Chapter 2409: True Return to the Ruins

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Two streaks of light shot out, one to the left and one to the right. Wuxian and Duanchao chose to flee separately; the mysterious youth was too terrifying, and they simply hoped one of them could escape. But even that hope proved to be an extravagant wish. They rushed out of the gully, noticing that the mysterious youth made no move to stop them. Before they could rejoice, their vision blurred, and to their horror, they found themselves still in the same spot! The mysterious youth stood before them, his gaze chilling them to the bone. Everything that had just happened seemed like an illusion; neither they nor the mysterious youth had moved an inch!

The next moment, Wuxian and Duanchao caught a glimpse of a blood-red light out of the corner of their eyes, a chill striking their hearts. Immediately, a blood-red shadow materialized before each of them, lunging with a sinister grin. As the blood shadows entered their bodies, Wuxian and Duanchao froze in place, their expressions rigid, unable to move. Only their eyes could still dart around, filled with terror. Even when facing peak Void Refinement cultivators, they, as brothers, wouldn't have been so utterly helpless, lacking even a chance to strike. They didn't even know what method their assailant used to control them. The mysterious youth's identity was now glaringly obvious! A Demon Saint!

The blood-robed youth was indeed Ghost藏, the Great Saint. A casual glance in the reed marshes had revealed something peculiar about Duanchao, piquing his interest. "Hmm? Did I misjudge? You're not artifact spirits?" "Strange! Strange!" "Interesting! Interesting!" Great Saint Ghost藏 shook his head repeatedly, not delving further into their identities. He turned to the stone wall and asked, "What are you doing?"

However, it was merely a casual question for him; he didn't require Wuxian and Duanchao to answer. His eyes flickered, emitting an eerie blood-red light. The restrictions Wuxian had carved earlier now manifested on their own. Countless runes floated on the surface of the stone wall, forming a complex grand array. This array required Wuxian and Duanchao to work together to barely activate it, yet without Great Saint Ghost藏 making any apparent move, the array began to operate. The runes merged, transforming into a pure stream of water. It then divided into six, and these six streams flowed across the stone wall's surface, gradually changing form until they became six vibrant, lively carp.

One of the carp swam into the stone wall, then re-emerged from it. The other carp followed suit, swimming in and out of the wall. After this, no other unusual phenomena occurred. Before long, the carp's forms began to fade, the array's power gradually depleting. Wuxian and Duanchao were still conscious. Seeing the scene on the stone wall, Wuxian knew his attempt had failed yet again. Of course, whether it succeeded or not was meaningless now; they couldn't possibly escape the grasp of this mysterious Demon Saint. Their future looked bleak, and their only wish was for their elder brother to hide far away and not stumble upon this place. Misfortune can be a blessing in disguise; they hadn't expected that Moyan's disappearance would allow him to escape this calamity. But could fate truly be evaded? Despair filled the hearts of the two demons.

What Wuxian couldn't achieve didn't mean Great Saint Ghost藏 couldn't. Just as the six carp were about to vanish, Great Saint Ghost藏 let out a sound of surprise. His hair wildly danced, transforming into threads of blood that pierced into the stone wall. "Buzz!" The stone wall vibrated violently, yet the surrounding lake water remained perfectly still, completely unaffected. In the blink of an eye, the blood threads formed a bizarre blood-red net, spreading wildly across the stone wall's surface. Great Saint Ghost藏 squinted his eyes, seemingly searching for something. Several breaths passed; the stone wall continued to tremble, but no other phenomena appeared. Just then, a sharp glint flashed in Great Saint Ghost藏's eyes, and all the blood threads converged frantically towards a single point within the wall. Countless blood threads intertwined, sending shivers down one's spine, as they deeply pierced the stone wall, as if trying to forcibly tear it apart.

Wuxian and Duanchao's gaze was also drawn. They saw that where the blood threads had pierced, the stone wall became transparent, and clear water emerged, as if the threads had opened a spring. The shadow of a stream strikingly appeared on the wall's surface. Though both were water, the stream's water and the surrounding lake water had a distinct separation, as if they existed in two different spaces. The stream meandered, flowing upward from the bottom of the stone wall. They could only see a small section of the stream, unsure where it ultimately led. "Hahahaha..." Great Saint Ghost藏 suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, having discovered something unknown. His laughter made Wuxian and Duanchao's hearts pound. "I searched far and wide, only to find it effortlessly! Heaven has been good to me!"

Great Saint Ghost藏 reined in his laughter, the glint in his eyes intensifying. Guided by the Demonic Overlord, he had come to Lotus Crossing Great Marsh to seek out traces left by Great Saint Chanxin. He never expected that a spontaneous impulse would lead him to such a crucial clue! Having inherited Great Saint Chanxin's legacy from his tomb, he could naturally recognize Great Saint Chanxin's divine abilities and methods. This stream was certainly connected to Great Saint Chanxin! "Whoosh!" The blood threads retracted from the stone wall, transforming back into his hair. Great Saint Ghost藏's gaze was captivating as he questioned the two demons, "How did you find this place?" "You also have an elder brother?"

