The cave abode was tranquil.
The act of preaching the Dao at Qingyang Temple had been an opportunity for Qin Sang to sort out his own path, providing ample preparation for this seclusion.
Undistracted, Qin Sang focused entirely on his cultivation.
While refining medicinal power, he would pause at regular intervals to comprehend the soul shadows.
The corpse flower blood amber and the Nascent Soul talisman puppet complemented one another.
Even when he encountered bottlenecks, they posed no serious obstacle.
Qin Sang's progress was astonishingly swift.
In the blink of an eye, thirty-five years passed.
It was rare for the cultivation world of the Beichen Realm to enjoy such a prolonged period of stability.
The Xiaohan Realm, Heavenly Demon Mound, Celestial Alliance, Sin Abyss, and the Great Desert all acknowledged the Beichen Alliance. Even if minor friction arose between the factions, it was amicably resolved under the Beichen Alliance's mediation.
The most important reason was that the Nascent Soul patriarchs had witnessed the scene of ascension with their own eyes. Their gazes were no longer confined to the Beichen Realm's tiny corner, turning instead toward the world beyond the tempest.
A far vaster world!
Compared to that, their former ambitions and petty entanglements of interest were utterly laughable.
The key to ascension lay in the Reception Platform!
All the Nascent Soul patriarchs were busy.
Some devoted themselves entirely to cultivation, just like Qin Sang.
After all, if one could not become a great cultivator, finding the Reception Platform would still be futile.
Others believed the future was unpredictable and could not be judged so narrowly. If a Reception Platform were found, the conditions for ascension might prove more favorable than those of the Ziwei Palace, perhaps demanding far less in personal cultivation.
They joined forces to explore forbidden grounds and secret realms across the realm, unearthing ancient texts treasured in sect vaults, notes left behind by predecessors, and widely circulated legends.
Even if it was mere rumor and gossip, they spared no effort to verify every clue.
In the process, previously hidden secret realms were indeed unearthed, and cultivators exploring the forbidden areas reaped bountiful rewards. Unfortunately, none bore any connection to a Reception Platform.
The Ancient Immortal Battlefield and the Abyss Ruins drew the greatest attention.
Daoist Canghong had led men through the Abyss Ruins for decades. Whether they were concealing their findings or had truly found nothing, the news emerging was disheartening.
The Ancient Immortal Battlefield was the highest priority of all.
It was debated at every assembly of the Beichen Alliance.
Every so often, groups of Nascent Soul cultivators ventured deep into the battlefield together. Several invitations had been extended to Qin Sang, but Jingyu and Li Yufu had deflected them all on his behalf.
The spiritual tides never ceased, and new secret realms occasionally emerged, though none could rival the Ziwei Palace.
Even so, the explorers generally came away with something, never returning entirely empty-handed even without finding a Reception Platform.
After the founding ceremony,
Qin Sang had kept a low profile, yet his standing and that of Qingyang Temple had only grown.
Shaohua Mountain and the Shangyuan Qingjing Palace followed Qin Sang's lead without reservation, staunchly backing Qingyang Temple. Almost the entire northern shore of the Yuncang Great Marsh had become the temple's sphere of influence.
Curiously, the faction closest to Qingyang Temple had turned out to be the Xuling Sect.
Jiang Xue had paid repeated visits accompanied by Clan Head Han, displaying his goodwill. Hemmed in by reservations, the Taiyi Dan Sect and Chi Qin dared not press him further, allowing Jiang Xue to firmly establish his footing.
In the Heavenly Demon Mound, the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea shared deep bonds with Qingyang Temple.
Among the demonic factions, Xiang Qing took the initiative to cultivate friendly ties.
Among rogue cultivators, thanks to Qingjun's influence, the castellan of Yinshan Pass had personally attended the ceremony and demonstrated goodwill toward Qin Sang.
Qin Sang's prestige within the Celestial Alliance went without saying. After relocating to the Tianxing Plateau, the Yuanshen Sect flourished, and with his backing, none dared encroach upon their interests on the steppe.
In the desert, Qin Sang had once saved Lu Boyuan's life.
Except for their strained ties with the Sin Abyss,
Qin Sang and his Qingyang Temple were an indomitable power in the Beichen Realm, holding immense sway!
