The Alliance Conference

The astral essence stones of Pointing Sky Peak were the key to laying down the Minor Beichen Astral Essence Array and entering Ziwei Palace. Back then, the Xiaohan Realm and the Celestial Alliance had treated Pointing Sky Peak as a battlefield for their contest, deciding who would provide the other spiritual materials required for the array. Qin Sang had secretly brought Senior Sister Qingjun inside to ambush the Yuanshen Sect elder, only to learn that a teleportation formation lay hidden within, connected to another immortal's abode. That abode had once been controlled by the Yuanshen Sect; by now, it had likely fallen into Senior Sister Qingjun's hands as well. The two of them walked over to the grave. After paying their respects, they returned to the wooden cabin. Qingjun said, "The immortal's abode and the teleportation formation are still there, but entering Pointing Sky Peak will not be easy. Both realms must jointly decide to open the restrictions on Pointing Sky Peak before the teleportation formation can take effect. Moreover, the 'keys' to opening the restrictions are not held by just one or two factions; it requires the unanimous consent of all parties..." "So that is how it is..." Qin Sang furrowed his brows. No wonder Qingjun had been so confident back then that she could intercept and kill the people from the Yuanshen Sect at Pointing Sky Peak. They too had been waiting for the peak's restrictions to open before slipping inside to steal an astral essence stone. "Do you know if the two realms will organize another duel to retrieve the astral essence stones ahead of time?" Qin Sang asked after a moment's contemplation. Qingjun shook her head. "Having joined forces against the Sin Abyss, neither realm wishes to stir up internal strife again. They have already decided to abolish the rule of duels. It was only shortly before the previous emergence of Ziwei Palace that they jointly opened Pointing Sky Peak to retrieve the astral essence stones. As for the spiritual materials needed to set up the array, each realm covers half. Unless some new turning point arises in the future, this arrangement is unlikely to change." "This..." This caught Qin Sang entirely off guard. He had not anticipated so many complications in entering Pointing Sky Peak. If he had to wait for the next appearance of Ziwei Palace before sneaking onto the peak, there was no telling how many years it would take. Although Ziwei Palace had undergone unusual shifts recently and the intervals between its emergences were growing shorter, the underlying pattern remained impossible to decipher. Even by the shortest estimate—the duration he had been trapped in the Canglang Ocean—it had been over a hundred and thirty years. Less than thirty years had passed since his return. His cultivation was on the verge of reaching the peak of the Core Formation stage; was he supposed to just sit staring at the Calamity Crossing Pill and wait in vain for a century? *Are there any signs of a spirit tide appearing on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield yet?* Qin Sang wondered. Previously, each successive emergence had come after a shorter interval. Could Ziwei Palace appear even sooner this time? Qingjun saw through Qin Sang's thoughts and said, "We had similar conjectures and dispatched people to keep constant watch over the changes in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. There is no news yet, so it likely will not come as quickly as hoped. However, if it must be Pointing Sky Peak, that does not mean there are no other ways. It all depends on whether you have the nerve..." As if recalling something, her tone suddenly shifted, laden with profound meaning. Qin Sang was taken aback and pressed further, "What manner of method does Senior Sister have in mind?" Anyone who could cultivate to this stage was certainly no coward; it was merely a question of whether the risk was worth taking. "You still remember when the cultivators of both realms were ambushed by the Sin Abyss at the outer immortal formation of Ziwei Palace, don't you?" Qingjun pointed at Qin Sang. "If not for you and that Taiyi Dan Sect disciple delivering the warning in advance and exposing the Wuji Sect Master's identity as a spy, both realms would have suffered catastrophic losses, and this place would likely have fallen under the Sin Abyss's dominion long ago. "Whatever the case, the cultivators of both realms must acknowledge your merit—including myself; I too owe you that debt of gratitude. "Back in Ziwei Palace, they had already decided to reward the two of you. "That Taiyi Dan Sect disciple used his merit to repay his sect. You vanished inside Ziwei Palace, and Dongyang Bo probably didn't have the face to claim your merit for himself, so the matter was simply left unresolved. "So much time has passed and circumstances