Chapter 2402: Comrades

Mo Yan put his brush down. Qin Sang's eyes immediately flashed with surprise.

He saw the paintbrush seemed to touch a hidden node, and a ripple suddenly erupted in the void. Mo Yan grunted. The brush swung, nearly flying out of his hand due to the ripple's impact.

Mo Yan flew backward several hundred feet before finally dissipating the ripple. When he looked at the paintbrush in his hand, its tip was dry, and all ink light had vanished; the treasure was damaged! The ripple vanished quickly after repelling the brush, leaving no trace. Qin Sang stared at the spot where the ripple had erupted but sensed nothing.

"What was that?" Qin Sang asked.

"It could be a door..." Although Mo Yan said 'could be,' his tone was very certain. He stared at the void, lost in thought.

"Isn't this place already sealed off?" Qin Sang was curious how Mo Yan had managed it.

The entrance to the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace and the fissures in Mo Mountain were all sealed, and the reason remained unclear. It could be that the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace sealed itself off, or it could have been done by someone else. Grand Sage Jin Qing and Grand Sage Moluo had clearly disappeared in the Arctic Ice Plain, yet Scarlet Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra came here to search. Qin Sang always felt there was a conspiracy hidden behind this. If both Grand Sages were trapped in Dou Su, it would be even more terrifying. Should they appear, their demon sage subordinates would surely try to summon reinforcements, and this place would quickly turn into a demon sage battlefield. Those without strong backing could only pray not to be affected by the powerful cultivators' battle.

Currently, neither Scarlet Meteor Mountain nor Lunar Mire Tundra had any intention of opening the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace. Their demon sage subordinates likely had no means to do so; otherwise, they would have already entered. Yet, Mo Yan had succeeded, discovering a 'door' here!

"What's currently isolated is the connection between the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace and the outside world," Mo Yan said softly. "But what if both sides of this door are part of the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace?"

A glint flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. "Are you saying this door might lead directly to the place you mentioned before?"

Mo Yan nodded slightly.

"Are there many Star Spirits there?" Qin Sang pressed.

"The Star Spirits in the spiritual pond should be more numerous than those in the Lunar Pagoda, and there might also be Star Spirits roaming outside," Mo Yan said, glancing at Qin Sang. "I already promised I wouldn't disappoint you."

Qin Sang mused to himself. Refining two Star Spirits earlier had shown immediate effects. If he could obtain enough Star Spirits to elevate his *Heavenly Demon Refinement* technique to a higher level, or even close to its peak, then even if the treasures in Dou Su were not for him, this trip would not be in vain.

"However," Mo Yan's tone shifted, "the sealing of the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace also affects this. It likely won't open quickly, and I need to thoroughly comprehend it. I've caused you to miss many opportunities previously, so you might as well take this time to explore. I'll contact you when there's progress."

This place was not near any constellation, surrounded by the Nine Heavens Profound Gang. Those demon cultivators should not come to disturb him, so Qin Sang no longer needed to guard him.

Qin Sang knew Mo Yan was not speaking falsely and nodded. "Very well. I'll go to Dou Su first to see their progress, in case any major changes occur again."

With that, Qin Sang parted ways with Mo Yan and left alone.

After flying for a while, out of Mo Yan's sight, Qin Sang stopped. Then, his figure flickered, and he split into an Azure Luan and another version of himself, forming his Dharma Aspect and Dharma Body. The Dharma Aspect merged with his main body, turning towards Xu Su, while the Dharma Body continued towards Dou Su.

Qin Sang had always been wary of Mo Yan and had never revealed his Dharma Body in front of him. Otherwise, he could have split his actions and managed both sides on previous occasions.

The Dharma Body passed through the Nine Heavens Profound Gang and arrived near Dou Su, discovering more demon cultivators gathered outside than before. From afar, the Dharma Body sensed a tense atmosphere. The demon cultivators were in a standoff, specifically Scarlet Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra, who had teamed up to confront other demon cultivators.

After listening patiently for a while, the Dharma Body realized that the other demon cultivators wanted to force Scarlet Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra to hand over something. Although Scarlet Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra had many demon cultivators enter, their number of top-tier experts was far less. If a fight broke out, they would have almost no chance of winning. The other demon cultivators seemed to be hesitant about something, delaying their move.

The Dharma Body quickly found the palaces of Demon King Heiji and Plague Lord Zhangli. Demon King Heiji had joined the protesting forces, while Plague Lord Zhangli remained unaligned, unwilling to join either side. Clearly, both were deliberately distancing themselves from each other. The other three elders were also nowhere to be seen.

