Early the next morning, after watching the sunrise, Qin Sang returned to his cave abode, collected the treasures he had left behind, and then resealed the restrictions, leaving the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid to grow undisturbed.
Passing by the small island, he found neither Yunyouzi nor Li Yufu, so he left a voice transmission talisman agreeing to meet Yunyouzi there in a month.
Yunyouzi's movements were also unpredictable. The two of them had agreed to stay in touch through this island, and Qin Sang intended to leave as wide a window of time as possible.
Afterward, Qin Sang returned to Dichen Cave and summoned the Flying Yaksha from the earth fiend qi.
The earth fiend qi churned.
A demonic shadow that seemed born of the Netherworld slowly emerged from the mist.
Even upon seeing its master, its face remained completely devoid of expression.
It had been nearly a year since he had placed the Flying Yaksha in Dichen Cave to recover on its own. In the interim, Qin Sang had devoted himself fully to preparing for Core Formation and had not come to check on it.
From outward appearances, the wound at the Flying Yaksha's dantian had closed, its external injuries had completely healed, and its flesh was no longer as shriveled as when it had first been injured. It appeared to be in good condition.
Yet when Qin Sang extended his spiritual sense into the Flying Yaksha's sea of qi, he discovered to his disappointment that its corpse core was still riddled with cracks, dull and lusterless.
It looked virtually unchanged from a year ago.
Qin Sang frowned inwardly. Only after inspecting the Flying Yaksha's golden core more closely did he realize that it was not entirely without improvement; the process was simply slow, impossible to discern without careful examination.
Signs of improvement meant he had chosen the right method of treatment.
Even so, the rate of recovery was far too slow!
"Three years..." Qin Sang murmured, his brow tightly furrowed.
In three years, Ziwei Palace would open.
If he could not form his core, the Flying Yaksha would be his greatest reliance against danger, and he had to bring it inside no matter what.
"Then again, it might not be impossible..."
Qin Sang suddenly realized he had been looking at things the wrong way.
The Flying Yaksha's recovery had been slow in the first year because its injuries were simply too severe. The initial stage was inevitably the most difficult, and the pace of improvement should grow faster and faster over time.
Moreover, once the Flying Yaksha's injuries were halfway mended, there would no longer be any fear of accidentally destroying its corpse core. He could attempt to take control of it and accelerate the rate at which it devoured the earth fiend qi, which might aid its recovery.
However, doing so meant he would not be able to rely on the Flying Yaksha's assistance for his own plans in the meantime.
After completing his inspection, Qin Sang placed the Flying Yaksha back into Dichen Cave.
***
Huilong Temple.
Xianglong Mountain.
The fog formation halfway up the mountain had persisted for a century without dispersing. Mortals could not take a single step into the mountain, viewing it as a sign of immortal presence.
Rumors abounded that this mountain was an abode of immortals, making it a sacred peak renowned throughout hundreds of li around. Over the past century, its fame had not only spread across Guyuan Country, but even commoners beyond its borders had heard of it.
Seekers of immortality arrived in an endless stream.
Over the course of a hundred years, the village before the mountain had grown into a town, until the town could no longer accommodate so many seekers of the Dao. The ruler of Guyuan Country had even decreed the construction of a city beneath Xianglong Mountain.
With time, a small city rose from the earth.
The sovereign had personally bestowed upon it a name that won broad acclaim: Xianyuan City.
Due to its location, Xianyuan City sat very close to the capital of Guyuan Country. It was not a place of strategic military importance, so newly arrived merchants, seeing a satellite city standing there so abruptly, could never resist asking about it out of curiosity.
Although no one had ever obtained an immortal destiny on this mountain, countless legends circulated from Xianyuan City, refreshed with new variations year after year.
One year, a certain Zhang San was favored by an Immortal Master and guided up the mountain; the next, a certain Li Si, blessed with handsome looks, was chosen as a Dao companion by a fairy maiden. Then there were Daoist boys, herb-gathering boys, elixir-refining boys...
Every kind imaginable, each one an enchanting tale.
Twisting, bizarre, and utterly captivating.
They stirred endless longing, making people wish they could take those lucky souls' places.
In years past, only commoners and seekers of immortality would kneel in worship at the foot of the mountain on solar terms, praying for the protection of the gods and immortals.
Five years ago, Guyuan Country had suddenly designated Xianglong Mountain as a holy mountain and erected an altar upon it. Every Winter Solstice, the ruler personally dragged his aged frame up the mountain to offer incense and preside over the heaven-worship rites.
Once the ceremony was completed, the ruler would dismiss his attendants and remain alone at the altar for two hours.
Each time, he would descend the mountain with an expression of disappointment.
This year, the Winter Solstice had just passed. Unusually, the one presiding over the rites had been replaced by the Crown Prince, and snowflakes had begun to drift down on the night of the solstice, bringing a sudden, biting cold overnight.
The world was draped in a blanket of silver.
Early the next morning.
The residents of Xianyuan City rose early to sweep the snow from their doorsteps while children played wild in the snowdrifts. Fewer merchants entered the city today, leaving the streets sparse, save for a charcoal vendor calling out his wares.
Xianyuan City lay due west of Xianglong Mountain. The city's main thoroughfare aligned directly with the mountain, running east to west; toward the west, it connected to Xianyuan City's western gate, where a straight gravel road led directly to the capital outside the walls.
At this moment, a young Daoist priest walked along the avenue from the east.
He wore a clean, worn Daoist robe. Now that the skies had cleared after the snow, some of the snow on the streets had begun to melt, leaving tiny speckles of mud on his leggings, though this did nothing to diminish his presence.
He appeared very young, only around twenty, yet possessed an aura that was impossible to overlook.
This person was Qin Sang.
Having returned to Xianglong Mountain, he reviewed all the voice transmission talismans in Huilong Temple and found no pressing matters. Recalling Qi Yuanshou's advice, he slipped into the city, changed into an ordinary Daoist robe, and disguised himself as a mortal priest.
He used no spiritual power, walking through the slush on foot without caring about the grime, glancing left and right aimlessly, not even knowing what he truly wished to see.
By this point, he had realized he had chosen the wrong time to come down the mountain.
In the bitter chill of winter, mortal folk rarely ventured outside, and the streets were practically deserted. If he wished to observe the ways of the mortal world, he could hardly find enough people to observe.
"Young Daoist..."
Qin Sang strode down the street, wondering whether he should head to the capital, where there ought to be more people.
Suddenly, he heard a call.
Qin Sang looked left and right. Seeing that he was the only priest on the street, he traced the voice to a courtyard along the road with its door halfway open. Before the gate, an elderly woman was waving to him.
The old woman was bundled in a worn padded jacket covered in layer upon layer of patches, yet kept neat and clean.
Her face was lined with wrinkles, making her look well past seventy, but with Qin Sang's sharp vision, he could tell her true age was not so great; a life of hardship had simply aged her prematurely.
"Young Daoist, are you also a seeker of immortals?"
The old woman took a step forward, but her foot slipped. She quickly steadied herself against the wall, still greeting Qin Sang warmly. "Coming down the mountain so early in the morning—it must be freezing up there! Who could have guessed the snow would come so early this year? You haven't eaten yet, have you? We just finished cooking. Come inside, have a bite of food, and warm up."
Qin Sang, who had not known where to go, had a sudden change of heart. He nodded, walked over, and offered a polite bow. "Thank you, benefactress. This humble Daoist is indeed hungry, so it would be rude to decline your generosity."
Chapter 501