Chapter 977: Friendship

Two months later.

Qin Sang was concentrating on refining the Demon Banner.

His expression subtly shifted. He slowly opened his eyes, glanced outside the cave dwelling, his gaze flickering, then rose and walked out to find Yuan Zhu standing there.

There were no visible external injuries on Yuan Zhu, but it was unclear if he had completely suppressed the Bloodfire.

“It seems Brother Yuan’s injuries have fully healed. This is truly wonderful news,” Qin Sang said with a smile.

Yuan Zhu sighed softly, as if there was more to his story. He cupped his hands to Qin Sang and said, “I haven’t yet thanked you for your assistance, and I apologize for the long wait. My strength has partially recovered, so I can now fulfill my promise and escort you out of the storm band.”

Qin Sang’s face lit up. He had indeed been eager to leave, as there were still many tasks awaiting him.

“Please wait a moment, Brother Yuan…”

Qin Sang turned and re-entered the cave dwelling.

Bai was also disturbed and came out.

For two months, both had been in secluded cultivation, not disturbing each other. This was their first meeting.

“You’ve examined the jade slip, haven’t you? Did you gain any insights?” Qin Sang asked, his expression expectant.

There wasn’t much joy on Bai’s face. He hesitated, then said, “I did recall some fragments, but they are very blurry, making it difficult to uncover the truth. They all feel like insignificant matters that can’t help me regain my true self. I suspect I’ll need to travel with you and witness the current world firsthand before I can draw a definitive conclusion. Oh, and…”

As he spoke, Bai returned the jade slip to Qin Sang. “I’ve selected some spiritual herbs to try and stabilize the vitality within me, preventing further erosion by corpse qi. If successful, my cultivation will stabilize, and even if I can’t break the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, there’s a slight chance I might advance to a Corpse King. However, my current state isn’t suitable for public appearance, so I hope you can help me gather these spiritual herbs. Of course, I won’t ask for your help in vain; once I overcome this difficulty, I will certainly repay your kindness.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang was overjoyed. If Bai had a chance to advance to a Corpse King, it would be a tremendous help to him.

Before the Heavenly Corpse Talisman could be undone, Bai could not leave him.

However, Qin Sang did not rush to agree. His spiritual sense swept over the jade slip, revealing that Bai had appended a list of spiritual herbs. Some were extremely precious, and others were relatively rare, though not difficult for Qin Sang to acquire given his strength. The sheer quantity, however, was significant.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Sang nodded. “So many spiritual herbs! Fortunately, I still have some spirit stones, so I can purchase a portion first. However, if you need them urgently, we’ll have to rely on a merchant guild to gather them quickly. Coincidentally, I have something else to do, so after we leave the storm band, let’s head to the Qiongyu Merchant Guild first.”

“The sooner, the better…”

Bai was delighted to hear this. He thanked Qin Sang and retreated into the Corpse Puppet Pouch.

Qin Sang placed all his belongings into his Qianjun Ring and exited the cave dwelling.

Yuan Zhu opened the ancient restriction, and the two passed through the gap. The next moment, they found themselves amidst the storm.

Qin Sang secretly observed the raging storm. He couldn’t be sure if they were in the same location as when they entered, but he strongly suspected it was different. Even if he were to return, he wouldn’t be able to find the cave dwelling, which likely explained Yuan Zhu’s confidence in bringing him back.

Yuan Zhu looked around, then flew off in one direction. Qin Sang quickly followed.

Along the way, the two seized the final moments to converse.

“After we leave the storm band, how far will we be from Dongmen Island?” Qin Sang asked.

“If you follow the direction I’ve indicated, you should emerge north of Dongmen Island, northeast of Tianxing Island…” Yuan Zhu explained.

Yuan Zhu then had Qin Sang take out his topographical map and pointed out the location.

Next, a hint of hesitation appeared on Yuan Zhu’s face as he took out a scale and handed it to Qin Sang.

