Fortunately, this was only a harbinger of the spirit tide, still brewing. A long time remained before the actual spirit tide arrived.
During this period, it was impossible for the Heaven-Traversing Alliance to launch a major war on its own initiative; at most, there would be minor frictions and probing skirmishes.
If things were truly as Senior Brother Qi said and the Heaven-Traversing Alliance merely intended to harass them, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome.
*Let us hope so.*
Qin Sang shook his head slightly and stepped into the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion, where a pretty maidservant immediately came forward to greet him.
Opening his palm, he showed a voice transmission talisman to the maidservant in the main hall. She bowed hurriedly and guided Qin Sang up to the top floor of the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion, where he met Pavilion Master Elder Wen.
Elder Wen was a close friend of Yunyouzi. In charge of the Taiyi Dan Sect's businesses in Xuanlu Pass, he held considerable authority.
Three years ago, Qin Sang had met him through Yunyouzi and asked for his help in gathering news about the soul-attracting grass.
Although Shaohua Mountain was not inferior to the Taiyi Dan Sect in overall strength, in the dao of alchemy, both its network and industry fell far short of the Taiyi Dan Sect's.
Rumor had it that the Taiyi Dan Sect had laid foundations even within the demonic sects' sphere of influence. Whether that was true or false, only the members of the Taiyi Dan Sect knew for sure.
As it turned out, Qin Sang had not turned to the wrong person.
This voice transmission talisman had been delivered to his cave dwelling by Elder Wen, and it was the very reason Qin Sang had come out of seclusion at this time.
"Daoist Qin, please take a seat!"
Elder Wen waved his hand to dismiss the maidservant and walked over to greet him with a broad smile.
"Qin Sang greets Elder Wen."
Qin Sang cupped his hands in greeting. At Elder Wen's warm invitation, he savored the fragrant tea.
Elder Wen sized Qin Sang up, then suddenly showed a look of astonishment. "We haven't seen each other in three years, and Daoist Qin has already broken through to the middle Foundation Establishment stage! A truly joyous occasion!"
"Merely a stroke of luck," Qin Sang replied, cupping his hands without the slightest hint of complacency.
Elder Wen was an expert no weaker than Yuyangzi.
He had heard from Yunyouzi that Elder Wen had been trapped at the bottleneck of the late Foundation Establishment stage. Seeing no hope of a breakthrough, he had resolved to abandon the path to immortality and take charge of the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion's affairs instead.
Back in the Taiyi Dan Sect, he had been far from a nobody, boasting unfathomable strength.
"Daoist Qin has likely already checked the voice transmission talisman?"
After a round of pleasantries, Elder Wen cut straight to the chase. "The soul-attracting grass is indeed rare. It's said to assist in cultivation for certain heterodox cultivators, so whenever it appears, countless people fight for it. I reached out to friends on many fronts. Over the past three years, it appeared twice in Yinshan Pass, but by the time we received word, it was already too late. Fortunately, we received word early enough this time. We can be almost certain that the soul-attracting grass will appear at this auction."
The auction Elder Wen mentioned had already been described in the voice transmission talisman. It was to be held in Yinshan Pass one year from now.
Yinshan Pass was a mixed bag of dragons and snakes—heretics, unorthodox practitioners, orthodox and demonic cultivators, and rogue cultivators of every stripe could be found there.
Compared to the other great passes, Yinshan Pass lacked a single formidable power maintaining a firm grip from behind the scenes, making it exceptionally chaotic. Rare and precious treasures often surfaced at its auctions.
As a result, each auction drew countless eyes. To secure a coveted treasure at an auction in Yinshan Pass, one had to possess substantial wealth and strength.
Yet no one dared to act recklessly at the auction.
In the past, people who lost out in bidding had tried to snatch the treasures by force. Without exception, all of them were effortlessly suppressed, their corpses hung high outside the pass as a warning to others.
It was rumored that the force backing the auction was none other than the City Lord of Yinshan Pass—a great Nascent Soul cultivator!
