Seven Western Circuit Prefectures.
Zhen Prefecture.
The western part of this prefecture bordered the Western Desert, yet its boundary was defined by countless mountains and ravines that blocked the onslaught of wind and sand.
The verdant, lush mountain ranges were brimming with spiritual energy, forming a sharp contrast with the boundless yellow sands. In this region, virtually every mountain housed a cave dwelling.
Countless sects—large and small—and recluses cultivated here, earning the area the moniker of "A Thousand Mountains, A Thousand Sects."
Xuance Manor was one such sect.
Although it was not a lineage passed down to a single disciple, the entire sect had only about thirty members. In recruiting disciples, they prioritized quality over quantity, and every member of the sect was meticulously selected.
While its scale could not compare to those renowned, major sects, Xuance Manor was rather famous, and its sect master, Master Mingce, enjoyed considerable prestige in the vicinity.
Beneath a waterfall.
Inside a mountain pavilion.
Master Mingce felt the piercing gaze of the Daoist before him, his brows knitting tightly. "From where did Daoist Priest learn that our humble sect possesses Longevity Dendrobium?"
"Three hundred years ago, a stalk of Longevity Dendrobium was discovered in an oasis within the Western Desert. It sparked fierce contention, but in the end, its whereabouts became unknown. Coincidentally, I discovered that you were near that oasis at the time, and you happened to appear in a nearby market..."
The Daoist seated across from him calmly disclosed the reason, making no secret of having investigated Master Mingce's past movements.
This Daoist was none other than Qin Sang's incarnation!
The Dark Moon Guard had scattered across the cultivation world to gather intelligence on various treasures. Now, it was finally time to reel in the net.
Longevity Dendrobium was one of those treasures. It could be used to concoct a type of pill from the Panhu True Scripture to enhance the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's cultivation. However, this spiritual medicine was also of immense benefit to cultivators, so getting Master Mingce to part with it was bound to be no easy feat.
Running to and fro, the Dark Moon Guard had gathered more than half the treasures on the roster. As for the remainder, either there was no news of them, or they were exceedingly difficult to obtain, leaving Qin Sang no choice but to step forward in person.
"The Longevity Dendrobium is of great use to me. As long as you are willing to part with it, I will do everything in my power to ensure your satisfaction."
The incarnation's tone carried powerful confidence.
That powerful confidence stemmed from formidable strength!
Leaving aside Qin Sang's true body, the incarnation alone already had few rivals left in this world; the only ones capable of firmly overpowering him were the two Deity Transformation experts.
If his true body were included, his wariness toward Deity Transformation cultivators was no longer what it used to be.
After merely fifty years of arduous seclusion, Qin Sang's true body had remarkably reached the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage!
Counting the time, it had not been short since Qin Sang broke through to the late Nascent Soul stage; the Wuxiang Immortal Sect had been opened by Zhu Wudao more than eighty years after his breakthrough.
Yet cultivating the Fire Seed Golden Lotus had consumed most of his time. His true cultivation had only begun seventy years ago, after refining the demonic fire.
He had reached the peak in just seventy years, and during the first twenty years, he had often been distracted by other matters!
To achieve such an astonishing cultivation speed even in the late Nascent Soul stage was exceedingly rare, even among the prominent sects of Zhongzhou.
The Dao charm of the Wordless Jade Stele and the Buddha bone sarira had contributed immensely. Even when encountering a bottleneck, Qin Sang only needed to patiently comprehend them for a period to smoothly achieve a breakthrough.
The Killing Talismans of the Essence Cultivation and Sword Nurturing Chapter and the Body Cleansing Pool had enhanced his innate talent, and with the aid of the Four Sages Spirit Gathering Array, Qin Sang's cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Nowadays, while Qin Sang still harbored caution toward the two Deity Transformation experts, with his current strength and the aid of the Luye Grand Array, he had the capability to hold his ground even if Sacred King Qinghu reneged on his promise and came knocking.
With such backing, the incarnation had no need to remain holed up in the Ganlu Zen Monastery. His emergence this time was specifically to scour the world!
"What bold audacity, Daoist Priest!"
Master Mingce took a deep look at the incarnation.
All signs indicated that Daoist Qingfeng had close ties with the Ganlu Zen Monastery and was himself a Great Cultivator standing at the peak of this world, possessing ample strength to make such a promise.
Conversely, Master Mingce had to consider the consequences of angering him.
