At the edge of the Heavenly Scar, Qin Sang looked down into the abyss.
Following the cliff face, he slowly descended, entering the Heavenly Scar for the first time.
Unlike the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, the interior of the Heavenly Scar showed no trace of desolation. Instead, the scenery was exceptionally beautiful.
Lush green trees carpeted the sloping cliff face like a verdant tapestry.
All manner of exotic flowers and herbs rarely seen in the mortal realm vied for beauty, interspersed with waterfalls that tumbled down like ribbons of white jade, gathering and diverging as they flowed into the abyss.
Were it not for the perilous fragments of ancient restrictions that drifted by from time to time, it would truly resemble an unearthly paradise.
Such petty danger could not impede Qin Sang's steps.
His pace grew faster and faster. Soon, the terrain became steeper, the landscape turning increasingly fractured and barren. After diving further down, not a trace of green remained.
Bare soil and stones lay exposed. Pitch-black boulders exuded a grim, eerie aura, proclaiming that this was no ordinary environment.
Qin Sang sensed a familiar, frigid chill and knew that the earth fiend qi must be pooling below.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he saw wisps of earth fiend qi drifting out from the stone caverns beneath him.
The precipitous cliff face was riddled with countless irregular caverns, their interiors brimming with dense earth fiend qi nestled deep within the rock—surpassing even Dichen Cave.
Qin Sang circulated his true essence to protect himself, picked an opening at random, and darted inside.
Relying on his formidable cultivation, he withstood the corroding earth fiend qi, ventured deep into the cliff, and thoroughly scouted the surroundings. He returned empty-handed, confirming that the Heavenly Corpse Sect ruins were not here.
After refining the baleful corpse, Qin Sang retraced his steps.
Once his external incarnation recovered to the Qi Refinement stage, Qin Sang brought it to one of the market towns.
His true body waited outside while he controlled the incarnation to enter the town.
Using his original identity, the incarnation passed through without hindrance. After making his way inside, he gathered his old associates in a courtyard nestled in a corner of the market.
"Old Qi, didn't you say last time that you had a new gig, probably a huge mark? Why did you vanish for so long? You didn't run into a tough bastard, did you?"
Qi the Second was Qin Sang's incarnation, and all his friends were scoundrels of the same feather.
The speaker was a fierce-looking, burly man, wearing an expression of gloating amusement.
The incarnation gave a cold snort. "E Wuchang, sooner or later your own eyes will fail you and capsize your boat. I'd love to see when a real impermanence comes to hook your soul and drag you down to the eighteen levels of hell."
E Wuchang sneered. "If I'm headed for the eighteen hells, Old Qi, have you committed a single wicked deed less than me?"
"Enough!"
A charming, red-robed young matron cut them off with an impatient scowl. "I just hooked a sweet little darling and was having a lovely time. I didn't come here to listen to you two bicker. Old Qi, why did you round us up?"
The incarnation and E Wuchang glared at each other, but ceased arguing.
"I need your help with something, fellow Daoists."
The incarnation paused, then said, "Help me investigate a person. A hundred years ago, there was a Golden Core Master known as the Corpse Ghost Immortal. Word has it he frequented the area around Mount Jinhen back then. If you can dig up any information about him, I'll reward you handsomely."
E Wuchang and the others exchanged glances.
"Old Qi, are you tired of living? Trying to provoke a Golden Core Master?" E Wuchang looked at him as though he were a fool.
The charming matron looked thoughtful, eyeing the incarnation closely. "A Golden Core Master from a century ago with such an arrogant moniker as 'Corpse Ghost Immortal'? We've never even heard of him. He's probably long dead. Did you find some clue regarding a Golden Core legacy or hidden treasure?"
At her words, everyone's eyes lit up.
The incarnation's expression stiffened. Under their probing stares, he felt immense pressure and let out a dry laugh. "I knew I couldn't hide anything from your sharp eyes! I've been running around for this matter these past few days. My cultivation is low, and I lack both the strength and the nerve to swallow it alone. I originally intended to invite a few helpers, which is why I called you all together. But let me say this up front: we know each other's backgrounds, so none of you better get any strange ideas..."
"A real Golden Core treasure? Never thought you'd see your luck turn around, Old Qi!"
E Wuchang rubbed his hands together in excitement.
The others were equally intrigued. After discussing the matter further, they dispersed one by one. The incarnation watched them leave, his eyes deep and inscrutable. Before long, he also left the courtyard to begin his own inquiries.
Yet after a thorough investigation, he found nothing.
Qin Sang directed the incarnation to another market town, but the result was the same.
