Chapter 639: Poison Spring

Bang!

Old Thunder Ghost kicked open the sect leader's hall with a loud crash. His gaze swept across the room, only to freeze in astonishment. Inside the hall sat a young man, leisurely sipping tea.

Outside, he had sensed nothing at all, not even the slightest trace of aura.

If it wasn’t for the hall being protected by a special barrier, then that could only mean one thing...

Old Thunder Ghost stepped forward, lifting one foot into the hall. But before he could bring the other foot in, his body stiffened. He couldn't retreat, nor could he move forward.

The others behind him had seen Old Thunder Ghost stride in, imposing as ever, only to suddenly halt and block the entrance. All were baffled and just about to urge him on when—

Smack!

A crisp sound rang out. A phantom hand slapped Old Thunder Ghost hard across the chest. His body spun like a top, sent flying through the air before anyone could react. In the blink of an eye, he crashed into a distant mountain on the edge of Five-Insect Sect.

Boom!

Dust and rubble flew skyward, and the mountain split apart at the point of impact.

His shrill scream pierced the sky, drawn out and mournful, echoing long into the distance.

"Ambush!"

The rest of the group was struck with horror and immediately summoned their respective artifacts.

In an instant, the front of the sect leader’s hall blazed with flashing lights, more chaotic and lively than it had ever been before.

They had assumed Cui Xuanzi, like always, was bluffing and playing tricks. With so many experts present, they thought there was nothing to fear and hadn’t bothered with serious precautions.

Now, with Old Thunder Ghost ambushed so abruptly, panic erupted. They scattered and fought on their own, without coordination.

Some cautiously backed away, others launched attacks with their artifacts and life-bound insect gu at the great hall, and most swarmed toward Cui Xuanzi.

Just then, a ripple of illusion flickered at the entrance. A young man appeared.

Artifacts and insect gu were just about to strike him.

Qin Sang let out a cold snort and casually reached out. A wave of thick, surging true essence burst forth, sealing the space before him in an instant. All those artifacts and insect gu felt as if they had been caught in a net. No matter how they struggled, they could not break free.

Whoosh!

A streak of sword light flashed.

Bang! Bang...

Explosions rang out in rapid succession. That single thread of sword light wove through the air like silk, threading each artifact and gu one after another. In just the blink of an eye, they were all effortlessly destroyed.

"Ahhh!"

The deaths of the life-bound gu struck their owners through the soul. Screams rang out uncontrollably.

"So noisy."

Qin Sang let out a cold snort. The ebony sword flashed, accompanied by a faint rumble of thunder, and darted into the crowd. In the blink of an eye, blood burst into bloom in several places as bodies dropped to the ground one after another.

The might of a Core Formation Realm cultivator was on full display.

In an instant, the entire Five-Insect Sect fell into utter silence.

Qin Sang’s gaze swept across them like a blade. No one dared meet his eyes. Every person trembled.

Even Cui Xuanzi was frightened. He hadn’t expected Qin Sang’s swordsmanship to be so terrifying. It was like slicing melons and chopping vegetables. Though he had just entered the Core Formation Realm, he was already stronger than the senior uncle from the past.

Qin Sang had spared the people of Thunderclap Village and Hundred Flower Palace, because he still needed them. Their foundations remained intact, and he wasn’t worried they would dare go against him in secret.

As for the rogue cultivators Cui Xuanzi had invited, he had recognized most of them as notorious bandits who wandered from place to place. Fierce, cruel by nature, their hands were stained with blood. Killing them carried no burden.

Such people had no restraints. While not entirely useless, they were not the kind of people Qin Sang needed. What mattered most now was stability.

It was better to kill them all and refine them into corpses. They could still serve a purpose later, when searching for insects or exploring hidden realms.

Qin Sang currently held only four Heavenly Corpse Talismans. One had been left over from before. The other three had been refined from a stalk of Soul-Guiding Grass he had acquired in exchange for the Ziwei Secret Talisman.

Until he uncovered the truth about the Canglang Sea region, Qin Sang thought it best to use them sparingly.