The incarnation met his gaze with a faint smile.
Master Mingce fell silent, letting out a soft sigh before speaking. "The Longevity Dendrobium was originally prepared for my next breakthrough. Since Daoist Priest has set your sights on it, although I am reluctant, I am willing to accommodate your wish..."
Seeing the other party yield so quickly, the incarnation showed no joy, knowing full well there was more to come.
Sure enough, Master Mingce's tone shifted. "However, I have an impudent request..."
Pausing briefly, Master Mingce said in a heavy voice, "If Daoist Priest can generously lend a helping hand to save my beloved disciple's life, I will present the treasure with both hands at once!"
The incarnation was slightly surprised. "Which powerhouse has your esteemed disciple offended?"
"No one. Although my disciple is mischievous, he knows when to advance and retreat."
Master Mingce shook his head, flicking his finger to send a decree toward the mountaintop to summon his disciple. He then explained to the incarnation in detail, "My disciple, Yu Zhensheng, has been brilliant since childhood. I placed high hopes on him, wishing for him to inherit my mantle and revitalize our sect. My disciple did not disappoint either, having already attained the late Core Formation stage, only a single step away from the Nascent Soul realm. Regrettably, right at the crucial juncture of breaking through, we discovered that aside from the ordinary Eight Extraordinary Meridians, an additional hidden meridian exists within his body!"
"A hidden meridian?"
The incarnation was surprised. Searching through his memory of ancient records, he recalled the descriptions of hidden meridians.
Possessing a hidden meridian could also be regarded as a kind of special constitution. Some were easy to unblock, while others might remain undiscovered until death. Whether it was good or bad was not set in stone; it depended on the location of the hidden meridian.
Some hidden meridians not only posed no harm, but once unblocked, they granted cultivators unique talents, allowing them to achieve twice the result with half the effort when cultivating certain specific techniques.
Judging from Master Mingce's tone, Yu Zhensheng did not seem to fall into this category.
"I have consulted countless ancient texts. My disciple's hidden meridian is harmless. Had it been anyone else, they could forcibly unblock it, and there would be a more than ninety percent chance of gaining an opportunity envied by ordinary men. Yet by pure misfortune, our sect's cultivation method is unique. Forcibly unblocking the meridian could endanger my disciple's life at the slightest misstep, and the higher his realm, the more dangerous it becomes. But if left alone, my disciple's potential will conversely be restricted by it..." Master Mingce explained everything truthfully.
Just then, a figure hurried down from the mountaintop and stood beside the stone pavilion, handsome and poised.
Having received guidance from his master, Yu Zhensheng bowed respectfully to the incarnation with full ceremony.
"From your tone, Daoist friend, you have already found a solution?" The incarnation released his perception.
Yu Zhensheng's body trembled slightly. He did his utmost to restrain his instincts, allowing the incarnation to inspect him, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
"I purchased a secret technique for unblocking meridians that can preserve my disciple. However, this technique requires someone to protect him. Should a crisis arise, that person must expend their origin primordial qi to safeguard him, and it is best if the protector is in the late Nascent Soul stage. If I were to do it myself, the success rate would be only fifty percent..."
Master Mingce glanced at the incarnation.
He had originally intended to do it himself.
It was not that he did not want to invite a Great Cultivator, but that he could not offer terms alluring enough to move one.
Expending origin primordial qi inevitably required prolonged meditation to replenish, and with Deity Transformation as their goal, how precious was a Great Cultivator's time? Moreover, if the unblocking failed and Yu Zhensheng perished, the protector would also suffer backlash.
Who would be willing to shoulder such risk to save an unrelated stranger?
Asking for the secret technique, the incarnation reviewed it, pondered briefly, and agreed in one breath. "Have your disciple condition himself according to the secret technique. Once I have concluded my other affairs, I will come to protect him! Make sure the Longevity Dendrobium is ready!"
With that, the incarnation rose to his feet, gave a slight cupped-hand salute, and drifted down the mountain.
"Master, he..."
With his very life on the line, Yu Zhensheng was plagued by gains and losses. Seeing that the other party had left with only a single sentence, he could not help feeling apprehensive.
Standing at the edge of the stone pavilion and watching the incarnation's retreating figure, Master Mingce breathed a sigh of relief. "Do not fret, disciple. Daoist Qingfeng is an exceptional man; he will not break his word!"
***
Central Plains, Ning Prefecture.