have changed, so it is unlikely you could leverage it for any immense reward now. "Even so, getting them to agree to open Pointing Sky Peak and permit you inside to absorb the power of astral essence should be manageable. Ever since the great array in Ziwei Palace's Inner Hall underwent its strange mutation, the power of the outer immortal formation has diminished drastically as well. In the future, it may no longer be necessary to rely on the Minor Beichen Astral Essence Array to enter Ziwei Palace, so Pointing Sky Peak is no longer as vital. "The Sin Abyss is beginning to stir once more. Both realms happen to be gathering on Cangheng Island in the Yuncang Great Marsh for an alliance conference to discuss confronting the enemy. It is for this very matter that I returned. "You may accompany me there." With that, Qingjun looked at Qin Sang with a faint smile, a playful glint in her eyes, as if amused at his expense. Such an expression was something she had never shown before, though it suited her youthful appearance quite well. Cangheng Island was a large island in the Yuncang Great Marsh. Originally rather obscure, it happened to lie right between the two factions' territories when the realms formed their alliance, making it the chosen site for deliberations. As relations between the realms thawed, trade between their cultivators opened up. A substantial city soon arose on Cangheng Island, flourishing even more in recent years. "Dongyang Bo will be present as well, won't he?" Qin Sang gave a bitter smile, realizing why Qingjun had spoken that way. He had not yet formed his Nascent Soul; appearing before Dongyang Bo now would be like walking straight into a trap. Qingjun nodded. "Not long after emerging from Ziwei Palace last time, Dongyang Bo's cultivation grew by leaps and bounds. Although Daoist Chongyi trained two Nascent Soul stage juniors for the Taiyi Dan Sect, his own cultivation hasn't progressed in years. In the Xiaohan Realm, Dongyang Bo's strength ranks second only to Old Demon Tongyou, making him the foremost leader of the righteous path. Of course he will attend." "How does Senior Sister compare to Dongyang Bo?" Seeing that she was in good spirits, Qin Sang asked curiously. To this day, he still could not see through Qingjun. Dongyang Bo's might also alarmed him greatly; no wonder Shaohua Mountain's standing grew higher and higher. With a cultivation surpassing all others on the righteous path, Dongyang Bo was undeniably in the mid Nascent Soul stage. Against such a formidable foe, Qin Sang had thought he would only dare to show himself openly once he reached the Nascent Soul stage. Qingjun smiled without answering. "Knowing Dongyang Bo, there is likely something dubious about that breakthrough of his; we might as well wait and see. As long as you stay at my side, he won't strike at you in public. You are currently an elder of the Yuanshen Sect. After we return, go cultivate in the Yuanshen Sect and focus on preparing to form your Nascent Soul. Dongyang Bo's ability as a master falls far short of Daoist Chongyi's—not a single one of his disciples has formed a Nascent Soul to this day. And the palace master of Shangyuan Pure Peace Palace, who advances and retreats alongside Shaohua Mountain, hasn't made much progress either. With your strength, you have no need to fear those people." Qin Sang thought to himself that this senior sister of his truly kept her depths well hidden. He rose, paced back and forth, and after pondering for a moment, decided to take the trip. "Thank you, Senior Sister! I will accompany you to Cangheng Island!" With his senior sister keeping Dongyang Bo in check, and with his Nascent Soul breakthrough on the line, how could he remain timid and hesitant? At worst, he could hide away and keep out of sight until he formed his Nascent Soul. Yunyouzi had already prepared all the pills to assist his breakthrough, and he had purchased most of the other necessary spiritual materials. Judging by Qingjun's tone, the Sin Abyss was poised to stage a comeback, and turmoil was imminent. He needed to break through as soon as possible. "The alliance conference will take place in one month. Prepare yourself," Qingjun nodded. Qin Sang then inquired about the broader situation, concerned about current affairs. Qingjun thought for a moment and said, "It is hard to say what schemes the Sin Abyss has prepared. As for the Xiaohan Realm, I have been away from both realms for these past years, but upon returning, I heard of a major event: the Chunyang Sect recently fractured." "The Chunyang Sect fractured?" Qin Sang had long heard of unrest within the Chunyang Sect, but he had not expected it to split apart so quickly. In recent years, he had focused entirely on cultivating and comprehending the sword scripture, rarely paying attention to external affairs, so he had caught no wind of this.