"The mysterious stone slab was discovered in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Looking back, that place was likely a secret realm of the demon clan. In my opinion, the only item of real value inside was that slab. Although I was the first to discover it, the Qianji Demon King and a demonic Nascent Soul cultivator entered the secret realm at the same time. Seeing that it was an ancient demon treasure, I was unwilling to take unnecessary risks and refrained from showing myself, quietly slipping away in the end..."
Recalling the scene back then, Qingjun's expression shifted slightly as something came to mind.
"When they fought over the stone slab, the battle was exceptionally fierce, and neither side could gain the upper hand for a long time. By then, the ancient formation sealing the slab had already been broken. In the end, the Qianji Demon King proved slightly superior, snatching the slab first and flying away. Very likely due to the phantom image of the Blue Luan, that stone slab cannot be placed inside a mustard seed bag or any storage magic treasure..."
"It can't be stored in a mustard seed bag?"
Qin Sang showed a look of surprise.
Treasures of this sort were indeed rare; each had unique circumstances, either possessing an extraordinary background or wielding terrifying power.
However, this was good news for Qin Sang.
The Qianji Demon King could hardly keep the stone slab on his person at all times. If it was kept in his cave dwelling, Qin Sang might just have a chance.
"According to information gathered by spies of the Two Domains Alliance, Sin Abyss was previously held back by a certain matter. That was not their true strength, and we merely took advantage of the opportunity to gain some minor benefits. It is almost certain that once Sin Abyss settles that issue, they will make another move. This time, Sin Abyss's momentum is entirely different from before, and it may well turn into a brutal war. To avoid being caught off guard, I must immediately head to the frontline to take up garrison duties..."
As Qingjun spoke of the outcome of the alliance council, it turned out she had to leave the Xiaohan Realm.
She glanced at Qin Sang. "You don't need to worry for now. Dongyang Bo will also be going. In confronting Sin Abyss, failure is not an option; he will hardly be able to spare the attention to cause you trouble. For the next few years, you may cultivate within the Yuanshen Sect. With the sect's grand array protecting you, your safety will be assured. However..."
Qingjun's tone suddenly shifted as she cautioned, "Right now, we have only spotted the signs. Before the great war erupts, I can stall for you. But once matters reach a point where the immortal cultivation world faces life or death, it will be impossible to let you hide away cultivating inside the sect forever... unless you leave the Xiaohan Realm."
Qin Sang's face darkened. He understood what Senior Sister Qingjun meant: the time left for him to break through was running short.
If he failed to break through, no matter how strong he was, Qin Sang knew his worth could never compare to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, and he would not have the gall to beg Qingjun for endless protection.
Once on the battlefield, even with his myriad life-saving methods, he would still have to guard against Dongyang Bo's overt and covert schemes at every waking moment.
Ziwei Palace was not open, so returning to the Canglang Ocean was impossible.
Heading south across the Celestial Alliance led straight into territory controlled by Sin Abyss; under the current circumstances, doing so would be walking straight into a trap.
***
Shaohua Mountain's mountain gate was nestled within the waters,
while the Yuanshen Sect lay among the mountains along the shore.
Within the Xiaohan Realm, this mountain range was second in scale only to Tianduan Mountain. Starting from the northern shore of the Yuncang Great Marsh, it ran west before shifting direction, stretching all the way to the far north as a natural barrier separating the human race from the Demon Realm.
The Spirit Controlling Sect's mountain gate was also situated along this mountain range, though farther to the north.
Heading directly west from the Yuanshen Sect led straight into the Demon Realm.
Deep in the ancient mountain forests,
two figures flew in.
Here stood two towering, precipitous peaks with a gap a mere hundred zhang wide between them, resembling a set of gates. This was the mountain gate of the Yuanshen Sect.
Leading Qin Sang through the mountain gate, Qingjun entered the interior of the sect.
Qin Sang found that everything within the Yuanshen Sect was functioning as usual.
Low-level cultivators came and went, busy with various affairs, and the entire sect ran normally.
After Qingjun took over the Yuanshen Sect, she had been warned by Red-Haired Ancestor and others not to act willfully within it. Disguising herself as Leng Yuntian, she had secretly eliminated only the few individuals implicated in the murder and then stopped, without implicating more people.
