Old and Decrepit

Whoosh! Two streaks of light tore through the dark clouds. One was golden—a lifelike miniature roc formed of golden radiance, boasting a sharp beak, razor talons, and feathers that gleamed like tempered iron, exuding immense ferocity. The other was pitch-black: the Hunmo Token. Matching each other step for step, the golden roc and the Hunmo Token breached the dark clouds at the exact same moment. Qin Sang was intimately familiar with the Hunmo Token. The instant he caught sight of that magic treasure, his pupils contracted, and many things suddenly clicked into place. So Old Man Hunmo's true objective in inviting him had been Xuantian Palace's Sacred Ground all along! No wonder Old Man Hunmo had sent invitations far and wide to top experts and taken the initiative to resolve past grievances. It was not because the place he intended to visit was extraordinarily perilous in itself, but because his adversary, Xuantian Palace, was far too formidable. He had to enlist another expert on par with a Great Cultivator if he hoped to contend with them. Having fallen out with Xuantian Palace, Qin Sang had been the ideal candidate. Qin Sang thought to himself that if Liuli had not swayed him with the Body Cleansing Pool, leading him to ignore Old Man Hunmo's calling card, he might well have become a double agent by now. That golden roc was undoubtedly a divine ability of Great Sage Tianpeng. Seen in this light, the demon race's sudden provocation and theatrical aggression a month ago had carried a deeper purpose as well. These thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind in an instant. The next moment, the radiance of both the Hunmo Token and the golden roc dimmed. Boisterous laughter echoed from within the dark clouds as two figures barged into the Sacred Ground. Behind them, one streak of escaping light after another followed, filing out in rapid succession. "Old Man Hunmo!" "Great Sage Tianpeng!" "Blood Demon King!" "General Gui!" ... Recognizing these faces, the Xuantian Palace cultivators gasped in shock. Every single one was a renowned great demon or devil. At this moment, how could they fail to realize that the battle from a month ago had been an orchestrated scheme, tricking their sect into leaving behind numerous top experts to garrison Demon Repelling Island? By comparison, Xuantian Palace had abruptly fallen into an inferior position, becoming the disadvantaged side. Undercurrents surged through the void. Old Man Hunmo's faction also spotted the Xuantian Palace cultivators. Both sides stared across the expanse, their expressions varied and complex. Qin Sang stood beside Liuli, lost in thought. With the situation turning out like this, Qin Sang could not tell whether it was a blessing or a curse. Just now, through discreet inquiries, he had discovered that Hall Master Jiang and Liuli knew very little about the innermost depths of the Sacred Ground; there were clearly secrets concealed within that remained unknown to outsiders. The unexpected arrival of Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng had thrown the waters into turmoil. It might create an opening for him to seize the Killing Sword fragment, but it could just as easily saddle him with two terrifying adversaries. For now, the only sensible approach was to take things one step at a time. Weighing the pros and cons, Qin Sang quickly settled on a plan. Regardless of what happened, he would secure his place in the Body Cleansing Pool first, then adapt to whatever the situation demanded. To Qin Sang, the Killing Sword fragment was not an immediate necessity. In all likelihood, the cultivation technique preserved alongside the fragment belonged to the stages beyond the Deity Transformation realm, which he would not need for centuries anyway. The greatest utility of the sword fragment was aiding the sword spirit's recovery. However, the speed of the sword spirit's restoration was excruciatingly slow, so there was no need to fight for every passing second. Because of that, Qin Sang saw the situation with absolute clarity: whether the Killing Sword fragment remained inside the Sacred Ground or fell into the hands of Old Man Hunmo and the others made little difference. They had no means of destroying the sword fragment, nor could they cultivate the *Essence Cultivation and Sword Nurturing Chapter*; they would merely be keeping it safe on his behalf. So long as he located the fragment that had fallen into the North Sea, Qin Sang's purpose was fulfilled. Through the sword spirit, he could pinpoint the fragment's location wherever it went, making it impossible for anyone to hide it from him. Qin Sang had patience in abundance. Once he possessed sufficient strength, he could return to claim the treasure! On the other hand, an opportunity to enhance his innate talent came only once, representing a lifelong fortune that could not be passed up. Of course, if