txolops Chapter 2514 Deceiving the Left and Concealing the Right
Chapter 2514 Deceiving the Left and Concealing the Right
Chapter 2514 Deceiving the Left and Concealing the Right
The so-called 'Forbidden Palace' has no palaces; it is more like a large lake composed of spiritual energy.
Qin Sang and Ning Ye walked towards the center of the lake and saw an old man.
Surprisingly, the old man stood there motionless, his eyes closed. Time had etched its marks on him, making him appear frail and aged, yet his posture remained ramrod straight. Moreover, he exuded no life force, appearing lifeless, like a stone statue.
Ning Ye bowed to the old man and said, "This is my clan's ancestor, who has always been the one guarding the dragon vein."
Qin Sang sized up the old man and sensed that he was no longer a normal cultivator. There was a wisp of energy in his body that connected to the dragon vein, indicating that he had merged with the dragon vein.
This person should have died long ago. Even if he were to be awakened, he would probably just be a puppet who only knows how to kill, perhaps what could be called a humanoid guardian artifact.
Qin Sang suspected that the price for doing this might be having one's soul devoured by the dragon vein, preventing reincarnation. For the sake of the tribe's survival, this ancestor was willing to pay such a high price, and Qin Sang had always held such people in high esteem.
"Why don't you awaken this ancestor, Fellow Daoist Ning?" Qin Sang looked at him with a half-smile.
Ning Ye sighed bitterly, "Awakening the ancestor will inevitably expose the dragon vein. What difference does it make whether it is stolen by others or offered to the sect leader? Moreover, since the sect leader dared to go to the meeting alone, how could he not be on guard?"
Ning Ye couldn't understand how the dragon vein had been exposed; it was too bizarre. In his eyes, Qin Sang was becoming increasingly unfathomable.
Qin Sang smiled upon hearing this. Ning Ye's guess was correct; since she dared to come, she wasn't afraid of Ning Ye suddenly launching an attack. When Xuanqiu Zhenjun introduced the dragon vein, he hadn't specifically mentioned this information, presumably because he felt it wouldn't be a problem for her at all.
The two passed the old man and walked to the center of the lake. Qin Sang glanced around and saw no 'dragon' in sight, but the aura was right in front of them.
Following Ning Ye's example, Qin Sang closed her eyes and used only her spiritual sense to perceive, vaguely sensing a peculiar existence.
This thing exists between reality and nothingness, and is difficult to describe in words. It is probably a long, slender creature, shaped like a dragon or python, which is why it is called a 'dragon vein'.
The dragon vein lay there quietly, and Qin Sang carefully comprehended it, discovering that this wisp of energy was actually extremely complex.
Qin Sang sensed the spiritual energy of Qingling's mountains and rivers, as well as the noisy atmosphere of the human world, and it seemed to contain some kind of Daoist charm, and many other unknown things.
"It seems to bear the shadow of the Daoist Mountain and Water Divine Seal, mixed with other elements as well. No wonder it's a dragon vein created by the combined efforts of powerful half-demons..."
Qin Sang sighed inwardly, realizing that it contained too many things he couldn't understand.
A cultivator begins their journey into the Dao at the Nascent Soul stage, and even after progressing through the Transformation of Spirit and Refinement of Emptiness stages, they are only touching the edge of the Great Dao.
It's hard to understand, but it can be used.
The Crimson Melt Kingdom hid the dragon vein here because it lacked strength and feared it would be seized by other immortal kingdoms. The dragon vein has been dormant here, so the Crimson Melt Kingdom appears no different from other immortal kingdoms.
Once the Crimson Melt Kingdom merges into the Horned Life Kingdom, it can be awakened. The dragon vein will grow stronger along with the expansion of the Immortal Kingdom's territory and the accumulation of its people, and will also help the Immortal Kingdom, most directly by providing powerful protective artifacts.
According to Xuanqiu Zhenjun, forging a national protective artifact requires not only a dragon vein but also various external resources. Many immortal kingdoms need to mobilize the entire nation's resources to forge such an artifact.
However, since the eight dragon veins appeared in the world at the same time, they are interconnected, and the protective artifacts can be transformed. Some of the five superior kingdoms inherited the protective artifacts of the previous immortal kingdoms.
The national treasures that Qin Sang hid in Wuji Academy can now be put to good use.
Now is not the time to awaken the dragon vein, but Qin Sang instructed Ning Ye to start preparing now.
For the next period of time, Qin Sang stayed in Chi Rong Kingdom, completely subdued Ning Ye, and studied the dragon vein in the Forbidden Palace, which indeed gave him a lot of inspiration.
Not long after, Qin Sang left Chi Rong Kingdom and returned to Cangwu!
The master of the temple was still outside. Qin Sang returned to the altar and placed the Gengchu Zhidu Gong Seal. Even with his temperament, he hesitated before activating the altar. He reviewed the process in his mind again before activating the altar.
