Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower

The Roving Envoy flashed between the two men. Yun Wei dispelled his divine ability as well. A flicker of reluctance crossed his face, yet he understood that one had to accept defeat with grace. Returning the courtesy, he hesitated briefly before saying, "This poor Daoist does not speak in hyperbole. This Essence-Dissipating Foul Curse is an authentic toxic curse handed down through my sect. Once it penetrates the five viscera, there is no cure. Having been struck by it, Fellow Daoist must not be careless if you detect anything amiss; you should seek a remedy as soon as possible." Qin Sang was slightly taken aback. The man was remarkably forthright. "Many thanks for the warning, Fellow Daoist. This poor Daoist understands." The Poison Bead could manipulate the origin poison of a fifth-transformation spirit insect, so naturally it did not fear a mere Essence-Dissipating Foul Curse. The moment the curse's venomous power had invaded his body, it had been sucked clean by the bead without harming him in the slightest. Even without the Poison Bead, Qin Sang possessed extraordinary resistance to virulent toxins once he assumed the Spirit Wood Body. Yun Wei's defeat had been predetermined from the start. At that moment, the habitually solemn Roving Envoy suddenly spoke up. "I once saw Fellow Daoist Yun Shan cast the Essence-Dissipating Foul Curse with my own eyes. To the naked eye, there seemed little difference in power, yet it was far less insidious than how you wield it now." Yun Wei demurred with modest restraint. "Senior Brother Yun Shan's cultivation is far higher than mine. This poor Daoist merely chanced upon a bit of good fortune." "I heard that your sect discovered an ancient Daoist ruin in northern Jushan Diocese some time ago and reaped a bountiful harvest. It seems the rumors were true," the Roving Envoy remarked, giving him a deep look. Yun Wei sighed. "What we obtained was nothing more than a few fragmented scrolls, useful only for patching up our sect's heritage. They could not help us break out of the old mold. When faced with an opponent like Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, was I not still completely helpless?" With that, Yun Wei excused himself to the Roving Envoy and turned to Qin Sang. "Until we meet again." He then strode away. Taking in their exchange, Qin Sang thought to himself that Mount Lougu seemed quite adept in poison-path talismans and curses. His thoughts drifted to his Poison Bead. Normally when confronting enemies, he could only release the virulent toxin within the bead stealthily. Not only was this inefficient, but it was also easily detected by an opponent, causing his efforts to fall flat at the crucial moment. Currently, the Heaven-Severing Soul-Shaking Divine Needle was the only major poison-path divine ability he possessed that utilized virulent toxins; there was still vast potential waiting to be tapped. If the opportunity arose in the future, it might not hurt to make contact with Mount Lougu. Amid these reflections, Qin Sang followed the Nine Heavens Roving Envoy back to the grand hall. The Roving Envoy said thoughtfully, "Fellow Daoist is a body-refining cultivator, so this dharma edict is not entirely suited to you. However, we had an agreement beforehand, and this poor Daoist will not stand in your way. Just be sure to act with caution." Saying so, the Roving Envoy handed the dharma edict to Qin Sang. Qin Sang scanned it, thoroughly surprised. "Gathering herbs?" He was neither required to hunt down demon commanders of the Guifang State nor carry out secret operations for the Daoist Court. On the contrary, the task was unexpectedly simple: merely retrieving a spiritual herb. Yet simple did not mean easy. The herb was called the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower, and the edict stated that it grew in a place named Mount Guidie. Mount Guidie was a major mountain range within Jushan Diocese, but it was situated on the diocese's eastern frontier, bordering the Guifang State. The edict was entirely upfront about the fact that this territory had already been absorbed into the Guifang State's domain and enfeoffed to a demon marquis. Qin Sang frowned and asked, "Could this Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower be the exclusive treasure of some great demon from the Guifang State?" Stealing herbs from the cave abode of a great demon was undoubtedly a suicidal endeavor. "Mount Guidie lies within a demon marquis's fief, but it is quite remote. Moreover, this spiritual herb has likely not been discovered by the demons; otherwise, it would have been harvested long ago. Once matured, this herb relocates within a certain perimeter during four specific two-hour periods each