"Where are the Five Immortals of Five Immortals Pavilion?" The Dharma Body scanned the area and also found the White Dragon King's Crystal Palace but saw no sign of the Five Immortals. Setting aside the demon sage factor, Five Immortals Pavilion and Plague Lord Zhangli were two forces not to be ignored, both potentially influencing the situation's direction in the future.

At this moment, with both sides unable to reach an agreement, some demon cultivators began to stir restlessly. Just then, Yuan Luo suddenly let out a sharp cry, and then Scarlet Meteor Mountain and Lunar Mire Tundra charged into Dou Su without hesitation. They were already backed against Dou Su, and the other demon cultivators had no time to stop them. Caught off guard, shouts of anger erupted one after another.

After some hesitation, a portion of the demon cultivators followed them in, while others, including Demon King Heiji and Plague Lord Zhangli, remained outside. Anyone with clear sight could tell that Dou Su couldn't be easily opened; it was better to let those inside fight it out first. The Dharma Body observed Dou Su, having no intention of entering. Firstly, entering Dou Su required the abilities of his Azure Luan Dharma Aspect. Secondly, this open and secret struggle clearly had the shadow of a demon sage behind it. Sending the Dharma Body to guard the place was merely an unrealistic hope.

After observing for a while, the Dharma Body quietly retreated a distance. Some demon cultivators continued to wait outside Dou Su, hoping for an easy gain, while others left to explore different areas.

On the other side, Qin Sang's Dharma Aspect and main body had already entered Xu Su. As before, Xu Su was still brilliantly lit, with shining jade bridges everywhere. It seemed no other demon cultivators had visited since they left.

Qin Sang, knowing the way well, quickly arrived at the ruins of the Sun Pagoda. He looked around, then closed his eyes to sense, and a shadowy Azure Luan figure faintly appeared behind him. As the shadow danced, Qin Sang's expression gradually became solemn. What he sensed from deep within the light exceeded his expectations. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion created by something, but the depths of the light might be extremely vast, with various mysterious forces affecting perception. If he were to enter, he might not emerge for tens or even dozens of days. Considering that there would be no progress from either Mo Yan or Dou Su in the short term, Qin Sang decided to go in and investigate!

His figure flickered, and a streak of light was seen continuously leaping between the jade bridges. Qin Sang's path was not straight; instead, he circled the source of light again and again, gradually drawing closer in a spiral fashion. As Qin Sang approached the source of light, the radiance faintly began to flicker. Fortunately, no unexpected changes occurred. Qin Sang successfully touched the light and felt a slight suction, drawing him into the radiance.

"Without cultivating ancient demon arts and without a destiny star to guide them, even if those demon cultivators possessed a thousand skills, they would still have to go through great trouble. It's likely that the demon cultivators who entered Xu Su before realized this and retreated after acknowledging the difficulty..."

A thought flashed in Qin Sang's mind as he looked around, finding his vision filled with a vast whiteness, only light. He silently activated his cultivation technique, and his destiny star unexpectedly resonated with the light. He used this resonance to determine direction, and although he didn't know what was inside, he could pinpoint the core of the place. Immediately, Qin Sang controlled his light evasion technique, moving through the light. The surrounding light was dense as water and had a cooling sensation, unlike the scorching heat of sunlight. Here, one's mind would become peaceful.

This flight lasted for over ten days, taking longer than Qin Sang had expected.

"Oh?" After flying for so long without seeing anything, Qin Sang suddenly sensed something blocking his path ahead. He immediately sped up, flying rapidly for a while. At the edge of his vision, a radiant glow suddenly shone, clear and bright: it was a tall archway. This archway stood in the void like a grand gate. Its material was similar to the jade bridges outside, but its quality was clearly far superior.

Qin Sang flashed down to the archway's base and reached out to press forward. Indeed, he was blocked; there was an invisible door here. There were no walls on either side, just a solitary door, but it was likely impassable to circumvent. Qin Sang released his divine sense, scanning the archway repeatedly and carefully exploring for a while. Ultimately, he still had to rely on his Dharma Aspect.

One could say that everything for the ancient demon race was based on, deduced from, and created using ancient demon arts, and the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace was no exception. Ancient demon arts, the Grand Dao of Star Souls, that was the true path!

As expected, with his Dharma Aspect in action, progress was quickly made. Qin Sang swiftly scanned the area, then leaped up, clenching one hand into a fist. He threw hundreds of punches like lightning, each striking a different spot, with timing and force perfectly controlled.

Boom! As the last punch landed, the archway trembled slightly, and the outline of a radiant door appeared in the previously blank space. The radiant door emitted dazzling light and slowly opened amidst the archway's vibrations. Through the gap, a vast expanse of white mist came into view.

"Hmm?" Just then, Qin Sang suddenly sensed something, and his expression subtly changed. A burst of force locked onto the door handle. Qin Sang tried to close the radiant door again, but it was too late. Behind the door was a 'mechanism,' left by an unknown party. Anyone who opened this door would inevitably trigger the mechanism and be sensed by its owner. Clearly, a demon cultivator had already entered before him!

