Bring Out His Remains

"You do not need to go anymore." Qin Sang was startled by the words and hurriedly searched in every direction. The Lesser Beichen Star Element Formation was battered beyond recognition and nearing its breaking point. Several fractures had split across the star chart, leaving the stars dim and lusterless. The cultivators holding Ziwei Secret Talismans made up the vast majority entering Ziwei Palace this time. Sheltered within the Lesser Beichen Star Element Formation, they had been fortunate enough to escape the calamity wrought by the Sin Abyss. Yet now that the spirit formation was collapsing, those whose luck ran out inevitably met with disaster. Fortunately, the spirit formation did not disintegrate instantaneously. Aside from the corner that had collapsed first, the others were prepared and managed to flee in time. Qin Sang caught sight of Yunyouzi successfully steering clear of a rift, and his heart settled. The cultivators present were also scattered in disarray, separated by the fractures tearing through the spirit formation. After searching for a moment, Qin Sang finally spotted Granny Jing in a corner of the Lesser Beichen Star Element Formation. Hunched over and leaning on her walking stick, Granny Jing kept an exceedingly low profile. Unless someone was deliberately looking for her, almost no one would notice her presence. Leng Yuntian was not far ahead of Granny Jing, busy gathering his sect members with all his might. He remained completely unaware that the old woman behind him had fixed her gaze on him like a venomous serpent. Granny Jing glanced toward Qin Sang and directly disclosed the location of an ancient palace to him. "If you truly manage to get inside and find his remains..." Granny Jing hesitated, sighed almost imperceptibly, and said softly, "Bring his remains out and lay him to rest in the earth." Seeing this, Qin Sang understood. The Five Directions Pagoda tainted by the Blood Filth Divine Light was likely the heirloom magic treasure of the Yuanshen Sect. The Boundless Blood Mulberry Spirit Formation meticulously laid out by the Sin Abyss was far more potent than Qin Sang's ebony sword. The Five Directions Pagoda was clearly rendered useless for now, and there was no way Leng Yuntian could restore it anytime soon. During their time in Ziwei Palace, Leng Yuntian would lack the protection of the Five Directions Pagoda, and his strength would be drastically reduced. No wonder Granny Jing no longer needed him. Qin Sang was not certain of Granny Jing's true cultivation either. Back when Granny Jing had brought him along to lurk outside Dongyang Bo's cave dwelling, Qin Sang had assumed she was a Nascent Soul expert—perhaps even possessing higher cultivation than Dongyang Bo. Yet during the battle at Heaven-Pointing Peak, despite various constraints, Granny Jing had not appeared to have an easy time dealing with Old Man Star-Grasper. The contradictory impressions left Qin Sang bewildered and unable to fathom the truth. Presumably, Granny Jing's strength was definitely greater than Leng Yuntian's; otherwise, she would not be so confident. Qin Sang glanced at Chenyan, unsure if she had detected Granny Jing's voice transmission. However, Granny Jing's words had revealed no context, so even if overheard, there was no cause for concern. Fortunately, Granny Jing was a woman of her word; even though she had no need of his help, she still provided the compensation. Qin Sang could not help but feel pleased. Saving the Blood Filth Divine Light was naturally a good thing. Each time this divine ability was used, it required a period of recuperation, meaning he would effectively have had only one chance to unleash it inside Ziwei Palace. If he ran into danger later on, he would have an extra trump card. Hearing Granny Jing's parting words, Qin Sang thought to himself that there was indeed a deep connection between her and Senior Qingzhu, though what tangled web of love and hatred lay between them remained unknown. Qin Sang resolved that if he came across Senior Qingzhu's remains, he would definitely bring them out. Perhaps it could forge a bond of goodwill with Granny Jing. The Sin Abyss's ambush had been exceedingly vicious, inflicting heavy losses on both domains, particularly the Heaven-Traversing Alliance. They would certainly not let the matter rest. Once they exited Ziwei Palace, the cultivation world would likely descend