On the way to Mount Dishou.
Cave Master Qiling couldn't resist asking, "I recall the palace of the Water Phase Hall is named Bingyi Palace and has quite a storied background. I fear it won't be easy to enter. What is Fellow Daoist seeking?"
The scar-faced man styled himself the successor of the Wood Phase Hall, yet hunting for treasure inside had still taken him so long. Neither of them understood the lineage of the Water Phase, making it all the more difficult.
Even after receiving news of an opportunity for Deity Transformation, the scar-faced man still insisted on making a detour to the Water Phase Hall first—some treasure was surely calling to him.
"The Wood Phase Hall was intact, but the Water Phase Hall lies in ruins, its remnant formations severely weakened..."
The scar-faced man briefly described what he had seen outside Bingyi Palace. "Does the Cave Master remember the two individuals I encountered years ago? The one traveling with Lu Zhang possessed a dense wood spirit qi, the purity of which was unlike anything I had ever seen in my life. Alas, my divine abilities had not yet matured back then, and he managed to escape. Just now, as I passed by the Water Phase Hall, I sensed another wave of wood spirit qi no less pure than his. It is very likely that a rare, peerless wood is inside the hall!"
"A rare, peerless wood not in the Wood Phase Hall, but in the Water Phase Hall?"
Cave Master Qiling's tone turned odd.
The scar-faced man knew the Wuxiang Immortal Sect better than Cave Master Qiling did. "The sect's five branches each formed their own faction and vied with one another in secret. Even if one obtained a treasure needed by another branch, they wouldn't readily gift it away. It's entirely possible it was kept in the Water Phase Hall."
"So that's how it was!" Enlightened, Cave Master Qiling recalled something else and cautioned, "Fellow Daoist should beware in case someone has already beaten you to it."
"Those who activated the teleportation array alongside Old Devil Zhu were only you, Cave Master, Old Daoist Hegao, and that fellow surnamed Mo. Su Zinan shouldn't know much about the Wuxiang Immortal Sect. He cultivates blood dao divine abilities, neither water nor wood, so his target is almost certainly Mount Dishou, which fires the imagination most. With the Water Phase Hall so dilapidated, it surely won't catch his interest... Does Cave Master mean that Water Phase successor?"
The scar-faced man pondered for a moment before continuing, "It is indeed possible he has appeared at the Water Phase Hall! However, that person conceals his identity and holds back whenever he strikes. He is overcautious, not looking at all like someone of great divine ability. Knowing full well of the Immortal Palace's existence, he did not vie for qualification in the Sword Tomb. Unless he, like us, possesses intelligence on some supreme treasure, he must know his strength is lacking and backed away from the challenge. We shall take the precious wood and depart immediately. If he is sensible, there will be no need to clash with him."
Cave Master Qiling voiced his admiration. "Fellow Daoist has already thought everything through; it was I who worried needlessly! You are searching for precious wood to cultivate the Postnatal Wooden Man Stele, yes? Could the ancient red mystery tree sent by Old Devil Zhu not satisfy the requirements?"
The scar-faced man gave an unsightly smile. "This divine ability uses spiritual wood as a medium. The higher the grade of the wood, the greater the ability's might. The ancient red mystery tree will do, but it is still slightly inferior to that aura in the Water Phase Hall."
Cave Master Qiling chimed in with a laugh. "I, too, would like to see what precious wood could surpass Tianhao Tower's ancient red mystery tree! The Wuxiang Immortal Sect truly lives up to its reputation—what profound heritage!"
After sighing in admiration, Cave Master Qiling's smile suddenly faded, and he shook his head with a sigh. "I had thought that with the secret technique of the Wood Phase Hall and the insights from the Sword Tomb, you and I would stand a great chance at Deity Transformation! Who knew the Immortal Palace had no doors, and every item required by this secret technique is a peerless treasure, none easily refined. Deity Transformation remains as distant as ever."
The scar-faced man consoled him, "Why be so downcast, Cave Master? The unforeseen turn at the Immortal Palace was beyond mortal power to change. But that secret technique holds great promise. As long as the two of us join hands to search once we leave, we might not fail to find what we need!"
As they spoke, the Water Phase Hall came into view.
