After entering Hanging Skull Pass, the Nascent Soul cultivators waited and observed for another month.
Just as they had expected, the gale-force winds and spirit tides in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield showed no signs of calming, turning into a storm belt as well.
Fortunately, whether because the lingering might of Ziwei Palace remained or due to other unknown causes, the storms of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield were far weaker than those in other storm belts and followed cyclical shifts in intensity.
With the various factions of the Beichen Realm coordinating to defend the pass, the pressure was not as overwhelming as they had feared.
During the ebb tides, low-level cultivators who were bold enough and thoroughly prepared could venture beyond the pass to seek opportunities around the periphery of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.
However, traveling as deep as before was no longer possible.
By comparison, the Abyss Ruins had suffered far more catastrophic devastation—to the point that even Nascent Soul cultivators dared not set foot inside.
Wuya Valley had not been spared either.
Fortunately, only the inner valley had been destroyed. While the outer valley had taken heavy damage, a portion of it survived. Jingyu's cave dwelling had vanished along with the Blood Lake, leaving her no choice but to settle down peacefully in the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea from then on.
With this turning point as a catalyst, the establishment of the Beichen Alliance met with virtually no resistance.
Under these circumstances, the Xiaohan Realm no longer dared harbor ambitions of monopolizing the Ancient Immortal Battlefield and proactively relinquished its privileges at the Seven Grand Passes.
Heavenly Demon Hill, the Xiaohan Realm, the Celestial Alliance, the Sin Abyss, and the Great Beichen Desert—the five great regions—formed a rare mutual defense alliance to safeguard a single secret together.
Such was the way of the world: what had long been divided inevitably united.
Thanks to the Beichen Alliance, the cultivation world of the Beichen Realm was ushered into a long era of peace.
"The eternal spirit tide brings both harm and benefit. Some deeply hidden ancient restrictions might be stimulated by the surge and reemerge into the world. Perhaps there are immortal palaces comparable to Ziwei Palace that house Reception Platforms..."
In a small courtyard, Qin Sang, Bing Han, and several other Nascent Soul cultivators sipped tea and discussed the Dao.
From time to time, they looked up at the sky, where the spirit tide constantly battered against the barrier in a relentless flicker of radiance.
The speaker was Xiang Qing.
He was a rising talent with vast prospects ahead of him, so he placed immense importance on the Reception Platform.
In the future, the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Beichen Alliance would frequently venture into the depths of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield together to explore and search for opportunities.
Hearing this, Bing Han's expression shifted slightly. "Cultivation is already arduous for practitioners of our era, and now the largest treasure lands of the Beichen Realm—the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, the Abyss Ruins, and Wuya Valley—have all met with disaster. It has become even harder for junior disciples to find opportunities. In my view, it would be best for the Beichen Alliance to add another rule: Nascent Soul cultivators must not pillage the Ancient Immortal Battlefield unchecked, leaving a path for the younger generations."
"That makes good sense. The vast majority of treasures are no longer of any use to us anyway..."
The others chimed in one after another.
After finishing a pot of tea, Qin Sang rose to take his leave.
"Where are you off to, Daoist Qin?"
"To harvest cloud beast souls," Qin Sang replied, then flew out of Hanging Skull Pass.
He had refined a new batch of Beast King Banners. Together with those seized from the Witch Clan Core Formation cultivators, he had gathered eighty-one in total. With a few slight modifications, they were ready to capture cloud beast souls.
The cloud beasts of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield were peculiar creatures that appeared intermittently due to the spirit tides. Now that the spirit tide never ceased, cloud beasts would only grow increasingly rare.
Over the next ten years, the Beichen Alliance was formally founded. Communication among the cultivation worlds of the various regions flowed unhindered, and the estrangement between them gradually faded.
No single person commanded enough authority to sway everyone.
Thus, the Beichen Alliance had no single leader. Instead, a Council of Elders collectively decided major affairs of the Beichen Realm and balanced the interests of all sides, with Qin Sang serving as one of its members.
Once he finished handling affairs regarding the Beichen Alliance, Qin Sang set about making preparations to establish his sect.
Until today, when the grand ceremony was at hand!
***
Reflecting on everything that had transpired over the past ten years, Qin Sang gradually gathered his wandering thoughts.
Swish! Swish!
The Qianjun Ring flashed, and two items flew out.
