The Summons

Qin Sang followed them into the dark cloud. Seeing that the Xuanlu Guards under Qiu Mubai were almost entirely disciples from Shangyuan Qingjing Palace and Shaohua Mountain, he greeted each of them in turn, then conscientiously followed orders and moved together with the squad. This dark cloud was actually a special restriction implement capable of stabilizing spiritual energy. By relying on it in combat, everyone was spared the chaotic fluctuations of the ambient energy. However, it was said that this magic tool had limited power and was effective only during the low tide of the spirit tide. Xuanlu Pass had its own Core Formation stage experts who stepped forth to wipe out large swarms of cloud beasts. The Xuanlu Guards were merely there to plug any gaps, mop up stragglers, or deliver messages. The danger was generally low, though mishaps still occurred—such as the tragic death of Yuyangzi. It was evident that Qiu Mubai was also quite curious about Qin Sang, and the two conversed warmly. Qin Sang was likewise an adept hand at slaughtering cloud beasts. With his aid, the group swiftly completed their mission and returned to Xuanlu Pass. "Junior Brother Qin, go to Mount Junpan first to register in the jade register. We can catch up properly another day." Qiu Mubai pondered for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Qin, with your temperament, you likely have no fear of outside gossip. If any fellow disciples say anything foolish, let me know, and I will teach them a lesson on your behalf." Qin Sang paused, then cupped his hands. "Thank you, Senior Brother Qiu." Parting ways with Qiu Mubai, Qin Sang went to Mount Junpan to report his arrival and log his merits. In passing, he rented a cave dwelling in the city. The price was steep, making his heart ache at the expense. There were free cave dwellings in the military barracks, but treating the Flying Yaksha there would present far too many inconveniences. Afterward, he went to find Yunyouzi. Along the way, Qin Sang recalled his conversation with Qiu Mubai. When he had asked about Dongyang Bo, Qiu Mubai had spoken with extreme caution. Qin Sang had gleaned very little, leaving the picture of Dongyang Bo in his mind as vague as ever. "There will be time enough in the days ahead..." Qin Sang shook his head and triggered the restriction outside Yunyouzi's cave dwelling. *** "Once Ziwei Palace opens, the sect masters of all three sects will arrive at Xuanlu Pass. At that time, they will lead us into the inner layer of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield to rendezvous with the others. Everyone bearing a Ziwei Secret Talisman will receive their protection." Yunyouzi had already gathered all the information, and the necessary preparations were complete. "Won't we stand out too much?" Those who obtained a Ziwei Secret Talisman were virtually all Core Formation stage experts. With the two of them mixed in as False Core stage cultivators, Qin Sang could not tell whether drawing Dongyang Bo's attention would be a blessing or a curse. Yunyouzi shook his head. "Even if we went to another major pass, everyone must ultimately rendezvous in the end, so we would be discovered either way. It is far better to stay with our own sect master, who will genuinely shield us. Ziwei Palace lies in the deepest reaches of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, and the journey might not be peaceful." Qin Sang nodded. Venturing to Ziwei Palace was an absolute necessity, so there was no room to worry about the rest. The two conferred at length before parting to make their respective preparations. From then on, Qin Sang waited patiently in Xuanlu Pass. He did not follow his original plan of idling about as a useless freeloader. Whenever he had spare time, he joined Qiu Mubai's squad, heading beyond the pass to hunt cloud beasts with them. *** *Thwack!