Yet what caught the eye most was the Langhuan Jade Pavilion.
*A jade pavilion piercing the azure vault, where one could pluck the stars by hand.*
Gazing at its silhouette in the distance, Cave Master Qiling was drawn in. "That is the Wuxiang Immortal Sect's repository of classical texts and exotic treasures—the Langhuan Jade Pavilion!"
Glancing over at the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, the scar-faced man said with little interest, "The true legacies of the five branches were all treasured within their five palaces! Only items meant for low-level cultivators, cultivation methods and divine abilities ordinary people could never practice, or damaged fragments and exotic curios of unknown origins that went unheeded would be dumped into the Langhuan Jade Pavilion. If there were anything truly useful, would it have waited for us? Once matters at Mount Dishou are settled, Cave Master, you could go try your luck; perhaps you might find affinity with some exotic treasure."
Cave Master Qiling shook his head slightly.
***
The Langhuan Jade Pavilion.
After parting from his incarnation, Qin Sang's true body had ascended the Scripture Inquiry Path and arrived at the Langhuan Jade Pavilion.
The jade pavilion emanated a faint, jade-white shimmer, devoid of intricate carvings or ornamentation on its exterior. Surrounding the pavilion were swirling clouds and drifting spiritual luminescence.
Looking closely, one could tell that the spiritual light and cloud vapor formed cloud platforms of varying sizes. Qin Sang guessed they might have once served as venues for expounding the Dharma and discussing the Dao, though how many years they had lain abandoned was anyone's guess.
To Qin Sang's surprise, the jade gates of the Langhuan Jade Pavilion hung wide open, with no restrictions sealing the lower levels.
Flanking the entrance were several jade statues, so severely damaged that their original shapes were unrecognizable. Traces of cultivators battling were everywhere, extending straight into the interior of the pavilion.
During the great upheaval, when outside enemies exploited the vulnerability to plunder the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, how could they have spared the Langhuan Jade Pavilion?
Though Qin Sang had prepared himself mentally, witnessing such a sight still drew a sigh from him. He only hoped a few things had survived.
He tilted his head back toward the pavilion's summit.
Restrictions still lingered up there. Going by common sense, that should be where the topmost treasures were housed.
Even so, Qin Sang decided to enter from the ground floor.
"It seems I'm the only one who has made it here for now..."
Qin Sang scanned the tiers of the pavilion, sensing no other presence.
The bones had already decayed to dust.
Stepping into the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, Qin Sang had no firsthand experience of that ancient catastrophe, but before him lay shattered remnants of magic treasures strewn across the ground, jade slips scattered everywhere...
Moreover, orbs of light in various hues drifted through the air.
He waved his hand, beckoning a yellow orb of light into his palm.
*Scripture of the Defensive Altar*.
It was a divine ability devoted purely to defense. For a Golden Core cultivator, it could be considered first-rate; in an ordinary sect, it would qualify as a core legacy.
In Qin Sang's eyes, however, it was merely decent.
The other light orbs were much the same, likely snatched from the middle and lower tiers of the pavilion.
Qin Sang surveyed his surroundings and located the stairs. Just as he was about to ascend to the second floor, he seemed to notice something, pausing in his tracks to look up at the ground floor's vaulted ceiling.
The vaulted ceiling was also made of white jade, its luster dimmed by warfare.
Qin Sang discerned its secret: a restriction was concealed within the ceiling, though it had sustained damage.
It was likely not the pavilion's defensive restriction and was not particularly complex. Sweeping his divine sense across it, Qin Sang immediately identified the flaw. After a moment of contemplation, he traced several talisman seals in the air and sent them into the ceiling.
*Whoosh!*
The ceiling abruptly lit up, casting down a shower of clear radiance.
Next, the light on the first floor grew brighter and brighter, and a phantom projection slowly surfaced before Qin Sang—it was a topographical map of the entire Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
In truth, having traveled this far, Qin Sang already had a general sense of the sect's layout, but having a map to view was certainly helpful and far more intuitive.
Without question, Mount Dishou was the core of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, forming a layout where the five branches encircled and guarded Mount Dishou.
