Chapter 2367

The Human World

Inside the cave.

The ice walls reflected the lightning, dyeing the entire cave a cerulean blue.

Qin Sang sat cross-legged in the center of the blue light, looking down at his left arm. Threads of green were clearly visible within his flesh and blood; these were the Azure Luan True Lightning, which Qin Sang was directing to encircle the 'black mole'.

The lightning threads surrounded the 'black mole', gradually engulfing it without meeting any resistance.

Qin Sang looked at the azure lightning bead on his wrist, and with a thought, slowly withdrew the Azure Luan True Lightning.

No sooner had the lightning bead dissipated than the black mole reappeared, glaringly bright, like a persistent bone-deep ulcer.

During this period, Qin Sang had tried various methods, but even the Azure Luan True Lightning couldn't eliminate the black mole. He was running out of ideas, and it seemed he would only be able to consult the Ziwei Boy once he awakened, though the timing for that was indefinite.

Fortunately, Qin Sang was certain that the black mole would not adversely affect him for now; his primordial spirit and physical body showed no abnormalities.

Nevertheless, having such a thing remain in his body was truly unsettling.

Unable to remove the black mole, Qin Sang decided to settle for a lesser solution: find a way to seal it, lest it suddenly cause trouble. Dealing with something he had never encountered before meant that his previous experiences were irrelevant, so Qin Sang needed to create a new sealing method.

Qin Sang withdrew his thoughts and fell into contemplation.

Not long after, he suddenly felt a sensation and took out the plum blossom that Madam Meishan had given him.

The plum blossom's petals were faintly shimmering with spiritual light.

This item was not only the key to opening the tomb but also a means of contact. According to the plum blossom's reaction, it was Immortal Wutu who was contacting him, and he wasn't far from the cave.

"Returned so soon? Have you already found a way to utilize the tomb?"

Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. He stood up and left his seclusion, his robe sleeve slipping down to cover the black mole on his wrist.

Leaving the cave, Qin Sang activated the plum blossom, sensed Immortal Wutu's location, and flew off.

It was currently the coldest period of the year on the ice plain; snow fell incessantly, and the mountains within the ice plain had become significantly shorter.

On a snowy mountain, Immortal Wutu stood alone on the peak, looking around. Unable to see the familiar figure, he couldn't help but pace back and forth, his expression anxious.

Since the plum blossom had been sealed by Qin Sang, Immortal Wutu couldn't sense Qin Sang's location through it and could only try to attract him. He was now worried that Qin Sang wasn't nearby, feeling uneasy.

A furious reprimand reached his ears. Immortal Wutu could only forcibly suppress his unease to avoid revealing any weakness.

These Crying God Guards were extremely cautious. Even though they knew their target was just a fierce demon who had recently attained enlightenment on the ice plain, they still set an ambush. No wonder they had earned such a fearsome reputation.

The more this was the case, the more Immortal Wutu felt his hopes of escape were slim. All his hopes rested on 'Bright Moon'.

A moment later, he suddenly saw a streak of azure light flying from the north. Immortal Wutu was overjoyed and eagerly transmitted a message, "Is that Fellow Daoist Bright Moon?"

The azure light's speed did not decrease, and it landed directly in front of Immortal Wutu. Qin Sang asked curiously, "Fellow Daoist, what brings you here? Why is Fellow Daoist Meishan not with you?"

Immortal Wutu gave an unnatural laugh. "Heh heh, Madam has other important matters and cannot get away. This old man, however, has something to ask of you…"

"Oh?"

Qin Sang glanced down the mountain and said meaningfully, "If Fellow Daoist needs any help, just say the word. Why bring so many fellow daoists along?"

Immortal Wutu's smile froze.

The sky above the snowy mountain suddenly darkened, and a dark cloud shrouded the heavens.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two streaks of crimson light shot out from the void, heading directly for Qin Sang's face.

The crimson lights were long and slender, intertwining with each other like a pair of snake-jiao transformed into snake scissors, even sharper than swords or blades.

