Chapter 674: Chapter 674

Following the instructions, Qin Sang activated the power of the teleportation talisman. A light shield appeared over his body. Moments later, the ancient teleportation array lit up brilliantly, initiating the familiar process of teleportation.

His previous three experiences with ancient arrays in the Shangyuan Tranquility Palace had all involved disorienting vertigo and distorted space. His trip from Ziwei Palace had been especially disastrous. He had lost an arm to survive. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs noveⅼfire.net

But this time, the teleportation was far smoother than any of those. The process was stable and comfortable. When his feet landed solidly on the ground, the teleportation had already completed without issue.

Qin Sang and Elder Zhou appeared inside a vast hall. As the teleportation light faded, they saw guards from the witch race standing ahead, each exuding a fierce and murderous aura.

While Qin Sang was surveying the surroundings, Elder Zhou had already started walking toward the exit of the hall.

Qin Sang hurried after him. The moment he stepped outside, his vision opened up.

The teleportation array was built on a mountain on Tianwu Island. At the foot of the mountain stood a large city, fully visible from the front of the hall.

Tianwu Island lived up to its reputation. It was vast. The city only occupied a small portion of the island. Beyond the city, mountain ranges stretched endlessly until they met the glimmering waves of the open sea in the far distance.

When Qin Sang had been in the Xijiang of the Witch God Continent, he had inquired about the Stormy Demonic Sea and heard all sorts of rumors.

Some said the sea was blood red and reeked of blood. Others claimed that demonic beasts constantly patrolled the sky and waters, and that any intruder would be immediately surrounded and slaughtered.

The tales varied, painting the Stormy Demonic Sea as a realm of carnage and hellish danger.

But from what he could see now, the sea outside Tianwu Island was no different from the waters of Canglang Sea. He stared for a while, but found no trace of any demonic beast. On the contrary, evasion lights of cultivators flying could be seen from time to time.

"I’ll be visiting a few old friends and gathering some information. Ran Luo, take these Daoists for a walk around the city. There are many fine things here. The Stormy Demonic Sea has countless unexplored islands, where rare treasures that are hard to find in Canglang Sea often surface. Most of them end up here on Tianwu Island or Desolate Island. You might find something useful," said Elder Zhou, turning to the group.

Qin Sang’s eyes lit up. If he could purchase some Perpetual Camphor here, it would save him a great deal of trouble. He still had enough spirit stones, and if that wasn't enough, he could sell off the Golden Orchid Grass.

Ran Luo acknowledged the instruction.

Just as Elder Zhou was about to leave with the female witch cultivator, he paused and pointed at two nearby mountain peaks. "Those two mountains are restricted areas on Tianwu Island. Many Spiritual Infant grandmasters are meditating there. Stay away unless you have a reason to go. The one on the left belongs to the human cultivators. The one on the right is under the witch race."

"Why are there so many human Spiritual Infant cultivators on Tianwu Island?" Qin Sang asked, turning his eyes to the mountain on the left.

These two peaks were clearly the most blessed locations on the island. Celestial mansions and pavilions gleamed among lush forests and sparkling springs. The spiritual qi was exceptionally rich.

Qin Sang was certain those two mountains sat atop the island’s core spirit veins.

What surprised him most was Elder Zhou’s tone. He had implied there were quite a few human Spiritual Infant grandmasters stationed here.

The human and witch races had joined forces out of necessity to combat the demonic beasts in the Stormy Demonic Sea. But deep-rooted mistrust still lingered. It was the same reason that when any unrest occurred among the witch race, panic quickly spread across the Witch God Continent as human cultivators scrambled to flee.

Even in the Stormy Demonic Sea, such divisions were not easily erased.

Tianwu Island was a stronghold of the witch race. That some human grandmasters passed through was normal, but for so many to be residing here permanently was strange.

Elder Zhou said quietly, "I had the same question when I first came to the Stormy Demonic Sea. Later I heard a rumor that the teleportation array built by the witch race involved help from powerful figures among our human race. Since Tianwu Island was first established, there have always been human grandmasters stationed on that mountain. The true reason behind it remains a mystery..."

After Elder Zhou left....

Qin Sang and the others descended the mountain on foot and entered the city. It didn’t take long before Qin Sang realized Tianwu Island was completely different from what he had imagined.

He had always heard how dangerous the Demonic Sea was. Cultivators in Canglang Sea believed that only Core Formation experts dared venture here to hunt beasts. Foundation Building cultivators came only if they were reckless or desperate to break through, risking their lives.

To his surprise, the city was not only full of Core Formation cultivators, but also had many in the Foundation Building and even Qi Refining Realms. There were also a large number of ordinary mortals.

It was no different from any other city in Canglang Sea.

Huiwen, walking alongside, seemed just as unfamiliar with the Demonic Sea. She looked around, confused by what she was seeing.

"What’s so strange about it? These people didn’t come here through teleportation. They’re the descendants of cultivators who entered the Demonic Sea in the past. Many of them have little talent, and most don’t even have spiritual roots. They can’t afford the spirit stones for teleportation, so they’re forced to scrape out a living here.

"Once you leave the island, you’ll see. There are many outer islands without spirit veins, where mortals live in small villages. Desolate Island has similar communities. In fact, even stable islands like Duyan Island house many mortals and low-level cultivators," explained Ran Luo

"Aren’t they afraid of demonic beasts? Those mortals don’t have the strength to defend themselves. Does Tianwu Island send people to protect them?" Huiwen asked.

Ran Luo shook her head. "Tianwu Island and Desolate Island are different from other islands. Aside from the early years when they were first claimed and suffered beast attacks, most of the surrounding demonic beasts have already been cleared out by now. Even during times of crisis, these two islands remain quite stable. Of course, accidents still happen. Occasionally, a blind beast will wander into the area, and if patrolling cultivators can’t deal with it in time..."

Ran Luo didn’t continue, but Qin Sang and the others already understood what would happen.

The strong preyed on the weak. Tianwu Island would never be willing to invest too much manpower or resources to protect useless mortals. Their only hope lay in patrolling cultivators doing their duties diligently.

As they talked, the group arrived in front of a large complex filled with tall buildings—some made of stone, others of wood—with many cultivators coming and going.

Ran Luo stepped into the foremost building. A short while later, she returned with a wry smile and said, "Unfortunate timing. The grand auction won’t begin for another month. I doubt we’ll still be here by then. These buildings sell all kinds of treasures. We might as well browse for anything we happen to need. Let’s meet at the city gate this evening and then head to see Elder Zhou."

The grand auction was Tianwu Island’s biggest event, held once every three months. It featured countless rare treasures. They had hoped to catch a glimpse, but the timing just didn’t work out.

Qin Sang had been thinking the same. After listening to Ran Luo’s explanation, he said his goodbyes and walked alone into one of the buildings.

This particular building specialized in spiritual materials for artifact refinement and medicinal herbs for pill alchemy. As soon as Qin Sang stepped inside, several attendants lit up at the sight of him. One of them, the most attractive of the lot, walked over with graceful steps to greet him.