"True Monarch Qin, these are the records concerning the ferocious beasts of Guixu."
Master Xingji held a jade slip in both hands, presenting it to Qin Sang.
His demeanor was respectful and courteous in every detail, yet his expression showed neither joy nor sorrow.
Beside him sat Xingren and another eminent monk of Ganlu Zen Monastery on prayer mats. Aside from those out wandering the world, all the monastery's grand cultivators had emerged from seclusion to receive the True Monarch's exalted presence.
The two monks, including Xingren, looked at Qin Sang, hesitating as if wanting to speak.
In their eyes were doubt and anticipation, as well as suppressed pleasant surprise.
For monks of their mental fortitude and cultivation to display such behavior showed that the matter was of paramount importance, beyond their power to restrain themselves.
Saint Huiguang had once assembled his disciples to explain the Demonic Voice of the Heavenly Dao. All grand cultivators of Ganlu Zen Monastery were qualified to know, and all had believed that the demonic voice blocked their path, rendering the Great Dao unattainable.
A little over a century ago, Qin Sang's cultivation had merely been at the late Nascent Soul stage—on par with their own. He had also been pursued by the Azure Fox Saint King; this was an indisputable fact, making a breakthrough prior to the heavenly upheaval impossible.
Yet when this man reappeared, he had actually attained the exalted status of a True Monarch!
Could it be that a turning point had arrived?
By now, the matter at the Red Cloud Dharma Land was settled. Qin Sang naturally had not harmed those young novices; releasing them, he had accompanied the monks to Ganlu Zen Monastery.
This was the monastery's Immeasurable Hall.
The hall doors were shut tight, and Great Sage Black Lion lay prostrate before them.
The other monks of Ganlu Zen Monastery were unaware of the True Monarch's visit. Seeing their brethren safe and sound, they assumed the trouble in the Dharma Land had simply been resolved, and life carried on as usual.
Inside the hall.
Master Xingji sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed as his fingers turned prayer beads and he silently chanted Buddhist scriptures.
Qin Sang glanced at him before sweeping his divine sense into the jade slip. The first things he saw were lifelike images of ferocious beasts, every one of them bizarre and grotesque.
Some bore resemblances to creatures found in the present world, their appearances similar to certain demon beasts.
Yet, much like the frenzied whale hunted by the Dragon Whale clan, their true aura was vastly different from that of the demon race; one could feel their ferocious violence radiating even from the illustrations.
According to Master Xingji, these were all ferocious beasts witnessed firsthand by cultivators of this realm over countless years, compiled into volumes from the records and shadow-projections left behind as legacies by innumerable predecessors.
These records came not only from Buddhism and Daoism, but had also been handed down from the Wuxiang Immortal Sect and even older sects before them.
Most entries contained only an illustration; some lacked even that, having merely a few dry sentences of description.
Before the heavenly upheaval, these ferocious beasts had roamed only within Guixu, rarely venturing away from their lairs.
Only Deity Transformation cultivators possessed the capability to reach Guixu, and the beasts recorded were those capable of threatening them. Thus, the weakest beasts in the compendium were at the Deity Transformation level.
Yet their numbers were far fewer than Qin Sang had envisioned.
Moreover, these were clearly not all the beasts in Guixu. For example, the manta ray-shaped beast lured during the hunt led by the two Deity Transformation cultivators years ago was absent from the records.
Furthermore, descriptions of the beasts' divine abilities were far from exhaustive; aside from a very few, most were glossed over in a single stroke.
Take one entry, for instance:
"Resembles a flood dragon with long horns; its back bears thousands of black tumors. Dully sensed; when startled, its black tumors rupture, releasing pus black as ink capable of corroding true essence."
This meant that encountering such a beast warranted no panic; one only had to conceal their aura, hide their form, and carefully steer clear. Agitating it would only bring trouble—though naturally, these experiences applied only to the era before the heavenly upheaval.
When it came to detailing divine abilities and methods of dealing with them, an entry like this was already considered detailed.
Throughout the ages, Zhongzhou had seen no shortage of Deity Transformation cultivators, yet only this much had been recorded.
The underlying reason was that Guixu was easy to enter but difficult to leave, fraught with endless perils. The sole goal of entering Guixu was to find the pathmarker and ascend; it was a one-way road, and forcing a return risked one's life. Meanwhile, the beasts were formidably powerful and surrounded by lurking dangers; cultivators steered clear of them at all costs, dare not provoke them intentionally.
