Inquiry about immortality

Chapter 2708 9 Netherworld Clan

When Qin Sang followed Jiang and Xie to the agreed location, she met the old man they had mentioned.

Old Mu looked like a kind and benevolent elder. He was sitting cross-legged on a rock, resting with his eyes closed, and a bamboo cane was beside him.

Seeing this frail old man, Qin Sang felt a chill in his heart. The pressure this man exerted on Qin Sang was even greater than that of Yuan Zaitian, the Six Desires Demon Lord in the late stage of the Integration Realm.

Two people stood beside Elder Mu, one of whom was an elderly man surnamed Mu.

The elderly man surnamed Mu arrived first, arms crossed. Upon seeing Qin Sang and the other two, his face immediately darkened, and his gaze swept across Qin Sang's face like a knife, as if trying to see through Qin Sang's true nature.

The other person was a girl in a purple dress with delicate, flawless skin. She was engrossed in reading a book made of some kind of animal hide and did not disturb Qin Sang and her companions when they arrived.

Judging from appearances alone, the girl in the purple dress should be the most compatible with Jiang Jiugao present.

Ignoring the old man surnamed Mu's gaze, Jiang and Xie Jing smiled and walked over to the girl in the purple dress, whispering something to her. The girl in the purple dress closed her book, listened attentively, and revealed a serene smile.

However, Xie Jing's expression revealed that he was somewhat reserved in front of the girl in the purple dress.

The girl in the purple dress was also at the mid-stage of the Integration Realm, and Xie Jing seemed to be more wary of her than of the old man surnamed Mu.

"All fellow Daoists have arrived."

Old Master Mu slowly awoke, and his gentle voice reached everyone's ears.

Qin Sang's heart tightened as she saw Elder Mu looking over, his eyes somewhat cloudy, it was unclear whether he was looking at her or Jiang Jiugao.

"Jiugao, you brought a stranger with you."

The tone wasn't accusatory, but rather a statement, which made Jiang Jiugao tense. He quickly explained, "Fellow Daoist Qingfeng is an old friend of my wife and me. We recently reunited, but we didn't reveal anything to him. Just now, Elder Mu summoned us, and we learned that a powerful enemy had appeared, so I invited Fellow Daoist Qingfeng to come and help us."

“With an oath binding you, I suppose you wouldn’t dare to break it on your own,” the old man accepted their explanation. “You’ve considered things very carefully. The situation has changed drastically, so there’s no need to stick to the old ways.”

After saying that, a sharp glint flashed in his cloudy eyes as he stared at Qin Sang, "Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, welcome to the team. We will now renew our oath."

Upon hearing this, the old man surnamed Mu's face darkened further, and he couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

This newcomer and the Jiang-Xie couple were clearly in cahoots, and now he had become the weakest one, but he didn't dare to contradict Elder Mu to his face, which made him really depressed.

"To be honest, I know nothing about your schemes, but I believe that Fellow Daoist Jiang and his wife would not harm me," Qin Sang said, bowing respectfully.

Old Master Mu smiled slightly, "I will tell you the truth later."

Before he could finish speaking, Elder Mu suddenly sensed something and turned to look at the western horizon. Then the girl in the purple dress and the old man surnamed Mu did the same, and finally Qin Sang and the other two did the same.

A moment later, a black ray of light pierced through the sky.

Qin Sang had been silently observing everyone. In fact, he had almost simultaneously sensed the presence of the old man surnamed Mu, and was deliberately concealing his strength.

Compared to Elder Mu, he seemed much slower.

"There's still a huge gap between me and a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!" Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

At this moment, the black glow was rushing towards everyone. The undisguised powerful pressure within the glow was astonishing, and everyone showed a serious expression.

"You old hag, you're late."

Old Mu laughed heartily; the other person seemed to be an old acquaintance.

A soft hum immediately rang in everyone's ears, indicating that the newcomer was a woman.

'Shuh! '

The rosy light fell in front of them, and the female cultivator appeared, all alone. If they surrounded her now, under Elder Mu's leadership, they would have a good chance to trap her here.

Old Mu did not do that, his eyes fixed intently on the beautiful figure.

When they saw the female cultivator's appearance, everyone except Elder Mu showed surprise, and Qin Sang was no exception.

The female cultivator wore a pure black robe, which was very thick and covered her entire body, with only her hands and neck exposed. Her skin was unusually white, so white that it was devoid of any color, and even her hair was snow-white.

Upon landing, a pair of slender wings appeared on the female cultivator's back, which instantly folded and tucked into her robe.

From the outside, she was just a frighteningly pale woman.

What shocked Qin Sang was the female cultivator's wings; he had seen the same wings on the Nine Nether Demoness.

"Nine Netherworlds!" Xie Jing exclaimed softly.

Qin Sang was also secretly surprised. He and the Banyan Tree King had been worried about how to contact the Nine Nether Demon Clan, but they encountered a powerful member of the Nine Nether Demon Clan here, whose aura was comparable to that of Elder Mu!

"Let me introduce you all. This fellow Daoist Youyan is..." Elder Mu clearly already knew the female cultivator's identity.

