Unexpected

The cultivation world was ever-changing. Before leaving back then, he had not left many resources for Meigu. For an entire sect, what little he provided was a drop in the ocean. Yet such a weak sect, located right within the demonic path's domain, had actually held on until now without being wiped out. Through a century-long war, no small number of the top sects and powers from back then had fallen into decline, and the number of destroyed sects was beyond counting. Among them, the Chunyang Sect—once the foremost sect of the Xiaohan Realm—had gradually waned following the death of the Red-Haired Ancestor. Shaohua Mountain and Dongyang Bo, on the other hand, had risen higher and higher in standing. The rise and fall of fortunes were truly fickle. It was a wonder how the Demon Flame Sect had managed to survive in the cracks. "So you are a disciple of the Demon Flame Sect," Qin Sang said with a nod, speaking in an amiable tone. "Many years ago, I had a brief acquaintance with a fellow Daoist named Meigu. She was also from the Demon Flame Sect—and supposedly its sect master." "Senior knows Martial Aunt Meigu?" the youth blurted out. "Junior was rude and had eyes that failed to see! I beg Senior's forgiveness!" Qin Sang waved a hand dismissively and continued, "Is Fellow Daoist Mei still the sect master of the Demon Flame Sect? When we first met, she was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. After all these years, she must have reached Core Formation by now?" The youth nodded repeatedly. "Martial Aunt achieved Core Formation many years ago. It was thanks to her guidance that Junior was able to reach my current cultivation level." "I remember when Fellow Daoist Mei spoke of the Demon Flame Sect back then, she was fraught with worry. For her to lead the sect to where it is today as sect master, and even form her own core in the process, is truly extraordinary," Qin Sang remarked with genuine emotion. These words came straight from his heart. Thinking back on his own experience, reaching Core Formation had been grueling beyond measure. He had not dared to distract himself with any external matters. Qin Sang had almost put the Demon Flame Sect and Meigu completely out of his mind. He had never expected them to be like stubborn weeds, surviving against all odds in the cutthroat cultivation world. The youth's eyes flickered, and he said, "Martial Aunt once said that our sect's achievements today are not hers alone—it is entirely due to our Ancestor's protection." "The Demon Flame Sect's Ancestor? I believe Fellow Daoist Mei did mention him once. But isn't that senior said to have been away for a very long time, never showing his face?" Qin Sang said flatly, his gaze sharpening slightly. Seeing that Qin Sang knew about the Demon Flame Sect's Ancestor as well, the youth's lingering doubts faded. Hesitating a moment, he said, "Though Junior has never seen the Ancestor with my own eyes, I have heard Martial Aunt mention him more than once. Because of special circumstances, it is inconvenient for the Ancestor to appear openly, but he has always been secretly watching over our sect." Qin Sang could naturally tell that even the youth did not truly believe what he was saying. After vanishing for so long, that Ancestor had probably already turned to dust. Still, whether Meigu was merely using a tiger's skin to scare off wolves or had some other reason, she at least had not forgotten about this Ancestor of hers. Qin Sang nodded and asked a few more questions. By this point, even a fool could tell that Qin Sang was no ordinary cultivator. Outside, the celestial phenomenon raged fiercely. Inside the vast underground shelter, the gathered cultivators maintained complete silence, stealing glances at Qin Sang and the youth. In less than an hour, the celestial phenomenon drew to a close. Qin Sang glanced outside, rose to his feet, and began walking toward the exit. "Senior!" The youth hurried after him and bowed deeply. "Might Junior know Senior's Daoist name? Junior would like to report this to Martial Aunt. She will surely be overjoyed to hear news of an old friend." Qin Sang paused for a brief moment and said calmly, "This poor Daoist is Qingfeng. When I find the time, I shall pay a visit in person." With that, Qin Sang flickered several times and vanished into the stormy winds. The youth stood where he was, frowning toward the direction in which Qin Sang had disappeared while murmuring the name "Qingfeng." Soon, his three companions caught up. Qin Sang was nowhere to be seen. The seductive woman