Few could be like the ancestor of Great Sage Dragon Whale, who had waited three centuries outside Guixu, hunted down a frenzied whale single-handedly, and dragged it back to Zhongzhou.
As the various beast illustrations passed through his mind, Qin Sang set down the jade slip and asked, "The beast you all joined forces to hunt back then—since it was ultimately captured alive, did you pry anything from it?"
Shortly after the beast hunt, Ganlu Zen Monastery had displayed their gains to the world, which Qin Sang already knew through his incarnation.
What Qin Sang was asking about now was naturally not that public knowledge, but what they might have concealed.
"All that was obtained that year was made public without reservation; nothing was hidden in the slightest," Master Xingji answered with palms pressed together.
It seemed only by entering Guixu in person would he discover what had occurred inside and what state it was in, Qin Sang mused.
"When did the two fellow Daoists depart?" Qin Sang asked.
Saint Huiguang and the Azure Fox Saint King had already journeyed east to ascend.
Master Xingji held nothing back and answered without hesitation, "Sixty-five years ago."
Qin Sang had spent nearly ten years consolidating his cultivation after reaching Deity Transformation, in addition to his journey to the Eastern Sea.
Sixty-five years ago was just fifteen years after the covenant between the three sects.
They had indeed been in a great hurry!
He did not know how deeply affected they were by the demonic voice, but sixty-five years was more than enough for Saint Huiguang and the Azure Fox Demon King to reach Guixu.
Deity Transformation cultivators suffered far less disruption in the storm belt than Nascent Soul cultivators; they could absorb heaven-and-earth primordial qi while in flight and travel long distances at a stretch without constantly seeking shelters to restore true essence. Before the heavenly upheaval, it had taken only thirty-odd years to reach the edge of Guixu.
With double that time, they should have arrived no matter what.
If all had gone smoothly, they might have even entered the upper realm.
"Did the two fellow Daoists leave behind treasures like soul lamps?"
Qin Sang conjectured whether they might have returned to Zhongzhou if they discovered Guixu had mutated beyond salvation.
To his surprise, Master Xingji shook his head. "Martial Uncle stated that on this eastern journey, either they would succeed in ascending, or they would perish in Guixu. Whatever they saw and learned would be left at Mount Daiyu. If later generations should fortuitously achieve Deity Transformation, they may inherit our unfulfilled wish and reopen the Heavenly Gate once more. Thus, there was no need to leave behind soul lamps."
Saying this, Master Xingji could not help but glance up at Qin Sang.
Qin Sang fell silent.
Success, or death.
The three had journeyed east with never a thought of turning back.
Mo Xingdao's puppet had caught their eye, so he had accompanied them as well, making three in total.
Qin Sang picked up the other jade slip, which contained lore regarding Guixu.
The Heavenly Gate Master Xingji spoke of was precisely the pathmarker Ghost Mother had mentioned; through it, cultivators ascended to the Great Thousand Worlds, hence its name.
"To the east of the Eastern Sea lies a great chasm, in truth a bottomless abyss whose depths have no end, named Guixu. Into it flow the waters of the eight expanses and nine wildernesses, and the currents of the Heavenly River, yet it neither increases nor diminishes."
Upon penetrating the depths of Guixu, one would find a turbid current of dark tides surging vast and mighty, its origin unknown and its destination untraceable. The Heavenly Gate lay hidden within it.
Mount Daiyu was an immortal island within Guixu.
The island was exceptionally wondrous. The dangers in Guixu far surpassed those of the storm belt; a shelter that survived in the storm belt to this day would quickly overturn and perish if placed in Guixu.
While Guixu held only roaming ferocious beasts and endless waters, devoid of grotto-heavens and blessed lands, this lone immortal mountain hung suspended there, remaining safe and intact to this very day.
Tens of thousands of years ago, cultivators of this realm had discovered Mount Daiyu. Solitary in Guixu, its location remained unchanged for tens of millennia; regrettably, it was unsuitable for cultivation and served only as a temporary resting place.
The jade slip Qin Sang held contained only general descriptions, lacking any detailed guide to Guixu's interior.
What he wanted most right now was the Ascension Path—the safe route to reach the Heavenly Gate—along with the observations and insights accumulated by past sages in Guixu.
These were all invaluable experiences.
Yet they were not in the jade slip, which marked only the location of Mount Daiyu.
For all of that was inscribed upon Mount Daiyu itself.
