*Swoosh!*
The Grey Oriole Sword sank back into Qin Sang's palm.
The burly man slid down the stone wall and collapsed onto the ground, reverting to his true form—a magnificent, striped tiger.
Qin Sang glanced at the carcass and looked around the hidden chamber.
The furnishings inside were sparse; aside from the two stone chambers housing the jade orb and the teleportation array, there were only two other rooms.
If this was meant to be a place for cultivation, it was far too shabby for two Transformation-stage great demons.
This was clearly a temporary cave dwelling!
Yet such a temporary dwelling had been meticulously fortified with protective array restrictions.
Breaking through the mountain wall with a single sword strike just now had only been possible because the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had first used its divine ability to spy out the weakness in the restrictions, coupled with the combined might of the pseudo-spirit treasure Grey Oriole Sword and the Seven Po Killing Array.
As Qin Sang's cultivation progressed and his comprehension of the Seven Kills Sword Array deepened, his execution had gained a degree of effortless control, no longer requiring the grand, earth-shaking fanfare of the past.
To an outsider, it seemed like a single beam of sword light, but in truth, it contained the full power of a sword array.
Protective restrictions on the outside, a teleportation array on the inside—for two demon beasts to lurk here, it had to have been a premeditated plot, making one question their true motives.
Qin Sang scanned the tiger demon's corpse and spotted a jade bracelet on its right wrist. Beckoning it into his hand, it turned out to be a spatial treasure, as expected.
Rummaging through it, Qin Sang retrieved a golden seal inscribed with two characters written in the demonic script of the Guifang Kingdom:
"Commander Yu."
After deciding to head to Jushan Diocese, Qin Sang had been keeping an eye out for any intelligence regarding the Guifang Kingdom, as they could well become formidable adversaries in the future.
The Guifang Kingdom was known as the realm of demons and ghosts; it housed more than just demons, but demon cultivators formed the dominant mainstream.
Even more overt than the Daoist Court, the Guifang Kingdom bore the word "kingdom" right in its name, and like the Daoist Court, it established official ranks with clear hierarchies and distinct gradations, functioning in every sense as a true state.
Only demon cultivators of the Transformation stage were qualified to hold the rank of demon commander; above them were demon marquises, and above those, one could be hailed as a king.
Qin Sang had yet to uncover information regarding higher echelons, and did not know whether demon kings were all demon cultivators at the Void Refining stage, but given that the Guifang Kingdom had contested the Daoist Court for so long without falling into disadvantage, the kingdom certainly lacked no supreme powerhouses.
The presence of this golden seal indicated that the tiger demon was a demon commander of the Guifang Kingdom, a figure of high status and significant power.
The character "Yu" could be interpreted in several ways.
It could be the title or name of this tiger demon.
Qin Sang also remembered that in the cultivation world, tiger demons had an alternate alias: Yu Clerk.
The demon who had escaped was presumably a demon commander as well. For two Guifang Kingdom demon commanders to lurk in such a remote borderland, they could hardly be lying in wait just for a few Golden Core juniors.
Qin Sang looked back outside the mountain. Since he had casually captured the strongest white tiger earlier, the pressure on Shi Xuan and the others had lessened substantially, and the battle at the blue fox's shrine was drawing to a close.
There were several other useful treasures within the tiger demon's jade bracelet. Qin Sang put them away for the moment and leaned down to inspect the tiger demon's corpse.
Earlier, the tiger demon had been slain with a single sword strike before it could display its true strength. Qin Sang had not seen the internal spirit it contemplated, but he sensed fluctuations similar to those on the snake demon.
"Senior... Senior Qingfeng, this is..."
Shi Xuan's hesitant voice sounded outside the cavern.
Most of the demon gods had been slain by Shi Xuan's trio, with three taken alive, including the white tiger Qin Sang had immobilized at the end. The trio hurried over with their captives, and upon seeing the tiger demon's corpse, a chill of lingering fear seized them.
Shi Xuan had never imagined that the helper he had casually recruited halfway would be a Zhenren, nor that a seemingly simple mission would harbor such lethal danger.
Qin Sang summoned the captured demon gods over and interrogated them, discovering that none of them recognized the tiger demon.
