Chapter 835: Beast Tide

"Die!" Her long-harbored hatred was finally about to be avenged. Tears welled in Madam Liu’s eyes as she shouted, releasing all her pent-up emotions.

Qin Sang did not relax for an instant, giving Xiang Yi no chance to breathe.

With the Essence-Sealing Talisman suppressing him, Xiang Yi’s true essence lagged, and the power of his astra had dropped sharply. Surrounded and attacked by both Qin Sang and Madam Liu, he fell back step by step.

Despair filled his heart as he struggled desperately.

Defeat was imminent, and escape was already impossible. Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred. The Sky-Eyed Butterfly gave a warning.

Qin Sang ordered it to open its Sky Eyes and keep watch, and sure enough, it detected something unusual.

Far off in the depths of the Demonic Sea, waves surged, and thick black clouds blotted out the sky as they rushed toward them at astonishing speed.

"A great demon!" Qin Sang’s expression changed sharply.

How can a great demon appear at such a time?

The black clouds were dense and vast. No one knew how many were hidden within.

No... perhaps it's not a coincidence at all. The commotion from my battle with Xiang Yi might have drawn them here.

The Demonic Sea is truly perilous, just like a dragon’s den, a tiger’s lair.

Qin Sang thought grimly.

At the same time, Madam Liu and Xiang Yi also noticed the disturbance. Anxious, Madam Liu urged Qin Sang to kill Xiang Yi quickly. Xiang Yi, however, saw a glimmer of hope and suddenly turned toward the black clouds.

Staying here meant certain death. Charging into that mass might grant him a slim chance at survival, or at the very least, he could drag his enemy down with him.

Unfortunately for him, the moment a streak of blue lightning flashed, all his plans shattered like a dream.

Qin Sang was forced to unleash the star turban, seeking only to end the fight swiftly so they could get away.

The star turban punched through Xiang Yi’s chest, leaving a gaping hole. He looked down at it in disbelief, the light in his eyes fading rapidly until there was nothing left.

Years of Madam Liu’s wish for vengeance were fulfilled in that instant. Her body went weak, as though her very spirit had been drawn out of her.

Qin Sang immediately darted to Xiang Yi’s corpse, stripping it of valuables before burning the body to ash.

Sadly, the treasured robe had been pierced by both the Two-Headed Hou and the star turban, leaving it utterly destroyed.

"Madam Liu, move!" Qin Sang urged her sharply. She stood frozen, lost in thought.

Glancing back at the approaching demonic beasts, Qin Sang mused that their appearance might not be a bad thing.

Any lingering traces of the fight would be trampled and destroyed by the beasts, and others would simply assume Xiang Yi had died at their claws, never suspecting them.

Called back to her senses by Qin Sang’s shout, Madam Liu said softly, "If not for you, Daoist Master, I could never have killed this villain."

She was thankful for the choice she had made years ago to befriend this ally.

Xiang Yi had been strong and exceedingly cunning. Even with a late-stage Core Formation partner, she doubted they could have prevented his escape.

What shocked her most was the realization that throughout this drawn-out fight, Qin Sang had never fought at full strength.

She had not even clearly seen the treasure that emitted the final blue light, but the chill it sent down her spine remained vivid in her mind.

From now on, I must never offend this Daoist.

Madam Liu thought to herself.

"Without your Essence-Sealing Talisman, Madam, it would not have gone so smoothly. I only ask that you keep today’s matter to yourself and never reveal my background." Qin Sang’s tone was calm.

Madam Liu immediately swore an oath.

The two fled quickly. Even after covering a long distance, they discovered the demonic beasts still chasing them, their numbers seeming to swell.

"Is it turning into a beast tide?" Qin Sang muttered uneasily. After a brief discussion, they decided to head straight back to Yuheng Island for aid.

With Xiang Yi dead and the aftermath handled cleanly, there was no need for them to hide. They could move about openly.