At the same time, five figures emerged from under the dark clouds, and the ambushers appeared one after another, completely surrounding the snowy mountain.

"Take him down!"

The leading burly man's eyes glinted sharply, but he felt a flicker of unease in his heart because the target's behavior was too strange.

The snake scissors were his famous spiritual artifact, and his cultivation had long reached the peak of the Void Refinement mid-stage. Even a Void Refinement late-stage expert would not dare to underestimate a strike from the snake scissors.

Qin Sang, however, watched the approaching snake scissors coldly, neither dodging nor evading, his eyes completely calm.

"Could it be that this villain has hidden his strength, and the treasure was indeed taken by him?"

The leading burly man recalled his previous deduction, and the unease in his heart intensified.

They had originally held little hope, only wishing to capture a phoenix descendant to offer to their lord as atonement for their sins. Now, it seemed they might have caught a big fish.

Fortunately, not only had their three brothers come, but they had also brought two Crying God Guards who were lurking in the territory of the Great Saint of Fallen Frost.

Five Crying God Guards working together in an ambush—they refused to believe they couldn't capture this villain!

These thoughts flashed through the leading burly man's mind in an instant. Just as he was about to transmit a message to warn his companions, he suddenly heard their pained cries.

A crimson shadow quietly emerged behind the third one, appearing like a divine bird entirely composed of flames.

It wasn't until the firebird approached the third one that he felt something was wrong.

Vermilion Bird, who rarely had a chance to act while by Qin Sang's side, had eyes full of excitement.

It didn't use any grand or flashy divine abilities, merely powerfully pecked at the third one's nape with its beak.

The third one only felt a chill on his nape; it was then that he realized the danger, and the blood cloak behind him automatically protected its master.

"Whoosh!"

The blood cloak swayed, and a crimson light surged forth, thick like blood.

Suddenly, demonic claws extended from the blood. These limbs varied in form: ape arms, tiger and leopard claws, and various bird talons, all stained crimson, appearing eerie and terrifying.

The blood seemed to have swallowed countless demons and ghosts; mournful wails echoed, and demonic claws danced wildly, frantically clawing at Vermilion Bird.

Vermilion Bird let out a disdainful snort, and two streaks of crimson fire, distinctly different from the flames on its body, shot out from its wings.

Upon contact with Vermilion Bird's demonic fire, the demonic claws instantly burned to ash. The demonic fire quickly spread to the blood, emitting strange sizzling sounds, directly burning through the blood and ultimately igniting the blood cloak.

Everything happened too quickly. Vermilion Bird's beak met no resistance and powerfully pecked the third one's nape.

"Ah!"

Excruciating pain shot through a vital spot. The third one immediately revealed its true form, its demonic bird body trembling like a sieve, and it involuntarily plummeted downwards.

On its back, a firebird was clearly perched, clinging tightly to its back feathers and savagely pecking at the back of its head.

Streaks of flames invaded its body along the wounds.

"Thud!"

The demonic bird crashed heavily to the ground, now completely fiery red. Streaks of fire ropes pierced through its flesh, blood, and bones from inside out, binding it completely and utterly depriving it of the power to resist.

As the third one was attacked, a butterfly shadow appeared behind another Crying God Guard.

Heavenly Eye Butterfly had already broken through to the late stage of its sixth transformation, with a cultivation higher than Vermilion Bird's. Now, activating its Azure Jade Eye to unleash Wood Spirit Divine Lightning, its power was incomparable to what it once was.

That Crying God Guard's attention was entirely on Qin Sang, completely unaware of the approaching danger. Until the Wood Spirit Divine Lightning erupted, he, like the third one, relied entirely on his blood cloak for protection.

"Poof!"

All the demonic claws were annihilated by the Wood Spirit Divine Lightning. The divine lightning directly pierced through the blood, leaving countless holes in the blood cloak, and then heavily struck the Crying God Guard.

"Splat!"

