Inquiry about immortality

Chapter 2538 Great Terror

The royal family of the Zhu Qian Dynasty was known as the Dan Huan Clan. It is said that they were descendants of the Lingyi bird, and unexpectedly, they also possessed the bloodline of the Vermilion Bird.

"You overestimate me. Unless the Danhuan Clan fights to the death, who can wipe them out?" Qin Sang shook his head and chuckled.

The powerful clans of the half-demon kingdoms, especially the royal families of the five upper kingdoms, possess unimaginable depth of power. They are like the kings and nobles of mortal kingdoms; no matter how the country changes, their tribes continue. Even if their country is destroyed, it is only a temporary loss of power. When the next era arrives, they will still be able to make their appearance again.

Zhuque was feeling down. Hearing this, she raised her eyelids slightly and said, "Oh, just pretend I didn't say anything."

“The Danhuan Clan should come to us on their own initiative. Would you like to meet with them?” Qin Sang asked.

Zhuque tilted her head, thought for a moment, then shook her head: "I won't see her!"

Before Qin Sang could ask why, Zhuque plunged into the small cave, ignoring Qin Sang's calls.

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

Imagine if he were the only human left in the spirit world, then you would understand how Suzaku feels right now.

Are there no other Vermilion Birds existing in the world today?

Qin Sang guessed that perhaps in some hidden paradise, there was still a powerful figure of the Vermilion Bird clan, or one or two branches of Vermilion Bird descendants. Once he and the Vermilion Bird improved their cultivation, they could try to find them.

With five princes defecting to the enemy, the Zhu Qian Dynasty was left with only the Dan Huan tribe defending the capital, and the territory under the command of the eight princes was almost completely lost.

Countless immortal kingdoms and forces are paying close attention to the Zhu Qian Dynasty. As observers can see more clearly, the situation in the Zhu Qian Dynasty remains extremely complex.

The Kingdom of Jiaosheng is located in the southwest of the Zhuqian Dynasty, but the kingdoms that have allied with it are the Northern King of Beilu and the King of Shechi from the north. The neighboring kingdoms of Jiaosheng are the King of Zhilian and the King of Chuxu, one of whom submitted to the Heavenly Fox Kingdom, and the other of whom was subjugated by the Kingdom of Dageng along with the King of Yelan.

In this situation, the three immortal kingdoms are intertwined and mutually restraining, and they may turn against each other before the Zhu Qian Dynasty is destroyed.

In addition, there is the Cangwu Kingdom, which will not give up until it has gained any benefits.

However, what the world is most concerned about is not these things, but how the royal family of the Zhu Qian Dynasty will choose. Without a doubt, whichever side the Dan Huan tribe sides with will be the biggest winner in this feast of division.

Contrary to external expectations, the four immortal kingdoms did not engage in internal strife, indicating that they were determined to destroy the Zhu Qian Dynasty before making a final showdown.

Just as people were speculating about the ultimate fate of the Zhu Qian dynasty, a distinguished guest arrived at Qin Sang's residence.

"I am Huan Yue, and you are the leader of the Five Thunder Sect?"

Standing before Qin Sang was a young man with long, crimson hair tied back with a jade ring. His eyes were fiery pupils, without pupils, but burning with two bright flames.

Qin Sang sized up the man and nodded, saying, "Indeed! Fellow Daoist is the patriarch of the Dan Huan Clan?"

"The Danhuan Clan has always had two clan leaders. One values ​​talent and is in charge of governing the country, while the other values ​​natural talent and is in charge of the ancestral temple," Huan Yue explained.

Qin Sang suddenly realized that the other clan leader was none other than the current Emperor Zhu Qian. Since he possessed the dragon vein, talent was less important, and the ability to govern the country was valued more. The one before her, however, who had no trace of the dragon vein aura, was the true clan leader.

Huan Yue continued to explain his purpose, "Not long ago, our ancestor manifested himself in the ancestral temple and commanded us to seek refuge with the leader... Whatever arrangements the leader makes, our clan will fully cooperate."

