Timeline

Sect Master Wu had only reached where he was today thanks to the guidance of the Master of Spirit Tortoise Island. Full of gratitude toward the island master, he regarded him as his mentor; thinking of the island master's fate filled his chest with sorrow and indignation. This outcome was something Qin Sang had not anticipated. Could Senior Qingzhu have concealed his name and identity, hiding in such a remote area, all to avoid an enemy? And yet someone had tracked him down and razed his cave dwelling to the ground. He recalled the message Senior Qingzhu had left in the Hall of Seven Kills. Three large characters—"Sigh"—brimming with endless desolation. Had Senior Qingzhu already had a premonition back then and left behind his final words? "When did this happen? And what was the identity of the island master's enemy?" Qin Sang asked, unwilling to have made the long journey in vain. "Just two years ago!" Sect Master Wu named a point in time that astonished Qin Sang. He had not expected it to be so recent—not long after this latest opening of the Hall of Seven Kills. That meant Senior Qingzhu had still been in the Canglang Sea right up until disaster struck! "No one knows who Senior's enemy was; Senior never mentioned it himself. We were merely permitted to listen to Senior expound the Dao on the island. Senior never truly accepted any disciples. "On the day of the disaster, I was cultivating in the mountains. I later learned from rumors that the battle was terrifying beyond measure, wielding the might to rend heaven and earth. Spirit Tortoise Island was utterly destroyed. Some said only the arrival of a Nascent Soul Patriarch could cause such dreadful devastation. "After Senior met with calamity, everyone fell into deep terror. We are grateful for Senior's kindness, yet our cultivation is far too meager. We could do nothing, and didn't even dare reveal our thoughts..." Sect Master Wu seemed to have bottled this up for a long time. Having found a listener in Qin Sang, he could no longer hold back, his genuine emotions pouring out in a strained, bitter tone. "Did anyone witness the battle? Did anyone see the outcome with their own eyes?" Qin Sang refused to believe Senior Qingzhu could be killed so easily. It had been nearly three hundred years since Senior Qingzhu was teleported to the Canglang Sea. At that time, he was already approaching the peak of the Core Formation stage, and that was while creating his own cultivation method as he progressed. With Senior Qingzhu's talent, it was hard to imagine what heights he had reached by now. Even if someone told him Senior Qingzhu had become a late Nascent Soul grand cultivator, Qin Sang would not be particularly surprised. Even if he could not defeat the foe, would he have no chance of escaping at all? Sect Master Wu sighed. "Bamen Island isn't far from Spirit Tortoise Island, so the outbreak of the battle immediately alerted the cultivators there. Many watched from afar, and some who got too close were swept up in the fighting, their bodies obliterated. It is said that toward the battle's end, a fiend laughed uncontrollably, and from start to finish, not a single soul was seen escaping the island..." Hearing this, Qin Sang's heart sank. Sect Master Wu continued, "Senior seemed to have had a premonition about this catastrophe long ago. Many years ago, after one of his Dao lectures, Senior once said that he would leave this place, would no longer hold lectures on the Dharma, and would seal the island from then on. For all these years, Spirit Tortoise Island remained sealed by a grand formation. We thought Senior had already departed; some had even gradually forgotten him. It wasn't until disaster struck two years ago that we learned Senior had never left. Instead, he was hiding from his enemy—yet he still couldn't escape this calamity." Qin Sang pressed, "Then even if Senior hadn't met with calamity, I would have made a wasted trip? Does Fellow Daoist remember when the island was sealed?" Sect Master Wu thought for a moment. "It has been more than fifty years now. At the time, I was only at the Qi Refinement stage and knew practically nothing about cultivation. I was feeling my way forward blindly and took many detours. It was only by hearing Senior's Dao lectures that I was able to successfully achieve Foundation Establishment." More than fifty years! Cultivator Wang had already been traveling abroad at the time, which was why he knew nothing about the island being sealed. This