The Place of Ascension

Even with his profound cultivation and steady temperament, it still took Daoist Hegao a long time to calm himself. The Soul-Guiding Mirror was shattered. This concerned not only True Monarch Danyu's safety, but would also exert an incalculable impact on Bajing Belvedere and the entire cultivation world! Rumors were running rampant throughout the cultivation world that something had happened to the Deity Transformation cultivators. Daoist Hegao had scoffed at this, and the disciples and elders across Bajing Belvedere had remained unaffected by such hearsay. Deity Transformation cultivators stood atop the world. Only those within the top sects knew just how terrifyingly powerful a Deity Transformation cultivator truly was. Daoist Hegao preferred to believe that the Deity Transformation cultivators were plotting something. With his current cultivation and status, he lacked the qualifications to take part in the schemes of Deity Transformation figures; when the time came for him to know, he would naturally be told. Moreover, during the hunt for the ferocious beast, Daoist Zilei had produced the True Monarch's decree. Never could he have imagined that the decree was a forgery! "Senior Brother, I remember you once said that Martial Uncle departed alongside Saint Huiguang back then..." Daoist Hegao still could not accept this reality. He racked his brains trying to recall everything his Sect Master Senior Brother had said in the past, struggling to discern what was true and what was false! "Yes!" Daoist Zilei confirmed that this statement had been true. Daoist Hegao immediately seized upon the crux of the matter. "Could Saint Huiguang also..." Since then, Saint Huiguang had never shown himself either. Even when thieves had raided his dao field on Mount Xiaofangcun, Saint Huiguang had failed to manifest. It was precisely that incident which caused the news of missing Deity Transformation cultivators to spread like wildfire, triggering the subsequent chain of upheavals that had only grown more intense by the day. The Deity Transformation patriarchs of both sects had vanished together. The Sect Master and Abbot Master Xingji of Ganlu Zen Monastery ought to have shared a tacit understanding long ago. To his surprise, Daoist Zilei shook his head. "I do not know." Daoist Hegao froze momentarily. Was there some hidden rift between the two sects? Daoist Zilei's tone was enigmatic. "Ganlu Zen Monastery and Xingji have been far too composed." Daoist Hegao had an epiphany, grasping what his Senior Brother meant. He had wanted to say that to outsiders, Bajing Belvedere appeared just as calm; even he, the Sect Master's junior brother, had only sensed something amiss recently, after Senior Brother had suffered injuries forcing his way into Wuwang Hall and subsequently arranged for him to put on a show before Su Zinan. Out of trust for his Senior Brother, Daoist Hegao had executed every order meticulously without asking a single question. Only now did he realize that Senior Brother had been silently bearing a crushing burden all along, though he had surely made many undisclosed arrangements. "Ganlu Zen Monastery... should also possess a life-soul treasure, right?" Daoist Hegao asked hesitantly. Such treasures all possessed limits on their range. Ordinary life-soul lamps were confined solely to Zhongzhou. The Soul-Guiding Mirror possessed a vastly greater reach; even if True Monarch Danyu left Zhongzhou and penetrated deep into the storm belt, it could still reflect his fortune or peril. That was precisely why the two Daoists were so appalled. Presumably, Ganlu Zen Monastery possessed a similar treasure. If Saint Huiguang's life-soul treasure had shattered as well, even if Master Xingji had made the same decision as Senior Brother to seal off the news, he would certainly have taken covert action. Over all these years, Senior Brother had kept close watch; he surely would have caught some trace of movement. Daoist Zilei shook his head in silence. It was precisely because he had detected no abnormal movements from Ganlu Zen Monastery that he could not be certain. Cultivators possessed varied temperaments, and even within Bajing Belvedere, not everyone was willing to leave behind a Soul-Guiding Mirror or a life-soul lamp. When Deity Transformation cultivators left Zhongzhou to roam outside, encountering fortunate encounters and remaining away for centuries was not without precedent. If Saint Huiguang had not left behind a life-soul treasure and met with an accident outside, Ganlu Zen Monastery would be none the wiser. And if Saint Huiguang had left a life-soul treasure that remained intact, showing his life was not in danger, Ganlu Zen Monastery would be even less inclined to act