One was the set of eighty-one Beast King Banners; the other was a magic treasure shaped like a prayer mat.
This futon was the other sect-guarding treasure Qin Sang had prepared for Qingyang Temple—the Mind Light Futon.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the material woven into the Mind Light Futon was not made of reeds or grass. It shimmered with a faint blue glow, appearing to have been refined from some manner of crystal.
Its primary component was a rare spiritual material known as Illusory Light Crystal, which Qin Sang had obtained in a trade with a Nascent Soul cultivator from the desert.
The Nascent Soul talisman puppet's ability to seal soul shadows stemmed from the Dao Manifestation Tree.
Bai had later suggested an alternative approach. After careful deliberation and several attempts, Qin Sang used the Illusory Light Crystal to forge the Mind Light Futon, granting it a similar soul-sealing effect.
However, the Mind Light Futon was far inferior to the Nascent Soul talisman puppet.
First, the Mind Light Futon could not devour soul shadows on its own; Qin Sang had to manually transfer them over from the Nascent Soul talisman puppet.
Second, the number of soul shadows it could seal was limited, and over time they would grow steadily weaker until they dissipated completely. Unlike the Nascent Soul talisman puppet, it could not preserve them indefinitely, and Qin Sang had found no better solution.
This was proof enough that the Dao Manifestation Tree truly possessed an extraordinary origin that could not be replicated.
By now, Qin Sang had already transferred two soul shadows into it, both at the early Nascent Soul stage.
Sending his divine sense into the Mind Light Futon, he found the soul shadows within to be very stable. Adding one more would push it to its limit.
Qin Sang summoned the Nascent Soul talisman puppet.
Between the puppet's brows was a blood-red, teardrop-shaped mark. This too was a technique Bai had taught him, meant to mask the fluctuations of the Dao Manifestation Tree so discerning observers would not identify the talisman puppet's materials.
Though it was an immature and tainted Dao Manifestation Tree, it was still a rare wonder of the world; caution was paramount.
Qin Sang set the Beast King Banners aside, guided a soul shadow out from inside the Nascent Soul talisman puppet, and merged it into the Mind Light Futon.
The Mind Light Futon trembled a few times before settling back into stillness.
Creak!
Qin Sang pushed open the door and stepped outside. Spotting Jingyu, he darted into the gazebo.
The white cat tactfully withdrew.
"Forgive me for keeping you waiting, Fellow Daoist," Qin Sang said apologetically.
Jingyu looked Qin Sang up and down. "Your cultivation has clearly advanced significantly during this seclusion. It seems you have already refined a stalk of Corpse Flower Blood Amber?"
"Indeed!" Qin Sang nodded.
He produced a pot of Peach Blossom Wine and poured a cup for Jingyu and himself.
There was very little left of the Peach Blossom Wine his Senior Sister had personally brewed, and he only parted with it when distinguished guests arrived.
"I must also thank you for the secret technique that purifies the Corpse Flower Blood Amber. Once the blood poison was purged, we cultivators could directly refine it. The process went quite smoothly, and the boost it gave me far exceeded my expectations!"
Qin Sang beamed, his tone carrying unmistakable delight. "If all goes well, once I refine all three stalks of Corpse Flower Blood Amber, I should be able to touch the bottleneck of the middle Nascent Soul stage!"
Knowing full well the miraculous potency of Corpse Flower Blood Amber, Jingyu was not surprised. She smiled faintly and raised her wine cup. "Then allow me to wish Fellow Daoist Qin an early breakthrough to the middle Nascent Soul stage to stun the world!"
To break through to the middle Nascent Soul stage within a century of forming a Nascent Soul was exceedingly rare across all eras of cultivation, worthy of being hailed a peerless genius!
Qin Sang voiced his thanks and raised his cup to drink with her, offering no false modesty.
Nor did he feel any self-satisfaction.
It was only through the three stalks of Corpse Flower Blood Amber combined with the aid of the Dao Manifestation Tree's soul shadows that he stood a chance of breaking through to the middle Nascent Soul stage. Had he cultivated step by step as normal, who knew how long it would have taken?
Setting down their wine cups, the two turned their conversation to other matters.
Right at that moment, the white cat returned. "Master, Tan Yi'en sent an urgent letter and said an old friend has arrived to visit and is waiting for you at the mountain gate."
Chapter 1354