Chapter 672: Anchor

A halo of seven-colored light enveloped the surroundings.

Its only flaw lay in being too conspicuous. It made the anomaly easy to spot, and thus failed to achieve any element of surprise.

Qin Sang began training the fat silkworm, commanding it to control the size and shape of the multicolored halo. The silkworm made countless attempts, exhausting all its strength, and finally managed to shrink the halo by a small margin. It also looked slightly more condensed.

"Not bad. With more practice, you might one day turn it into a Poison-Warding Armor."

Qin Sang nodded in approval.

The fat silkworm had been tormented for half a day and was now on the verge of collapse. It lay in Qin Sang’s palm, wheezing and drained, yet dared not utter a complaint. Whatever it was told to do, it obeyed.

Hovering above it was the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, so there was no room for resistance.

"Go back and rest. Do not slack off. I will check your progress next time."

Qin Sang issued the warning and rewarded it with a sliver of Crimson Fire Gilded Gold.

Though the silkworm had been full of resentment moments ago, the instant it saw the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold, all its grievances vanished. It licked the treasure eagerly, then looked up at Qin Sang with a flattering expression, as if vowing to give its best from now on.

Compared to it, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly was elegant and beautiful. Just looking at it lightened one’s mood.

Nourished by Qin Sang’s blood and essence and a generous supply of spiritual fruits, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly progressed rapidly. Within a few years, it would begin its second metamorphosis.

After playing with the butterfly for a while, Qin Sang routinely checked the barrier surrounding Mute Girl.

She lay there quietly, serene as a sleeping beauty. Her expression was peaceful, and she showed no signs of discomfort.

Looking at her, Qin Sang let out a quiet sigh. He hadn’t forgotten about the seal. Back in Pingbo Port, he had tried to learn more about the secret arts of the corpse path in Canglang Sea and had gathered a few techniques, but none were particularly effective. The true inheritances of major sects were not so easily obtained.

He still had no idea when he would find a way to awaken Mute Girl.

"Hmm?"

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes.

He noticed something was slightly different, though he couldn’t tell what it was. Her appearance remained unchanged. Thanks to the nourishment of the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances, her skin looked vibrant and healthy, with no signs of corpse transformation.

"Could it be...?"

A thought crossed his mind. He brought out the fat silkworm and quickly noticed something.

Sensing its master’s presence, the previously limp silkworm suddenly came to life. It leapt into Mute Girl’s palm, nestled against her fingertips like a kitten, and let out soft chirps. It seemed deeply attached to her.

This affection was genuine, coming from the silkworm’s heart, without the slightest hint of coercion.

It was markedly different from the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, which had been subdued by force.

Qin Sang observed that after the silkworm’s metamorphosis, a mysterious connection had formed between its primordial spirit and Mute Girl’s. Perhaps the connection had always existed, but it had been too faint to notice before.

This bond infused Mute Girl’s primordial spirit with a trace of vitality. It was as if the silkworm had become her anchor in the real world, giving her something to hold onto in the darkness, like a faint glimmer of light.

That vitality was incredibly faint, almost negligible, but in a realm of deathly silence, it stood out with undeniable clarity and value.

The discovery delighted Qin Sang.

With the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances preserving her physical body, he no longer needed to worry about decay. What concerned him more was her fading consciousness.

Now, with the silkworm as her anchor and the protection of warm jade, she could hold on longer. The stronger the silkworm grew, the clearer the connection would become, and the longer she could endure.

"It seems I’ll need to not only look for a way to awaken her, but also help the silkworm complete its metamorphosis as soon as possible. Better to prepare both paths."

Qin Sang spoke softly to himself as he looked at the two.

Realizing the silkworm was genuinely helpful, he grew noticeably more tolerant toward it.

***

The night passed in silence.

At dawn the next day, Qin Sang awoke from meditation, lifted the curtain, and gazed southeast.

It was drizzling. Through the hazy curtain of rain, the outline of a solitary peak could already be seen in the distance. It rose straight into the sky like a pillar supporting the heavens.

That was Witch God Mountain, towering above all other ranges. Its dominating presence made it easy to understand why the witch race revered it as sacred.

The grandest and most majestic mountain Qin Sang had ever seen before was the heavenly mountain of Ziwei Palace.

Yet Witch God Mountain stood on equal footing with it, perhaps even surpassing it.

The heavenly mountain was shrouded in terrifying celestial barriers, exuding mystery and ancient solemnity.

Witch God Mountain, on the other hand, was steeped in legend. Some said it reached into the heavens above and descended into the underworld below. Others claimed the Witch God had once manifested there, revealing divine miracles.

Qin Sang's gaze pierced through the curtain of rain, fixed on the skies above Witch God Mountain.

The mountain’s summit was shrouded in dark clouds. Lightning raged across the sky like silver serpents darting in and out of the gloom, with terrifying bolts flashing every moment. It looked like a scene of divine punishment, awe-inspiring and fearsome.

One could not help but feel a sense of submission.

This celestial phenomenon was not caused by the rainy weather today.

Even under a blazing sun, the clouds over Witch God Mountain never dispersed, and the lightning had never ceased. No one knew how many years it had continued.

According to the earliest records of Witch God Mountain, this phenomenon had always been there. It was truly extraordinary.

"This Witch God Mountain is no ordinary place. In Canglang Sea, there are many mysterious locations not inferior to Ziwei Palace, like Seven-Kill Hall and this very mountain. Who knows how many more places like this exist..."

Qin Sang couldn't help but feel amazed.

He had seen the immortal traces within Ziwei Palace and hadn't felt particularly shaken. Others were different. The first time cultivators from the human race came to Witch God Mountain, their eyes often revealed an unmistakable fear.

"Daoist Master Qingfeng is awake as well? Perfect, let’s go together. We’ll set off first and fly directly to Witch God Mountain."

Qin Sang had been lost in thought when Ran Luo’s voice transmission interrupted him. He turned his head to see that Ran Luo and Ning Kun had already stepped down from the carriage and were flying toward him.

"We're not waiting for the caravan?"

The longer they delayed, the greater the chance something could go wrong. Qin Sang was more than happy to reach the Stormy Demonic Sea early. Without hesitation, he retracted the array tools from the carriage and shot into the air.

"We’ve already confirmed that everything is normal at Witch God Mountain. Many cultivators have grown restless and decided to depart immediately. The merchant caravan will send escorts to bring the wagons along the road slowly. We're already close to Witch God Mountain, and no one dares to cause trouble around here."

Ran Luo gave a brief explanation, nodded to Qin Sang, and flew ahead to assign tasks.

Qin Sang looked around. All the powerful cultivators who had kept a low profile along the way were now appearing one after another, flying in small groups toward Witch God Mountain. Though they came from different factions, they shared a common concern for the situation on the Witch God Continent, which had compelled them to leave Pingbo Port together.

Among them, Qin Sang only recognized Ning Kun and Huiwen. After some thought, he chose to stay close to them and slowed his pace, waiting for Ran Luo.

Before long, Ran Luo caught up. Flying alongside her were a man and a woman. The man, graceful and refined in demeanor, was none other than Elder Zhou, the chief manager of the Qiongyu Merchant Guild.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

To Qin Sang’s surprise, Elder Zhou appeared quite young.

He didn’t sense the pressure of a Spiritual Infant grandmaster from Elder Zhou. The man’s cultivation was likely in the late stage of the Core Formation Realm.