Chapter 1405: The Three-Spirit Coiling King Array

The time of an incense stick later, the cave dwelling fell silent. Qin Sang's expression was grave as he sank into thought.

No wonder Valley Master Mu had first sung such praises of Pure Sea Sect and the Myriad Spirit Fruit, his every word laced with temptation.

The so-called Three-Spirit Coiling King Array was an insect array formed from three spiritual insects with the aid of an altar. Under the combined workings of array and altar, the strength of two of the insects could be drawn out and poured into the third, forcibly elevating the third insect's supernatural abilities. That third insect was known as the primary insect.

The array made no demands on the insects' species, but it did carry one condition: of the two insects being drained, one had to be of a higher realm than the primary insect, and the other at least its equal.

That condition was easily met. Valley Master Mu not only possessed his fourth-metamorphosis life-bound insect gu, the Tide-Drawing Horseshoe Crab, but had even raised a Black Devil Ant at the late stage of its third metamorphosis. Qin Sang would not even need to bring out the Sky-Eyed Butterfly.

What made Qin Sang hesitate was that the Three-Spirit Coiling King Array would inflict serious harm on the primary insect. The insects being drained would suffer at most a spell of weakness, but the primary insect had to bear power beyond its own limits while forcibly driving its supernatural ability. One misstep and it might even explode on the spot.

And there was no guarantee of finding Pure Sea Sect's entrance.

"You've already tried this with the Jade-Carrying Bee, I take it?" Qin Sang asked after long thought.

Valley Master Mu hesitated, but knowing it would be unwise to hide it, he nodded with a sigh. "The gap in realms was too great. The array had barely begun to run before the Jade-Carrying Bee burst apart and died, unable to bear it. Rest assured, Daoist Master, I will preside over the array myself and keep the harm to your Fire Jade Centipede to a minimum. As long as we find the Myriad Spirit Fruit, the centipede can be restored to what it was."

He knew perfectly well how precious a third-metamorphosis Fire Jade Centipede was, and spoke to reassure.

Seeing Qin Sang remain silent, Valley Master Mu pressed on. "Daoist Qi and the rest don't cultivate the Dao of insect control. Beyond passing the Spirit Elevation Rite to you, whatever Myriad Spirit Fruits we obtain will be split evenly between the two of us. As for any other treasures in Pure Sea Sect, we'll each rely on our own means; whoever lays hands on a thing first keeps it, sworn on oath. What do you say, Daoist Master?"

A glint crossed Qin Sang's eyes, and he added two more conditions. "Whether we succeed or not, I want a copy of the Three-Spirit Coiling King Array's art. And I wish to view Hundred Flowers Valley's secret techniques of insect control."

Valley Master Mu looked troubled.

The array itself was a small matter of little consequence, since chances to use it would be rare. But the secret techniques of insect control were the very root of Hundred Flowers Valley. How could they be casually passed to an outsider?

"Then the array art first. Once we find Pure Sea Sect's entrance, you can honor the second condition. I swear upon my heart devils never to leak your sect's insect-controlling techniques to anyone," Qin Sang said, volunteering the oath to dispel Valley Master Mu's doubts.

Valley Master Mu wavered a moment, then nodded. "Good! It's settled!"

"Settled!"

With the accord struck, the two acted at once, leaving the cave dwelling and flying for Ethereal Sea.

On the way, Qin Sang questioned Valley Master Mu closely about the Pure Sea Sect's array.

Pure Sea Sect being a Buddhist sect had caught Qin Sang off guard. Across Beichen Realm, Canglang Sea, and now his long travels through the North Sea, everywhere he knew of, the Daoist lineages flourished while the Buddhist ones withered. The Buddhist inheritances were so fragmentary that not even one presentable sect could be found. A Buddhist sect of such power was a first for him.

Still, Qin Sang understood perfectly well that what Valley Master Mu had told him was not necessarily everything they knew. The man was surely holding some things back; he would never lay all his cards on the table.

Perhaps Pure Sea Sect had some connection with the witch race. The grandmaster of Hundred Flowers Valley had come from Ethereal Sea bearing a witch race inheritance, and Pure Sea Sect was a sect hidden away in these very waters. There had to be a secret buried in that.

Qin Sang had agreed to put up the Fire Jade Centipede for the Three-Spirit Coiling King Array because the centipede was about to hit a bottleneck, and because it mattered less to him than the Sky-Eyed Butterfly. Staking a small piece for a large prize, the cost was acceptable.

Besides, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly alone might break the array, and the centipede might not be needed at all.

Ethereal Sea proved just as the rumors described.

Boundless water stretched in every direction, unvarying, and they flew a long while without a glimpse of a single island. No wind touched the sea's surface; scarcely a ripple could be seen.

After entering Ethereal Sea, Qin Sang followed Valley Master Mu for another two hours before they reached a stretch of empty ocean. Valley Master Mu abruptly dropped to the surface and flicked a streak of light down into the water.

Moments later, Qin Sang sensed two auras rising swiftly from the seabed.

Splash... Two figures broke the surface, a man and a woman.

The man was tall and thin, dressed in a Daoist robe with a tall crown on his head, his cheekbones high and prominent. This was the Daoist Qi of whom Valley Master Mu had spoken. The female cultivator, also dressed as a Daoist priestess, was his close companion, surnamed Wang. Both were at the early stage of Spiritual Infant Realm.

Having heard Valley Master Mu's introductions, Qin Sang stepped forward and offered a kowtow. "Daoist Qi! Daoist Wang!"

"Greetings, Daoist Master Ming Yue!" The two returned the courtesy, smiling and warm.

After an exchange of pleasantries, the four dove beneath the water, and the surface returned to stillness.

"How deep below does Pure Sea Sect lie?" Qin Sang asked by voice transmission, seeing them continue ever downward.

"We're nearly there." Daoist Qi turned. "Did Daoist Mu not tell you? Pure Sea Sect should have been built upon an island, but now that island is nowhere to be found. The array is strange as well. If not for a phenomenon that appeared once, I could have passed straight through these waters without ever realizing anything was amiss."

Qin Sang nodded slightly. "Words alone can hardly capture it. I'll need to experience it myself to grasp exactly what makes the array so peculiar."

Valley Master Mu slowed his pace to draw level with them and turned to Daoist Qi. "Any new developments these past days?"

The man shook his head. "Since that one brief phenomenon, nothing has appeared again. This time it rests on your means, fellow Daoists. If it still doesn't work, I'm afraid our only recourse is to try our luck at the Myriad Devil Assembly."

"The Myriad Devil Assembly?" Surprise showed in Qin Sang's eyes.

Valley Master Mu gave an "ah" of realization and explained, "You've only just arrived in Boundless Sea, Daoist Master, so you may not know. Nine years from now falls the next Myriad Devil Assembly, something of an auction and trade fair among the Spiritual Infant cultivators of Boundless Sea. Experts from across these waters will gather on Chaotic Devil Island, righteous and devilish alike, and even demon kings have been known to appear.

"The factions of Boundless Sea agreed long ago that no matter what blood feuds lie between them, none may raise a hand on Chaotic Devil Island, on pain of being attacked by all together. With the Chaotic Devil Elder personally holding court, no one has ever been known to break the rules at any assembly. If you're interested, you might go and see it for yourself..."

Daoist Qi nodded. "Indeed. Treasures of great value surface at every assembly. There may well be one capable of breaking this array. As the assembly draws near, a rough list of the treasures usually leaks out first. You could look it over for anything that interests you, Daoist Master."

Qin Sang nodded thoughtfully.