Chapter 691: Chaos of the Witch Race

Qin Sang had flown for several days in a row. Instead of returning to the Fuhu Sea, he had changed directions multiple times, heading deeper into the Stormy Demonic Sea, originally intending to find a secluded place to hide.

Unexpectedly, along the way, he encountered more than one immortal cultivator returning from the Demonic Sea, all of them in a hurry. This made him reconsider his plans.

***

On a lush, uninhabited island.

The island was filled with ancient trees, some so large it would take over a dozen people to encircle their trunks. Unfortunately, the spiritual qi was sparse. Despite the beautiful scenery, it was not suitable as a cave dwelling.

Tree shadows danced gently as the tide lapped against the reefs. Everything on the island appeared normal, except for the group of people who had now gathered here.

They sat surrounding two individuals in meditation, each holding a spirit stone and regulating their breath.

The two at the center were Core Formation cultivators. The rest were far weaker, only at the Foundation Building Realm.

Around them, a temporary spirit-gathering array had been formed using spirit stones. Beyond the array stood over a dozen earthen-yellow array flags, which formed an illusion array. Its power was not weak.

From the outside, this place looked like a patch of wild grass. Unless someone approached carefully and searched in detail, it would be difficult to detect anything unusual.

The two cultivators in the center gradually awakened from meditation. They glanced at their disciples still regulating their breath but did not wake them. Instead, they began to exchange thoughts through sound transmission.

"I didn’t expect the conflict between the two races to spread from the Inner Sea to the Demonic Sea. The island master chose to stay out of it. We had only just left when he decided to seal the island. Had we known, we wouldn’t have come out at all. All our preparations were for nothing."

One of them sighed, his tone filled with frustration.

The other asked with some doubt, "Senior Brother, do we really need to rush back to Duyan Island? Even if a full-scale war breaks out between the two races, it shouldn’t affect the Demonic Sea so soon, right? We spent so long preparing for this. Since we’re already out with our disciples, it shouldn’t be too late to finish hunting demonic beasts before returning."

"You were probably wondering the same thing the moment Junior Nephew Zhao rushed to send that urgent message, weren’t you?"

The one addressed as "Senior Brother" shook his head and replied, "What I’m worried about isn’t the war between the two races, but the opportunists who take advantage of the chaos. When the island master was still watching over the area, no one dared to make a move. But now that he has sealed off the island and no longer cares about external matters, you can imagine what kind of mess is about to unfold. You and I are only early-stage Core Formation cultivators, and we’ve brought so many disciples. If we don’t return soon, it’ll be difficult later. Who knows how long this war will last? Legend says that during a past war between the two races thousands of years ago, the conflict lasted for hundreds of years. If we end up stranded deep in the Demonic Sea and run out of supplies, what then?"

The junior brother’s expression changed slightly. "Senior Brother, are you saying the cultivators of the two races in the Demonic Sea will start killing each other too?"

"The ones who start trouble rarely escape the consequences."

The senior brother sighed. "Without the backing of the Spiritual Infant experts from both sides, how could such chaos have erupted in the Inner Sea? The cultivators of the Demonic Sea are certainly not unrelated to them. If this turmoil cannot be quickly resolved, the cultivators here will be dragged into it eventually. Besides, the Demonic Sea has already been affected. Apart from the witch race, there will definitely be evil human cultivators using the chaos to plunder and kill. The situation will descend into complete disorder. In times like this, our only option is to return to Duyan Island. With a Spiritual Infant expert holding the line, our chances of surviving this chaos will be much better."

Hearing this, the junior brother was thoroughly convinced. "Senior Brother, your foresight is sound. I was too naïve."

The senior brother gave a soft hum. "The last war between the two races was so long ago that even our master didn’t experience it. It’s no wonder you didn’t think of it.

Sigh...

There’s a saying among mortals: ‘Better to be a dog in peaceful times than a man in turbulent times.’ We cultivators are no different. We can only hope this chaos ends quickly..."

Just as he finished speaking, the senior brother’s expression suddenly changed. He sensed something, sprang to his feet, summoned an artifact, and faced outward. He shouted sternly, "Who’s there?!"

The junior brother also reacted quickly, standing by his side as the two glared coldly at the direction outside the array.

Their illusion array had been discovered. Someone was drawing near. Both were startled and furious.

"Daoists, calm down. I have no ill intent. I only wish to ask a few questions..."

A calm voice drifted in from outside. Then a masked figure appeared just beyond the illusion array, standing openly with hands spread to show he meant no harm.

It was Qin Sang, now wearing a different outfit. He had unintentionally stumbled upon this group and, seeing that only two of them were early-stage Core Formation cultivators, decided to approach and inquire about the situation.

"A human cultivator?"

Upon seeing that Qin Sang was only at early-stage Core Formation, the two visibly relaxed, though they remained highly cautious. In the Demonic Sea, there were plenty of evil cultivators who killed and looted, and many of them were skilled at disguising themselves.

"What kind of questions do you want to ask? Why sneak around like that?" The senior brother snorted coldly, clearly displeased.

"If I hadn’t, would either of you have let me get close? Don’t bother looking around, I really am alone. If I meant you harm, would I have alerted you like this?"

Qin Sang replied evenly, then added, "In exchange for your information, I’m willing to offer a top-grade artifact. I’ll leave right after and won’t disturb you further. I’ve been cultivating in the Demonic Sea for a while now and was planning to return to Duyan Island for resupply. But recently, something has felt off. Seeing you two rushing back only confirmed it. What exactly is going on?"

The two exchanged glances. The senior brother hesitated for a moment, then countered, "How many years have you been out hunting beasts?"

"Seven or eight years, give or take," Qin Sang replied, exaggerating the timeline.

"You’ve been hunting alone in the Demonic Sea for that long?"

The senior brother let out a soft breath and looked at him strangely. "No wonder you’re unaware. A lot has changed these past two years. It all started in the Inner Sea. Three years ago, the witch race launched a sudden and unprovoked assault. No one knows what triggered it, but a major battle already took place there. We thought the conflict wouldn’t spread this fast to the Demonic Sea. Yet barely had we left the island when our disciples sent word that the island master had decided to seal the island and withdraw from external affairs..."

As he listened to their explanation, a strange expression surfaced on Qin Sang’s face.

So the great war between the two races had truly broken out.

Back when the forces at Pingbo Port had fled, some mocked them for being overly timid, not realizing that it was precisely that caution which had saved their lives. As for the human cultivators who had stayed behind at Pingbo Port, their fate was now uncertain.

The witch race had always been the weaker side. Yet after the collective disappearance of their Spiritual Infant experts, they returned only to launch an assault on the human race. Had they acquired some kind of treasure that gave them the confidence to challenge the humans?

In hindsight, coming early to the Demonic Sea had been the right move. If he had remained in the Inner Sea, there would have been no way to stay uninvolved once chaos erupted.

He had never trusted the Qiongyu Merchant Guild and had deliberately kept his whereabouts hidden from Ran Luo and the others. To think that the conflict between the two races had been going on for three years, and he was only now learning about it.

Following this, Qin Sang asked several more questions in succession.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

They were all matters widely known among those from Duyan Island. The two cultivators had no reason to hide anything and answered him one by one.