Chapter 973: Struggling to Survive

The sudden upheaval earlier had unfolded right under the Nine Phoenix King’s nose, leaving Qin Sang no chance to examine the item.

He now turned the scale over in his hand, wrapped it in true essence, and pushed it away from his body. Then he tried channeling his true essence into it.

The scale quivered lightly, and suddenly a phantom emerged.

Qin Sang’s eyes narrowed in vigilance. To his surprise, it was a palm-sized Jiao phantom, very similar to the one Yuan Zhu had summoned before, except much smaller. It was like a wisp of a split soul.

"So you survived after all!" The Jiao soul’s gaze was identical to Yuan Zhu’s, fixing on Qin Sang as it spoke in a deep voice.

"You are Yuan Zhu’s split soul?"

Qin Sang’s mind raced. At Yuan Zhu’s words, realization struck him like lightning. "You knew I was an impostor?"

There was no point in hiding now, so Qin Sang asked bluntly.

Yuan Zhu let out a cold chuckle. "Did you really believe your disguise was so flawless that no one could recognize you as human? Those Black Shell Talismans were bound to their owners with each person’s blood and essence. Even if no one had ever seen the Jade Pigeon Clan's prince, unmasking you would not have been difficult. Were it not for me concealing it, you would have been exposed long ago by Gu Heng and Caiyi. Still, if you lacked the skill to deceive them, I could not have covered for you. Since your impersonation was lifelike enough, I simply went along with it."

Hearing this, a cold sweat broke out across Qin Sang’s back.

He had entertained doubts before. From their very first meeting, Yuan Zhu had been unusually eager, explaining everything in detail without being asked, giving Qin Sang ample chance to weave excuses for himself. Even when he noticed these oddities, Qin Sang had been powerless.

Yuan Zhu stuck close to him, while Gu Heng and Fairy Caiyi were as strong as he was. There had been no chance to slip away. He could only remain guarded.

Later, seeing the demons treat him as one of their own without suspicion, Qin Sang wondered if he had been overthinking.

Now he realized Yuan Zhu had schemed from the start, revealing himself as a Transformation Realm great demon before Gu Heng and the others arrived, intimidating Qin Sang into restraint.

Then, in that brief span, subtly steering him. His schemes ran deep indeed.

"Even if you dared to act back then, the outcome would not have been so certain!" Qin Sang snorted coldly.

He had never considered that a Demonic Core Realm beast could take human form, and when he saw Yuan Zhu transformed, he assumed he faced a great demon of the Transformation Realm. Intimidated, he had held back.

Had Yuan Zhu revealed the truth, Qin Sang would have struck without hesitation. At that time, Gu Heng and Caiyi had not yet appeared, so he might have escaped.

"You spared me only to hand me this scale? Your true body is already dead. This shred of soul will soon disperse. Do you mean to restore yourself through it?"

His mind spun. Yuan Zhu helping him infiltrate the demon race could have only one purpose. But the remnant soul before him was far too thin to count as a true split soul. It lacked even the strength Bai possessed to seize a corpse and recover.

"Who told you my true body is dead?" The Jiao phantom spoke evenly. "I planned for this long ago, so how could I not prepare? What I did not expect was the viciousness of those demon kings. They treated us as expendable and even planted a cruel backhand on us to prevent rebellion. My earlier preparations proved useless. Gu Heng and Caiyi likely did not survive. Ironically, it was a whim of mine to leave you alive that now proves critical."

Qin Sang fixed his gaze on Yuan Zhu, slightly surprised. "Impressive means. To survive under such circumstances. But if your body still lives, why leave this shred with me?"

After a pause, Yuan Zhu said, "My true body will not perish by the Nine Phoenix King’s hand, but it will be gravely wounded, swept into the storm with blood flames consuming me. I cannot say how long I can endure. How laughable. My plan was that if we failed to kill her, I would escape by hurricane. Instead, I cast myself into greater danger. Thankfully, I left this split soul with you, so you can save me."

"You want me to rescue your body? You know the saying ‘Those not of our race cannot be trusted.’ Humans and demons are mortal enemies. Why should I save you?" It was as though Qin Sang heard the funniest joke.

"True, I calculated. But I also spared you from the demons' siege and warned you at the last moment, giving you time to prepare. Without me, you would never have escaped so easily. My deeds and debts balance. We have no blood feud. As for race..." Yuan Zhu’s expression dimmed. "Do you truly still count me as a demon? From now on, beneath this vast sky, I have no kin, no refuge. I am utterly alone."

Qin Sang fell silent. Yuan Zhu’s plight stirred his own memories of his escape from Yuanzhao Sect. Both had been betrayed. Both now struggled to survive.

Yet Yuan Zhu’s fate was crueler. Qin Sang could still seek shelter in the righteous path, but Yuan Zhu had been cast off by his own, and could never join the humans. Shackled by an inescapable secret technique, his cultivation was sealed, his road ahead pitch black. It was despair itself.

Yuan Zhu spoke again. "You must be lost, unable to tell which way leads out of the storm belt, yes? With this scale, my split soul can sense my true body within a certain range. I also found an ancient cave dwelling in the storm belt, and with its arrangements, one can discern direction. My body will try to reach it. If you head there, we should meet. Save me, and I will lead you out of the storm."

"An ancient cave dwelling?" Qin Sang was astonished.

The storm belt of the Canglang Sea resembled the Ancient Immortal Battlefield of the Small Cold Domain. Cultivators often uncovered ancient ruins in that battlefield; naturally, Canglang Sea held similar remnants. Yet this was the endless sea. Ancient ruins were exceedingly rare here.

Furthermore, the eternal hurricanes had long since eroded most of them, leaving only silence and ruin.

Finding one was far harder than in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. It had been ages since any had been discovered.

That was why the storm belt of Canglang Sea was far vaster, yet yielded so few treasures. It was far poorer than the Small Cold Domain.

For Yuan Zhu to discover a ruin here, one intact enough to serve as a dwelling, was a fortune beyond belief. Nowhere could be more hidden.

***

At Seven-Kill Hall, the upheaval of the celestial barrier had alarmed many cultivators.

Spiritual Infant experts scoured the surroundings, but every trace had been erased by the barrier’s power, leaving not the faintest clue of identity or intent.

Finding nothing, most departed one by one. Only a few remained, circling the place in search.