Chapter 974: Jiao King's Son

Just then, strange lights flashed repeatedly in front of the Heavenly Tower, and figures darted out one after another. Surprisingly, it was the Sect Master of Tiandao Sect and the Grand Shaman, accompanied by Nascent Soul cultivators from both races. Both sides gathered behind the two great cultivators. Although unlike their last encounter, where the Demonic Lord and the Grand Shaman directly clashed, the atmosphere was still incredibly tense, far from relaxed.

"I didn't expect you to be able to open the ancient restriction, fellow Daoist. You must have obtained the treasure you desired, haven't you?"

Lingzhuzi's smile was forced.

The Grand Shaman smiled charmingly. "You acted so swiftly, fellow Daoist. All my movements were under your watchful eye. If I truly obtained any treasure, how could I possibly hide it from you?"

"Your methods are profound and unfathomable, fellow Daoist. This humble Daoist truly has little confidence in discerning them."

Lingzhuzi chuckled dismissively, his eyes flickering as his gaze swept over the Grand Shaman and Old Devil Fang, who was in his withered cicada form. A hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes.

The Grand Shaman smiled but said nothing. Her escape light flashed, and she headed directly for the exit of the Seven Kills Hall. Lingzhuzi hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose not to act. He also flew towards the desolate plain. Some of the other Nascent Soul cultivators followed him, while others remained in the Seven Kills Hall, busy with their own affairs.

The Desolate Plain.

It was not yet time for the Seven Kills Hall to close, and the swirling passage was still wide. In the void, a phantom figure lurked; it was Old Devil Mou. His expression was not as gloomy as before. In his hand, he held a mustard seed pouch belonging to someone unknown. His face was thoughtful, his expression somewhat strange, and tinged with hesitation, as if he couldn't quite make up his mind.

Edge of the Desolate Plain.

Among the tangled grass, a sword light suddenly appeared, rushing into the passage. The same scene played out again. Just as the incoming person was about to enter the passage, they were suddenly ambushed by Old Devil Mou. This person was also formidable; in the nick of time, their sword light sharply turned and fiercely slashed down at the incoming enemy!

But the power gap between the two was too great. This person was only a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, even weaker than Qin Sang. A large hand wrapped in blue flame easily broke through the sword light and, in the cultivator's terrified gaze, snatched his flying sword. The flying sword wailed but could not break free from its restraint. The cultivator watched helplessly as a blue flame rapidly grew larger before his eyes.

Just then, Old Devil Mou seemed to sense something. His expression slightly changed, and he abruptly turned his head to look deep into the Seven Kills Hall, his gaze sinking. Then, his hand seals abruptly shifted. The blue flame's speed surged. The cultivator had no power to resist; his protective spiritual light was easily broken by the cold flame, which then plunged into his glabella. Immediately after, his entire body became covered in a layer of ice.

'Crack!'

The ice shattered. The cultivator turned to ash, consumed by the cold flame. Old Devil Mou grabbed the person's mustard seed pouch, and after a slight hesitation, his figure flashed, and he vanished.

Not long after, the Grand Shaman and Lingzhuzi arrived one after another. The journey was uneventful, and the expressions of both sides softened slightly.

"We shall meet again!"

The Grand Shaman was perfectly courteous. She cupped her hands towards Lingzhuzi, activated a jade talisman, and was about to enter the passage when her beautiful eyes suddenly darted, as if she sensed something. Her crimson lips parted slightly, and she sent a voice transmission.

"Fellow Daoist," she transmitted, "there seems to be an undue scent of blood here, very well concealed, but unfortunately it couldn't escape my eyes... It appears someone wants to challenge the rules established by the human predecessors."

The Grand Shaman's tone held a hint of schadenfreude.

Lingzhuzi's expression was grim, and a flash of anger flickered in his eyes.

The Storm Belt.