day, appearing and vanishing like a ghost. To be frank, even we cannot say for certain whether the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower truly exists on Mount Guidie; this deduction was made from certain clues. Upon arriving at Mount Guidie, you must first confirm the flower's existence. If the task proves impossible, do not force it; as long as you bring back definitive clues, Senior Lingxu will still offer appropriate compensation..." After explaining the characteristics of the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower, the Roving Envoy handed him a jade slip. The jade slip recorded a route to Mount Guidie and even marked the demonic forces in its vicinity. However, the Roving Envoy warned beforehand that this map had not been drawn recently. The situation was ever-changing, so it could not be taken as absolute gospel. Before long, Qin Sang took his leave. The Nine Heavens Roving Envoy watched Qin Sang's retreating figure until it vanished beyond the doors, then turned back to the inner hall. Outside, Qin Sang summoned a spirit beast, returned to his cave abode, brought out the dharma edict, and unrolled the map, falling into contemplation. Over the years, he had made a point of gathering information about Jushan Diocese. Barring any unforeseen developments, he would likely stay here for a long time, as the two dioceses under direct Daoist Court administration were not suitable for rogue cultivators. In a narrow sense, Jushan Diocese referred to the long, narrow strip of land stretching from east to west centered around where the armies of the Daoist Court and the Guifang State faced off. Cultivators of Jushan Diocese graphically called it the Yellow Springs Path. True to its name, it was the site of the greatest number of major clashes between the two sides, where blood had once flowed like rivers and corpses had piled into mountains. Mount Heming lay within the Yellow Springs Path, while the place where Qin Sang had slain the tiger demon and Star Valley marked its northern and southern fringes respectively. In truth, compared to the authentic Jushan Diocese, the Yellow Springs Path was not vast, spanning only twenty to thirty percent the size of Zhongmao Diocese. Historically, Jushan Diocese had been the largest among the Two Dioceses and Twin Mountains, said to be larger than Zhongmao Diocese and Baishi Diocese combined. The Yellow Springs Path resembled a battlefield set aside specifically for the Daoist Court and the Guifang State. It was not that the two sides had never considered subjugating all of Jushan Diocese, advancing step by step to occupy the entire realm and threaten the enemy's heartland. Yet history had proven those efforts futile; neither side could withstand the other's counterattacks, gradually producing today's stalemate. North of the Yellow Springs Path lay vast tracts of ownerless land, where countless sects and factions of Jushan Diocese were scattered. They avoided the battlefield, scraping by in the cracks between the two superpowers. Among the native sects of Jushan Diocese, Yintian Palace enjoyed the greatest renown. Those like Yintian Palace that dared to establish an immortal city directly within the maelstrom of war were rare as phoenix feathers. Other sects only wished their mountain gates were farther from the battlefield, which was precisely what had created the desolate swath where Star Valley lay. Yet these sects could hardly dream of cultivating in peace; outside roamed plenty of demon cultivators and human traitors propped up by the Guifang State, and covert struggles never ceased. Jushan Diocese was destined to remain in chaos. If Mount Guidie were situated outside the Yellow Springs Path, matters would be much simpler, but unfortunately reality was contrary to his hopes. For Qin Sang to reach Mount Guidie, the safest route was to bypass the area from either flank, slip into the Guifang State, and approach the mountain covertly. Yet the farther east he traveled, the closer he would draw to the Guifang State, requiring constant vigilance. "No matter. I can take the opportunity to see the local customs and conditions of Jushan Diocese..." Having formed a plan, Qin Sang murmured softly to himself. Early the next morning, Qin Sang left Mount Heming and set out alone. He did not follow the route outlined for him in the dharma edict. Upon leaving the city, he headed directly north. Recalling Star Valley along the way, he went to have a look; the valley had not suffered any destruction, though the Daoist was long gone. The Daoist's token was still in his hands, but Qin Sang was in no hurry to call in that favor. Continuing northward from Star Valley, Qin Sang barely encountered any cultivators along the way. This area was too close to the Guifang State's