A charred lump fell into the snow and tried to struggle. Heavenly Eye Butterfly, mimicking Vermilion Bird, used lightning as chains to firmly bind it.

Before Qin Sang even made a move, two Crying God Guards had already been captured.

Firstly, it was due to the element of surprise. Their ambush couldn't possibly escape the notice of Qin Sang and Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Qin Sang feigned ignorance, appearing openly to draw the enemy's attention, while secretly releasing Vermilion Bird and Heavenly Eye Butterfly to launch a sneak attack.

Secondly, Heavenly Eye Butterfly and Vermilion Bird targeted the only two Void Refinement early-stage cultivators among the five Crying God Guards. With their strength, success was naturally effortless.

In fact, even in a direct confrontation, Qin Sang had no fear; this group of demon cultivators didn't even have a single late-stage expert.

He needed to ensure he left a few alive first!

Two Void Refinement early-stage cultivators and three Void Refinement mid-stage experts would constitute a formidable force anywhere. If these demon cultivators were acting under orders, what kind of existence stood behind them?

Qin Sang felt a strong sense of unease. He had no grievances with them, yet they ambushed him. He had to uncover the reason.

By the time the leading burly man heard the screams, it was already too late. None of them had detected Heavenly Eye Butterfly or Vermilion Bird before they acted.

Before the battle even began, they had already lost two companions, creating a flaw in their meticulously planned ambush.

Originally, the five Crying God Guards manipulating the dark clouds would have been enough to deal with a Void Refinement late-stage expert. Now, with two corners missing, their deployment was completely disrupted, and they failed to seal off this area as intended.

However, despite the enemy's vulnerability, Qin Sang had no intention of escaping. His body radiated glazed treasure light, and he twisted his upper body, launching a punch at the snake scissors.

"Boom!"

The snake scissors tightly coiled around Qin Sang's fist but couldn't cut through it.

The attacks from the other two Crying God Guards also arrived.

The second one conjured a small silver hammer, only the size of a fist, yet it could unleash hurricanes with every movement and struck down with the weight of a mountain.

Another Crying God Guard unleashed a burst of crimson light, which enveloped hundreds of fine needles. Each needle was incredibly sharp and possessed the ability to break spells, specifically targeting the innate protective divine abilities of some demon cultivators.

The two attacks arrived simultaneously. Just then, a sword light soared into the sky.

In an instant, the sword shadow divided into countless forms, forming a sword array that emitted a darkness even deeper than the dark clouds, engulfing both the two powerful attacks and their masters.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Vermilion Bird and Heavenly Eye Butterfly charged into the sword array one after another.

In a short time, only the leading burly man remained on the battlefield, facing Qin Sang alone.

Shock, fear…

The leading burly man, being battle-hardened, did not freeze. Understanding that he had provoked an existence he shouldn't have, he decisively revealed his true form, abandoned his snake scissors and companions, and turned to flee.

"Bang!"

Qin Sang threw another heavy punch. The snake scissors let out a mournful cry and flew away.

Qin Sang watched the distant crimson shadow flee but did not pursue, merely pointed a finger.

Above the ice plain, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Countless lightning dragons and electric snakes converged towards the sky's center, manifesting a lightning seal.

"Crack!"

A heavenly thunderbolt struck the crimson shadow directly.

The leading burly man was horrified. The blood cloak on his back flew high, transforming into a lake of blood in mid-air. The blood was larger and deeper than that of the other Crying God Guards.

This type of blood cloak was the symbol of the Crying God Guards. Every Crying God Guard possessed one, but their power varied; the heavier the karma from killings, the stronger its power.

Countless demonic claws emerged from the water, piling up to form a tall tower made of flesh and blood. Struck by the heavenly thunder, it was as if a demon undergoing a lightning tribulation. The tower immediately toppled, and the blood lake shattered.

Amidst the sky-wide blood rain, the crimson shadow was hit by the heavenly thunder as if by a heavy blow. It was then swept by a golden light, its entire body stiffening, and it plummeted to the ground.

