Zhongzhou

At the very last moment before charging out of the frame, the skeletal monstrous bird seemed to sense something. Its skull twisted around, scarlet eyes sweeping toward the viewer, freezing on that final horrifying image. Its glare seemed to pierce right through the shadow firefly stone, brimming with breathtaking madness and savagery. It slammed heavily against the viewer's mind, sending chills down the spine. That sensation undeniably belonged to a genuine ferocious beast! The recording was no fake. Qin Sang gazed at the shadow firefly stone for a long time. This skeletal bird was completely different from the two beasts he had encountered. There was no telling how many of these monsters lurked in the depths of the storm belt. Having achieved his purpose, the old steward respectfully escorted Qin Sang into the cave abode. After obtaining permission, he summoned guards to stand watch outside the entrance and await orders. The steward then made his way down the mountain. Taking a winding detour, he quietly slipped into the City Lord's Mansion, stopping before a rustic wooden pavilion beside a secluded lake. He bowed and spoke a few words in a hushed voice. Silence reigned within the wooden building. Soon, a voice transmitted directly into his ears. The old man murmured an acknowledgment, withdrew from the mansion, and returned to his post at the city gates. Inside the cave abode, Qin Sang seemed utterly oblivious to the steward's movements. After setting up several restrictive wards, he sat cross-legged in quiet contemplation, circulating his spiritual energy. As the weariness of travel washed away, the true essence within his body steadily recovered. The journey to the Western Desert was exceedingly long; he needed to gather his strength and replenish his spirits before setting out. Three months later, Qin Sang emerged from his meditative trance, feeling refreshed and invigorated. After teasing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly for a moment, he thought to take inventory of his Qianjun Ring. Though he and Liuli had been as frugal as possible, the spirit stones and elixirs prepared before their departure were mostly exhausted. If any future dealings with other Nascent Soul cultivators arose, he would likely have to resort to bartering. Without any clue regarding the whereabouts of the Buddha Bone Sarira, he had to prepare for situations that might require negotiation and trade. Qin Sang possessed quite a few treasures worth offering. His two sticks of Spirit Calming Incense alone would make Nascent Soul cultivators flock to him like moths to a flame. Yet such treasures could not be parted with lightly. Looking through his belongings, Qin Sang decided that the most suitable items to trade were the Yang Puppet Crystal and the puppet merged with the Yin Puppet Crystal. In the hands of cultivators skilled in the art of puppetry, these would be peerless treasures. He had no doubt they would find a way to extract the Yin Puppet Crystal. His external incarnation had already shed its puppet vessel and could no longer merge with puppet crystals. Meanwhile, his senior sister was not by his side, and he had too many matters to attend to; he could not afford the time and energy to study the path of puppetry from scratch. Trading them for favorable terms and useful resources was the most rational choice. After pondering for a while, Qin Sang rose and stepped out of the cave abode. *** Inside the City Lord's Mansion. A black-robed figure suddenly rose from the placid lake, flashing across the water to appear before the wooden pavilion. He lightly tapped the wooden door twice. "Enter." A refined voice sounded from within. The black-robed man smoothed his robes, pushed open the door, and stepped inside. Cupping his hands, he addressed the occupant as "Eldest Brother" and said eagerly, "Word just came up from below. That person has emerged from secluded cultivation and looks ready to leave the city. He travels alone and spends lavishly—he must possess an enormous fortune. Why not send the signal, Daoist Brother?" The room was sparsely furnished. A green-robed cultivator sat cross-legged upon a prayer mat. Before him stood an incense burner with a single stick of incense burning, its fragrance faint and delicate. This man was none other than the master of White Raven Mountain. The green-robed cultivator slowly opened his eyes, speaking in a measured tone. "This man dared to roam abroad alone and boldly spent months in secluded cultivation in an unfamiliar place. Brother, do you truly believe he has no backing?" The black-robed man scoffed. "His backing is nothing more than the late Core Formation stage, so what of it? If we join forces with a few fellow Daoists