Qin Sang agreed to Yuan Zhu's terms after negotiation, and together they swore a Heart Demon Oath. Under the guidance of Yuan Zhu's spiritual clone, he flew towards the cave dwelling. Yuan Zhu's spiritual clone was fully sensing the location of its main body, but there was still no news. It could only hope that the main body would still have strength left after escaping danger and not be swept away by the hurricane.

"Since you discovered the deception long ago, fellow Daoist Yuan, you could have simply left and gone far away. Why come to the Seven Kills Hall and put yourselves in such a dangerous situation?" Qin Sang flew through the hurricane. Curious about Yuan Zhu's experience, he asked.

Yuan Zhu sighed. "Before, I just felt something was off with the secret art and had suspicions, but I held onto a sliver of hope, believing our clan couldn't be so cruel to us. I wanted to confirm it with King Nine Phoenix directly before giving up hope. Gu Heng and Cai Feng wouldn't believe it even more; I only dared to hint at it indirectly. Unexpectedly, I was still too naive. They are even more ruthless than I imagined!"

"Fellow Daoist, you are exceptionally resourceful. When this secret art was cast, you must have had suspicions, right? Why did you agree to be sent to Canglang Sea?" Qin Sang pressed further.

Yuan Zhu sneered. "Suspect... whom? The Flood Dragon King? The Flood Dragon King and those demon kings, to dispel our doubts and to ensure those sent out had enough ability to complete the mission, selected mostly holy sons of various clans, trusted confidants of demon kings, and even their own descendants. Once they grew, they would become pillars of their respective clans. Who would have thought that we would be abandoned? Do you know Gu Heng's identity? He is the Flood Dragon King's own son, has always been highly valued by the Flood Dragon King, and had a chance to become the next Flood Dragon King!"

Qin Sang was startled. Even a vicious tiger doesn't eat its cubs. He could tell that Gu Heng and the other demons were no ordinary beings, but he hadn't expected them to have such prominent backgrounds. This gave him a deeper understanding of the ruthlessness of those transformed great demons. He wondered how many were sent in. What exactly were the demon race scheming?

"Fellow Daoist, do you mean that this conspiracy was initiated by the current Flood Dragon King? What was his purpose? Was it just to send King Nine Phoenix into the Seven Kills Hall?" Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. His tone was enticing as he said, "You've been harmed so terribly, fellow Daoist. Don't you want to expose their conspiracy and avenge yourself?"

Yuan Zhu remained unmoved. "What good would exposing their conspiracy do me? This one considers it fortunate to have survived. My next goal is to find a way to break free from this restraint and continue cultivating. Even if I seek revenge, I will only consider it after my cultivation has reached a higher level. Besides, what do I truly know? King Nine Phoenix is tight-lipped, only sending a long feather into the immortal array. Beyond that, no other information was revealed. If I were to go to a human sect, not only would I gain no benefit, but I would also risk my life. However, as for you, fellow Daoist, if you report what you've seen and heard back to your sect, you might perform a great service."

Yuan Zhu, in turn, tried to entice Qin Sang.

Qin Sang chuckled lightly. "I am accustomed to acting alone, and I have little interest in this matter."

Yuan Zhu was unwilling to come forward. He only had a Profound Armor Talisman in his possession, and beyond that, he had no other evidence. The only force he could possibly contact was the loosely connected Eastern Pole Alliance. Rashly approaching the high-ranking members of other forces, not to mention whether they would believe such an absurd story, Qin Sang would have to explain the full details, which would inevitably expose his "Heavenly Demon Forging Form" cultivation art, and even more.

When the nest is overturned, no eggs remain intact. Qin Sang naturally understood this principle. If it concerned the survival of the human race, he would definitely find a way to report it back as soon as possible. Even King Nine Phoenix struggled so much to smuggle himself into Canglang Sea, barely surviving. Some minor demons wouldn't be able to stir up any significant trouble in the inner sea for now. He would only consider acting when the time was right. As for whether the human high-ranking cultivators would believe it, that was beyond his control.