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The Daoist looked composed. "If Fellow Daoist agrees, you need do nothing at all to earn my gratitude, and I will certainly pay a visit afterward to thank you properly. If, however, you tip off my enemies, at most they might spoil my endeavor this time—they cannot hope to keep me here. Meanwhile, you will have gained another adversary. Which is lighter and which is heavier, I trust you can weigh for yourself." "Are you threatening me?" Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. The Daoist opened his mouth, but just as he was about to speak, his brow furrowed. His spirit sword hummed, executing eight swift slashes around him in an instant. The eight sword rays were exceptionally fierce, yet extending only a foot from his body, they broke apart into streaks of sword qi. Then, upon making contact with empty space, countless wisps of sword qi vanished one after another, concealed who knew where. The Daoist stared at Qin Sang, his tone betraying neither joy nor anger. "I did not expect Fellow Daoist to be adept in the arts of poison as well. This poison is remarkably wondrous; though I have never encountered it before, I know that should it seep into my body, disaster would surely follow. Fortunately, I possess some attainments in the way of transforming sword into myriad forms, where a single sword can manifest all phenomena—otherwise, I would have had a hard time detecting it." Though his ploy had been seen through, Qin Sang's expression remained unchanged, even as he was inwardly amazed. The moment he had sensed the sneak attack earlier, he had activated the Poison Pearl to discreetly release poison. Derived from the innate poison of the Bloodthirsty Miasma Spirit, it was naturally extraordinary. He had not expected the Daoist to discover it so quickly. Qin Sang felt an invisible force mingling within the poison. It was likely the Daoist's spirit sword melting and fleeing into it, merging with the toxins and even faintly threatening to divide and seize them. One had to realize that this poison stemmed from a fifth-transformation spirit insect, even if from an insect corpse. The subtlety and wonder of this person's sword arts were truly unlike anything Qin Sang had ever witnessed. At least among fellow cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage, he had never seen anyone who could match him. Had Senior Qingzhu not perished and instead cultivated to the very peak of the Nascent Soul stage, he might have barely touched such a realm. This deepened Qin Sang's vigilance by several degrees. This poison had actually served as a probe. Qin Sang had already secretly readied the Heavenly Absolute Soul-Shaking Divine Needle. After some deliberation, however, he ultimately withdrew the divine ability and silently urged the Poison Pearl. The toxins scattered across the void were drawn back one after another. If the needle failed to hit, it would lead to a fight to the bitter death. The other party being tied down did not mean he was unable to exert his full strength. Qin Sang reckoned that given his current state, it was ill-advised to engage in a life-and-death struggle with a peak powerhouse. If this truly were a misunderstanding, striking without any visible benefit would be utterly foolish. Beyond that, Qin Sang harbored another concern. Star Valley was the place with the richest astral essence power he had found so far. Even if it could not bring about his direct breakthrough, should he enlist someone's aid in the future, casting the technique here in Star Valley would still add an extra margin of success. He still did not know how Star Valley had formed. If he and the Daoist fought with all their might, they would very likely ruin this precious site. Seeing Qin Sang withdraw his ability, the Daoist nodded with a smile and formed an incantation gesture. The spirit sword flashed out of the void—gliding forth from who knew where—and flew into his sleeve. Next, the Daoist flicked a finger, sending a streak of flowing light toward Qin Sang. Qin Sang surged his true essence to catch it, finding it to be a golden medallion. "If Fellow Daoist ever wishes to find me, simply activate the restriction inside the golden medallion while at Mount Heming," the Daoist briefly explained the medallion's usage and swore an oath. Qin Sang casually put it away into his Qianjun Ring and said indifferently, "I fear what I seek is something you cannot provide." "Oh?" Intrigued, the Daoist said, "Why not tell me?" Qin Sang appraised the Daoist, seemingly deep in thought. A moment later, he asked, "May I ask which sect you hail from?" What did he want? Without question, a talismanic register! In this realm, one could only cultivate after receiving a register. With this Daoist's cultivation, his standing