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"Senior Brother Yuyangzi, I am Qin Sang. There is a matter on which I am unclear—might I trouble Senior Brother to resolve my confusion?" Yuyangzi looked over with curiosity. "Junior Brother Qin, speak freely." Qin Sang nodded and said, "I have only just arrived and know very little about Xuanlu Pass and the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Reading merely from the jade slip's descriptions leaves me feeling as though I am peering through a fog, making it difficult to decide between joining the Xuanlu Guard or the Shadow Guard. May I ask whether our sect requires an immediate choice? If not, could Senior Brother grant me a few days' leeway to look around and broaden my horizons before coming to a decision?" Yuyangzi gave an "oh" and smiled. "Of course. As long as Junior Brother Qin decides within a month, you may contact me at any time..." Yuyangzi paused, brought out a jade talisman, and handed it to Qin Sang. "Keep this safe, Junior Brother Qin. With this jade talisman, you may borrow a cave dwelling free of charge at the foot of Mount Junpan, outside the military camp. You will only need to return it after a month. However, it is best that Junior Brother Qin makes a choice soon. If you miss this chance, joining the Shadow Guard will merely cost some extra effort, but if you want to join the Xuanlu Guard, you will have to wait ten years. After all, Xuanlu Pass is not governed by Shaohua Mountain alone; there are certain rules that must still be observed." Qin Sang voiced his thanks. He had seen from the jade slip that the Xuanlu Guard's barracks were stationed at Mount Junpan, where fine cave dwellings had been excavated for the guards' use. They were not open to outsiders, and trespass was strictly forbidden. That he could borrow one for a month was a privilege granted by his sect. After that month, he would have to find a cave dwelling on his own or rent one. Following him, several others decided to wait and see for a few days like Qin Sang. Having taken the jade talisman, Qin Sang declined an invitation from a senior brother to walk together and headed outside the hall alone. It was midday, and the sky stretched clear for ten thousand li. Standing before the hall doors, Qin Sang narrowed his eyes and gazed up at the extraordinarily majestic city wall of Xuanlu Pass. The wall towered several hundred zhang high, built entirely of massive cyan stones, extending to the left and right beyond the horizon. The city itself had been built within this grand pass. For immortal cultivators, gathering earth and stone to build such a wall was not difficult; the difficulty lay in laying down sturdy restrictions across such a colossal expanse, capable of withstanding unpredictable celestial phenomena and the impact of cloud beast hordes. After gazing intently for a moment, Qin Sang stepped into the crowd, recalled the map of Xuanlu Pass from the jade slip, and walked toward the east. ... Lingdan Pavilion. The shop was not large, selling a variety of practical pills while also purchasing various spiritual herbs. The shelves were densely lined with porcelain and jade bottles, each clearly marked with its name and efficacy. The shopkeeper was a man who appeared to be in his fifties. He was also a cultivator, though his cultivation had only reached the twelfth layer of the Qi Refinement stage. There were many similar shops on this street, so this small establishment was inconspicuous, and at the moment, it held not a single customer. The shopkeeper reclined leisurely in a lounge chair. Suddenly, the light in the shop dimmed. Squinting his eyes and seeing a man step inside, he inquired lazily, "What might this customer need..." The moment he clearly discerned the visitor's cultivation, however, the languor on the shopkeeper's face vanished instantly. He scrambled to his feet, rushed forward to greet him, and said repeatedly, "I did not know a senior was gracing my humble shop! Please forgive this humble one's lack of respect in welcoming you. What spiritual pills might Senior be seeking to purchase? My shop carries nothing but fine goods..." "I am only browsing; please carry on as you were," the visitor said, waving a hand. He walked over to the shelves on his own and browsed casually through the jade bottles one by one, seemingly without any intention to buy. The shopkeeper did not dare show any displeasure, only accompanying him patiently as he walked around. The newcomer was indeed Qin Sang. He had not concealed his cultivation and had spent