The True Objective

This was clearly an abandoned place. Just like the stone pavilion by the pool he had seen upon first entering, it had endured who knew how many ages; once ruined, it had been left completely neglected. Yet after noticing the strange behavior of the restriction fragments, Qin Sang did not dare treat this place lightly. Could some bizarre power linger within the plaza, driving away the restriction fragments? Qin Sang glanced aside. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Granny Jing taking flight from his shoulder, gazing in all directions. He knew in his heart that this must be her destination. She had gone to great pains to reach this place, surely for good reason. Perhaps some supreme treasure was hidden within. Qin Sang lowered his head to look toward the center of the plaza. It was the most conspicuous spot, yet it was piled high with rubble from shattered stone pillars, completely concealing whatever lay beneath. Knowing his place, he suppressed his curiosity, daring even less to harbor any greedy thoughts. Having fulfilled his agreement with Granny Jing, Qin Sang only wanted to make his exit immediately. At this thought, Qin Sang sent a voice transmission: "Senior, are you..." Unexpectedly, before Qin Sang could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a dull thud. Its origin was right at the center of the plaza. The sound came without warning. Granny Jing had made no move; the source of the noise lay beneath the rubble in the center of the plaza. Qin Sang's expression changed drastically. Shifting his gaze, he saw the mound of stone fragments heave violently, as though something was about to break through its seal from within. With that heave, the base of the rubble flared abruptly with light. Beams of white light poured through every crevice, banishing the darkness of the entire plaza in an instant and bathing it in brilliance. Witnessing this, alarm bells rang in Qin Sang's mind. The first thought flashing through his head was to flee; he had no desire to wade into such muddy waters. Decisive as ever, Qin Sang didn't even wait for Granny Jing's reply and prepared to turn and leave right away. Unfortunately, things did not go as he hoped. Just as Qin Sang was about to move, a powerful surge of spiritual power welled up from the depths of the plaza, blasting the pile of stone fragments apart. For a moment, stones flew in all directions, and dust billowed into the air. Amid the chaos, an unforeseen sight greeted Qin Sang: three figures shot into the air! People! Qin Sang was thoroughly shocked. He had never imagined there would be other people here. Vice Island Master Xiao had no reason to lie to them: Heaven-Pointing Peak held only countless restriction fragments—no living creatures, let alone other people. These three who had suddenly burst out of the rubble clearly were not among the sixty-five people who had entered alongside him. Could Heaven-Pointing Peak possess another entrance? Who were they? Had Granny Jing come here not to seek treasure, but to target them? As the stone fragments were blasted apart, a calm voice came from one of the three: "Reporting to the Grand Elder, this is not the immortal abode, but another secret realm!" A more excited voice rang out: "Martial Uncle, look at these! They really are Star Element Stones! The Sect Master truly has eyes like lightning—the immortal abode really is connected to Heaven-Pointing Peak!" "Wait!" "Someone's here!" ... They had emerged too fast for Qin Sang to hide, and he was spotted immediately. The three abruptly fell silent. Clearly, they had not expected to encounter anyone the moment they arrived either. Six eyes snapped simultaneously onto Qin Sang, who was poised to flee. The dust settled. Qin Sang could see their appearances clearly. Three people: an old man and two youths. The old man stood in the middle, flanked by the two youths. The old man wore a strange silver robe patterned with an intricate star chart. Starlight shimmered upon the silver fabric, as dazzling and eye-catching as a true sea of stars. The young man to the old man's left was the one who had spoken first. Dressed in everyday robes, he stood with his hands behind his back. His expression was as detached as his voice—clearly no ordinary person. Yet when facing the old man, a respectful demeanor showed on his face. From this, and the fact that the youth in everyday robes called him Grand Elder, it was evident that the old man held an exceptionally high status. The other young man held a feather fan and wore a scholar's headcloth. Handsome and bearing an extraordinary aura, he seemed the most frivolous in temperament among the three. He had just been pointing excitedly at the glowing orbs outside the plaza, shouting, only for his smile to freeze awkwardly the moment he caught sight of Qin Sang. The auras they projected were not strong, merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, but that did not mean their cultivation was limited to that. Grand Elder, Martial Uncle... Such titles were by no means something ordinary people could bear. The old man and the youth in everyday robes had very likely suppressed their cultivation to enter, just like Granny Jing. Thoughts raced through Qin Sang's mind. He spotted nothing identifying their affiliations, nor could he deduce their origins. He hurriedly shifted his gaze to seek help from Granny Jing, only to discover that she had vanished at some point. The surroundings were completely empty; Qin Sang's heart sank abruptly. The handsome youth shouted, pointing at Qin Sang, his words tumbling out rapidly: "Grand Elder, I recognize this man! He's the Shadowless Sword from Shaohua Mountain, quite famous in the Yuncang Great Marsh! Senior Brother sent a message earlier saying that among those chosen by Snake Granny to enter Heaven-Pointing Peak alongside him was this very person." Qin Sang examined the handsome youth closely. He was certain he had never met the man before, nor did he know who this Senior Brother was. Hearing these words, Qin Sang could only be sure they were cultivators from the Lesser Cold Domain or the Heaven-Traversing Alliance, not from beyond the domain. Qin Sang forced a strained smile. But before he could speak, a glint flashed in the old man's eyes, tinged with killing intent, and he spat out two cold words: "Kill him!" Qin Sang's eyes narrowed sharply. The moment his presence was discovered, he knew this encounter would not end well. He was not naive enough to think they would spare him after he stumbled upon their secret. He had thought that if they were fellow cultivators from the Lesser Cold Domain, he might buy some time with words. He hadn't expected them to be even more ruthless, moving straight for the kill without a word of discussion. Before the old man's voice faded, the handsome youth eagerly summoned a flying sword. Looking disdainfully at Qin Sang, he called out, "Hold on, Martial Uncle! Let me test him first. I want to see what this so-called Shadowless Sword is capable of. He hasn't even reached the False Core stage, yet his fame almost overshadows Senior Brother!" The young man in everyday robes frowned slightly and glared at the handsome youth, scolding, "This trip concerns a major matter of our sect! How can you fool around? Kill him first, then—" Right at that moment, without anyone noticing, an ethereal figure in fluttering white robes quietly appeared at the center of the plaza. Gazing indifferently at the trio, she spoke in a cool, clear voice: "Only one Grand Elder came? Is Leng Yuntian still hiding in the sect like a turtle in its shell?" The three turned pale with fright. "Who's there?!" "Who are you?!" ... Leng Yuntian! Hearing that name struck Qin Sang's mind like a bolt of lightning, and he instantly realized their true identity. Leng Yuntian, Sect Master of the Yuanshen Sect! Rumored to also be a Nascent Soul powerhouse! For the old man to be addressed by the two youths as Grand Elder, there was only one possibility: the Grand Elder of the Yuanshen Sect, a late Core Formation great cultivator whose renown was second only to the likes of Snake Granny—Old Man Star-Grasper! Granny Jing's target was actually the Sect Master of the Yuanshen Sect!