rashly! After a brief silence, Daoist Zilei recalled something and said, "I calculated the timeline. The rumor of someone spotting Saint Huiguang in the Eastern Sea emerged after Martial Uncle's Soul-Guiding Mirror shattered. At that time, traveling alongside Saint Huiguang was supposedly the Azure Fox Saint King, and Martial Uncle was already missing..." Daoist Hegao drew a sharp breath, finally understanding what his Sect Master Senior Brother suspected. Deity Transformation cultivators traveling together, yet only Martial Uncle's Soul-Guiding Mirror had shattered... Was it an accident, or foul play? Ganlu Zen Monastery and Bajing Belvedere were hailed together as the two great immortal sects—not because neither desired sole dominion over the cultivation world, but because neither could overcome the other. Furthermore, the entanglement between the two sects was far from a simple matter of conflicting interests! "That time at Wuwang Hall, Senior Brother, did you deliberately act impatient and get injured on purpose?" Though Daoist Hegao phrased it as a question, his tone was one of certainty. Back then, Daoist Zilei had aggressively forced his way into Wuwang Hall and suffered grievous injuries, leaving the cultivators of Bajing Belvedere worried sick. The severity of those injuries had been terrifying; a single misstep could have ruined his dao foundation, requiring at least a century of quiet convalescence to recover. Looking at him now, Daoist Zilei's aura was perfectly intact, without the slightest sign of injury. His intention was obvious: it had been a show put on for Ganlu Zen Monastery, and for the entire world! For the moment, no movement had been detected from Ganlu Zen Monastery. However, remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect had begun to surface. Daoist Hegao still did not know Senior Brother's true purpose in drawing the snake from its hole, however. "What about the ferocious beast? Why did Senior Brother forge the decree to hunt the beast back then? Could the riot of ferocious beasts also be related to Martial Uncle's disappearance?" Daoist Hegao had too many questions in his heart and could not wait to voice them one by one. "Before Martial Uncle departed, he left behind three words: 'The heavens changed.'" Before Daoist Hegao could fathom the hidden meaning behind those three words, Daoist Zilei gently touched the shards of the Soul-Guiding Mirror with his fingertips and said in a low, solemn voice, "There are some secrets it is time to share with you, Junior Brother. Haven't you always wondered how one ascends, and why only Deity Transformation cultivators can achieve ascension? Because the place of ascension lies in... the Guixu of the Eastern Sea!" * * * After concluding his transaction with the shadowy figure, Qin Sang traveled north overland and returned to Feiyundu. He was in no rush to meet Jiang Mu and demand the Meteoric Iron Divine Whip. The Six Prefectures Hall would need time to investigate the origins of the whip; when the time came, he could simply go and ask for the results. Qin Sang was not worried that the Six Prefectures Hall would discern the whip's true value and swallow it for themselves either. The Meteoric Iron Divine Whip was not particularly valuable on its own, and the Six Prefectures Hall could study it however they pleased. It was only valued by Qin Sang because it involved an ancient demon and the Ascension Platform. If the Six Prefectures Hall made any unusual moves, it would indicate that they also knew of the Ascension Platform. That would actually be a wonderful thing, saving Qin Sang the hardship of running about to investigate. As long as one's cultivation was sufficient, anyone could cross over upon the Ascension Platform. If a great cultivator like him came knocking, could he fail to secure a spot? Inside his cave dwelling. Qin Sang laid out the Near-Dragon Saliva and the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net before him. Setting the Near-Dragon Saliva aside for the moment, he attempted to refine the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net. The shadowy figure had voluntarily erased their imprint within the net, so Qin Sang merely had to follow standard procedure to refine it. When left unactivated, the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net automatically shrank into a silver sphere the size of an infant's fist. The instant Qin Sang's divine sense brushed against the net, the silver sphere shone with brilliant radiance, coating the entire cave dwelling and Qin Sang himself in what seemed like a layer of silver lacquer. With a soft whoosh, the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net unfurled in a flash, turning into a vast, gossamer web suspended above