Neither of them noticed that when Qin Sang had unleashed the star turban to kill Xiang Yi, a great demon shaped like a panther within the black clouds had seemed to catch a scent. Greed flashed in its eyes.

Before landing on the island, Qin Sang took a moment to examine Xiang Yi’s possessions to ensure nothing suspicious would give them away.

Xiang Yi’s wealth surpassed even that of the Xiyou Alliance's youth. With this haul, Qin Sang could live in comfort for quite some time.

Aside from spirit stones and other goods, there was a long row of jade slips. Qin Sang at first assumed they contained cultivation arts or Dao Techniques and was astonished. There were enough here to establish a sect.

Yet when his spiritual consciousness swept over them, he found that the vast majority contained records of the merchant alliance's spiritual items and their destinations.

Qin Sang was about to destroy them outright, but a thought struck him, and he began reading them carefully instead.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Only after reading the contents of these jade slips did Qin Sang truly grasp the immense power of the three merchant alliances. These were not rare spiritual items, yet their sheer quantity added up to an astonishing figure.

And these records were surely only a fraction of the whole.

Most of the items had been shipped to the well-fortified Desolate Island. The alliances were clearly making preparations in advance.

He searched through the list for Azure Reed Root and Scorpion Venom Grass, hoping to get lucky.

Only forces such as the merchant alliances had the resources to accumulate wealth on this scale.

Among them, two jade slips recorded the most precious items, which Xiang Yi had stored separately.

"There really is Maoshan Vine!"

Qin Sang’s eyes lit up when he saw the name. The Maoshan Vine was another name for Azure Reed Root, and here it was recorded in one of the slips. Though it was only a chunk the size of a fist and not even a whole root, it still counted.

But the next line made his heart sink. "It has already been sent to Desolate Island, and by a secret route... In fact, it was one of the earliest shipments."

Xiang Yi had only been responsible for delivering these goods to Desolate Island. As for their fate afterward, he knew nothing. Whether the Maoshan Vine was still there remained uncertain.

"I must return as soon as possible and inquire about its whereabouts. I wonder where Elder Zhou is, and whether he has a way..."

During his time at the Qiongyu Merchant Guild, Qin Sang had met many people. None were more capable than Elder Zhou.

There was also Alchemist Yi.

But this was a treasure valued by the merchant alliances, perhaps even by the alliance leader himself. Could it really be bought with spirit stones?

Madam Liu also held considerable influence. Now that Xiang Yi was dead, she could revive the connections she and her husband had once enjoyed.

Hearing Qin Sang’s intent, Madam Liu did not refuse and promised to help make inquiries.

Without pausing, the two flew at top speed toward Yuheng Island, the demonic beasts still in hot pursuit.

Fortunately, they had not delayed in killing Xiang Yi. Otherwise, Qin Sang could have escaped, but Madam Liu might not have been so lucky.

By the time Yuheng Island came into view, the black clouds had already blotted out the sky and were pressing close behind them.

On the island, the anomaly had clearly been noticed. A deep, resonant bell tolled through the entire city, rousing every cultivator.

"Who's there?!" The moment they appeared, Qin Sang and Madam Liu were intercepted by guards for questioning.

"Daoists, they are with me!" Jin Ying had been waiting there for news. Seeing them return, she pushed forward and revealed her identity. As she spoke, she cast a worried look at Madam Liu.

Madam Liu smiled and nodded to her. Seeing this, Jin Ying finally breathed a heavy sigh of relief, suppressing the excitement in her heart as she led them onto the island.

Even with Jin Ying’s protection, the two still had to submit to a thorough inspection by the guards before being allowed entry.

Faced with the looming beast tide, all of Yuheng Island seemed to come alive. The atmosphere was palpably different, and every cultivator at the Core Formation Realm or above was required to follow orders. No one could remain uninvolved.

They barely had time for a few words before being assigned to the defense forces.