Chapter 1002: One-Sided Love

Afterward, the two continued to exchange insights on the cultivation of the

Heavenly Demon Body Refinement

, conversing with great enthusiasm.

One was an immortal cultivator, the other a descendant of the Jiao. Their understandings of the art differed greatly, each with unique strengths. After a long discussion, both gained valuable insights from the exchange.

"Since we no longer need to explore the sealed land, I shall not impose any longer." Qin Sang slightly bowed.

Then, as if recalling something, he took out the Black Shell Talisman from the Thousand-Jin Ring. "In a little more than ten years, Seven-Kill Hall will reappear. The Nine Phoenix King once sent a long feather into the inner hall. I suspect she may try to bring others with her into Seven-Kill Hall. Daoist Yuan, do you have a way to fuse my blood and essence into this Black Shell Talisman? If I encounter a similar situation again, it might grant me a chance to avoid conflict..."

Qin Sang was preparing for all possibilities. No one knew how many demon kings had secretly entered the Inner Sea or what their true intentions were.

He suspected the Nine Phoenix King was not the only one. If he encountered another demon king within the Seven-Kill Hall, he would not have Yuan Zhu to cover for him this time.

Yuan Zhu paced back and forth for a long while before shaking his head. "These Black Shell Talismans were personally refined by the Jiao King. Although I have tried to learn more about them, my knowledge is limited. If I tamper with the barrier, it could easily damage the talisman itself. To deceive the eyes of a demon king in this way would be extremely difficult."

Qin Sang felt a trace of disappointment but knew such matters could not be forced. He put away the Black Shell Talisman and was about to take his leave.

Yuan Zhu hesitated for a moment before saying suddenly, "If you are worried about being recognized by the demon kings, I do have another method that might make them hesitate to act rashly."

Qin Sang’s eyes lit up. "Please, tell me."

"I happen to possess a nameless secret technique I once obtained by chance. Since you have cultivated the

Heavenly Demon Body Refinement,

the demonic qi within you is extremely pure. If you use this secret technique, the demon kings may mistake you for a Transformation Realm great demon. After all, the Nine Phoenix King and her companions are from the Demonic Sea and know little about the demon race of Canglang Sea. Surrounded by enemies, if they encounter one of their own kind, they would be eager to befriend you rather than make an enemy of you. Once the situation is stabilized, you will have a chance to withdraw safely." As he spoke, Yuan Zhu took out a jade slip and handed it to Qin Sang.

"This secret technique is only useful for bluffing, to disguise yourself as having the cultivation of the Transformation Realm. Beyond that, it has no real use. When you activate it, you must not circulate your true essence. Once you do, the disguise will immediately fail. Such subtle differences can only be detected by our demon race and not by Spiritual Infant Realm cultivators. However, whether this disguise can truly deceive a demon king’s eyes is uncertain, so you must remain cautious."

Qin Sang infused his spiritual consciousness into the jade slip and examined its contents. Just as Yuan Zhu had said, it was indeed a rather limited secret technique.

Once activated, it only altered the nature of his demonic qi, giving it a deep, unfathomable aura similar to that of a Transformation Realm great demon, yet it provided no increase in actual strength.

It could easily be seen through. Even so, it was still better than having no solution at all.

"Thank you, Daoist Yuan." Qin Sang put away the jade slip, planning to find time to master the technique.

Yuan Zhu chuckled. "If you can cause the Nine Phoenix King and her companions some trouble, it will count as revenge on my behalf."

After bidding farewell to Yuan Zhu, Qin Sang returned to the Inner Sea.

Ten years was neither long nor short. During this time, he needed to make every possible preparation for the next expedition into Seven-Kill Hall and gather resources that would still be useful once he returned to the Small Cold Domain.

"I should head to the Demonic Sea..." After some thought, Qin Sang made his decision.

To continue studying the killing symbol, he needed to fight demonic beasts in the Demonic Sea. These ten years would serve as a solid foundation for what was to come.

However, instead of heading straight to Tianshing City, Qin Sang detoured a long way and first made a trip to Lingchun Island.

Lingchun Island was where the sect of the Wang Sisters was located. Years ago, they had been implicated by his troubles, forced to hide their names. He wondered how they were doing now. Though Tianfeng Island had been destroyed, the danger had not entirely passed.

When Qin Sang had casually asked Ning Wuhui about the outcome of the Tianfeng Island battle, even within Heavenly Dao Sect rumors abounded and no one knew for sure what had become of Old Devil Mou.

If he had truly been killed on the spot, the righteous and devilish factions would have announced it publicly to deter others. There was clearly more to the story. Lingchun Island was small but beautiful, its scenery serene and picturesque.

The Wang Sisters’ sect was an obscure minor sect. Otherwise, the sisters would not have needed to risk their lives venturing into the Demonic Sea at the Foundation Building Realm to exchange for Malevolent Demonic Pills.

Most who lived on the island were mortals. Upon landing, Qin Sang followed the information the sisters had left behind, passing through several mortal cities before reaching a secluded mountain range far beyond the reach of ordinary folk, where he found their sect.

Two mountains stood side by side, a river flowing gently between them, painting a tranquil scene of natural beauty.

Standing atop a peak, Qin Sang activated the Sky Eyes and quickly noticed something unusual.

His figure flickered and appeared before a stone wall. He pressed his palm lightly against it, infusing true essence into the rock.

A moment later, the barrier hidden within the wall was triggered. Inside, a bamboo pavilion came into view.

A young woman in embroidered robes, her features delicate and graceful, sat with her eyes closed in meditation.

Suddenly, the mirror beside her shone brightly. Startled, she opened her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing across them. She waved her sleeve across the mirror’s surface, and when she saw the image reflected within, she covered her mouth in astonishment and cried out softly.

"Sister! Sister! Come quickly, look who’s here!" The woman was Wang Xiang.

Moments later, two charming sisters, as identical as twin lotuses, flew out of the bamboo pavilion in haste, excitement written all over their faces.

Outside, a few young girls who had been playing nearby stopped in their tracks, staring in astonishment at their two senior aunts’ uncharacteristic display.

Rumble...

The stone wall split open from the middle, revealing two surprised exclamations from within.

"Daoist Master!" The two sisters stood side by side, their smiles bright as flowers.

The elder sister, Wang Shi, was reserved and composed, while the younger, Wang Xiang, laughed freely.

Under their astonished gazes, Qin Sang removed the hood from his head and said with a gentle smile, "My surname is Qin, given name Sang. The identity of Daoist Master Qingfeng has drawn too many enemies and can no longer appear publicly. It even implicated you two sisters. I came today to apologize. Seeing that you are both safe brings me great relief."

"Yes, indeed!" Wang Xiang patted her chest, her expression filled with lingering fear. "We only learned afterward that the one hunting you was that fiend Old Devil Mou. Even the Qiongyu Merchant Guild was destroyed by him. Luckily, my sister and I rarely interacted with outsiders after returning home. Otherwise, I dare not imagine the consequences. Daoist Master, how did you end up offending such a terrifying devilish monster?"

Wang Shi remained quiet, her eyes tinged with a faint trace of melancholy as she said something entirely unexpected. "So, if this had not happened, Daoist Master would never have come to see us?"

Wang Xiang’s bright eyes darted mischievously between her sister and Qin Sang. Qin Sang rubbed his nose, momentarily at a loss for words.

Wang Shi’s expression soon returned to calm, and she politely invited Qin Sang to enter.

As she watched his departing back, a flicker of disappointment surfaced deep in her eyes. At last, she sighed softly to herself, as though letting go of a long-buried knot in her heart, and finally found peace.