Qin Sang's head. As an ownerless artifact at this moment, its form differed from before; one could clearly see the individual silver threads woven into a mesh. Closing his eyes, Qin Sang sensed the magic treasure solely with his divine sense. The response he received was a deeply comfortable feeling of affinity—truly worthy of a divine sense treasure. After a rough probe, Qin Sang began refining the net. In merely two hours, changes emerged in the net. Starting from the edges, the silver luster gradually dimmed, and the silver threads took on an illusory quality. This was the manifestation of the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net integrating with Qin Sang's divine sense. Once the entire silver net took on this state, it would signify that Qin Sang had thoroughly refined the treasure. At that moment. Qin Sang snapped his eyes open, his gaze glowing with brilliant light. The refining process had been smoother and swifter than expected. The efficacy of the Soul-Nurturing Wood was showing its might, granting him twice the results with half the effort whenever he cultivated divine sense secret techniques or refined divine sense treasures! Having refined a corner of the net, he could now draw it into his purple palace, gathering or dispersing it at will. Qin Sang temporarily paused the refining and turned his gaze toward the Near-Dragon Saliva. The nest of the Celestial Fat Bee-Dragon had been woven into a silk pouch to prevent the saliva's potency from leaking. Qin Sang pulled the silk pouch into his palm; it felt supple to the touch. Emulating the robed elder's actions, Qin Sang made the pouch transparent. After examining it for a few moments, he tore the silk pouch open without hesitation, surging his divine sense outward to wrap securely around the Near-Dragon Saliva and draw it before him. The golden Near-Dragon Saliva was exceptionally pure, exuding a distinct, intoxicating Dao rhythm. "So this is the condensed essence of a fifth-transformation spirit insect!" Qin Sang marveled inwardly. He had Xiaoxiangzi to thank; without the Spirit-Calming Incense, he would have missed out on this treasure entirely. For the moment, he felt no repulsive shock. The robed elder had certainly not explained how to refine the Near-Dragon Saliva, so Qin Sang had to probe his way forward step by step. Wrapping the saliva in his divine sense, he brought it into his purple palace and reached out with his mind toward the jade Buddha. The Buddhist light rippled faintly, permitting the Near-Dragon Saliva to enter Qin Sang's nascent soul. Within his nascent soul also lay the Wandering Sword. Over the years, whenever Qin Sang had spare time, he would cast the Essence Sacrifice Technique upon the Wandering Sword. Though it was still far from birthing sentience, Qin Sang could feel an indescribable bond growing between them, drawing them closer than ever before. Yunyouzi's true spirit also seemed to have stabilized slightly. The change was not yet pronounced; only because the Wandering Sword was Qin Sang's natal magic treasure could he perceive it. Next, Qin Sang focused his entire mind on the Near-Dragon Saliva. Using his divine sense like a blade, he carefully peeled off a razor-thin sliver. Drawing upon past experience, he adopted a straightforward, forceful approach to refine it directly. In an instant, an unexpected change occurred! The Near-Dragon Saliva had originally been solid, but the moment Qin Sang attempted to refine it, it instantly melted into a golden liquid. The relatively stable energy within simultaneously erupted into turmoil. A descendant of the Celestial Fat Bee-Dragon could digest the Near-Dragon Saliva as effortlessly as drinking water. Qin Sang realized that he could not absorb the saliva directly; he had to first restrain and comb through this surge of energy. If he failed to do so, its energy would grow increasingly chaotic until it detonated, leaving him with nothing. *Bang!* Not long after the silver light of the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net had faded, the cave dwelling was illuminated in gold once more. Before Qin Sang, a burst of golden light erupted abruptly, resembling slender streaks of golden lightning that appeared and vanished in the blink of an eye. Unable to soothe this portion of saliva, Qin Sang dared not let it explode inside him. He had had no choice but to expel it from his body, watching helplessly as it dissipated. Wasting such a precious treasure pained him deeply, but fortunately his divine sense was formidable, and this single attempt gave him a clear understanding. He was in no rush to attempt a second time. Settling into deep meditation, he recalled every subtle nuance of the change and began deducing the process. Unaware