Chapter 992: 望月犀

Qin Sang quickly explained the entire situation.

Yuan Zhu listened to the story, his mouth slightly agape. Suddenly, he chuckled, leaving Qin Sang bewildered.

"I was framed by a demon king of my clan. I didn't expect that as soon as you left, you'd be hunted by a Nascent Soul cultivator. We truly are in the same boat..."

"A powerful enemy is approaching, fellow Daoist. This is no time for jokes." Qin Sang felt helpless.

Yuan Zhu composed himself, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Must we enter the depths of the storm zone to escape the pursuit?"

Qin Sang nodded. He was currently inside the storm zone, yet Old Demon Mou was still hot on his heels, indicating that the outer reaches of the storm zone had limited effect on the Fire Curse.

Yuan Zhu's eyes flickered as he glanced at Qin Sang. "Why do you believe I possess a treasure that can help you overcome this tribulation?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang's heart stirred. If Yuan Zhu had no solution, he wouldn't have adopted this attitude. With a powerful enemy imminent, there was no time to bargain with Yuan Zhu.

Qin Sang took out a jade slip he had prepared earlier, sent it towards Yuan Zhu, and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Yuan, no matter how precious a treasure it is, this cultivation method should satisfy you!"

Inside the jade slip was precisely the Heavenly Demon Forging Technique, though Qin Sang had only included the first layer for now.

Seeing Qin Sang's confidence, Yuan Zhu's ethereal form paused slightly. He took the jade slip and merged into the light pillar. A moment later, a soft exclamation came from the light pillar. Then, Yuan Zhu's true form flew out from within, landing in front of Qin Sang, his expression eager as he repeatedly questioned him.

"Where did you obtain this cultivation method? Is it only the first layer?"

"Indeed, there's more than just the first layer..." Qin Sang paused, then countered, "Shouldn't you be answering my question now, fellow Daoist?"

Yuan Zhu sighed deeply. "Even the most supreme cultivation method passed down by our Flood Dragon clan doesn't compare to this Heavenly Demon Forging Technique. If I had encountered such a technique before, I would have willingly given everything to possess it."

"Although you've been afflicted by a secret art, fellow Daoist, your body still contains the bloodline of a Flood Dragon," Qin Sang continued in a deep voice. "You've been curious, haven't you, about how I could manifest phoenix wings and possess such pure demonic qi? To be frank, I've already cultivated the Heavenly Demon Forging Technique to the third layer. This technique must have been created by an ancient supreme expert; it encompasses everything. Even I, as a human, can cultivate it, so you might be able to find a breakthrough opportunity through it. Even just drawing inspiration from a part of its true essence could bring you great benefits and a promising future."

Of course, Qin Sang wouldn't voluntarily mention that his ability to cultivate the Heavenly Demon Forging Technique was actually thanks to the Jade Buddha.

Yuan Zhu nodded, not denying it.

After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Zhu changed his tone and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros?"

"Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros?" Qin Sang recalled carefully. "I once saw it mentioned in an ancient text. It seemed to be an extraordinary spiritual beast from ancient times, but I don't know what special abilities it possessed."

Yuan Zhu explained, "The bloodline of the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros has become extinct, and there are no descendants of it in the Demon Sea. However, our Flood Dragon clan's ancient records contain an account that says the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros could absorb moonlight during cultivation, even at high noon when the sun's power was at its peak. Regardless of their location, Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros could sense the moon's power, which was more effective than our method of navigation by stars..."

Pausing slightly, Yuan Zhu revealed a secret.

"Actually, our demon race has always been looking for a way to counterattack the Azure Waves Sea. We not only searched everywhere for ancient teleportation arrays, but some demon kings also ventured deep into the storm zone, attempting to cross it and find a passage into the Azure Waves Sea. The demon race once obtained a broken horn of a Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros. This horn possessed abilities similar to the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros itself. Some seniors took fragments of the horn and refined them into artifacts. Powerful demon kings who carried these Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros horns had significantly reduced risks of getting lost when venturing deep into the storm zone. Unfortunately, they all failed in the end; otherwise, we wouldn't have been exploited and ended up in this predicament. I, myself, possess an artifact refined from a Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros horn."

Yuan Zhu stopped building suspense. With a flash of light in his palm, he produced an item. This artifact was very small, only about the size of a thumb. The artifact was smooth as a mirror, its surface emitting a moonlit glow. It was generally conical in shape, with a slightly upturned tip, resembling a true rhinoceros horn.

Hearing the origin of this treasure, Qin Sang gave Yuan Zhu a deep look. "Fellow Daoist, if you can obtain such a treasure, your status within the Flood Dragon clan must not be lower than Gu Heng's, right?" It seemed there was a reason Yuan Zhu could so vigilantly expose the demon race's plot.

"The past is like smoke and clouds; it all holds no meaning now. The moment they treated me as a pawn, I severed all ties with the demon race of the Demon Sea." Yuan Zhu said calmly, "This treasure has only this one ability, and it's not very useful to me anymore. Giving it to you is no issue. After all, even if one doesn't get lost, there are still countless dangers within the storm zone, and I wouldn't dare enter alone."

Qin Sang was delighted upon hearing this. He immediately threw another jade slip to Yuan Zhu. "I only possess the first four layers of the Heavenly Demon Forging Technique, which are enough to cultivate to the late Transformation stage. This should satisfy you, right?"

Yuan Zhu took the jade slip, eagerly pressed it to his brow, and after a cursory glance at its contents, showed a look of pleasant surprise. When he heard Qin Sang say the cultivation method was incomplete, Yuan Zhu nodded without surprise, a hint of emotion surfacing in his expression. His tone was enigmatic: "This is a lost world. The most supreme treasures are shattered, and peerless techniques are scattered..."

Qin Sang's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?"

"Those words are not mine; they are a maxim left by a revered senior of the God Transformation stage from our Demon Sea..." Yuan Zhu tightened his grip on the jade slip. "In ancient times, the Heavenly Demon Forging Technique must have been one of the peerless cultivation methods that surpassed all others in the demon race. For you to have obtained the first four layers is already a profound stroke of fortune, exceeding my expectations."

Qin Sang's thoughts raced. Among the top-tier cultivation methods and secret arts he had obtained, the Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter, Heavenly Demon Forging Technique, Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art, and Lightning Summoning Technique were all incomplete. He had vaguely sensed this. This senior of the God Transformation stage from the demon race confirmed his suspicions. Not only was the cultivation world fragmented, but even the world's most supreme inheritances and treasures were incomplete. The secret behind this was chilling.

Yuan Zhu hadn't expected that a casual remark of his would cause such a shock in Qin Sang.

Holding the jade slip, Yuan Zhu said, "I am willing to exchange the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros horn for this cultivation method with you. However, you must also agree to one condition: there is something I need your assistance with."

"What do you need me to do, fellow Daoist?"

Yuan Zhu hesitated. "I cannot be distracted for now, and I also need to confirm something first; whether I'll need your help is still uncertain. How about this... if you can escape this tribulation, come back here in ten years to meet me, and we can discuss it then. Rest assured, I won't ask for your help in vain; I will provide appropriate compensation."

Given the urgent situation, Qin Sang could only agree.