Outside the pass.
Following the voice, Qin Sang immediately spotted Chenyan in her cloak.
She stood alone at the edge of a restriction barrier, gazing out at the surging spirit tide. Wrapped in an aloof aura that kept everyone at arm's length, her expression hidden beneath the hood, no one dared approach her.
To her left, a man in brocade robes and a long-bearded Daoist priest were in conversation.
Neither of them gave off the slightest aura fluctuation; they could easily have been mistaken for two mortals.
With Qin Sang's current cultivation, even when facing Core Formation experts, he could still sense faint traces of true essence fluctuations as long as they were not deliberately concealing them.
It was impossible to run into mortals here. For such a thing to happen, their cultivation had to exceed his by far!
The moment he saw them, Qin Sang's chest tightened, gripped by an inexplicable pressure.
They stood right before the restriction barrier. The terrifying spirit tide caused the barrier to shudder continuously, as though it might burst through at any second, yet the two remained thoroughly composed, paying the tide no heed.
The speaker had been the man in the brocade robes.
Dongyang Bo!
Qin Sang's heart stirred with deep emotion. Nearly a century after joining the sect, he had finally laid eyes on his own patriarch.
As for the other man, able to stand on equal footing with Dongyang Bo, he was undoubtedly another great Nascent Soul cultivator. Qin Sang wondered whether he was Taiyi Dan Sect's patriarch, Daoist Chongyi, or the palace master of Shangyuan Qingjing Palace, Tie Guanzi.
With Dongyang Bo speaking up, the Core Formation cultivator surnamed Liu dared not cause any more trouble. He meekly acknowledged the order and promptly let them through.
Qin Sang and the others followed behind Martial Uncle Fengming, quickening their steps before bowing deeply to Dongyang Bo. "Disciples pay respects to the Patriarch!"
"Rise."
Dongyang Bo gave a slight nod and said calmly, "Fengming, take them to the side and wait."
"Understood!"
Qin Sang obediently stepped aside and quietly observed the people gathered there.
Yunyouzi had not arrived yet. Apart from Dongyang Bo, Chenyan, and the mysterious Daoist priest, everyone present was a Core Formation cultivator.
Among them were a few who had shown their faces in the Luandao Waters. Some hailed from the Taiyi Dan Sect, but most came from the other sects stationed at Xuanlu Pass.
Yet among them, Shaohua Mountain had only Martial Uncle Fengming, and there was not a single person from Shangyuan Qingjing Palace, which struck Qin Sang as strange.
Qi Yuanshou had only recently formed his core, so it made sense for him not to enter Ziwei Palace.
Were none of the other senior martial uncles—all veteran Core Formation cultivators—going to Ziwei Palace either?
While Qin Sang quietly took in the scene, the Daoist priest also glanced their way, looking somewhat puzzled. Rather than directly asking Dongyang Bo about his intentions, he remarked obliquely, "Fellow Daoist Dongyang, bringing so many False Core stage disciples, do you still have the strength left to protect others? The disciples of Shangyuan Qingjing Palace, as well as the sects subordinate to yours, surely need your personal protection as well, do they not? Could it be that they all managed to find Ziwei Secret Talismans?"
Dongyang Bo smiled faintly.
"Did Fellow Daoist Chongyi not notice that I only brought two disciples of my own?
"To ensure fairness, our powerful sects agreed not to vie aggressively for the Ziwei Secret Talismans. Why would I paint a target on my own back?
"Fellow Daoist Tie wishes to let his sect rest and recuperate. This time, he will brave Ziwei Palace alone. Given his strength, there is no need for me to worry.
"As for these five, I have a way for them to join forces and exert power beyond their realm.
"As for the juniors from the other sects, there will not be many. If I do my utmost, I should still be able to shield them."
Daoist Chongyi nodded, then seemed to remember something and said in surprise, "Fellow Daoist Tie left Shangyuan Qingjing Palace alone... Is his time almost up?"
Dongyang Bo sighed softly. "Indeed. Fellow Daoist Chongyi remembers correctly."
