Chapter 984: Fire Curse

By now, they had rushed out of the market and reached the city's outskirts, one pursuing and one fleeing. Two mid-Core Formation cultivators had already been captured consecutively, leaving only Deputy Envoy Zuo. In despair, he tried to self-detonate his Golden Core. Naturally, Qin Sang wouldn't give him the chance and spent some effort to capture him alive.

They were now in the forest outside the city. Deputy Envoy Zuo and the others, their cultivation sealed, were thrown onto the ground.

Qin Sang turned, his gaze sweeping behind him. A commotion stirred in the distant jungle as figures, like startled birds, scattered in all directions. These individuals had followed, hoping for a chance to exploit the situation, but to their surprise, Deputy Envoy Zuo and his companions were decisively defeated and captured alive. The other party appeared completely unharmed.

"What was that bead?" Bai asked Qin Sang, his expression grave, as if he had a premonition.

"We'll know after asking them!" Qin Sang said coldly. He didn't want to waste time, so he grabbed one person and immediately performed Soul Scour. Two mid-Core Formation cultivators perished amidst their screams.

Qin Sang didn't get the information he wanted, so he reached out and pulled Deputy Envoy Zuo towards him. Deputy Envoy Zuo glared angrily at Qin Sang, but with his spiritual sense and physical body restrained, he was powerless to resist.

Soon, the Soul Scour was complete. After performing Soul Scour three times in a row, Qin Sang's face was slightly pale as he slowly exhaled.

"Let's leave here first!" Qin Sang burned the bodies, erased the traces, and put away his avatar and the Two-Headed Ferret. The owner of the Dayuzhou market had not appeared, and since Qin Sang and his group had caused such a disturbance, it was uncertain what the owner's reaction might be. This place was not suitable for a prolonged stay.

After flying out of Dayuzhou, Qin Sang turned to look at Fei You.

"Events unfolded rapidly, and I haven't had a chance to thank you, Fellow Daoist Fei, for risking your life to bring this information. The road ahead is uncertain, and I cannot implicate you further. Let us part ways here. The Guild is powerful, and I don't know when I'll be able to exact my revenge. Having been implicated by me, Fellow Daoist Fei, you will likely have to live anonymously from now on. And please, remind the two Fellow Daoists Wang not to reveal their identities under any circumstances..."

Fei You's expression relaxed. He clasped his hands and said, "Senior, don't worry. The world is vast. We just need to find a place to hide and cultivate diligently for a few decades; we won't be afraid of them finding us."

Qin Sang nodded and handed Fei You a spatial pouch. "I saw you were using a magical tool just now, Fellow Daoist," he said. "You must have recently formed your Core and haven't had time to refine a Dharma treasure yet, right? Here are some Dharma treasures; Fellow Daoist Fei, pick two to take with you. Consider them my thank-you gift."

He could tell that the demonic qi within Fei You was very dense; he had clearly consumed several Fiend Pills and forcibly formed his Core, barely making it. His future seemed bleak. While the old couple might have genuinely appreciated him, Fei You might not have been as sincere. However, Fei You had risked coming to inform him, and even if he had ulterior motives, it was understandable. Qin Sang naturally wouldn't be stingy.

Inside the spatial pouch were items Qin Sang had accumulated from killing enemies over the years, along with things taken from those he had just killed, and what Bai had plundered from the treasury. Two Dharma treasures were enough to change Fei You's fate.

"How can this be..." Fei You began to decline, but Qin Sang waved him off.

Fei You was almost dazzled. He swallowed hard, suppressed the excitement in his heart, and secretly cheered, realizing he had truly made the right gamble. To form his Core, he had almost exhausted all his savings. Only after forming his Core did he realize how difficult it was to refine a Dharma treasure. Even after joining the Qiongyu Guild, he wasn't taken seriously and didn't know when he could achieve his wish.

