Chapter 975: Cave Dwelling

The spiritual energy in the storm zone was chaotic.

Qin Sang activated his true essence to shield Yuan Zhu's separated soul from the storm. They moved in tandem, one behind the other, speeding through fierce winds and colossal waves. Along the way, they saw nothing but the storm. Without a guide, anyone lost in such a place would quickly be engulfed by despair.

Yuan Zhu pointed the way. Qin Sang asked him many questions about the demon race in the Demon Sea. Yuan Zhu answered some questions without reservation. However, when it came to the true secrets of the demon race, he showed some hesitation, as only the demon kings had betrayed them. Even so, the information Yuan Zhu provided deepened Qin Sang's understanding of the demon race.

"Found it!" Yuan Zhu suddenly exclaimed softly, his eyes alight with joy. He had sensed the location of his main body.

Qin Sang immediately changed the direction of his flight and sped towards the direction Yuan Zhu indicated. After a period of rapid flight, they finally saw a faint white light flickering in the storm ahead, conspicuous amidst the dim wind and waves. It was Yuan Zhu's main body.

The white light was almost extinguished, merely drifting with the colossal waves. Yuan Zhu's main body was extremely weak, on the verge of exhaustion. His aura was barely discernible, and he lacked the strength to resist the wind and waves. Only when a gray hurricane struck would he exert all his might to shift slightly and evade the danger. Without rescue, Yuan Zhu was doomed to die.

The dragon-shadow separated soul swiftly darted towards its main body, and Qin Sang quickly followed on his sword.

Upon reaching it, Qin Sang saw an ice coffin. Yuan Zhu's eyes were tightly shut, sealed within the ice coffin. His condition was terrible; his skin was dry and cracked, his flesh exposed, and even the bones in his arms were visible. The blood-fire had not yet extinguished. The flame originated from within his body, burning from the inside out. It spread from his vital blood and bone marrow, impacting his internal organs before reaching the surface of his skin.

It was unclear whether this was due to a secret art Yuan Zhu had used, or the suppressing effect of the ice coffin. The blood-fire still permeated his entire body, but the flames were countless times weaker than before, now just a thin layer. Nevertheless, the blood-fire remained like an intractable disease, impossible to eradicate.

Yuan Zhu was extremely weak, but still clinging to life. His separated soul merged into his main body.

At that moment, Yuan Zhu slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Qin Sang, the corners of his mouth twitched as if to smile, but no smile formed. He said with difficulty, "I've made Daoist Friend Mingyue witness quite a sight."

Qin Sang activated his true essence to help Yuan Zhu's main body resist the wind and waves. He said, "Daoist Friend Yuan, your separated soul and I made an oath: I save you, and you guide me out of the storm zone. How is your current condition? How can I save you?"

"I'm alright, I won't die," Yuan Zhu replied. "I'm aware of our agreement..." He fell silent for a moment, his eyes scanning around. He murmured sadly, "I'm not surprised that you are safe, Daoist Friend. However, Gu Heng and the others are likely beyond hope..."

Qin Sang nodded. "Even with all your preparations, you only secured a sliver of hope. Unless Gu Heng and Daoist Friend Caiyi possess a rare treasure capable of suppressing this evil fire, their chances of survival are negligible."

Yuan Zhu sighed softly. "Never mind! Daoist Friend Mingyue, I have a method to expel the blood-fire from my body and restore my cultivation. However, I need to avoid the storm's disturbances and find a quiet place for meditation. I'd appreciate it if you could take me back to my cave dwelling."

Qin Sang was surprised. "Aren't you afraid your cave dwelling's location will be exposed, Daoist Friend?"

"The ancient restrictions guarding the cave dwelling are very unique," Yuan Zhu said calmly, his expression unchanged. "I invested a great deal of effort to gain partial control over them. Without my personal guidance, even if you know the general area, you won't be able to find its exact location. You'll understand once you see it..."