Daoist Chongyi lamented, "Fellow Daoist Tie originally had no small chance of Nascent Soul formation. Paired with Shangyuan Qingjing Palace's unique secret talisman, his prospects were certainly no worse than ours back then. Yet to preserve his sect, he did not hesitate to sever his own path to Nascent Soul formation, resolutely sacrificing himself to feed the talisman puppet—truly admirable. Venturing into the dragon's pool and tiger's den alone, he must be determined to succeed or die trying. But just how much confidence does he have?"
Dongyang Bo shook his head. "From what I know, Fellow Daoist Tie harbors a resolve for death. Before departing, he already passed the position of palace master to his junior brother, Gongliang Yu..."
Before his words finished, a streak of azure light drifted in.
The cultivator surnamed Liu stood respectfully before the gate. Far from daring to stop him, he bowed and said courteously, "Greetings, Senior Tie Guan."
When the azure light dispersed, it revealed an emaciated figure with an unnaturally pale complexion—a striking sight on a cultivator of such high standing.
Tie Guanzi nodded to the Liu-surnamed cultivator, then walked toward the two Nascent Soul cultivators and cupped his hands. "Tie Guanzi greets the two seniors."
Qin Sang observed Tie Guanzi quietly, filled with curiosity.
Judging by Tie Guanzi's words and manner, he did not behave like an equal addressing fellow realm cultivators, but rather carried himself as a junior. Was Tie Guanzi not a true Nascent Soul grand cultivator?
The secrets behind this were beyond what he could fathom.
"Palace Master Tie, there is no need for such ceremony."
Daoist Chongyi and Dongyang Bo both returned the courtesy with cupped hands.
After Tie Guanzi's arrival, a few more people trickled in, nearly all of them holding a Ziwei Secret Talisman.
At last, Qin Sang saw Yunyouzi hurrying over.
Yunyouzi seemed to have quite a reputation in the Taiyi Dan Sect. His arrival not only surprised the Liu-surnamed cultivator and the others, but even caught the attention of Daoist Chongyi, who summoned him forward.
"You are a disciple of my sect? Why did you not cultivate properly in the sect to prepare for Core Formation, instead of placing yourself in such peril?"
Yunyouzi bowed, neither servile nor arrogant. "Reporting to Patriarch, this disciple wishes to seek a spiritual herb in Ziwei Palace."
Daoist Chongyi frowned slightly, but did not press further. He said indifferently, "Stay by your Martial Uncle Liu's side. There is no need to stand with those rogue cultivators."
...
After Yunyouzi arrived, the flow of newcomers visibly thinned.
Before long, Granny Jing arrived as well.
Qin Sang, who had been anxiously waiting, breathed a sigh of relief.
Granny Jing still appeared as an inconspicuous old woman; none of the people present seemed to recognize her.
Showing her Ziwei Secret Talisman, she glanced at Qin Sang, then found an empty corner to lean on her cane and rest with closed eyes.
After another two hours of waiting, dusk fell, past the midpoint of the hour of the Rooster. Two more Core Formation rogue cultivators arrived late.
Dongyang Bo looked around and spoke in a deep voice: "The time has arrived! If any of you are still hesitating, now is your last chance. Once we leave Xuanlu Pass, there is no turning back!"
A stir ran through the crowd, but no one spoke.
Dongyang Bo nodded to Daoist Chongyi. With a light flick of Daoist Chongyi's sleeve, a jade ruyi flew out, circling into the air and swelling larger and larger until it matched the size of a flying boat.
Daoist Chongyi's figure blurred, vanishing into thin air.
Then, Daoist Chongyi's voice drifted down from above.
"Come aboard, all of you!"
Startled by Daoist Chongyi's exquisite evasion technique, the crowd dared not hesitate and flew up into the air one after another. Even with everyone aboard, the jade ruyi still felt quite spacious.
"Fellow Daoist Dongyang, how about this poor Daoist leads the way, while you hold the rear?" Daoist Chongyi asked.
Chapter 556