They had all gained spiritual sentience inexplicably some time ago, driven by an unseen force that compelled them to erect shrines, pose as demon gods, and manifest divine miracles among the ghost-folk to make them bow in worship.
Without doubt, the awakening of these demon gods was tied to the two demon commanders.
Unaware of the inner workings, Qin Sang could not fathom their intent, but connecting it to the orthodox gods enfeoffed by the Daoist Court, he faintly sensed a hidden conspiracy lurking beneath.
Shi Xuan and the others had thought of this as well; the best course of action was to report the matter to the Daoist Court as quickly as possible.
Yet Qin Sang was the one who had killed the tiger demon, so they did not dare speak out of turn. Even Shen Huo, usually the most boisterous, had become quiet and reserved.
Knowing they could not linger here, Qin Sang tossed the commander's seal and the demon gods back to them, then kicked the tiger carcass toward Shi Xuan and asked, "These should be worth a substantial amount of merit, correct?"
Shi Xuan caught the commander's seal. Glancing at it, shock registered on his face. "Bringing back the corpse of a demon commander along with this news will be a major contribution regardless of whether it unravels the Guifang Kingdom's plot. The Daoist Court will surely reward Senior handsomely—the Daoist Court is never stingy toward those with merit."
He dared not skim any share of Qin Sang's credit, and resolved to persuade his companions to hand over all the original mission rewards to Qin Sang as well.
As they spoke, everyone gathered the spoils and flew away from the mountain with their captives.
Qin Sang led the way, with the trio following closely behind.
Instead of returning by the way they came, they took a detour to avoid running into pursuers.
After flying at full speed for several days, no sign of enemies appeared.
Qin Sang suddenly descended on his escape light, landing on a barren mountain. Turning around, he said, "There shouldn't be any pursuers now. You are heading straight to Mount Heming, yes? You may take the spoils back first, and Fellow Daoist Shi can claim my merit on my behalf. Pindao has other pressing business and must delay for a few days. I will come find you at Mount Heming before long."
Mount Heming was the largest immortal city in Jushan Diocese, a name said to originate from a legendary sacred mountain in Daoist lore.
The Daoist Court issued ritual writs at Mount Heming, and Zhenren were stationed there to guard it. However, the Daoist Court was not the sole power in the city; factions rooted in Jushan Diocese like Zhoujue Yintian Palace were also present, creating a diverse and complicated mix.
With the Daoist Court's foundation, claiming exclusive dominion over the city would have been effortless. It was said that the Daoist Court deliberately allowed this arrangement to maintain an unspoken tacit understanding and balance.
Thus, Mount Heming's renown spread far and wide, making it the primary stronghold for Daoist cultivators operating in Jushan Diocese.
Shi Xuan and his companions had originally planned to go to Mount Heming after completing the writ's mission to temper themselves in Jushan Diocese for a time. Now that this incident had occurred, returning quickly was all the more urgent.
Hearing Qin Sang's words, the trio stared blankly for a moment, not daring to pry. After agreeing on a means of contact, they took their leave of Qin Sang and departed in haste.
Qin Sang was not worried that they would embezzle his merit. After watching the three leave, he glanced around and slipped into the mountains.
One month later.
When Qin Sang emerged from his cave dwelling, a touch of gloom had settled onto his expression.
Counting the years, in roughly thirty more, it would be six hundred years since he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage.
This meant his second Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was drawing near.
The Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation struck once every three hundred years. It was the greatest test for a cultivator and would not shift simply because their cultivation realm changed.
If someone were unfortunate enough to break through to Deity Transformation right as the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation approached, they would have to prepare to face two heavenly tribulations in succession.
Qin Sang could already sense the aura of the heavenly tribulation; even after leaving the Storm Realm, it had not been delayed.
Prior to this, Qin Sang had not been worried about the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, even though his current condition was worse than ever and subject to numerous restrictions.
The power of heavenly tribulations accumulated with each occurrence and was somewhat related to the cultivator's cultivation level, but it would not exceed certain boundaries; after all, there was an upper limit.
