A quarter of an hour later, they were forced to flee back out through the stone stele.
Even the three Core Formation cultivators could not hide their disheveled states.
The entire abode had become a playground for the fire spirit beasts. No sooner had they stepped inside than they were besieged by a swarm of the creatures. The more they killed, the more appeared. Even maintaining their battle formation, holding their ground proved exceedingly grueling, and they had no choice but to retreat.
"Since those fire spirit beasts were spawned from the totems, and most of the totems are now destroyed, the rate at which new beasts appear will be drastically reduced. The three of us need only spend some time gradually clearing them out. However, the space surrounding the Heavenly Peaks has completely collapsed and is riddled with spatial rifts. I fear it would take the personal arrival of several sect masters to even draw near that place."
A flash of light rippled across Sikong Muyue's magical robes, restoring them to their pristine state.
Individually, the fire spirit beasts were not particularly strong, and Core Formation cultivators could easily deal with them. The true nightmare was encountering them crowded together by the thousands or tens of thousands, as had happened in the subterranean caverns and the volcanic crater.
Now that the beasts had dispersed across the vast expanse of the ancient cultivator's abandoned abode, their density was far lower. As long as the three Core Formation masters remained discreet and avoided alerting massive swarms all at once, they could handle it.
Che Yutao shook his head slowly. "Nascent Soul cultivators are all occupied with preparing for their heavenly tribulations and will not lightly divert their attention. There are no treasures in this abode capable of attracting a Nascent Soul cultivator. Moreover, Fellow Daoist Sikong, you were not atop the Heavenly Peaks at the time, so you do not know how terrifying it was. Near the peaks, space was utterly unstable, with rifts opening at every second. Some were even intangible and formless, impossible to detect. I was nearly swallowed by one myself, and only escaped by sacrificing a magic treasure. Though the abode has not completely perished, the spatial fabric in its depths is still undergoing violent fluctuations. The danger there is on par with the core region of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield..."
Sikong Muyue and Du Yi exchanged a glance in silence, both catching the implication behind Che Yutao's words: Old Man Dique and Daoist Xuan Yu were almost certainly doomed.
A look of deep concern appeared on Du Yi's face. "Fellow Daoist Dique is one thing, but if Fellow Daoist Xuan Yu has met his end here, I fear Shangyuan Qingjing Palace will vent their wrath on us..."
In truth, Du Yi knew full well that among the three of them, Sikong Muyue and Che Yutao were backed by great sects and had no reason to fear Shangyuan Qingjing Palace's displeasure. Only he lacked such a powerful background, meaning he would likely have to bear their fury alone.
"When exploring ancient ruins and delving into mysteries, accidents are only natural. Shangyuan Qingjing Palace is not so unreasonable," Sikong Muyue said after a brief pause. "Besides, Fellow Daoist Xuan Yu might have found a hiding place; he may not truly have perished. We cannot simply sit by and do nothing. At the very least, we must go see the foot of the Heavenly Peaks."
She pondered for a moment before adding, "Furthermore, although the peaks before the Heavenly Peaks were battered by lava, they lie on the periphery of the spatial rift zone and were not as severely affected. More than half of them remain intact. The items within the mountain restrictions may not be extraordinarily rare, but for Foundation Establishment disciples, they are treasures worth taking risks for. Once we clear out the fire spirit beasts, this place can also serve as a trial ground for our sects' disciples."
Che Yutao nodded. "Fellow Daoist Sikong's consideration is thorough. In that case, the three of us shall remain a bit longer. However, if we wish to venture deeper into the abode, we will need to recruit a few helpers..."
***
Xuanlu Pass.
Qin Sang stood outside the pass, gazing up at the imposing fortress with a sigh of emotion. By his reckoning, more than a decade had passed since he last set foot here.
Just then, Mu Yifeng's voice sounded beside his ear.
"Junior Brother Qin, I must report to Senior Brother Qi, so I shall take my leave first. Let us meet again another day."
Qin Sang cupped his hands in farewell. "Please do as you need, Senior Brother Mu."
Watching Mu Yifeng depart, Qin Sang wore a contemplative expression.
