The Hour Has Arrived

"This..." Qin Sang fell into silent contemplation. He had not expected Everlasting Camphor to be so rare; simply trading for it would likely prove very difficult. What Old Man Eight Swords said was true—having the jade slip would give him another path to pursue. Qin Sang was already tempted, yet his tone remained reluctant, accompanied by repeated bitter smiles. "Senior truly has a way with deals; I am indeed on the verge of being swayed. However, Senior is offering only a piece of Tiandu Rock and a single jade slip. Even if the contents of the slip are true, I would still have to run around searching for it, with no guarantee of ever finding it... Senior will have to add something more." "Then how about adding a stalk of soul-attracting grass?" Old Man Eight Swords produced a jade slip followed by a jade box. Inside the box lay an intact stalk of soul-attracting grass, just as he had said. Qin Sang froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile. "Senior has thoroughly seen through my situation." Stroking his beard, Old Man Eight Swords said, "Daoist, you may not know this, but I have run myself ragged trying to secure a Ziwei Secret Talisman. I expended immense effort just to gather the things you needed, and this is truly my limit." Qin Sang nodded, reflecting quietly. It was rare to find someone who could bring together everything he needed—such an opportunity was hard to come by. Judging by Old Man Eight Swords' tone, this was likely his bottom line. Haggling further might end up spoiling the deal over trifles. With that in mind, Qin Sang pushed the Ziwei Secret Talisman forward and said readily, "Very well! We trade with these three items!" After completing the exchange, both were thoroughly pleased. Taking his gains, Qin Sang hurried back to the residence. The piece of Tiandu Rock was not large, but it was more than enough to forge the Primordial Concentric Rings. Qin Sang carefully put away the Tiandu Rock and soul-attracting grass, then extended his spiritual sense into the jade slip to examine it thoroughly. After a while, Qin Sang withdrew his spiritual sense, thinking to himself that acquiring this jade slip had been well worth it. Old Man Eight Swords had probably worried about raising suspicion, so he had given him the original jade slip; its contents were completely intact. Not only did the jade slip contain all sorts of information on the Everlasting Camphor, but it also recorded the growth environments and properties of dozens of precious spiritual materials. For Qin Sang, who was determined to continue delving into artifact crafting, this jade slip was a treasure in its own right. According to the slip, the companion beast of the Everlasting Camphor was a demon beast known as the fire-repelling sparrow. The fire-repelling sparrow resembled a swallow, with feathers as translucent and crystalline as ice. It possessed a peculiar ability, skilled in wielding the power of glacial ice; a flap of its wings stirred a freezing wind capable of dissolving souls and corroding bones. Ordinary flames could not approach it, extinguishing the moment they made contact. However, if a flame exceeded their capability, it would become their natural bane instead. At its core, the substance of the Everlasting Camphor was a kind of cold jade. The fire-repelling sparrows loved the chill emitted by this jade camphor above all else, and they could sense it from great distances. If they fed on it over the years, the accumulated chill of the Everlasting Camphor could trigger a metamorphosis in the sparrow, causing its strength to skyrocket. Legend had it that the phoenix would alight on nothing but the parasol tree, eat nothing but bamboo seeds, and drink nothing but sweet spring water. The bond between the fire-repelling sparrow and the Everlasting Camphor carried a similar nature. Upon learning that the companion beast of the Everlasting Camphor was the fire-repelling sparrow, Qin Sang had inwardly cried foul. The Everlasting Camphor was rare, but the fire-repelling sparrow was hardly any better; at any rate, Qin Sang had never heard of it before. Only after learning from Old Man Eight Swords that fire-repelling sparrows had once appeared in the inner valley of Wuya Valley did Qin Sang let the matter drop. Now Qin Sang began to fret again. He had visited the inner valley of Wuya Valley with Yunyouzi and knew just how dangerous it was. Furthermore, a mature Everlasting Camphor could easily attract fire-repelling sparrows at the Demon Core stage, and the Nine Nether Demonic Fire in his Ten Directions Yanluo Banner might not be able to subdue them. Fortunately, he was not lacking in magic treasures, so he did not need to fear having none available once he reached Core Formation. There was no urgent rush to forge the Primordial Concentric Rings. From then on, Qin Sang no longer went out, staying in the residence to study the art of artifact crafting by combining the jade slip with the Wu family's crafting insights. *** "Junior Brother Qin!" *Knock! Knock!