Time flew like a shuttle, and fifty years slipped quietly by.
Inside the Qingxu Illusion Realm, a certain area remained perpetually shrouded in clouds and mist. Aside from Qin Sang's incarnation entering once every ten-odd years, no one else ever set foot inside.
When the Xie Clan disciples, including Xie Qian and Xie An, entered the Qingxu Illusion Realm to cultivate, they were curious about what lay within that mysterious place, but they dared only steal a glance or two. None of them dared make the slightest presumption, dutifully keeping to the forest paths as they walked into the wooden pavilions prepared for them.
With no one to disturb his quiet cultivation, his true body's cultivation advanced steadily.
From his breakthrough to the mid Nascent Soul stage until this seclusion—not counting the thirty-seven years spent in the storm belt—several decades had passed. Whenever he had the time, Qin Sang had seized every second to cultivate, but his energy had often been diverted by various matters, preventing him from cultivating in peace, so his progress had not been remarkable.
Compared to before, the benefits brought by refining the sarira were readily apparent.
Traveling thousands of li to Zhongzhou had undoubtedly been worth it.
Throughout his seclusion, Qin Sang had run into almost no major obstacles that could trap him for decades. Even when he encountered a bottleneck, he only needed to patiently contemplate it for a time, or temporarily halt his primary cultivation method to practice the Fire Seed Golden Lotus instead. Once he shifted his mindset and returned to the bottleneck, he could smoothly break through.
Barring any unforeseen accidents, in another thirty to forty years, his cultivation would reach the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage, and he could begin preparing for the next breakthrough.
This was all thanks to the seven sword talismans of his life-bound spirit sword and the Body Cleansing Pool.
All told, his actual time spent in quiet seclusion amounted to only about a century. Even geniuses with heavenly spiritual roots were scarcely faster than this—and that was assuming they encountered an opportunity comparable to the empowerment of a Buddhist bone sarira; otherwise, remaining stuck at a bottleneck for over a century was entirely normal.
The bottleneck to the late Nascent Soul stage would likely not be as easy to overcome as the previous ones.
Yet Qin Sang was brimming with confidence!
He wondered if he might have the chance to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage before his first heavenly tribulation descended.
Looking across the entire cultivation world, those capable of achieving such a feat were all peerless prodigies.
The fat silkworm and Yagu, who were in seclusion alongside his true body, had not changed much.
Qin Sang had yet to find the optimal way to nurture his own life-bound Gu, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, so naturally he was powerless to help the fat silkworm. The only thing he could do was feed it a Myriad Spirit Fruit.
He could only wait until he traveled abroad in the future to bring the fat silkworm along and let it forage for food on its own.
After the fat silkworm advanced to its fourth metamorphosis, Qin Sang could clearly sense that Yagu's condition was growing better and better, though her awakening remained far off in the indefinite future.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had also improved, but it could not keep pace with its master's speed.
Qin Sang did not rely solely on the Witch Clan blood-feeding method he had learned in the past; he also integrated the insect-taming secret arts he had gathered in the North Sea, along with the heritage secret arts his incarnation had purchased through various channels in Zhongzhou over the years. By comparing and cross-referencing them, he had summarized and developed a nurturing method unique to himself.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's cultivation speed had increased somewhat, though it certainly could not compare to the Witch Clan secret arts.
His true body remained in seclusion, while his incarnation stayed out in the open.
The titles of Daoist Qingfeng and Old Ancestor of the Xie Clan gradually became well known among the various forces in Zhuozhou.
Years ago, Qin Sang had defeated Chenghuanzi using sword techniques alone, securing a complete victory.
During the first few years, word of the duel had spread far and wide. Many were curious about the divine abilities of Daoist Qingfeng, who was on good terms with Qin Sang, and they looked forward to a battle between the Xie Clan and the Liuxu Sect.
To the disappointment of outsiders, both sides remained remarkably restrained.
The Xie Clan disciples only ever operated within Fudu Commandery, seemingly having forgotten that half of Hongping Commandery, which had been won in the wager, was in fact still controlled by the Liuxu Sect.
The Liuxu Sect had initially been extremely wary. Seeing that the Xie Clan merely managed Fudu Commandery without showing any grand ambitions, they could hardly justify making any moves against them.
Both sides lived in peace with each other, allowing the Xie Clan to develop steadily—precisely the outcome Qin Sang wished to see.