Yinyan Sect.
Departing from Xuance Manor, the incarnation next appeared before the mountain gate of the Yinyan Sect.
The moment his silhouette emerged, the Yinyan Sect threw open its mountain gates. Disciples lined up in two solemn rows to respectfully welcome him with meticulous courtesy.
Soon, the sect master of the Yinyan Sect led several elders out beyond the gates to greet him.
"Daoist Priest Qingfeng's gracious presence brings tremendous honor to our humble sect..."
After exchanging pleasantries, the incarnation was ushered into the main hall.
The Yinyan Sect presented fragrant tea and immortal wine.
The sect master was a white-haired old man, exceedingly smooth and tactful. Every sentence was laced with flattery, yet he never once asked about the incarnation's purpose in visiting.
Several times the incarnation attempted to speak, only for the old man to seize the conversational thread and steer it away.
"Is your sect's piece of True Flame Precious Metal still available?"
Unwilling to waste time bantering, the incarnation asked directly.
True Flame Precious Metal was one of the indispensable materials for the Ice-Fire Token.
The Yinyan Sect Master's eyes flickered, stroking his white beard with an air of difficulty. "Well... as I informed Daoist Priest Qingfeng last time, this item was originally intended as a gift for Elder Fan of Tianhao Tower to celebrate his millennium birthday. Surely I cannot..."
The Yinyan Sect was an affiliate of Tianhao Tower, so he was not afraid of the incarnation using strength to pressure him.
Before he could finish, a burst of firelight suddenly appeared in the incarnation's palm.
The flame glowed crimson, faintly laced with a blackish-green hue. Inside sat a four-paneled folding screen, the patterns on which were simple: at the center of each panel rested a cluster of flame that seemed to burn eternally.
The Yinyan Sect Master nearly plucked off his beard in shock, asking with bewilderment, "This is..."
"I heard you have long wished to craft a Fire Cloud Smoke Screen. Examine the grade of this treasure and see if it meets your requirements."
With a gentle flick of the incarnation's palm, the petite screen drifted toward the Yinyan Sect Master.
The Fire Cloud Smoke Screen was a unique treasure whose grade depended not on the screen itself, but on the four clusters of spiritual fire fused within it.
Aiming to cater to his desires, the incarnation had ordered the Dark Moon Guard to locate the crafting method for the Fire Cloud Smoke Screen, sent word back to Luye, and had his true body forge it personally. Sealed within the screen was not Nine Nether Demonic Fire, but Ancestral Holy Fire split from the fire lotus, which was enough to leave the Yinyan Sect Master staring blankly.
One incense stick of time later.
Beaming with smiles, the Yinyan Sect Master escorted the incarnation out of the mountain gate, looking almost reluctant to part with him.
***
The sky was overcast and somber.
The undulating mountain ranges below looked as though draped in a grey veil.
A faint grey mist permeated the surrounding world. As far as the eye could see, the rocks and mountains were grey, devoid of the slightest hint of green, as if all life had been eradicated from this realm.
"Ahead lies the core region of the Grey Mountain Desolate Realm. If Daoist Priest can penetrate deep into the desolate realm and retrieve my revered master's remains, I require only one jade slip. Everything else shall belong to you, and I will immediately have my junior sister deliver the Rootless Stone!"
Two silhouettes flew neither fast nor slow. The speaker was a young man in black robes who deliberately lagged half a step behind, carrying himself with stiff restraint.
The other person was the incarnation, who channeled his eyesight to peer deep into the Grey Mountain Desolate Realm.
The Rootless Stone was an auxiliary material for the Ice-Fire Token, but the incarnation's true objective was not the stone itself, but rather an item among the young man's master's relics.
This black-robed youth was no simple figure either. His master, Guituo, had long possessed a notorious reputation and had once rebelled against Futian Valley.
They were currently situated at the southernmost tip of the Seven Western Circuit Prefectures, bordering Man Prefecture. For this expanse of grey mountains to be termed a "desolate realm" was a testament to its immense danger.
To the naked eye, the distance was a murky grey haze that obstructed vision.
Rumor had it that countless ferocious, baleful entities inhabited this desolate realm, and no small number of Nascent Soul forebears had fallen here. Searching for a skeleton here was no different from fishing for a needle in the ocean.
The two did not linger. After a brief discussion, they entered the desolate realm directly.
