Chapter 673: Chapter 673

"Elder Zhou, this is the Daoist Master Qingfeng I mentioned to you earlier. And I believe this is also your first time meeting him, Daoist Master Qingfeng?"

Ran Luo introduced the two.

"Indeed. I am Qingfeng. Greetings, Elder Zhou." Qin Sang nodded and cupped his hand.

This man’s presence was subtle and reserved, but his cultivation was undoubtedly high. Though he appeared young, he was clearly an old monster in disguise.

Besides, Qin Sang might have to rely on him in the future, so he made sure to maintain a respectful attitude.

"I’ve long heard Ran Luo speak of Daoist Master Qingfeng. I’ve been caught up in various matters and have failed to greet you sooner. I hope you’ll forgive the oversight," Elder Zhou said with a warm and easygoing tone, appearing to be quite approachable.

This wasn’t the place to chat. After a brief exchange of greetings, the group immediately set off, activating their movement arts and flying toward Witch God Mountain.

Only then did Qin Sang notice the enchantingly beautiful woman accompanying Ran Luo. She was very close to Elder Zhou, though the two didn’t appear to be partners.

The woman’s name was Yan Wu. She was an early-stage Core Formation cultivator and surprisingly, a member of the witch race.

Several streaks of evasion light soared into the sky like meteors, speeding toward Witch God Mountain.

Before long, they arrived within sight of the mountain.

Even from afar, one could see crowds gathered at its base. They were pilgrims from the witch race, all had come to pay homage.

Witch God Mountain was recognized as sacred by the entire witch race. No one dared claim it for themselves, so there were no sects stationed atop it. Instead, it was jointly protected by all factions of the witch race.

It was for this very reason that the teleportation array leading to the Demonic Sea had been placed on the mountain.

There were many ancient halls built along its slopes, each grand and imposing. The teleportation array was located within one of them.

"Let’s descend. All who approach Witch God Mountain must walk on foot as a sign of respect. Flying directly up will provoke collective outrage." Elder Zhou’s voice came via sound transmission.

They could now see that the cultivators who had arrived before them had all landed and begun climbing the stone steps by foot.

In a foreign land, it was best to tread carefully. Qin Sang immediately stowed away his ebony sword, his evasion light flickering as he descended to a flat area at the foot of the mountain.

Elder Zhou, the fastest among them, was already waiting at the front. When he saw Qin Sang arrive, his eyes lit up. "I didn’t expect that in addition to your mastery of artifact refinement, your swordsmanship is also exceptional. Just your sword technique alone is reason enough for us to seek you out. I sincerely hope you’ll give our Qiongyu Merchant Guild some serious consideration. This jade slip contains detailed information about Duyan Island, the base we’re preparing in the Demonic Sea. Have a look when you have time."

With that, Elder Zhou handed him a jade slip.

"In front of Elder Zhou, my humble skills are hardly worth mentioning. I’m merely showing off my petty tricks."

Qin Sang responded modestly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. His swordsmanship could indeed impress, thanks to his life-bound spiritual sword. But if he had to use any other sword, the flaws would immediately show.

The jade slip was remarkably detailed. Even the identity of the island master wasn’t concealed from Qin Sang.

Duyan Island was a large island situated between Desolate Island and Tianwu Island. It occupied a vital position on the maritime route. Its current master was a renowned Spiritual Infant grandmaster named Lin Hai.

Before Lin Hai took charge, Duyan Island hadn’t held much importance. After cultivators claimed it, the island was attacked several times by demonic beasts. Most of the resident cultivators perished, and only a few escaped with their lives.

This was closely tied to the island’s location.

Duyan Island was the outermost island along the route, jutting furthest into the sea. If something went wrong, reinforcements couldn’t arrive in time. Moreover, a bottomless trench near the island was teeming with demonic beasts.

Slaughtering too many of them nearby would enrage the beasts. Once a beast tide broke out, the consequences would be catastrophic.

With Lin Hai stationed on the island, the presence of a Spiritual Infant grandmaster became its stabilizing force.

At the same time, Lin Hai established strict rules, such as prohibiting large hunting parties, limiting teams to just a few cultivators, and banning excessive killing.

Since then, Duyan Island had remained remarkably safe. Strangely enough, there hadn’t been a single demonic beast assault since.

Over the years, with several route adjustments and Lin Hai’s careful management, Duyan Island gradually rose to prominence.

Claiming a foothold on such a major island was no easy feat. Elder Zhou and the Qiongyu Merchant Guild had clearly spared no effort in securing their position.

The jade slip not only detailed Duyan Island but also gave brief introductions to other notable islands within the Demonic Sea.

Qin Sang read through them all and found that Duyan Island was indeed an excellent choice.

He specialized in evasion techniques and could retreat swiftly in the face of danger. Having fewer teammates was no issue. His primary goal was not hunting beasts, but comprehending the killing symbol, which required strong opponents. He had no interest in mindless slaughter.

By comparison, the other major islands all had their own regulations, some even stricter than Duyan Island’s, almost like the rules of an immortal sect.

Of course, those unwilling to be bound by such rules had other options as well.

Then go to those smaller islands or better yet, seize one for yourself and become its master, living freely and unrestrained. The Demonic Sea was vast and boundless, its countless islands scattered like stars across the sea, offering endless choices.

But safety was out of the question in such places. Danger loomed at every moment.

Qin Sang pondered over the contents of the jade slip, but did not immediately give Elder Zhou a reply.

Before he knew it, they had already ascended Witch God Mountain. Elder Zhou seemed very familiar with the area and led them through various ancient halls before arriving at one named Tianwu Hall. Check latest chapters at NoveI[F]ire.net

An old man of the witch race happened to step out just as they approached. When he saw them, he sneered and said, "Elder Zhou, you came crawling back? You’ve brought so many Core Formation cultivators out of Pingbo Port again. The place must be nearly empty by now. Aren’t you afraid someone will take advantage of the situation and destroy the human race’s hard-earned foundation?"

Elder Zhou snorted coldly. "You old thing, you’ve got the nerve to mock us? If your witch race hadn’t been scheming, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Compared to our lives, what does Pingbo Port matter?"

The old man chuckled. "You humans are the masters of cunning. Always assuming others are as deceitful as you..."

But he said no more. After accepting the payment in spirit stones, he handed each of them a talisman shaped like a command token, then allowed them to pass.

"These talismans are teleportation talismans. They shield against the spatial pressure during teleportation. The teleportation array to the Demonic Sea is an ancient array brought here from elsewhere and modified. It’s prone to instability and occasionally suffers from spatial turbulence. Under normal circumstances, we Core Formation cultivators can withstand the pressure, but if turbulence arises, only the protection of these talismans can ensure safety. Just to be safe, you should activate the power of the teleportation talisman before stepping into the array..."

Ran Luo quietly explained the use of the teleportation talisman to Qin Sang and the others.

Qin Sang was inwardly astonished.

In the Small Cold Domain, people could only use existing ancient arrays, or try to repair ones that weren’t too damaged. He had never heard of a sect capable of modifying an ancient teleportation array.

Still, the conditions required to alter such arrays must be extraordinarily demanding. Otherwise, teleportation arrays would already cover the entire Canglang Sea.

Qin Sang carefully examined the teleportation array and thought back to the time he had teleported from Ziwei Palace. If he had been protected by one of these teleportation talismans back then, perhaps he wouldn’t have had to sever his arm to survive.