At first, the Ascension Path was fraught with deadly peril, offering only a slim chance of survival. Sages of past generations carved what they had seen and learned onto the immortal mountain to guide those who followed. Successive generations inherited these legacies and guided subsequent pilgrims in turn; that safe Ascension Path had been accumulated and blazed forward through generation after generation.
Find Mount Daiyu, and one would find the Ascension Path.
Saint Huiguang and the others were braving precisely this road.
Qin Sang committed the contents of the jade slip to memory.
In truth, after the demon clan's internal strife ended, he had already obtained similar information from the demon race.
To Deity Transformation cultivators, this realm was a cage. The same held true for the demon Saint King. Ascending to the upper realm was the shared pursuit of both races, and neither had withheld communication on the subject, so the information was largely identical.
*Tap, tap, tap...*
Qin Sang gently tapped the jade slip with his finger, deep in thought.
Since he did not speak, the three eminent monks dared not ask questions.
Silence reigned within the Immeasurable Hall.
What Qin Sang contemplated was naturally the matter of ascension.
He wondered how Saint Huiguang and his companions fared now, and how far they had managed to penetrate Guixu.
Two Deity Transformation cultivators from both races, a Deity Transformation-grade puppet, plus the premier spirit treasure of Zhongzhou, the Five Elements Crown, which had already birthed a demonic spirit—their party's strength could only be described as terrifying.
Having sensed the Demonic Voice of the Heavenly Dao, Qin Sang had deduced that something was amiss with the Five Elements Crown.
His earlier questioning of Master Xingji had confirmed his suspicions: the one causing turmoil back then had been the ancient demon, but not merely the ancient demon. The Daoist nun who had set the trap at Dishou Mountain was actually the spirit treasure's demonic spirit. Merging with the ancient demon, she had been assaulted by the Demonic Voice of the Heavenly Dao, her intelligence replaced by madness, rendering communication impossible.
Even if this group perished in Guixu, they should have left behind some insights; he would find out upon reaching Mount Daiyu in the future.
If he arrived early enough, perhaps someone might still be alive.
Reflecting upon his own situation, Qin Sang had only just consolidated his realm after reaching Deity Transformation, having had no time yet for further cultivation. Even before the heavenly upheaval, a Deity Transformation cultivator would cultivate diligently for years, only contemplating ascension when they reached the limit of their progression. Now, Guixu was undoubtedly even more perilous.
Setting off east too early, his cultivation would be insufficient.
Departing too late, he would be isolated and without allies.
It was truly a difficult dilemma!
Qin Sang let out a soft sigh, flicked his finger to return the jade slip, and asked after a moment of contemplation, "When the two fellow Daoists asked me for the formula of the Spirit Calming Incense, was it also to deduce a superior Spirit Calming Incense with even greater efficacy? How many sticks did they manage to craft? Were any left behind? Bring them for me to see."
Hearing Qin Sang's question, both Xingren and the other monk's eyes lit up.
They keenly caught the word "also" in Qin Sang's phrasing.
Ever since Qin Sang appeared, a question had weighed on their minds: just how had this man overcome the inner demon tribulation?
Judging from Qin Sang's tone, the Demonic Voice of the Heavenly Dao had not vanished.
If Qin Sang did not volunteer the answer, it was improper for them to ask directly, leaving them practically scratching their heads in agony.
They knew that Qin Sang had borne the terrifying pressure of being hunted by the demon Saint King and still managed to achieve Deity Transformation so swiftly; his mental fortitude was undeniably top-tier. Yet Saint Huiguang had stated that the inner demon tribulation could not be overcome through strong character alone; one had to have something to rely on.
They recalled that when Qin Sang's external incarnation stayed at the monastery, he had delved into alchemy, frequently consulting alchemy grandmasters.
Could it be that True Monarch Qin's thoughts had coincided with their martial uncle's—that he too had begun deducing the recipe before breaking through to Deity Transformation, successfully concocting superior Spirit Calming Incense and stumbling his way past the inner demon tribulation?
If only superior Spirit Calming Incense truly worked, they too would have a glimmer of hope!
With Qin Sang giving the order, Master Xingji dared not refuse; rising, he offered an apology.
Qin Sang said, "I shall go with you."
Master Xingji paused silently, then turned to Xingren and the other monk. "You two come as well."
Exiting the Immeasurable Hall, they arrived at a forbidden area within Ganlu Zen Monastery. Qin Sang watched as Master Xingji produced a jade casket. Upon opening it, a translucent emerald glow emerged, accompanied by a refreshing fragrance that struck the nose.