* A pitch-black palm materialized out of thin air, raking deep claw marks across the wall of the cave dwelling before the Flying Yaksha's figure fully revealed itself. Seated on a meditation cushion, Qin Sang gazed at the claw marks with a pensive expression. Nearly half a year had passed, and the healing had yielded remarkable results. The Flying Yaksha's strength had already recovered to the level of a False Core stage cultivator. From here on, its recovery would only accelerate, ensuring it would be fully restored before Ziwei Palace opened. "Good thing I refined a few extra Shaoyin Magnetic Bottles. The consumption really is staggering." Qin Sang muttered to himself, recalled the Flying Yaksha into the corpse puppet pouch, retrieved a jade pendant, opened the cave dwelling, and unhurriedly made his way toward an auction house. With countless experts currently gathered at Xuanlu Pass, Qin Sang naturally would not let such an opportunity slip by. He had attended several auctions in hopes of coming across Everlasting Camphor, Tiandu Rock, or soul-attracting grass. Unfortunately, the first two spiritual materials had never once appeared, and even when soul-attracting grass turned up, it was invariably shipped off to demonic cultivator territory. Throughout this period, Qin Sang had come away empty-handed. Today was no exception. When the auction concluded, Qin Sang walked out of the auction house with a face full of disappointment. Seeing his Xuanlu Guard token flickering at his waist, he flew straight toward Mount Junpan. "Junior Brother Qin." Qiu Mubai had already assembled the squad. "This might be our last chance to venture outside the pass before the spirit tide ends. Figuring you wouldn't want to miss it, I took the liberty of summoning you." Surprised, Qin Sang asked, "Is the pass about to be sealed?" "More or less," Qiu Mubai nodded. "The spirit tide is about to reach its peak. I hear this might be the final ebb. Venturing outside after this would mean certain death. The pass will likely be sealed for a staunch defense; once we weather this period, the spirit tide will pass." *A good thing I came early!* Qin Sang felt secretly fortunate. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Ziwei Palace should be emerging soon, shouldn't it? If the pass is being sealed now, have the Patriarchs already arrived here?" "I don't know either." Qiu Mubai shook his head and ordered the squad to set out immediately. As the city gates opened and they stepped outside the pass, Qin Sang glanced back over his shoulder. To both sides of Xuanlu Pass and high in the heavens hung a boundless, seemingly gossamer barrier that firmly held the spirit tide at bay, sheltering the countless living beings behind it. High above, the spirit tide—capable of grinding them to dust with ease—surged in wave after wave, relentlessly hammering the barrier, yet every blow proved utterly futile. Compared to this primordial barrier, the protective spirit array atop Xuanlu Pass, which had pooled the painstaking efforts of countless Nascent Soul experts over countless ages, seemed exceedingly dim. Just who had left this barrier behind? And when had it been erected? Noticing Qin Sang's gaze, Qiu Mubai remarked with deep feeling, "Looking back to the ancient era, an immortal grandmaster casually waved a hand to establish this barrier, easily turning back the spirit tide to protect all living beings. Such magnificence fills one with longing... I wonder if any of us will ever be fortunate enough in this lifetime to attain such a realm!" Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. This lull in the spirit tide was exceptionally brief. Not long after setting out, Qin Sang and the others sensed something amiss and hurried back, barely managing to re-enter Xuanlu Pass before the ebb ended. To their surprise, just as they entered the pass, they heard someone calling out the names of three of them. Turning toward the voice, they found it was none other than Che Yutao's direct disciple, Zhan Yi. "Junior Brother Zhan, what brings you to call for us in such a rush?" Seeing the urgent look on Zhan Yi's face, they walked over and asked. Zhan Yi was already a False Core stage cultivator himself, as well as Che Yutao's personal disciple, yet he carried no arrogance. He bowed to them first before saying, "Senior Brothers, Master just issued an order for all late Foundation Establishment cultivators of our sect present at Xuanlu Pass to report to him. I couldn't find the three of you anywhere, only to learn that you had gone beyond the pass." "Martial Uncle Che has summoned us? For what matter?" The three exchanged glances and hurriedly asked. Zhan Yi said anxiously, "We're only waiting on you Senior Brothers. You'll understand once you get there." Qin Sang and the others dared not dawdle. They immediately picked two fellow sect disciples at the late Foundation Establishment stage from the squad and hurried off after Zhan Yi. The group rushed along and entered Che Yutao's residence, where Qin Sang cast a swift glance around. At a single glance, he saw it. Che Yutao was seated in the main hall, but he occupied a side seat. In the primary seat sat a woman cloaked in a mantle.