Chapter 106: Breaking the Barrier

South of Wuchen State lay an unbroken chain of mountains, desolate and uninhabited.

Unbeknownst to mortals, several massive mountain ranges in the heart of these mountains were incredibly barren. Not a blade of grass grew on them, and no birds or beasts were seen. The rocks and soil were an eerie black, and black, smoky wisps continuously seeped from numerous fissures, eroding the nearby forests.

Upon arriving, one felt a chill, not just physically, but deep within their heart.

Qin Sang arrived by air, landing his flying shuttle. Gazing at the boundless 'black peaks,' he thought to himself that calling this place the "Sunken Lair" was an understatement; its scale far exceeded even the Fiend Abyss!

The entrance to the Sunken Lair, in particular, resembled a colossal sinkhole created by a meteor impact, spanning several hundred zhang in diameter. Its dark maw opened towards the sky, with streams of dark, malevolent energy constantly battering the restrictive seals at the entrance, contained within like swimming fish. The bottom of the cave was pitch black, as if it led to the netherworld.

Fortunately, the Sunken Lair was nestled deep within wild mountains. If it were closer to the neighboring small nations, the potential disaster it could unleash would be unimaginable.

Qin Sang leaped into the cave and immediately shivered, his expression slightly changing. He possessed the Warm Yang Pearl and the Fiend-Ward Hood, two artifacts specifically designed to counter malevolent energy. While these allowed him to easily withstand the corrosive effects of malevolent energy in the Fiend Abyss, he still felt a bone-chilling coldness in the Sunken Lair.

Descending from the entrance, the Sunken Lair grew progressively wider. After a short distance inward, the entire underground area transformed into a colossal abyss, no less imposing than the Fiend Abyss. Countless fissures branched out from the sides of this abyss, like vines, extending further afield, so that creatures within several hundred li were affected by the malevolent energy.

Qin Sang found his cave dwelling on the stone wall, entered, and activated its protective array. Only then did a semblance of warmth return to him.

The cave dwelling was as simple and crude as ever. Qin Sang picked up the jade slip inside, placed it against his forehead, and discovered that it contained a complete map of the Sunken Lair, with particular emphasis on several restrictive seals set up by Shaohua Mountain.

Sealing such a vast area completely with restrictions would be too costly. Shaohua Mountain had merely concealed the Sunken Lair with a simple illusion array and then sealed the larger openings and fissures to prevent the malevolent energy from spreading too rapidly.

Due to the constantly shifting terrain, new large fissures could appear, and sometimes the existing seals would be damaged by the surging energy.

Therefore, Qin Sang's task was to patrol the entire Sunken Lair every two days, record any changes, and report them to his sect, to prevent sudden anomalies from catching them off guard.

Qin Sang considered this and decided to conduct the patrol first.

He had spent a month listening to lectures at Shaohua Mountain and benefited immensely. In particular, hearing an uncle-master recount his experiences breaking through cultivation barriers during his Qi Refining stage had unexpectedly inspired him, causing his ninth-layer bottleneck to loosen. This was why he had hurried here.

This patrol took him most of the day. Upon his return, Qin Sang felt as though he had walked naked through a glacier. It took him a long time of meditating and circulating his cultivation technique to dispel the cold from his body.

After recording the changes in the Sunken Lair on the communication talisman provided by his sect and sending it off, Qin Sang sealed his cave dwelling, positioned the Spirit-Confusing Mirror at the entrance, and began his secluded cultivation.

One month later.

Apex Cloud Mountain.

Qin Sang, Sun De, and several rogue cultivators gathered at the mountain peak, drinking and enjoying themselves. Sun De had cultivated many spirit fruits in his medicinal garden, each one sweet and delicious, yet he repeatedly lamented that they were far inferior to Shaohua Mountain's Red Jade Peaches.

The other rogue cultivators all nodded in agreement.

Qin Sang, having broken through to the ninth layer, was in a cheerful mood. He also chimed in, saying that once the Red Jade Peaches ripened, he would definitely return to the sect to savor them properly.