The next moment, Qin Sang appeared at the site of the lightning strike. With a raised hand, the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock and Earth-Imprisoning Divine Ring flew into his grasp.

During the earlier battle, Qin Sang had kept these two spiritual treasures hidden, as he was guarding against another ambush from afar, given how inexplicably this group of demon cultivators had appeared.

Once he confirmed there were no other ambushes, Qin Sang activated them, capturing the demon in one swift move.

Qin Sang looked down and saw the demon bird trapped motionless within the Void Domain. He frowned, feeling an inexplicable unease.

"Something's strange!"

Qin Sang seemed to sense something, his expression changing slightly. He raised his hand and pressed it towards the back of the demon bird's head, intending to directly perform soul-searching.

A moment later, the demon bird's entire body swelled with flesh, countless flesh tumors erupted, and it transformed into a hideous, repulsive ball of flesh.

"Boom!"

The flesh ball self-destructed, sending countless broken feathers and chunks of flesh flying. A thick cloud of bloody aura burst forth.

Qin Sang had been alerted earlier and retreated in advance. Looking at the bloody aura, his expression turned grim.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Immediately after, Qin Sang heard two more loud bangs from behind him; the two demons captured by Vermilion Bird and Heavenly Eye Butterfly had also self-destructed.

His premonition was correct. The treasures and divine abilities of these demon cultivators were very similar, indicating a close connection among them, clearly suggesting they belonged to a strict organization. Such organizations are usually well-trained and do not allow their members to be easily captured.

As expected, there were countless mysterious methods in the world. Although he had restrained their cultivation, he couldn't prevent them from self-destructing, even if the self-destruction wasn't necessarily voluntary.

Soul-searching a Void Refinement cultivator was extremely difficult, and Qin Sang didn't obtain much useful information.

He turned to look at the sword array; there were still two alive. Fortunately, he had separated them with the sword array in advance, so the two inside were unaware that their companions had already self-destructed.

Qin Sang's figure flickered, silently merging into the sword array.

An incense stick's time later.

Qin Sang slowly descended to the top of the snowy mountain, his gaze flickering.

The last two Crying God Guards also self-destructed.

Having personally witnessed the leading burly man's self-destruction, and with previous experience, Qin Sang, though unable to prevent them, could forcibly delay them for a period to interrogate and soul-search, finally uncovering the truth.

"You… you…"

Qin Sang heard a trembling voice and turned to see Immortal Wutu, whose face was filled with terror and shock.

Immortal Wutu had a restriction placed on him by the Crying God Guards. The restriction had activated at the beginning of the battle, causing Immortal Wutu to lose his combat ability and be unable to move from his spot.

It was also his good luck that he wasn't affected by the battle, surviving intact to the end and witnessing Qin Sang's entire process of eliminating the five Crying God Guards.

"Who exactly are you!"

Immortal Wutu couldn't believe his eyes.

"I am Bright Moon."

Qin Sang sighed, flicked his finger, and partially lifted the restriction on Immortal Wutu.

Immortal Wutu could finally move. His legs gave way, and he nearly tumbled down the mountain.

He stared fixedly at Qin Sang for a long while, then suddenly let out a long sigh to the sky, "You've hidden so much from us!"

"Indeed, I've implicated you."

Qin Sang offered no explanation; there was no need. He took out a wine jar and handed it to Immortal Wutu.

Immortal Wutu reached out and took the wine jar, gave a bitter smile, and drained the wine within, his expression gradually calming.

"Fellow Daoist, ask what you wish. After you're done, this old man can also set off on his journey."

Qin Sang nodded. Strictly speaking, this calamity wasn't an unprovoked disaster; it was entirely due to his greed.

The two demons were implicated by him and weren't originally meant to die, but since Immortal Wutu had discerned his phoenix bloodline and chosen to betray him, Qin Sang couldn't possibly leave this demon alive.