In the cultivation world, those who only encountered their second Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation after breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage were as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns—at least in the Storm Realm.
Qin Sang had reasoned that with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's assistance, an arsenal of supreme treasures and secret arts, two top-tier sword arrays at his disposal, the Acquired Wooden Man Stele forged using the Dao Manifestation Tree, and the Inner Lion Seal capable of instantly recovering from injuries, he was fully confident of surviving this tribulation even if his strength had not completely recovered. Hence, he had not been anxious.
Unexpectedly, when he struck out to slay the demon earlier, an inexplicable palpitation of dread had gripped his heart.
After entering secluded cultivation for a month and examining it thoroughly, he realized it likely stemmed from the upcoming heavenly tribulation!
The next heavenly tribulation was very likely to undergo an abnormal mutation that could threaten his life!
He wondered whether coming to this different realm had caused the tribulation to change.
None of the sects in the Storm Realm possessed relevant records; it was a total blank, offering no prior experience to draw upon.
While the sensation seemed ethereal and vague, where life and death were concerned, Qin Sang dared not be negligent.
Thus, only two paths remained before him: first, find a method to stabilize his origin qi as quickly as possible to restore his power; second, seek a breakthrough in the Dao of body cultivation to regain combat prowess at the Deity Transformation level.
From years of open inquiries and discreet investigations, Qin Sang knew that stabilizing origin qi had to begin with the ritual registers.
As for how to obtain a register, Qin Sang had gathered some clues, but he had no leads on whether he could qualify to receive a Deity Transformation-grade register within thirty years.
The higher the ritual rank, the less likely one could pass easily. It required meticulous planning and allowed no room for error.
By contrast, the Dao of body cultivation held greater promise.
Body cultivators thrived like fish in water in this realm.
Tempering his flesh with the ancient qi of the Six Heavens, combined with the unrefined Dragon Transformation Pool spiritual liquid remaining in his body, and at most acquiring some pills beneficial for body cultivation, Qin Sang was confident that within thirty years, he could cultivate the Heavenly Demon Refining Form to the peak of the fourth tier.
The sole difficulty was where to find a place to guide astral essence for body infusion.
When traveling through Zhongmao Diocese and Baishi Diocese, Qin Sang had paid special attention, but had found no such precious lands.
"Mount Heming..."
Qin Sang raised his head, gazing toward the north.
Due to its unique status, the immortal city of Mount Heming was destined to be the place where news circulated fastest. It would do well to wait until entering the city to investigate before making a decision.
...
Whether due to rampant demons and fiends or some other reason, the weather in Jushan Diocese was always more overcast than clear.
A murky grey yin qi seemed to float perpetually through heaven and earth, lingering without dispelling.
Even Mount Heming, acclaimed as the foremost immortal city, was no exception.
Bearing the name Mount Heming, the immortal city was indeed built upon mountains, yet not upon a single peak; rather, it linked together a boundless expanse of summits.
The true Mount Heming referred to the most majestic divine peak at the center of the ranges, but the name now stood for the entire immortal city.
The immortal city was perched atop the mountaintops.
Below the mountains lay a vast, mist-shrouded lake of bottomless depth.
It was as though someone possessing great divine ability had cleaved away this section of the earth, elevated it ten thousand fathoms into the sky, and used a thousand mountains as pillars to prop up the immortal city.
Looking up from the surface of the lake, one could see a landmass suspended in the heavens.
The immortal city possessed eight entrances situated at eight cardinal directions, each with a broad stone stairway that snaked down along the peaks below, plunging straight to the bottom of the lake.
No matter one's background, even immortal officials of the Daoist Court had to land honestly and proceed on foot if they wished to enter the immortal city.
Viewed from afar, the edges of the immortal city had no walls, nor did there appear to be any powerful restrictive arrays.
Yet no one was foolish enough to cause trouble here, and even the Guifang Kingdom's armies deliberately steered clear of Mount Heming.
Not only were Daoist Court immortal officials stationed here, but legend held that the cave dwelling of the Palace Master of Yintian Palace lay near the immortal city, though none knew upon which mountain.
The South Gate of the immortal city.