Qin Sang did not occupy the Xie Clan's cave dwelling for free.
In his role as the Xie Clan's Old Ancestor, the incarnation proved quite responsible.
Not only did he personally heal Xie An's injuries, but he also held lectures on the Dao for the Xie Clan at regular intervals. Although the material was quite basic, it was precisely what the Xie Clan juniors needed.
By now, a talented junior within the Xie Clan had successfully formed a Core, but that was still far from producing a Nascent Soul; many matters still required Qin Sang's personal attention.
Whenever Qin Sang gave a sermon, Zhou Jin would bring his entire family to listen.
After compounding the medicinal pills according to the recipe Qin Sang had imparted and administering them to Ruan Yu, her chronic ailment was smoothly cured, and her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
Zhou Jin was deeply and sincerely grateful to Qin Sang, frequently considering himself Qin Sang's named disciple, and Loudai Monastery maintained close, familial ties with the Xie Clan.
Having these two forces under his wing was enough.
Qin Sang knew that as a newcomer, his foundation was shallow, and establishing a sect was not the work of a single day. He had no intention of taking in disciples widely in the Central Plains; his own cultivation remained his top priority.
The progress on the Ice Soul Divine Light had been less than satisfactory, so the incarnation devoted most of its time to the Tongbao Formula.
The Tongbao Formula went quite smoothly. Having attained a certain degree of proficiency, the incarnation was already capable of controlling the Fourfold Tengshe Seal in battle.
Because he possessed the complete Tongbao Formula, even though his affinity was not as high as Liuli's, its power was greater than when it had been in Tong Lingyu's hands.
Controlling a spirit treasure through the Tongbao Formula would not drain the master dry like the Sun God Tree did. Its strength lay in flexibility, making it far handier to use than the Sun God Tree.
Beyond cultivating, Qin Sang had not forgotten the mission that brought him to Zhongzhou.
The incarnation did not spend all its time inside the Qingxu Illusion Realm; from time to time, it would emerge from seclusion to make acquaintances with other Daoists. He had even personally visited Lu Zhang at Bunian Mountain, witnessing the grandeur of a Zhongzhou super sect.
Through Lu Zhang's introduction, he had made the acquaintance of several Nascent Soul cultivators from Bunian Mountain.
In addition, the incarnation had proactively reached out to several top merchant guilds, including Liuzhoutang, commissioning them to inquire about Ghost Mother.
Zhongzhou was not lacking in cultivators known as Ghost Mother, but none was the person Qin Sang sought.
This was somewhat contrary to Qin Sang's expectations.
Logically speaking, Ghost Mother was also a newcomer to Zhongzhou and had no grievances or entanglements with local forces, so there was no need for her to hide her identity. As long as she engaged in any activities, she would surely leave clues.
Qin Sang even began to wonder if Ghost Mother had been unfortunate enough to run into vicious beasts while crossing the storm belt, sustaining grave injuries or even perishing.
Taking an optimistic view, she might currently be healing her wounds somewhere.
Unable to find Ghost Mother for so long, Qin Sang could not simply wait idly. After careful deliberation, he selected some information that would interest her and proactively spread it abroad, waiting for her to follow the trail to him.
After Tan Hao rescued her from the water prison, Ghost Mother had not gone back on her word. Though she had failed to save Tan Jie, she had done her best, and she had helped Tan Hao obtain the opportunity to form a Nascent Soul. At the very least, she was not an irredeemably wicked person.
Unless Ghost Mother had already advanced to Deity Transformation, Qin Sang and his incarnation working together—wielding two spirit treasures—did not fear her turning hostile.
As for Tiantong Hall and Tianxiang Hall, there had likewise been no progress.
Seeing that Lu Zhang had known nothing about them before, Qin Sang had sensed that these two immortal halls likely held extraordinary secrets in Zhongzhou; otherwise, why would information about them be sealed off so tightly?
During his subsequent investigations, Qin Sang had exercised caution, proceeding step by step to avoid revealing his purpose.
Once his true body exited seclusion having advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage, it would not be too late to launch a comprehensive investigation.
***
Inside the Qingxu Illusion Realm, Qin Sang's incarnation was also quietly meditating.