Just like last time, the Du Gong Seal brought his mind into the Great Void. Without anything to rely on, he drifted around. However, this time he made contact with the other party even faster than last time.
"Senior, is that you?" Qin Sang's tone was full of surprise.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” the other person said.
"That's great! I tried many times and thought I would never be able to contact you again, senior," Qin Sang said with a sigh of relief, though still worried.
The other party chuckled, "Have you forgotten what I told you before? If you can't find me, then cultivate the Taiyi Lingshu Scripture, and one day we will be able to contact each other again."
"Without your guidance, I feel uncertain," Qin Sang said nervously. "As for the *Taiyi Lingshu Jing*, I have already studied it carefully, but some parts are difficult to understand. I am not very talented, so I would like to ask you for guidance..."
"Hehe, there's no rush. Since you've found me again, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Last time, I had many questions that I didn't have time to ask you," the other party interrupted Qin Sang.
Upon hearing this, Qin Sang became very anxious, "No! No! I'm afraid I can't contact you too often, otherwise there might be problems."
"Huh? What's the problem?"
The other party seemed somewhat surprised. "By the way, I haven't asked you yet, how did you find me?"
Qin Sang said somewhat bewilderedly, "I am also completely confused. A long time ago, our sect's ancestors searched for a mysterious stone altar, which is said to have come from an ancient Taoist court. However, our ancestors tried various methods to activate the stone altar, but there was no response until it was handed over to me, and only then did we receive a response from our seniors."
"Oh? Is that so... It seems it was because the Divine Court was silent before..."
Qin Sang's perception was somewhat blurred; she couldn't clearly hear what the other person was saying, but she could guess the general idea. This was also the result of Qin Sang's deliberate guidance, misleading the other person into thinking that it was the effect of the return of the Divine Court, which would explain many problems and prevent them from suspecting that there was something fishy going on on his side.
"There's only a stone altar. What else is inside?" The other person pondered for a moment before pressing for an answer.
"There's a stone altar with many complex runes carved on it, which most of us juniors can't understand. There's also a fragment of some kind of treasure that no one has been able to decipher since ancient times... What are you referring to, senior?" Qin Sang asked cautiously.
"Oh? Could the fragments be... this should be an ancient altar!" the other party said decisively.
Qin Sang was taken aback upon hearing this. "Governing the altar? Senior, are you referring to the twenty-four governance methods of the ancient Daoist court?"
The other party hummed in agreement. "Since you know about the Twenty-Four Political States, do you know which one you originally belonged to?"
As long as the other party knows which treatment it is, they can immediately pinpoint his location, which Qin Sang certainly cannot reveal.
Qin Sang was completely unaware. "I once heard my master say that demons once plundered the Taoist scriptures, stealing and destroying many precious texts and techniques. Later generations could only learn of the existence of the Court from the surviving texts, but because so much is missing, much can only be imagined..."
Qin Sang knew nothing about the matter, but the other party showed great patience and continued to guide her, asking about the characteristics of the altar.
"The stone altar is severely damaged. Over the years, the patriarchs have tried to repair it, but it has only gotten worse. I dare not touch it anymore. After the last time, the stone altar shook much more violently than before. I am worried that each time I contact the seniors, it will deplete the altar's own power..." Qin Sang said with concern.
The other party corrected, "No! It's not the altar, but the power of that fragment of the seal!"
"Remaining seal?"
The other party did not answer, abandoning the search for clues on the altar, and instead asked: "Is there any special celestial phenomenon or secret realm near where you live? Has no one left in all these years?"
After pondering for a while, Qin Sang suddenly said urgently, "I remember now! It is said that a senior once went out, but was blocked by a storm and had to come back. The storm was coming from all directions. It was a very strange and terrifying spiritual wind that never stopped for a moment. Only demons knew how to get out. Moreover, our place is often ravaged by the gale, and the ordinary people are suffering terribly."
"Storm? Gale?"
The other party asked repeatedly, "Are you on an island or on the mainland?"
Qin Sang simply said she didn't know.
When asked about the demons around them, Qin Sang deliberately said that most of them were aquatic creatures.
"Could it be in the Xunfeng Sea?"
As expected, the other party guessed correctly. The storm had been raging for years and was the homeland of the Dao Court, so they would definitely think of the Xunfeng Sea immediately. The Xunfeng Sea was formed after the Dao Court was destroyed.
"It seems you should be in the area of the former Gengchuzhi, Yongquanshanzhi, Pinggaizhi, and Jinkouzhi," the other party speculated, then snorted, "I didn't expect there to be a pure land deep in the Xunfeng Sea. It was probably deliberately hidden by the group of water demons from the Dragon Palace."