in a sect would surely be exalted—take the Xuanji Sect, for instance, which possessed only a single sect master at the Deity Transformation stage. He wondered whether this person had the authority to employ an ancestral altar to confer a register upon an outsider. The Daoist shook his head slightly. "It is not that I dare not disclose my origins before you... I belong to no sect or school." Belonged to no sect or school? Qin Sang's brows knitted slightly. "Are you an immortal official of the Daoist Court?" How immense was the Daoist Court's power? Would a faction he had never even heard of dare hunt down a Daoist Court immortal official? "Who said I must be a member of the Daoist sects?" The Daoist countered with a question. He referred to himself as "this poor Daoist," yet claimed not to belong to the Daoist sects, which sounded somewhat peculiar. Yet Qin Sang understood what he meant. A term immediately flashed through his mind—a rogue cultivator! Could there actually be rogue cultivators in this realm? A flash of insight struck Qin Sang, making him realize he might have fallen into a misconception. Ever since arriving in this realm, the very first cultivator he had encountered was an immortal official of the Daoist Court. From Zhongmao Diocese all the way here, everything he had seen and heard was under the firm control of the Daoist Court, orderly and strictly regulated. With the ancient qi of the Six Heavens running rampant in this realm, cultivation required relying on talismanic registers—even for monster cultivators. Qin Sang had assumed there was simply no room for rogue cultivators to exist here. The Daoist's words prompted Qin Sang to recall his experiences since entering Jushan Diocese. In truth, there had been suspicious clues earlier. Mount Heming was the largest immortal city in Jushan Diocese, situated at the heart of the vortex, yet its overt security was not particularly strict. In order to accept Daoist Court decrees, he had attempted to leave a spiritual pact with the Daoist Court under his forged identity. He had concocted that identity merely to ride the grand teleportation formations, without putting much effort into it, yet unexpectedly passed inspection with ease—one could even say there had barely been any inspection. Qin Sang had originally thought the Daoist Court held reservations about the other major power, Yintian Palace, or was internally prepared to abandon this city at any moment. For the Daoist Court, rebuilding an immortal city was a simple matter. Now it seemed more likely that they had intentionally relaxed oversight to leave an opening for practitioners outside the Daoist sects. What kind of strength did factions outside the Daoist Court possess? And how did they resolve the challenges of cultivation? Did they also have to seek talismanic registers from the Daoist Court? If so, obtaining a register might not be as difficult as he had imagined. In a flash, Qin Sang connected many dots and nodded. "Indeed, I did not expect someone of your caliber to appear outside the Daoist sects." The Daoist pointed outside and said, "You must have arrived in Jushan Diocese not long ago. The landscape here is vastly different from the Daoist Court's Twin Dioceses; stay a little longer, and you will see." Qin Sang nodded. At present, his mind was entirely focused on preparing to cross his tribulation, and his departure this time had indeed been somewhat rushed. "I am merely curious: where did you obtain the qualification to receive a register?" The Daoist gave Qin Sang a profound look. "In Jushan Diocese, the world does not belong entirely to the Daoist sects. There are Dharma altars outside the Daoist sects capable of conferring registers, but at a realm such as yours and mine, one can only seek them from the Daoist Court. That is where our hardship lies—obtaining a register is difficult beyond measure, yet without one, our progress halts here. The path of cultivation is fraught with hardship at every step. It is unlike you, a successor of the orthodox Daoist line, who may receive a register as soon as your deeds and cultivation suffice, your future bright." Just as Qin Sang had expected, cultivators in this realm—regardless of whether they hailed from Daoist sects—had to receive a register. Unintentionally, the Daoist had pointed out another path for him. Yet Qin Sang required a register at the Deity Transformation stage. According to the Daoist, one had to petition the Daoist Court for that, and qualifying to receive a register was no easy feat. Qin Sang pondered, and was just about to inquire further when the Daoist's expression suddenly shifted. Cupping his hands, he said, "My enemies are using secret arts to track me down again. I must go into seclusion at once to avoid being found. I beg your pardon, Fellow