Hearing Elder Wen's words, Qin Sang pondered in silence. With the soul-attracting grass in such high demand, placing it on the auction block meant he would likely have to compete against late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
As for Core Formation cultivators, he did not need to worry too much. It was said that the auctions in Yinshan Pass were divided into tiers, and treasures capable of tempting Core Formation cultivators would not appear at this one.
When the time came, taking a heavy financial hit was guaranteed.
The spirit stones on him certainly wouldn't be enough. Even if he were willing to sell the Yin-Yang Compass or Heavenly Poison Gauze, there was no guarantee it would suffice.
After all, anything could happen at an auction.
Apart from the spiritual materials meant for refining the Primordial Concentric Rings, the only thing he could offer—and was willing to part with—seemed to be the Blue Dew Epiphyllum.
"Is it possible to contact the friend who holds the soul-attracting grass?" Qin Sang asked.
Elder Wen shook his head. "The rules of the auction were set by those above. If not for the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion's extensive dealings and cordial ties with the major factions in Yinshan Pass, we wouldn't even have learned about the soul-attracting grass. Beyond this news, that friend doesn't dare disclose anything else, or it'll cost him his head..."
Elder Wen made a slicing gesture across his neck.
Qin Sang nodded slightly. He knew his question had been somewhat fanciful, asked merely in passing.
"I wonder what Daoist Qin plans to do?"
Elder Wen took a sip of tea. "If Daoist Qin lacks the time to make the journey to Yinshan Pass, I can instruct someone to bid on the soul-attracting grass on your behalf."
Qin Sang mused for a moment, ultimately shaking his head to decline Elder Wen's kind offer, deciding to make the trip to Yinshan Pass in person.
In the past, he hadn't dared to wander freely for fear of being caught by the remnants of the Kuiyin Sect.
Now, the Kuiyin Sect had been destroyed, and he could suppress the fluctuations of the Heart-Devouring Insect. Making a personal trip was no big deal.
The Golden Core cultivators of the Kuiyin Sect had practically all been ruined. Even if some Foundation Establishment remnants did spot his trail, with his current strength, he had no reason to fear them.
If he entrusted the task to the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion, not only was it unlikely they would devote their full efforts, but the price would also be difficult to control. If they bought it at an exorbitant price, the loss would outweigh the gain; his modest wealth could not withstand reckless squandering.
Going in person would allow him to adapt to the situation as it unfolded.
Next, Qin Sang inquired about the rules of the auction. He learned that the auction was not rigid, and transactions among bidders were not forbidden.
During the bidding process, attendees could also trade among themselves, each obtaining what they needed for a mutually satisfying outcome.
Through this, treasures could generally be traded for a satisfactory price, or at least without the risk of the auction house beating down their value.
This made it all the more necessary to go in person.
After conversing with Elder Wen for a while longer, Qin Sang took his leave and departed from the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion.
With a year remaining before the auction began, Qin Sang decided to return to the Tianjing Secret Realm to train for a while and earn more spirit stones, setting off only when the auction drew near.
A great upheaval approached, and time was of the essence; not a single moment could be wasted.
Every bit of improvement counted. If he could break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage or even the False Core stage before war broke out, his chances of survival would undoubtedly rise considerably.
At this point, Yunyouzi had still not emerged from seclusion.
Qin Sang returned his cave dwelling to the sect. By then, Senior Brother Rong had taken over the affairs of Xuanlu Pass and made some adjustments to Qi Yuanshou's previous arrangements. After coordinating with Senior Brother Rong to finalize these matters, Qin Sang bade farewell to his fellow disciples, left Xuanlu Pass, and stepped into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.
Returning to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield with his middle Foundation Establishment cultivation, Qin Sang noticeably felt much more at ease. Dangers that he had once feared could now be handled with effortless ease given his current strength.
Riding his sword at full speed, he barely paused along the way until he reached the Changyang Cultivation Market.
Chapter 313