Inquiry about immortality

Chapter 2532 Prelude to a Chaotic Era
Even outside the forbidden area, Qin Sang could sense the tense atmosphere.

The Five Kingdoms have been relentlessly exploring the false immortal abode within the forbidden area for hundreds of years, yet they still haven't uncovered its true nature. It should be understood that the false immortal abode was used by the Great Sage of the Demon Clan to ambush a half-demon True Monarch; even if they were given hundreds more years, they would likely find little to no result.

The five great nations are investing more and more resources into the forbidden area, even placing the dragon vein behind it. Qin Sang is very curious about what they have discovered in the forbidden area.

Or rather, what did the demon race and the half-demon lord reveal to them?
The Five Kingdoms are the five most powerful immortal kingdoms, now unknowingly playing pieces on a chessboard, and there are 'two' players.

Qin Sang sent a message to Xuan Ying, stating that he had two purposes for this trip.

One of his actions was to take advantage of the chaos to retrieve the national treasure stored in Wuji Academy. His previous caution proved to be correct, as all five great nations had a way to find the national treasure through the dragon vein.

Qin Sang was worried that there was a powerful force behind the Five Kingdoms, so he dared not let them into the Small Cave Heaven, otherwise the Small Cave Heaven might be exposed as well. But now he was not afraid.

Qin Sang already knew how to sever their connection with the dragon vein and was preparing to reforge them to create a national treasure for the Horned Kingdom.

Secondly, he helped Xuan Ying with some tasks.

Xuan Ying clearly did not trust him. Although he was extremely enthusiastic every time they met, he never let him participate in important matters during the hundreds of years of hunting, and there was a sense of estrangement in his bones.

Now that she knows the secret of the Zhaofeng Clan, Qin Sang can understand why Xuan Ying is wary of her.

Qin Sang, however, could not let things continue unchecked; he did not want to sever ties with the Zhaofeng Clan. Knowing the truth, he needed to maintain this relationship even more, as it might come in handy should the Phoenix Clan and the Zhaofeng Clan make any moves in the future.

Before long, the earth and rocks in front of Qin Sang rose high and transformed into a stone figure like an iron tower. The familiar features indicated that it was the elder brother who had always been by Xuan Ying's side.

Qin Sang cupped her hands in greeting.

Brother Zong returned the greeting and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist, come with me."

Having said that, he strode forward with his strong legs, using earth magic to travel, and soon brought Qin Sang to a secret cave.

Qin Sang entered the cave and found only her brother Zong there. After exchanging greetings, she inquired about the whereabouts of the demons, including Xuan Ying.

"They are currently deep within the forbidden area. I stayed outside to wait for a treasure, which I just obtained. If you had been any later, even I wouldn't have been able to see it," Brother Zong said, raising the wooden bracelet on his wrist.

"Are you about to make your move?" Qin Sang asked eagerly.

The elder brother looked him up and down, pondered for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Fellow Daoist, your arrival is just in time. We were feeling outnumbered and outmatched. We were worried about disturbing your cultivation. If you have nothing urgent to attend to, please come with me."

Qin Sang readily agreed and immediately followed his elder brother through the battle formations of the Five Kingdoms and into the forbidden area.

Compared to when Qin Sang emerged, the natural disasters in the forbidden area seem to be even stronger. This disaster has lasted for hundreds of years without any sign of abating, which is unprecedented. No wonder the half-demon cultivators have such unwavering faith in the false immortal abode.

Qin Sang and her brother Zong traveled through the storm, chatting along the way and learning about some recent events.

"What? Those who were swallowed by the Immortal Mansion didn't die?" Qin Sang asked in surprise.

The devouring ability that the False Immortal Abode previously displayed was extremely strange. Moreover, it was a trap created by the Great Sage of the Demon Clan. It was a bit of an exaggeration that it could not even kill a few Void Refinement cultivators.