Having not yet mastered the Ice Soul Divine Light, the incarnation possessed only the spirit treasure as its trump card, and its usual means of facing enemies were not versatile enough. Qin Sang planned to continue raising the incarnation's cultivation before considering traveling abroad.
Mount Pu in the early morning presented a thriving, prosperous scene.
Disciples of the Xie Clan either flew through the clouds or stood atop the mountain peaks, bathing in the morning sun and absorbing the violet qi.
It was Xie Qian's turn to handle secular affairs outside.
Watching these vibrant juniors, Xie Qian could not help revealing an expectant smile, looking forward to the future of the Xie Clan.
He was already in the twilight of his years.
Cultivating in the Qingxu Illusion Realm and receiving Qin Sang's guidance had improved his cultivation, but constrained by his remaining lifespan, he had already lost any chance of forming a Nascent Soul.
To see the Xie Clan revive in his lifetime was enough to satisfy him completely. He felt he had not lived in vain and had nothing to be ashamed of before the Xie Clan ancestors beneath the nine springs.
At this thought, he could not help glancing at the Xie Clan Stone.
Everything they had today had been bestowed by that person!
Was this person truly the Xie Clan's Old Ancestor?
Xie Qian had no doubts on the matter, because he never allowed himself to think about the question.
Just as he was about to return to the hall, Xie Qian suddenly noticed what seemed to be a cloud beneath the orange-red morning sun, drifting toward Mount Pu.
The sky was clear and bright, the clouds sparse.
Only this particular cloud remained cohesive and dense, traveling at remarkable speed.
Xie Qian focused his gaze, realizing that the cloud was actually white. Thinking of a certain person, the relaxed expression on his face vanished at once. He stirred his true essence, sending his voice across all of Mount Pu: "Everyone, return to your cave dwellings at once! No one is to step outside without permission!"
A stir ran through the Xie Clan disciples, but none dared disobey the ancestor's command. In the blink of an eye, not a single figure remained on the mountain.
Xie Qian then formed an invisibility seal and hurried into the Qingxu Illusion Realm to report. "Old Ancestor, Elder Lu of Bunian Mountain has arrived for a visit."
***
Outside Mount Pu.
Upon the white cloud, two figures stood side by side.
One of them was indeed Lu Zhang.
The other was a monk clad in a monastic robe.
The monk possessed a dignified countenance, with thick brows, large eyes, and earlobes as broad as wheels, carrying an air reminiscent of a Buddha statue. He looked no older than his twenties, yet the aura emanating from his body was exceptionally profound, not yielding in the slightest even when compared to Lu Zhang.
Standing at the crest of the cloud with his eyes half-closed, the monk twirled a string of prayer beads in one hand, his lips moving as if chanting sutras or reciting something else.
Lu Zhang did not disturb the monk, maintaining his silence until he caught sight of Mount Pu. He raised his hand and pointed. "Zen Master Xiaoxing, Mount Pu lies just ahead."
Zen Master Xiaoxing paused in his actions, lowered his hand, and peered ahead. His gaze swept over Mount Pu, and a flicker of doubt surfaced in his eyes.
Noticing this, Lu Zhang smiled faintly and spoke with a subtle Zen riddle, "Could it be that even the Zen Master is misled by outward appearances?"
"Amitabha."
Zen Master Xiaoxing chanted the Buddha's name. "A mountain need not be high! There must be an extraordinary world within for it to retain Fellow Daoist Qingfeng."
Lu Zhang nodded. "Rest assured, Zen Master. Fellow Daoist Qingfeng's cultivation is in no way inferior to yours or mine, and that Fellow Daoist Qin is all the more transcendent—hardly anyone of his stage can match him. They certainly hail from an extraordinary background, so coming to them is definitely the right choice. Ah, Daoist Qingfeng already knows we've arrived..."
Before his voice had faded, the profound light of the mountain-protecting grand formation parted to both sides, and a figure emerged to greet them outside the mountain.
Lu Zhang called out, "Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, we have taken the liberty of visiting. We haven't disturbed your quiet cultivation, have we?"
"What are you saying, Fellow Daoist Lu..."
Qin Sang was already quite familiar with Lu Zhang. He chuckled and shook his head, having long since noticed the monk beside him. "And this eminent monk is?"
"This poor monk's Dharma name is Xiaoxing."
Zen Master Xiaoxing stepped forward. "Greetings, Daoist Qingfeng."
