Qin Sang did not act rashly.
Without a doubt, he truly hoped Yunyouzi would attain his wish, heal his hidden injuries, and see his cultivation advance by leaps and bounds.
This was not merely out of friendship between the two.
Unless Qin Sang had the chance and time to dedicate himself to the Dao of Alchemy after forming a Golden Core, he would inevitably have to hire an alchemist to help concoct the Du'e Pill in his pursuit of the Nascent Soul realm.
The remuneration was secondary; what mattered most was whether the person possessed sufficient skill and could be trusted.
Finding a trustworthy alchemist was no easy feat. Supreme treasures stirred men's hearts, let alone a divine elixir like the Du'e Pill.
What made it rarer still was that Yunyouzi had extraordinary talent in alchemy. Back during the early Foundation Establishment stage, he already had a seventy to eighty percent chance of successfully refining a Xuanwen Heyun Pill—a testament to his prowess.
Qin Sang took a few steps back and stood motionless, watching Yunyouzi quietly.
Naturally, his spiritual sense lingered faintly upon Yunyouzi. If things went awry for the elder, he would still step in to help.
Things had not reached that point yet.
On the path of cultivation, every adversity was a tempering of one's practice; Qin Sang had deeply experienced this truth.
What Yunyouzi faced right now was his own ordeal, which might well be an opportunity to break out of his cocoon and become a butterfly. If Qin Sang intervened directly, it might instead cause Yunyouzi to forfeit this chance.
Furthermore, once he intervened, he would have to find a way to explain how he could remain unscathed amidst the frigid gale. Close as they were, the existence of the jade Buddha was something no one could ever be allowed to know.
One step, two steps...
Yunyouzi's strides grew increasingly small, and the intervals between them grew ever longer, yet he continued forward, drawing closer and closer to the Nightbloom Lily.
The ice cavern's tremors grew more violent and frequent, yet they failed to distract Yunyouzi in the slightest.
His mind was entirely focused. His aged body radiated only a faint breath, and each step was fraught with hardship, yet within him burned a spark that refused to die.
The Nightbloom Lily bloomed just ahead, exuding an immense temptation.
Yet from Yunyouzi's face, not a trace of urgency or greed could be seen. His expression remained calm as ancient well water; whether a step succeeded or failed, he showed neither joy nor sorrow.
It seemed that even if he ultimately failed, freezing solid right here and perishing on the Dao, it would not shake his resolve.
Qin Sang watched quietly in contemplation, lowering his head slightly. Reflecting on everything since setting foot on the immortal path, he felt subtle shifts within his own state of mind.
*Rumble...*
Suddenly, a deafening crash jolted Qin Sang from his thoughts.
The ice cavern violently shuddered!
Qin Sang jerked his head up and turned to look ahead.
This sound was extraordinary.
*Crash!*
The next moment, countless chunks of crushed ice surged into the ice cavern like a tide.
In an instant, the qi within the cavern was thrown into utter chaos.
Qin Sang suddenly sensed a disturbance from Yunyouzi behind him. Turning his head, he saw a pea-sized flame flare up on the green lamp at Yunyouzi's chest, melting away the frigid ice.
With a furious roar, Yunyouzi's eyes widened in a glare fixed dead on the Nightbloom Lily. He stomped down hard, his figure lunging out like a goshawk, and astonishingly burst right in front of the Nightbloom Lily in a single bound—only a step away!
Qin Sang could not help but inwardly praise him. Due to the upheaval ahead, the ceaseless frigid gale had fallen into disarray for an instant, presenting an exceedingly fleeting window of opportunity.
Yunyouzi truly had not disappointed him. Staking everything on this one throw, he had keenly seized the moment.
Having surged forward such a distance, Yunyouzi stood motionless on the spot once more. That burst had drained far too much of his strength, requiring time to recover. But it was all worth it—the Nightbloom Lily was right before his eyes, well within reach.
Barring any mishaps, Yunyouzi would be able to harvest the Nightbloom Lily without Qin Sang's help.
Qin Sang withdrew his gaze and peered into the depths of the ice cavern. The earlier thunderous crash seemed like an omen, as the tremors began to occur with increasing frequency. He did not know whether the ice cavern they occupied was within an iceberg or beneath an ice sheet.
In any case, the entire world seemed to be trembling violently.
Qin Sang could tell that the source was not near them, but far ahead. They were merely being shaken by the aftershocks, yet the ice cavern already seemed so fragile.
*Crack!*
Suddenly, a world-shattering crash rang out, as if an iceberg were collapsing, shaking the heavens and earth.
Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. He cast a backward glance at Yunyouzi, then leaped quietly forward, darting ahead.
After rushing a distance, Qin Sang halted abruptly. Gazing down at the fractured ice beneath his feet and the deep pit below, he drew a sharp breath of cold air and took a lingeringly fearful step back.
This seemed to be the entrance to the ice cavern.
Just as Qin Sang was about to survey his surroundings, he inadvertently caught sight of a scene high up in the distant sky. His eyes narrowed abruptly, his expression changing drastically. He scrambled behind a chunk of cold ice at the cavern's entrance, holding his breath and not daring to make the slightest move.
Carefully, he raised his head and looked skyward.
High in the sky, a cyan-white gale enveloped the firmament.
This wind was the true form of the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind. In truth, the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind was originally cyan; however, wherever it existed was inevitably a land of absolute cold, where ice and snow mingled with it, dyeing the wind cyan-white and making it easily observable to the naked eye.
Aside from the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind, nothing else could be seen.
Yet for some reason, a fissure had just split through the seamless Mystic Frost Baleful Wind. Through this rift, Qin Sang actually caught sight of three figures standing aloft in the void.
That fleeting glimpse shook Qin Sang to his core.
Two of them were human, both clad in black robes, looking somewhat familiar.
Floating before one of them was a massive, circular tortoise shell. Recognizing this black tortoise shell, Qin Sang realized these two black-robed men were the two mysterious masters they had encountered upon entering the inner valley of Wuya Valley.
Now he could be certain: they were indisputably Nascent Soul cultivators!
To stand amidst the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind, not only withstanding its corrosion but also engaging in battle inside it—only Nascent Soul cultivators could accomplish such a feat.
The other person wielded a spirit sword. Qin Sang happened to see him slash with his sword—the sword qi shattering the baleful wind and cleaving open the sky.
That fissure was actually a sword mark!
It was a move from the *Shadowless Sword*!
Having heard Yunyouzi describe the *Shadowless Sword*, Qin Sang could now recognize it as well: this man hailed from the Wuji Sect, and he was likely the one who had slain the star venom frogs.
However, contrary to their initial guess, he was no late Core Formation expert.
This man was a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator—the Wuji Sect Master!
The remaining figure was not human, but a demon beast resembling a falcon. Colossal in size, its wings could blot out the sky and sun when spread wide. Qin Sang was unable to see its full form, catching only half of its body through the rift.
Lightning flashed incessantly across its plumage, making it seem like a thunder beast born bathed in lightning. With a single flap of its wings, it could stir up a thunderstorm possessing the might to destroy heaven and earth!
Just moments ago, it had flapped a wing and unleashed a dazzling pillar of lightning, knocking aside the Wuji Sect Master's sword qi and forcing the other black-robed man to summon his black tortoise shell in defense.
*Could it be a thunder-devouring falcon?*
Qin Sang recalled the ancient records he had read in the past, matching it to a certain demon beast.
Without a doubt, this thunder-devouring falcon in the sky was certainly a great demon of the Transformation stage. What was more, it was very likely beyond mere ordinary Transformation stage—it was actually capable of holding its own against two Nascent Soul cultivators!
Chapter 400