"In that case," Qin Sang replied, his eyes flashing with a faint smile, "I'd also like to see what a cave dwelling in the storm zone looks like."

Subsequently, Qin Sang enveloped the ice coffin in his true essence and flew on his sword towards the direction Yuan Zhu indicated. During their flight, his jade talisman remained unresponsive. He wasn't sure if he was still very far from the Seven Kills Hall or if it had already closed.

After flying for an unknown distance, Yuan Zhu suddenly spoke, telling Qin Sang to stop. Qin Sang had expected the cave dwelling to be on a small island, but unexpectedly, the surrounding sea was empty, with no signs of its existence. He secretly awakened his Heavenly Eye Butterfly, but his Heavenly Eye divine ability still couldn't detect anything unusual. No wonder Yuan Zhu was so confident.

Qin Sang's gaze shifted to the ice coffin, where he saw Yuan Zhu's lips move slightly, apparently casting a secret incantation. The next moment, Qin Sang's expression changed slightly as if sensing something, and he abruptly looked down beneath him. The sea surface was never calm; hundred-zhang colossal waves seemed capable of crushing everything.

At that moment, a peculiar fluctuation emanated from the seabed. A moment later, a milky-white pillar of light burst forth from the water with a 'boom,' transforming into a light screen that appeared beneath their feet. Beneath the light screen, what appeared to be part of a mountain peak became visible. The mountain peak was unusually barren, devoid of vegetation and covered in jagged rocks. The light screen, formed by ancient restrictions, enveloped it, protecting this fragment of a mountain until today.

The light screen trembled slightly, revealing a narrow opening. Qin Sang used his Heavenly Eye divine ability to confirm there were no ambushes inside. After a brief hesitation, he followed Yuan Zhu and entered the opening. Immediately, the opening in the light screen closed, and with a flicker, it submerged back into the seabed, disappearing amidst the colossal waves.

Once inside, the deafening storm immediately vanished.

"The spiritual energy is very thin..." Qin Sang made this assessment silently after a brief sensation. He looked around. The area wasn't small. Ahead, there was a mountain cave, likely the entrance to the cave dwelling. Looking up, he saw thick, dark clouds hovering above, a manifestation of the ancient restrictions. The ancient restrictions kept all chaos at bay, creating a sanctuary.

Yuan Zhu eagerly returned to the cave dwelling and said to Qin Sang, "I need to enter seclusion for some time to recover. There are no secrets here apart from the cave dwelling, so please make yourself at home, Daoist Friend."

With that, Yuan Zhu activated the cave dwelling's restrictions and entered. Qin Sang nodded. Seeing Yuan Zhu seal off the cave dwelling's restrictions, he casually found a spot. He used his sword to carve out a small cave dwelling and set up several layers of spirit formations and restrictions, using it as a temporary place to rest and meditate while waiting for Yuan Zhu to emerge from seclusion.

Afterwards, Qin Sang explored the area. Indeed, just as Yuan Zhu had said, it was completely barren.

"Finally out," he thought. Returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang sat down cross-legged and sighed inwardly. Reviewing his encounters at the Seven Kills Hall, Qin Sang realized that while his gains were considerable, he had consecutively faced three Nascent Soul stage experts, and danger had been a constant companion. He still felt a lingering trepidation, but thankfully, he had weathered the storm safely.

"I barely survived into this era. I never thought that after escaping the Demonic Restriction, I would almost perish body and soul several times."

Bai emerged from the Corpse Puppet Bag, casting a sideways glance at Qin Sang, clearly finding him displeasing. Qin Sang, however, refused to acknowledge his own role in these dangers. He took out a jade slip, transcribed his knowledge of the Canglang Sea and various treasures onto it, and handed it to Bai. "For now, we can only remain here. Daoist Friend, please prioritize restoring your cultivation. Take a look at these; see if they can help you recall anything."

Bai grudgingly took the jade slip and walked into another section of the cave dwelling. The entire space fell silent.