Brother Zong said, "If the Immortal Mansion were to activate, it would naturally annihilate them. However, the Immortal Mansion has been without a master for many years. Unless someone misbehaves inside and triggers the restrictive mechanisms, it will not reveal its true killing intent! Even so, many people have perished inside. Those who survived must have found some kind of safe place in the Immortal Mansion and hid there instead of running around, thus managing to save their lives."

"The survivors should be Zhu Qian San Wang, Xue Hun Wu Chang, and others, right?" Qin Sang asked knowingly.

It is no secret now which people from the Five Kingdoms were in the forbidden area when the Immortal Abode was created.

Zong shook his head.

"The truth is quite the opposite! We didn't dare to enter the Immortal Abode directly either. Using other means to investigate, we found that none of the survivors were at the peak of the Void Refinement stage. They must all be confidants of the Three Kings of Zhu Qian. The Three Kings of Zhu Qian, Blood Soul Impermanence, Jin Geng, and so on—none of them survived! These people relied on the national protective artifact to swagger around, but in the Immortal Abode, the national protective artifact loses its power. If they still don't know when to advance and retreat, it's only right that they lose their lives!" A look of disdain flashed in the eyes of the Sect Master.

Zhu Qian, the three kings, and others all died in Wuji Academy, but Xuehun Wuchang was the only one missing. He must have been trapped in the Immortal Abode. Judging from my brother's tone, Xuehun Wuchang also did not escape death there.

Qin Sang seemed to be deep in thought, and asked, "I wonder what you fellow Daoists intend to do with them?"

"Of course, we should rescue them!" Brother Zong said with certainty.

Qin Sang continued to press for the reason, and Zong Xiong seemed to think that the overall situation was settled, so he told him everything he knew.

"Those who were trapped in the Immortal Abode included Xuehun Wuchang from Xingtu Ghost Continent, Gui Geng and Jin Geng from Da Geng Kingdom, and the patriarch of the Moon Fox Clan from Tianhu Shangbang. Their whereabouts are unknown. Even the Three Kings of Zhu Qian are dead, yet their confidants emerged alive! If you were from another Immortal Kingdom, would you believe there was nothing fishy going on?"

Before Qin Sang could answer, Zong Xiong said decisively, "Not only will they not believe it, but they will also question the news of the deaths of the three Zhu Qian kings and suspect that the Zhu Qian dynasty is hiding some secret!"

Qin Sang thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Putting yourself in their shoes, you would definitely have doubts, but we still lack a reason."

"What if there's a dragon vein inside?" Brother Zong asked rhetorically.

"Dragon Veins?"

Qin Sang was surprised.

“Fellow Daoist Mingyue has been here for many years, surely you know about the Dragon Vein? Recently, Dragon Veins have appeared one after another, causing quite a stir in the half-demon kingdoms and almost ruining our grand plan,” Brother Zong turned to look at us.

"I do know about the dragon veins, but I'm puzzled as to why you're so certain that the Five Kingdoms aren't competing for other dragon veins, but instead are risking everything to fight for this one in the Immortal Abode?" Qin Sang had seen the Five Kingdoms' arrangements along the way and could tell they were determined to get this place.

"There is a prophecy circulating among the half-demons: there are nine dragon veins in the world. Nine is the ultimate number. When nine times nine equals one, all the half-demon kingdoms can be unified! Throughout history, the most dragon veins that have ever appeared have only been eight," the elder brother pointed. "We have spent hundreds of years here to make the five great kingdoms believe that the ninth dragon vein is hidden here!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang suddenly realized the plan of the demons, including Xuan Ying.

Legend has it that there are nine dragon veins in total, but only eight have appeared in history. However, what people do not know is that the ninth dragon vein does not actually exist. Only when half-demons unite can the ninth dragon vein be born, thus achieving the prophecy of "nine returning to one".

If the Half-Demon True Lord spreads the truth, Xuan Ying and the others' plan will be in vain.

