Chapter 681: Chapter 681

Everything Qin Sang had done was clearly seen by Ran Luo and the others, and they had grown increasingly fond of him. The initial barriers between them gradually faded.

Even the young man surnamed Zhuo, who was supposed to be the lead artifact refinement master, had long let go of the little resentment he once harbored toward Qin Sang after several earnest exchanges regarding artifact refinement techniques.

Of course, Qin Sang himself had also gained quite a bit.

However, even while forging friendships, Qin Sang felt as though a wall remained between himself and others. It had become increasingly difficult for him to fully trust anyone.

Through his conversations with the young man surnamed Zhuo, Qin Sang learned that Zhuo's sect—the Sword Cauldron Sect—was indeed one of the most renowned artifact refinement sects in Canglang Sea.

Finding an opportunity, Qin Sang brought up the topic of the Ten Divine Woods.

The young man admitted with a shamefaced expression that due to his limited talent, he was not valued within the sect and had been forced to venture out on his own. He had no access to the sect’s core secrets and thus did not know whether the great artifact refinement sects of Canglang Sea possessed any of the Ten Divine Woods. Still, after spending more than a century in Sword Cauldron Sect, he had never heard of anyone obtaining one.

It was worth mentioning that over the past half year, Ran Luo had managed to find four living Jiao for him. The rıghtful source is NoveI[F]ire.net

After Qin Sang extracted the Jiao spirit from these four creatures, the number of Jiao spirits in the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman had increased to six. Back then, it was unknown how much effort Daoist Master Xuanyu had spent to gather even this many.

Qin Sang then traveled to the uninhabited waters near Duyan Island to test out the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, combining it with the Sword Qi Thunderclap. With this combination, his evasion technique was now sufficient to ensure victory over ordinary middle-stage Core Formation cultivators.

In times of danger, his ability to flee had vastly improved.

Qin Sang remained at Duyan Island for several more months until his current tasks were nearly complete.

Since Ran Luo had not been able to find any more live Jiao, Qin Sang decided to head out to sea personally and hunt for more Jiao spirits. Once he had gathered nine in total, the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman would undergo a qualitative transformation.

When Qin Sang went to see Ran Luo, she did not try to stop him. Instead, she arranged for a reliable team according to his request.

"Daoist Master, according to the information our merchant guild received, there are sometimes Jiao sightings at the southern edge of the trench. However, in addition to Demonic Spirit Realm Jiao, there have also been traces of Demonic Core Realm Jiao deeper within. The Jiao bloodline ranks among the finest in the demon race and is not easy to deal with. Why not wait a little longer? When Huiwen returns, she can accompany you as a helping hand."

Ran Luo tried to persuade him.

Qin Sang had requested a team composed entirely of Fake Core Realm cultivators, with himself as the only Core Formation Realm cultivator, which made Ran Luo slightly uneasy.

The reason for this request was clear to Qin Sang. If he traveled with others of similar strength, it would easily lead to disputes over spoils and make command difficult, as no one would be willing to follow orders from someone in the same realm.

Though this group was weaker, as long as they remained cautious and avoided provoking late-stage Demonic Core beasts, Qin Sang was confident he would be able to extricate himself even if things went awry.

Huiwen had only just left Duyan Island and would not return for some time. The merchant guild had very few Core Formation Realm cultivators stationed on the island, and all of them were preoccupied with their own affairs.

"No need to trouble Daoist Huiwen. I only plan to target peak Demonic Spirit Realm Jiao. Once I’ve gathered the necessary spirits, I’ll return immediately. There won’t be much danger," Qin Sang replied firmly.

Ran Luo saw that he was determined and refrained from pressing further. She sent someone to summon the beast-hunting squad and began introducing them to Qin Sang.

"There are five people in the squad. They were recruited into the guild by Manager Ning before he left half a year ago. Although their cultivation isn’t high, they’ve been operating around Duyan Island for many years and have built up a decent reputation. What’s most valuable is that they’ve spent a long time active in the southern trench, and they are extremely familiar with the local demonic beast population. They have unique methods for tracking and detecting beasts. Naturally, I’ve already ordered them to follow your command alone once they’re out at sea..."

Ran Luo then gave a detailed account of the team members.

All five were Fake Core Realm cultivators who had come to the Demonic Sea in pursuit of Core Formation. They had met on Duyan Island and gradually developed trust in one another over time.

Qin Sang took note of their information. The main reason he brought them was their familiarity with the Jiao’s territory. He needed them to lead the way and assist in tracking the beasts.

Before long, the five cultivators arrived.

"Greetings, Daoist Master Qingfeng," they said in unison, bowing to Qin Sang.

Qin Sang sat upright, quietly observing the five before him.

Three women and two men. Two of the young women looked strikingly similar; they were clearly biological sisters.

They reminded Qin Sang of the Le Sisters from the Small Cold Domain. Both had achieved such high cultivation as rogue cultivators, which was exceedingly rare.

The remaining two were an elderly couple in green robes.

They were already over two hundred years old, and both bore visible fatigue and the traces of age.

At that age, Core Formation was virtually impossible.

Ran Luo had told him that the elderly couple had entered Canglang Sea decades ago. Fortunately, they had never encountered life-threatening danger, though regrettably, neither of them had succeeded in forming a core.

They had a son, who was currently cultivating in the Inner Sea.

By now, both had given up on Core Formation and were devoting their remaining years to gathering cultivation resources for their child.

The last member of the team was a middle-aged man in a grey robe. He was a sword cultivator.

On the surface, these five seemed rather unremarkable, but Qin Sang could faintly sense a restrained, lethal aura from each of them. Even as they bowed to him, their formation was meticulous, and they maintained constant awareness of each other's positioning.

Only battle-hardened cultivators would carry themselves .

Having spent years in the Chaotic Island Waters and survived countless life-and-death struggles, Qin Sang could spot such signs at a glance.

If these five worked together, even an ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivator who underestimated them might end up paying the price.

"There’s no need to stand on ceremony. Once we leave the island, I’ll be counting on your assistance. If you have any thoughts or objections, feel free to speak your mind. So long as it’s reasonable, I will act accordingly," Qin Sang said as he stood and looked each of them over.

Then, his tone suddenly turned cold. "However, if anyone acts without my permission or dares defy my orders, I won’t hesitate to take another life beneath my sword."

Before his words had even faded, an intense killing aura surged from his body. The combination of his cultivation art and years of tempering had forged a murderous intent so sharp that even Ran Luo was visibly startled.

The five cultivators were shocked and quickly responded in unison, declaring their obedience.

Qin Sang nodded in satisfaction. "There’s no time to waste. Go and make your preparations. We depart tomorrow."

At dawn the next day, six figures quietly departed from Duyan Island.

They initially flew westward. After traveling a short distance, they began circling around in several wide loops before finally heading southeast.

Qin Sang had the elderly couple take the lead while he followed closely behind aboard the Nether Cloud.

Seeing how cautious they were, Qin Sang nodded to himself in approval. To have survived in the Demonic Sea for decades, they clearly had some skill.

To accommodate their pace, Qin Sang consciously slowed down. At the same time, he began carefully observing the environment within the Demonic Sea.

In a place filled with constant peril, one could be ambushed by a demonic beast at any moment. Even the altitude of flight was crucial. The elderly couple answered all his questions without reservation, and Qin Sang gained a great deal of valuable experience.