Chapter 2401: Disappearance

## The Mortal Realm

The Vermilion Bird spat out a ball of fire that enveloped a jade basin and a spiritual plant, then swallowed them. It kept muttering something unintelligible.

Wutu Xian was waiting nearby. The Vermilion Bird hopped onto his head, seemingly asking him, yet also talking to itself, "Will that guy really die?"

"No, absolutely not. Our master is immensely blessed and will be fine. He's probably just trapped somewhere," Wutu Xian replied with a forced smile.

"Exactly! That scourge will live for a thousand years. Wherever that guy goes, there's no peace. How could such a menace die so easily!" The Vermilion Bird's voice suddenly grew louder. It lowered its head to look at Wutu Xian, pecking him on the forehead. "Don't you dare have any wicked thoughts, or I'll eat you."

"How could this old servant dare! How could I..."

Wutu Xian's heart tightened as he felt a strong threat from the Vermilion Bird, nearly breaking out in a cold sweat.

"I understand how you two feel, and I can take you there. However, once we arrive, I hope you won't act on your own. I'm no longer in charge here." The Five Immortals Sect had already gathered their experts, preparing to meet their five guardians. Chilian believed that the Vermilion Bird and Wutu Xian wouldn't cause any trouble, so she warned them and agreed to bring them along.

Chilian led them to join the Five Immortals Sect's team and returned to the Great Lotus Marsh. Instead of heading directly to the abyss, they first chose a spot nearby to set up camp. Then, Chilian and several Five Immortals Sect experts quietly proceeded.

Upon reaching the location, to their surprise, a vast expanse of clear blue water lay before them. Where was the abyss?

Everyone looked at Chilian and Gumei, but they also didn't know what had happened after they left.

"Let's go down and see."

Gumei leaped into the lake, and the other demons followed closely. They went deep into the lake, searching for a long time at the bottom.

The demons surfaced, exchanging puzzled glances.

The abyss had completely vanished, leaving no trace.

"Are you sure you didn't remember the wrong place?" a demon cultivator questioned.

"Impossible!"

Chilian decisively shook her head. "There must have been another change below. We just need to wait patiently outside."

"But this isn't a long-term solution!"

A female demon sighed softly. The Sect Master was high above, but the five guardians were the true backbone of the Five Immortals Sect. They might be able to hide it for a while, but not forever. No one knew when the five guardians would emerge, and if they disappeared for too long, the Five Immortals Sect might fall into chaos.

Just then, a paper crane flew from afar and landed in the female demon's hand.

The commotion at Chiyun Mountain and Yuehun Tundra was too great, and rumors had been rife in the Great Lotus Marsh recently. They had heard all sorts of rumors before entering, so they sent subordinates to investigate. It seemed there was a result.

"Huh?"

After reading it, surprise flashed in the female demon's eyes.

Coincidentally, similar incidents had occurred elsewhere. The experts from Chiyun Mountain and Yuehun Tundra, as well as many demon cultivators who had entered the Star Gate first, were all trapped inside after the gate closed.

Now, that mysterious underground spirit formation had sealed itself off again. Not even the Astral Wind Belt could be entered, and the demon cultivators inside were completely out of contact.

Was it a coincidence?

"Chilian, you all keep an eye on this place!" The female demon, with a solemn expression, took two other demon cultivators and rushed to the reed marsh.

On a mountain not far from the lake.

Wutu Xian and the Vermilion Bird were hiding behind a large rock, observing.

At this point, the Five Immortals Sect experts still hadn't noticed they were being followed. Wutu Xian realized he had genuinely underestimated the abilities of this divine bird.

"Lord Divine Bird, do we really have to go over there?"

Urged by the Vermilion Bird, Wutu Xian hesitated. The Five Immortals Sect had many experts, and if the two of them were exposed, it would be difficult to explain.

"Coward, you wait here, I'll go down myself!" The Vermilion Bird scoffed. The flames on its body gradually faded, and it quietly submerged into the lake water, but found no traces.

It knew most of Qin Sang's methods. If it were truly a life-or-death situation, Qin Sang would certainly not hold back. To say nothing else, that Cloud Roaming Sword alone, once drawn, would surely leave a trace.

Moreover, Qin Sang had never revealed his true strength in front of Chilian from beginning to end.

The Vermilion Bird emerged from the lake, completely reassured.

"Leaving now?" Wutu Xian asked in surprise.

"There's nothing here, what's the point of staying? First, let's find a place to plant it! Strange, it seemed to want to come here before... We can look for that guy later!"

The Vermilion Bird spat out the spiritual plant and pointed in a direction.

Wutu Xian was full of doubts, but since Qin Sang's whereabouts were currently unknown and he hadn't personally witnessed Qin Sang's demise, he didn't dare harbor any ill intentions. He obediently carried the Vermilion Bird and went to find a place to plant the spiritual herb.

Wei Su.

After the Lord of Pestilence and Plague left, Qin Sang and Mo Yan appeared.