asked in lingering shock, "Fire Demon, was that truly a Core Formation senior? No wonder my charm arts didn't have the slightest effect on him..." The youth glanced at her and warned, "You'd better restrain yourself in the future. Right now, with the tigers gone, monkeys like us can act like kings. But who knows when we'll run into someone we can't afford to provoke? We're lucky that Senior was magnanimous." Her heart still racing with fear, the seductive woman nodded repeatedly. Another cultivator asked, "Why did that senior seek you out? Do you share some history?" The youth shook his head. "From his tone, he is an old acquaintance of Martial Aunt's and recognized the Seven Yang Art I cultivate. Fellow Daoists, I must return through the pass to send word to Martial Aunt. I won't be able to accompany you this time..." *** After leaving the shelter, Qin Sang flew directly toward Yinshan Pass. He fell into deep thought. Learning news of the Demon Flame Sect by chance gave him a few new ideas. Shaohua Mountain was flourishing day by day. Until he had the strength to confront Dongyang Bo, he did not dare reveal his true background. However, his cultivation could not be hidden indefinitely. Now that the Two Realms Alliance and Sin Abyss stood in confrontation, any increase in tension would leave no force or individual untouched. Even rogue cultivators were no exception—unless he hid in a cave abode to cultivate until successfully reaching the Nascent Soul stage. He would soon return to the late Core Formation stage. The moment someone with such strength showed his face, the Two Realms Alliance would certainly fix their eyes on him. When a nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If they applied pressure in the name of the greater good, refusing them would make him an enemy of both realms. Before that happened, he needed to prepare for a rainy day and secure a suitable identity. The Ancestor of the Demon Flame Sect was a rather good choice. However, the Demon Flame Sect had practically been built from the ground up by Meigu alone. Claiming it now would be no different from swooping in to steal the fruits of her labor. Qin Sang did not truly believe the Demon Flame Sect felt any deep gratitude toward him as their Ancestor. If possible, Qin Sang wanted to use the Demon Flame Sect as a foundation to develop his own faction. Only then would he have the capital to stand on equal footing with Dongyang Bo after reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Forcing compliance through raw strength was not the way to go; it would only alienate them. He had to offer a proper explanation to the Demon Flame Sect and to Meigu. This matter could be planned slowly. By dusk, Qin Sang arrived at a sizable cultivation market outside Yinshan Pass and found its black market. As expected, there were methods to disguise one's identity and pass the inspections. Disguising himself as a rogue cultivator, he successfully slipped into the city. Qin Sang was in no hurry to leave. He frequently made contact with the major merchant guilds to purchase the spiritual materials he needed, all while gathering information. He finally gained a fairly clear picture of the situation across the cultivation world. One thing surprised Qin Sang quite a bit. After leaving Ziwei Palace all those years ago, Shaohua Mountain had never issued a warrant for his arrest. He did not know whether Dongyang Bo had forgotten about the matter because the invasion by Sin Abyss consumed all his energy, or if there was some other reason. In stark contrast to the Canglang Ocean, the demon cores, demon bones, and other materials he had gathered from hunting monsters in the Demon Sea were exceedingly rare and valuable treasures in the Xiaohan Realm. To avoid arousing suspicion, Qin Sang brought out only a small fraction to trade for the spiritual materials he needed, stopping as soon as he got them. He did not touch a single fiend demon pill. Now that the thought of taking control of the Demon Flame Sect and establishing his own faction had taken root, he needed to carefully consider how best to use those fiend demon pills. Having made up his mind, Qin Sang left the city and found a secluded spot. He inscribed a new killing talisman, bringing his cultivation back up to the mid Core Formation stage. Then, he set off once more, flying straight out past the edge of the swamp toward the Hundred Thousand Mountains. After flying at full speed for a while, Qin Sang arrived before a desolate, snow-covered mountain. Tan Hao's former cave abode was right here.