Old Friends

Standing before the stone stele, Qin Sang gazed at it for a long while before looking up at the sky once more. He raised his arm, as if trying to reach the immortals in the heavens. Looking back to the beginning, he had known nothing of the vastness of heaven and earth when he made his bold declaration. He had never imagined he truly could take step after step to reach where he stood today—and though he had not yet reached the pinnacle of this realm, he was not far from it. "Now, I take another step upward..." Qin Sang whispered. His fingers closed loosely, drawing down a wisp of cloud to reveal the clear, azure sky. Pausing, he murmured, "I am about to embark on a long journey. The path ahead for this step is unpredictable. I know not whether an abyss awaits, or if it will help me ascend another flight of stairs toward that unattainable Immortal Realm." With that, he brought out a flagon of wine and offered a toast to the Empress. He shook it gently, and the liquid sloshed softly inside. Along his journey, Qin Sang had stopped to pay his respects before the graves of Wu Chuanzong, Bai Jianglan, and others; the flagon was already nearly empty. He drained what remained in a single draught. Setting down an even firmer restriction, Qin Sang took one last, deep look at the stone stele, turned, and walked down Mount Chaosheng, his figure drifting farther into the distance. *** Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea. After Jingyu took up residence, she had not made many alterations to the place. Aside from her own cave dwelling, nearly everything had been kept in its original state, including Yunyouzi's practice of sheltering the spirits of the plants and trees, which she continued to uphold. Inside the main hall. Qin Sang was giving a lecture. The White Cat crouched on a prayer mat, listening attentively. The Old Macaque scratched its head and ears. The White Crane appeared deferential on the surface, but its eyes darted restlessly about, with Yue'er snuggling beside it. They cultivated the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* and had received Jingyu's personal guidance; their changes were distinct, and all of them had progressed in their cultivation. The Willow Demon served spiritual tea. Qin Sang accepted it and took a sip. Feeling a presence, he rose and turned toward the entrance as Jingyu walked in. "Did I disturb your quiet cultivation, Fellow Daoist?" Jingyu gave a slight shake of her head, a faint curve on her lips. "I didn't expect you to return from the North Sea so quickly, Fellow Daoist Qin. Seeing you in such high spirits, your gains must not be small?" "Not small at all!" Qin Sang made no show of false modesty. Waving his hand to dismiss the demons, his expression turned solemn as he began to explain his decision to Jingyu. "Relocate the sect?" Jingyu was startled. An even greater shock awaited her. When she heard that Qin Sang had decided to travel all the way to Zhongzhou, she gasped aloud. "Your cultivation hasn't reached its peak, your inheritance is complete, and you haven't run into an insurmountable bottleneck. Why take such a risk now?" Jingyu could not comprehend it. Traveling abroad was not always a good thing. Many saw only those who seized opportunities and defied heaven to alter their destinies. Yet they failed to see that those were merely a fortunate few; countless cultivators died in foreign lands, and even Nascent Soul Patriarchs could face mortal peril at any moment. Jingyu understood this all too well. Unless one's path ahead was cut off or one encountered an irresistible opportunity, the wisest course was to cultivate diligently in seclusion. "If not for Liuli and the Ten Directions Earth-Cleaving Divine Shuttle, I would have had no choice but to cultivate patiently in seclusion. But since there is a way, there's no reason not to go. Even if I just secure the opportunity and return, it will be worth it." Qin Sang had weighed the matter thoroughly. Cultivating the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus* to refine demonic fire was tied to the training of his divine consciousness, an essential step in his path that he would have to undertake sooner or later. Practicing it on the road would not cause delays or waste time; he was merely bringing the task forward. Hearing this, Jingyu tried to dissuade him no further. Having cultivated to Qin Sang's realm, anything he chose to do had surely been thoroughly deliberated, and he was not one to be swayed by others. "How is Chi Lei doing?" Qin Sang asked. Jingyu replied, "I am currently using a bloodline secret technique to cleanse his blood and marrow. There is no rush for him to break through for now. Once the secret technique is complete and he achieves Transformation, the benefits will be immense." Among the demons, Fat