Chapter 915: Sacrificing the Demon Cave Master

The He Guang Sect?

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then recalled the sect. It was the dominant power on a large island thousands of miles north of the Riftwind Islands. Its sect master was a Nascent Soul Patriarch, but the sect only had one such master. Like the Landou Gate, its power was waning.

Qin Sang frowned slightly. After questioning the scholar and his family separately, he learned that the scholar had offended only an elder of the He Guang Sect, having accidentally killed a favored direct disciple of that elder. This incident forced the scholar to flee into the Riftwind Islands. That elder was not a very important figure in the He Guang Sect. If it had been a Nascent Soul Patriarch, or someone like Chief Lu, who was effectively a foster son to a Nascent Soul cultivator, he might have shown some apprehension. However, Qin Sang truly paid no mind to other Core Formation cultivators. Moreover, this was the Riftwind Islands, inherently a chaotic region.

As for the other group, the Demon-Worshipping Grotto, Qin Sang already had some knowledge of them. They were a considerable force in the vicinity, a coalition of demonic cultivators who aggressively recruited new members. Just as Qin Sang was questioning the scholar and his family, the Grotto Master of the Demon-Worshipping Grotto had already arrived on the Poison Island and discovered the illusion array. This person was actually a late-stage Core Formation expert, so a mere illusion array naturally couldn't escape his notice.

"Hmm? When was this island occupied? Has the Eagle King on the island been eliminated?" The Grotto Master paused, stopping before the illusion array, a look of surprise on his face. Just then, his subordinates, riding on shadowy winds, also arrived and landed beside him. At first, they hadn't noticed the illusion array. Seeing the Grotto Master's strange expression, they looked more closely and realized something was off with the poisonous miasma; it was actually mixed with an illusion array.

"Hiss..." The elder and the others were secretly alarmed, taking a sharp breath. "Poisonous miasma mixed with an illusion array—what a sinister method! Grotto Master, when did this Poison Island gain an illusion array? Has some senior cultivator established a cultivation ground here? Why have your subordinates never heard of it? Could it be that the Corroding Wing Eagle King has already been dealt with?"

The Grotto Master of the Demon-Worshipping Grotto snorted. "How would I know who did this? Look above; all the Corroding Wing Eagles flying are ordinary demonic beasts, and they appear unusually docile. This indicates that the Eagle King and the other great demons have indeed been eliminated. I wonder which fellow Daoist possesses such great skill to silently occupy this Poison Island..."

The Grotto Master's eyes narrowed. After a moment of thought, his expression shifted, and he suddenly transmitted a message to the elder and the others. The elder was startled by this. "Grotto Master, this person was able to kill the Eagle King on the Poison Island, so their strength is likely extraordinary. Perhaps we should try to appease this person, gather more of our forces, and then plan our next move carefully..."

"Plan carefully? By the time we leave, this person would have already vanished." The Grotto Master interrupted the elder, stating coldly, "I want that person, and I might as well take the island too. As for these mere Corroding Wing Eagles, if I hadn't been wary of their potent venom, Fellow Daoist Xun and I would have long since cleared out these bothersome demonic beasts. This person might have killed the Eagle King using some means to avoid poison; their true strength may not be that formidable. Otherwise, why would they stay in such a place, using the Corroding Wing Eagles as a disguise and hiding their true identity? This illusion array can only trap you all; it's not a particularly intricate formation. Of course, I won't act recklessly. I'm just telling you to be prepared beforehand. Fellow Daoist Xun is nearby; I've already secretly sent him a message to first ascertain the opponent's true capabilities..."

"Since the Grotto Master has already contacted Senior Xun, everything will surely be foolproof!" The elder and the others were delighted to hear this and silently stood behind the Grotto Master. Each person held a strange iron token in their palm, though they showed no outward sign of it. The Senior Xun they spoke of was indeed the second most powerful expert in the Demon-Worshipping Grotto, second only to the Grotto Master himself.

"Zuo was unaware that this island had been established as a cultivation ground by a fellow Daoist. I apologize for my presumptuous visit today; please do not take offense." The Grotto Master, with his hands clasped behind his back, looked up at the top of the illusion array and spoke, his voice booming into the array.

The scholar also heard the Grotto Master's voice, and his heart suddenly tightened, his face showing fear. As soon as the voice faded, a sigh emerged from within the array. "I, this humble Daoist, thought you were merely passing by my abode and thus did not wish to disturb you."

The Grotto Master's lips curled slightly. "Heh heh, I, Zuo, didn't come here specifically for this island, but rather to pursue some traitors from the Demon-Worshipping Grotto, which brought me to this location. However, thanks to them, I discovered I have a new neighbor. Since we've met, why don't you dispel the illusion array and show yourself for a chat? Our Demon-Worshipping Grotto is eager for talented individuals; we truly need an expert like you..." The Grotto Master made no mention of demanding the girl; instead, he tried to recruit Qin Sang.

After a moment of silence, the poisonous miasma suddenly churned and parted, revealing a passageway. Then, after a ripple of energy, a figure appeared before them. At the same time, they felt a strong gust of wind beside them, and two figures swiftly appeared on either side, flanking them. These were the Two-Headed Hou and the External Incarnation.

"Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this..." Seeing this, the Grotto Master's expression changed drastically. He had never imagined that such an impoverished place, a foul-smelling Poison Island, would hide two Core Formation experts and a powerful demon.

Qin Sang said calmly, "Grotto Master of the Demon-Worshipping Grotto, your esteemed presence graces my humble abode. However, for your subordinates to conceal weapons, that hardly seems like proper guest etiquette, does it? Also, that flying insect you released earlier—were you contacting someone?" The Grotto Master's actions had been extremely cautious, and the messaging insect was adept at concealment, but it couldn't escape the eyes of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Qin Sang had seen everything.

The Grotto Master forced a smile and said, "Fellow Daoist, please don't misunderstand; I, Zuo, was merely being cautious when I..." As he spoke, his eyes suddenly glowed with an intense black light, transforming into demonic black pupils that shot out an eerie gaze. They pierced through the poisonous miasma, revealing the full sight within the spiritual array.

"A mere mid-stage Core Formation cultivator dares to play tricks before me? How foolish!" Confirming there were no other ambushes, the Grotto Master sneered, "Attack!" The elder and the others had already been poised for action. At the Grotto Master's command, the other four immediately spread out around the elder and fiercely threw out the iron tokens in their hands.

The power within these iron tokens had already been activated. With a series of muffled thuds, they merged into a single streak of dark light, shooting like a sharp arrow towards the Two-Headed Hou. At the same time, a truly astonishing scene unfolded. The Grotto Master's figure flickered repeatedly; he actually turned and fled towards the outside of the Poison Island.

Upon seeing Qin Sang's immediate readiness to act, coupled with the presence of two Core Formation cultivators and a powerful demon with an extraordinary aura, the Grotto Master had the thought of retreating. He planned to regroup with his companion and then launch a joint counterattack. His subordinates clearly hadn't anticipated such a move from the Grotto Master. They were utterly stunned, then their faces turned pale as they realized they had been abandoned.

Witnessing this, Qin Sang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. These old devils were indeed all cunning and ruthless. "Since you've come, why the rush to leave?" A dragon's shadow flickered around Qin Sang, and he transformed into a streak of red light, instantly blocking the Grotto Master's path.