"While cultivating here, have you ever taken a master?"
Stowing away the letter, Qin Sang sized up Tan Yi'en and asked.
Hearing this, Tan Yi'en realized what was being implied. Suppressing his excitement, he replied, "Junior was previously guided by my father. Because my aptitude is mediocre, and I feared that joining another sect without any backing would only see me sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder, I've remained hidden in Yinshan Pass, cultivating on my own..."
"Your talent is decent enough; you may not be entirely without a chance at Core Formation. I happen to be short of hands right now. Would you be willing to follow by my side?"
Hands clasped behind his back, Qin Sang spoke calmly.
For one, just as he had said, Qin Sang had only recently returned to the Xiaohan Realm and lacked hands to handle various mundane affairs.
Having conceived the idea of establishing his own force, taking on a few disciples was only natural.
He had been observing Tan Yi'en: the man's temperament and talent were both quite good. Being the descendant of an old acquaintance, he had no ties to other factions, possessed a clean background, and was someone who could be put to good use.
Furthermore, Tan Yi'en was Tan Hao's son; should Tan Hao return in the future, they would be reunited immediately.
"Junior could ask for nothing more!"
Overjoyed, Tan Yi'en dropped to his knees and kowtowed. "Disciple Tan Yi'en pays respects to Martial Uncle Qin!"
Since Qin Sang had not explicitly offered to take him as a disciple, Tan Yi'en could only address him as Martial Uncle.
He was not worried about this in the least. Both of his parents held Martial Uncle Qin in the highest esteem; with his father's connection, there was no way his martial uncle would mistreat him.
"Rise. I cannot linger in Yinshan Pass for long. If you have any remaining affairs, handle them quickly and depart with me," Qin Sang said.
"Disciple obeys!"
Tan Yi'en was also a decisive man. He immediately packed up his mother's spirit tablet and the other belongings in the cave abode, left a letter for his father explaining what had happened, sealed the cave abode, and set out following Qin Sang.
Leaving Yinshan Pass, Qin Sang took Tan Yi'en and journeyed west.
Though Tan Yi'en appeared rough and burly, he was attentive and observant. Even though he did not know where Qin Sang was headed, he merely followed in silence without asking questions.
Qin Sang was very pleased and offered him pointers on cultivation from time to time, filling Tan Yi'en with joy.
After some traveling, the two arrived in a scenic region.
Ahead lay an endless expanse of majestic mountain ranges, shrouded in billowing clouds and mist, majestic and ever-changing.
The mountain gate of the Taiyi Dan Sect lay nestled deep within these peaks!
This place was situated at the northwesternmost edge of the righteous factions' territory, bordering the Heavenly Demon Mound to the west and the Extreme Northern Ice Plains to the north. In autumn and winter, it presented an entirely different splendor, with snow drifting for tens of thousands of li, wrapping the land in silver.
"Wait for me here. Absorb what I told you earlier, and your cultivation should make some progress."
Leaving Tan Yi'en behind, Qin Sang flew toward the Taiyi Dan Sect alone.
He had come to see Yunyouzi.
The mountain gate of the Taiyi Dan Sect was built along both banks of a great river, surrounded by countless lakes scattered like stars and an array of bizarre peaks—a breathtaking vista of shimmering waters and verdant heights.
After the great war of the cultivation world, the Taiyi Dan Sect had not declined; instead, it had grown more prosperous by the day. Arriving here, Qin Sang did not dare act brazenly. Donning a cloak, he descended to the riverbank and made his way up the mountain on foot.
"May I ask Senior's Daoist title and the purpose of your visit?"
Before Qin Sang had walked far, a whistling sound cut through the air. An escaping light descended to reveal a youth clad in the Daoist robes of the Taiyi Dan Sect.
Qin Sang had not concealed his cultivation, and the youth's tone was exceedingly respectful.
"This poor Daoist is Qingfeng. I have come to visit an old friend, Fellow Daoist Yunyouzi of your esteemed sect. Might I trouble you, young friend, to relay the message?" Qin Sang stopped and spoke calmly.
"Martial Uncle Yun!" the youth gasped softly, clearly recognizing the name.
Qin Sang's heart stirred. The youth appeared to have entered Foundation Establishment not long ago; addressing Yunyouzi as martial uncle meant Yunyouzi was not only alive, but had also reached Core Formation.