Daoist. Within a few years, I should be able to resolve my troubles, and then we may share wine and pleasant conversation." Frowning slightly, Qin Sang held his tongue; he had no desire to be dragged into a pointless conflict. Furthermore, the more questions he asked, the more likely he was to expose his lack of knowledge. It would be better to return and investigate thoroughly. Armed with the information provided by the Daoist, he could now search with clear purpose, which should make things easier. At this thought, Qin Sang cupped his hands slightly, conjured his escape light, and sped toward the exit of the subterranean tunnel. Standing upon the water's surface, the Daoist watched Qin Sang depart before slowly sinking beneath the depths. The subterranean cavern gradually returned to silence, save for the gurgling stream. Exiting Star Valley, Qin Sang cast a backward glance, lingered no further, and returned directly to Mount Heming. Reflecting on the clash with the Daoist, though brief, it had yielded considerable gains. The might of the Postcelestial Wooden Man Stele had not disappointed him, strengthening his resolve to continue studying the technique diligently. Even after his cultivation fully recovered in the future, this technique would substantially enhance his combat strength. He met no mishaps along the way. Qin Sang returned smoothly to Mount Heming. Upon entering the city, Qin Sang continued preparing on two fronts, cultivating tirelessly while gathering intelligence based on the information provided by the Daoist. After several months, he finally gained a relatively comprehensive understanding. Qin Sang confirmed one thing: the sects of Jushan Diocese paid lip service to the Daoist Court and called themselves Daoist, but in truth, they did not necessarily belong to the orthodox Daoist heritage. Although these sects were not truly Daoist, they maintained some ties with the Daoist Court. With the Daoist Court and the Guifang Kingdom locked in confrontation, no power could remain neutral; failing to lean toward the Daoist Court meant aligning with demons and fiends. There were also rogue cultivators in Jushan Diocese, but they were not entirely without roots either. Indeed, there were Dharma altars outside the Daoist sects capable of transmitting registers, and their requirements were not as stringent as those of the Daoist sects. However, according to the information Qin Sang gathered, these talismanic registers could at most support cultivation up to the Shengxuan Dharma rank—namely, the Nascent Soul stage—and most harbored deficiencies, which was precisely why the Daoist sects termed them external registers. The Daoist had clearly discerned Qin Sang's true cultivation level, indirectly proving his strength. Having uncovered this, Qin Sang attempted to make contact with a sect called Taoheng Mountain. Had he been willing to trade merits, obtaining the qualification to receive a register would likely not have been difficult. However, as his understanding of talismanic registers grew, he found himself hesitating instead. Daoist talismanic registers encompassed everything under heaven; whichever register one received dictated what kind of register altar one had to form. Among the three major branches of the Daoist sects, the Dragon Tiger Altar had actually borrowed from monster registers, and strength-cultivators had no need for calming their true qi. Qin Sang could only cultivate either a Soldier and Steed Altar or a Golden Seal Altar. Comparing the two, he leaned toward the Golden Seal Altar. Thus, he had to take his existing possessions into account and carefully consider which register to cultivate, hoping to forge the register altar as swiftly as possible after receiving the register and to select one best suited to himself. A register below the Deity Transformation stage was not an urgent need for Qin Sang; even without one, he had few rivals at the Nascent Soul stage. The difficult problem lay in how to obtain the qualification to receive a register from the Daoist Court. Qin Sang would only find out once he made direct contact with the Daoist Court, but what was certain was that obtaining its recognition required an untainted background capable of withstanding scrutiny. And that was precisely what Qin Sang lacked. Everything seemed to have returned to square one, but in truth it had not; acquiring an identity outside the Daoist sects was far easier than sneaking into them. Armed with this information, Qin Sang thought that scheming for a register qualification would require long-term planning. Time was not on his side, so it was better to first focus on how to achieve a breakthrough in body refinement, which offered greater hope. He rented a cave dwelling in the immortal city and concentrated wholly on cultivating