considerable time wandering this street, popping in whenever he saw a shop selling spiritual materials or pills. Wandering all the way through, Qin Sang could not help marveling that the Ancient Immortal Battlefield was truly a land of treasures. Both the quality and variety of the pills were far richer than at the Wenyue Cultivation Market. Even the pills he cared most about—those for repairing one's foundation and replenishing vital essence—were actually on sale. Yet Qin Sang knew well in his heart that his deficit lay in his most fundamental foundation. Pills of this grade were likely of little use, so he merely bought a few at random to test their effects. Even top-grade pills of this kind might not be effective, and with Qin Sang's current wealth, even if the shops had them in stock, he would not be able to afford them. Finding nothing surprising in this shop, Qin Sang shook his head and prepared to leave. Observing his expression closely, the shopkeeper smiled flatteringly as he saw him out. "The pills in my humble shop are prepared for Qi Refinement cultivators, so they can hardly catch Senior's discerning eye. If Senior requires better, Bingquan Pavilion and Caomu Pavilion at the end of the street should satisfy your needs. Of course, the very best is Taiyi Elixir Pavilion, an enterprise of the Taiyi Dan Sect..." ... Not until dusk did Qin Sang emerge from a shop selling magic tools, putting the newly bought handkerchief-shaped magic tool into his mustard seed bag. Having explored for so long, Qin Sang had gained a deeper impression of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield and Xuanlu Pass. He glanced at the sky and picked up speed, darting toward Mount Junpan. Mount Junpan was located right inside the city of Xuanlu Pass. The mountain boasted rich spiritual power and had been excavated with neat, uniform cave dwellings. Guards patrolled back and forth under strict military discipline. As Qin Sang sped toward it and reached the mountain's foot, a squad of guards stepped forward to intercept him. "This is a restricted military area. Fellow Daoist, please turn back!" The leading garrison commander blocked Qin Sang with a vigilant expression, though his tone remained courteous. Qin Sang produced the jade talisman he had prepared earlier. "Commander, I am Qin Sang, a disciple of Shaohua Mountain. This is the jade talisman given to me by Commander Yuyangzi, who said I may borrow lodging at Mount Junpan for a month..." The guard commander took the jade talisman and inspected it closely. His expression softened, and he gestured politely. "So you are a fellow Daoist from Shaohua Mountain. Fellow Daoist Qin, please follow me." Qin Sang was led to a secluded cave dwelling at the foot of the mountain. The spiritual power inside was passable, though slightly deficient for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Qin Sang sealed the cave dwelling, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and sank into quiet contemplation. He sorted through what he had seen and heard over the past half day. The two things that captured his attention the most were spiritual wood and spiritual pills. The shops in the city sold no small amount of spiritual wood, many of even higher quality than golden-thread snow cedar wood. This reassured Qin Sang, confirming that coming to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield had indeed been the right choice. Although the prices were by no means low, as long as he gathered materials bit by bit, he would surely be able to upgrade the quality of the ebony sword. In addition, Qin Sang had taken a turn through Taiyi Elixir Pavilion and learned of three medicines from the manager: the Heyun Pill, the Five Ganoderma Divine Paste, and the Snow Ginseng Jade Life Pill. They were all top-grade pills specifically for repairing one's foundation. In the present cultivation world, the spiritual herbs required for these three formulas were not yet extinct, and they had indeed been sold at Taiyi Elixir Pavilion in the past. Whether they would work for him, Qin Sang did not yet know; for now, he could only drool over them in vain. For each of these three medicines was sold by auction, and every time one appeared, it inevitably provoked fierce bidding wars, with final prices counted in the tens of thousands. Even selling Qin Sang himself would not fetch enough to pay for one. Still, there was no need to rush. Combined with the materials he had collected at Pagoda Peak, Qin Sang now had several concrete targets, which was far better than searching aimlessly.