Never judge others by one's own standards, especially when dealing with a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Bearing this insight in mind, Qin Sang followed behind Dongyang Bo, encountering no resistance along the way as they smoothly cut through the throng of demons and arrived before the stone hall.
Once those vulture-like demon beasts spotted the intruders, the beasts across the entire mountain were alerted, lunging frantically until the sky darkened with their swarming masses.
If a pair came, Dongyang Bo slew a pair.
If a flock came, he slaughtered a flock.
Corpses littered the ground, black blood splattering across the stony mountain with an overwhelming stench.
In the end, the demon beasts were terrified by the slaughter. They circled above, screeching loudly, not daring to swoop down.
Other cultivators ascending the mountain benefited from this as well. Taking advantage of the distraction, they raced up the mountain and slipped into the stone hall completely unscathed.
When Qin Sang and his group entered the stone hall, the beasts finally gave up, quieting down and flying back to their perches. Looking back, the crags were still densely packed with demon beasts—a sea of black whose numbers did not appear diminished in the least, a baffling sight.
A passageway led forward, linking one stone hall to the next.
Inside the hall, it was vast and empty.
At the far end of the stone hall, faint light flickered, hinting at the presence of a door.
Qin Sang looked around.
He had clearly seen several people enter the stone hall ahead of them, yet the chamber was now devoid of anyone, indicating they had already exited through that door.
Beyond that door seemed to lie yet another vast expanse; one could only wonder just how colossal Ziwei Palace truly was.
The thousands of palaces laid out across the foot of the mountain were magnificent enough.
Qin Sang eagerly anticipated how much more awe Ziwei Palace had yet to inspire in him.
"Fellow Daoist Dongyang's swordsmanship is truly divine. Even this old man managed to bask in your reflected glory."
A burst of laughter suddenly resonated within the stone hall.
Startled, Qin Sang swept his gaze across and realized that at some point, a figure had appeared at the entrance of the stone hall, coalescing from illusory into solid form—an elderly man clad in hemp robes.
Seeing his features, Qin Sang immediately recognized him. He was a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Heaven-Traversing Alliance who had not only survived the great battle, but was among the survivors in the best condition, an evident testament to his strength.
Showing no surprise, Dongyang Bo replied with a smile, "Merely corpse vultures carrying corpse poison. Surely dealing with them would be effortless for Fellow Daoist Dongyun? I dare not take the credit."
"These corpse vultures hail from the Immortal Tomb, and their corpse poison is exceedingly bizarre. Fellow Daoist's sword arts happen to be suited for dispelling such venom, whereas it would have cost me considerable effort."
The hemp-robed elder shook his head, speaking as he ambled over.
His sallow face was covered in wrinkles, and his eyes were lifeless, cloudy, and listless, making him look like an old man genuinely at death's door.
It was hard to tell whether he had always looked like this or had simply exerted too much energy in the grand battle.
The old man's withered, dead eyes shifted slightly to look directly at Chenyan, and he said with profound meaning, "This must be Fellow Daoist Chenyan. I call myself Immortal Dongyun. Never before had I heard that Shaohua Mountain possessed someone of such extraordinary talent as Fellow Daoist Chenyan, silently forming a Nascent Soul and concealing it from the entire world. You two have hidden your cards deeply indeed. Could it be that you intended to surprise us at Heavenly Mountain?"
"Chenyan greets Fellow Daoist Dongyun."
Chenyan cupped her hands politely, offering no further response.
Dongyang Bo gave a hearty chuckle. "How is it that Fellow Daoist Dongyun has come alone? Could Daoist Zhenyi have been shaken and decided against going to Heavenly Mountain? Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. The Sin Abyss's underhanded schemes cannot endure; as long as the cultivators of our two domains unite our efforts and stand together, we are bound to prevail!"