Tan Yi'en had been appointed Chief Overseer and threw himself wholeheartedly into sect affairs, while pillars of the sect such as Shangguan Lifeng, Li Yufu, and Meigu focused on their cultivation, each making steady progress.
Qingyang Temple was thriving. In just a few decades, it had taken on the grandeur befitting a renowned great sect.
Yet Qin Sang paid no mind to any of it.
For thirty-five years, he had not set foot outside Peach Blossom Valley, never showing his face even when fellow Nascent Soul cultivators called. Throughout that time, only Li Yufu and Jingyu had entered the valley once each.
On this particular evening,
the restrictions over Peach Blossom Valley opened, breaking routine.
Before the valley,
Tan Yi'en seemed to have run into an urgent matter.
As the Chief Overseer of Qingyang Temple, renowned throughout the cultivation realm, Tan Yi'en normally carried himself with poise and grace, maintaining courteous composure even before Nascent Soul patriarchs. At this moment, however, he paced restlessly outside.
From time to time, he cast anxious glances toward Peach Blossom Valley, but without Qin Sang's permission, he dared not barge in.
The white cat blocked Tan Yi'en's path, tilting its head slightly with a vigilant gaze.
It feared this fellow might lose his composure in his excitement and disturb the master.
"How much longer until Uncle Master emerges from seclusion?"
Tan Yi'en had already asked several times.
The white cat gave the same reply as before, letting out a haughty snort. "Six months ago, the master gave orders that nothing was to disturb him. Even if the heavens fall, you cannot go in!"
Tan Yi'en's face fell into a grimace. "This is something the master personally gave instructions about..."
Yet seeing the cat's unyielding stance, Tan Yi'en had no choice but to drop it. With a mournful sigh, he found a rock and sat cross-legged upon it.
Rather than returning inside, the white cat crouched at the mouth of the valley.
Two months slipped by in the blink of an eye.
A sudden ripple disturbed the mist veiling Peach Blossom Valley, and a figure emerged from within—none other than Qin Sang!
Qin Sang was still dressed in his Daoist robe. His bearing was calm and natural, his aura ethereal.
"Master..."
The white cat was the first to spot him. Springing to its feet, it pointed at Tan Yi'en. "He..."
"I already know."
Qin Sang gave a slight nod, looking at Tan Yi'en, who had hurriedly risen to pay his respects. "What happened outside that has you in such a panic?" he asked in a deep voice.
Catching the displeasure in Qin Sang's tone,
Tan Yi'en shuddered inwardly, chiding himself for letting years of cultivated composure desert him. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Uncle Master, Senior Brother Li and the others have been traveling and searching through the desert for years, and they finally found something! A transmission arrived not long ago—it's related to my father!"
"Oh?"
A faint smile touched the corner of Qin Sang's mouth. "To think it would be a double blessing. Where is Li Yufu?"
He had instructed Li Yufu and the others to frequent the desert in search of the Vajra Nut, never expecting that they would stumble upon Tan Hao first.
Qin Sang was indeed quite curious about the movements of Tan Hao and the mysterious stranger.
He had asked Lu Boyuan to keep an eye out, but nothing resembling them had ever turned up.
Tan Yi'en hurriedly produced a message talisman from his robes and said respectfully, "Aunt Meigu was supposedly the first to uncover traces. Senior Brother Li was on the Tianxing Plateau at the time, and upon hearing the news, he rushed there immediately."
Qin Sang took the talisman and swept it with his divine sense, feeling a stir of surprise.
The place where Meigu had found traces was at the southernmost edge of the Beichen Great Desert—the southernmost point of the entire Beichen Realm—on an island out at sea!
She suspected Tan Hao had once visited that place.
Yet Qin Sang had warned them previously to exercise caution, so Meigu had not dared pursue the investigation further. Having detected the trail, she had sent word back at once for Qin Sang to decide.
"To think it would be there!"
After a brief contemplation, Qin Sang said, "Follow me back to the sect first to see what's happening."
With that, his figure flickered, and he flew ahead.
Snapping back to his senses, Tan Yi'en was about to pursue him when Qin Sang's earlier words suddenly struck him. A look of confusion crossed his face. "A double blessing? What other good news could there be?"
Before the words had even faded,
Tan Yi'en froze. He traded a glance with the white cat, and both their faces bloomed with wild joy, their eyes brimming with fervent reverence.
Chapter 1363