Banner's spirit stone.

After they reached an agreement, the two of them flew towards the mountain peak together.

Arriving before a cave in the back mountain, Qin Sang felt a faint chill emanating from within. The cultivator's aura he had sensed earlier was inside the cave, and he looked at the young man in surprise.

"I discovered this Ice Cave by chance; there's a cold pool inside," Fang explained as he led Qin Sang downwards. "It was by utilizing the cold energy from the pool that I managed to refine the Heavenly Cold Fierce Wind Array..."

The two quickly entered the cold cave. The deeper they went, the more biting the cold became, with white mist swirling around.

After turning a few corners, a spacious underground cavern appeared before them. In the center of the cavern was a pool of water that emitted a strong chill, yet remained unfrozen.

At the edge of the pool, four people sat cross-legged, each holding a crystal tablet.

The four crystal tablets were identical in appearance, and their spiritual energies were interconnected.

The four poured their true essence into the tablets, which then released dense cold energy, forming small, swirling currents of cold air among them that sometimes gathered and sometimes dispersed.

These individuals were practicing an array, but the spiritual array required five people to be complete. With one person missing, its variations were significantly reduced.

The two remained silent, quietly watching them complete the final variation of the practice.

Qin Sang's gaze fell upon one of the burly, bearded men, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Qiu?"

The four put away their crystal tablets. The burly man immediately stood up and walked over, laughing heartily. "I never expected the last helper to be Fellow Daoist Qin! With Fellow Daoist Qin here, I, Qiu, am relieved. A mere minor demon will surely be easily captured."

"You know each other? It seems I don't need to introduce you..."

Fang watched them with a smile, his expression showing no unusual reaction.

Qin Sang nodded slightly, subtly evading the burly man's bear hug, and cupped his hands in greeting.

This person's surname was Qiu, and he was also a rogue cultivator from Baogu Mountain. His golden-element daoist techniques were extremely sharp, and his cultivation had reached the late-stage bottleneck. He was someone Qin Sang had befriended while cultivating on Baogu Mountain.

As for how deep their friendship was, that was debatable.

However, this person seemed to be naturally familiar with everyone, appearing affectionate with anyone he met. Besides the burly man named Qiu, there was another face that looked somewhat familiar, someone Qin Sang had seen before but never spoken to.

"Fang didn't lie; they are all cultivators recruited from Tianxing City." Qin Sang thought to himself.