This scale was similar to the previous one, but its luster was deeper, and it seemed to have some sort of restriction sealed within.

“What is the meaning of this, Brother Yuan?” Qin Sang asked, playing with the scale with a touch of surprise.

“I have been betrayed by my own kind and am now a solitary individual,” Yuan Zhu said, his tone mournful. “Though we may not be friends, our joint escape from King Nine Phoenix’s grasp has forged a certain bond between us. If you do not mind the difference in our bloodlines, keep this scale. Should you ever wish to find me, simply activate the restriction within the scale when you are nearby, and I will come out to meet you.”

Qin Sang remained silent for a moment, then put away the scale. After some thought, he shared an idea. “Why do you still cling to the concept of bloodline, Brother Yuan? In my opinion, the key to your breakthrough might lie not with the demon race, but with human or witch secret arts.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Brother Yuan!”

Yuan Zhu’s eyes lit up, and a glimmer of hope appeared in them.

Yuan Zhu’s spirits soared, and he began to speak incessantly again, asking Qin Sang for a token and agreeing to meet again if fate allowed.

After flying for a long time, they finally reached the edge of the storm band.

“Brother Yuan, until we meet again!”

Qin Sang cupped his hands to Yuan Zhu, then turned and flew out of the barrier. Yuan Zhu watched Qin Sang depart, then retreated back into the storm, his figure vanishing from sight.

Having flown out of the storm band, Qin Sang took out his topographical map and pinpointed his location.

“It’s good that we’re not near Dongmen Island,” Qin Sang murmured to himself, “lest I get caught up in another commotion.”

He intended to first go to Tiandao Sect to meet the sword cultivator surnamed Ning, as finding the ancient teleportation array was his top priority.

Tiandao Sect, the foremost orthodox sect of the human race, was magnificent in its grandeur, though its mountain gate was somewhat remote, located in the northwestern sea region of Canglang Sea. One did not need to pass through Tianxing Island to get there.

Qin Sang found an island named Dayu Island, which housed a mid-sized branch of the Qiongyu Merchant Guild.

With his route decided, Qin Sang immediately set off on his sword.

Dayu Island.

It was vast, with a cultivator market on the island, making it a core island in the nearby sea region.

A sword light flew from afar. Still some distance from Dayu Island, the sword light retracted, revealing a young man – Qin Sang. He glanced at the distant island, then donned a cloak, suppressed his aura, and transformed himself into an ordinary cultivator.

The city was built on the central plain of the island. After flying for a while, Qin Sang saw the city’s outline.

By then, the sun was setting.

Qin Sang entered the city under the twilight, made his way into the market, inquired about the location of the Qiongyu Merchant Guild branch, and headed straight for it.

The Qiongyu Merchant Guild branch store was quite imposing, built by the river. It dabbled in all sorts of businesses for cultivators, enjoyed an excellent reputation, and was quite well-known in the vicinity.

People came and went in the store, and the attendants bustled about. On the second floor, an old man sat leisurely in a recliner, sipping tea and surveying the shop. He only personally attended to important guests.

Just then, a person wearing a black cloak entered.

The old man had just taken a sip of spiritual tea when he sensed the deep and profound aura emanating from the cloaked figure. His gaze instantly sharpened. He immediately set down his teacup and hurried downstairs.

“Esteemed Senior…”

An attendant, smiling broadly, approached him. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard the old man’s voice, “You may step down. I will personally attend to this distinguished guest.”

“As you command, sir!”

The attendant quickly bowed to the newcomer and then withdrew.

She was secretly astonished. Anyone personally attended to by the elder must be at least a False Core realm expert. The cloaked figure had shown no obvious signs, yet his cultivation was surprisingly high.

“Are you the manager of the Qiongyu Merchant Guild?” Qin Sang asked, sizing up the old man.

Although this man was a Core Formation realm cultivator, he exuded an air of decline, suggesting he was preparing to spend his twilight years here.