Sun De raised his wine cup in a distant toast to Qin Sang, "Congratulations, Junior Brother Qin, on breaking through to the ninth layer. This humble wine I offer is far less fragrant and mellow than the immortal wine brewed from our sect's spirit fruits, but I hope Junior Brother won't disdain it."

Qin Sang repeatedly expressed his unworthiness, clinking cups with Sun De and the other rogue cultivators one by one.

There was a considerable distance between Apex Cloud Mountain and the Sunken Lair, with a great river chasm in between, but neither posed a problem for cultivators. Since Qin Sang's arrival at the Sunken Lair, Sun De had invited him several times via communication talismans, but Qin Sang had politely declined, citing his secluded cultivation for breakthrough.

This time, Sun De personally came to visit, and since Qin Sang had just successfully broken through, he did not refuse.

Only after arriving at Apex Cloud Mountain did Qin Sang realize that Sun De truly lived up to his reputation as "Timely Rain." Not only was his reputation excellent within Shaohua Mountain, but even nearby rogue cultivators held him in extremely high regard.

Every now and then, he would invite nearby rogue cultivators to gather at Apex Cloud Mountain. He showed no trace of the arrogance often associated with sect disciples, greeting even low-level cultivators with a warm smile, making everyone feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.

During gatherings, when cultivation matters were discussed, he would always offer guidance wholeheartedly to anyone who sought it, never holding back his knowledge.

Qin Sang, sipping his wine and listening in, felt that his trip had been worthwhile. He secretly admired Senior Brother Sun, thinking that it wouldn't hurt to visit often in the future.

Bidding farewell to Sun De, Qin Sang returned to the Sunken Lair for his routine patrol. As he passed a certain fissure, he suddenly sensed something unusual within it. His heart turned cold, and he immediately retreated by wind, drawing the Cerulean Wave Sword from his mustard seed pouch. He activated the Heaven Star Tears to protect himself and coldly shouted, "Who's there! Come out!"

A moment later, a dark figure flashed out from the fissure, continuously muttering, "Fellow Daoist Qin, please don't be rash, it's me, it's me..."

When the person revealed himself, Qin Sang said in surprise, "Fellow Daoist Hong?"

This Fellow Daoist Hong was a rogue cultivator named Hong Shan whom he had met at the Apex Cloud Mountain gathering. The two had just parted ways from Apex Cloud Mountain.

They were merely acquaintances, so Qin Sang did not lower his guard. He questioned, "Fellow Daoist Hong, why are you trespassing in the Sunken Lair instead of returning to your dwelling after the gathering?"

Hong Shan chuckled awkwardly, "Fellow Daoist Qin, you might not know, but the protective artifact I forged needs to be tempered with malevolent energy, so I often visit the depths of the Sunken Lair. Fellow Daoist Wang, who guarded the Sunken Lair previously, and Fellow Daoist Sun of Apex Cloud Mountain are both aware of this. At Apex Cloud Mountain, I had intended to inform you, but I was so caught up in the drinking that I completely forgot. If you don't believe me, you can ask Fellow Daoist Sun; he can vouch for me."

Although Shaohua Mountain had sealed the Sunken Lair, it had not prohibited others from entering to collect malevolent energy. The numerous fissures, large and small, allowed free entry and exit.

Many rogue cultivators, unable to afford artifacts, devised all sorts of peculiar methods to forge their own. Malevolent energy, being extremely cold, would add a few degrees of power when tempered into an artifact.

Qin Sang possessed several top-grade artifacts and had no need to forge his own.

To be safe, Qin Sang sent a flying talisman to Sun De for confirmation. Moments later, he received a communication talisman from Sun De confirming Hong Shan's story. Qin Sang no longer obstructed him, nodding and warning, "Fellow Daoist Hong, remember not to disturb any forbidden areas. If the malevolent energy erupts and causes casualties, neither of us will escape accountability."

"Understood, understood," Hong Shan patted his chest. "Fellow Daoist Qin, rest assured, I just need to find a fissure, collect some malevolent energy, and then I'll leave. I would never dare to venture into the core area."

Unexpectedly, when the next gathering occurred, Qin Sang did not see Hong Shan.