Heaven-Pointing Peak

The man in white glanced back. "What a pity I am wounded, and Fellow Daoist Wu met with foul play first. Otherwise, with the three of us joining hands, taking down this man would have been simple. Comprehending Sword Qi Thunderclap while still at the Foundation Establishment stage makes him a grave threat for the future. He has kept out of sight all this while; I wonder if he is tracking us?" The cultivator surnamed Luo snorted coldly and steered the black-awning boat, shifting its course slightly. "Senior Brother Liu and the others are not far ahead. If he dares to follow, we'll have him leave his wretched life behind!" ... Seeing the black-awning boat pull back, Qin Sang paused slightly, then continued to retreat. The distance between both sides widened until the black-awning boat vanished completely from Qin Sang's sight. Qin Sang chose not to pursue and slaughter them. There were not many aboard the boat, and one of the two late Foundation Establishment experts was wounded. If he could find the right moment, there was indeed a chance of wiping them all out. However, this was no place for a prolonged skirmish. If he failed to finish them swiftly and ran into another squad of Heaven-Traversing Alliance cultivators, Qin Sang would be in serious trouble. Had the enemy not been deterred by that sword strike just now and instead pressed on doggedly, he might have tried. Now that they had chosen to withdraw, Qin Sang wisely quit while he was ahead. After observing for a while and confirming that the Heaven-Traversing Alliance cultivators had genuinely withdrawn, Qin Sang surfaced from the water, summoned the Nether Silk Cloud, and sped off in pursuit of Mu Yifeng. Before long, Qin Sang spotted Mu Yifeng's flickering, unsteady escape light. "Senior Brother Mu!" Qin Sang supported Mu Yifeng, whose strength was spent, and tossed him a bottle of spirit pills. "They've already fled. Come aboard quickly to take the pills and regulate your breathing. I'll protect you." "Thank you for saving my life, Junior Brother Qin!" Mu Yifeng turned to look, and sure enough, the black-awning boat was nowhere to be seen. Having finally escaped death, beyond his relief and excitement, Mu Yifeng felt utterly exhausted throughout his whole body. His sea of qi and meridians were in a dreadful state, and he had held out until now solely through sheer willpower. Knowing this was no time for polite formalities, he leaped onto the Nether Silk Cloud, took the pills, and entered meditation to regulate his breathing and recuperate. Qin Sang guided the cloud forward, skimming close to the water's surface as he sped toward the herb garden. Flying along, they penetrated deeper into the Lesser Cold Domain's sphere of influence without encountering any signs of enemies. He had no idea how the battlefield had developed, but sensing danger in the air, Qin Sang had already made up his mind: the moment he returned to the herb garden, he would sweep up the spirit herbs, seal the restrictions, and flee these waters. At the very least, he needed to watch from the sidelines until the situation stabilized before returning to the herb garden. Qin Sang cast a curious glance at Mu Yifeng. Qin Sang had not missed a single trade fair, closely following the situation and gathering information. Previously, there hadn't been the slightest portent of a major clash, so why had turmoil erupted so abruptly? By the time they neared the herb garden, Mu Yifeng finally woke up, though his injuries were far from healed. "Junior Brother Qin!" Mu Yifeng rose and bowed, saying in a solemn voice, "A great kindness needs no spoken thanks!" Qin Sang held Mu Yifeng down. "Senior Brother Mu, you speak too heavily! The herb garden I guard is just ahead. Your injuries are severe—why not continue recuperating for a while?" Hearing this, Mu Yifeng came to a sudden realization. "So Junior Brother is stationed here guarding an herb garden! After returning to our sect from Xuanlu Pass, no sooner had I broken through to late Foundation Establishment than I received sect orders. Senior Brother Kuang and I were assigned here to patrol the surrounding waters. Alas, had I known, I would have come to catch up with you long ago!" "I've only been here for less than two years. I've merely attended a few trade fairs and had little contact with the outside, so I didn't know you were nearby, Senior Brother." With that, Qin Sang recounted what he had seen and heard at the trade fair earlier. "How did you and Senior Brother Kuang end up entangled with the scoundrels of the