"Could you be Zen Master Xiaoxing of Ganlu Monastery?"
Qin Sang was slightly taken aback, feeling inwardly wary.
Having spent years in the Central Plains, Qin Sang had already inquired into the various super factions, so he was definitely not unfamiliar with Ganlu Monastery.
For no other reason than that Ganlu Monastery currently housed a Deity Transformation cultivator: Sage Huiguang!
Ganlu Monastery was located in the Six Jiangzuo Prefectures, the most prosperous region in the world.
In the Six Jiangzuo Prefectures, there was also a Daoist immortal sect no weaker than Ganlu Monastery—the very Bajiguan that Qin Sang had encountered in the storm belt. Its True Monarch bore the Daoist title Danyu and was renowned alongside Sage Huiguang.
Qin Sang sought an opportunity for Deity Transformation and wished to explore the secrets beyond the storm belt, so dealing with them in the future would be inevitable. Yet he had not expected Ganlu Monastery to pay an active visit.
He had no ties to Ganlu Monastery; surely they hadn't come to seek justice on behalf of Zhulan Temple?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Qin Sang glanced inquiringly at Lu Zhang, but received no hint. Maintaining his joyful expression, he said, "The visit of you two brings great honor to my humble mountain. Please, come in!"
As he spoke, Qin Sang ushered the two into the main hall of the mountain gate, where each took their seat.
"You need not worry, Fellow Daoist. I recommended you to Zen Master Xiaoxing, as he wished to ask you a few questions," Lu Zhang leaned slightly forward and explained.
Qin Sang let out an "Oh?" and asked, "How may this poor Daoist be of assistance to the Zen Master?"
He was also secretly observing the two across from him.
He had never heard of any connection between Bunian Mountain and Ganlu Monastery before; perhaps the two shared a personal friendship.
Zen Master Xiaoxing exchanged a glance with Lu Zhang. "Might this poor monk take the liberty of asking which immortal mountain in the Eastern Sea Daoist Qingfeng and Fellow Daoist Qin cultivated on previously?"
*How would I know?*
Qin Sang inwardly scoffed.
His background was entirely fabricated.
"This poor Daoist's former cave dwelling was on Qingyang Island. As for Fellow Daoist Qin, without his permission, I am afraid it is not convenient for me to disclose it," Qin Sang replied, not entirely lying.
He simply did not know whether an island named Qingyang existed in Zhongzhou.
Zen Master Xiaoxing twirled his prayer beads several times, appearing to search his memory, before shaking his head at Lu Zhang after a moment.
Lu Zhang asked, "The vast majority of immortal mountains in the Eastern Sea lie in the near seas. The farther one ventures into the depths, the sparser the islands become; demon beasts run rampant and human traces are rare, so even Nascent Soul cultivators do not readily set foot there. Could the Qingyang Island where you stayed be located in the outer sea?"
Qin Sang had prepared for this before inventing his background, answering fluently, "To tell you the truth, when my cultivation was low, I provoked an enemy and was forced to flee. By sheer luck, I arrived at Qingyang Island and was taken in by a senior on the island, finding a place to settle. That island does not lie in the deep sea, yet it can hardly be considered near the shore either. The surrounding area was indeed rather unsafe, and finding kindred Daoists was very difficult."
"Then that settles it!"
Lu Zhang clapped his hands and laughed, turning to look at Zen Master Xiaoxing. "There is no need to trouble yourself further, Zen Master. If that person came from the outer sea, Daoist Qingfeng may well have heard of them."
Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he let out a sound of mild surprise. "Are you two searching for someone?"
Zen Master Xiaoxing no longer spoke in riddles. "Indeed. That person's origins are unknown, and we suspect they might hail from the Eastern Sea. However, while our monastery has disciples traveling through the Eastern Sea, they rarely venture into the outer sea. Fortunately, through Fellow Daoist Lu's guidance, I have come to consult Daoist Qingfeng."
Hearing these words, Qin Sang's thoughts raced.
Judging by the tone of Zen Master Xiaoxing and Lu Zhang, the person they were looking for had offended not just Zen Master Xiaoxing alone, but the entirety of Ganlu Monastery.
A top faction of Zhongzhou going to such great lengths, with its experts running about everywhere to hunt down a single person...
Why did this scene feel somewhat familiar?
A name instantly flashed through Qin Sang's mind.
Chapter 1548