Great Saint Ghost藏 possessed countless methods to make the two demons comply. Without any effort, he extracted the information he desired. Their elder brother, Moyan, was the core of the three demons. Wuxian and Duanchao weren't even clear about their own origins; one had been deranged and the other muddled in the past. It was Moyan who later awakened them, restoring their clarity of mind, and they remembered nothing of their prior experiences. Since then, they had regarded Moyan as their elder brother and consistently followed his commands. Moyan had planned everything, but he was now missing. The 'key' to opening the stone wall's secret realm, a clam pearl, had also disappeared with Moyan. Great Saint Ghost藏 stared at the stone wall, making some conjectures.

Great Saint Chanxin must have entered. Back then, the clam pearl had not yet appeared, so Great Saint Chanxin had no key. He had forcibly broken open the stone wall to enter, and this stream was the very door Great Saint Chanxin had forcibly created! According to Moyan's experience, even with the clam pearl, one had to wait for it to resonate with the secret realm and for the pearl to display a 'tide' before the realm could be opened. However, if he could decipher the stream's secret, he could use this shortcut to enter the secret realm without waiting. Great Saint Ghost藏 finally understood why the Demonic Overlord spoke of Great Saint Chanxin, that traitor, with both praise and regret. This secret realm was not simple; he had just tried several times, and even with his power, he couldn't forcibly break in. He wondered how Great Saint Chanxin had managed it then.

"Is this... the place I'm looking for?" Great Saint Ghost藏 looked again at the location of the stream. Although he had received Great Saint Chanxin's legacy, that legacy required a specific bloodline to cultivate. He could only infer Great Saint Chanxin's divine abilities and methods through it. Recalling the moment the stream appeared, he had felt a sense of disharmony, as if something was missing. Great Saint Ghost藏 pondered for a long time before finally realizing the problem: there should have been an item suppressing the stream! This item would not only suppress the stream's seal, preventing aura leakage, but also serve as the 'key to the door'. Now, he didn't know where this suppressing item had gone, and he was blocked outside. "Lord of Pestilence..." Great Saint Ghost藏 murmured a name, which he had naturally heard from Wuxian and Duanchao.

All signs indicated that the suppressing item must have fallen into the hands of the Lord of Pestilence. He wondered how such a minor demon king had acquired it, unless the treasure had appeared on its own for some reason. He recalled the Demonic Overlord saying that the seal had loosened, and a great change was coming, likely already subtly affecting this realm. Great Saint Ghost藏 knew that many demon kings in Lotus Crossing Great Marsh had powerful backing. However, if the Lord of Pestilence had a Demon Saint behind him, Moyan and the others wouldn't have lasted until today. The Lord of Pestilence had disappeared along with Moyan, and now everything pointed to the same place!

The next moment, Wuxian and Duanchao suddenly found Great Saint Ghost藏 gone, yet they remained helpless. "Five Immortals' Sanctuary?" From the clouds, Great Saint Ghost藏 looked down and saw the Five Immortals' Sanctuary experts stationed by the lake. Even before he rose to prominence, he had heard of the Five Immortals' Sanctuary. Its master was said to be very mysterious, reportedly having connections with several Demon Saints.

The situation in Lotus Crossing Great Marsh was complex, and any single move could affect the entire balance. Great Saint Ghost藏 deliberated. Instead of acting rashly, he employed a minor stratagem to ascertain the full story, then looked at the lake's surface. To his surprise, what he saw was merely an ordinary lake, with nothing out of the ordinary. No abyss, no ink traces—nothing! The Five Immortals' Sanctuary wouldn't mobilize so many people for nothing, meaning there must be another secret realm here, one he couldn't even detect!

In fact, Lotus Crossing Great Marsh concealed too many secrets. For this very reason, no single Great Saint had been able to dominate the area; the current landscape was a result of various factions' power struggles and overt and covert contests. The existence of such a secret realm was not strange. The crucial question was what connection, if any, existed between these two secret realms, and whether they were related to what he was searching for. Great Saint Ghost藏 quietly submerged himself to the lakebed, searching inch by inch, but found nothing. He surfaced without attacking the Five Immortals' Sanctuary, leaving behind only a blood shadow to monitor, while his true form returned to the bottom of Moon Reflection Lake.

His hair transformed into blood threads once more, piercing the stone wall and re-activating the stream. Although the suppressing item was absent, it might still be possible to open this door. However, forcing it open risked creating too great a commotion, which would be difficult to manage. He could only proceed gradually. "Oh, I almost forgot about you," Great Saint Ghost藏 then remembered Wuxian and Duanchao, still unaware of their true origins. "Why don't you reveal your true forms!" Wuxian and Duanchao watched helplessly as two blood threads pierced their brows. Their eyes lost their vitality, and then their bodies began to glow faintly.

"Eh?" Great Saint Ghost藏 sensed something was wrong and immediately withdrew the blood threads, but he was a step too late. Wuxian and Duanchao ultimately transformed into two pure balls of spiritual light, one red and one black, as if returning to their primordial forms, their auras chaotic. Great Saint Ghost藏 frowned. He had always suspected that the three brothers finding the clam pearl and the secret realm was no coincidence. But with Moyan missing, and Wuxian and Duanchao's consciousness seemingly vanished, he still couldn't discern their true origins. However, he was certain they were by no means ordinary demon cultivators! Shaking his head, he collected the two balls of spiritual light into his sleeve. Great Saint Ghost藏 then patiently settled down to observe the stream's water intently.

Above the Ink Bridge. Three groups were currently making their way. Qin Sang and Moyan flew ceaselessly, having lost track of how far they had traveled on the bridge. They only knew the end remained distant, and their expressions had grown somewhat numb. The bridge was so incredibly long, it couldn't help but evoke thoughts of the legendary Bridge of Helplessness, said to span the realms of Yin and Yang. Fortunately, their escape arts were formidable, allowing them to remain far ahead.

"Fellow Daoist, it seems we're nearly there..." After an unknown number of days, Qin Sang finally heard good news, his spirits lifting. He secretly roused the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Several more hours passed, and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly vaguely saw the bridge pillars at the other end of the Ink Bridge! Moyan's feeling had been correct; they were about to exit the Ink Bridge.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Two streaks of light flew down from the Ink Bridge, and Qin Sang and Moyan appeared. The moment they stepped off the Ink Bridge, they experienced the same sensation as when they had previously jumped into the well. An invisible force pushed them forward. They offered no resistance until they were propelled out by this force, and their vision suddenly opened up. Qin Sang looked down and saw himself suspended above another well. Just like the one on the other side, this well was also suspended in mid-air, neither touching the sky nor the ground. He scanned his surroundings, secretly astonished. This was not the dreary ink wash landscape, nor was there the dangerous Nine Heavens Profound Gang; instead, it was a beautiful expanse of blue sea and sky, a picturesque scene!

The seawater stretched endlessly, extraordinarily still. There was no sound, not even a wisp of wind could be felt. The sky was clear, without a single cloud. The water's surface was like a mirror, without the slightest ripple, and as far as the eye could see, there was no undulation. No mountains, no islands, no wind, no waves! It was too tranquil, a tranquility bordering on the eerie.

A mysterious force seemed to pervade this place, capable of bringing everything to a standstill. As Qin Sang gazed at the incredibly calm water, his mind involuntarily relaxed, wanting to immerse himself in this tranquility. At that very moment, the Jade Buddha reacted! Qin Sang's heart jolted. The Jade Buddha's reaction signified that this 'tranquility' was not a good sign. What kind of place was this? Qin Sang secretly became vigilant. He looked at Moyan, only to see Moyan spreading his arms as if to embrace the water's surface, enjoying the peace here, a hint of excitement hidden in his eyes.

"I've found it," Moyan murmured. "What?" Qin Sang's heart was filled with doubt. Moyan turned to look at Qin Sang, speaking softly, "My resting place is here, beneath this water!" He pointed to the water's surface. "If I'm not mistaken, this is... Gui Xu!" "Gui Xu?" Qin Sang was startled.

The Storm Realm also had a Gui Xu; after integrating into the Great Thousand World, that Gui Xu had fallen into the River of Karma. Was this Gui Xu related to that one, or was the Storm Realm's Gui Xu merely a namesake? "Hmm, perhaps it's a part of Gui Xu, brought into the Saint Palace by the Xuanwu race..." Moyan wasn't certain. "Legend says that the true Gui Xu is the calmest place in the world, and also one of the most dangerous. Only the Xuanwu race can freely roam Gui Xu; other beings who enter will be assimilated, forgetting everything, even themselves..." The legend of Gui Xu here was vastly different from that in the Storm Realm.

Qin Sang looked at the water's surface. The water here was bottomless, and just as Moyan said, simply looking at it with the naked eye conveyed an extreme sense of tranquility. "Since Gui Xu is so dangerous, are you really planning to go down, Fellow Daoist?" Moyan nodded, then shook his head. "Before I descend, I must first fulfill my promise to help you capture the Star Spirit." Qin Sang said, "If you have an urgent matter, Fellow Daoist, simply telling me where the Star Spirit is would suffice." However, Moyan adamantly shook his head, stating gravely, "This is my promise to you, a karmic bond between us that must first be resolved." Seeing his insistence, Qin Sang did not refuse and cupped his hands, saying, "I appreciate your trouble."