The play must continue. The Danhuan tribe must surrender to the Jiaosheng Kingdom, but they cannot surrender too easily, lest it arouse suspicion.

Qin Sang had already planned this out. He gave Huan Yue some instructions, and the two sides would cooperate tacitly to push Jiao Sheng Kingdom to annex the Zhu Qian Dynasty, thus completing the mission.

This was the first time Qin Sang and Huan Yue had met. After discussing business, they were no longer as unfamiliar as before. Qin Sang thought of the Vermilion Bird and subtly inquired about it from Huan Yue, but the other party flatly denied that the Dan Huan clan possessed the Vermilion Bird bloodline.

Does the Danhuan Clan truly not know about the Vermilion Bird, or are they intentionally concealing something?

Since Zhuque was unwilling to show himself, Qin Sang didn't press the matter further, after all, there was still a True Monarch above the Danhuan Clan.

"I don't know when we will meet again after this parting. I hope you will treat the Danhuan people well, Master," Huan Yue said, bowing deeply with a sincere expression.

In the future, only Emperor Zhu Qian's branch will pledge allegiance to the Jiaosheng Kingdom, while Huan Yue will lead the Dan Huan clan's ancestral temple into seclusion. This is a last resort; if Huan Yue were to openly reveal himself, he would immediately become a target for the demon race.

The two bowed to each other in farewell.

The situation then proceeded as planned, with the four immortal kingdoms mobilizing their troops and threatening the capital of the Zhu Qian Dynasty.

……

Thirty years later.

The former capital of the Zhu Qian Dynasty.

In the former imperial palace, Yuan Zuo, Ning Ye, and a group of experts, including the Northern Lu King and the She Chi King who had become subjects of the Jiao Sheng Kingdom, gathered together.

They formed a circle, and in the center, the mist transformed into an extremely realistic map, depicting the territory of the present-day Kingdom of Horned Life.

In addition to the original territory of the Jiaosheng Kingdom, it also swallowed most of the Zhuqian Dynasty, but the central part of the map is missing two large parts, which is very glaring.

"I just received a message from Fu. King Chu Xu and King Zhi Lian ultimately lacked the courage to fight us to the death. They moved their palaces away before the deadline..."

Ning Ye took out a talisman and passed it around to everyone. Then he reached out and swept his hand across the map, and the two missing pieces were finally filled in.

Yuan Zuo revealed a mocking smile, "Those who know when to yield are the heroes. Since that's the case, there's no need to push too hard in the east. The Zhu Qian Dynasty has been swallowed up by us, so we should at least leave some face for the Da Geng Kingdom!"

“That makes sense,” King Beilu echoed. “However, they will certainly not give up, so we must be prepared for a long battle.”

"These have all been discussed before. The reason I've invited you all here today is for another matter," Ning Ye paused, looked around at everyone, and uttered two words, "Relocate the capital!"

The capital of the Kingdom of Jiaosheng has never changed, which is no longer suitable for the current state of the Kingdom of Jiaosheng.

"Where should the new capital be located? You may all speak freely," Ning Ye said, then fell silent.

Yuan Zuo spoke first, pointing to the ground beneath his feet, "In my opinion, this is the only place that counts!"

The others looked at Yuan Zuo, then at Ning Ye, pondering their attitudes. Some agreed, some disagreed. Ultimately, unable to reach a consensus, they selected several locations, wrote them down in a talisman, and asked the sect leader for a decision.

Before long, a point of light flickered slightly on the map. Everyone looked closely and saw that it was the former Dongjiao King's Mansion.

The Eastern Jiao King's Palace is located in the center of the map, making it a suitable location for establishing the capital.

Disappointment flashed in the eyes of Yuan Zuo and the others. If Qin Sang chose the old capital of the Zhu Qian Dynasty, it meant that they would continue to advance eastward and reclaim the territory that had been seized by the Da Geng and other countries.