a chance arose to seize the Killing Sword fragment right here, he would spare no effort to prevent any mishaps with the technique—and he certainly possessed the strength to compete for it! Having thought this through, Qin Sang grew significantly calmer. He cast a deep glance at Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng, then swept his gaze across the gathering of demons and devils trailing behind them. When his eyes landed on two particular figures, a flicker of astonishment crossed his face. They were a pair: an old man and a youth. The two stood not far behind Old Man Hunmo. The old man possessed a full head of silver hair and appeared aged and decrepit, yet the contours of his youth could still be faintly discerned between his brows. Occasionally, a sharp gleam flashed across his cloudy eyes, warning anyone against underestimating him. The younger one was a handsome youth with a refined, scholarly bearing, resembling an unassuming gentleman. Even a complete stranger would instinctively feel a measure of goodwill toward him. A strange look appeared in Qin Sang's eyes. That young man was none other than Senior Brother Qiu—Qiu Mubai—whom he had not seen in ages. The sole disciple Dongyang Bo had taken with him when fleeing Shaohua Mountain! His cultivation had already reached the peak of the late Golden Core stage, on par with Tan Hao. However, Tan Hao had received guidance from the Ghost Mother, obtained spirit herbs at the Jinghai Sect, and bathed in the resonant tolls of their morning bells and evening drums. With so many fortuitous encounters, his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage was merely a matter of time. *Could that old man be...* Qin Sang scrutinized the elderly figure, his heart jolting. *It really is him!* The old man was actually Dongyang Bo! The last time Qin Sang had seen Dongyang Bo had been when the Beichen Alliance was established, not long after the ascension of Ziwei Palace. Back then, Dongyang Bo's appearance had barely changed, still clad in a luxurious brocade robe and carrying the commanding aura of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and sect master. Yet in a mere few decades, Dongyang Bo had withered to such a degree, shrouded in a heavy pall of senescence, that he was nearly unrecognizable. Qin Sang recalled what Liuli had told him before. Bing Yao had imparted a secret art to Dongyang Bo that enabled him to break through to the mid Nascent Soul stage, but at the cost of rapidly draining his vitality. Even if he managed to hold on until the next heavenly tribulation descended, he would surely perish. Evidently, Dongyang Bo had failed to find a remedy, and the hidden repercussions had begun to take their toll. Though he was not yet dead, his exterior had aged so severely that he looked no different from an octogenarian mortal. Sensing Liuli's gaze, Qin Sang turned to meet her eyes. "He does not have long to live," Liuli transmitted her voice, having recognized Dongyang Bo as well. Qin Sang nodded. A complex swirl of emotions churned within him. Seeing his enemy on the brink of death naturally brought a sense of vindication, yet watching the Shaohua Mountain patriarch who had once inspired such terror in him reach the end of the road stirred an inevitable feeling of shared mortality. If he ever stalled on the path of cultivation, a day like this would eventually come for him too! Ever since arriving in the North Sea, Qin Sang had never found any trace of Dongyang Bo, leading him to wonder if his earlier deductions had been mistaken. He had never expected to reunite here. At that moment, Dongyang Bo also noticed Liuli among the Xuantian Palace contingent. There was no helping it; even behind a veil, Liuli was simply too conspicuous. Seeing that Liuli remained trapped in the early Nascent Soul stage, Dongyang Bo was not surprised in the least. The origins of the *Mystic Female Jade Tripod True Scripture* were far from ordinary—it was an art so perilous that even demonic sects locked it away. How could the backlash of such an evil manual be easily resolved? As the instigator who had set it in motion, he had no solution either. That was one of the reasons he had avoided meeting Liuli all this time. Just then, Dongyang Bo's attention was drawn to the unfamiliar man standing beside her. The distance between the two was rather close. Without resolving the backlash of the evil art, Liuli could not possibly have taken another person as a Dao companion. A strange glint flashed in Dongyang Bo's eyes. Though Qin Sang had altered his appearance, Dongyang Bo had studied Qin Sang extensively after suffering at his hands, making him thoroughly familiar with the man. ... The two sides confronted each other across the void. Within the Sacred Ground, only the low rustle of drifting dark clouds could be heard. Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng fixed their gazes upon the divine bird carriage, their expressions shifting between surprise and suspicion. The Palace Master of Xuantian Palace truly had come out of seclusion. Exchanging a glance, they hesitated no longer. Directing their escaping lights, they led their contingent charging into the Sacred Ground, having no desire to engage in an all-out confrontation with Xuantian Palace. Tong Lingyu cast a frigid look over the gathered demons and fiends, displaying not a hint of panic. In a flash, she arrived beside the carriage and whispered a few words. After a silent exchange with the Palace Master, Tong Lingyu gave a slight nod, turned toward the crowd, and spoke in a steady voice: "Everyone, stay calm and do not worry. The Palace Master and this seat will personally keep watch over Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng! The most vital treasures, such as the Kan Mirage Pearl, must not fall into enemy hands. Once the hall masters and elders have paired up and collected the treasures, regroup with us swiftly. Above all, proceed with caution..." Tong Lingyu issued each directive in an orderly fashion. It was plain to see that while remaining guarded against the demons and devils, their primary objective remained securing the treasures. A stir rippled through the crowd upon hearing these arrangements. Some could not comprehend why they were not immediately joining battle to drive the intruders out of the Sacred Ground, instead allowing them to run rampant. They worried that doing so would allow the demons to pick them off one by one. The Palace Master's cultivation was peerless in the North Sea, and wielding a spirit treasure alongside the Grand Elder, they would surely sweep all before them. Though the demons and devils held a slight upper hand in numbers, it was by no means a decisive advantage. They were merely a motley rabble, bound to guard against one another, whereas Xuantian Palace was united in purpose and resolute in spirit. Qin Sang inwardly praised the wisdom of the decision. Yin Changsheng and Tong Lingyu were clear-headed. Just as Xuantian Palace was wary of the demons and fiends, the other side feared them just as much. These devils and demon kings had come in pursuit of opportunities, not as subordinates of Old Man Hunmo; unless pushed to the brink, none of them wished to forge an irreconcilable feud with Xuantian Palace. With Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng present, it was impossible for Xuantian Palace to annihilate them completely, and trying to do so would only incur senseless casualties. The exposure of the Sacred Ground was already an established fact. They might as well return and devise a counterstrategy afterward. For now, claiming the treasures took precedence. Xuantian Palace knew the Sacred Ground best; no matter how lucky those intruders were, they could snatch only a tiny fraction. Previously, keeping the Sacred Ground's location a secret had been meant to avoid trouble. Now that the location was out in the open, Xuantian Palace had no reason to cower. The key to the Sacred Ground remained firmly in Xuantian Palace's grasp. Xuantian Palace could decide when to open it, and going forward, they needed only to keep the opening dates strictly confidential—unless those intruders planned to abandon everything else and keep vigil nearby every single day. As the preeminent sect of the North Sea, Xuantian Palace possessed more than enough confidence to claim dominion over the Sacred Ground! Having realized this, Tong Lingyu and the Palace Master had made their decision swiftly. When it came to claiming treasures in the Sacred Ground, each would rely on their own ability! The Nascent Soul cultivators understood the gravity of the situation as well. Following their orders, the members of Xuantian Palace mobilized in unison and plunged deeper into the Sacred Ground. This arrangement suited Qin Sang perfectly. He immediately sent a voice transmission to Liuli, and the two promptly lifted their escaping lights, soaring toward the floating mountain where the Body Cleansing Pool was located. Just as they were about to depart, a faint, whisper-like voice transmission brushed past Qin Sang's ear. "Daoist Priest, after you emerge from the Body Cleansing Pool, I hope you can meet me at the final floating mountain. I have an important matter to discuss, and I will certainly not disappoint you..." It was Tong Lingyu's voice. Hearing this, a sharp gleam flickered in Qin Sang's eyes, and his figure paused ever so slightly. There truly were secrets hidden in the depths of the Sacred Ground! Yin Changsheng and Tong Lingyu were worried about those secrets falling to Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng. And within the Sacred Ground, the only person qualified to take part in a battle between Great Cultivators was himself. This was precisely the opportunity Qin Sang had been hoping for. He gave an