Two cultivators wearing bamboo conical hats concealing their faces and dressed in dark Daoist robes were walking down the mountain on foot.
One of them shook his head and cursed, "Foul luck! Pindao was tangled up by those few heterodox Daoists and delayed for half an hour, and all the newly issued ritual writs from the Daoist sect were snapped up!"
His companion asked in surprise, "Brother Daoist, haven't you always cursed the Daoist Court for being dictatorial and holding positions without doing real work? Why take up the Daoist Court's ritual writs then?"
The man snorted. "Pindao curses the Daoist Court out of hatred for its inaction—ruling with an iron fist internally while failing to muster all strength to sweep away the demonic miasma, restore clarity to heaven and earth, and letting the Guifang Kingdom grow powerful! The ritual writs mostly involve hunting demons and ghosts, and the Daoist Court's rewards are generally generous. Why shouldn't Pindao accept them?"
His companion laughed. "You certainly keep your grievances and interests distinct, Brother Daoist. But there are still plenty of writs from the Daoist Court that no one touches. Why don't you tear down one of those so you don't return empty-handed..."
"Do you think Lord Daoist is an idiot?"
...
The two talked as they walked, failing to notice a young man brushing past them.
This person was none other than Qin Sang, who had traveled countless leagues to get here.
The immortal city had no walls, nor could it truly be said to have gates; ascending the mountain steps was equivalent to entering the city.
There was no strict inspection, only a bronze mirror suspended high in the air.
Qin Sang paused slightly, casting an imperceptible glance at the bronze mirror, and entered the immortal city with an impassive expression. The mirror did not react.
He was in no hurry to seek out Shi Xuan and the others, looking first for the Daoist Court, and located its position without breaking a sweat.
Flying was forbidden within the city, but immortal birds, spiritual beasts, and carriage transports were available. Qin Sang rented a beast carriage and entered meditative contemplation.
After an unknown time, the pulling spiritual beast nudged him awake.
"Exalted Immortal, we have arrived at Celestial Pivot Court."
Qin Sang stepped down from the carriage and paid the fare. Looking to his left, amidst misty drizzle, pavilions and palaces were nestled as though floating in the depths of a sea of clouds, appearing like a celestial realm. This was the Celestial Pivot Court.
Looking to the right, directly opposite Celestial Pivot Court, was the Northern Pole Exorcism Court.
The style of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court was far colder and more austere, consisting largely of black, square stone halls.
Before each court stood a hundred-zhang-tall ceremonial archway inscribed with celestial palace spiritual script displaying the names of the two courts.
Though the two courts were separate, in Jushan Diocese they could be regarded as one, sharing a single common goal: slaying demons and vanquishing ghosts!
At this moment, quite a few Daoists were gathered beneath the archways on both sides.
Qin Sang divided a wisp of divine sense and probed into the archway of the Celestial Pivot Court. Immediately, he felt himself enter a dark space, where he "saw" clusters of suspended golden light.
Within each cluster of golden light was a golden talisman—the ritual writs he had long heard of.
It was the same on the other side.
Every so often, the Daoist Court would issue new ritual writs, and the people waiting under the archways were anticipating fresh postings.
As for those left behind, every single one was exceedingly perilous, such that no one dared take them for the time being.
For some of them, Qin Sang reckoned that even he would find them arduous.
Yet he read through them with relish, paying special attention to the rewards listed within the writs, among which were many treasures he had never heard of before.
At that moment, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation of surprise. He discovered that one reward permitted the petitioner to request the Master of a Daoist Court Parish to take action once, provided it did not violate righteous Dao.
Looking closer, one could actually enlist the aid of an expert whose cultivation far surpassed one's own through the Daoist Court, provided one could pay enough merit!
Seeing this, Qin Sang's heart leaped.
That evening.
Qin Sang appeared in a small shop specializing in intelligence trading, and asked the white-haired old Daoist before him:
"Within our Daoist sect, which faction specializes in talismans and incantations that guide starlight?"
The old Daoist gave him an odd look. "The orthodox registers of the Daoist Court correspond above to the deities of the Dipper Department. Naturally, it is immortal officials who are most proficient in stellar slaughter incantations."
Chapter 1757