* A knock sounded at the door. Sensing that Qiu Mubai was standing outside, Qin Sang's eyes flashed with sharp light. Ziwei Palace was finally about to open! A month ago, the Flying Yaksha's injuries had fully healed, its strength restored to what it once was. Pushing the door open and stepping out, he saw that Ji Qing and the others had emerged from seclusion as well. Nodding to one another, they walked together toward the depths of the residence. Arriving before the cave dwelling, they found no sign of Che Yutao. Instead, an emaciated old man clad in a gray-and-white robe stepped out from inside. It was actually Martial Uncle Fengming! Qin Sang still remembered the first time he had been invited to lend a hand after reaching Foundation Establishment. Martial Uncle Fengming's disciple, Li Zai, had died in the Heavenly Corpse Cave. As the organizer, Yu Daiyue had borne the brunt of Martial Uncle Fengming's fury and was nearly expelled from the sect, sparking the tragedy that followed later. "This disciple pays respects to Martial Uncle Fengming!" Qin Sang had no wish to suffer unwarranted misfortune. He bowed along with the others, and seeing Martial Uncle Fengming turn a blind eye to him, he felt relieved. "Follow me," Martial Uncle Fengming said flatly. Clouds formed beneath his feet as he transformed into an escaping light, heading straight for the city gates of Xuanlu Pass. Qin Sang and the others hurried to follow. Along the way, Qin Sang drew close to Ji Qing and asked curiously, "Senior Brother Ji, Martial Uncle Che isn't going to Ziwei Palace?" Ji Qing hummed in affirmation. "Master must remain to guard Xuanlu Pass." Qin Sang nodded. For a cultivator like Che Yutao, whose path was clear and bright, there was indeed no need to take such risks. He wondered how many other martial uncles would accompany them besides Martial Uncle Fengming, and whether Qi Yuanshou had arrived. Martial Uncle Fengming flew extremely fast. Giving full chase, Qin Sang and the rest finally arrived before Xuanlu Pass. Upon reaching the spot, they saw that the city gates—shut for more than half a year—were wide open. The restriction outside the pass bulged outward into a semicircle, where a dozen or so figures could be seen standing in the distance. A Core Formation cultivator from the Taiyi Dan Sect stood before the main gate. Just then, a streak of sword light swept in from the eastern city, landing before the gates ahead of them. It was none other than Old Man Eight Swords. As the sword light retracted, the forms of eight compact flying swords appeared, neatly encircling Old Man Eight Swords' dantian. The swords formed the shape of a lotus and abruptly closed before being taken back into his body, a remarkably dashing display. "Eh? Fellow Daoist Eight Swords, what brings you here?" The Core Formation master guarding the gate recognized Old Man Eight Swords. Old Man Eight Swords produced his Ziwei Secret Talisman, cupping his hands. "Fellow Daoist Liu, I came in pursuit of a Ziwei Secret Talisman, and fortunately, my trip was not in vain." After examining the Ziwei Secret Talisman, the Liu-surnamed Core Formation cultivator allowed Old Man Eight Swords to pass. Fengming arrived as well. Waiting until Qin Sang and the others caught up, he strode toward the outside of the pass, only to be stopped by the outstretched arm of the Liu-surnamed cultivator. "Hold on." The Liu-surnamed Core Formation cultivator seemed to be on bad terms with Fengming. Sneering, he taunted, "Brother Fengming, what is the meaning of this? The spirit tide is at its peak right now. Even if you're sending your disciples outside the pass to die, there's no need to be in such a hurry, is there?" Fengming snorted coldly. "As if anything good could come out of your mouth! They are all heading to Ziwei Palace." "So many False Core disciples going to Ziwei Palace? Aren't you afraid of suffering a total loss?" Hearing this, the Liu-surnamed cultivator was astonished. He scrutinized Qin Sang and the others, still unwilling to let them pass easily. "Produce your Ziwei Secret Talismans." Just then, a gentle voice drifted over from beyond the pass. "They do not need Ziwei Secret Talismans. When the time comes, I shall shield them."