imperceptible nod, then sped away alongside Liuli. The situation was fluid and unpredictable, and the window during which the Body Cleansing Pool remained open was very brief; they had no time to spare for Dongyang Bo. On the other side, Dongyang Bo quietly tracked the movements of Liuli and Qin Sang. He could not be entirely certain that the man was Qin Sang. Upon sensing that the man's cultivation had reached the mid Nascent Soul stage, Dongyang Bo was thoroughly shaken, filled with utter disbelief, and it was only through sheer willpower that he prevented his shock from showing on his face. One had to realize that it had not even been a century since Qin Sang formed his Nascent Soul! How could that be possible? Did this fellow truly have five spiritual roots? Had the person who tested his talent back then made a mistake? Dongyang Bo sank into profound self-doubt, but regret was utterly useless now. Keeping Qiu Mubai by his side, he remained close to the strongest faction led by Old Man Hunmo and Great Sage Tianpeng. Only when he saw Liuli and Qin Sang draw farther away did his expression ease slightly. "Master, where are we heading now?" Qiu Mubai was shielded by Dongyang Bo's Vajra Ring. Dongyang Bo had done this intentionally; the white light emitted by the Vajra Ring obstructed Qiu Mubai's line of sight, blurring his vision and preventing him from seeing Liuli and Qin Sang. Unable to see the outside surroundings clearly, Qiu Mubai felt a twinge of unease and could not help but ask. Dongyang Bo glanced in the direction where Qin Sang and Liuli had vanished, withdrew the Vajra Ring, subtly altered their course, and said in a low voice, "To the Ice Wind Cave first!" It was said that a late Golden Core cultivator who traversed the Ice Wind Cave could increase their chances of condensing a Nascent Soul. Qiu Mubai was currently facing that very bottleneck. Over the past several decades, master and disciple had traveled far and wide, chancing upon various opportunities, but none matched the potency of the Ice Wind Cave. A look of excitement surfaced in Qiu Mubai's eyes. Then, catching sight of Dongyang Bo's withered countenance, Qiu Mubai was suddenly reminded of his master's condition. A pang of sorrow struck his heart, and fearful of wasting his master's precious time, he hurriedly said, "Master, this disciple can fight for a spot at the Ice Wind Cave on my own. Weren't you and General Gui planning to—" Before he could finish, Dongyang Bo cut him off. "Do you think you will only be competing against cultivators of the same rank? With so many demons and devil cultivators entering the Sacred Ground, how could Xuantian Palace fail to dispatch senior experts to escort their disciples? Cease your chattering!" Qiu Mubai did not dare argue further, though a resolute expression settled on his face. Master and disciple broke away from Old Man Hunmo's main group. A few others had made the same choice, converging halfway and agreeing to form a temporary alliance as they headed straight for the floating mountain that housed the Ice Wind Cave. ... Viewed from the entrance, the floating mountains had looked no larger than pebbles. Only upon drawing near did one realize that every single floating mountain was colossal. One could well imagine just how immense the space within the Sacred Ground truly was. Even with so many people scattering into the realm, it produced hardly any noticeable change; the space remained vast, desolate, and boundless. Qin Sang led the way, with Liuli following closely behind. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly could always easily spot the gaps between ancient restrictions and spatial turbulence. With its aid, Qin Sang maintained an astonishingly swift speed, twisting and maneuvering through the void. To an outsider, his flight path seemed fraught with danger, yet he slipped through every hazard unscathed. Liuli did not need to expend any effort navigating; she had only to follow tightly in Qin Sang's wake. Passing one floating mountain after another, the Body Cleansing Pool drew steadily closer. The route they had chosen was somewhat secluded, and they could see only distant streaks of escaping light flickering in the darkness far away. Qin Sang glanced behind them. Concluding that aside from a scant few like Old Man Hunmo, virtually no one could surpass their speed, he spoke: "We will head to Taotie Lake first." Liuli nodded. Taotie Lake and the Body Cleansing Pool were situated on the same floating mountain, located at opposite ends. Ancient restrictions protected Taotie Lake, one of which was exceptionally formidable, requiring Qin Sang and her to join forces to breach it, though it would not take very long. Without another word, the two sped silently through the void. They encountered no obstacles along the way, as no one was foolish enough to bar their path. At long last, the floating mountain came into view.