Old Acquaintances

Mount Cuiming. He still remembered those early days when he had first arrived in this world. It was at Qingyang Temple on Mount Cuiming that Qin Sang had felt, for the very first time, a sense of belonging. That period of time remained unforgettable to this day. Who could have thought that a tiny Qingyang Temple would produce so many immortal cultivators? At this moment, Qin Sang arrived before the mountain. He discovered that a new Daoist temple had been built for Qingyang Temple, populated by mortal Daoists. Over the old ruins lay a concealing spirit ward, hiding them from view—likely left behind by Yunyouzi or Li Yufu. Wu Chuanzong had been buried on Mount Cuiming after his death. Qin Sang located the grave, paid his respects to Wu Chuanzong, and walked up to the spirit ward. Just as he was about to force his way through, an idea struck him and a hint of delight surfaced on his face. He simply sent a stream of true essence into the formation. Then, hands clasped behind his back, he stood motionless on the spot, seemingly waiting for someone. Before long, a streak of light suddenly flared across the horizon, speeding toward him as swiftly as a shooting star. In the blink of an eye, the streak arrived. Before it even touched down, a startled cry rang out from within: "Martial Uncle!" *Whoosh!* The newcomer descended in front of Qin Sang, revealing his figure. It was none other than Li Yufu! "Martial Uncle! You're still alive!" Li Yufu's face was filled with pleasant surprise and excitement, utterly incredulous. More than a century had passed since his disappearance, without a single word. Both Li Yufu and Yunyouzi had assumed Qin Sang had long since fallen. "Yufu, having not seen you for so many years, you've already formed your core. Your cultivation is almost catching up to mine." Qin Sang sized up Li Yufu. Reuniting with an old friend, his joy was evident in both voice and expression. Li Yufu possessed a dual spiritual root talent and had received Yunyouzi's meticulous guidance. Qin Sang was not at all surprised that he had attained Core Formation. "Martial Uncle, Great-Grandmaster and I searched for you for so long! Where on earth did you go?" Li Yufu could hardly conceal the excitement in his voice. In the Xiaohan Realm, there were still people who cared about him. Qin Sang felt a wave of emotion. "It's a long story. Open the spirit ward, and let's talk inside..." The two stepped into Qingyang Temple. "I went to the Taiyi Dan Sect first, but neither of you were there. Where have you been cultivating? Is your Great-Grandmaster with you?" Qin Sang asked in succession. "Downriver along the Wuling River, we found an excellent spirit vein and carved out a cave dwelling. When I sensed the opportunity for Core Formation, I stayed there to cultivate. After fortunately achieving the golden core, I remained in seclusion and rarely went out. Great-Grandmaster isn't at the cave dwelling. Several years ago, he went to the Demon Realm. Unfortunately, even I don't know how to contact him. When Great-Grandmaster learns you've returned safely, he will surely be overjoyed..." Li Yufu answered everything he knew. "He went to the Demon Realm again?" Qin Sang was surprised. "Why does your Great-Grandmaster have such a fond interest in the Demon Realm?" "Great-Grandmaster never mentioned anything about the Demon Realm to me." Li Yufu shook his head. Qin Sang pondered for a while without arriving at any clue. He would only know the reason once he met Yunyouzi. "Back then, I was threatened by Dongyang Bo and forced to flee. Fearing I would implicate you all, I didn't dare contact your Great-Grandmaster. Unexpectedly, the journey back was arduous, and only recently did I find a chance to return..." Qin Sang explained casually. "No wonder! After returning from Ziwei Palace, Shaohua Mountain kept entirely silent about you. So Dongyang Bo was trying to harm you! Great-Grandmaster snuck around Shaohua Mountain and investigated for a long time without uncovering any news about you. Later, he even intended to set a trap and abduct Dongyang Bo's disciple, Qiu Mubai, to interrogate him!" Li Yufu said indignantly. Qin Sang was stunned. He hadn't expected Yunyouzi to almost kidnap Qiu Mubai just to find him. Qiu Mubai was Dongyang Bo's most valued disciple; one could easily imagine how perilous such an act would have been. "Senior truly went to great lengths for me. He didn't act rashly in the end, did he?" Li Yufu shook his head. "Later, Great-Grandmaster seemed to have crossed paths by chance with