After the crescent moon shattered, the Moon Pagoda seemed to have been eroded by wind and sand for thousands of years, completely losing its divine aura.

"Please lend me a hand, fellow Daoist!"

Qin Sang landed in front of the pagoda, took a few glances, then spoke to Mo Yan and summoned his Azure Luan Dharmakaya.

The Azure Luan spread its massive wings, soaring in the air. The Moon Pagoda was enveloped in shadow, and gradually, a layer of gloom spread over its peak.

Suddenly, the Azure Luan retracted its wings and plunged headfirst into the Moon Pagoda. It didn't shatter the pagoda; the moment it touched, the layer of gloom immediately spread over the Azure Luan. The Azure Luan seemed to drill into another space, its form gradually disappearing from their sight.

At the same time, Qin Sang's true body trembled as a terrifying pressure suddenly emanated from the Dharmakaya.

Seeing this, Mo Yan flashed forward and blocked Qin Sang. The pressure actually transferred from Qin Sang to him, so he quickly summoned his inkstone, which transformed into a black light, blocking the way.

"Phew!"

Qin Sang let out a long breath, looking at Mo Yan's back with slight surprise.

Just now, before he could even give a warning, Mo Yan had moved. The timing was perfect, as if he understood this place even better than Qin Sang himself.

"Fellow Daoist?" Mo Yan asked, seeing Qin Sang unmoving.

Qin Sang quickly composed himself and fully controlled his Azure Luan Dharmakaya. Immediately, dull thuds echoed from within the Moon Pagoda. Following that, a hidden door on the first floor of the Moon Pagoda opened. Beyond the door lay a profound and dark scene, leading to an unknown destination.

At this point, the Azure Luan Dharmakaya flew out of the Moon Pagoda again and returned to Qin Sang's body. Qin Sang and Mo Yan exchanged glances, then walked side by side towards the Moon Pagoda.

Upon entering the Moon Pagoda, a chilling aura immediately assailed them. This was clearly not a space within the pagoda itself; the door led to another unknown place.

With his Dharmakaya merged with his true body, Qin Sang activated the Great Vajra Wheel Seal, secretly remaining vigilant.

Unexpectedly, their path ahead was completely unobstructed, and the space within the darkness was far larger than imagined.

"Have you noticed anything, fellow Daoist?" Mo Yan suddenly spoke, his tone subtly peculiar, as if he was trying to confirm something with Qin Sang.

Qin Sang frowned. He had indeed noticed some signs, but he couldn't deduce anything from them.

"No hurry, let's go a little further..."

Mo Yan surprisingly walked ahead of Qin Sang, leading the way.

After walking for a while, Qin Sang said, "There should have been a formation here originally."

"Indeed. The Moon Pagoda is the core of the formation. If the formation were intact, we wouldn't be able to take a single step... No, it would be impossible to enter at all!"

Mo Yan held his inkstone, gesturing sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right.

Qin Sang realized that Mo Yan was avoiding places where dangers lurked, which might have been manifestations of the great formation's residual power. Qin Sang could also be as composed as Mo Yan, but only with the help of his Sky-Eyed Butterfly.

How did Mo Yan do it?

"We're here!"

Mo Yan pulled Qin Sang out of his contemplation.

At the end of the darkness, faint glimmering lights appeared, resembling shimmering water under starlight.

Here, their spiritual senses were strongly suppressed; they could only see with their physical eyes.

Ahead seemed to be a lake, but without 'shores.' The lake water rippled with subtle waves, appearing even deeper than the surrounding darkness. Qin Sang looked at the surface and felt as if something was hidden beneath the water, along with a faint, imperceptible threat.

"Do you feel it, fellow Daoist?"

Mo Yan gazed at the lake water. "If I'm not mistaken, it should be that thing you like, fellow Daoist..."

"Could it be?"

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He then saw Mo Yan throw his inkstone, which inverted over the lake water, shooting out a stream of black light that plunged into the lake.

To his astonishment, the invisible threat he had sensed was not agitated by Mo Yan. The black light beam pierced the lake surface like a sharp sword, also resembling a channel.

"Splash!"

The lake water splashed up.

A shadow appeared beneath the lake surface, which was actually a living creature. Entangled by the inkstone's light beam, it struggled fiercely but in vain, gradually being pulled out of the water.

"Star Spirit!"

Qin Sang's eyes gleamed. What was hidden in the lake truly was a Star Spirit!

He wondered how Mo Yan had done it, forcibly capturing a Star Spirit from the lake without provoking a counterattack.

"Splash!"

The Star Spirit was forcibly dragged out by the inkstone. Then, with a flick of black light, it was forcefully thrown in front of Qin Sang.

"The last Star Spirit I captured was also in a similar place," Mo Yan said. "Fellow Daoist, please try and see if the two Star Spirits are the same."

Qin Sang nodded, sat down on the spot, picked up the Star Spirit, and directly refined it.

Finally, he woke up and pondered for a moment. "They're not completely identical," he said, "but they should be from the same origin!"

He looked up at Mo Yan. "Is the place you mentioned also part of the Black Tortoise Holy Palace?"