There were no Fake Core Realm cultivators among these bandits, so he had no intention of wasting a Heavenly Corpse Talisman on them.

If the surrounding factions near Bear Mountain learned that all those notorious, troublesome bandits had been wiped out in one stroke, they would surely cheer with delight.

...

Sect leader's hall

Qin Sang sat calmly at the head of the hall, while Cui Xuanzi, the elder from Thunderclap Village, and the alluring woman stood below.

Cui Xuanzi's expression darkened slightly. Qin Sang had not followed his wishes by wiping out Thunderclap Village and Hundred Flower Palace. Although displeased, he dared not say a word.

The other two were still shaken, never expecting that Cui Xuanzi hadn't been bluffing this time. The wolf had truly arrived.

"...The village and the sect remain yours. If anyone relies on my name to stir up trouble outside, do not expect me to intervene. I simply need people to carry out certain tasks. I will not remain in Xijiang for long, nor do I intend to meddle in your conflicts. But I will not tolerate disorder or infighting disrupting my greater plans. Since the Daoist from Five-Insect Sect has already established rules, then from now on, we will abide by those rules. Is that clear?"

Hearing this, the elder from Thunderclap Village and the alluring woman exchanged a glance, some of the worry in their hearts finally easing.

Though Cui Xuanzi was still unhappy, the outcome was far better than being forced into submission.

All three cupped their hands and gave their assent.

The alluring woman composed herself, then gazed at Qin Sang with a seductive smile, her expression full of charm. Her voice was soft and sweet, laced with temptation. "Your command is our Hundred Flower Palace’s duty to follow. I have long awaited the chance to serve someone like you. It would be our honor to rely on such a figure. I wonder, Young Master, when you might grace our Hundred Flower Palace with your presence..."

As she spoke, a faint floral fragrance drifted from her body, intoxicating and hard to resist.

Suddenly, a cold snort exploded beside her ear like thunder.

She trembled as though struck by lightning. Her face turned deathly pale, her beauty dimmed, and she dared not utter another word.

She was trying to charm him with such petty tricks! She had no idea what she was doing.

Qin Sang gave the woman a cold look. With the Jade Buddha in his possession, such superficial techniques had no effect on him whatsoever. After warning her, Qin Sang returned to the matter at hand.

"If you can complete these tasks well, there will naturally be rewards."

With a wave of his hand, a series of talisman astras, artifacts, and spirit pills appeared, floating in the air. Qin Sang looked at them with a faint, unreadable smile. First the pressure, then the enticement. He was not worried they would lack motivation.

...

Black Wind Valley

Situated between Five-Insect Sect and two other factions, Black Wind Valley had long been a contested zone. Originally, the three sides had agreed to rotate control every ten years. Things had remained stable for a while, until a Golden Core cultivator emerged from Five-Insect Sect, breaking that agreement.

Qin Sang and Cui Xuanzi stood at the entrance, gazing inward.

On both sides of Black Wind Valley, two towering mountain ranges rose high, hemming the valley in. No sunlight reached the valley floor, leaving it in darkness all year round.

Within the valley, waves of yin wind swept through. It was clear that the valley extended very deep. According to Cui Xuanzi, it had not been so treacherous in the past. Its current state was the result of continuous excavation of spirit stone mines, digging deeper bit by bit.

"Take me to see the Poison Spring first," Qin Sang said.

He was searching for ancient teleportation arrays and would not overlook any sign of anomaly.

Having searched the entire Bear Mountain region with no results, Qin Sang knew he could not remain trapped here forever. He had already made the necessary arrangements with Cui Xuanzi and the others. Now, he was preparing to venture deep into Xijiang to seek out insects and investigate hidden realms.

Passing by Black Wind Valley, he had decided to take a look.

Because of the constant yin wind, the valley could only be entered from the front, where Five-Insect Sect had stationed tight security and established spiritual arrays.

Qin Sang did not wait for Cui Xuanzi. He immediately activated his movement art and plunged straight to the bottom of the valley.

Very soon, he sensed the aura of the Poison Spring. It was located in a corner of the valley, expansive in size, resembling an underground lake. The water was clear and transparent, revealing the bottom at a glance.