When Sect Master Yu arrived, the cave abode was already wide open. Qin Sang stood at the entrance, gazing into the distance, finding himself in the mood to truly take in the Yuncang Great Marsh for the first time.
The boundless marsh stretched on, water and sky blending into one.
As far as the eye could see, there was no end.
Catching sight of a streak of sword light tearing through the air, Qin Sang bowed from afar. "Disciple pays respects to the Sect Master."
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Qin... Junior Brother Qin!"
Sect Master Yu brought down his light of flight and appraised Qin Sang, looking even more elated than Qin Sang himself. "No need for formalities, Junior Brother Qin. According to the conventions of the cultivation world, now that we are both Foundation Establishment cultivators, we should treat each other as peers. I am older than you by a few years; if Junior Brother does not mind, you may simply address me as Senior Brother."
"Greetings, Sect Master Senior Brother."
Qin Sang readily complied and changed his form of address, though he remained thoroughly courteous. "That Qin Sang can stand here today is entirely thanks to Sect Master Senior Brother's care."
Sect Master Yu stroked his beard and smiled, thinking to himself that this youth knew his courtesies and boundaries—all his own efforts had not been in vain.
Though Qin Sang was being sent as a cauldron, should Master Mawu be stirred by mortal desires, it was not impossible that Qin Sang might transform overnight into the dual cultivation Dao companion of a Golden Core Master.
"Then..."
Qin Sang nodded and said, "I succeeded in establishing my foundation some time ago, but dared not disturb you, Sect Master Senior Brother, so I continued cultivating until the third layer was complete. Now that the jade cauldron is formed and the jade liquid is full to the brim, please give your instructions. I shall follow them faithfully."
Sect Master Yu nodded. "It is good that you are of this mind, Junior Brother Qin. Wait a moment, and I shall report to Martial Uncle Mawu."
With that, Sect Master Yu sent out a sword talisman. The two stood silently outside the cave abode waiting. Watching the sword talisman vanish into the distance, Qin Sang suddenly felt a flutter of unease in his heart. Although he had long prepared himself mentally, now that he was truly facing it, worry still weighed heavily upon him.
The sword talisman streaked away.
Before long, a silver-white light flared deep within the Yuncang Great Marsh. Moving at astonishing speed, it arrived in the blink of an eye, and a petite white flying boat hovered before them.
Sect Master Yu understood and turned to Qin Sang. "Junior Brother Qin, Master Mawu has sent a magic tool to receive you. Follow it on your own; it is not proper for me to accompany you."
Qin Sang took a deep breath. Just as he was about to step aboard, Sect Master Yu called out to stop him and handed him a jade vial.
"This is a Nine Yang Pill. If you have need of it, remember not to delay too long. Find a place as quickly as possible to take it and refine its medicinal power to reconstruct your foundation, which will yield the best effect. Otherwise, if your sea of qi should shatter, all will be lost. Once the matter is concluded, remember to come to Sect Master Peak so I can update the jade registry for you. There are also many benefits reserved only for higher-ranking disciples that you may claim—do not forget."
"Thank you for your trouble, Sect Master Senior Brother."
Qin Sang took the jade vial and saw a large, fiery-red pill inside. Even without opening the vial, he could sense a rush of pure yang qi emanating from the elixir, marking it as a supreme nourishing pill.
Bidding Sect Master Yu farewell, Qin Sang stepped onto the flying boat. He felt a tremor beneath his feet, and in the blink of an eye, it shot hundreds of zhang away.
The flying boat sped like lightning and wind. Before long, it flew past the boundaries of the Shaohua Mountain gates. It showed no sign of stopping, plunging deeper into the great marsh. Below, islands of various sizes and spiritually vibrant peaks flashed past. Gradually, patches of land grew sparser until only scattered islets remained.
The fastest magic tool Qin Sang had ever ridden before was the flying shuttle co-piloted by the three martial uncles when he had first joined the Kuiyin Sect, but compared to this flying boat, it had been as slow as a snail.
After flying a distance further, the boat abruptly decelerated and finally hovered above an island.
