Temperament

Granny Jing had chosen her moment with consummate precision. There had been a scare, but no real danger. "Not bad!" Granny Jing praised. "I trust Senior would never harm me," Qin Sang said. This was not mere flattery. Back at Wenyue Cultivation Market, he had already come to know Granny Jing's temperament: she despised ungrateful people and those who butchered their companions above all else. Granny Jing chuckled softly and offered no comment on his words. "Keep moving forward, Fellow Daoist Qin." Under Granny Jing’s guidance, Qin Sang ventured deeper into the forest. Qin Sang could not fathom Granny Jing’s objective. The direction they traveled had begun roughly toward the lower right, then straightened directly rightward, before suddenly veering downward, shifting course repeatedly. Along the way, Granny Jing kept her word. Whenever they came across easily gathered Star Element Stones, she would wait for Qin Sang to collect them before resuming their journey, which actually cost very little time. Granny Jing’s mastery over restrictions was simply formidable. Aside from those that were blatantly unstable or stacked in overlapping layers, any restriction with a flaw could never escape her sight. Their progress was met with virtually no impediment. By carefully observing each choice Granny Jing made, Qin Sang gained a wealth of insights himself. This forest was extraordinarily vast. After crossing past an untold number of perilous restrictions, they finally emerged from the trees. Looking ahead at a messy expanse of brambles and thorns, Qin Sang exhaled a long breath of relief. For no other reason than this: although the thorny thicket was rough and overgrown, it was free of restrictions. His tightly strung nerves could finally relax for a moment. Less than a quarter of an hour had passed since they entered Heaven-Pointing Peak, yet Qin Sang already felt somewhat mentally and physically drained. Those ancient restrictions were simply too enigmatic. Granny Jing had Qin Sang cross the bramble thicket while she sat cross-legged on his shoulder, seemingly sensing something once more, before even flying up to a high vantage point to look around. The briar patch was far smaller than the forest. Qin Sang quickly darted to its end and stepped into another woods. This time, Granny Jing seemed to have a clear destination in mind, instructing Qin Sang to head straight toward the lower right. Along the way, they encountered several places resembling the earlier forest, dense with restrictions, as well as areas where restrictions were few yet deeply concealed. But all of them were effortlessly discerned by Granny Jing. Jagged, bizarre rocks rose into view. This was a forest of stone. Not a single blade of grass or tree grew in the surroundings, only bare stone pillars no shorter than the ancient trees in the woods, bearing the abrasions etched by wind and grit. It was hard to imagine how such a terrain had formed. A blizzard of snow was actually drifting through the stone forest, yet not the slightest chill could be felt. The snowflakes were the manifestations of restriction fragments. Though they appeared as thick as goose feathers, leaving no place to set foot, there were always spots nestled among the endless flurry that the flakes would never touch—they were simply difficult to distinguish. The Star Spirit Net descended from above, bringing two Star Element Stones down into Qin Sang's palm. Immediately afterward, Qin Sang moved swiftly, darting between the swirling flakes. It seemed fraught with peril, yet not a single snowflake touched him. After several rapid flickers, Qin Sang came to an abrupt halt with a surprised look on his face. He glanced sideways at Granny Jing; just moments ago, a faint wave of spiritual power had suddenly rippled ahead. The fluctuation was fleeting, yet within the restriction, it remained exceedingly conspicuous, and Qin Sang had caught it keenly. There was someone ahead! This was the first person they had encountered since entering Heaven-Pointing Peak. "Keep going!" Granny Jing said flatly, showing no intention of having Qin Sang detour. Qin Sang had no choice but to press forward, only moving more cautiously and slowing his pace. Soon, another ripple of spiritual power appeared, lasting longer than the previous one. Qin Sang surmised that the person was likely harvesting a Star Element Stone; the Spirit-Locking Bracelet was simply too inefficient, making the collection process very slow. As the distance closed, Qin Sang had already guessed the other party’s identity. Sensing Granny Jing’s gaze turn toward him, Qin Sang knew what she wanted to ask. After a brief hesitation, he answered honestly, "It is Fellow Daoist Wei of the Guyi Sect." The Guyi Sect was one of the great demonic sects of the Lesser Cold Domain. Much like the Qingyang Demonic Sect, its disciples were not utterly wicked or depraved. This man was surnamed Wei, a cultivator at the False Core stage of formidable strength. Granny Jing gave an "mm" and said, "Go around him." Qin Sang sighed softly to himself, feeling a touch of disappointment as well as relief; Granny Jing hadn't changed. It was a pity he was a fellow cultivator from the Lesser Cold Domain. If an opponent from the Heaven-Traversing Alliance had blocked their path, Granny Jing surely wouldn't have hesitated to strike. Even if all the spoils went to her, obtaining the corpse of a False Core stage cultivator would still have been a tremendous harvest for Qin Sang. No longer concealing himself, Qin Sang unleashed his movement technique and sped through the snow. Cultivator Wei quickly caught wind of Qin Sang’s presence. Clearly not expecting to meet anyone else here, he was startled and immediately abandoned harvesting the Star Element Stone. Right after, Qin Sang felt a sharp, piercing intent lock onto him—a warning from the other man. Qin Sang said nothing, simply sweeping around Cultivator Wei. At their closest point, only a few stone pillars separated them. The falling snow obscured their line of sight, but it could not mask the spiritual power radiating from Qin Sang. "Fellow Daoist Qin, is that you?" Cultivator Wei could not help but call out in a hushed, stern voice, but received no reply. He stood vigilantly in place without moving, making no preemptive move, which snuffed out Qin Sang's last lingering thought. Heavy snow swirled and drifted. The two brushed past one another—a mere minor interlude. Before they knew it, half an hour had slipped by. Qin Sang had been silently counting the time. He had collected Star Element Stones without pause along the journey, and the pouch at his waist was already more than half-filled with them. Once he delivered Granny Jing to her destination and broke away, he could still search for more. Barring any accidents, seizing first place would certainly pose no problem. After all, he had spent most of his time traveling; the speed at which the Star Spirit Net gathered Star Element Stones was beyond what anyone else could imagine. For some reason, Granny Jing seemed to have grown somewhat anxious. Climbing over a boulder, a massive gorge of seemingly endless length stretched across their path. Much like Feilai Peak, this gorge was an unmistakable landmark. Their current position was on the lower half of the mountainside, yet they had already reached the opposite side of Heaven-Pointing Peak. In just half an hour, they had traveled such a vast distance. A thick black mist that seemed as though it would never disperse gathered in the chasm, blanketing the entire gorge. From time to time, faint specks of starlight flickered deep within the darkness. Qin Sang had barely gained a firm footing on the edge of the chasm and had not yet had the chance to observe it when he heard Granny Jing command: "Jump!" Her tone brooked no refusal. Qin Sang did not know why she was so urgent, nor would he ask. He had not lived enough; the fewer secrets he knew, the better. The gorge was not very deep. Qin Sang touched the ground shortly after leaping down, but it was exceptionally freezing and somber. Only upon entering the gorge did he discover countless restrictions concealed within the black mist, remarkably well hidden. Had Granny Jing not been directing the way, Qin Sang would never have dared to move about here freely. Proceeding straight along the gorge, the terrain sloped noticeably downward, and the chasm seemed to grow deeper and deeper. After traveling a considerable stretch, Qin Sang’s expression shifted slightly. He immediately concealed his aura, his eyes fixed on the churning black mist ahead, and soon confirmed it was no illusion. "Senior, does it seem like someone is up ahead?"