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Youyan interrupted forcefully, her icy gaze sweeping over everyone, "Mucheng, are all your men here?"

As Youyan's gaze swept over her, Qin Sang felt a chill creep into her heart.

It seemed a bit rash of Qin Sang to agree to Jiang and Xie's request. Neither Elder Mu nor You Yan were simple characters. If Zhu Que hadn't shown obvious improvement after taking the Vermilion Fruit, Qin Sang would definitely have considered things more carefully.

"Indeed, you came alone?"

Old Mu's eyes gleamed with a strange light as he looked behind You Yan, only to see a dark cloud in the far distance. He wondered if there was an ambush hidden within the cloud.

"We're curious, how exactly did you find out? There were only a few of us present at the time, and to avoid any complications, we swore an oath on the spot. None of us should have leaked the information."

As he spoke, Elder Mu looked around at everyone, his eyes sharp.

Youyan sneered, "You think you're the only one who can see through that guy's background? Do you think everyone else is blind? Don't worry about how I know, I'm here now. Mu Cheng, will you fight or retreat? If you're scared, then get lost!"

Looking at Youyan's arrogant expression, everyone couldn't help but feel angry. He was far too disrespectful to them, daring to threaten them to their faces when facing six opponents alone.

Unexpectedly, Elder Mu was not angry at all and said calmly, "If we make a move, it will only allow that guy to take the opportunity to escape. Moreover, if I retreat, how confident are you that you can capture him? You have already experienced my supernatural powers, old hag. I have already used a secret technique to lock onto him, but even though I know he is trapped in this area, I have not been able to find his true form for so long. This shows how formidable his methods are."

You Yan remained silent. Old Mu's words made sense. If even Old Mu couldn't find it, her chances were less than 20%.

"I have a suggestion..."

Elder Mu paused for a moment, then continued.

This time, Youyan did not interrupt and listened silently to him finish speaking.

Qin Sang, who overheard the conversation, finally understood the gist of it. The truth was indeed similar to his guess, and it was related to Lei Jun.

In fact, the many upheavals that have occurred in the Northern Demon Realm over the past hundred years have all been related to Lei Jun.

Over the years, one by one, the secret treasures of the Thunder Lord have been unearthed. Although the harvests have been plentiful and the treasures numerous, no one has been able to find the Thunder Lord's legacy. None of the supreme treasures that once made the Thunder Lord awe-inspiring have ever appeared in the world.

By analyzing these secret treasures of the Thunder King and combining them with the ancient texts left behind, various factions discovered a pattern.

In Lei Jun's mind, cave dwellings were ranked in terms of importance; some might have been temporary palaces where he stayed for only one night, while others might have been where he stayed for a long time.

The value of the treasures in the secret treasure trove has nothing to do with the quality of the cave dwelling, but only with its status in Lei Jun's heart. The more important the cave dwelling, the more precious the secret treasure. Those palaces that are merely for staying in can be easily satisfied with just one or two items.

Therefore, it can be inferred that to find the real treasure, one must find the cave that Lei Jun values ​​most.

The demon cultivators traced Lei Jun's life through the records in the ancient books, and extracted the time he spent in the Northern Demon Realm, whether after he became famous or when he was young, in order to deduce the location of Lei Jun's cave.

The reason why there are so many Lei Jun's secret treasures is that Lei Jun traveled all over the Demon Realm to persuade various forces to form a teleportation system that spread throughout the world. Most of Lei Jun's secret treasures were caves that Lei Jun casually opened up back then, and the layout may have started from that time.

As it turns out, although these cave dwellings were of extremely high quality, they were not valued by Lei Jun. However, the cave dwellings that Lei Jun created when his cultivation was low likely held an extraordinary place in his heart.

The person that Elder Mu and his group were searching for had a clue about one of the cave dwellings!

They tracked him all the way here, but Elder Mu locked onto him with a secret technique, and then they disappeared without a trace. Fearing that making too much noise would attract attention, they lied and claimed that the person they were tracking had been bewitched by a demon, accusing him of being a demon.

Unexpectedly, the news leaked out, attracting the attention of Youyan, a powerful member of the Nine Nether Demon Clan.

Elder Mu clearly did not want to start a war with Youyan. The clues to the cave had not yet been found, and if the two sides started fighting, it would only give the main body a chance to escape.

"Youyan, if you agree to my proposal, then show your sincerity!" After saying this, Elder Mu's expression turned slightly serious, and his aura suddenly rose.

As late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, even though this aura wasn't directed at Qin Sang and the others, it still shook them to their core.

Youyan knew what Elder Mu wanted. His eyes flickered, but he finally made a decision and flicked his finger to release an invisible wave.

The dark cloud in the distant sky slowly drifted towards this place and stopped far away. Two figures appeared in the cloud, their black robes even more extravagant than Youyan's, completely covering their faces.

“They live in the abyss year-round and are unwilling to have contact with outsiders,” Youyan said calmly.

Everyone could understand that this was the true nature of the Nine Nether Demon Clan.