Naturally, confidential information would never be recorded on a general map; attempting to uncover the sect's forbidden zones from it was purely delusional, or someone would have found them long ago.
The ice palace was indeed the Water Phase Hall—his incarnation had headed to the right place.
"The Fire Phase Hall..."
Qin Sang looked toward the southern region of Mount Dishou.
Among the sect's five branches, aside from the Water Phase Hall, he was most interested in the Fire Phase Hall.
The Fire Phase Hall was located on a place called Fire Rhinoceros Island. Judging from the projection on the map, it was actually a spiritual island suspended in midair.
Qin Sang memorized its position, intending to explore Fire Rhinoceros Island if given the opportunity.
Restoring the ceiling to its former state, Qin Sang climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Although he met no resistance, he noticed lingering traces of restrictions in multiple spots. According to his analysis, they were likely meant to restrict entry based on cultivation.
Those with insufficient cultivation could only reach a limited number of floors; only after making a breakthrough would they earn the right to peruse the scriptures on higher levels.
From this, the strict order and discipline of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect were evident.
The collection within the Langhuan Jade Pavilion was truly vast as an ocean, especially on the lower floors, where bookshelves stood in dense rows, offering every conceivable cultivation method and secret technique, not limited to cultivation alone.
The myriad arts of immortal cultivation were all encompassed.
It was truly unlike anything Qin Sang had seen in his life, leading him to wonder if the Wuxiang Immortal Sect had once swept up texts from across the entire Zhongzhou cultivation world.
Ascending further, the bookshelves grew sparser.
Each floor afforded a good view of the scenery outside the pavilion, though unfortunately the landscape of this blessed paradise was obscured by dense layers of restriction light.
Traces of battle persisted throughout. Countless classic texts and treasures had been looted, leaving the vast majority of bookshelves picked clean.
Lacking time to inspect everything closely, Qin Sang swept his divine sense rapidly, collecting sections that piqued his interest.
Qin Sang moved faster and faster. Estimating he had passed the halfway mark in height, he climbed for a while longer until he was not far from the top, only just reaching the level corresponding to the late Golden Core stage.
"Barring any surprises, what lies above should be Nascent Soul-tier scriptures."
Qin Sang looked upward.
The power of restrictions still lingered here. Clear light and phantom reflections shimmered over the jade steps, from which Qin Sang sensed a degree of threat. Still, a restriction of this level posed no real obstacle to him.
*Clang!*
The Jinchen Sword leaped forth, hanging inverted above him as Qin Sang stepped onto the jade staircase.
*Whoosh!*
The clear light and phantom reflections above the jade steps immediately pressed down on Qin Sang, coalescing into formidable pressure sufficient to repel an early Nascent Soul cultivator.
Qin Sang acted as if he hadn't noticed.
The Jinchen Sword gave a slight tremor, lightly slashing out three beams of sword light.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
As the sword lights sank in, the clear light and phantoms fell into disarray at once, drastically reducing the resistance.
At the same time, waves of white light rippled from within the jade steps, shooting toward Qin Sang like white zither strings that sliced through the void, only to be blocked and severed one by one by the Jinchen Sword.
Qin Sang's steps did not falter in the slightest. Reaching the top of the jade stairs, he caught sight of the floor above and let out a scoff on the spot.
There was a hint of annoyance in his tone.
The scriptures on this floor had been stripped bare—not a single one was left for him!
Although traces of fighting were sparse here, one could tell that a grand battle between Nascent Soul cultivators had surely unfolded, marking this as a focal point of contention between top experts of both sides.
Qin Sang felt a sinking disappointment. Wanting to go higher still, he was surprised to find there were no more stairs.
"The Langhuan Jade Pavilion's collection couldn't possibly end at the Nascent Soul level."
Qin Sang looked around in thought. Soon spotting his mark, he willed the Jinchen Sword to flip, its tip pointing straight up, and thrust it toward the center of the ceiling.
A peculiar scene unfolded: with no sound of impact, the Jinchen Sword sank directly into the ceiling. The ceiling's imagery shifted dramatically, spinning rapidly.
The jade light shattered into specks of starlight, revealing a passageway that resembled the starry sky.