After they exited the ancient cultivator's abode, Che Yutao had issued an order for everyone to disperse.
With the abode currently overrun by fire spirit beasts, there was no point in Foundation Establishment cultivators lingering, as they would not be able to re-enter anytime soon. They could only wait until the Core Formation seniors cleared out the bulk of the beasts before returning to search for treasures.
With the spatial collapse of the abode, the restrictions and formations on those peaks had suffered severe impacts and were likely much more fragile now, making them easier to breach than before.
Of course, the danger would also be greater than ever. After all, the fire spirit beasts could never be cleared out entirely, and with the area bordering the spatial rift zone, it was hard to say whether the changes were a blessing or a curse.
Qin Sang had little interest in the treasures inside those restrictions. The only things that truly stirred his heart were the Neijing Origin Talisman—which he still did not know whether Daoist Xuan Yu had hidden away—and the mysterious stone hall nestled within the belly of the volcano.
The Heavenly Peaks had already collapsed, and he had no idea whether the items inside had survived. Even if they had, Qin Sang would not dare venture in.
Just as Che Yutao had said, the perils in the depths of the abode were no less deadly than the core of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Even Core Formation cultivators dared not intrude recklessly; perhaps only Nascent Soul Patriarchs could come and go freely.
Yet if one had already reached the Nascent Soul stage, what use would the Neijing Origin Talisman be?
It was an intensely contradictory situation. Of course, it was far too early for Qin Sang to worry about such matters; the pressing task before him was how to achieve Core Formation.
With that thought, Qin Sang turned his hand over, revealing the token Yunyouzi had left him.
Yunyouzi had private business to attend to, so he had given the token to Qin Sang, instructing him to settle down first and then leave the token along with his address at the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion. Once Yunyouzi returned, they would discuss the journey to the medicine garden in detail.
Having fully comprehended the second killing talisman, Qin Sang had no need for further worldly trials before breaking through to the middle Foundation Establishment stage. He decided to find a cave dwelling in the southern mountains of Xuanlu Pass for secluded cultivation. Thus, instead of heading to the Tianjing Secret Realm, he returned directly to Xuanlu Pass.
Dusk was approaching.
After entering the city, Qin Sang sought out Yuyangzi and rented a cave dwelling established by his sect.
It still cost spirit stones, and because Qin Sang requested the finest cave dwelling available, the price was by no means cheap. However, having inherited Old Man Dique's wealth, he could easily afford it.
Next, he paid a visit to the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion.
After inquiring with the pavilion manager, Qin Sang sighed inwardly.
Yunyouzi had been right.
In the twenty years since Qin Sang's last visit, the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion had not auctioned a single Heyun Pill, Five Ganoderma Divine Paste, or Snow Ginseng Jade Life Pill. The most recent auction of such items had been a bottle of Five Ganoderma Divine Paste nearly sixty years ago.
Leaving Yunyouzi's token and the address of his cave dwelling at the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion, Qin Sang left the city that very night.
A bright moon hung high in the sky, reflecting off the pristine snow.
The night was as bright as day.
South of Xuanlu Pass, an endless expanse of snow-capped mountains stretched like a slumbering azure dragon across a desolate, uninhabited wilderness.
The region was bitterly cold, yet numerous spirit veins lay hidden within the peaks, all of respectable quality. Shaohua Mountain had claimed several of them, carving out cave dwellings for their disciples to use. Guards from the Xuanlu Guard patrolled the area regularly, so there was no fear of trespassers.
The cave dwelling had been hollowed out atop a snowy mountain summit, offering an exceptionally vast view.
Qin Sang pushed open the stone door. A gust of chilly wind rushed inside, sweeping away the stale air. Sensing the spiritual energy within, Qin Sang nodded in satisfaction. He sealed the entrance, laid down several restrictions, and sat down cross-legged on the ice bed.
After a moment's contemplation, Qin Sang retrieved the bone piece and the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman.
Though he had not yet had an in-depth discussion with Yunyouzi, he was already inclined to accept the invitation and make the journey.
Chapter 273