Time was sufficient to wash away everything. The traces left by a Golden Core cultivator were nothing more than a speck of dust in the long river of time, wiped clean after just a century.
Finding no clues, Qin Sang initiated his backup plan. He had the incarnation bring the baleful corpse—its strength comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage—back to the market town and, without the slightest attempt at secrecy, summon those old associates once more.
Sensing the suffocating pressure rolling off the refined corpse beside the incarnation, E Wuchang and the others cursed him inwardly.
This old bastard had clearly hoarded the spoils for himself!
While tricking them into helping him investigate, he had quietly gone and retrieved the Golden Core treasure. Otherwise, given his paltry strength, how could he ever refine such a powerful corpse?
Yet whatever they thought in private, on the surface they were utterly deferential, treating him just as they would a true Foundation Establishment cultivator.
After a secret afternoon conference, the incarnation finally allowed them to leave.
Slipping into the shadows, E Wuchang glanced back toward the courtyard, his eyes flickering with scorn. *Cultivation not even as high as mine, yet just because you struck dog-shit luck and got a Foundation Establishment corpse, you expect me to risk my life for you? Keep dreaming!*
Just now, Old Qi had actually tried to take them under his wing, proposing they join forces to hunt for treasure in the Heavenly Scar.
With a Foundation Establishment refined corpse, they could indeed venture deeper into the chasm.
Yet E Wuchang did not believe for a second that Old Qi possessed any goodwill. The moment danger struck, Old Qi would abandon them without hesitation, perhaps even using them as meat shields.
With that thought, E Wuchang snorted coldly and quickened his pace in another direction.
Before long, he arrived near an elegant, serene courtyard deep within the market. Ensuring he had not been followed, E Wuchang lowered his head and walked toward the gate with a fawning smile. He stated his purpose to the gatekeeper and was soon led inside.
A bright moon hung amid the stars.
In the courtyard stood a jade table, laden with fine wine and exquisite delicacies.
A cultivator dressed as a Daoist was drinking alone, slightly flushed with wine. Before him, several pretty female cultivators danced gracefully, casting alluring glances.
E Wuchang swallowed hard, burning with envy.
These women had higher cultivation realms than his own. Truly, disciples of great sects lived in magnificent leisure and luxury!
Though he could imitate such airs, he could at best find a few mortal women to dance for him, and he would never dare throw his weight around in a major city controlled by Mount Jinhen. He could only indulge himself in remote, impoverished backwaters. How could he possibly compare to the man before him?
The gatekeeper stepped forward to report.
The Daoist glanced over.
E Wuchang shuddered and straightened up at once. He watched as the Daoist dismissed his attendants and said to him, "What do you have to report? Step forward and speak."
...
"A Golden Core treasure? Is this true?"
Once E Wuchang finished recounting the tale from start to finish, all traces of drunkenness vanished from the Daoist's face.
E Wuchang nodded repeatedly. "Every word is true! Old Qi's Foundation Establishment corpse definitely came from there."
"Corpse Ghost Immortal..."
The Daoist racked his memory, but could not recall any such figure from a hundred years ago.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind. With a flick of his sleeve, a ray of sword light shot out, instantly pressing against E Wuchang's throat. The Daoist sneered, "Old Qi claims to have obtained a Golden Core treasure, yet dares to meet with you so brazenly? And refining a corpse using earth fiend qi instead of yin qi—do you take me for a three-year-old child? You have quite the nerve, daring to collude in such a clumsy plot to set me up!"
"Senior, have mercy! You could give this junior a hundred lives and I still wouldn't dare plot against you or Mount Jinhen!"
E Wuchang trembled violently, pleading desperately to clear his name. "According to Old Qi, his refined corpse is on par with a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator! He probably thinks all the other seniors were dispatched to the front lines. With the market empty, the monkey crowns himself king when the tiger leaves the mountain! That's why he dares to be so reckless. Old Qi is still in the market right now. Senior, you can verify whether this junior is lying with a single inquiry..."
The Daoist narrowed his eyes, his tone laced with surprise. "A mid Foundation Establishment refined corpse?"
He had only recently reached Foundation Establishment himself; he would be no match for such a creature.
If E Wuchang truly intended to harm him, there would have been no need to explain things so clearly.
"Hmph! I'll spare your dog life for now!"
The Daoist sheathed his sword. Seeing the expectant look on E Wuchang's face, he scoffed, "Go back and play along with Old Qi. Don't let anything slip. If there truly is a Golden Core treasure, you won't lack for a reward!"
"This junior obeys!"
Delighted, E Wuchang bowed and departed.