Heaven-Traversing Alliance? Could you have also been acting alongside Senior Fang..." Unlike Xiong Li's hesitation, Mu Yifeng spoke frankly: "Indeed. Some time ago, we received orders to act alongside Senior Fang and the others. It seemed Senior Fang and his group were searching for something called Heaven-Pointing Peak. Word was that signs of it had appeared, though what it actually is, I have no idea. Somehow our movements were exposed. The scoundrels of the Heaven-Traversing Alliance secretly gathered their forces and ambushed us while our guard was down on the return journey..." Mu Yifeng held nothing back from Qin Sang. Yet Qin Sang was still utterly baffled after hearing this. This was the first time he had heard the name Heaven-Pointing Peak. It sounded like a mountain peak, but he had no clue what made it so vital as to provoke a bloody clash between Core Formation experts on both sides. Ever since signs of the spirit tide began to emerge, both sides had clashed back and forth, but they had only lost some Foundation Establishment cultivators; never had he heard of Core Formation experts making a move. Qin Sang pressed further for details and learned that besides the Core Formation experts, more than a dozen False Core experts had been traveling with Mu Yifeng. Had it not been for the Heaven-Traversing Alliance's treacherous sneak attack, they would never have been reduced to such dire straits. To mobilize so many experts, Heaven-Pointing Peak was certainly extraordinary! This only hardened Qin Sang's resolve to withdraw. Mu Yifeng asked Qin Sang about their flight path, then said, "Junior Brother Qin, I have military orders upon me. I must return to Stargazing Island to report the enemy's movements." Qin Sang had heard of Stargazing Island at the trade fair. Stargazing Island was the island where Core Formation cultivators from the various major sects were stationed. The situation across the Yuncang Great Marsh was overseen from Stargazing Island in the fight against the Heaven-Traversing Alliance. All military orders originated from this island. Despite numerous legends, the location of Stargazing Island remained shrouded in mystery; only certain individuals among the patrol guards knew it. It was from Mu Yifeng that Qin Sang finally learned its exact location. It lay to the northeast of the herb garden, unexpectedly not far at all. Mu Yifeng had not recovered from his injuries and could not fly on his own, but Qin Sang had no intention of going to Stargazing Island at a time like this. Once chaos erupted, Stargazing Island was bound to become the vortex of the war. If he edged closer now, no one could say what might happen, and he still wished to cultivate in peace for a few more years. "Once I return to the herb garden, I will harvest the spirit herbs with Junior Brother Xie Ying and leave this place. Senior Brother Mu, why not continue traveling with me? When we draw close to Stargazing Island and your injuries have mostly stabilized, you can head over then." Mu Yifeng had no reason to refuse and agreed at once. While regulating his breathing to heal his injuries, Mu Yifeng asked about Qin Sang's experiences over the years. Glossing over his personal secrets, Qin Sang chatted idly with him, and they went on to exchange insights on cultivation. With the herb garden in sight, Qin Sang thought of Yuyangzi and the others. Back then, they had been on good terms; when Qin Sang first arrived at Xuanlu Pass, he had received much care from Yuyangzi to gain a firm footing. Later, however, both became engrossed in cultivation, and after parting, they had fallen out of touch. So he spoke up and asked, "Senior Brother Mu, how are Senior Brother Yuyangzi and the others who remained at Xuanlu Pass doing these days?" Unexpectedly, Mu Yifeng's expression darkened upon hearing this. He sighed deeply and said, "Senior Brother Yuyangzi had always served as a Xuanlu Guard at Xuanlu Pass. Twenty years ago, he was ordered to lead men beyond the pass to clear out cloud beasts... Junior Brother, you know the current state of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. After venturing out, Senior Brother Yuyangzi was unfortunately besieged by a horde of cloud beasts. Not a single person from the entire squad made it back..." Qin Sang froze upon hearing this. To hear news of Yuyangzi again only for it to be a tragedy. Silence fell over the Nether Silk Cloud. Neither Qin Sang nor Mu Yifeng had any desire to talk further, remaining quiet and wordless. Only after a long while did a quiet sigh break the silence.