Chapter 1111: Red Dress

The voice was very familiar!

Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he looked intently.

The spiritual formation opened, the mist parted, and a woman in red stepped forth from the fog.

Her brows were arched like peaks, and her eyes were dark. Wearing a phoenix coronet, the woman was exquisitely beautiful, like a goddess. Dressed in a long red gown, she exuded unparalleled grace and elegance.

Her gaze fell upon Qin Sang, and a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes.

"Elder Jing?"

Qin Sang was also extremely surprised.

Elder Jing was Qing Jun, the daughter of Senior Qingzhu. When Qin Sang first met Qing Jun in the market, she had concealed her cultivation, using the alias Elder Jing, appearing as a frail old woman. It was only before entering Zhantian Peak that Qin Sang learned Elder Jing's identity was a disguise; Qing Jun's true appearance was incredibly beautiful, no less stunning than Chen Yan's.

But upon seeing Qing Jun again, she had changed once more. He remembered that back then, when Qing Jun revealed her true form, she wore white robes, untainted by dust, like a moon palace fairy, aloof from worldly affairs, ethereal and transcendent. Now, her appearance was as exquisite as it had been a hundred years ago, with time leaving no trace on her face, yet the feeling she evoked in Qin Sang was starkly different. Dressed in a fiery red gown, radiant like the morning glow, she presented a striking image.

Her demeanor was ever-changing, leaving Qin Sang somewhat bewildered, unsure which was her true self.

"Interesting! Back then, I wanted to ask if you'd found that person's remains, but you inexplicably vanished. Later, I learned you'd angered Marquis Dongyang and Chen Yan in the Ziwei Palace. I recall you weren't even a Golden Core cultivator then, just in the False Core realm, right? Yet you escaped, disappeared for years, and now you reappear with such cultivation?"

Qing Jun's lips curled slightly as she scrutinized Qin Sang, an intrigued expression on her face.

'My feeling wasn't wrong,' Qin Sang thought. 'This woman has indeed changed; her demeanor and temperament are completely different from what I remember.'

Confirming that this woman was indeed Qing Jun, Qin Sang suppressed these thoughts. He cupped his hands in a respectful salute and complimented her, "It has been many years, Senior, and your elegance remains undiminished. I apologize for presumptuously disturbing your cultivation; I hope you won't take offense."

Qing Jun was Qingzhu's daughter. Since Peach Blossom Valley was Qingzhu's hometown, it wasn't surprising to encounter her here. However, Qin Sang recalled Qing Jun's tone back then, which suggested little affection for Senior Qingzhu, and Peach Blossom Valley wasn't a particularly remarkable blessed land. He hadn't expected to reunite with Elder Jing so soon.

What surprised Qin Sang most was that Qing Jun's aura was obscure; he couldn't discern her true cultivation level. There was only one possibility: Qing Jun had already broken through to the Nascent Soul realm!

However, Qin Sang reconsidered; it was also normal. More than a century had passed since they parted ways. A hundred years ago, Qing Jun had dared to infiltrate Mount Shaohua, plotting to ambush and kill Leng Yuntian.

"I've never mentioned Peach Blossom Valley to anyone. How did you know I was here? You must have another purpose for coming to Peach Blossom Valley, right?" Qing Jun saw through Qin Sang's intentions at a glance. "Come in and talk."

Qing Jun turned and walked into the spiritual formation. Qin Sang thanked her and quickly followed.

Passing through the formation, the valley was indeed a riot of colors, the blossoms painting the entire valley red. The peach trees were meticulously pruned; some blossoms were in full bloom, while others were laden with plump, red immortal peaches, their fragrance permeating the air. A gurgling stream meandered through the peach forest, finally flowing into a clear pond.

There were no lavish pavilions here, only a quaint courtyard with a few wooden houses, built beside the clear pond, nestled against the mountain and water, hidden among the peach trees. Senior Qingzhu's last words carved on the cliff merely depicted the most unforgettable scene from the depths of his memory.

As Qin Sang's thoughts turned, just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt an extremely pure spiritual energy wash over him, far more abundant than that in the immortal caves of Yun Youzi or Li Yufu.