Chick had the best innate talent and was the most likely to achieve Transformation quickly. A spirit beast below the Transformation stage could no longer be of any help to Qin Sang. Since Fat Chick had yet to undergo Transformation, Jingyu certainly would not leave either. Qin Sang said nothing more on the matter, handing over a jade slip inscribed with the sea chart to Zhongzhou. Having examined it, Jingyu sighed in amazement. "It truly is a distant journey. You must be exceedingly careful, Fellow Daoist! If I ever have the chance to break through to the late Transformation stage, I will consider whether to go to Zhongzhou. However, hearing you describe the scenery of the North Sea has indeed stirred my interest. There are still too few demons in the Beichen Realm. Interacting more with their own kind will also benefit the White Crane and the others. When Qingyang Temple relocates, I shall go with you all." "In the future, Qingyang Temple will be divided between two places. It will be difficult for Tan Hao to look after both on his own, so I must trouble you to watch over things, Fellow Daoist," Qin Sang said with a cupped-fist bow. Jingyu blinked and laughed. "Isn't that something I promised you long ago? Besides, your departure for Zhongzhou is equivalent to blazing a trail for us. Naturally, we must guard the rear for you!" Qin Sang nodded. "I will leave a sea chart at Qingyang Temple. In the future, if anyone comes looking, there is no need to conceal it—just give the chart to them." Jingyu committed Qin Sang's instructions carefully to memory. After lingering briefly, Qin Sang took his leave. *** Shaohua Mountain. Mu Yifeng was in quiet cultivation. Suddenly, a streak of flowing light flew into his cave dwelling. Mu Yifeng slowly opened his eyes, drew the light into his palm, and immediately beamed with joy. He hastily rose and went out to Jianmen Pass to welcome the guest in person. "Junior Brother Qin, after so many years apart, your bearing is even more magnificent than before!" Mu Yifeng greeted with a cupped-fist bow and a laugh. "Senior Brother Mu, since when did you become so slick?" Qin Sang teased, flying with him into Shaohua Mountain. As he passed Jianmen Pass, his figure paused slightly, and he gazed at the surroundings for a long while. On both sides of the mountains, peach blossoms were in full, vibrant bloom, and young maidens frolicked among them, like a scene from the past coming to life once more. The two entered Mu Yifeng's cave dwelling and took their seats. "I met Dongyang Bo in the North Sea. He is dead now," Qin Sang said in a deep voice. Mu Yifeng froze, his mouth falling slightly open. "When I met him, his vitality was depleted, and he had only a single breath left. He entrusted this item to me..." Qin Sang did not keep him in suspense any longer. Bringing out the Yang Puppet Crystal, he briefly recounted what had transpired. "Senior Brother Qiu is still alive. Dongyang Bo carefully paved the way for him, and presumably, he has good prospects of forming a Nascent Soul in the future. I have decided to relocate a portion of Qingyang Temple's disciples to the North Sea. Please do not spread word of this, Senior Brother. If you have the free time, you may accompany me to the North Sea. Should you run into Senior Brother Qiu, you might persuade him to return." Mu Yifeng stared fixedly at Qin Sang. "Junior Brother, you..." Qin Sang said, "Dongyang Bo is dead, so the enmity between us has been wiped clean. I will not take out my grievances on the innocent. I spent joyful days on Shaohua Mountain as well, and I would be pleased to see Shaohua Mountain flourish." "Thank you for your magnanimity, Junior Brother Qin!" Mu Yifeng sighed softly. "If only Master hadn't done those things back then..." Qin Sang waved his hand. "Let us speak no more of that! I see that your realm has stabilized, Senior Brother Mu, and your next step will be facing the Nascent Soul bottleneck. The North Sea is far vaster than the Beichen Realm; perhaps you might find opportunities there..." "I am still far from it." Mu Yifeng shook his head repeatedly. "My cultivation was forcibly elevated. Before I reach the Nascent Soul bottleneck, I still have many trials to endure. Yufu will likely get ahead of me." Li Yufu possessed dual spiritual roots, yet his past achievements had been unremarkable. Qin Sang had founded Qingyang Temple, fulfilling Yunyouzi's dying wish. Having untied the knot in his heart, Li Yufu's momentum had not flagged after breaking through to the mid Core Formation stage. While Qin Sang had been in seclusion, Li Yufu had also advanced by leaps and bounds, and had recently broken through to the late Core Formation stage in one go. If he continued along this trajectory, he had great prospects of becoming Qingyang Temple's next Nascent Soul cultivator!