The Xunfeng Sea is vast, and Qin Sang deliberately referred to it as being within the Xunfeng Sea. If the other party were to send people to search, it would take them hundreds of years.
"Dragon Palace?" Qin Sang asked anxiously. "Senior, are you saying that behind these demons there is a powerful dragon clan?"
"Don't be afraid! What are those swarms of snakes to fear? I will surely rescue you!"
Qin Sang noticed that the other person's tone was quite relaxed, and she didn't know whether it was to dispel her doubts or because they were genuinely confident.
Just how powerful is Qianzhou Lingwang?
At this moment, the other party suddenly changed his tone, "Although I can save you, you must also have the courage to fight against the demons! I remember you said last time that you are only the ruler of a country, while many people have already sided with the demons, and some have even merged with the demons to become half-demons. When it comes to the final battle against the demons, will these people dare to resist? How many people will follow you in the future?"
"This……"
Qin Sang was stunned, stammering and unable to speak.
The other party responded with a sneer, "It seems you're not prepared. Slaying demons will inevitably require countless lives and bloodshed! I'm afraid most people just want to reap the benefits and go with the flow!"
Qin Sang remained silent for a long time before resolutely saying, "This junior is willing to give everything, even die, to slay demons and rescue my people from their clutches. Please help me, senior!"
The other party sighed, "In ancient times, our human race was able to defeat demons because of countless sages who were not afraid of sacrifice and went one after another! It is rare to see such a sincere heart... Since you were able to contact me, you must also have the cultivation of the Void Refinement stage. Is there not a single Nascent Soul cultivator among the human race?"
“There are rumors, but he was hunted down by a powerful demon clan member. There are only rumors, no one has actually seen him…” Qin Sang’s mind stirred. “This junior’s strength is too weak. If possible, could you please lead us, senior expert…”
"Absolutely not!"
The other party suddenly interrupted Qin Sang sharply, questioning, "How do you know whether they are being hunted by demons or have already colluded with them, watching you be enslaved by them? What if they also have demon blood? Wouldn't you be walking into a trap?"
Qin Sang was speechless, but secretly delighted.
This is the result he wants.
Qianzhou is wary of the powerful figures here and will not act rashly. If Xuanqiu Zhenjun and the Wood God Envoy encounter any trouble in the future, he can openly seek help from Qianzhou, thus deceiving both sides.
"Slaying demons and eliminating evil is not something that can be accomplished overnight. You must not be impatient for quick results. At first, you should act in secret!" the other party advised. "What you need to do now is to quickly select qualified disciples and have them cultivate the 'Taiyi Ling Shu Jing' to form a spiritual network. When you have enough disciples and your spiritual network is strong enough, I will be able to assist you from afar!"
Qin Sang's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this; the Spirit Network could indeed transmit power across vast distances. However, given the immense distance, surely the other party couldn't possibly descend directly upon him through the Spirit Network?
The Taiyi Ling Shu Jing can be cultivated, and the spiritual network can be formed. Once it reaches the point of connecting with the Qianzhou spiritual network, one must be extremely cautious!
Qin Sang remained secretly vigilant, listening silently to the other party's instructions, and after a while, she became somewhat engrossed.
It was clear from their voice that they had extensive experience fighting demons, which wasn't surprising considering Qianzhou's location. Qianzhou was situated at the northernmost tip of the Great Zhou Dynasty, bordering the desolate wilderness, at the forefront of the struggle between humans and demons!
Thinking of this, Qin Sang felt much more at ease, knowing that the other party's main focus was being tied up by the wild demon army.
Next, the other party pointed out the key to Qin Sang's cultivation of the "Taiyi Lingshu Jing" (太乙灵枢经), and every word was precious, giving Qin Sang a deeper understanding of this spiritual cultivation method.
It was a rare opportunity to receive direct guidance from a powerful figure, and Qin Sang was somewhat reluctant to give it up.
"This junior is unaware of your honorific title, senior?" Qin Sang asked earnestly.
“It is not the time for my Dao Court to rise again, otherwise there would be no need to use the ‘Spirit Net’ to cover it up. Without the Celestial Master’s instruction, I cannot reveal my identity. Moreover, I am not sure if you are a spy sent by some organization to gain my trust and spy on the Dao Court,” the other party’s seemingly joking words made Qin Sang’s heart tighten.
He never dared to dream that he could deceive these cunning and powerful figures forever; he knew that the truth would inevitably be revealed sooner or later.
"I usually use the alias Zhou, so you can call me Senior Zhou from now on. Hmm, what's your name, kid?" Senior Zhou asked in return.
"Reporting to Senior Zhou, my master has named me Qingfeng," Qin Sang said obediently.
"Qingfeng? Haha... It's fitting that you join my Daoist sect!" Senior Zhou laughed. "Since the altar seal is damaged, we should minimize our contact to avoid being noticed by others. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask."