Chapter 723: Chapter 723

Deafening explosions rang out across the sea surface from time to time. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novᴇlfire.net

Two figures—one chasing, the other fleeing—swept past in a blur, stirring up wave after wave of towering surges.

The Two-Headed Hou looked far more battered than before. Its fur was curled and singed in several places, with patches of charred black along its body. Its breathing had become rapid and ragged, and as it fled, it kept glancing back warily.

After using its Shadow-Splitting supernatural ability three times, it had managed to put some distance between itself and the black-armored man. However, what troubled the beast most was that the man remained relentlessly behind it, never truly shaken off.

The black-armored man, on the other hand, appeared increasingly composed and confident, already treating the Two-Headed Hou as prey that could not escape.

He suddenly accelerated, launching a swift pursuit. Yet just as he caught up again, the Two-Headed Hou repeated its old trick, splitting into six more identical figures.

"You think I’m helpless just because the spiritual water in my bamboo tube has run dry? Let’s see how many more times you can cast that Shadow-Splitting Technique, and where exactly you plan to run."

His voice rang cold with fury as the mirror's phantom rose once more above his head. Controlling this mirror took a heavy toll, but with the Two-Headed Hou slipping farther away, he could no longer afford restraint.

Besides, the beast had been fleeing for so long that its strength had clearly dwindled. This was the perfect moment to strike with the mirror.

The mirror turned slowly before freezing in place, locking onto the third figure from the left. It had successfully revealed the beast’s true form.

The black-armored man gave a cold chuckle and raised his black spear, ready to launch an attack. But in the next instant, his expression changed drastically. He whipped his head around and stared behind him. Blue light was flaring in the direction of Cold Flame Island. It was unmistakably a sign that the Dongming Cold Flame was erupting.

"The Dongming Cold Flame!" His cry came out in shock.

Tasked with guarding the island, he could no longer afford to pursue the Two-Headed Hou. With no hesitation, he turned and flew straight back toward Cold Flame Island.

Before long, the black-armored man hovered above the island, his face dark as he looked down.

The cold flame had erupted. Centered on the island, the surrounding sea had frozen over. Within a short time, the ice layer had reached more than ten meters thick. It was a chilling display of the cold flame’s terrifying power.

For some reason, the Dongming Cold Flame was flaring wildly, erupting one wave after another.

The black-armored man hurriedly pulled out a jade talisman, about to send a transmission. Just then, the cold flame began to subside without warning. He froze for a moment, a flicker of suspicion flashing across his face.

Elsewhere, to the south of Cold Flame Island...

Qin Sang, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, and the Two-Headed Hou had already regrouped.

Qin Sang climbed atop the Two-Headed Hou’s back and gave its head a few approving pats.

Now that he had successfully taken the Dongming Cold Flame, his mood was excellent.

The Two-Headed Hou shook its head in protest, clearly unhappy at being touched.

Qin Sang chuckled softly, unfazed, and tossed the beast a few spirit pills. Lifting his gaze toward the endless expanse of the Demonic Sea, he spoke in a low voice, "I don’t know if we’ve alerted the Huntian Island's master. We can’t go back the same way. It’s better to take a risk and avoid the island altogether. Let’s head directly for Duyan Island. You’ll have to work a little harder..."

He was still holding the cold flame in his hand. Since he had yet to figure out how to properly subdue it, he dared not put away the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions. For now, he could only ride atop the Two-Headed Hou while keeping the flame in his grasp.

Strangely, the beast had grown more cooperative. After swallowing the spirit pills, it raced forward without complaint.

Qin Sang kept watch on their rear. Once he confirmed the black-armored man had not followed, he focused fully on studying the Dongming Cold Flame.

"Saint Dongming was truly formidable. This spiritual flame is entirely his, bound to him in essence and origin. No wonder even Transformation Realm great demons and the Huntian Island's master were powerless against it. Even if I had several decades, there’s no way I could erase his presence from it. What am I supposed to do now?"

He furrowed his brow, clearly at a loss. The Dongming Cold Flame had left him with no clear solution.

