Chapter 685: Chapter 685

One month had passed since they discovered the traces of the Jiao.

Inside the cave dwelling, the old couple and the other three had already returned at some point. All five of them were in the main hall, looking restless. Only Qin Sang was absent.

"Daoist Master’s evasion speed is far beyond ours. Why hasn’t he returned by now? Could it be..."

The Wang Sisters frowned, their tone heavy with worry. "If something really happened to Daoist Master, would the guild blame us for our poor scouting and say we got him killed?"

The elderly couple still maintained some composure. "Daoist Master’s strength is extraordinary. Even a Demonic Core Realm demonic beast wouldn't easily be able to trap him. Don’t worry. Let’s wait another day. If—"

Before the old man could finish, the old woman’s expression suddenly shifted. She flickered and rushed out of the cave dwelling.

The others also sensed something at that moment and followed her in quick succession.

As soon as they reached the entrance, they saw a streak of sword light slicing through the sky. It circled once above the island before landing in front of them. It was Qin Sang.

The group collectively let out a long sigh of relief, joy washing over their faces.

"Senior, you’ve finally returned! Was there really a Demonic Core Realm demonic beast among that group of Jiao?"

Qin Sang nodded. "Yes. At the very least, it was at the middle stage of the Demonic Core Realm."

He hadn’t expected to encounter such danger during the final hunt.

After discovering traces of the Jiao group's migration, they immediately followed the trail for over ten days. Confirming that it was merely a group of Blue Jiao at the Demonic Spirit Realm, Qin Sang had decided to make his move.

But for some reason, he’d felt an unshakable unease before striking.

So, Qin Sang had ordered the five to retreat and approached the Jiao group alone. Out of caution, he first released a malevolent corpse to probe.

Unexpectedly, a Demonic Core Realm demonic beast had been hidden among them. It instantly annihilated the corpse and charged toward his hiding spot. Judging by its aura, it was at least a middle-stage Demonic Core Blue Jiao.

Realizing this, Qin Sang instantly understood he had been lured into a trap. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ noⅴelfire.net

It turned out his earlier intuition had been correct. That first Blue Jiao he killed had been anything but ordinary.

What shocked him even more was that these beasts had learned to bait and ambush. That Demonic Core Realm Jiao had likely already developed sentience.

In the depths of the Demonic Sea, Qin Sang would normally observe for some time before deciding whether to act, even when facing early-stage Demonic Core Realm beasts, let alone one at the middle stage.

Startled, he fled without hesitation and immediately warned the others to stay far away.

Fortunately, Qin Sang had acted with ample caution. His true body had been hiding at a distance. With the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, which had already devoured the spirits of eight Jiao, and paired with Sword Qi Thunderclap, his escape speed was astonishing.

After circling through several evasive maneuvers under the Jiao’s furious roars, he managed to shake it off.

"This sea region is no longer safe. Do you know of any other areas where Jiao appear?"

Having been targeted by a Jiao, Qin Sang knew continuing to hunt nearby was too risky. He decided to shift course. Since demonic beasts in the Demonic Sea each had their own territory, he wasn’t too panicked, but he couldn’t help feeling a lingering chill after nearly falling for such a trap. He no longer dared underestimate any of them.

Seeing that Qin Sang remained composed despite being hunted by a Demonic Core Realm demonic beast, the group admired him all the more, and gradually settled down.

After a moment of thought, the old man spoke. "Outside the trench, the most promising place would be west of Duyan Island. There's a sea region where a kind of fish demon called Fuhu often appears. Jiao seem to love feeding on them. Sometimes, Jiao sightings occur there. However, that area is also known to have Demonic Core Realm beasts roaming about. Only Core Formation Realm seniors dare hunt nearby."

Qin Sang’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. He looked around at the five and asked, "When do you plan to return to Duyan Island?"

They were briefly taken aback. "Senior, why do you ask?"

Qin Sang replied after a moment’s thought, "I’ve decided to head for the Fuhu Sea and plan to find a cave dwelling there to cultivate for a few years. If you’re not in a rush to return, I’d like to continue employing you to help me scout for demonic beasts. This time, however, your task is to locate the lairs of Demonic Core Realm demonic beasts. Due to the special nature of my cultivation art, I must do this. Of course, I won’t need you to assist in the actual hunts."

The Qiongyu Merchant Guild didn’t rely on him alone for artifact refinement. They only reserved the finest materials for Qin Sang.

He had arranged with the Merchant Guild to return every few years, which wouldn’t interfere with his cultivation. Hearing about the Fuhu Sea, which held a decent number of Demonic Core beasts, Qin Sang considered it the perfect place to study the killing symbol.

Conveniently, he had brought along many pills and supplies, so he decided to postpone his return to Duyan Island.

But demonic beasts wouldn’t deliver themselves to his doorstep, and searching alone would be too inefficient, wasting precious time.

These five had proven reliable, and though their cultivation levels were low, they were more than capable of locating beast lairs.

They exchanged looks. Following Qin Sang had brought them no shortage of benefits, and they had grown familiar with his personality. Naturally, they were happy to continue.

However, for Fake Core Realm cultivators like them, the Fuhu Sea was dangerous, and so they remained hesitant.

"Stay by my side, and you won’t be mistreated. As long as you carry out your tasks faithfully, I can refine artifacts for you free of charge, and ones that are no worse than that bone sword or bone spear." Qin Sang said, his tone alluring.

Then he turned to the elderly couple. "You two have already reached the limit with the Malevolent Demonic Pill, but other spiritual medicines still work for you. If you accumulate more wealth, who knows? You might one day stumble upon a Core Formation opportunity. Or... are you truly willing to give that up?"

His final words struck directly at their hearts.

The old couple exchanged a glance, then gritted their teeth and said, "We are both willing to serve at Daoist Master’s command."

Then they turned to the other three and added, "Fellow Daoists, unlike the two of us, you haven’t taken much of the Malevolent Demonic Pill and still have a chance ahead. Whatever you choose, we won’t hold it against you. If we part ways here, we hope none of us ever forgets the bond we’ve built over the years hunting beasts together."

The man in the grey robe agreed without hesitation as Qin Sang had promised him a bone sword.

The Wang Sisters gave a wry smile and said, "When we first arrived, we knew nothing. It was all thanks to the two seniors that we’ve come this far. How could we abandon you now? Besides, the opportunity Daoist Master has given us is something we might never encounter again in this lifetime. If we miss it, we’ll surely regret it."

All five agreed to Qin Sang’s terms.

Qin Sang laughed heartily, then immediately led them out of the cave dwelling and flew westward.

Two months later, they arrived at the Fuhu Sea. After spending another ten or so days, they found a deserted island concealing a spiritual vein. They carved out several cave dwellings right beside the spirit vein.

"We’ve finally gotten on the right track."

Looking at the humble cave dwellings, Qin Sang felt a surge of emotion.

Ever since forming his core, he had been wandering without a permanent abode, unable to focus on cultivation. Now, he had finally found a place suited to his needs.

"The five of you will take turns keeping watch on the island. The remaining four will head out in pairs. For now, focus primarily on tracking Jiao. If you spot any signs of demonic beasts, do not act rashly. Wait for me to personally investigate the lair."