The Daoist wore a pensive expression. After a moment's thought, he decided to send a transmission back to his sect, asking several senior brothers on good terms with him whether there had ever been anyone who went by the Daoist title 'Corpse Ghost Immortal.'
A Golden Core Master's legacy was undeniably tempting.
If he invited his senior martial brothers along, they could simply crush through it even if it turned out to be a trap!
Even Qin Sang had not anticipated that before his incarnation could parade the refined corpse through the streets, chance would deliver the news directly to the ears of a Mount Jinhen disciple.
Before long, the Daoist received a reply. Reading it, his face filled with astonishment. "There really was a Golden Core cultivator named Corpse Ghost Immortal who could refine corpses with earth fiend qi, and he was quite well-acquainted with Martial Uncle Wu! However, just as he began making a name for himself, he died on the battlefield. No wonder no one has heard of him. It seems he must have anticipated his fate before being deployed and left his lineage behind here, only for Old Qi to stumble upon it..."
The Daoist immediately sent a message inviting his senior brothers to back him up, lest Old Qi realize what was happening and flee with the treasures.
Two days later.
The incarnation walked out of the market accompanied by the refined corpse. Shortly after entering the deep mountains, his vision blurred, and a figure materialized out of thin air, blocking his path.
Just as he moved to turn back, another person cut off his retreat.
Both men were mid Foundation Establishment experts!
Immediately after, a third figure stepped out from behind an ancient tree—the very Daoist from the courtyard.
Staring at the refined corpse beside the incarnation with gleaming eyes, the Daoist lightly fluttered his feather fan and said with leisurely poise, "I hear Fellow Daoist Qi enjoys boundless fortune and obtained the legacy of a Golden Core Master. Might we have the privilege of taking a look?"
The incarnation showed no sign of fear, replying calmly, "I have been waiting for you for quite some time."
Seeing his utter composure, the three felt something was amiss. Yet they had just thoroughly scanned the surroundings, and there had clearly been no abnormalities whatsoever.
Before they could react, a sudden constriction gripped their bodies. Their vision went dark, and they found themselves pinned on the spot, unable to move a muscle. Sheer terror seized them.
The opponent's strength was terrifying—they had not even caught sight of the person yet.
No matter how desperately they struggled, the binding power remained unyielding.
Just as dread overwhelmed them, an unfamiliar voice echoed in their ears: "You have quite the nerve, daring to tail this poor Daoist's disciple."
One of them forced himself to remain calm. Realizing he could speak, he pleaded repeatedly, "Senior, this junior was blind not to recognize Fellow Daoist Qi as your esteemed disciple! Please show magnanimity, Senior! Seeing that we haven't caused any real harm, spare our lives! This junior is willing to return to Mount Jinhen, retrieve every treasure from my cave dwelling, and offer them to Fellow Daoist Qi as an apology!"
They assumed they had provoked Old Qi's master.
"Heh, no need to use Mount Jinhen to threaten this poor Daoist. I wasn't frightened into this world yesterday. Still, for Mount Jinhen's sake, answer a few questions properly, and I might just spare your dog lives."
The three felt slightly relieved; the mysterious expert still had reservations about their sect, after all. They hastened to agree.
A short while later, Qin Sang flew out of the forest with his incarnation.
The three disciples were not dead, but Qin Sang had trapped them in the woods using Golden Core-level restrictions. As for when they would be freed, that depended on when Mount Jinhen found them.
Qin Sang did not wish to invite too much trouble.
Had he killed three core disciples, Mount Jinhen would never have let the matter rest.
In these turbulent times, as long as no lives were lost, Mount Jinhen was unlikely to pursue the matter relentlessly or provoke an enigmatic adversary over a mere Golden Core inheritance.
*If I still can't find anything, I'll just have to make a scene and force my way into the factions around Mount Jinhen to interrogate them one by one,* Qin Sang thought, gazing westward.
*It turns out Corpse Ghost Immortal was surnamed Chen and hailed from the Nanyin Mountains to the west of the Heavenly Scar. Unfortunately, the Golden Core cultivator surnamed Wu who was close to him is currently fighting on the front lines. Capturing him for questioning is out of the question for now, so I can only head to the Nanyin Mountains first. None of those three had ever seen Tan Hao either; I don't know whether Tan Hao ever came here or went straight to the Nanyin Mountains.*
One of the three Mount Jinhen disciples had once served as a Daoist attendant to that Master Wu. He had waited on them when the Corpse Ghost Immortal came to visit, hearing Master Wu address him as Daoist Brother Chen and learning that he had previously cultivated in the Nanyin Mountains.
Qin Sang suspected that the Corpse Ghost Immortal had obtained the Heavenly Corpse Sect's inheritance before coming to Mount Jinhen to absorb earth fiend qi and refine corpses, so he decided to try his luck in the Nanyin Mountains.