On the front lines of the demonic tide, the anti-demon army sent by the Nine Nether Demon Clan was also so xenophobic, preferring to hold down a city alone rather than join forces with other races, and only contacting the outside world when they lacked military supplies.

"Three Demon Lords of the Nine Netherworld Clan!"

Qin Sang gazed at the figure in the clouds in the distance, her heart churning with emotion.

If they hate contact with outsiders so much, why would they infiltrate the Northern Demon Realm? Are they attracted by the Thunder Lord's secret treasure, or is there another reason?

Qin Sang felt something was amiss with the sudden appearance of so many powerful members of the Nine Nether Demon Clan.

The Banyan Tree King only knew that Senior Qingyuan was missing, but not the whereabouts of the Nine Nether Demon Clan Mahayana cultivator. Could it be that the Nine Nether Demon Clan Mahayana cultivator also disappeared along with Senior Qingyuan, which is why Youyan and the others...

If that's the case, why aren't they in a hurry at all, and are they still here competing with Elder Mu for clues about Lei Jun's cave?

Qin Sang couldn't imagine what could cause Senior Qingyuan and the Great Ascension cultivator of the Nine Nether Demon Clan to disappear at the same time, unless they were both severely injured and the Free Demon Lord benefited from it!

At this moment, Elder Mu clapped his hands and said, "In that case, let us all reaffirm our oath!"

The oath was nothing more than keeping it a secret. Once a clue was obtained and the cave was opened, the oath would be void, and how much treasure one could obtain would depend on one's own abilities.

When Qin Sang took the oath, he noticed that the True Radiance Oath was different from the causal oaths prevalent in the Spirit Realm. They were swearing to the so-called 'Heavenly Heart'.

Both oaths are equally ethereal, but the fact that they can be recognized and carried out by cultivators from both realms proves that the will of Heaven and cause and effect do indeed exist in the unseen world.

Qin Sang was curious whether he, as a cultivator from another world, was subject to the supervision of the Heavenly Heart, but he did not want to experience the consequences of breaking his oath.

After making the vow, the atmosphere noticeably eased.

Old Mu took out a golden bell from his bosom. "From now on, you, old hag, will take control of this Mind-Controlling Bell on my behalf."

"Mr. Lao!"

Jiang Xie and the others' expressions changed slightly, and they couldn't help but want to stop them.

The Mind-Capturing Bell is the key to locking onto that demon, so it cannot be easily handed over to others. Even with an oath binding them, they would find it difficult to trust Youyan.

Elder Mu waved his hand to appease everyone and laughed, "I was too arrogant before, thinking that one Mind-Capturing Bell would be enough to ensure everything, and I was laughed at by you all. It's even better that Fellow Daoist Youyan has come. With you in charge, I can condense another Mind-Capturing Bell. With the two Mind-Capturing Bells combined, we will definitely find him!"

Upon learning the reason, everyone's expressions eased slightly, and they felt secretly ashamed. If it weren't for their insufficient cultivation level, which disqualified them from wielding the Mind-Controlling Bell, Elder Mu would have already condensed a second one.

Jiang Jiugao asked, "When will Elder Mu be able to condense the second Mind-Capturing Bell?"

"My treasury is still quite complete, but unfortunately, I activated the Mind-Capturing Bell for too long before, which consumed too much energy. It will take at least several months. During this time, fellow Daoists, please do not stop. Cooperate with Fellow Daoist Youyan and continue the search, even if it means digging three feet into the ground!"

Old Mu's eyes flashed with a cold light. He was originally determined to win and did not take Jiang Xie and the others seriously. However, he suffered a series of setbacks and attracted You Yan's interference. Even though his expression remained unchanged, he was inevitably displeased.

The group agreed and continued their search. Even if they couldn't find it, they would keep putting pressure on the other party and force them to reveal their true colors.

Suddenly, an angry shout rang out from the arena.

Countless sword lights suddenly appeared around Qin Sang, forming a dense net of swords.

Sword beams intertwined, and a wisp of golden light was extinguished by the sword beams.

"Fellow Daoist, give me an explanation!" Qin Sang glared at You Yan. Just now, You Yan had activated the Mind-Capturing Bell and swept it over him. In his shock and anger, Qin Sang almost forcibly awakened the Vermilion Bird.

Youyan's eyes flickered, and he said calmly, "Fellow Daoist joined halfway, so we must be wary of that demon disguising his identity and infiltrating among us."

Only then did everyone realize the reason, and their expressions varied as they looked at the fluctuating sword light surrounding Qin Sang.

The presence of a sword cultivator here inevitably sparks much speculation. The xenophobia of Western Sword City is in no way inferior to that of the Nine Nether Demon Clan.

"Fellow Daoist Youyan, do not be strict with others, but lenient with yourself!"

Jiang Jiugao's face showed anger. Qin Sang was brought by them, and doubting him was tantamount to questioning them as a couple.

Youyan remained silent, activating the Mind-Controlling Bell to scan himself and the two people in the clouds. Finding nothing amiss, he defused a potential disturbance. (End of Chapter)