Qin Sang recalled sending a message to Dongwei before leaving, asking about the forbidden area. The other party answered on behalf of Xuanqiu Zhenjun with four words—"Let nature take its course!"
Clearly, the Half-Demon True Monarch was fully aware of Xuan Ying and his group's plans and was happy to see them succeed, so he wouldn't expose them. This allowed Xuan Ying and his group to stumble upon the perfect opportunity.

Long before the establishment of the Five Kingdoms, the Qingning Palace had already appeared in the Forbidden Land, marking the beginning of a chaotic era. Now, an even more mysterious immortal abode has emerged, with the ninth dragon vein hidden here. Logically, coupled with the meticulous arrangements by the demon race, it is bound to incite a great war among the Five Kingdoms.

Even without the bait of the 'dragon vein,' people wouldn't believe that there were no treasures in the fake immortal abode; they would only assume that the Zhu Qian Dynasty had monopolized them. The actions of the demons like Xuan Ying are precisely to make the Zhu Qian Dynasty the target of everyone's ire!

In fact, they had no better choice; the Zhu Qian dynasty was destined to become the first sacrifice of the chaotic world!
This was something Qin Sang and Xuanqiu Zhenjun had been planning for a long time.

With the other four kingdoms joining forces to attack, the Zhu Qian Dynasty was no longer able to attend to the Jiao Sheng Kingdom. Instead, the Jiao Sheng Kingdom had the opportunity to devour the 'corpse' of the Zhu Qian Dynasty and take its place.

At that time, the world will surely exclaim again that the Kingdom of Kokusho is blessed by Heaven and its national fortune will be prosperous!
As they spoke, they drew closer to the illusory immortal abode, and the sect leader became increasingly cautious. Sure enough, they subsequently encountered numerous powerful figures from the Five Great Kingdoms, all of whom the sect leader skillfully evaded.

Qin Sang clearly sensed that the atmosphere here was even more oppressive, with powerful figures gathered, just waiting for the Immortal Abode to open so that a great battle could break out at any moment.

Finally, they successfully reached the hiding place of the Shadow.

Upon seeing Qin Sang, Xuan Ying immediately beamed with joy. "With Fellow Daoist Mingyue here, everything will be foolproof! Oh... I almost forgot, Fellow Daoist Mingyue probably hasn't met these gentlemen yet. This gentleman calls himself the Old Man of Fuling Mountain..."

Xianying introduced Qin Sang to everyone.

Qin Sang had not participated in their operations before and was meeting these demon cultivators for the first time. She could tell that they had a good relationship with Xuan Ying.

Qin Sang inquired through telepathy and learned that this immortal abode was built by the predecessors of the Zhaofeng Clan, which is why the Suanni Clan was excluded from this operation.

After the hunt is over, they return to the demon race, where the hunters who participated will be rewarded according to their merits. The rewards are exceptionally generous, otherwise they would not be willing to spend hundreds of years here doing something that is of no benefit to their cultivation.

Xianying would never hand over the credit to his rival.

“Fellow Daoist Mingyue, take the Feather Token to this place and follow my instructions,” Xianying said, taking out an item.

Qin Sang took it and saw that it was a long feather, as long as his arm, with fine feathers that did not have a dazzling luster and looked grayish.

"Could this be a feather from the Zhaofeng Clan? Could there be phoenix blood within the feather?"

Qin Sang observed the long feather in her hand and thought to herself.

The Zhaofeng Clan are descendants of the Phoenix Clan, yet they managed to deceive the other demon clans. How did they do it?

Xianying continued to distribute the long feathers, and finally Qin Sang and the demons each held one. Then Xianying gave Qin Sang a jade slip, which contained some kind of array restriction.

Qin Sang immediately recognized that these were only part of a large formation, and he would be responsible for overseeing this place from now on.

According to the markings on the jade slip, this grand formation is extremely large in scale, with some parts embedded in a false immortal abode. By using this formation, the immortal abode can be opened, inviting the enemy into a trap.