piece of news was crucial. Qin Sang was taken aback. That was precisely when the Hall of Seven Kills had emerged on its own last time—and also when Ziwei Palace had opened! It was definitely no coincidence! Qin Sang realized that Senior Qingzhu's words had not been aimless. In all likelihood, he had found a teleportation formation to leave not just the Liefeng Archipelago, but the Canglang Sea altogether, returning to his homeland. Yet for some reason, Senior Qingzhu had not left after all. He had returned to Spirit Tortoise Island, only for his enemy to track him down. Qin Sang lowered his head, his thoughts in a tangle as he sorted out the timeline based on the known information. Roughly three hundred years ago, during the opening of Ziwei Palace prior to the last, Qingzhu had provoked a formidable enemy inside the palace, faced a life-or-death crisis, and was forced to flee far away to the Canglang Sea. Then, over two hundred years ago, Qingzhu had concealed his identity and arrived at this remote place called Spirit Tortoise Island, where he had remained to cultivate ever since. Looking at it now, he was probably avoiding an enemy, which explained why Qin Sang had found no trace of him despite searching for so long. Over the years, Qingzhu had frequently held lectures on the Dao to guide rogue cultivators, but never took disciples. Qin Sang was certain that during this period, Qingzhu had not missed a single opening of the Hall of Seven Kills. Then fifty years ago, when the Hall of Seven Kills emerged on its own and Ziwei Palace opened once more, Qingzhu sealed the island. Two years ago, Spirit Tortoise Island suffered a sudden attack, and Qingzhu's whereabouts became unknown. What remained unclear was when he had left the sword marks, jade slip, and desolate message in the Hall of Seven Kills. The timelines matched up; it was almost certain that the Master of Spirit Tortoise Island was Senior Qingzhu. His whereabouts were more or less accounted for, yet many mysteries remained. Who was Senior Qingzhu's enemy that he feared them so much? Why had he not left? Was there a problem with the teleportation formation? "After Senior sealed the island, countless people went to visit, only to be turned away. Even if you had come two years earlier, Fellow Daoist Qin, you wouldn't have been able to see him... Fellow Daoist Qin... Fellow Daoist Qin..." Seeing Qin Sang head down in silence, Sect Master Wu asked in surprise, "What is the matter?" "Oh." Qin Sang shook his head, sounding dejected. "It's nothing. We rogue cultivators face immense difficulty in pursuing the Dao. I thought I would finally meet a great teacher, only to be disappointed once again." Sympathizing with him, Sect Master Wu said, "Though Senior is gone, his legacy remains. I have several close friends who listened to Senior's Dao lectures alongside me back then. Emulating Senior's legacy, we frequently gather to sit and discuss the Dao without withholding anything. Fellow Daoist Qin saved the lives of my entire sect. If you don't mind, I can introduce you to them." "Then I must thank you, Fellow Daoist. However, I have long admired Senior's character and wish to visit Bamen Island and Spirit Tortoise Island first to pay my respects. I shall come call upon you at another time." Qin Sang cupped his hands and continued to question Sect Master Wu about the past. Suspecting nothing amiss and seeing that Qin Sang was curious about the Master of Spirit Tortoise Island, Sect Master Wu hid nothing, recounting his past memories in meticulous detail. As the two conversed, they felt the jolting of the wooden vessel gradually diminish. Just then, a disciple came down, shouting excitedly that the storm had stopped. Sect Master Wu's injuries had improved somewhat, and the two walked out of the cabin. Outside, the wind and waves had settled into calm, yet the sea was shrouded in dense fog. The lone ship drifted in the vast waters, with no indication of where the storm had carried them. It took Sect Master Wu and his disciples quite some effort to determine their current position. "Fellow Daoist Qin, head straight to the southeast and you will reach Bamen Island. The sea fog is thick, which is precisely when sea demons stir up trouble, so please be extremely careful. Fortunately, this area isn't like the southern archipelago; the sea fog will recede before long." Sect Master Wu had intended to escort Qin Sang, but Qin Sang politely declined, so Wu merely pointed out the direction for him.