Fei You knew the situation was urgent, and Qin Sang wouldn't allow him to choose slowly, so he instinctively picked a sword and a shield. The two Dharma treasures were perfectly suited for offense and defense.

"Fellow Daoist, you have good taste," Qin Sang said. "These two Dharma treasures are both top-grade. With more refinement, they have a chance to advance to mid-grade Dharma treasures. However, they both had previous owners. Although I'm not worried, it would be best if you used them cautiously, Fellow Daoist."

Qin Sang retrieved the spatial pouch, offered a reminder, and cupped his hands to Fei You. "Fellow Daoist Fei, we will meet again!"

"May Daoist Priest overcome misfortunes and eliminate your enemies soon!" Fei You said sincerely.

Qin Sang nodded, his figure flickering repeatedly before disappearing into the vast ocean. Fei You watched Qin Sang disappear into the distance. He cautiously scanned the surroundings, his joy almost uncontrollable. He quickly put away the Dharma treasures and discreetly escaped.

On the other side.

Bai was with Qin Sang.

Qin Sang sighed softly and said, "You were right. The Guild's order to hunt me down is indeed related to a Nascent Soul cultivator. It was said that anyone who could provide information about me would receive a heavy reward. But Deputy Envoy Zuo didn't know much and wasn't clear about the Nascent Soul cultivator's identity. However, I think I know who my enemy is. The jade bead was given to Deputy Envoy Zuo by the Guild. I've not only seen the blue flames it transformed into after exploding, but I've also obtained a wisp of them. This fire is called the Winter Nether Cold Flame; it's the unique spiritual flame of Venerable Dongming. After Venerable Dongming passed away, the spiritual flame was left behind in his cave and was taken by a demonic cultivator named Old Demon Mou. It's rumored that this person is also a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator..."

"A mid-Nascent Soul cultivator with a secret art to collect spiritual flames!" Bai exclaimed, his expression shifting. "Are you saying...?"

Qin Sang nodded and said hoarsely, "It's very likely him! We thought wrong; this person's target might not be the ancient treasures within the Demon Forbidden Zone, but the demonic fire, or perhaps both!"

"Since you've obtained the Winter Nether Cold Flame, you should know its abilities, right?" Bai asked, scrutinizing Qin Sang with a deep frown.

Qin Sang shook his head. "The aura of this fire originates from the same source as the Winter Nether Cold Flame, but the sensation it gave me was entirely different from the original Cold Flame. After the fire bead exploded, the power and fluctuations were something I had never encountered before. All my methods were useless against it; it easily invaded my body and vanished without a trace..."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Sang's expression suddenly changed drastically. His figure paused, and he abruptly raised both arms. Blue threads had appeared on his arms at some unknown point. The threads intertwined and crisscrossed, forming countless strange runes. The runes were densely packed, forming a continuous pattern that spread across his entire body. At the same time, that strange fluctuation reappeared and seemed to be resonating with something distant.

A short while later, the fluctuations dissipated, and the runes gradually faded, disappearing once again, just as before. This time, Qin Sang's perception was clearer: a wisp of Winter Nether Cold Flame power had fused into these runes! He had previously awakened the Celestial Eye Butterfly and had it continuously observe his physical body, finally discovering the anomaly. These runes, fused with the Winter Nether Cold Flame, were hidden within his physical body and meridians, integrated with his flesh and blood.

Witnessing this, Qin Sang and Bai exchanged glances, both their expressions unusually solemn.

"This power..." Bai pondered for a moment. "In my vague memories, I seem to have encountered similar power. It should be a type of curse. This power is very peculiar, and ordinary methods are useless against it. Since these runes are fused with the Winter Nether Cold Flame, it would be more appropriate to call it a 'fire curse'..."

"Fire curse?" Qin Sang frowned; this was the first time he had heard of it.

Bai's tone was heavy as he said to Qin Sang, "The only one who can resonate with the fire curse is the one who cast it. Furthermore... the closer the distance, the clearer this sensation becomes!"