Chapter 701: Chapter 701

Qin Sang asked in a low voice, "Daoist Fan, you sent a message in the marketplace claiming you know of a sea route through the Thousand-Demon Sea. I hope you weren’t trying to deceive me into coming here."

All the cultivators present had seen Qin Sang in the market inquiring about this information, so his question came as no surprise.

Daoist Fan chuckled. "There’s no need to worry, Daoist Qin. In truth, your request is the easiest to fulfill. It can hardly be considered a condition at all, since this cave dwelling was something I discovered by accident along that very route. Before entering the Thousand-Demon Sea, I will hand over the geomantic map to you all..."

"The Thousand-Demon Sea?"

"The cave dwelling is inside the Thousand-Demon Sea?"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that place is right now?"

Everyone was alarmed and began talking all at once. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on ⓝovelFire.net

Daoist FAn raised his hand and motioned for calm. "Please don’t panic. While the cave dwelling is indeed within the Thousand-Demon Sea, it lies far from the areas where the evil cultivators are gathering. You all know that the commonly accepted sea route passes near the southern edge of the Thousand-Demon Sea, and that region is where the evil cultivators are most rampant. But this cave dwelling is located in the northern section. The distance between them is vast. Those notorious heretics have yet to form any real threat and would not dare provoke both races by extending their reach that far."

After repeated confirmation, the others gradually accepted his explanation.

For a while, silence descended on the island.

Daoist Fan did not press them, and judging by his expression, he seemed quite confident.

Qin Sang was weighing his options. Deep down, he was already leaning toward agreeing. Both the potential Spiritual Infant cultivator's treasures and the route through the Thousand-Demon Sea were well worth the trip.

Every person the rotund cultivator had selected was in the early stage of the Core Formation Realm. Though all were outstanding, Qin Sang had confidence in himself. Even if he could not win in a direct fight, he believed no one there could catch him.

Just then, Qin Sang heard a voice transmission from the scholar in the azure robe. "Daoist Qin, have you made your decision?"

Qin Sang replied calmly, "Has Daoist Lan already agreed to join Daoist Fan?"

"I have! The treasures Daoist Fan displayed were genuine. If he intended to harm us, it would be absurd for him to destroy three precious items just for show. What I’m most concerned about is whether he might be hiding something about the cold mist. And once the barrier is broken, if the treasure is too valuable, there’s no telling what someone might do... I would like to form an alliance with you, for both offense and defense. What do you say?" the scholar replied without hesitation.

Qin Sang furrowed his brow slightly and looked down, deep in thought.

The scholar added, "Take a look at the others. I imagine most of them are thinking the same. I do not know any of them, but I saw you first and felt your presence carried a certain air. That is why I made this offer to you."

Qin Sang lifted his gaze and saw that the two female cultivators had naturally gravitated toward each other.

The other three, including Daoist Fan, were also moving their lips slightly, clearly communicating via sound transmission.

Several others began sending messages to Qin Sang as well. He responded to each one casually. At last, he replied to the scholar, "Very well. If danger arises, we can watch each other’s backs."

A short while later, the two female cultivators finished their discussion. The one who had spoken earlier turned to Daoist Fan and asked, "Daoist Fan, when do you plan to set out? Could you give us a few days to discuss and prepare?"

Daoist Fan let out a chuckle. "Please don’t take offense, but the treasure is too valuable, and I must be cautious. Whether you choose to come or not, I need your answer now. We shall depart immediately. If you can’t decide now, then let’s go our separate ways. Consider this meeting never happened."

The female cultivator furrowed her brow and nodded. She leaned toward the other woman and whispered something, and the two seemed to enter a quiet argument.

Perhaps it was boldness born of skill.

Among the six people Daoist Fan had invited, Qin Sang and the other four gave their answers without hesitation. The last one, a burly man with a dark face, was clearly very reluctant. He sent several sound transmissions back and forth with Daoist Fan before finally giving a hesitant agreement.

Daoist Fan was overjoyed and clapped his hands. Rising to his feet, he declared, "No time to waste. We travel through the night. It’s best if we don’t stop along the way. Everyone, prepare yourselves for a hard journey."

Everyone present was a Core Formation cultivator, so a few days of continuous travel posed no real problem.

Seven streaks of evasion light lit up one after another on the island. Qin Sang and the others followed Daoist Fan into the sky and sped off.

Qin Sang did not wish to reveal his Sword Qi Thunderclap or the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman. Since he had no flying astra at hand, he had no choice but to activate a flying artifact.

Fortunately, the other cultivators were in a similar situation.

The journey proceeded smoothly.

After several days of dull, uneventful flying, everyone gradually became more familiar with one another. Boredom gave way to conversation, and they began to exchange cultivation insights. Qin Sang also gained a great deal from these discussions.

In return, Qin Sang shared some of his own experiences.

His strongest area was sword control technique.

While the Sword Qi Thunderclap and Sword Light Division supernatural abilities came from his cultivation art, Qin Sang himself had never slacked in his personal efforts. Especially during those few years right after forming his core, when he could not settle down to cultivate properly, he had spent much of his time contemplating the Sword Dao.

Though his talent was not on par with the true geniuses of the Sword Dao, the support of his cultivation art and his long-term study had brought him to a decent level of comprehension. His swordsmanship already far surpassed that of most ordinary cultivators.

Years of accumulated understanding, coupled with the gradual rise in his cultivation level, gave Qin Sang confidence that he would soon be able to comprehend Sword Qi Thunderclap on his own.

By then, he would step into that level of Sword Dao through his own efforts and would no longer have to rely solely on the ebony sword. Even if the ebony sword could not be used temporarily, he would still be able to unleash that power.

However, the Sword Light Division was still a long way off.

Qin Sang did not feel discouraged. With his art guiding the way, he already had a clearer path than most and considered himself quite fortunate.

The atmosphere among the seven of them was very amicable. After more than ten days of continuous flight, they finally approached the Thousand-Demon Sea. At this point, everyone became exceptionally alert. No longer flying carelessly, they advanced with caution.

"Daoist Fan, I believe it’s time to bring out the geomantic map," Qin Sang asked impatiently once they reached the northern edge of the Thousand-Demon Sea.

Daoist Fan took out a scroll and said with a smile, "Seems like Daoist Qin has been waiting eagerly. The geomantic map is right here. Please, take a look."

Qin Sang accepted it and saw that it was a hand-drawn nautical chart on some kind of beast hide. It marked two winding sea routes stretching from the northern and southern ends of the Thousand-Demon Sea, cutting across the entire region.

Surrounding the Thousand-Demon Sea was the even more perilous vast Demonic Sea, densely packed with demonic beasts. Few immortal cultivators dared to venture there. Fortunately, the Fire-Repelling Finch was known to appear near the Thousand-Demon Sea. Once they passed through it, that location would not be far.

Qin Sang quickly memorized the map and passed it to the others.

"Why isn’t the cave dwelling marked?" the gaunt elder asked with a frown.

Daoist Fan chuckled lightly. "Just because a route exists doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. My evasion technique isn’t the best, and I worry that if we run into danger, you might abandon me. So allow me to keep a little mystery for now. Also, I happened to buy this map from a friend through sheer luck. Very few people know of it. I suggest you avoid spreading it around. If this information becomes common knowledge, it will be far less valuable."