nearby, combined with your methods, Daoist Brother, we might not necessarily fail to take him down." The green-robed cultivator shook his head. "The only reason we have managed to maintain a foothold near the Northern Barrens is caution. In the past, we might not have undertaken such business once in ten or twenty years; otherwise, White Raven Mountain would have earned a notorious reputation long ago. In recent years, because of the changes in the storm belt, travelers have grown frequent. I, too, failed to resist the temptation and acted far too often. You think your movements were stealthy, but they cannot hide from those who pay attention." The black-robed man was not foolish. Hearing this, he hesitated. "Could it be you suspect he is..." "The ferocious beasts have thrown the cultivation realm into panic. It is only natural for major factions to seek an outpost to monitor the storm belt's changes. The reputation White Raven Mountain built over many years has instead become a burden. I am already prepared to abandon this island and yield to someone more capable at any moment, and you should make plans early as well. As for this person, whether he harbors hidden motives or not..." The green-robed cultivator paused, then added, "Let him go." *Clap! Clap! Clap!* Just as his words fell, applause suddenly rang out from the doorway. The two men in the room turned pale with shock. "Who is there!" The black-robed man spun around, a long saber already drawn in his grip. In the doorway stood a Daoist priest who had appeared out of nowhere. His face was fair as jade, his bearing otherworldly and refined. He looked upon them with a faint smile, applauding the green-robed cultivator's astute judgment. The black-robed man felt his scalp tingle. This person had likely followed him inside, yet neither of them had noticed a thing. *Swish!* The black-robed man raised his blade to strike, but before the blade could even lash out, a finger expanded rapidly before his eyes. Darkness seized his vision, and he collapsed limp to the floor, knocked unconscious. Only then did the green-robed cultivator manage to get to his feet, an iron-ribbed fan gripped in his palm. Witnessing this scene, he froze stiff on the spot, not daring to twitch a muscle. "As expected of a city lord. Since you wouldn't come to me, this humble Daoist had to pay a visit in person." The figure at the door was naturally Qin Sang. He strolled into the room as if he owned the place, pulled over a stool, sat down, and pointed toward the prayer mat. "Please, sit." The green-robed cultivator's face was ashen, his eyes filled with terror. Yet he was no ordinary fool. His wits soon cleared, and without daring to check whether the black-robed man was alive or dead, he bowed deeply all the way to the ground. "Junior Han Ya pays respects to Senior! Junior was blind not to recognize Senior's esteemed presence and neglected proper courtesy. I beg Senior's forgiveness!" "There is no need to be tense," Qin Sang said amiably. "This humble Daoist merely wishes to ask a few questions." "Junior will hold nothing back!" The green-robed man inhaled deeply, still not daring to sit. Qin Sang did not force him. "This humble Daoist intends to travel through the Northern Barrens. You should have a topographical map of the region, yes?" The green-robed man immediately fetched a jade slip and presented it with both hands. "This map was purchased by Junior seventy years ago at Tianbei Pavilion. The situation in the Northern Barrens has always been chaotic, with factions rising and falling constantly. Most of the faction boundaries on this map are no longer trustworthy, but the mountains, rivers, and geography remain accurate..." Qin Sang swept his divine sense into the jade slip. The detailed area mapped out was actually limited to the eastern portion of the Northern Barrens, while the rest was mostly blank space. Even so, through the map, Qin Sang formed his first impressions of Zhongzhou. Zhongzhou was somewhat similar to the Beichen Realm. Its cultivation world occupied an unbroken continent, unlike the fractured Three Realms of the North Sea. However, Zhongzhou's vast expanse far exceeded anything in the Beichen Realm. According to the map's descriptions, the Northern Barrens alone were larger than the Three Realms of the North Sea combined. Yet because the vast majority of it was desolate wasteland unsuitable for mortals or even cultivators to inhabit, it was also the poorest and most lawless territory in Zhongzhou. The most prosperous part of Zhongzhou lay south of the Northern Barrens: the Misty Nineteen Prefectures. It was hailed as the cradle of all natural splendor, packed with dense forests of sects, where Buddhism and Daoism flourished above all. Because of the immense distance, the jade slip contained very little information regarding Zhongzhou proper, offering only broad strokes. Yet among those brief lines, it gave prominent mention to the very name Qin Sang had heard not long ago—Bajiguan. There were only eight characters written beside it: *Ancestral seat of the Daoist Path, sanctuary of a True Monarch!