This choice lacks ambition; it seems the leader is very satisfied with the current state of the Horned Kingdom and is determined to maintain the status quo rather than continue to vie for supremacy.

This means that unless some once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arises, and the Horned Kingdom is nearing its peak, it is impossible for a peerless immortal kingdom that unifies half-demons to emerge, as some people expect!

……

The Five Thunder Sect's headquarters.

Qin Sang sat upright on the altar, not in meditation, seemingly lost in thought.

The Zhu Qian Dynasty was destroyed, and the Jiao Sheng Kingdom took its place, becoming one of the five superior kingdoms, not far from achieving Qin Sang's previous goal.

Once the situation stabilizes and the Horned Kingdom dominates the Western Regions, they can sit back and watch the changing fortunes of the other half-demon kingdoms.

Even without the protection of the Half-Demon True Lord, as long as the Horned Kingdom doesn't actively make enemies, no immortal kingdom will dare to provoke them.

The Kingdom of Horned Beast no longer needs to expand; it is enough to help Qin Sang comprehend the Mahayana Path of Slaughter and cultivate the "Purple Star Sword Scripture" to its peak.

Looking back on the whole process, it can be said that everything went smoothly and naturally.

It may seem that practicing the Mahayana path is very easy, but in reality it is not.

The fact that Jiaosheng Kingdom was able to replace the Zhu Qian Dynasty and become one of the five superior kingdoms in just a few hundred years was due to the perfect combination of favorable timing, geographical location, and popular support.

If the demon race hadn't 'hunted' and the immortal abode hadn't emerged, the chaotic world wouldn't have broken out so quickly; it would have taken a very long time to brew, possibly several thousand years.

Of course, more importantly, Qin Sang's identity deceived the half-demon True Monarch, and it was only with their cooperation that things went so smoothly.

Imagine if there weren't so many 'coincidences', the Kingdom of Jiaosheng would have had to defeat one immortal kingdom after another, and in the end, it would not only have to destroy the Zhuqian Dynasty, but also fight against countries like Dageng.

Who knows which immortal kingdom might have a half-demon true lord behind it? If you anger them, they could easily teach the Horned Kingdom a lesson that would lead to its utter destruction.

The Hinayana path allows one to cultivate diligently in a cave, gradually accumulating spiritual power. The Mahayana path, however, involves continuous progress without regression, and is not determined by one's innate talent but is also influenced by many external factors.

One careless move and you lose everything!

With the fall of the immortal kingdom, years of hard work were destroyed in an instant, and countless years would be wasted in the process of rebuilding it.

Qin Sang was still in the Refining Void Realm, and the Horned Life Kingdom he established was just one of the many half-demon kingdoms, and he couldn't even leave the Great Wind Plain.

Compared to the Spirit Realm, the Great Wind Plains is but a tiny place.

If one continues to follow the Mahayana path of killing and breaks through to the next level, even to the level of the Great Vehicle, one will be drawn into the conflicts between the world and the war between the two realms. This situation is far more complicated than the situation faced in establishing the Horned Kingdom. Just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle.

These are all things for later. Qin Sang has already laid a 'foundation'. What he needs to do now is to focus on cultivation and strive to complete the cultivation of the "Purple Star Sword Scripture" as soon as possible before the situation becomes chaotic.

With the overall situation settled, Qin Sang no longer needed to be too distracted by the Kingdom of Jiaosheng. In fact, Qin Sang had spent most of his time cultivating over the past few hundred years.

As Qin Sang's understanding of the Mahayana Path and the "Purple Star Sword Scripture" deepened, his cultivation level was also significantly improved. At this time, he vaguely experienced the benefits of cultivating both spiritual power and physical body.

Qin Sang cleared her mind of distractions and entered a meditative state. This time, she chose not the "Purple Star Sword Scripture" but the "Heavenly Demon Refining Form".

