Desolation

The black mist churned and converged into one spot, revealing the figures of three Foundation Establishment cultivators. Glancing at the bones and corpses on the ground, Martial Uncle Wu sighed, "These desperate outlaws are growing bolder and bolder." Martial Uncle Yue furrowed his brow and said, "Their strength is growing as well. Last time, it was only a few petty thieves in the Qi Refinement stage. This time, even Foundation Establishment cultivators showed up. Judging by the magic tools they used, they don't seem like mere rogue cultivators. They're likely tied to several of the nearby cultivation clans. Wealth truly tempts the heart! It seems we'll have to abandon this Shenqi Pavilion. What a pity..." Martial Uncle Dong let out a cold snort. "Next time, we should ask several senior martial brothers to leave the mountain and wash those cultivation clans around Mount Youshan in blood! Let's see which buffoons dare jump out then!" ... Beneath the night sky, the streak of light manifested by the flying shuttle moved like swift wind and lightning. The three martial uncles were positioned in a Three Talents formation, jointly controlling the flying shuttle while Qin Sang and the others remained in the middle. Cocooned by the light barrier, Qin Sang felt neither turbulence nor the freezing wind. Below, mountains and plains flitted past like fleeting shadows, evoking memories of his previous life. Such incredible speed! Qin Sang deeply envied the capabilities of Foundation Establishment cultivators, but for now, he could only cultivate diligently. In front of others, Qin Sang did not dare take out a Soul Pill to aid his cultivation. The five-element spiritual root truly lived up to its reputation; after running a full heavenly circuit, the spiritual power accumulated within his body was no more than an insignificant wisp. Giving up on wasting time, he decided to take this opportunity to practice spell incantations instead. Complex incantations required not only chanting the words of the spell, but also coordinating them with hand seals. Qin Sang had thought he was reasonably clever and that learning them would be simple. Unexpectedly, every single incantation was tongue-twisting and awkwardly phrased, with exceedingly bizarre rhythms and cadences interspersed with obscure archaic pronunciations and cryptic argot. Worse yet, chanting each line demanded the close coordination of spiritual sense, hand seals, and spiritual power, leaving Qin Sang flustered and clumsy. Only now did he realize that cultivation was truly far from simple. At present, he could only stumble through reciting the incantation for the Cloud Escape Technique; casting a spell mid-chant in the near future was entirely out of the question. Even if he managed to force the spell out, such a lengthy casting time was utterly useless in actual combat. Before the spell was even ready, an opponent would have already finished him off. To cast spells at will in an instant, only prolonged, arduous practice would do, which would inevitably conflict with his cultivation practice. The flying shuttle sped on for three days. Qin Sang estimated that the distance covered in these three days was already several times what he had painstakingly traveled over the course of the past year. Peering at a leopard through a tube yielded only a glimpse of a single spot—yet this alone revealed the chasm between the immortal and the mortal. Although Mount Youshan still had the biting chill of early spring, its winter snows had completely melted. Yet after flying for a distance, they saw withered vegetation and the land still cloaked in white. The further north they flew, the more it turned into a freezing expanse of ice and swirling snow. In the early hours of the fourth day, the flying shuttle suddenly descended. Startled awake, Qin Sang and the others were shocked at first, but quickly realized they had finally arrived at their sect, and their faces filled with anticipation. Before long, Qin Sang felt his footing solidify. The light barrier surrounding them dispersed, and the flying shuttle shrank to the size of a palm, landing in Martial Uncle Dong's hand before being put away. At the sight before him, Qin Sang's heart sank cold. In all directions lay an endless snowy expanse, utterly devoid of human presence. The snow-capped mountains stretched without end. Perilous peaks pierced straight into the sky, their sheer cliffs thousands of fathoms high. Clouds and mist wreathed their waists, while beneath lay bottomless chasms where gloomy vapor lingered year-round, abyssal and unfathomable. The mountain was like a sharp sword thrust up from the depths of the Netherworld, pointing