* A True Monarch. That was the respectful title bestowed upon Deity Transformation grandmasters by the Daoist sects of Zhongzhou. *So they truly possess a Deity Transformation True Monarch. No wonder Bajiguan acts with such overbearing authority!* Qin Sang's gaze sharpened, yet doubt arose in his mind. *When hunting the ferocious beast, why didn't that True Monarch make an appearance?* He continued scanning the map. West of the Misty Nineteen Prefectures lay the region known as the Western Desert, a realm dominated by arid wastes and gravel plains. The slip held even less information on it, amounting to almost nothing. To the east of the continent stretched the waters known to Zhongzhou cultivators as the Eastern Sea, dotted with myriad overseas immortal mountains and teeming with rogue cultivators and distinct powers. The green-robed cultivator had mistakenly assumed Qin Sang was an eccentric from these overseas immortal isles. This Eastern Sea was entirely different from the Eastern Sea Guixu mentioned by the long-bearded Daoist, sharing not the slightest connection. The North Sea had its bounds, but the Eastern Sea was said to be boundless. Of course, that was merely the understanding of low-level cultivators. Qin Sang knew that the far reaches of the Eastern Sea would surely terminate in the storm belt as well. Zhongzhou's territory was truly vast, fully deserving Xiaoxiangzi's boundless praise. Counting both land and sea, neither the North Sea nor the Canglang Ocean could compare. "Senior possesses vast divine abilities and can travel wherever your heart desires. Forgive Junior's meager learning; I know little of the grandmasters and great factions of the Northern Barrens, and I dare not speak recklessly to mislead Senior. Once Senior reaches the Northern Barrens, you might visit Tianbei Pavilion, or Junior could go on your behalf. Additionally, the Northern Barrens are plagued by the Nine Calamities..." As he spoke, the green-robed cultivator hurriedly produced another jade slip. "Junior did not roam the Northern Barrens for long and only experienced the Lightning Calamity once. It was a peril capable of claiming my life, though naturally it amounts to nothing before Senior. Even so, there are times when several calamities strike at once, causing the danger to multiply. It would be best for Senior to remain somewhat on guard." The green-robed cultivator held nothing back, pouring out everything he knew. Having obtained what he sought, Qin Sang was well satisfied. He nodded slightly. "Pardon the intrusion." With that, his figure shifted from solid to ethereal, vanishing into thin air right before the green-robed cultivator's eyes. The green-robed cultivator felt a chill run down his back. Only now did he realize he was drenched in cold sweat. He stood frozen for an entire incense stick of time before daring to move. By then, Qin Sang was already skimming over the ocean surface, speeding southward. *Senior Xiaoxiangzi mentioned a place in the Northern Barrens. If it happens to be on the way, I might as well see if it is occupied. It could serve as a candidate for a future cave abode...* Qin Sang recalled an encounter recorded in Xiaoxiangzi's jade slip. His mind made up, his flight speed surged like lightning. He made almost no stops along the way until he reached the Northern Barrens. Finding a market town marked on the map, he paid a hefty sum at Tianbei Pavilion to acquire a comprehensive topographical chart covering the entire mountain and river geography of the Northern Barrens, gaining a much deeper grasp of the territory. Without breaking a sweat, Qin Sang pinpointed his destination: Heavenly Fissure Valley. Reaching the valley required a modest detour, which was well within acceptable bounds. Without delay, Qin Sang set out. Traveling alone, he made no special effort to conceal his tracks, yet he rarely interacted with the factions of the Northern Barrens. Demons and wicked cultivators held sway here, the situation was chaotic, and the major factions were difficult to deal with. For now, Qin Sang prioritized the Buddha Bone Sarira and had no desire to invite needless complications, choosing to avoid contact entirely. Danger was relative. With his true body and external incarnation both at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he constituted a force that could not be