The incarnation raised his hand to summon the Three Corpses God-Mortalizing Banner, coalescing the demonic soul into form.
Seeing the demonic soul that Su Zinan had been transformed into, the black-robed youth was dumbfounded. Only then did he realize the rumors were true, and the look he cast toward the incarnation was inevitably tainted with dread.
With the demonic soul blazing a path, the grey mist howled along the way. Baleful creatures formed of yin fiend essence—such as yin wolves and demonic apes—leapt out, yet none could withstand a single clash against the demonic soul.
Slaughtering their way forward like this, the grey mist ahead suddenly thinned out, and the ferocious fiends vanished without a trace.
With a turn of thought, the incarnation realized that someone was manipulating things from behind the scenes, likely the legendary Lord of Grey Mountain. Seeing the immense might of the intruders, it had adopted an attitude of letting them come and go as they pleased.
"Sensible of it!"
The incarnation sneered coldly, summoned the demonic soul to his side, and began searching the Grey Mountain Desolate Realm thoroughly. Sure enough, their passage was completely unimpeded, and not a single fiendish entity dared manifest before them again.
Three days later.
In a valley within the desolate realm, the two discovered a mountain cave.
Only a skeleton remained inside the cave. Identified by the black-robed youth, it was indeed his master, who had succumbed to severe wounds and perished here.
Since the Lord of Grey Mountain had been so sensible, the incarnation did not make things difficult for it. Once he obtained the relics, he departed the Grey Mountain Desolate Realm.
Only after the incarnation had vanished did a sigh of immense relief echo from a subterranean cavern.
***
Eastern Sea.
Water Mirror Seven Islands.
These were seven overseas immortal islands, each housing a sect. All seven sects were well-versed in the art of artifact forging, each specializing in a different direction. Though the seven sects were not individually powerful, they were bound by solidarity and had attained considerable standing, free from the constraints of the Qiongying Sect.
The incarnation had visited the Water Mirror Seven Islands not to commission artifact forging, but to ask the seven sects to open their treasuries so he could purchase spiritual materials.
"Our seven sects have decided: if Daoist Priest is willing to serve as a guest elder of the Water Mirror Seven Islands, both of these treasures will be gifted to you free of charge!" The one receiving Qin Sang was the sect master of the Luojing Sect, one of the seven factions, whose appearance clearly revealed him to be an astute individual.
"This..."
The incarnation hesitated slightly.
It was not that he lacked the qualifications to serve as a guest elder, but that the Water Mirror Seven Islands were located in the Eastern Sea. With the threat of Sacred King Qinghu looming, it was rather inconvenient.
This meeting was also taking place at an outpost of the Water Mirror Seven Islands at the mouth of the Fu River.
"Daoist Priest need not worry. We will not ask you to confront powerful enemies. We merely wish for you to step forward and put in a good word for us within the Three Sects Alliance to secure a few more conveniences," the Luojing Sect Master hurriedly explained.
"The Water Mirror Seven Islands wish to join the Three Sects Alliance?"
The incarnation was surprised. After a moment's thought, he nodded in agreement.
The so-called Three Sects Alliance was a pact jointly forged thirty years ago by the Ganlu Zen Monastery, Bajing Belvedere, and Tianhao Tower. The moment the news broke, it had caused a massive uproar in the cultivation world.
No one could have imagined that the Daoist, Buddhist, and Demonic paths—fundamentally incompatible in their Daos—could set aside their prejudices and come together.
With the three sects united, the cultivation world was gripped by a sense of impending crisis!
The "Three Sects Alliance" was actually a name coined by outsiders. Fitting so appropriately, it had naturally become the accepted title.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Saint Huiguang must have been the driving force behind it, yet none knew the true reason. Saint Huiguang had appeared only once, on the day the alliance was formed thirty years ago, and had remained in secluded meditation ever since.
Although the Xie family had also joined the Three Sects Alliance, Qin Sang had poured all his heart into cultivation and paid no heed to the details of the pact.
With his merit in slaying the demon, the incarnation was more than capable of putting in a good word for the Water Mirror Seven Islands.
***
As the incarnation bustled about far and wide, treasures landed in his grasp one after another, and the required spiritual materials were gradually assembled.
His true body, sitting firmly in Luye, should have resumed cultivating the Heavenly Demon Refining Form.
Unexpectedly, when sensing the Lifeless Demon Seal within his body, Qin Sang felt an inexplicable stirring.
Chapter 1708