into turmoil. What brought Qin Sang some relief was that his own sect had two Nascent Soul cultivators presiding over it. It was good to enjoy the shade beneath a great tree; they were far luckier than those rogue cultivators and disciples of small sects. Still, no one would complain about having too many backers. With these thoughts running through his mind as Chenyan carried him, Qiu Mubai, and the others through the air, Qin Sang suddenly felt his whole body tighten. A vast expanse of white burst into view before his eyes. A boundless sea of clouds greeted their vision. They had finally broken out of the immortal formation and entered Ziwei Palace! Before joy could show on their faces, Chenyan did not fly toward the Heavenly Gate at all. Instead, she plunged straight into the sea of clouds with them, sending everything spinning in a dizzying whirl. "So Ziwei Palace isn't behind the Heavenly Gate, but down inside the sea of clouds?" Even amid the dizziness, Qin Sang still had the leisure to ponder such things. Because an ethereal force had been guiding them all along to keep them from scattering, with Chenyan protecting them, there was naturally nothing to fear. "The Heavenly Gate is above, yet Ziwei Palace is below, and one does not enter through the gate. Is the structure below truly Ziwei Palace? Or did Ziwei Palace fall from the heavens in ancient times and crash into the sea of clouds?" Qin Sang constantly felt the logic behind this did not quite add up. He had clearly seen just now that behind the Heavenly Gate was sheer nothingness, leaving the solitary gate standing alone atop the clouds. The scenery observed from inside the immortal formation was identical to what was seen from outside. Qin Sang's doubts were well-founded. When senior cultivators first discovered Ziwei Palace, they had harbored the exact same suspicions. Yet no one had ever unraveled the mystery, unable to tell whether this celestial palace in the sea of clouds was the fallen Ziwei Palace or some other hall. Because the words "Ziwei Palace" were inscribed upon the Heavenly Gate, the name had simply been attributed to it. Regardless of the celestial palace's true identity, it made little difference to them, for to this day, no one had managed to explore it entirely. Thud! Thud! Thud! In a desolate ancient courtyard, several figures plummeted from the sky and slammed onto the ground, flattening withered grass and kicking up plumes of dust. Qin Sang grabbed a tangle of branches from an ancient tree in the courtyard to absorb some of the impact before dropping to the ground along with the broken branches, barely keeping his balance. Qiu Mubai managed roughly the same, but the other three were not so fortunate. They tumbled head over heels across the ground, their hair and clothes plastered with dry blades of grass and dead leaves. By the time they scrambled up in disarray, Chenyan drifted down gracefully. She appeared entirely unaffected, not even the hem of her robe displaced. Qin Sang and the others tidied themselves up and bowed to Chenyan in succession. "Thank you, Martial Grand-aunt, for your protection." Now that Chenyan had revealed her Nascent Soul cultivation, their attitude toward her was as reverent as toward Dongyang Bo, paying her deep respects. Shock aside, Qiu Mubai and the others could hardly conceal their delight, clearly understanding what it meant for the sect to gain another Nascent Soul master. To their surprise, Chenyan refused to accept their etiquette, stating indifferently, "I am not your martial grand-aunt. In the future, continue addressing me as Senior, just as before." Qiu Mubai and the others exchanged glances, thoroughly baffled, yet they complied with Chenyan's instruction nonetheless. "Your disciples obey!" Chenyan stood in the courtyard with her hands clasped behind her back, silent. The five of them waited to the side. Seeing that Chenyan made no move, they began examining their surroundings. The courtyard was vast and overgrown with weeds. Along its perimeter stood numerous towering ancient trees, each as thick as a dozen people could encircle with joined arms, having grown for untold years. On the other side stood a row of dilapidated palace halls that had collapsed completely, leaving behind only the jagged remains of walls. It was impossible to tell what purpose they had once served. The entire courtyard was a scene of utter desolation and bleak ruin.