Although the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells could suppress the cold flame, the two fires were completely incompatible. If he attempted to use the devilish flames to invade or consume the Dongming Cold Flame, it would certainly result in a catastrophic explosion.

"For now, the only option is to find a way to stabilize it. I can’t keep holding it forever. Later on, I’ll figure out how to subdue it. Maybe I can incorporate a barrier..."

Qin Sang’s mind began turning over possibilities.

To stabilize the Dongming Cold Flame, he would still have to rely on the power of the devilish flames.

He held the cold flame in one hand and used the other to draw symbols in the air. True essence pulsed at his fingertips. A single rune quickly took shape. Then, using his spiritual consciousness, he guided a wisp of the devilish flames to fuse with the rune.

He failed dozens of times. But gradually, he began to grasp the trick.

The flame-sealing barrier slowly took form. Like the devilish flames themselves, it was jet-black in color. It floated gently toward the cold flame held in his other hand.

Under Qin Sang’s careful control, the barrier passed through the outer layer of the devilish flames and attached itself to the surface of the cold flame, locking it down.

He took a deep breath and withdrew his spiritual consciousness. Then he carefully dispelled the devilish flames. The Dongming Cold Flame remained stable. The weight on Qin Sang’s heart finally lifted. Without delay, he retrieved a large jade box from the Thousand-Jin Ring and carefully placed the Dongming Cold Flame inside.

After stealing the Dongming Cold Flame, Qin Sang did not dare delay for even a moment. He and the Two-Headed Hou took turns on the journey, pushing forward as fast as possible.

He avoided landing on Huntian Island, choosing instead to take the longer and riskier detour. Once he rejoined the sea route, he headed directly toward Duyan Island.

He retraced his original path.

Along the way, he saw large ships sailing on the water, a clear sign that the two races had indeed reconciled. Qin Sang was already familiar with the route, and now with the Primordial Unity Rings in hand, the journey felt even easier. He had no need to board any vessel.

Before long, he arrived near Siming Island. Throughout the entire trip, the Huntian Island's master had shown no signs of issuing a warrant for him, allowing him to return to Duyan Island smoothly.

Unexpectedly, it had been twenty years since he left Duyan Island.

Qin Sang felt a little dazed. The years of wandering and hunting beasts in the wild now seemed like a fleeting dream.

He put on his bamboo hat and flew toward Duyan Island. Halfway there, he encountered a patrol squad. After presenting his command token as a guest cultivator of the Qiongyu Merchant Guild, the squad immediately let him pass.

Looks like the Qiongyu Merchant Guild still holds power on the island. I wonder if they've changed leadership. Qin Sang thought as the familiar silhouette of Duyan Island came into view.

Both the island and the city atop it looked exactly the same as when he had left. The chaos between the two races had never touched this place.

"I was just being overly cautious back then," Qin Sang said to himself with a wry smile. With a light leap, he landed in front of the city gates, entered on foot, and made his way toward the Qiongyu Merchant Guild’s headquarters based on memory.

The plaque still hung outside the guild. Cultivators came and went freely. Everything seemed just as it had always been.

As Qin Sang approached the entrance and was about to step inside, a few cultivators exited from within.

Among them were two young women. Their eyes swept across Qin Sang casually, but when they noticed his attire, a flicker of familiarity surfaced in their minds.

The two women exchanged a glance, joy rising visibly on their faces. To the surprise of their companions, one of them darted forward, blocking Qin Sang’s path. She asked, trying to suppress her excitement, "May I ask, Senior... is your Dharma name Qingfeng...?"

Qin Sang smiled faintly and interrupted her. "What’s this? After just a few years apart, you two no longer recognize me?"

These two women were none other than the Wang Sisters, who had once accompanied him on a beast-hunting expedition. On the way back, they had been ambushed by members of the witch race and became separated.

He had not expected to encounter old acquaintances so soon upon his return. What surprised him even more was that the elder sister had already successfully reached the Core Formation Realm. This stirred up a quiet sense of reflection in his heart.