'Wasn't Peach Blossom Valley supposed to have only a small spiritual vein?'

Qing Jun noticed Qin Sang's unusual reaction and spoke calmly, "I moved a spiritual vein here from the Yuan Shen Gate; it should suffice."

"Yuan Shen Gate, could Leng Yuntian be..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang gasped softly, his face filled with shock. When he was at Yinshan Pass, he had specifically inquired about the Yuan Shen Gate. He had learned that the Yuan Shen Gate remained among the top sects, showing no decline, and that Leng Yuntian was still alive.

He had thought Qing Jun failed to kill Leng Yuntian in the Ziwei Palace. Hearing that Qing Jun could even move a spiritual vein from the Yuan Shen Gate, a flash of insight struck Qin Sang's mind; he suddenly realized something, finding it hard to believe. The Qingzhu family had a blood feud with the Yuan Shen Gate, so Qing Jun would certainly not compromise with Leng Yuntian.

There was only one possibility...

"Indeed. Leng Yuntian's Five-Directional Pagoda was corrupted by the Blood Impurity Divine Light, and I killed him in the Ziwei Palace. The Yuan Shen Gate is such a vast enterprise; it couldn't simply be disbanded or handed over to others, so I disguised myself as Leng Yuntian and became the Sect Master. The Yuan Shen Gate disciples couldn't see through my true form, though Old Ancestor Scarlet Hair and others did notice something amiss. However, firstly, the war was raging then, and I actively joined the battlefield, fighting with all my might against the enemy. Secondly, the matter was already decided, and I didn't indiscriminately kill innocents within the Yuan Shen Gate. Moreover, Marquis Dongyang and others knew about our enmity, gave me a few warnings, and tacitly accepted it..."

Qing Jun recounted the reasons with an air of understatement. Qin Sang knew in his heart that things could not have been as simple as Qing Jun made them sound. Leng Yuntian's death meant that the vast foundation of the Yuan Shen Gate had been usurped.

How could the Nascent Soul Ancestors of other sects not feel a sense of apprehension or sympathy for a fellow cultivator's demise upon seeing this? Even with various justifications, they would not allow someone to act so brazenly. Unless, of course, their strength reached a level that forced everyone else to compromise!

Qin Sang covertly observed Qing Jun. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he vaguely sensed that Qing Jun's aura seemed even more profound and concealed than that of the early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators he had seen in the Seven Kills Hall.

Qin Sang was startled by this thought. A hundred years ago, Qing Jun needed extensive planning and even asked for his help to deal with Leng Yuntian, who had barely formed his Nascent Soul. In just over a century, could she have made successive breakthroughs and already reached the middle-stage Nascent Soul realm? That would be truly astonishing.

Even a Heavenly Spiritual Root holder would find it difficult to break through so quickly, right? Or was there some hidden truth from before? Qin Sang fell into deep thought.

Qing Jun gave him a contradictory feeling. Back then, Qing Jun disguised herself as an old woman and hid in the Wen Yue market. Yet she dared to infiltrate Mount Shaohua, approaching Marquis Dongyang's immortal cave, without any fear of her presence being discovered by him. Her cultivation level had always been mysterious, fluctuating and unpredictable, making her difficult to fathom.

As Qin Sang's mind wandered, they passed through the peach forest and arrived at the wooden house.

"Speak," Qing Jun said, stopping suddenly and looking at Qin Sang, "What is your purpose for coming here?"

Qin Sang saw two graves behind the wooden house, with elegant script on the gravestones, bearing the names of two women. Indeed, both beautiful women had passed away. Qin Sang knew the identities of the tomb owners and sighed with emotion.

May Senior Qingzhu reunite with them in the afterlife!

Qin Sang dismissed his wandering thoughts, offered a silent blessing, took a deep breath, and stated gravely, "This junior has come at Senior Qingzhu's behest, to bring his remains back and inter them in Peach Blossom Valley." As he spoke, a light flickered at his fingertip, and he produced the ice coffin containing Qingzhu's remains.

Qing Jun seemed to have anticipated this; she gazed steadily at the ice coffin, her eyes filled with complex emotions.