encampment, and demonic traces could be spotted from time to time. When cultivators of Jushan Diocese traveled south toward Mount Heming, they would deliberately detour west for a considerable distance; rare were those who dared pass straight through here. Crossing the boundless mountains, Qin Sang reached human territory once more, where he encountered a different sort of mortal. Unlike the ghost folk, they did not sleep in the wild or eat raw meat and drink blood, yet they could not live out their lives in peaceful stability like the ordinary mortals under the Daoist Court's rule either. They stood somewhere between ghost folk and ordinary humans. The cultivators of Jushan Diocese also educated mortals to serve as human breeding stock for their sects, yet they could not thoroughly dispel the Six Heavens' ancient qi from them as the Daoist Court did. As their years advanced, these mortals would still gradually turn into ghost folk. According to Qin Sang's inquiries, the biggest difference between here and the lands governed by the Daoist Court was the absence of Earth Deities. The unique environment of this realm gave rise to all sorts of bizarre phenomena, which never failed to bring Qin Sang a sense of novelty. By extension, he grew curious about the Guifang State as well, wondering how this nation of demons and ghosts had devised demon registers to contend as equals with the Daoist Court. He did not venture too far north, instead veering east and moving swiftly, taking in the passing scenery without pause. The farther east he went, the more demons there were, shifting from coexistence between humans and demons to the emergence of demon kingdoms large and small. To avoid giving himself away, Qin Sang executed the Heavenly Demon Transformation. A pair of wings sprouted from his back, and his body radiated demon qi even purer than that of a demon cultivator. His confidence in completing this dharma edict stemmed precisely from the Heavenly Demon Transformation. With this divine ability, he could swagger openly through demon kingdoms without fear of his identity being exposed, even if he encountered demon cultivators of equivalent rank. Making a wide circle past the Guifang State's main encampment, he continued east across rivers and mountains, finally coming to a halt at the border of a demon kingdom in eastern Jushan Diocese. "Roughly ten thousand li east of here should be Mount Guidie..." Standing atop a rocky crag, Qin Sang gazed eastward. After a brief pause, he formed a hand seal, concealing his aura and presence before quietly traveling east. From what he understood, Mount Guidie was the fief of a demon marquis titled Marquis Liu. Demon marquises of the Guifang State all possessed the might of the Deity Transformation stage, and Qin Sang had no desire to face such a powerhouse. Fortunately, Mount Guidie was not at the core of Marquis Liu's fief. Reaching this point was already equivalent to entering the Guifang State's heartland; no amount of caution would be excessive. Danger certainly existed, but without danger, how could he secure a favor token from an alchemy grandmaster? Qin Sang moved with stealth, and along the way he indeed spotted patrolling demon soldiers. However, their cultivation was universally low, making it impossible for them to see through his disguise. *** Over a hundred fire crows flew in orderly formation from the distant mountains, the flames on their feathers dyeing the sky red. The two leading fire crows were noticeably larger, and one of them was missing a segment of its tail. Scanning the mountain range below, the bob-tailed fire crow yawned and grumbled to the leader beside him, "Big Brother, we've flown three circuits already. It's time to rest! Day in, day out, year after year, I've practically counted every blade of grass on these peaks. When have we ever seen a single soldier from the human race? This is the Marquis's fief! The humans would have to break through our main camp before they could ever reach this place." The fire crow leader let out a caw. The flock flapped their wings, drew back their demon fire, descended to the ground, and settled down in scattered spots to rest. The bob-tailed fire crow wrapped its body in its wings, landed in a sheltered hollow, and lay down comfortably. Just as it was about to regulate its breath, a wave of dazed lethargy washed over its consciousness, and it promptly sank into a deep slumber. At the same time, a figure appeared before it. The newcomer waved a hand to set up a restriction, then roused the bob-tailed fire crow. Dazed and muddled, the crow answered whatever the figure asked. The fire crow leader stood watch from a high vantage point. An hour later, he issued another command. After waiting a short while, the bob-tailed fire