"Perhaps," Mo Yan said, his hands behind his back, gazing at the lake surface. "But we need more evidence. Let's first capture all the Star Spirits inside, then we can go elsewhere."

With that, Mo Yan summoned his inkstone and repeatedly captured Star Spirits from the lake. Qin Sang then sealed them, and all of them eventually belonged to Qin Sang.

"In ancient times, these Star Spirits must have had other uses, not just for cultivation," Mo Yan said.

"What you say is very true, fellow Daoist. However, times have changed, and secret traditions have been lost. Even if we know we're wasting a natural treasure, we can only refine it." Qin Sang sealed the last Star Spirit. Including the previous one, there were six in total, which was a pleasant surprise.

"Fellow Daoist, can you help me find the other Moon Pagodas?" Mo Yan asked.

Qin Sang spread his spiritual sense, surveyed the surroundings, and pondered, "This kind of Moon Pagoda, there's probably only one in Wei Su. In other constellations, it would be a Sun Pagoda or a Star Pagoda... We can give it a try."

"Much obliged!"

Mo Yan cupped his hands and bowed.

After that, they flew out of the Moon Pagoda, not rushing into action. Qin Sang first flew high into the sky to observe in all directions, then circled the area once before leaving Wei Su with Mo Yan and heading directly for the nearest Xu Su.

Upon entering Xu Su, they discovered another different scene.

Xu Su was radiating with light, as if a great sun emanated intense light. Beams of light were almost tangible, and through them, Qin Sang and Mo Yan saw countless jade bridges, all brilliantly clear.

Most of them were broken, also presenting a scene of ruin.

Seeing this scene, Mo Yan felt a little worried. Qin Sang observed for a while, then confidently said, "Although the scenes are different, the underlying principles are connected!"

With that, Qin Sang stepped onto a jade bridge. He walked along it for a while, then jumped onto another. This back-and-forth seemed to have no clear direction, but he became increasingly composed.

"Swish!"

Qin Sang leaped, flying over a broken bridge. Seeing the scene ahead, he sighed, "What a pity!"

Mo Yan arrived shortly after, following Qin Sang to the other end of the jade bridge. Ahead, eight jade bridges converged, and at their intersection was a circular stone platform. The platform was empty, covered with damaged marks, among which one circle was particularly noticeable.

"This should have been the base of the Sun Pagoda," Qin Sang said, glancing around. He wondered who had directly removed the Sun Pagoda.

Not only that, the spiritual pond within the Sun Pagoda that nurtured Star Spirits was also gone.

This was not the source of the light. Qin Sang looked towards the depths of Xu Su; it seemed that Xu Su was stronger than Wei Su. The glowing place likely contained some preserved treasure.

"Fellow Daoist Qingfeng!"

Mo Yan suddenly performed a solemn bow. "I have an impudent request: I hope fellow Daoist can take me to the other constellations to find the locations of those Star Pagodas!"

"This..."

Qin Sang hesitated a little, as there was clearly something in the depths of the light.

If he didn't seize the opportunity to go in before the Demon Saint's subordinates reacted, he feared that by the time he returned, they would have already gotten there first.

However, seeing Mo Yan's pleading expression, Qin Sang still agreed, reluctantly leaving Xu Su.

Next was Shi Su. When they found the Shi Su Star Pagoda, they discovered it had been opened, and recently at that.

They quickly entered the Star Pagoda. The scene inside was largely similar to the Moon Pagoda, but there were no Star Spirits at all; it was unclear if there had never been any here or if they had already been captured.

"It must be the White Dragon King!" Qin Sang snorted coldly. If the Lord of Pestilence and Plague could obtain the compass, the White Dragon King certainly could too. He hadn't expected the White Dragon King to be able to open the Star Pagoda, which suggested it had an expert by its side.

Mo Yan was only concerned with the Star Pagoda's location and urged Qin Sang to go to the next constellation.

Next, they successively visited Nv Su and Bi Su. Either the Star Pagodas were destroyed or already dilapidated, and Qin Sang couldn't obtain more Star Spirits. Finally, they returned to Niu Su, where Qin Sang confirmed the Star Pagoda's location amidst the ruins.

By now, they had found the Sun Pagoda, Moon Pagoda, and four Star Pagodas of the Black Tortoise's Seven Mansions, excluding Dou Su. However, according to Mo Yan, whether Dou Su was found or not didn't matter; six Star Pagodas were already enough.

Immediately after, they flew out of Niu Su. They flew for a while through the Nine Heavens Profound Astral Wind, arriving at a certain point within it.

Mo Yan solemnly took out a long table and placed it in the void. He then set out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, dipping his brush into the ink.

Qin Sang watched silently from the side, warding off the astral winds for him.

Earlier, each time they found a pagoda, Mo Yan would summon his brush and sketch something in the void.

Mo Yan now held his brush, staring straight ahead, his eyes vacant. His gaze seemed to pierce the void, simultaneously looking at the six Star Pagodas, and then he firmly made a stroke!