Without a moment's delay, he set off immediately.
Crossing the Heavenly Scar once more, Qin Sang headed straight for the Nanyin Mountains.
By noon on the third day, Qin Sang arrived, having already scouted out the factions of the mountain range along the way.
The Nanyin Mountains had a rather peculiar shape.
At the border of the Heavenly Scar, peaks formed a semicircle, extending outward in concentric rings.
It was a land of treacherous mountains and pernicious waters. There were no top sects nearby, only loose cultivators for the most part, though these factions all maintained tangled ties with the top sects beyond.
Qin Sang dispatched his incarnation to repeat his previous trick.
Unfortunately, while he baited several malicious opportunists, none of them knew anything about the Corpse Ghost Immortal.
Realizing this approach would lead nowhere, Qin Sang decided to target the major factions in the Nanyin Mountains directly.
Among these factions were cultivation clans, alliances of rogue cultivators, and auxiliary branches of various sects.
Qin Sang toured the area and found that the mountain-protecting grand arrays of the clans and rogue alliances were relatively weak.
One clan's grand array even had a glaring flaw. While difficult for others to perceive, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly spotted it at once, allowing Qin Sang to slip inside without causing a commotion and saving him plenty of trouble.
The Li Clan.
A single clan producing two Golden Core cultivators would have been a sign of burgeoning prosperity in ordinary times.
Yet during wartime, clan prosperity was secondary; they only wished to survive the battlefield.
Fortunately, the Li Clan fared better than factions with only a single Golden Core cultivator. Their two experts were not conscripted at the same time; at least one could remain behind, and they took turns rotating.
Li Yutian had just been relieved by his grandfather, withdrawing from the front lines to nurse his injuries and rest at home.
Recalling the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, Li Yutian still felt lingering dread. Even Golden Core Masters had no guarantee of surviving from morning to dusk on that chaotic battlefield, facing the threat of sudden death at any moment.
The only silver lining was witnessing Nascent Soul battles firsthand and making rapid progress through relentless combat.
He simply could not understand why those Nascent Soul patriarchs refused to live in peace and insisted on invading the Heavenly Movement Alliance. The resources of the Sin Abyss had hardly reached exhaustion, after all.
Outside his cave dwelling, two maidservants stood in attendance.
Suddenly, Li Yutian's voice drifted out from within: "Pass down my order. This ancestor has attained a new comprehension and must enter seclusion to break through. Under no circumstances is anyone to disturb me."
The two maidservants rejoiced. Their ancestor was already at the peak of early Golden Core; another breakthrough would give the clan two mid Golden Core experts. Moreover, their ancestor was still young and might even have the potential for the Nascent Soul stage.
The maidservants bowed and withdrew. Seeing the glow of restrictions illuminate the entrance, they harbored no doubts whatsoever.
Yet within the cave dwelling, Li Yutian stared in sheer terror at the cloaked figure who had materialized out of thin air.
"A Nascent Soul Patriarch!"
Sensing the terrifying pressure, Li Yutian fell into despair.
Qin Sang appeared before him like a ghost, reaching out to press a hand onto Li Yutian's crown, performing soul searching directly.
This man had slain countless cultivators of the Two Domains Alliance on the battlefield; Qin Sang naturally felt no mercy for him. Having obtained the desired information, Qin Sang erased Li Yutian's body along with every trace of his presence before quietly departing.
The entire Li Clan remained completely oblivious.
It was only when their other ancestor returned and forcibly breached the cave dwelling that they discovered Li Yutian was gone. Yet not a single trace remained inside; Li Yutian seemed to have vanished into thin air, becoming one of the Nanyin Mountains' great unsolved mysteries.
Afterward, Qin Sang and Fat Chicken split up, manufacturing several more mysterious disappearances, though those targets were only Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Corroborating the disparate pieces of information, Qin Sang pieced together an understanding of the Corpse Ghost Immortal.
The man's name was Chen Heng.
He had always been a rogue cultivator. Initially unremarkable, he had ventured into the Heavenly Scar year in and year out like any other low-level cultivator, barely scraping together a living. Then, one day, he stumbled upon an unknown opportunity, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
Just like that, he broke through step by step, ultimately entering the Golden Core stage and becoming a Golden Core Master.
He cultivated a wood-attribute technique, wielding remarkably pure wood-attribute spiritual power and extraordinary divine abilities, earning modest fame throughout the Nanyin Mountains.