He had cultivated the "Heavenly Demon Refining Form" to its peak, but because he could not find his own destiny star, he had been stuck in the same place for many years.

Not long ago, Qin Sang suddenly felt that the bottleneck was showing signs of loosening.

Whenever she had free time, Qin Sang would travel in her mind to the vast void, searching for her destiny star. Whether it was the result of her persistent efforts or the improvement of her Dharma Body realm, the two cultivation techniques complemented each other.

Since there has been progress, it's not something we can afford to miss.

Although Qin Sang knew that "Heavenly Demon Refining Form" had major hidden dangers and did not have any expectations, the current situation was complicated and her own situation was extremely precarious, so she had to seize every opportunity.

After entering a meditative state, Qin Sang silently circulated her cultivation technique, immersing her mind in the Dharma image, imagining herself transforming into a real blue phoenix, spreading her wings and flying into the deep sky, entering the boundless sea of ​​stars.

The starry sea is so vast and boundless. Two stars that appear close from the ground are actually hundreds of millions of miles apart. If Qin Sang were to actually fly over them, it would be an insurmountable chasm.

Fortunately, what was roaming in the sea of ​​stars was not his real body, but the ethereal 'mind', following that faint sense to search for its own destiny star.

Qin Sang had long known that his destiny star was deeply hidden, not just a simple 'hidden star'. Previously, whenever he felt he was getting closer to his destiny star, it turned out to be an illusion.

This time was different from the past; he seemed to have truly sensed the location of his destiny star.

Qin Sang initially couldn't believe it, but after confirming again and again that it wasn't a misperception, she made ample preparations this time, determined to find her 'destiny star'!

He continued forward, gradually venturing into the deepest reaches of the starry sea.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind, forgetting his location and even himself.

This scene bears some resemblance to when Qin Sang used the altar to search for the Divine Court.

"Not here yet?"

Suddenly, a thought arose in Qin Sang's mind, a thought that was somewhat negative and dejected.

Qin Sang was immediately jolted awake, realizing that she was nearing her limit, but the guidance of her destiny star was still ahead.

but……

Qin Sang made a new discovery: after arriving here, the Destiny Star no longer seemed so ethereal.

"Finally, we've found the right direction!"

Qin Sang was overjoyed, and the search came to an abrupt end.

"Xu..."

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Qin Sang looked exhausted, but her expression was unusually invigorated. Remembering what she had just experienced, she immediately adjusted her breathing to recover.

After recovering to her full strength, Qin Sang continued to circulate her cultivation technique and sense her destiny star. With the experience from last time, she avoided many detours this time.

Through repeated failures, Qin Sang gradually closed the gap between herself and her destiny star. She lost track of how much time had passed and how many times she had failed, but Qin Sang's fighting spirit remained undiminished.

We're getting closer and closer to our destiny star!

In the darkness, his sense of destiny became clearer, although he still couldn't see what his destiny star looked like.

A strange change occurred in his perception; he not only sensed the Destiny Star, but also discovered some mysterious and strange entities around it.

"what are these?"

Qin Sang felt suspicious.

Could it be the outward manifestation of the power of one's destiny star?

But it didn't feel right to him. Qin Sang tried his best to sense it, and a picture appeared in his mind: in the deep darkness, around the Destiny Star, there was an extremely large outline, like a black cloud, darker than darkness itself, obscuring the starlight of the Destiny Star.

Once this image appeared, it became unstoppable, taking root in Qin Sang's mind and refusing to leave.

Qin Sang felt inexplicably uneasy, but he did not choose to back down. When he subconsciously touched the dark clouds in the picture...

Suddenly, Qin Sang's heavy breathing filled the cave.

"Huhuhu..."

Qin Sang was startled awake from her meditative state.

He was hunched over, his hands tightly covering his head, his whole body tense, like a drowning man on the verge of death, his face filled with terror, as if he had encountered some great horror in the dark clouds! (End of Chapter)