Chapter 2411: Exposed Whereabouts

Two astral spirits were chasing each other among the clouds. Suddenly, a sword shadow flashed, and the astral spirits were swallowed by starlight.

Qin Sang instantly appeared. With a wave of his hand, he smilingly collected the two astral spirits into his bag. He had now captured nine astral spirits, and Mo Yan was likely close to the same number.

Naturally, the more astral spirits, the better. Qin Sang wasn't sure how vast this sea of clouds was, but he clearly felt that the astral spirits were becoming harder to find. To capture more, he would either have to wait patiently for them to emerge or venture deeper into the sea of clouds.

Furthermore, according to Mo Yan, there must be ancient demon cultivator treasures within and beyond this sea of clouds. As parts of the Black Tortoise Sacred Palace, they would be no less valuable than the treasures found in the Seven Mansions of the Black Tortoise.

The key to deciphering this sea of clouds might lie with him!

After a moment of thought, Qin Sang's figure flickered, and he flew directly towards the depths of the sea of clouds.

A crash of thunder!

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed all around him, and the rain became more intense.

The drizzle gradually turned into a downpour. Raindrops beat against his Bright Mountain Armor, making a loud pattering sound. This was no ordinary rain; each drop delivered a strong impact, causing the Bright Mountain Armor's protective light to flicker continuously.

Amidst the thunder, a phoenix cry resonated.

With his Dharmic manifestation activated, Qin Sang, relying on his powerful strength cultivation and the protection of his Bright Mountain Armor, charged through the thunderclouds.

Suddenly, a massive cloud mass appeared ahead, blocking his path.

As Qin Sang approached the cloud mass, it unexpectedly behaved like a colossal beast lying dormant. Startled by Qin Sang, it began to stir its mountainous body, and the cloud currents surged. A gigantic head, shaped like a tiger's, emerged, opening a massive maw and emitting a tyrannical aura, as if an unparalleled fierce beast was awakening.

Yet, Qin Sang, as if throwing himself into a trap, charged directly at the colossal beast and was swallowed in one gulp.

Inside the cloud, everything was a vast expanse of white, and both his spiritual perception and vision were restricted.

Qin Sang remained calm, recalling what Mo Yan had said earlier: these cloud-formed beasts were one of the dangers in the sea of clouds. It was best not to flee or resist them, as that would only provoke the beast and cause it to awaken fully.

The best way to deal with them was to charge in directly and pass through the beast's body.

These were all experiences Mo Yan had summarized. Qin Sang followed the advice, and indeed, after entering the beast's body, the surrounding cloud currents settled down, and the tyrannical aura gradually subsided.

However, dangers also existed within the beast's body. The pervasive cloud currents, like threads of a labyrinth, could cause intruders to become lost and never escape.

Qin Sang stopped and, with the help of the Heaven's Eye Butterfly, activated his Heaven's Eye divine ability. After observing for a while, he moved forward. Although suppressed here, the Heaven's Eye ability could still function, especially after he became familiar with the patterns of the cloud currents.

Drawing on Mo Yan's experience, Qin Sang quickly discerned some clues and navigated a winding path within the beast's body, eventually flying out successfully. Bursting from the cloud mass, Qin Sang looked back, realizing he had now passed through the beast's body and was behind it.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly felt himself locked by a powerful suction force. The surrounding rainwater inexplicably hovered in mid-air, forming a gigantic vortex at some point. Torrents of water rotated around the vortex with immense momentum. Qin Sang, caught within the vortex, was being pulled towards its center by a powerful drawing force.

A roar of water!

Surrounding Qin Sang, turbulent waves suddenly surged. It turned out he had unleashed his Immortal Mountain Daiyu. The torrents crashed against the immortal mountain, were blocked, and instantly shattered, causing the drawing force to significantly diminish.

Whoosh!

Qin Sang seized the opportunity to rush out of the vortex, but unexpectedly, he was immediately enveloped by an bone-chilling cold.

Looking around, the heavy rain had transformed into hail and blizzards. Ice and snow, like sharp blades, covered everything.

At this moment, Qin Sang felt as if he were in a forest of blades and a rain of swords. The immortal mountain in his palm vibrated, and invisible waves spread outwards, shattering the ice and snow.

Qin Sang used his Immortal Mountain Daiyu to clear a path, overcoming one challenge after another. This place was fraught with peril; even ordinary weather phenomena could bury intruders. All kinds of dangers followed one after another, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

He hadn't even reached the deepest part of the sea of clouds yet, so it was no wonder the Three Flying Immortals had returned empty-handed last time.

"Still no reaction..."

Qin Sang raised his wrist, seeing no change in the 'black mole,' which greatly disappointed him.

He shook his head and fully activated his Dharmic manifestation to perceive his destiny star, attempting to use it to comprehend the secrets within the sea of clouds. However, he found that this method, which had been unfailingly effective in the Seven Mansions of the Black Tortoise, was ineffective here. While he could vaguely sense something through his destiny star, it seemed to be severely disturbed, preventing him from making any judgments.

It seemed this place had indeed been altered. The key still lay with the tomb's owner and this black mole.

Qin Sang knew that it was almost impossible for him to break through the sea of clouds on his own. But should he continue forward? Perhaps the 'black mole' would change?

Just as he hesitated, a familiar fluctuation suddenly came from the black mole.

"Hmm?"

This time, Qin Sang was certain: what caused the black mole to change was not the sea of clouds, but something from outside!

Without hesitation, he turned back, returning to the outskirts of the sea of clouds at top speed. Fortunately, the fluctuation had not disappeared. Following the black mole's sensation, Qin Sang soon found the source.

"It's them!"

From afar, the Heaven's Eye Butterfly spotted several streaks of light flying through the cloud masses. Qin Sang immediately activated his Heaven's Awareness Thunder Robe, concealing his presence, and observed from a distance.

Plague Venerable, Gu Mu... one of the Three Elders was missing.

They were heading deeper into the sea of clouds, with Plague Venerable flying at the forefront. Qin Sang noticed an object in his right hand, from which crystal-like precious light refracted through his fingers.

It seemed this object was what attracted the black mole!

Qin Sang observed for a while and found that Plague Venerable was continuously infusing power into his palm, apparently relying on this object to guide his direction!

"A tortoise shell?"

When Plague Venerable opened his palm, Qin Sang finally saw the object's true form: it was a tortoise shell! It was very similar to the one he had obtained in the tomb, with a similar size and almost identical patterns on the carapace, only differing slightly in texture.

The closer he got to Plague Venerable, the more pronounced the black mole's reaction became. There was clearly some connection between the two tortoise shells.

However, it seemed only Qin Sang's tortoise shell reacted, while Plague Venerable had not detected him.

"This is it!"

Plague Venerable retracted his escape light, gazing at the sea of clouds, and spoke to the three demons behind him.

At this moment, Qin Sang noticed the black mole's fluctuation disappear. Seeing that Plague Venerable had stopped activating the crystal tortoise shell, he immediately understood why the black mole hadn't reacted earlier despite his proximity to Plague Venerable.

"Indeed," Gu Mu said, landing beside him. "It is the same sea of clouds. It seems we have entered the other end of it."

"What treasures could be inside here?"

Qiu Zang Gong and Cha Yun Jun arrived close behind, feeling the dangerous aura within the sea of clouds, and grew suspicious.

Plague Venerable and Gu Mu exchanged glances. As they approached the sea of clouds, they realized they had underestimated it and perhaps overestimated the crystal tortoise shell's capabilities.

Gently caressing the crystal tortoise shell with his fingers, Plague Venerable felt the coolness emanating from it. He activated the shell repeatedly, but to his disappointment, the crystal tortoise shell did not manifest any divine wonders as he wished, nor did it directly open a path through the sea of clouds or reveal a hidden grotto within it.

Could their previous judgment have been wrong?

Plague Venerable felt uncertain but couldn't reveal the truth to the two elders. So, he asked them to guard him while he pretended to activate the crystal tortoise shell.

Qin Sang silently watched their actions from a distance, secretly contacting Mo Yan.

Subsequently, the three demons remained around Plague Venerable, occasionally sending avatars into the sea of clouds.

Not long after, Mo Yan arrived and met with Qin Sang.

"How many have you caught, fellow Daoist?" Mo Yan handed a pouch to Qin Sang. Qin Sang opened it and found over a dozen astral spirits inside, more than he had caught himself.

Mo Yan gave all the astral spirits to Qin Sang, keeping none for himself.

Qin Sang cupped his hands in thanks and said, "I have one more reluctant request, which I hope you can grant..."

As he spoke, he pointed to the four demons in the distance.

"Fellow Daoist, do you intend to..."

Mo Yan was surprised, unsure why Qin Sang suddenly harbored killing intent towards Plague Venerable.

"I will deal with Plague Venerable myself. I only need you to help me hold off the others for a period," Qin Sang said.

"The number of astral spirits is far less than what I promised you earlier, and I am willing to assist you, but..." Mo Yan hesitated. Although he could temporarily unleash the power of a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, facing three opponents alone was beyond his capabilities, especially since Qiu Zang Gong and Cha Yun Jun were unfathomable.

"You have another helper, fellow Daoist," Qin Sang said, summoning the Thunder Beast Battle Guard.

Mo Yan was greatly astonished, exclaiming, "Fellow Daoist is indeed unfathomable, to have such a battle guard concealed!"

With the Thunder Beast Battle Guard's assistance, Mo Yan's confidence significantly increased. He agreed, and Qin Sang had the Thunder Beast Battle Guard vanish into Mo Yan's sleeve.

Just then, Plague Venerable roused himself. After the four demons exchanged a few words, they flew towards the depths of the sea of clouds.

Qin Sang and Mo Yan quietly followed behind, biding their time.

The rain poured down, accompanied by strong winds and thunder.

The four demons ahead suddenly stopped again, seemingly in a dispute. Qin Sang and Mo Yan used the cover of the sea of clouds to close the distance. For some unknown reason, Plague Venerable and Gu Mu, along with the two elders, suddenly began to quarrel, and the atmosphere became tense.

Qin Sang was secretly pleased. If they parted ways in discord, his opportunity would arise.

But fate had other plans. They ultimately did not go their separate ways. Plague Venerable reluctantly agreed to some conditions, and the tension eased. Then, Plague Venerable activated the crystal tortoise shell in his hand, and a spiritual light spread towards the sea of clouds.

Qiu Zang Gong and Cha Yun Jun gazed at the crystal tortoise shell for a moment, nodded to Plague Venerable, and then each cast hand seals.

A streak of green light emerged between the two elders. The green light rapidly expanded, and from within it, verdant tree roots began to grow.

Only roots grew, with no sign of a tree trunk.

The roots grew wildly. Some pierced into the cloud mass beneath them, taking root there. Then, over a dozen main roots branched out, growing deeper into the sea of clouds, their long tendrils gradually extending to the horizon.

The green light became denser, casting a glow on the elders' bark-like faces, making them seem as if they were revitalized with life.

For some reason, Qin Sang felt a subtle sense of unease.

The next moment, the two elders suddenly opened their eyes. "Who!"

Exposed!

Qin Sang's heart jolted. His Heaven's Awareness Thunder Robe and Mo Yan's Ink Concealment Art were both top-tier stealth abilities, which had always been effective before, but were now seen through by the two elders.

It was unclear how they had been exposed.

Since things had come to this, the arrow was on the string and had to be loosed!

Whoosh!

The two elders' sharp gazes shot towards their hiding place. Plague Venerable and Gu Mu were caught off guard but quickly realized someone was secretly observing them.

The opponent was likely one of the Five Immortals, whom they hadn't been able to find before, and now they had delivered themselves. Plague Venerable was frustrated by the lack of progress; wouldn't capturing the opponent provide clues?

"Who are these scoundrels!"

The four demons roared and lunged forward. Despite their recent argument, they now coordinated with great synergy.

The next moment, two figures appeared among the clouds.

"Huh?"

Seeing that it was not any of the Five Immortals, Plague Venerable paused slightly, then recognized Mo Yan, saying in surprise, "It's you!"

Previously, Mo Yan had bought the fish bait at the trade fair. They had failed to ambush and kill him but still remembered his aura. They had initially intended to lure Mo Yan out, but unexpectedly, it was the Five Immortals Pavilion that appeared.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Plague Venerable burst into laughter.

This was a sudden turn of events. Mo Yan had previously entered the secret realm, and he was clearly the one who opened the Returning Ruins. This person must know many secrets.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Qiu Zang Gong and Cha Yun Jun raised their hands and pointed at Qin Sang and Mo Yan. A strong green light erupted. The tree roots that had extended deep into the sea of clouds instantly retracted, while new roots simultaneously grew wildly.

In an instant, hundreds of roots shot out, thick as pythons and incredibly agile.

Some roots shot towards them, while others rooted themselves in the void. Fine tendrils on the root surfaces grew wildly, as if soil existed in the void, allowing them to draw nourishment from it.

Where the roots took hold, the cloud currents ceased to flow, and the rainwater hung suspended in mid-air. Space and time seemed to freeze.

Simultaneously, Plague Venerable and Gu Mu flickered and vanished. A multicolored poisonous miasma enveloped Qin Sang and Mo Yan, starkly contrasting with the surrounding white clouds.

"This time, let's see where you'll run!"

Plague Venerable's sharp roar echoed from within the poisonous miasma. He still harbored resentment over his previous failure, otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many twists and turns.

To the surprise of the four demons, Qin Sang and Mo Yan did not retreat but actively charged forward.

Mo Yan held his painting brush, leaving streaks of ink in mid-air. With strokes, dots, and outlines of various forms, the ink marks were like blades, specifically targeting the tree roots.

The ink marks flew out like scattered flowers, yet always precisely intercepted the roots, slashing fiercely at them.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Unexpectedly, the roots were extremely tough; the ink marks could only obstruct them but not sever them. However, once the roots were stained with thick ink, their momentum would be greatly diminished.

Mo Yan shifted his steps, evading attacks from the poisonous miasma.

"Don't rush, fellow Daoist, your opponent is me!"

With a rapid flutter of his phoenix wings, Qin Sang, unafraid of the potent poison, boldly rushed into the poisonous miasma and easily located Plague Venerable's true form.

"You are..."

Plague Venerable was somewhat confused, finding Qin Sang familiar. He finally remembered: wasn't this the strategist from Tianyun Port?

This fellow hadn't died after all; he had been hiding his strength all this time!

Tianyun Port was a pawn placed by the Five Immortals Pavilion in Lotus Lake. How was he related to the Five Immortals Pavilion again? Could the Five Immortals also be nearby?

Plague Venerable was filled with doubts, feeling an inexplicable unease.

Just then, the four demons were startled to sense an exceptionally powerful aura suddenly appear on the battlefield!

Mo Yan seized the opportunity, flicking his sleeve to unleash a bolt of lightning. The Thunder Beast Battle Guard, wielding a lightning spear, flicked its tip and charged directly at Gu Mu!