They want to incite a war between the five great kingdoms. Simply opening the Immortal Abode is not enough. They also need to plot to kill some people, so that the five great kingdoms will be stained with blood feuds. Coupled with the temptation of the Ninth Dragon Vein, the five great kingdoms will have no choice but to stop.

"Fellow Taoists!"

Xuan Ying's tone turned serious as he looked around at the assembled cultivators. "If this matter succeeds, we will have made a great contribution, and our centuries of hard work will not have been in vain. In the final moments, remember not to slacken your efforts!"

"I've been dreaming of the Nine Hearts Purple Sun Pill. Anyone who dares to ruin my plans, I'll fight them to the death!" The sect leader revealed a fierce look as he scanned the cultivators.

Immediately, a demon cultivator laughed and scolded, "You old bear are quite shrewd, you've even chosen the reward."

The other demon cultivators also chimed in.

Xuan Ying turned her gaze to Qin Sang: "Fellow Daoist Mingyue, after this is accomplished, I will recommend you for credit, and you will certainly receive your share."

"No!"

Qin Sang shook his head repeatedly, "I have not accomplished anything before, and this opportunity only came by chance. I dare not take credit. I only hope that if I encounter any trouble in the future, my fellow Daoists will be able to help me out!"

"How difficult is this!"

Upon hearing this, the demons' opinion of him changed drastically, and they all made promises to him.

Xianying showed a satisfied expression, but did not forget that Qin Sang was likely a spy sent by the Qingluan Clan. Seeing how good he was at winning people's hearts, he became even more wary of him.

On the surface, Xianying remained calm, and with a single command, the cultivators scattered.

Holding the Feather Token, Qin Sang approached the False Immortal Mansion alone from one direction. At this time, the False Immortal Mansion was surrounded by powerful figures from the Five Kingdoms. Through the Feather Token, she could activate the power of the False Immortal Mansion and sneak in unnoticed.

Soon, Qin Sang felt that familiar devouring power.

This devouring power had previously devoured many cultivators at the Void Refinement stage, and Qin Sang had almost fallen into danger as well. This time, upon contact with this power again, the feather token in Qin Sang's hand automatically emitted a faint spiritual light, which enveloped him, making him appear as if he were wearing a robe of light.

The faint light seemed to merge with the power of devouring without making a sound, so that no one would notice and there was no need to worry about attracting the attention of the powerful figures from the five superior nations outside.

Protected by the light-clothed robe, Qin Sang raised his other hand, his fingertips still visible. Instead of heading directly to his post, he changed direction and headed towards Wuji Academy.

He was the master of Wuji Academy and could sense its location. He eventually returned to Wuji Academy and landed on the shore of Xuantan.

'Shuh! '

Several beams of light flew out of the Xuan Pool and hovered in front of Qin Sang.

Three crimson-scaled divine pillars, two golden beads, and a Heavenly Fox Token.

These two golden beads are the Geng God Beads, the national treasures of the Great Geng Kingdom.

Over the years, the Five Kingdoms must have summoned their guardian artifacts many times. Wuji Academy completely severed the connection between them and the dragon vein, and only Qin Sang knows their whereabouts.

With a quick glance, Qin Sang flicked his fingers and cast a series of hand seals. The seals landed on the national guardian artifacts and immediately disappeared into them. As more and more seals were absorbed, the luster of these national guardian artifacts became extremely dim, and eventually the spiritual light almost completely disappeared.

Qin Sang summoned a crimson divine pillar into his hand. It looked like a pillar carved from some kind of red stone. Upon closer inspection, he could only vaguely sense a faint fluctuation, which was enough to block the dragon vein's summons.

Putting away the national treasure, Qin Sang looked around. It was a real pity that Wuji Academy was lying dormant here, but she couldn't think of any way to make use of it for the time being.

He shook his head slightly, then slipped out of Wuji Academy and quietly headed in another direction. He quickly arrived at the agreed location and, following the method taught by Xianying, activated the Feather Token with his Dharma Image. He immediately sensed a power that resonated with it.