Qin Sang leaned over to look down. The island was not large, only slightly bigger than the desolate island where his cave abode was located. Curiously, it formed a neat circle. A thin mist hung over it, through which one could faintly see two mountain ridges on the left and right, with a gurgling stream, lush greenery, and rare, exotic flora nestled in the valley between them—the scenery was exquisite.
As the boat descended slowly, the mist on the island parted to either side of its own accord. Qin Sang sensed it with his perception and realized that the mist was actually an anomaly produced by a formation.
The faint wisp of aura that leaked out when the grand formation opened had been enough to send a chill of dread through Qin Sang, warning him not to act rashly.
Upon entering the island, Qin Sang immediately felt spiritual energy so dense it bordered on overwhelming. He knew this island was likely far more than a mere spirit eye; his own cave abode could not begin to compare.
It was the cave abode of a Golden Core Master, after all—envy would do him no good.
*Whoosh!*
The flying boat brought Qin Sang before a thatched cottage in the valley. The moment it set him down, it turned and darted away, catching him by surprise.
Qin Sang looked left and right. The thatched cottage was modest, with its doors and windows tightly shut. There was not the slightest stir from within.
Not daring to probe with his spiritual sense for fear of giving offense, he stood solemnly before the door. He waited for a long time, but no voice came from inside. Feeling increasingly puzzled, he could not resist bowing and speaking in a low voice: "Disciple Qin Sang pays respects to Martial Uncle Mawu."
Still, no one answered.
Was there no one inside?
Qin Sang was filled with doubt, uncertain what had happened. Left out in the cold like this, he dared not leave on his own authority, and waited through a full night and day.
Late at night, the moonlight was pale.
Suddenly, with a creak, the wooden door swung open on its own, and a cool, aloof voice came from within: "Come in."
What a lovely voice.
Qin Sang shuddered slightly, quickly brushed nonexistent dust from his robes, arranged his features into a solemn expression, and stepped inside. In the candlelight of the wooden cottage, he immediately saw a young woman seated there; she seemed to have spent the entire night sitting motionless as well.
"Disciple pays respects..."
Just as Qin Sang was about to bow down, he caught sight of the woman's face from the corner of his eye and froze in mid-motion.
More than once on Shaohua Mountain had he heard the name of Fairy Chenyan. Whenever anyone spoke of Fairy Chenyan, they were utterly enthralled. Even senior martial sisters, who were women themselves, wore looks of infatuation whenever they had seen Fairy Chenyan's true face.
Curious, he had once asked Zhuang Yan for a portrait circulating privately on Shaohua Mountain, said to have been meticulously painted by a senior brother who had been famed as a master artist in the mortal realm.
The woman in the portrait had white clouds and cranes for company, her robes fluttering. She was indeed detached from the mortal dust, her demeanor ethereal as an immortal—a breathtaking beauty rarely found in this world.
Looking at her now, the portrait did not capture even one ten-thousandth of her true grace.
It was not merely her beauty that struck Qin Sang numb; what shocked him was that it was supposed to be Master Mawu. Why was the person inside the cottage Fairy Chenyan?
"Chenyan..."
Qin Sang opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss. He suddenly realized he did not know how to address Fairy Chenyan. Her background seemed extraordinarily mysterious; disciples in the sect always called her "Fairy," never referring to her as "Grandmaster" according to the usual conventions.
"Disciple Qin Sang pays respects to Martial Aunt Chenyan."
Qin Sang collected himself and performed a formal bow. Staring at the shadows cast by the candlelight upon the floor, turmoil raged in his mind, having no idea what was going on.
Then it abruptly dawned on him: Fairy Chenyan had gone into closed-door seclusion for twenty years to form her Nascent Soul. When he had first arrived at Shaohua Mountain, she had still been in seclusion on Jingyue Peak, emerging only recently, and rumor had it that her attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage had failed.
Could it be that it was not Master Mawu, but...
***
Dawn paled in the east.
Qin Sang staggered out, supporting himself against the wall.
His eyes were hollow, his face sallow, and his hair streaked with grey.
Chapter 130