a fellow disciple of yours named Mu Yifeng and learned something, which was why he dropped the plan." "How is Mu Yifeng doing?" Qin Sang asked, delighted. The two people he most wanted to see upon returning were Yunyouzi and Mu Yifeng. Back then, Mu Yifeng had let him go. Although they had staged a performance at the end, it was unlikely to fool the sharp eyes of a Nascent Soul Patriarch. Qin Sang had been deeply worried that Dongyang Bo would vent his wrath on Mu Yifeng. Li Yufu thought for a moment and said, "I remember Great-Grandmaster mentioning that Mu Yifeng had already formed his core back then. But ever since, that man has rarely shown his face, and we haven't heard any news of him." Qin Sang's brow furrowed slightly, though he felt somewhat relieved. Senior Qingzhu had once said that Dongyang Bo placed great importance on the sect. Since he hadn't vented his anger on Mu Yifeng in Ziwei Palace, and Mu Yifeng had successfully broken through to become a rare Core Formation combatant, there was no reason to settle old scores later. "The Taiyi Dan Sect made a fortune during the war and has grown increasingly prosperous. The spirit veins within their sect must be far superior to whatever you found on your own. Why remain cultivating in this desolate wilderness instead of returning to the sect? Did you have some discord with them?" Qin Sang changed the subject, asking curiously. Li Yufu shook his head. "Great-Grandmaster deliberately kept his distance from the Taiyi Dan Sect. I've always been merely a nominal disciple of the Taiyi Dan Sect and never formally entered the sect. When the Sin Abyss invaded, Great-Grandmaster volunteered to enter the battlefield, rendering illustrious military achievements to repay the sect. Afterward, he brought me here and rarely went back. I once heard Great-Grandmaster say that he wanted me to devote myself to bitter cultivation so that once my cultivation bore fruit, I could carry on the lineage of Qingyang Temple." Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. Yunyouzi also wanted to establish a sect of his own; their thoughts were completely aligned. "What realm is Senior at now?" Li Yufu's face was full of admiration and reverence. "Great-Grandmaster formed his core in Ziwei Palace. After returning, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Many years ago, he had already broken through to the peak of the Core Formation stage. Over these years, he has been polishing his cultivation. Forming a Nascent Soul should not be difficult for him." "This..." Qin Sang was truly at a loss for words. Yunyouzi certainly had not disappointed him. He had thought his own cultivation speed was by no means slow, but Yunyouzi was even more astonishing. In just over a century, he was only a hair's breadth away from forming a Nascent Soul. Still, this was for the best. The sooner Yunyouzi formed his Nascent Soul, the sooner he could help Qin Sang refine the Calamity Crossing Pill. While they were speaking, a streak of light flew toward Mount Cuiming. Li Yufu was just about to shout a reprimand when Qin Sang stopped him, saying, "Those two are descendants of my old acquaintances, brought along to attend to me. As it happens, I don't have a place to settle down for now, so let them cultivate at your place first." "Understood!" Li Yufu agreed gladly. "Martial Uncle!" "Master!" Tan Yi'en and Bai Hanqiu entered the Daoist temple. Qin Sang introduced both sides, feeling somewhat amused. Around him stood one Core Formation, one Foundation Establishment, and one Qi Refinement cultivator, their cultivation realms worlds apart. By the rules of some sects, seniority was determined by cultivation realm; now, because of their connection to him, they could only interact as peers. "Martial Uncle, the situation in Great Sui has stabilized. The current emperor voluntarily abdicated the throne to the Qin family, and those rogue cultivators are willing to remain in the Imperial Capital to assist the new emperor. Unfortunately, I inspected the direct descendants of the Qin and other clans one by one, but found no young juniors possessing spiritual roots," Tan Yi'en reported meticulously. Bai Hanqiu glanced sideways at Tan Yi'en, hesitating as if wanting to speak. Qin Sang offered no comment and said calmly, "Very well. Now that you have stepped onto the immortal path, do not become overly entangled with the mortal world—especially you, Hanqiu. I still have important matters to attend to. You two will temporarily stay here; Yufu is more than qualified to guide your cultivation."