Chapter 1399: The Inheritance of Hundred Flowers Valley (II)

Meanwhile, two evasion lights streaked through the miasma at astonishing speed, utterly unrestrained.

"Hundred Flowers Valley is just ahead." Master Feng's voice sounded from one of the lights.

Qin Sang gazed forward and said with delight, "At last! Thank you, Daoist Feng, for accompanying me all this way and introducing me to so many fellow Daoists."

They had traveled in stops and starts, calling on several Spiritual Infant cultivators acquainted with Master Feng along the way. From Master Feng, Qin Sang had also gleaned plenty of rumors and secrets, a considerable harvest.

"Since you need Black Gale Soft Gold, why didn't you accept Old Ghost Ming's invitation? A single word from you, and he would surely have been happy to delay a few days and wait for your return before setting out," Master Feng asked curiously.

They had just left another Spiritual Infant cultivator's cave dwelling. Black Gale Soft Gold was the very material used to forge the Golden Sinking Sword, a spiritual object that met Qin Sang's other requirement.

Qin Sang smiled wryly. "Daoist Ming plans to venture deep into the Bottomless Devilish Cave! I've heard that several Spiritual Infant cultivators once joined forces to enter it and perished to the last, and that before that, a great cultivator went missing inside. Whether the rumors are true or not, they say enough about how dangerous the place is. I'm not about to risk my life for a piece of Black Gale Soft Gold..."

The Bottomless Devilish Cave was known as the most perilous forbidden ground in Crescent Moon Realm, located northwest of the black swamp, near the sea.

Its entrance was said to be an utterly ordinary stone cave, but the deeper one went, the more dangerous it became, and to this day no one had ever reached its end.

Rare as Black Gale Soft Gold was, Qin Sang had weighed his options and decided to give it up.

As they talked, the two arrived near Hundred Flowers Valley and took in everything that had just happened, including the moment the Hundred Flowers Valley disciple drew the Starlight Insect into his dantian.

"You saw that, didn't you?" Master Feng's question carried a pointed tone.

Qin Sang hesitated a moment before giving a slight nod. "Unique indeed!"

Master Feng failed to notice the shock that flashed through Qin Sang's eyes!

The way the Hundred Flowers Valley disciple commanded his spiritual insect, and the fluctuations between them, felt uncannily familiar to Qin Sang. It bore a striking resemblance to the witch race's technique of the life-bound insect gu!

Yet the Hundred Flowers Valley disciples were clearly of the human race!

In neither Beichen Realm nor the three other realms of the North Sea had Qin Sang heard any word of the witch race. It was all but certain that no trace of the witch race existed in the Four Realms of the North Sea.

Could it be that the life-bound insect gu art was not the witch race's own creation? Or had the three realms of the North Sea once uncovered witch race ruins, from which Hundred Flowers Valley obtained its inheritance?

The human race lacked the witch race's innate gift. Qin Sang himself had only dared cultivate the art by relying on the Jade Buddha's power. How had they resolved the danger of the life-bound insect gu turning on its master?

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind. Whatever the answers, coming here had absolutely been the right choice. He had never imagined that with the road to Canglang Sea severed, he would stumble upon such a discovery in Crescent Moon Realm.

Still, it had been no more than a fleeting glimpse. Qin Sang could not yet be certain whether Hundred Flowers Valley's inheritance was really the witch race's secret technique of the life-bound insect gu.

"Wait here a moment." Master Feng halted his evasion light outside the miasma and flicked a streak of light from his fingertip into it.

Keeping his composure, Qin Sang suddenly remembered something and glanced around with feigned nonchalance. "You mentioned that Hundred Flowers Valley's founder came from the Boundless Sea. Do you know where in Boundless Sea?"

Master Feng thought back carefully. "...From a place called Pure Lake, I believe. As for where exactly that is, it wasn't my place to ask. Why do you want to know?"

Pure Lake... Qin Sang repeated the name silently. It did not sound like the name of any large region, and it would likely not be easy to find.

Hundred Flowers Valley would hardly reveal the secrets of its inheritance so easily. He needed to prepare a second approach; starting from the origins of the valley's grandmaster, he might be able to dig something up.

"I was just wondering whether Hundred Flowers Valley considers itself a power of Boundless Sea or of Crescent Moon Realm," Qin Sang said with a chuckle.

"You suspect Hundred Flowers Valley is a nail Boundless Sea has planted in Crescent Moon Realm?" Master Feng laughed heartily. "You worry too much. Boundless Sea is a scattered heap of sand, tangled and chaotic. Even if a great cultivator stepped forward, he could never bring all its powers to heel and make them serve him..."

Before he could finish, the miasma ahead suddenly churned and parted to form a path, and a voice as crisp as a young girl's drifted out from within. "We have honored guests at our door, and I failed to welcome you from afar. I hope the two of you will forgive me."

Master Feng gave a soft murmur of surprise. "Daoist Lan? Is Daoist Mu not in the valley?"

He turned to Qin Sang and explained, "Daoist Lan is Daoist Mu's junior sister, Lan Jingsi. A heaven-blessed prodigy. She formed her Spiritual Infant before the age of three hundred, giving rise to the celebrated tale of one sect with two Spiritual Infant cultivators."

A laugh like silver bells came from ahead. "Daoist Feng flatters me..."

With the words still hanging in the air, a breeze brushed past, and a young woman appeared before them, fresh and natural, wearing no makeup, her beauty entirely unadorned.

Lan Jingsi's lovely eyes turned as she sized up Qin Sang, then looked to Master Feng. "When Senior Brother returned to the valley last time, he praised your extraordinary supernatural abilities again and again. I have long admired you from afar. A pity I was left to watch over the valley then and could not accompany him to witness them myself."

Master Feng laughed and demurred repeatedly, then gestured toward Qin Sang. "This is Daoist Ming Yue. His supernatural abilities far surpass mine. Even Bifang fell to him. I came this time at Daoist Ming Yue's request, to call upon Daoist Mu."

Lan Jingsi was greatly surprised to hear it.

Qin Sang made a kowtow. "A pleasure to meet you, Daoist Lan."

Lan Jingsi returned the courtesy and withdrew her probing gaze, her delicate brows knitting slightly, lending her a genuinely girlish charm. "I'm afraid you've both come at a bad time. Senior Brother left the valley not long ago and likely won't return for a while..."

"Uhh..."

Master Feng and Qin Sang exchanged a look, both at a loss. Master Feng had some acquaintance with Valley Master Mu, but this was his first meeting with Lan Jingsi, and certain matters were difficult to raise with her directly.

Then Lan Jingsi's tone shifted. "This is no place to talk. Please follow me back to the valley first for a cup of flower tea. With Senior Brother away, I can make decisions in his stead."

Qin Sang readily obliged.

Only after passing through the miasma did he discover the hidden world within, a paradise of rolling mountains and clear waters without a trace of the rot and gloom outside. Within the black swamp, it was nothing short of an otherworldly paradise, a rare treasured land indeed.

The three flew through the air toward Hundred Flowers Valley's headquarters. Before long, they saw disciples training and sparring on a mountainside, most of them women, their spirited cries ringing out.

Qin Sang could not help looking a few extra times, and sure enough, he spotted several more disciples who possessed life-bound insect gu. This time he saw more clearly.

By his judgment, none of the insect gu among these disciples reached the level of supernatural insects. They were merely average. Anyone else might easily have overlooked what was special about their insect-controlling techniques, but Qin Sang possessed a life-bound insect gu himself, and he saw through to the crux at a glance.

It shared the same origin as the witch race's inheritance, yet was not entirely identical!