straight at the firmament. The barren mountain was capped in pristine white snow. Not a single plant or blade of grass met the eye, and the patches of exposed rock were all of a desolate, pitch black. On this mountain, there were none of the imagined pavilions, towers, or winding streams, nor were there lush greenery, singing birds, or fragrant flowers. One could only see a few cave dwellings carved into the cliff faces, their entrances blocked by accumulated snow, appearing incomparably crude and shabby. This desolate, lonely peak was his sect? Seeing the blank, dazed expressions on Qin Sang and the others' faces, Martial Uncle Yue said with a smile, "The Kuiyin Sect doesn't have the slightest air of an immortal sect. Are you all very disappointed?" Everyone's gaze snapped toward Martial Uncle Yue. No one dared to speak up, but the look in their eyes clearly said as much. Martial Uncles Dong and Hu steered their magic tools toward the mountain peak, while Martial Uncle Yue led Qin Sang and the others down into the canyon below. "Now that you have stepped through the gates of cultivation, magnificent sights, fine clothes, delicacies, and even parents and relatives are all external things. Only what can help you advance your cultivation is real... Feel what makes this place different from the outside." As he spoke, Martial Uncle Yue opened a gap in the light barrier. A blast of freezing wind struck them, making Qin Sang shiver. He hastily circulated his spiritual power to dispel the cold. Then, gasps of astonishment reached his ears. By now, Qin Sang had also sensed that upon entering the Kuiyin Sect's domain, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth had become exceptionally dense. For immortal cultivators, the density of ambient spiritual energy directly affected cultivation speed. However, blessed lands and paradises had long since been carved up by cultivation sects and clans. Only a few wealthy rogue cultivators could afford to set up Spirit Gathering Arrays with spirit stones to aid their practice. For the spiritual energy in the Kuiyin Sect to be so thick, there might very well be legendary spirit eyes or spirit springs here. Such was the foundation of an immortal sect. Martial Uncle Yue was right. Compared to dense spiritual energy, what did mere scenic beauty matter? Martial Uncle Yue led them down into the canyon, soon reaching the top of the mist. Yet Martial Uncle Yue showed no intention of stopping, and they were ultimately submerged in the dense fog, their vision completely obscured. After descending for a while longer, Martial Uncle Yue finally halted his sword light. Qin Sang set foot on solid ground and looked around, only to find they were on a stone bridge along the edge of a cliff. The stone bridge was narrow. They stood right at the edge of the precipice, an abyss of ten thousand fathoms yawning below. A timid senior martial brother pressed himself tightly against the rock wall, his face pale. Qin Sang looked all around and found that similar stone bridges, paths, and staircases had been carved across the entire cliff face. Connected to these stone bridges were individual cave dwellings—some with stone doors shut tight, others wide open—yet there was not a soul in sight. Standing here, Qin Sang felt as though he were in an ice cave. Dense fog lingered here year-round, blocking out the sun, while subterranean yin winds whistled and seeped straight into the marrow of their bones. Only immortal cultivators could barely endure it. In a place like this, no matter how rich the spiritual energy was, it would be arduous to cultivate. "Follow me..." Martial Uncle Yue said, stepping toward a cave dwelling at the end of the stone bridge. The group quickly followed. Arriving before the cave dwelling, Martial Uncle Yue waved his hand and released a streak of golden light. The stone door opened on its own. As everyone followed him inside, the chill on their bodies vanished immediately, making them realize there was more to the cave dwelling than met the eye. The furnishings inside were very sparse: a stone bed, prayer mats, and an incense table. Behind the incense table hung a portrait depicting a black-robed elderly man standing aloft amidst clouds, ethereal as an immortal. Martial Uncle Yue walked to the incense table, lit incense sticks, and bowed in worship before the portrait. Turning around and seeing Qin Sang and the others standing respectfully, he nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "From this day forth, you are disciples of the Kuiyin Sect. The Kuiyin Sect was founded by our sect's patriarch, Master Kuiyin. Come forward and pay your respects to the Patriarch."