As a result, the other disciples of the Yuanshen Sect remained entirely unaware of the shift within the sect.
Qin Sang greatly admired Qingjun's uncanny disguising skills, wondering if it was due to her mastery of puppetry.
"This was originally the cave dwelling of the Leng father and son. You may cultivate here."
Qingjun brought Qin Sang to the forbidden area of the Yuanshen Sect.
Even as they spoke, an elder of the Yuanshen Sect came requesting an audience.
"Elder Xun, go gather the disciples of the sect. All cultivators at or above the mid Foundation Establishment stage, including the elders, are to assemble at the sect's grand hall. This seat will arrive shortly," Qingjun ordered.
"As you command!"
Elder Xun accepted the order and left.
Seeing that Qingjun was already assembling the sect's disciples, Qin Sang truly felt the urgency of the situation.
Qin Sang spoke up suddenly: "Senior Sister, on second thought, I won't cultivate within the Yuanshen Sect. If Dongyang Bo truly intends to kill me and an emergency forces me outside, I might walk straight into a trap."
Qingjun naturally had no objection. "That works too."
Qin Sang was secretly escorted away by Qingjun. He returned to Yunyouzi's cave dwelling and brought Bai along as well.
Such was the advantage of having multiple burrows like a crafty hare.
Bai had been wholly absorbed in comprehending the Corpse Soul Pearl and did not care where he stayed.
"The astral essence body infusion was effective, and my physical body has indeed grown stronger, but it cannot be considered a true breakthrough. It falls far short of an actual fourth layer. In such an in-between state, I wonder how much help it will provide."
Entering secluded cultivation, Qin Sang inspected himself internally. After a thorough check, he pondered for a long time before turning his palm to retrieve a jade slip.
Before departing, Qingjun had gifted him the notes on Nascent Soul formation left by the Yuanshen Sect's ancestors, preserved in the sect's archives.
Qin Sang was deeply grateful for this.
Yet he also understood that this might be the last time Senior Sister Qingjun would be able to help him.
After glancing through the contents of the jade slip, Qin Sang circulated his cultivation technique and sank into deep meditation.
***
The shadow of war once more hung over the Xiaohan Realm.
For now, the two sides remained in a standoff, probing each other's strength and weaknesses.
Even so, the relaxed atmosphere of the past had vanished without a trace.
As battlefield reports trickled in one after another, even though they learned Sin Abyss was not pressing in quite as overwhelmingly as feared, a pall still hung over the faces of the cultivators.
For low-level cultivators, they could only resign themselves to fate.
Four years passed.
Undistracted by external affairs, Qin Sang finally finished engraving the seventh killing talisman, and his cultivation broke through to the peak of the Core Formation stage!
Both his realm and cultivation reached their absolute zenith.
However, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had advanced to the late stage of the third transformation many years later than Qin Sang, so it could not possibly reach the peak so quickly. Qin Sang knew he could not rush it. He had prepared an abundant supply of spirit medicine; the butterfly would only take a few more years to grow to the peak of the third transformation.
After attaining perfection in his realm, Qin Sang did not end his seclusion. He continued to polish his cultivation, reflecting on his past path and mending any gaps or flaws.
At the same time, he comprehended the insights on Nascent Soul formation that Senior Sister Qingjun had left him.
At this stage, taking the Calamity Crossing Pill was out of the question.
Even so, Qin Sang made several attempts to assault the bottleneck on his own, with results just as expected.
Even after taking the Soul-Cleansing Liquid, the barrier remained as solid as a fortress.
Thinking of how Dongyang Bo had poured all his efforts into cultivating so many disciples—every one of them possessing talent far superior to his own—yet not a single one had succeeded in forming a Nascent Soul, Qin Sang felt at ease.
"Comprehending these notes doesn't strictly require me to remain here in secluded cultivation. Before the Heavenly Eye Butterfly reaches perfection, I might as well make a trip to the Demon Realm. Given the current situation, the Demon Realm will also be affected; perhaps I'll discover something..."
Qin Sang was lost in thought.
This was another reason he had not wanted to be confined within the Yuanshen Sect.
He was still unwilling to accept his limitations.
Chapter 1132