Past Experiences

"Qin..." Tan Hao parted his lips, hesitating for a moment before blurting out, "Tan Hao greets Martial Uncle Qin..." Qin Sang was taken aback, suddenly recalling the rule Yue Wu had laid down when they first joined the Kuiyin Sect—seniority was determined by order of entry, but whoever broke through to Foundation Establishment first would be promoted to martial uncle, just like him. Thinking about it now, how laughable that was. Anyone who chose to cultivate with the Yanluo Banner could never reach Foundation Establishment. Yue Wu's mouth had been full of nothing but lies! Qin Sang said helplessly, "Brother Tan, do we really need to be so distant? The Kuiyin Sect is long gone, the past is like a dream or an illusion, and both of us are free men. Why bother with those sect rules? Just call me Brother Qin." In truth, during their time in the Kuiyin Sect, Qin Sang had been the junior martial brother; the Tan brothers had entered earlier, making them senior. Given the current gap in their cultivation, however, Tan Hao naturally would not dare address him as junior brother. "Brother Qin..." Hearing Qin Sang's words, Tan Hao visibly relaxed. The old bond lent a touch of warmth and intimacy to his voice as he said gratefully, "It is fortunate indeed that I ran into you, Brother Qin. Otherwise, my soul would already be among the dead by that villain's hands." Qin Sang shook his head dismissively. "Brother Tan, you misunderstand. It wasn't a chance encounter; I followed you here. That mask of yours is truly impressive; even I couldn't see through your disguise. I thought you looked familiar at the auction, and when I heard your voice in the secret market, it sounded even more familiar. Then I noticed that man tailing you, so I came along to check it out. I never expected it would be you." "So Brother Qin was at both the auction and the secret market. You saw the disgraceful spectacle I made of myself back then." Tan Hao smiled ruefully, summoned his mask, and showed it to Qin Sang. "I obtained this by chance. Supposedly, it was crafted from the skull of a late Demon Spirit stage beast, and it can disguise one's aura as that of the Foundation Establishment stage. "As long as I don't engage in combat, it won't be seen through. "All these years, it's thanks to this mask that I've been able to secure a foothold in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. "However, every time I use it, I have to channel my full spiritual sense to maintain the disguise. My build is unusual, and using other magic tools to conceal my frame simply doesn't work. It's truly vexing..." Compared to their first meeting at the Youshan Cultivation Market, Tan Hao had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. Back then, when he witnessed an injustice, he had spoken up boldly without the slightest fear of offending anyone. When Qin Sang offered to host a feast in gratitude, Tan Hao had declined flatly, stating straightforwardly that he had acted on conscience without expecting any reward. Tan Jie had to step in to smooth things over, showing just how full of youthful pride Tan Hao was. Now, though his features remained rugged, both his words and conduct were exceedingly cautious, without a trace of recklessness. He had grown far more perceptive, tactful, and guarded. No doubt he had endured many hardships over the years. Qin Sang sighed inwardly and asked curiously, "Brother Tan, after the Kuiyin Sect suffered that sudden upheaval, I was fortunate enough to escape. I thought I would never see either of you again, never imagining we would reunite today. How have you been all these years? Have you joined another sect? And... why isn't Tan Jie with you? Were you two separated?" At Qin Sang's question, Tan Hao's eyes dimmed. He glanced around and said, "This is no place to talk. I have an immortal's cave outside Yinshan Pass. If Brother Qin doesn't mind, why not come sit a while at my cave? We can talk on the way." Qin Sang naturally had no objection. The two of them summoned their escape lights and flew toward Yinshan Pass. "Back then, you and Senior Sister Shi Hong both broke through to the sixth layer. She was taken in as a disciple by Yue Wu, while you vanished without a trace. Yue Wu said you went to the outer sect to serve as a steward, and until the Kuiyin Sect was destroyed, we never saw you again..." Tan Hao recounted what happened after Qin Sang left the Kuiyin Sect. Qin Sang nodded and admitted frankly, "Indeed. Back then, Senior Sister Shi Hong and I went to see Martial Uncle Yue. Because of her exceptional talent, she caught his eye, while the rest of us were sent out of the sect due to our lesser aptitude. "In truth, Yue Wu was lying. We weren't sent to become stewards at all. We were coerced and sent out by the sect master to undertake perilous missions. "Fortunately, because I was outside the mountain gate, I wasn't swept up in the counterattack by the Yuanzhao Sect. Sensing something was wrong, I chose to flee, which was how I managed to escape the Kuiyin Sect's clutches. "I heard that the Yuanzhao Sect launched a massive offensive and now occupies the Kuiyin Sect's grounds. What was it like back then? How did you two escape?" Tan Hao glanced at Qin Sang, hesitation surfacing on his face. Instead of answering Qin Sang's question, he asked somewhat tentatively, "Brother Qin, since you broke away from the Kuiyin Sect and became a Foundation Establishment expert... did you later disperse your cultivation and start over, or did you never use the Yanluo Banner to cultivate in the first place?" "It seems you noticed something was wrong with the Yanluo Banner as well, Brother Tan," Qin Sang replied with a question of his own, having anticipated this very query. Although Tan Hao had not broken through to Foundation Establishment, he had surpassed the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage without being refined into an artifact spirit. He must have uncovered the secret of the Yanluo Banner. By now, Qin Sang knew that after escaping the Kuiyin Sect, Tan Hao had not joined another sect, but had remained a rogue cultivator, making his own way in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. If Tan Hao had dispersed his cultivation and started anew, to climb all the way back to the thirteenth layer of Qi Refinement showed admirable perseverance. Qin Sang deeply respected his tenacity. To his surprise, Tan Hao let out a bitter laugh and spoke words that caught Qin Sang off guard. "The one who discovered the secret of the Yanluo Banner wasn't me. It was my younger brother, Tan Jie. "When we first entered the Kuiyin Sect, Tan Jie was already suspicious of the Yanluo Banner. "Later, though, seeing that the entire sect was cultivating with it, Tan Jie wondered if he was overthinking things. Cultivating with the Yanluo Banner surely came with risks, but the Kuiyin Sect's many Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't be fake. "Besides, the temptation of the Yanluo Banner was simply too great. As the saying goes, great wealth comes from great risk, and we couldn't bear to let it go. "After discussing it, we brothers reached a decision. He had always been clever and observant from young, quick to notice anomalies and adapt to changes, so he would use the Yanluo Banner to assist his cultivation. "I, on the other hand, continued cultivating on my own as before. "That way, if disaster struck, there would still be some leeway to struggle. And if Tan Jie achieved Foundation Establishment, I wouldn't have to worry about cultivation resources. "From then on, fearing the Kuiyin Sect might discover our secret, I rarely stepped outside my cave, leaving all external affairs to Tan Jie. "Had I known what would happen, I would rather have traded places with him!" Tan Hao spoke in a sorrowful voice, laden with deep grief and regret, a sight that moved anyone watching. A thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind like lightning as memories of his years in the Kuiyin Sect resurfaced. No wonder during his years there he had rarely seen Tan Hao. Tan Hao hadn't attended a single one of Yue Wu's monthly lectures. Qin Sang had assumed Tan Hao was merely cultivating diligently, never suspecting such a hidden truth. Observing Tan Hao's expression, Qin Sang asked in a low voice, "Brother Tan Jie... where is he now?" Since Tan Jie had chosen to cultivate with the Yanluo Banner, and Tan Hao was travelling alone with no sign of his brother... Could he already be...?