Seeing that his presence was already exposed, Qin Sang simply withdrew his force and stepped through the archway. His vision suddenly widened to reveal an boundless sea of clouds, ethereal as an immortal realm. Golden light occasionally flickered within the sea of clouds, appearing highly unusual. At the same time, Qin Sang sensed three powerful forces flying back from deep within the sea of clouds. Moments later, three points of light appeared in the sea of clouds, rapidly approaching.

"White Dragon King!" Qin Sang immediately saw a man wearing an imperial crown and dragon robes, exuding a certain regal majesty. He had never personally visited the White Dragon King, but the White Dragon King's name was already widely renowned to him. To the White Dragon King's left was a female cultivator wearing a phoenix coronet, whose cultivation was only slightly inferior to his. To his right was a somewhat effeminate-looking young man. Unexpectedly, he was only at the Mid Void Refinement stage, but he seemed not far from a breakthrough.

Qin Sang's attention was most drawn to the effeminate youth. "This demon cultivator also practices ancient demon arts! So that's it!" He should have thought of it earlier. Qin Sang had previously suspected the White Dragon King after discovering a Star Pagoda had been opened. Rumors claimed that adherents of ancient demon arts still existed in the current era, but this was Qin Sang's first encounter with one here.

"Oh?" The three demons were clearly very surprised to see Qin Sang. The effeminate youth stared intently at Qin Sang, his face full of shock. Pointing at Qin Sang, he exclaimed, "You actually..." Clearly, he also recognized Qin Sang as a fellow practitioner.

Qin Sang calmly said, "I didn't expect to meet a fellow practitioner here. What a rare occasion! A rare occasion indeed!"

At the same time, the effeminate youth secretly transmitted a message to the White Dragon King: "This fellow must be the one who opened the Lunar Pagoda!" Suppressing his excitement, he urgently said, "Kill him! I only want his inheritance and whatever he took from the bottom of the Lunar Pagoda. Everything else is yours! Furthermore, I can ensure that all your debts to King Banyan will be written off!"

The White Dragon King was slightly moved, not expecting the effeminate youth to offer such a high price. The effeminate youth had a close relationship with King Banyan and had originally come to the Crystal Palace as a guest. Coincidentally encountering this situation, he came along, and unexpectedly played a huge role after entering. He had previously heard the effeminate youth mention repeatedly failing to break through bottlenecks and encountering various difficulties in cultivating ancient demon arts. Suddenly meeting a fellow practitioner whose cultivation was superior to his, it was no wonder the effeminate youth's eyes held a hint of jealousy. However, this youth's character was also quite malicious. Instead of debating with the other party first, he immediately wanted to kill, likely related to the item at the bottom of the Lunar Pagoda, which must be of extremely high value for ancient demon arts.

The White Dragon King's thoughts flashed through his mind. Instead of acting on the effeminate youth's desire to kill Qin Sang, he spoke gently, "It is fated that we meet. I am the White Dragon King. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"The White Dragon King's name resonates like thunder. I am but a minor character, I fear my name would sully the King's ears..." Qin Sang paused, then continued, "It seems you all have been here for quite some time."

"Indeed," the White Dragon King admitted frankly. "May I ask for your insights?"

Qin Sang licked his lips and revealed a cunning smile. "You've all been here so long, still lingering at the entrance. It seems this fellow practitioner lacks the ability to find the way in. Instead of wasting more time, why not abandon him and join forces with me?"

As these words came out, the effeminate youth erupted in rage, smoke practically fuming from his orifices. He roared, "Presumptuous! What are you waiting for, fellow Daoist? Kill him quickly!"

The White Dragon King sighed helplessly. He had intended to stabilize the situation first, but these two seemed destined to clash, both eager to eliminate the other. Now he had to make a choice. He had to admit that the effeminate youth's conditions were indeed very tempting. Moreover, King Banyan carried more weight. Although Qin Sang was also at the late Void Refinement stage, his cultivation was clearly not as profound as his own and the phoenix-coronet female cultivator's, meaning there was a chance to subdue him.

"Forgive my offense!" the White Dragon King said in a deep voice, while the phoenix-coronet female cultivator quietly moved to Qin Sang's side, forming a pincer attack. "You must have been the one who opened the Lunar Pagoda, right? If you hand over the items, we might not be unable to cooperate..."

Qin Sang's gaze turned cold. He had already found the effeminate youth's gaze somewhat malicious, and this confirmed his suspicion. In truth, both sides had come for treasures, making peaceful coexistence impossible. Qin Sang didn't bother with more words. His figure flickered, and he charged towards the sea of clouds.