Chapter 710: Chapter 710

While flying, Qin Sang discovered two more signs of Demonic Core Realm beasts. Without exception, they had all been drawn here by the anomaly of the cold flame, migrating from distant parts of the sea.

Knowing that more and more great demonic beasts would be lured over, Qin Sang dared not linger nearby. He pressed forward along the charted route without pause. It wasn’t until deep into the night that he finally located an island marked on the nautical chart and rejoined the navigational path.

This place lay far from the cold flame, and from here, nothing unusual could be seen in that direction. However, along the way, Qin Sang vaguely heard the roars of demonic beasts echoing from behind. It sounded like those beasts had engaged in battle. Whether the cause was the cold flame or the presence of some surviving treasure on the island remained unclear.

"Cold flame..." Qin Sang murmured.

Given the might of the cold flame, it was not something that Demonic Core Realm beasts could possibly subdue. He himself was no exception. He had no strength to even dream of seizing the cold flame.

Withdrawing his gaze, Qin Sang checked the nautical chart and confirmed his direction.

Now, there were two choices before him. One was to turn back, as they had already verified the sea chart’s accuracy during the first half of their journey.

The other option was to go all in and continue cutting across the Thousand-Demon Sea.

Having already reached the heart of the Thousand-Demon Sea, turning back felt too much like defeat. After a brief moment of contemplation, Qin Sang chose to press onward, following the chart’s guidance.

This was a rare opportunity. The great demons in the central region had been drawn away by the cold flame, leaving their nests behind. Even if the chart was slightly inaccurate, the danger now was far less than before.

Acting without delay, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the island, meditating to recover to peak condition, then set off immediately.

For the next three days, he advanced cautiously. The chart proved to be accurate, and Qin Sang began to feel reassured that this chart was likely genuine. Even so, he remained vigilant and moved at a slow pace. It took nearly a month, but he finally crossed the Thousand-Demon Sea.

Vast blueish-green waves stretched endlessly, blending sea and sky.

Qin Sang now stood upon a massive island, hundreds of li across. From within, it almost felt like standing on land. Half of the island was covered in dense jungle, the other half dominated by towering mountains.

What was rare was that this island had not been occupied by demonic beasts. Life flourished. Though devoid of humans, the birds, beasts, fish, and insects all lived peacefully here.

Near the coastline, the mountains turned into nearly bare stone peaks. Sparse vegetation tenaciously grew from the cracks in the rocks, better than nothing.

On the eastern side of the island, the mountain range extended all the way to the shore and even jutted into the sea, forming a sharp promontory that resembled a cape.

Qin Sang stood at the highest point of this cape.

Today, the wind on the cape howled fiercely.

"From this island onward, I will be leaving the Thousand-Demon Sea," Qin Sang murmured, gazing at the eerily calm sea, recalling what he had read. "They say the waters ahead are actually safer than the Thousand-Demon Sea, with far fewer great demonic beasts. Of course, compared to the areas surrounding Huntian Island, this place is still quite dangerous. Few cultivators make it this far across the Thousand-Demon Sea. The Fire-Repelling Finch is said to appear in this region..."

After countless trials, Qin Sang had finally arrived. A faint smile surfaced on his face.

If all went as planned, once he finished refining the Primordial Unity Ring, he would go into secluded cultivation here for a dozen years or so to avoid the turbulence of the war between the two races. When there was truly no choice but to leave, he would return and reassess the situation.

He had ample supplies, and after killing the gaunt elder, he had gained a substantial amount more. There was no fear of running out. The real challenge was the two spiritual insects.

The fat silkworm posed little issue. It could rapidly grow in strength by devouring poison cores and required no special care.

But the Sky-Eyed Butterfly was a different story. To accelerate its metamorphosis, it had to be fed spiritual herbs.

Qin Sang had already started preparing a medicinal formula using the Six-Petaled Butterfly Pansy, feeding it to the Sky-Eyed Butterfly with promising results. Unfortunately, he only had two of the pansies on hand, enough to feed it for perhaps just over a decade.

The top priority now was to locate the Fire-Repelling Finch’s nest and pinpoint the Perpetual Camphor’s location.

There had been sightings of the Fire-Repelling Finch deeper within these waters. In a flash, Qin Sang turned into a streak of evasion light and set off once more.

With no precise coordinates, he had no choice but to begin a long search for the demonic bird.

The Fire-Repelling Finch was a type of demonic bird, yet its hierarchy was strictly enforced. Under the control of its king, the flock would never stray far from its territory.

As long as he spotted one, finding the nest would be much easier.

A single Fire-Repelling Finch flock could contain thousands, sometimes even tens of thousands. Most of them, upon reaching adulthood, barely qualified as transcendent and were little better than wild beasts. They also had short lifespans.

Only a rare few with powerful bloodlines had the potential to advance further. Those fortunate enough to undergo metamorphosis and reach the Demonic Core Realm would gain the ability to establish their own territory.

Even so, Fire-Repelling Finches in the Ordinary Demon Realm were already formidable. They were born with a supernatural ability involving cold wind, and when attacking in flocks, they were not to be underestimated.

So many of them together, their sheer presence alone would cause any cultivator to hesitate.

Their symbiotic relationship with the Perpetual Camphor was something Qin Sang had only seen recorded in the jade slip left by the Eight-Sword Elder. In all the ancient texts collected in the Small Cold Domain, even there it had barely been mentioned, so it was even less likely anyone in Canglang Sea would know.

Anyone unaware of this connection, without the lure of some obvious reward, would never dare step into a demonic beast flock’s nest.

In this vast sea, finding a single small demonic bird was no easy task. Worse, he had to remain constantly alert for other demonic beasts. After drifting through the ocean for nearly a month, Qin Sang finally discovered a bird on a desolate island, one that looked almost identical to the Fire-Repelling Finch.

Its feathers shimmered like ice, its form elegant like a swallow. Its beak, sharp and translucent, glinted in the sunlight. About the size of a hawk, it stood proudly on a reef at the island’s edge, exuding a majestic air.

The Fire-Repelling Finch fixed its eyes on the seabed, then suddenly dove into the water.

Beneath the surface, a sea beast resembling a carp let out a sharp screech. Waves surged violently as the two demonic beasts fought fiercely for their lives.

The sea beast held the upper hand. The Fire-Repelling Finch cried out in panic, yet the sea beast failed to notice that tucked between the crevices of the shoreline rocks, more than a dozen other Fire-Repelling Finches lay in ambush, eyes locked onto their prey.

Just as the sea beast chased after the Fire-Repelling Finch and unknowingly surfaced, the waiting finches suddenly sprang into action, launching like arrows from a bowstring. Fınd the newest release on N0veI.Fiɾe.net

Terror filled the sea beast's eyes. It tried to dive back into the depths, but it was already too late. The Fire-Repelling Finches beat their wings, gathering blasts of cold wind into a swirling mass, freezing the sea beast solid on the ocean surface. In the next moment, they tore it apart.

Yet the Fire-Repelling Finches did not feed immediately. Each one clutched a large piece of flesh in its beak and flapped its wings, flying eastward.

Qin Sang, hidden on the island, had watched the entire process of the Fire-Repelling Finches hunting the sea beast.

Their coordination was flawless, as though they had rehearsed this countless times, ingrained into instinct.

One of them, a late-stage Demonic Spirit Realm Fire-Repelling Finch, appeared to be the leader. Under its fierce and watchful gaze, not a single one of the others dared to sneak a bite while dividing the carcass.