crow fluttered up unsteadily to rejoin the flock, retaining no memory of what had just transpired. Not far away, Qin Sang withdrew his gaze. Over the next few days, he repeated this method, gleaning intelligence through these demon guards to cross-reference with the contents of the dharma edict and map out the powers on and around Mount Guidie. This area was still some distance from the demon marquis's manor. What Qin Sang needed to guard against were the demon commanders cultivating nearby. Previously, there had been only one demon commander near Mount Guidie. Now, the Mount Guidie Range had been split in two, becoming the fiefs of two demon commanders: Demon Commander Chiwei and Demon Commander Zhaoyou. Each commanded countless demon soldiers, significantly increasing the difficulty. Due to the nature of the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower, harvesting it was likely to disturb the local earth qi. Although the edict provided countermeasures, it was impossible to completely smooth over the fluctuations in earth qi, making a flawless concealment exceedingly difficult. Qin Sang had to depart swiftly before the demon commanders noticed. Once exposed, his only option would be to slay both demon commanders with thunderous force and flee the Guifang State before Marquis Liu was alerted. He crept closer to Mount Guidie, mentally rehearsing his subsequent plan again and again. Before long, he finally arrived at the edge of Mount Guidie. Mount Guidie was not just a single peak or a cluster of summits, but an entire mountain range running from north to south, standing like a natural rampart that guarded the demon marquis's manor at the core of the fief. After traveling along the Mount Guidie Range for a time, Qin Sang picked a secluded spot, halted, and brought out the dharma edict to review it once more. What he needed to do now was confirm whether the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower was in the area. The edict outlined three methods. The first caused too great a commotion, so it was dismissed for the time being. The second relied on a type of spirit incense. Lit during the hour of the Rat, if the smoke exhibited a peculiar change, it meant the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower was nearby. However, this method had a drawback: the older the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower, the stronger its ability to conceal itself, which might render the incense useless. The spirit incense had been provided alongside the edict. Qin Sang checked the hour and settled his mind into meditation. The moon rose as the sun sank. When the hour of the Rat finally arrived, Qin Sang quietly stirred from meditation. Turning his palm over, he produced a section of golden incense stick, brushed his finger across it, and wisps of smoke curled upward. Curiously, the smoke did not drift away; instead, it revolved around the incense, gradually gathering into a dense ball. This indicated that the incense had not sensed the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower. Qin Sang waited for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, then departed with the incense to try another location. As the hour of the Rat drew to a close, Qin Sang extinguished the incense. Owing to the properties of the Dream-Transforming Four Seasons Flower, it was effective only during that specific two-hour window. Thus, Qin Sang found places to cultivate during the day and lit the incense in the dead of night, searching for the spiritual herb as he circled the Mount Guidie Range. To his dismay, even after making a full circuit of the range, the smoke from the incense showed no variation whatsoever. "I can only resort to the third method," Qin Sang sighed inwardly, putting away the remnant incense. The third method was a secret herb-seeking technique, but casting it severely drained one's divine sense. Though Qin Sang was reluctant to deplete his divine sense, he had no other alternative. Under cover of darkness, Qin Sang returned to the middle stretch of the Mount Guidie Range, entering a cave he had selected beforehand. Sealing the cave entrance, Qin Sang sat down cross-legged. The secret technique flowed through his mind as he drew upon his divine sense, quietly channeling the art. According to the technique's requirements, Qin Sang cast it once every two hours. Days slipped by, and with each accumulated casting, his spiritual sense seemed to seep quietly through the rock along with the technique, imperceptibly intertwining with the mountains, rivers, flora, and even the earth qi of the area. A long silence reigned. After who knew how long, in the dim cave abode, Qin Sang suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of delight flashing across his gaze. Found it!