No wonder there was no mention of Yunyouzi among the newly emerged Nascent Soul cultivators he had inquired about over the years.
Back then, after Yunyouzi resolved his hidden perils, his cultivation speed had startled Qin Sang.
Qin Sang had assumed that after being reborn from the flames, Yunyouzi might even form his Nascent Soul before him.
"Senior, please wait a moment..."
The youth hurried back up the mountain and returned shortly after, clasping his hands. "Reporting to Senior, Martial Uncle Yun is not currently at the sect. He left many years ago to travel abroad..."
Qin Sang frowned slightly. "Is Li Yufu here?"
The youth shook his head as well.
Left with no other choice, Qin Sang left a letter and departed.
Picking up Tan Yi'en, Qin Sang altered his route southward, heading straight for the Yuncang Great Marsh.
Along the way, Qin Sang deliberately changed course to pass through the territory of Great Sui.
He did not enter the Imperial Capital.
His old acquaintances in Great Sui from back then had long since turned to dust and bone.
The only thing still worth remembering was a single stele.
Night fell.
Mount Chaosheng.
Qin Sang appeared alone before the stele.
Time was merciless; the wordless stele still stood, yet it was now weathered and mottled.
Qin Sang stood before the monument, silent for a long time.
Looking up at the vault of heaven, he recalled the grand, boastful words he had spoken before her back then.
Looking back now, how ignorant he had been of the heights of heaven and the depths of earth.
Fortunately, stumbling along the way, he had made it this far.
"Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and next is Nascent Soul..." Qin Sang gently caressed the tombstone and murmured, "If I can reach that stage, I will practically be an immortal in the eyes of mortals. Yet that cannot be my end. Otherwise, how am I to make good on those grand words I spoke back then?"
He poured wine for the one resting in the grave, remaining silent for a long time.
Even the chirping of insects around him grew faint.
Suddenly, a commotion arose at the foot of the mountain.
Soon after, Tan Yi'en hurried over. "Martial Uncle, mortal armies are slaughtering each other at the foot of the mountain. The leaders of both sides are princes and nobles. There are also cultivators among them; Disciple quietly went down to investigate just now and found that those cultivators are mostly in the Qi Refinement stage. They appear to be rogue cultivators involved in mortal strife..."
"Cultivators?"
Qin Sang shifted his gaze and sighed. "No wonder we frequently spotted signs of cultivators along the way. With turmoil in the cultivation world, petty scoundrels of all kinds have crawled out of the woodwork, abandoning diligent cultivation to stir up trouble in the mortal realm. It seems the Chunyang Sect truly has fallen into decline, unable to maintain order even in the secular world within its borders."
How lamentable!
The monumental achievements that the Empress Regnant had established to last a thousand autumns were shattered by cultivators after only a brief time due to this upheaval.
Great Sui had fallen apart, and chaos reigned across its realm.
Tan Yi'en nodded. "These rogue cultivators have no hope of progressing along the immortal path and possess limited lifespans, so mortal wealth and glory hold great allure for them. My father once said that the righteous sects used to restrict cultivators from meddling in secular affairs, but under the pressure of Sin Abyss, everyone can only sweep the snow from their own doorsteps, with hardly any leisure to mind other territories."
"In that case, it has actually become easier for mortals to come into contact with cultivators than before."
Recalling how difficult it had been to seek immortality back in the day, Qin Sang was filled with emotion.
Pondering for a moment, Qin Sang said, "Go down and investigate who the leaders of both mortal armies are. Capture those rogue cultivators as well while you're at it."
"Yes!" Tan Yi'en acknowledged the command and left.
Qin Sang gazed at the wordless stele for a moment, then took several spiritual materials and spirit talismans from his Qianjun Ring.
In the dead of night, dense fog materialized out of nowhere around the wordless stele.
The mist gathered together, followed by a faint flash of light, and then both the mist and the wordless stele vanished into thin air, leaving only empty ground behind.
Qin Sang could not stay behind to guard Mount Chaosheng, so he could only use such means to conceal the Empress Regnant's tombstone to prevent it from being damaged in the fires of war.
If one day he achieved immortality, he still wanted to look down upon her from the heavens.
Chapter 1107