Qin Sang channeled the power of his Heavenly Eye, observing for a brief moment before leaping into the passage alongside the Jinchen Sword.
Unfamiliar with the pavilion's restrictions, he could only force his way through. Perhaps because they had been damaged in the past, the resistance Qin Sang encountered was not as great as imagined.
The Jinchen Sword paving the way proved sufficient.
When necessary, it conjured a sword formation to anchor the void.
Without even having to deploy his demonic fire, Qin Sang passed through the passage smoothly and entered a higher floor. Instantly, his vision opened up.
Outside the pavilion, an endless sea of clouds surged like tides in myriad fantastical sights. Although the lower structure connected to the pavilion's main body, restrictions concealed it from view.
It was truly an immortal pavilion perched among the clouds!
"Mount Dishou!"
From inside the pavilion, his vision was somewhat clearer.
Closest was the Water Phase Hall, followed by Mount Dishou.
Lofty as the jade pavilion appeared, it was less than half the height of Mount Dishou, from which the sheer grandeur of a sky-propping mountain rolled forward. One could well imagine the sublime immortal majesty the Wuxiang Immortal Sect possessed in its prime!
He did not linger long on the scenery outside.
The pavilion's interior came into view: a strange layout featuring an open center surrounded by corridors on all four sides.
In the middle lay a cloud pool, its mists flowing like water.
Qin Sang sensed something peculiar, and upon closer inspection, it indeed held deeper mysteries!
Within the Cloud Pool drifted white light orbs hidden among the clouds and mist, each seemingly encasing an object.
Channeling the power of the Heavenly Eye, he was able to see what lay inside—greatly exceeding his expectations.
Some of the light orbs held broken sabers and severed swords, a chipped stone bracelet, an ancient dark iron whip reduced to only its hilt...
In other words, all were remnant, damaged treasures.
Lifeless and stripped of their might, they had presumably been collected in the Cloud Pool due to their unusual materials.
Another portion consisted of round jade cages of similar shape, runes shifting across their surfaces, seemingly meant to seal the treasures within.
Other light orbs were empty, their treasures having already been removed, perhaps looted by enemies.
No matter how one looked at it, this did not resemble a scripture repository—it was a treasure pool!
Qin Sang did not know where the Wuxiang Immortal Sect had obtained these items, but judging from the exposed remnant treasures, their worth and origins were likely unknown. Fearing they might overlook a genuine rarity, the sect had simply cast them all in here.
Even the Heavenly Eye Butterfly could not discern which remnant treasures held higher or lower value.
The Fire Jade Centipede showed no reaction either.
Qin Sang randomly picked a jade cage and manifested sword light, intending to fish it out. Unexpectedly, as soon as the sword light emerged, the Cloud Pool surged violently, and a bolt of cloud lightning shot straight toward his face.
*Crackle!*
The cloud lightning was not deafening, yet Qin Sang's expression shifted. Flapping his phoenix wings, he shifted several zhang sideways in an instant to dodge it.
At the same time, the ring of clashing metal echoed from within the Cloud Pool. The Jinchen Sword was knocked back, repelled by the restriction, whereupon the pool faded from view and the treasures vanished into thin air.
Qin Sang dropped his relaxed demeanor, realizing that retrieving treasures from the Cloud Pool was by no means simple and could not be done by force. Moreover, these were damaged treasures of uncertain utility, while cultivation methods were more important. It was better to head to the upper floor first and revisit this upon returning.
He looked toward a corner of the corridor. Jade steps reappeared, leading to the floor above—the summit of the jade pavilion, the sole place left unexplored.
Qin Sang quickly made his way around the corridor. Just as he drew near the jade staircase, the disturbance in the Cloud Pool gradually subsided, returning to normal. Orbs of white light drifted about randomly. As Qin Sang's gaze inadvertently swept past a certain jade cage, an inexplicable tremor stirred in his heart.
Faint and elusive.
Astonished, Qin Sang stopped in his tracks, turning his mind inward to trace the source of that tremor.
Only after a good while could Qin Sang be certain: it actually originated from the *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art*, a technique he had nearly forgotten—the incomplete cultivation method he had acquired from the Landou Sect in the Canglang Ocean!
Chapter 1629