In Li Yutian's memories, he was quite wary of Chen Heng, for the man was a solitary figure who held grudges fiercely. Yet one thing was certain: back then, Chen Heng had no connection whatsoever to the corpse dao, let alone the moniker 'Corpse Ghost Immortal.'
It was not until a century ago that something unforeseen occurred, and Chen Heng abruptly left the Nanyin Mountains, vanishing without a trace. Everyone assumed he had perished outside.
And indeed, that had been the case.
From this, Qin Sang concluded that Chen Heng had acquired the Heavenly Corpse Sect's corpse-refining technique during the interval between leaving the Nanyin Mountains and arriving at Mount Jinhen.
Yet Qin Sang still had no lead regarding the Heavenly Corpse Sect itself.
Chen Heng had no friends or relatives in the Nanyin Mountains. If he had obtained the corpse-refining technique elsewhere, the trail would run cold here, leaving Qin Sang no choice but to return to the Heavenly Movement Plateau to find that Golden Core cultivator from Mount Jinhen.
Since he was already here, however, Qin Sang decided to continue investigating the Nanyin Mountains. Sifting through the memories of Li Yutian and the others, he searched for major events that had occurred in the range before Chen Heng's departure, such as the emergence of ancient ruins.
Ultimately, Qin Sang pinpointed four locations, all deep within the Heavenly Scar.
Three of them were secret realms sealed by ancient restrictions, from whose ruins ancient treasures had once emerged, causing a great sensation.
The fourth was located in the extreme depths of the Heavenly Scar. For unknown reasons, a violent surge had once erupted from the bottom of the abyss, sweeping through ancient restrictions. Many cultivators hunting for treasures in the chasm had been caught off guard, leaving them dead or maimed.
Later, experts from the Nanyin Mountains attempted to venture deep to investigate, but the depths were too perilous, and in the end, no one ever discovered the cause.
Having gathered this information, Qin Sang decided to explore the Heavenly Scar in person.
A secret realm that even Golden Core cultivators could enter posed no threat to Qin Sang; he required no special preparations at all.
He flew downward along the cliff face without pausing.
Many cultivators within the Heavenly Scar risked their lives hunting for treasures, completely oblivious to the fact that someone had just brushed past them.
The deeper he went into the Heavenly Scar, the dimmer the light grew, and perils lurked at every turn.
There were two ancient restrictions that even Qin Sang had to bypass with caution.
Before long, Qin Sang arrived before the first secret realm.
The cleft in the rock that served as the entrance was filled with a riot of kaleidoscopic light. Following the past turmoil, chaotic ancient restrictions had once again sealed the cavern mouth.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly perched on Qin Sang's shoulder, aligning its wings toward the entrance.
After observing for a while, Qin Sang sensed the intention transmitted by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly and smiled. He then summoned the Sunken Gold Sword and struck out with peerless precision.
The ancient restrictions were triggered, converging on the sword light. The cliff shook, and loose stones flew everywhere.
Simultaneously, a rift opened in the restriction, and Qin Sang seized the opening to slip inside.
The next instant, Qin Sang appeared beside a lake. The water had long dried up, and the surrounding palaces were reduced to rubble—a scene of broken walls and shattered tiles.
The place had clearly been picked clean.
Qin Sang released his divine sense, inspecting every inch without missing a corner, but found nothing related to the Heavenly Corpse Sect. Undeterred, he flew out of the realm and swept toward the next location.
The second realm sealed away a mountain range, where ancient halls stood in clusters, speaking to its former grandeur.
Qin Sang unexpectedly harvested a rather rare spirit herb, but still found no traces of the Heavenly Corpse Sect.
Pressing deeper, he reached the third secret realm.
The space around the entrance was unstable, torn by spatial rifts; the realm had already been destroyed by colliding ancient restrictions. Working in tandem with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang unraveled the ancient restrictions bit by bit and finally uncovered a fragment of the ruined realm, yet still found nothing.
"Everything depends on the fourth location now."
Qin Sang looked down into the abyss, where endless darkness stretched below.
Guided by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang dove without hesitation.
A full two hours passed before Qin Sang finally located the origin of that past eruption.
Unexpectedly, beyond the most hazardous zone, what lay beneath was a vast expanse of barren land, with ancient restriction fragments being remarkably sparse.
Seeing this, Qin Sang found it rather peculiar. Ordering the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to push its divine abilities to their limit, he began searching the area with caution.
The barren expanse was far larger than Qin Sang had imagined. It took him the span of an incense stick just to reach the opposite edge.
Suddenly, Qin Sang's gaze froze upon a cliff face as smooth as a mirror.
A moment later, his pupils dilated in profound shock. "This aura... divine runes! This is a unique restriction of the Witch Clan!"
Chapter 1198