Chapter 1412: Pure Sea Sect

The decline proved just as gradual as the rise.

Waves of scorching qi rolled outward and the sky burned a fiery red. Had any island stood nearby, every living thing on it would surely have been reduced to charcoal. Even at night the pillar of light lit these waters as bright as day.

Qin Sang and the others had not strayed a single step in all those days, drawing near the Buddhist lotus from time to time to gauge the strength of its fluctuations.

By nightfall the pillar had dimmed considerably compared to its peak, and the crater in the sea had shrunk as well. A streak of light shot out from the crater's center.

Valley Master Mu had gone down to test it once more. Flying back into the air, he said with care, "It's within what we can withstand now. In another four to six hours we should be able to go in."

Merely enduring the assault of that crimson flame qi was not enough. Only once the phenomenon weakened further would they have the reserves left to handle other dangers. They had waited this long already; several more hours made little difference.

The cultivator surnamed Qi let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. "We can finally get in! I never expected this to happen. Forced to wait out here for days, and drawing this many people in the process..."

He glanced off into the distance as he spoke.

The waves surged like a tide, and gathered atop them was a great crowd of immortal cultivators. Figure after figure stood aboard ships or hovered in mid-air. There were Golden Core and Foundation Building cultivators, and even a few Qi Refining Realm cultivators reckless enough to come gawk.

All of them had spotted the phenomenon over Ethereal Sea and been drawn to it. Several were juniors of Daoists Qi and Wang.

Only after questioning them did the four learn that the phenomenon here was plainly visible from thousands of li away. There was no telling how many more immortal cultivators were already on their way.

The news caught them off guard, though there was nothing to be done about it.

"Whoever shows up, we still hold the advantage," Valley Master Mu said calmly. "As long as we move fast enough, one or two individuals won't trouble us. It's only a shame that some portion of the treasures inside may end up divided away."

Then something occurred to him and he swept his gaze across the sea's surface. "The Precept-Keeping Sage still hasn't shown himself?"

Daoist Qi shook his head and snorted coldly. "No! Nine-Precept Island isn't far from Ethereal Sea. So long as that man hasn't left the island, he's certainly aware of this, and there's no chance he wouldn't come! He's always been a treacherous sort. There's no telling where he's lying in wait or what scheme he's preparing. Everyone had best be careful once we're inside."

Seeing Qin Sang's curiosity, Valley Master Mu explained, "Brother Qi's dojo lies close to Nine-Precept Island. There was friction over a dispute between their disciples, and later an incident turned it into an outright feud. They've been at odds ever since. The phenomenon has only been visible for two days, so even if other Spiritual Infant cultivators have received word, it would be difficult for them to arrive this quickly. The Precept-Keeping Sage's strength is comparable to Brother Qi's, and alone against the four of us he shouldn't pose much of a threat. Still, caution never hurts."

Qin Sang nodded thoughtfully.

Boundless Sea was a vast, sparsely populated place, a chaotic mixing pot where Spiritual Infant cultivators' dojos lay far apart from one another. If they moved quickly enough, they had a chance to strip Pure Sea Sect clean before any other Spiritual Infant cultivator arrived. The only question was how much danger still lurked inside.

Qin Sang was not optimistic. He watched the lotus in silence, his gaze flickering.

As time wore on, the crimson flame qi pent up within continued to vent itself, its momentum steadily waning. Battered by so vast a torrent of that qi, the lotus conjured by the array had long since been reduced to ruin.

It scarcely resembled a lotus any longer, with only scattered fragments of Buddha light remaining. Yet the clash between the two forces still raged fiercely.

Four hours slipped by. After a series of probes, Valley Master Mu and Qin Sang resolved to force their way into Pure Sea Sect at once! The lotus was too broken to bar them.

The four appeared before it. They could faintly make out chaos at the heart of the crimson flame qi, where a gate-shaped entrance seemed to stand, warped and distorted by the onslaught.

Qin Sang saw a little more clearly. Beyond the gate the crimson flame qi remained abundant and violent, and deep within it a faint golden glow flickered in and out of sight, though he could not tell what it was.

"Now!" Valley Master Mu commanded.

He took up the Snake Spear, holding it crosswise before his chest rather than leveling it at the entrance.

A serpentine hiss rang out. The spear's body writhed and abruptly erupted with dark light, transforming into a black python a hundred zhang long.

Its form was insubstantial as it coiled through the air, its head rising clear of the crater to look down upon the people on the sea's surface.

The onlookers, having watched Qin Sang and the others descend into the crater, had meant to draw closer and try their luck at scavenging whatever might be missed. The python's cold gaze swept over them and their spines turned to ice, their bodies going rigid.

With a whoosh the python flew back, shrinking rapidly until it coiled about Valley Master Mu like a suit of serpent armor. The Snake Spear was, it turned out, an astra suited to both offense and defense.

Daoists Qi and Wang stood together. The woman surnamed Wang produced an astra shaped like a tortoise shell and brought her hands together. The shell vanished, and above the two of them appeared the phantom image of a tortoise shell, hanging inverted and scattering tassel-like radiance that wreathed them both.

It too was a rare defensive treasure. Daoist Qi drew a spiritual sword and stood on guard.

Qin Sang outwardly still wielded the Golden Sinking Sword, though the eighteen devilish banners lay concealed within his sleeve.

Qin Sang and Valley Master Mu took the lead, with Daoists Qi and Wang behind them.

Boom!

Sword qi and spear shadow burst forth together, aimed at a gap in the Buddhist lotus chosen at random. Amid the thunderous roar the pillar of light was blasted open, only for the breach to seal again at once.

Qin Sang and Valley Master Mu exchanged a glance and pressed their astras harder. Attack after attack hammered into the pillar until the opening widened enough to admit a person, and they flashed through.

Their judgment had been sound and it went very smoothly. The lotus array no longer had the strength to displace intruders.

The four of them broke through to the pillar's center and saw the gate clearly at last. It was an entrance wide enough for a dozen people to pass through shoulder to shoulder, and intact it must have resembled a memorial archway. Now it was badly damaged. Characters had once been inscribed above it, but only a single stroke survived.

Barring surprises, it was a stroke of the character "Jing."[1]

Pure Sea Sect! They had found the right place!

A flash of delight crossed Valley Master Mu's eyes. He observed for a moment, then charged in without hesitation. Qin Sang and the two others followed close behind.

As the four figures vanished, the pillar of light returned to its former state. The immortal cultivators watching from outside waited a good while before daring to creep toward the crater.

"Did those four seniors really go in?" someone asked, his face full of disbelief.

The fluctuations the phenomenon gave off were terrifying. Even Golden Core cultivators could barely keep their footing at the crater's edge, and those of lower cultivation dared not approach at all.

A Golden Core cultivator beside him nodded repeatedly, his voice envious. "A barrier that strong means there's definitely a great treasure inside. This is an opportunity of the highest order. A shame it's not ours to take."

"Are you planning to fight Spiritual Infant cultivators over treasure?" His companion rolled his eyes. "Once the phenomenon fades, I'll be perfectly content just getting in for the scraps."

Not one of them noticed the two ethereal figures that had drifted silently up before the lotus.

1. Jing is the character for "pure". ☜

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