Predicament

Apart from Qin Sang, the other four were just as stunned. Ziwei Palace was supposed to be something impossibly distant from them. It was a stage for Core Formation and Nascent Soul masters; unless one had an unavoidable reason like Qin Sang and Yunyouzi, not even False Core cultivators would willingly venture there. In Ziwei Palace, they were the bottom of the food chain, facing mortal danger at any moment. They had originally been at Xuanlu Pass waiting for the spirit tide to end so they could enter the Ancient Immortal Battlefield in search of opportunities. None of them had expected to be dragged into something like this. The five looked at one another in dismay. Qin Sang's mood was even heavier than theirs. If he stayed glued to Dongyang Bo the entire time, leaving aside what dangers he might encounter, what would happen to his own affairs? Both the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit and the subsequent mantras of the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter could only be obtained inside Ziwei Palace. If he missed this opportunity, who knew when it would open again? Yet what excuse could he possibly find to decline? Qin Sang racked his brain. Pretending to be injured, or claiming he feared death to back out—none of that would work. If they crossed paths in front of Ziwei Palace, the lie would instantly unravel. If Dongyang Bo discovered that a sect disciple dared to deceive an ancestor, one could easily imagine the consequences. At that moment, the Xuanwu Beast Seal had already drifted before him. Qin Sang had no choice but to reach out and catch it. The instant his fingers touched the beast seal, an azure thread suddenly shot out from it. Startled, Qin Sang hurriedly tried to shake it off, but the thread moved with astonishing speed. A sharp pain stabbed his fingertip as the thread sliced open a cut, letting a drop of blood fall upon the seal. Immediately after, the thread rapidly climbed up his palm and coiled around his wrist, forming a slender mark shaped like a bracelet. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Even with Qin Sang's cultivation, he was too slow to react, watching helplessly as the mark parasitically embedded itself in his body. *Roar!* As the blood dripped down, a furious roar suddenly erupted from within the beast seal. It was as though an incomparable, peerless beast was sealed inside. An intensely ferocious, terrifying aura burst from the seal in an instant, striking directly at the bearer's origin soul. It felt like a primordial beast looking down upon heaven and earth, crushing all in its path! *What kind of beast soul is sealed in here?* Bewildered, Qin Sang nonetheless stood as firm as a rock. With the protection of the jade Buddha, he had no fear whatsoever of an assault directed at the origin soul. After hearing a muffled groan beside him, Qin Sang caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye: Qiu Mubai's face was flushed red, his spiritual power fluctuating erratically as he struggled with all his might against the beast soul in his seal. Qin Sang's mind stirred, and he quickly feigned a look of exertion, slowly suppressing the beast soul. The beast soul was completely powerless against him, allowing Qin Sang to steadily build his advantage. As his upper hand grew, the beast soul finally gave up struggling and gradually quieted down. To truly tame it and make it his own would still take time, but Qin Sang found it far easier and faster than Qiu Mubai and the others. This hardly counted as good news, and Qin Sang remained distracted. Before long, Qiu Mubai and the others also managed to suppress their beast souls. Among them, Qiu Mubai and Ji Qing were the fastest. Seeing that the timing was about right, Qin Sang intentionally paused, finishing just a step behind them, and looked down at the mark on his wrist with a furrowed brow. The mark had fused into his flesh and blood, yet no matter how many times Qin Sang swept his spiritual sense over it, he could detect nothing, as if it did not exist at all. Once they had subdued the fierce souls, Che Yutao said, "During these next six months, find a room in this manor to cultivate in seclusion. Put all other matters aside and be sure to tame the beast souls!" Qin Sang parted his lips, just about to speak. Beside him, Qiu Mubai asked dubiously, "Martial Uncle Che, I've heard that we Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot withstand the pressure of Ziwei Palace's outer spirit formations even with an ancestor's protection, and that we must have the shelter of a Ziwei Secret Talisman to enter safely." Che Yutao nodded and replied, "I have already asked the Ancestor and Lady Chenyan. You need only focus on refining the Five Elements Beast Seals; do not worry about the rest. Even without the Ziwei Secret Talismans, the Ancestor has a way to bring you in." The last person chosen was named Yu Wansen, a disciple of a Golden Core elder in the sect known by the Daoist name Shoushanzi. Ever since hearing that he would be brought to Ziwei Palace, he had looked completely absentminded. Just now, while subduing the beast soul, he had nearly slipped up due to his wavering state of mind. Yu Wansen's Adam's apple bobbed, and he stammered, "Martial Uncle Che, I've heard that Ziwei Palace is fraught with peril at every step, and that even Nascent Soul grandmasters have fallen within. Even the Ancestor and the others... If an unexpected accident occurs, won't we be..." "Insolent fool! What nonsense are you thinking!" Che Yutao glared at him fiercely, his face dark as stagnant water, and sneered, "The few of you aren't even qualified to scout ahead in Ziwei Palace! The Ancestor merely requires you to wield the Five Elements Beast Seals and borrow their power to break a certain restriction. The seals have already recognized their masters; this old man is powerless to change that. If anyone fears death, go explain it to the Ancestor yourself!" Rebuked mercilessly, Yu Wansen dared not utter another word and repeatedly said, "This disciple knows his fault." Che Yutao gave a cold snort, his expression softening slightly. Pointing at Qin Sang and the others, he chided them with exasperation, "Think carefully. After this journey, you will have caught the Ancestor's eye. Once you return from Ziwei Palace, would the Ancestor ever mistreat you? Others would beg for such an opportunity, yet you drag your feet!" After thoroughly scolding them, Che Yutao continued, "You have likely all heard something of this: Ziwei Palace is divided into an outer and inner palace. In the outer palace, you need only follow behind the Ancestor and Lady Chenyan. However, when entering the inner palace, you may be randomly teleported to indeterminate locations. Do not run around blindly. Just find a safe spot and wait in place. The Ancestor and Lady Chenyan will track you down using the marks on your wrists. Once the restriction is broken, obey the Ancestor's orders. As long as you don't trespass into dangerous zones on your own, you are guaranteed to remain safe and sound." *** Picking a room at random in Che Yutao's manor, Qin Sang stepped inside, shut the door, and activated the restrictive wards. His expression instantly darkened. He sat on a chair for a long time, at a complete loss. From what Che Yutao said, once the task in the inner palace was finished, Dongyang Bo would have no further use for them, which might offer a chance to slip away. However, Qin Sang also understood that such a possibility was slim. Following Dongyang Bo deep into the realm was one thing, but they lacked the ability to leave on their own. Moreover, in the outer palace of Ziwei Palace, Dongyang Bo and Chenyan would be protecting them the entire time. While this greatly reassured the likes of Yu Wansen, it was a massive headache for Qin Sang. The subsequent mantras of the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter and the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit were equally important. If forced to switch cultivation methods, it would be virtually impossible to find another so suited to him. Yet if he failed to keep his promise to help Granny Jing kill Leng Yuntian, how could he persuade her to reveal where Senior Qingzhu had fallen? Qin Sang paced back and forth across the room. Yunyouzi likely had no good solutions either. The best approach was to contact Granny Jing first and see if she could help him break away inside Ziwei Palace. Unfortunately, when they parted at Heaven-Pointing Peak, Granny Jing had only told him to wait for her at Xuanlu Pass without leaving any method of contact. He had no idea when she would actually arrive.