Immortal Dongyun nodded. "Fellow Daoist speaks true! Grieved though we are, we will never let this crush our spirits. We still have to avenge the companions who suffered at their vicious hands! Several fellow Daoists who lost their physical bodies require Daoist Zhenyi's care to settle them, so I had no choice but to proceed ahead. Once Daoist Zhenyi finishes, he surely won't miss out on seizing the treasures of Heavenly Mountain..."
As Immortal Dongyun spoke, he walked toward the depths of the stone hall. But after taking only two steps, he seemed to recall something, turned around, swept his gaze over Qin Sang and the others, and asked softly, "Which young friend is Qin Sang?"
Everyone's gaze fell uniformly on Qin Sang, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.
Qiu Mubai and the other three were especially bewildered.
Qin Sang felt thoroughly puzzled. Having never met Immortal Dongyun before, he had no idea why this man was seeking him out, let alone how he knew his name.
Still, judging by the genial tone, it did not seem to be a bad thing.
Qin Sang sought his patriarch's permission with a glance. Seeing Dongyang Bo nod, he stepped forward briskly and bowed in greeting. "Junior Qin Sang pays his respects to Senior."
Immortal Dongyun scrutinized Qin Sang from head to toe and nodded. "Good!"
With that, he turned and departed, leaving Qin Sang completely baffled.
"No need to wonder! Our ability to discover the Wuji Sect Master's unusual movements and prepare in advance was entirely thanks to Daoist Chongyi's warning, and Daoist Chongyi had learned of it from a disciple of their sect named Yunyouzi. When the Nascent Souls convened earlier, they summoned Taiyi Dan Sect's Yunyouzi to explain the circumstances. Yunyouzi took the initiative to credit you with the primary merit. He gave us a detailed account of how you encountered the Wuji Sect Master and Huang Tian in Boundless Valley, and how you noticed the signs of their collusion."
Dongyang Bo volunteered the explanation to clear their confusion.
"By unraveling the Sin Abyss's plot and steering both domains out of peril, even though it was an unintentional deed on your part, the Nascent Soul cultivators all owe you a debt of gratitude to some extent.
"For now, Ziwei Palace takes priority, so there wasn't time to discuss your rewards. Once we return, rewards will certainly be bestowed upon you.
"I heard from Feng Ming that you failed to achieve Core Formation even after consuming the snow spirit lotus and iris flower.
"Now there is no need to worry. With so many Nascent Souls, they will surely find a way to forcefully boost the cultivation of you two, and helping you procure the most suitable life magic treasure at that time is only natural and proper.
"However, even if you receive immense rewards, you must guard against arrogance and impatience. Do not think that having these external aids will let you rest easy. Understood?"
Hearing this, Qin Sang hurriedly suppressed his inner delight and bowed with a solemn expression. "Disciple understands and will keep Patriarch's teachings firmly in mind."
Dongyang Bo gave a low grunt of acknowledgment. "Let us go."
Dongyang Bo and Chenyan led the way ahead.
Following behind, Qin Sang could not help but let his thoughts drift into reverie about the future.
He had thought preparing a life magic treasure would require considerable effort, never expecting that one was already waiting for him, practically within arm's reach.
To reap so many benefits from an unwitting deed—it was all thanks to Yunyouzi not forgetting him!
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Qin!"
Even Qiu Mubai was deeply envious of Qin Sang's fortune.
Yet what he envied most was not Qin Sang's impending Core Formation, but rather obtaining a life magic treasure with such ease.
Back then, the patriarch had warned him that after achieving Core Formation, he would have to gather the spiritual materials to forge his life magic treasure himself as a form of tempering.
As for Mu Yifeng and the others, they were even more envious of Qin Sang receiving assistance from Nascent Soul elders; his Core Formation was now practically set in stone, bringing him one step closer to the Great Dao.
Little did they know that Qin Sang no longer needed any help.
Even so, Qin Sang was still overjoyed.
He did not need help with Core Formation, but he could ask to exchange the reward for something else. With so many Nascent Soul Patriarchs present, healing his hidden injuries would surely be an effortless matter.
Chapter 570