"Their bloodline is too diluted. Without awakening the Vermilion Bird Clan’s bloodline supernatural ability, they cannot earn the recognition of the Vermilion Bird Clan from the ancient era, and thus cannot truly be considered descendants of the Vermilion Bird."

Qin Sang nodded. When he had conversed with Yuan Zhu, he had learned some of the demon race’s rules.

Without the Vermilion Bird bloodline, it was nearly impossible to subdue the True Vermilion Bird Feather through normal means.

The devilish banner could suppress the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, but he had not yet tamed the Southern Sun Fire.

If he used the Fire Seed Golden Lotus to draw the Southern Sun Fire into his body and refine lotus seeds, it would be no different from setting himself ablaze.

Moreover, when he had done so at Yitian Peak, it had been out of desperation. He had hurriedly used devilish fire to condense the lotus seed before fully comprehending the Fire Seed Golden Lotus, and now dared not act rashly.

The black iron column restrains the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, and Founder Kuiyin refined his devilish banner based on it to seize the devilish flames. The green copper piece can also restrain the Southern Sun Fire, and it should still be with Wandering Man. Perhaps I could use a similar method to forcibly collect the Southern Sun Fire and the True Vermilion Bird Feather?

This thought flashed through Qin Sang’s mind, but he quickly realized his knowledge of artifact refinement was far too shallow, and he had no immediate ideas.

After lingering briefly at the sword-scarred mountain, Qin Sang retraced his steps and descended the slope. It was still not yet time for Ziwei Palace to close.

However, back then his cultivation had been too low to sense the palace’s hidden mysteries. He knew little of its inner workings, and the remaining time was not enough for him to explore at leisure.

Staying longer would yield no benefit. After a moment’s thought, Qin Sang decided to leave Ziwei Palace now.

The way back was anything but peaceful. Some areas of the outer palace were even more dangerous than the inner palace.

Like Seven-Kill Hall, Ziwei Palace was divided into inner and outer sections, connected only by the path of heart refinement. Last time, Dongyang Bo had led them into the inner hall through this very path.

At the end of the path once stood a stone tower.

But the latter half of the path had collapsed, preventing anyone from reaching the tower. The instant they entered the inner palace, the chaotic power within the sea of clouds had scattered everyone to random locations.

Leaving, however, was much simpler. One only needed to find the stone tower and step inside to be transported back to the entrance of the path, before the Eight-Trigrams jade wall.

Qin Sang had already donned his mask and flashed toward the edge of the inner palace. Bai accompanied him.

As they passed the celestial city that had been obliterated by a palm imprint and various hidden realms, Bai’s gaze was drawn to the wonders before him, and he remained silent for a long while.

Before long, they reached the edge and saw countless land fragments drifting outside.

Qin Sang continued flying outward, crossing one fragment after another. Just as he neared the sea of clouds, a shocking sight unfolded before him, and his expression changed drastically.

The last time he had come, the entire inner palace of Ziwei Palace had been shrouded by the sea of clouds.

Now, it was different. Directly ahead, at the location of the stone tower, which was the closest point to the celestial barrier of the inner palace, the sea of clouds had been torn open!

Within the vast sea of clouds, visible rifts stretched in every direction. The clouds could not condense there; it constantly flowed toward the gaps and then dissipated within them.

There was only one possible explanation for the cracks in the sea of clouds. A flaw had appeared in the celestial barrier of the inner palace!

"Is it that the celestial barrier’s power is fading, unable to sustain the complete sea of clouds, or has some great upheaval occurred within Ziwei Palace, causing the barrier to weaken?" Standing on a fragment of land, Qin Sang frowned as he gazed toward the barrier, lost in thought.

Since he had left by teleportation, he had no idea what had transpired afterward to bring the palace to this state.

Uncertain of the situation, he paused for a moment, then instructed Bai to return to the Corpse Puppet Pouch before concealing his own presence and cautiously approaching the sea of clouds.

If the celestial barrier truly had a flaw, the rifts could serve as passages between the inner and outer palaces. But to be safe, it would still be best to exit through the stone tower.

The stone tower hovered amid the sea of clouds, its surface glowing with ancient runes and protected by a powerful ancient barrier.

It was easy enough for him to find. But just as he located it, Qin Sang’s gaze caught on a scene at the end of one rift, and he froze in place.

The thin clouds within the rift could not conceal the sinister aura that emanated from its depths.

Through the Sky Eyes, he discerned half of an enormous cave's outline.

Qin Sang remembered that at the entrance of the path of heart refinement, before the Eight-Trigrams jade wall, there had been a colossal devilish hole more than a hundred zhang wide, its depths bottomless.

The devilish qi within that hole had been bone-chilling, as though it connected directly to the netherworld.

There had once been a Spiritual Infant grandmaster who risked his life to leap into it, yet even by the time Ziwei Palace closed, no one had discovered what lay at its end.

If Qin Sang was not mistaken, the cave at the end of the sea of clouds was that very same devilish hole!

And now, along its rim, rows of banners several zhang tall stood erected, forming a massive array. Billowing black mist shrouded half the pit, and faint human silhouettes could be seen within.

He was certain that the last time he had come, there had been no array around the devilish hole!

"Why are they setting up an array here instead of entering the inner palace? What are they planning?" Qin Sang stared intently at the pit, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

Seeing the array and the figures within, an intense sense of danger welled up in him. If he teleported out through the stone tower now, he might run straight into them, and the outcome would be disastrous.

"Look at the rift beside it," Bai said using voice transmission.

Qin Sang turned his gaze toward another rift and was shocked to find yet another grand array there, seemingly not far from the devilish hole. Two groups of cultivators faced one another, hostility brimming!

"Small Cold Domain and Tianxing Alliance have turned against each other again? Or..." He recalled the ambush by Sin Abyss. "Is this related to Sin Abyss?"

"We can’t go through the stone tower. We’ll leave from elsewhere!" Qin Sang made his decision. He would have to risk passing through a rift in the sea of clouds.

Whoever those people were, he wanted no part in their conflict. It was better to take a detour, even at some risk. Fortunately, there were many rifts within the sea of clouds.

Cautiously retreating, Qin Sang circled the area for a while until he found a rift far from the stone tower and the devilish hole.

After observing for a long time and testing several times, he confirmed that the other side of the rift was safe. Activating the Heavenly Demon Transformation, Qin Sang summoned the ebony sword and other treasures, then darted into the rift.

Though the sea of clouds had been torn apart, traces of the celestial barrier's power still lingered within the rifts, chaotic and violent. Fortunately, it remained within what Qin Sang could withstand.

Enduring the shock of the celestial barrier’s residual force, he urged his astras to shield his body and, after a tense passage, emerged safely on solid ground.

Qin Sang did not dare linger. He immediately concealed himself and fled far away. After confirming that no one was pursuing him, he stopped on a black stone mountain.

Casting one last glance toward the direction of the devilish hole, he turned and flew toward the exit of the outer palace. Whatever was about to unfold here had nothing to do with him.

As he retraced his way back, familiar scenes along the path stirred countless memories.

When Dongyang Bo had led them through the outer palace before, Qin Sang had not felt it, but traveling alone now, he realized that the palace’s reputation for peril was well deserved; danger lurked everywhere.

Even with his current strength, he had to stay constantly on guard.

After passing through several perilous zones, Qin Sang finally saw in the distance a surge of bloodthirsty qi and the outline of an altar rising within it.

He did not stop and continued onward, where ghostly mist billowed ahead. It was the Immortal Tomb!