Seeing the treasures inside clearly, however, Qin Sang frowned slightly. Within the casket were not sticks of incense, but three clusters of green light gently fluctuating, not yet formed into shape.
Master Xingji explained, "Martial Uncle and the Saint King assembled alchemy grandmasters to deduce the formula and ultimately achieved results. They refined five sticks of superior Spirit Calming Incense, but due to a shortage of spiritual herbs, only two ultimately took shape, leaving behind three uncompleted masses."
Qin Sang asked for the recipe for the superior Spirit Calming Incense. Seeing the newly added spiritual herbs, he could not help but click his tongue in marvel.
The new herbs were all natural treasures whose value surpassed that of the original formula by far more than a single tier; some had even been obtained from the Immortal Palace. Even with two Deity Transformation cultivators scouring both races, they had only managed to refine two sticks and produce three incense embryos.
Naturally, valuable herbs alone were not enough to craft spirit incense. Xiaoxiangzi's original creation of the Spirit Calming Incense had been pioneering; extending Xiaoxiangzi's line of thought had actually made their deduction easier.
All the newly added herbs harmonized with the medicinal properties of the Spirit Calming Incense.
Because his external incarnation had studied the Dao of alchemy, though Qin Sang was not quite an alchemy grandmaster, comprehending this formula posed no problem at all. Moreover, he knew that so long as the remaining spiritual herbs were gathered, refining these three clusters of green light anew would yield three sticks of superior Spirit Calming Incense—far simpler than starting from scratch.
"Thousand-Leaf Spirit-Awakening Lingzhi..."
Looking at spiritual herbs he had never even heard of, Qin Sang inwardly shook his head. Assembling the complete list of ingredients would be no easy feat.
These three incense embryos of Spirit Calming Incense were naturally something he would accept with a smile; he doubted Ganlu Zen Monastery would dare refuse him.
To his surprise, before Qin Sang could speak, Master Xingji's expression grew solemn, and he bowed deeply to him. "This poor monk has disclosed everything known to me, and willingly offers these three spirit embryos to True Monarch, hoping they may be of some small assistance to you."
Holding the jade casket, Qin Sang remained expressionless, merely looking at him with a faint, half-smile.
The expressions of Xingren and the other monk shifted subtly.
Though they were merely embryos, the difficulty of refining them was extraordinarily high, having succeeded only through the personal efforts of two Deity Transformation cultivators.
Originally, they would only have needed to gather the missing herbs; giving away the embryos meant they would have to start from scratch, and without a Deity Transformation cultivator's aid, the chance of failure would increase dramatically.
Ignoring the two monks and noting Qin Sang's expression, Master Xingji sighed heavily. "Martial Uncle Huiguang was blinded by obsession, using the *Heavenly Demon Spirit Illumination Scripture* to mislead True Monarch and planting karmic cause. Now that True Monarch has come knocking, we, his successors, must bear the consequence."
Qin Sang remarked indifferently, "I had not yet pressed the matter, yet you brought it up yourself."
Master Xingji felt bitter inside. That secret technique was an authentic heritage of the monastery, impossible to deny; once Qin Sang demanded accountability, it would be too late.
"Martial Uncle informed this poor monk of this affair, so I too share the fault. I am willing to pay with this life to True Monarch—not hoping to sever the karma, but only wishing to quell True Monarch's wrath. The other monks of the temple know nothing of this; I beg True Monarch not to implicate the innocent."
Saying this, Master Xingji sat cross-legged on the ground.
Only now did Xingren and the other monk learn the truth, filled with immense shock.
"Senior brother, junior brother, you must remember: this was done of my own free will. You must harbor no resentment toward True Monarch."
Master Xingji pressed his palms together, extinguishing his own life force.
"Amitabha."
Seeing their abbot pass into nirvana, the two monks understood his painstaking intentions, sorrow flooding their faces.
Qin Sang took a deep look at Master Xingji, gave a soft sigh, and raised a finger to press against the center of his brow.
Master Xingji jolted awake, dazed and momentarily believing he was in hell, while the two monks beamed with pleasant surprise and gratitude.
Closing the jade casket, Qin Sang said flatly, "This karma lies between Fellow Daoist Huiguang and me; naturally, I shall seek him out alone to settle it. Make haste to summon the various sects of Zhongzhou—I have matters of great import to discuss."
Chapter 1720