of day and night within the cave dwelling, several days passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, the saliva detonated once more. By the third attempt, Qin Sang was able to stabilize the energy. Just as Qin Sang breathed a sigh of relief, he discovered that the entirety of the Near-Dragon Saliva had begun to melt and was on the verge of erupting—the mutation was occurring far faster than the robed elder had claimed! With no time to curse the old man's sinister intentions, Qin Sang exerted all his strength and finally stabilized the Near-Dragon Saliva. In the end, an extra drop of golden liquid lingered within his nascent soul, radiating alongside the Wandering Sword. Yet this was merely the beginning; refining it was the greatest hurdle. As he attempted to refine it, Qin Sang finally detected the bizarre energy the robed elder had spoken of. The moment he began refining the saliva, an impact struck him. That energy was not pure power; it seemed to harbor the unique Dao rhythm of the Celestial Fat Bee-Dragon. To its descendants, it was an immense tonic, but to outsiders, it was perilous and had to be expelled. Allowing this energy to batter him unchecked would cause severe damage to his nascent soul at best, or shatter his dao foundation at worst. Then, a delightful scene unfolded. At this juncture, the jade Buddha finally displayed its might. Qin Sang's nascent soul remained rock-solid, unaffected as expected. However, Qin Sang soon discovered that even without the danger of that step, refining the Near-Dragon Saliva was no overnight task; refining and absorbing it was a protracted endeavor. By his estimate, he could save roughly half the time compared to others, but it would still require several decades to thoroughly refine this portion of Near-Dragon Saliva. Qin Sang emerged from meditation, a contemplative expression on his face. The effects of the Near-Dragon Saliva were truly extraordinary; his divine sense had improved noticeably. "First, tame the Thousand-Knot Spirit Net. Then absorb the Near-Dragon Saliva while cultivating the Fire Seed Golden Lotus, striving to refine the demonic fire source as soon as possible..." Having laid out his plan, Qin Sang executed it step by step. Deaf to the outside world, he immersed himself in cultivation. Unawares, Qin Sang had been in secluded cultivation for half a year, and had grown thoroughly proficient at refining the Near-Dragon Saliva. This time was different from before. Qin Sang summoned both the Heavenly Eye Butterfly and the fat silkworm. As a human, Qin Sang could not absorb the energy containing the Celestial Fat Bee-Dragon's Dao rhythm, but spirit insects might well be able to! This was no sudden whim on Qin Sang's part; he had harbored this idea for some time. This was the true essence of a fifth-transformation spirit insect, and letting it go to waste was simply too regrettable! The fat silkworm possessed devouring abilities, though for now they had only manifested along the path of poison. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly, on the other hand, was capable of countering the Celestial Fat Bee-Dragon's divine abilities. All things in the world that mutually generate or overcome one another can establish a connection. After a moment's hesitation, Qin Sang released the Fire Jade Centipede as well, without holding much hope. He commanded the three spirit insects to circle around him. Qin Sang skillfully peeled off a wisp of Near-Dragon Saliva and began refining it, simultaneously dividing part of his attention to observe the three spirit insects. When that energy emerged and was expelled from his body by the Buddhist light: The Fire Jade Centipede coiled into a circle, completely indifferent. Sensing the fluctuation, the fat silkworm alertly raised its upper body. Its eyes rolled about, staring at Qin Sang for a moment before it slumped back down, devoid of interest. "Does this fellow still only eat venomous things?" Qin Sang frowned secretly. Only the Heavenly Eye Butterfly remained. He was linked in mind and spirit with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and keenly sensed that when this energy appeared, the butterfly felt eager to try, yet simultaneously fearful. The fear was likely due to its lower realm; the power of a fifth-transformation spirit insect exerted a suppression of rank. Qin Sang experienced a similar sensation, though it was less pronounced for him. "There's hope!" Qin Sang was overjoyed and hurried to comfort the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The Near-Dragon Saliva was an inanimate object after all. Feeling its master's encouragement, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly swiftly suppressed its instinctual dread.