overlooked anywhere, capable of weathering the Northern Barrens' Nine Calamities with ease. *** Heavenly Fissure Valley. Here, the plateau and mountain ridges had somehow split open, winding endlessly across the landscape. The chasm carved deep into the earth, earning it the name Heavenly Fissure. Rumors in the Northern Barrens held that Heavenly Fissure Valley was among the most notorious perilous grounds, where the Nine Calamities struck in turns, claiming the lives of countless cultivators. Despite the danger, cultivators of the Northern Barrens still flocked here like moths to a flame. The reason lay in the myriad rare spirit herbs growing within the valley, offering opportunities found nowhere else. Near an opening along Heavenly Fissure Valley, figures dotted the surrounding mountain peaks. Low-level cultivators gathered in large numbers, staring intently at the dense clouds and mist inside the chasm as though waiting for something. "The valley is opening!" someone suddenly shouted. Cheers erupted across the peaks. The cloud banks within the valley began churning, thinning out with astonishing speed. The vast expanse of white that had obscured all vision peeled back, faintly revealing the vegetation deep inside. The so-called opening of the valley was a customary term among nearby cultivators. During this period of thinning mist, the frequency of the Nine Calamities dropped dramatically, making it the safest window to enter. Cultivators relied on the shifting mists to judge when to venture in and when to retreat. Local cultivators understood their limits well; having mastered the patterns of the mist, they never ventured deep into the abyss. The clouds shifted rapidly. Before the cheers could die down, the mist receded like an ebbing tide into the depths of Heavenly Fissure Valley, and visibility grew sharper by the second. Some could wait no longer. A streak of golden light plunged from a mountain peak, vanishing into the mist in a flash. The next instant, beams of light flared across the heights as cultivators scrambled to plunge into the valley. At that moment, Qin Sang stood upon a nearby peak, watching the scene of cultivators swarming into the chasm. He could not help but recall his own days of low cultivation. He held a jade slip containing an overview of Heavenly Fissure Valley. Based on his deductions, the location Senior Xiaoxiangzi had recorded ought to be in this general vicinity. The jade slip did not explain why Xiaoxiangzi had visited Heavenly Fissure Valley in the past. During his travels here, he had stumbled upon an ancient cultivator's cave abode, finding it an exceptional cultivation site. At the time, he had assumed it was merely an abandoned abode and paid it little heed. Later, when he obtained an ancient scripture in the North Sea, he recalled the formations within that cave abode, noting that they bore striking similarities to the records in the scripture. There seemed to be a hidden world deeper inside! To Qin Sang, whether treasures lay within the cave was secondary; the abode itself sounded excellent—rich in spiritual energy, well-positioned, and secluded. As the cultivators filed inside, the area outside the valley emptied out. Qin Sang drifted smoothly into the valley, casting a concealment incantation. Even when brushing right past the low-level cultivators, none noticed his presence. Similarly blind to his passage were the demon beasts lurking within. Though sealed in mist year-round, the valley's interior was lush and verdant, offering breathtaking vistas. Yet beneath the beauty lay hidden perils. Still, the astral shield of the Ruyi Orb was more than enough to handle whatever arose. Strolling leisurely through the valley, he gradually left all traces of other cultivators behind. After traveling an unknown distance, he arrived in the deepest reaches of Heavenly Fissure Valley, a place whose very name struck terror into local cultivators. Qin Sang's expression shifted. He finally spotted the landmark Xiaoxiangzi had described: eight stone peaks arranged in the shape of the Eight Trigrams, with the ancient cave abode located to the southwest. He immediately turned toward the southwest, sweeping several hundred li ahead in a flash. Suddenly, his figure halted. Staring at the scene before him, he froze in surprise. The jade slip had described a jade-green lake here, with the cave abode concealed at the bottom of the valley. Yet now, not a trace of the lake remained. In its place yawned a bottomless crater, crisscrossed with deep furrows. Even though many years had passed, Qin Sang could easily discern their origin—they were sword marks! Evidently, someone had beaten him to this place long ago, destroying the ancient cave abode along with it.