the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form*. Drawing the ancient qi of the Six Heavens into his body to temper his flesh worked in synergy with the astral essence power, while the spirit liquid from the Dragon Transformation Pool provided further aid, making his cultivation speed far surpass before. Were it not for the danger of mental disturbance, this realm would undoubtedly be a blessed land for strength-cultivators. In just five short years, Qin Sang felt his progress advance by leaps and bounds, as if he had undergone a metamorphosis. During this period, Qin Sang had not turned a blind eye or deaf ear to external affairs. Shi Xuan and the others regularly sent in all manner of news, while Qin Sang himself occasionally made contact with various factions to learn as much as possible about this world. On this day. A streak of blue light flew into the cave dwelling, manifesting as a talisman before Qin Sang. The talisman shattered, and several lines of information flashed into Qin Sang's mind. A moment later, Qin Sang opened his eyes, a pensive look on his face. Having established a spiritual pact with the Daoist Court, as long as he had a lodging in the immortal city, he could have the Daoist Court deliver decrees directly to him. By now, he understood that the Daoist Court issued decrees partly to distribute benefits and appease outside factions. Given the unique environment of this realm, if the Daoist Court did not win them over, it would be tantamount to pushing them toward the Guifang Kingdom. At the same time, troublesome matters could be delegated to outsiders—killing two birds with one stone. Of course, these decrees never touched upon genuine secrets. The talisman conveyed a batch of newly issued Daoist Court decrees, one of which caught Qin Sang's eye. The decree stated that upon completion, one would receive a keepsake token from a Dongxuan Real Man of the Daoist Court. With this token, one could request the Dongxuan Real Man to intervene once. However, it was not to fight enemies. This Dongxuan Real Man was skilled in the Dao of Alchemy and enjoyed great renown; requesting him to refine pills was something countless people dreamed of. A Dongxuan Real Man was equivalent to a Deity Transformation cultivator. Qin Sang had been waiting for just such a decree. His plan was to exchange the decree's reward through the Daoist Court to enlist the Master of the Xuanji Sect. Decrees that could earn an attack from a Deity Transformation cultivator against an enemy were bound to be perilous in the extreme, whereas this one struck the perfect balance. Asking the Master of the Xuanji Sect to cast an incantation to perform an astral essence body infusion was comparable to asking someone to refine pills. Naturally, with sufficient merits, one might also have a chance to enlist the Xuanji Sect Master, but that would mean begging for a favor; if the other party refused, Qin Sang would be helpless. Moreover, over these five years, he had spent a substantial amount of merits trading for spirit herbs from the Daoist Court to accelerate his progress. Amassing merits inevitably required rushing about, which disrupted cultivation. In addition, Qin Sang needed to prepare a Qingshuang Pill for the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, so befriending an alchemist in advance would do no harm. Qin Sang hesitated no further, immediately departing from the cave dwelling and heading straight for the Daoist Court. The one issuing this decree was the Northern Pole Exorcism Court. Qin Sang arrived in haste and extended his divine sense into the memorial archway. Seeing that the decree had not yet been taken, his divine sense made contact with it, and a path instantly appeared before him leading toward a grand black hall. Reaching the hall, the doors opened of their own accord. Qin Sang stepped inside and saw a Daoist sitting upright within. Stern and unsmiling, the man exuded an imposing, formidable aura. Sweeping his gaze over the man's attire, Qin Sang offered a Daoist salute. "Greetings, Nine Heavens Roving Envoy." The Nine Heavens Roving Envoy was an official rank of the fifth grade in the Northern Pole Exorcism Court, one grade higher than a Chief Altar Master. Judging from his aura, he already possessed late Nascent Soul stage cultivation. The Roving Envoy scrutinized Qin Sang. "Fellow Daoist, are you willing to accept this decree?" Qin Sang nodded. "That is indeed my intention, but I have one request." "Speak." "If I complete the decree, can the keepsake token be exchanged for that senior to step forward and request the Master of the Xuanji Sect to perform a favor?" The Roving Envoy did not make things difficult for Qin Sang. Pondering for a moment, he said, "Wait a moment, Fellow Daoist. I must inquire about that senior's wishes."