"Senior..." Qin Sang carefully approached.

Qingzhu’s aura was extremely weak. He wanted to go forward to support him, but Qingzhu raised his hand slightly to stop him.

Qingzhu opened his eyes, a divine gleam shining within them. He glanced at Qin Sang, then turned his gaze toward the Devil Lord and Lingzhuzi, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Lingzhuzi and the Devil Lord sized Qingzhu up from head to toe. Their eyes flickered, but neither spoke.

The blood coffin had been suppressed. The three great devil-suppressing treasures appeared together, their sealing power merging with the sword qi before falling into the black abyss.

The blood-red crystalline wall dissolved, and the surrounding space verged on collapse.

Qingzhu’s voice echoed beside Qin Sang’s ear. "Bring them here."

Before her death, Fairy Nangui had asked Qingzhu to protect her disciples so they would not fall into Lingzhuzi's or the Devil Lord’s hands.

Seeing that Qingzhu’s condition was not as dire as he had feared, Qin Sang felt a faint relief. He quickly moved to lift the young man and woman up, took spirit pills from their Mustard Seed Pouches, fed them, and led them to Qingzhu’s side.

They managed to suppress their injuries enough to stand, then softly thanked Qin Sang.

Passing by Su Nu, Qin Sang crouched to check her and was surprised to find that she was still alive.

It seemed that because the ghostly patterns on her body had been under the Devil Lord’s control, they instead shielded her from the blast of the devil’s roar, keeping her from being torn apart.

Seeing her body covered in ghostly patterns, Qin Sang hesitated, then looked toward the distant Devil Lord. The ghostly seal was still in his hand.

Half of the Devil Lord’s body remained intact, while the other half was shriveled and lifeless.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, focusing all his strength on suppressing his injuries. His condition did not seem any better than Qingzhu’s, and whether he could ever recover was uncertain.

Sensing Qin Sang’s gaze, the Devil Lord looked up.

"Hehe—Cough! Cough!" As soon as he tried to laugh, his aura trembled violently.

He steadied his breath, cast a sidelong glance at Qingzhu, and said to Qin Sang with a faint smile, "Boy, you're bold. You dared refine the vessel chosen by the ancient devil into a soul slave!"

Then the Devil Lord grabbed the ghostly seal, restored it to its original form, and tossed it to Qin Sang, not bothering with any threats or conditions.

Qin Sang froze for a moment, then caught the ghostly seal, helped Su Nu up, and bowed. "Thank you, Senior."

The Devil Lord gave a low, eerie chuckle. "Those others fled in terror, yet you dared take part in a battle involving the ancient devil. Not bad. I’m short of a successor under my command. Boy, are you willing to join Devil Island?"

The Devil Lord actually tried to recruit him.

"I appreciate your offer, Senior." Qin Sang’s tone remained respectful yet composed. "I will give it serious thought."

Since he had met Qingzhu’s true body, Qin Sang planned to return to Small Cold Domain with him. Whether he would go back to Canglang Sea in the future remained uncertain.

Still, he had no wish to offend this overlord of the devilish faction, so he answered ambiguously.

Lingzhuzi interjected, "Why force him, Daoist? From what I’ve seen, this young man does not walk the devilish path. Without him and this friend of yours, the ancient devil would not have been sealed again. I still don’t know your Dharma name, Daoist?"

"I am Qingzhu. I had no choice but to send my clone into your sect for refuge. I hope you will not hold it against me," Qingzhu said calmly, his expression as placid as still water.

"It’s nothing." Lingzhuzi waved it off, his tone warm. "Since you placed your clone within the Heavenly Dao Sect, we already share a faint karmic tie. Do you have a place to stay? If not, you are welcome to choose a fine cave dwelling within Heavenly Dao Sect. Without your intervention today, we would have all followed the grand witch priest into death. Please allow me to express my gratitude properly."

"We may meet again if fate allows," Qingzhu replied, neither accepting nor refusing.

Without another word, the Devil Lord rose to his feet and quietly retreated toward the edge of the collapsing space, vanishing from sight.

Lingzhuzi turned his gaze back, his face filled with grief. He said to the boy and girl, "Fairy Nangui sacrificed herself. You must not forget to take her relics with you. Also, that tortoise shell... The demon race is gone, so it now belongs to no one. It should rightfully go to Daoist Qingzhu..."

The boy picked up Fairy Nangui’s only possession—a slender spiritual sword—and his sorrow deepened.

The girl sobbed softly. The boy drew her close, whispering comfort.

"You can take it," Qingzhu said casually, glancing at the tortoise shell before giving it to Qin Sang.

Qin Sang obeyed readily, flashing over to retrieve it. The tortoise shell bore the finger holes left by Devil Qingzhu, but its formidable defense remained intact.

Within it lingered the pure power of black water, refined by the Nine-Life Black Tortoise over countless years. Its strength was extraordinary. With some additional refinement, it would become a top-tier defensive treasure.

Qingzhu had no use for it, but Qin Sang treasured it greatly. He had already set his eyes on the shell earlier, though he hadn’t dared act in front of so many experts.

"Thank you very much, Seniors." Qin Sang happily stored the tortoise shell into his Thousand-Jin Ring.

Lingzhuzi’s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw that Qingzhu remained unmoved and indifferent.

Just then, a surge of spiritual fluctuation approached. The elder who had been repairing the ancient barriers hurried back, his face filled with worry.

"Grandmaster!" The boy and girl ran to him and finally let out their sobs, recounting everything that had happened in full detail.

When the elder saw the spiritual sword they offered him, his body trembled violently. He suddenly appeared even older. Carefully, he accepted the sword and stared at it for a long time before sighing faintly.

Lingzhuzi came forward and said solemnly, "The three alliance leaders all perished at the hands of the ancient devil. The alliance is now leaderless. Old Devil Mou has fallen. The Devil Lord’s Divine Lunar Ghostlight is shattered. I myself have burned my origin performing the blood refinement technique and must enter seclusion to heal. My next tribulation will likely be my last. The human race now needs a pillar to steady the situation and deter the wicked. What are your thoughts, Daoists?"

"I am but a wandering cultivator. I have no wish to take part in worldly struggles. I will take my leave. Qin Sang, come with me," Qingzhu replied lightly.

As he turned to depart, the young man whispered a few words to the elder, then hurried over with a token in his hand. He bowed and said, "Senior and Daoist Qin, thank you for your protection. I am Bao Zhengnan, and this is my sister, Bao Xi. Daoist Qin, though you have yet to reach the peak of the Core Formation Realm, your abilities are extraordinary. My sister and I deeply admire you. I hope that someday you will visit the Four Saints Palace. Activate this command token in the northernmost part of the Rain Desert, and I will come to welcome you personally."

Qin Sang glanced at Qingzhu. Seeing that he showed no objection, he accepted the command token with a nod of thanks.

The Four Saints Palace was extremely mysterious, founded by the Four Saints themselves. It controlled the ancient barriers within the inner hall and guarded many secrets. No one knew how many of the Four Saints’ tomes and secret techniques were preserved there.

Both the righteous and devilish factions treated the Four Saints Palace with great caution. Having such a token in hand could only bring benefits.

"There is one more favor I’d like to ask..." Qin Sang thought of something and handed Su Nu over to Bao Zhengnan. "She also contributed to the battle against the ancient devil. Her soul remains intact and should awaken soon. Could you help send her out of here?"

"That’s easy enough." Bao Zhengnan immediately had Bao Xi hold Su Nu and took out a talisman so that she would not be harmed by the Spirit-Suppressing Domain’s barrier upon leaving. "Where should I send her?"