Chapter 1198: Divine Pattern

At the edge of the Sky Mark, Qin Sang looked down into the abyss.

Following the cliff face, he slowly descended, entering the Sky Mark for the first time.

Unlike the ancient immortal battlefield, the interior of the Sky Mark showed no signs of desolation; instead, it was incredibly beautiful.

The slopes of the cliff face were covered in lush green trees, like a verdant carpet. Various exotic flowers and rare plants, seldom seen in the mortal world, bloomed here in vibrant competition. Amongst them, waterfalls cascaded like silken jade ribbons, sometimes converging, sometimes separating, as they flowed into the abyss.

Were it not for the occasional dangerous fragments of ancient restrictions, it would truly resemble an otherworldly paradise.

This slight danger did not deter Qin Sang.

His speed increased. He noticed the terrain growing steeper, the scenery becoming increasingly rugged and desolate. After descending further, not a trace of green remained. Exposed earth and rocks, along with blocks of jet-black, ominous-looking stones, hinted at the unusual environment.

Qin Sang sensed a familiar chilling aura, knowing that below lay the concentration of Earth Fiend Qi.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qin Sang saw wisps of Earth Fiend Qi wafting from the stone caves below. The steep mountain walls were riddled with countless irregular stone caves, each filled with dense Earth Fiend Qi, hidden deep within the cliff face, surpassing even the Earth Abyssal Caves in intensity.

Qin Sang activated his True Essence for protection, randomly chose an entrance, and phased inside. Relying on his formidable cultivation, Qin Sang withstood the corrosive Earth Fiend Qi, delving deep into the cliff. He thoroughly searched the surroundings but returned empty-handed, confirming that the Heavenly Corpse Sect ruins were not there.

After refining the fiend corpse, Qin Sang returned the way he came.

Once his external avatar recovered its Qi Refining cultivation, Qin Sang took it to one of the market towns. His true body waited outside, controlling the avatar as it entered the market town. Using its original identity, the avatar moved unhindered. After entering the market town, it gathered its old acquaintances in a courtyard located in a corner of the town.

"Old Man Qi, didn't you say last time you had a new business venture, potentially a big score? Why did you vanish for so long after leaving? Don't tell me you ran into some tough trouble?"

Old Man Qi was Qin Sang's avatar, and his friends were all birds of a feather with the original owner of the identity. The speaker was a fierce-looking burly man, his expression somewhat gloating.

The avatar scoffed, "Evil Impermanence, sooner or later you'll make a mistake and capsize. I'd like to see when a real Impermanence will come to claim your soul and drag you to the eighteen layers of hell."

Evil Impermanence sneered, "If I go to the eighteen layers of hell, Old Man Qi, have you done any less evil than me?"

"Enough!" A beautiful young woman in red, her face full of impatience, interrupted them. "I just reeled in a little darling, and it's our tender moment. I didn't come here to listen to you two bicker. Old Man Qi, why have you gathered us?"

The avatar and Evil Impermanence glared at each other but stopped arguing.

"I have a matter, fellow cultivators, for which I request your assistance." The avatar paused. "Help me investigate someone: a Golden Core venerable from a century ago, known as 'Corpse Ghost Immortal.' He was said to have been active near Jinyin Mountain. As long as you find any information related to him, I will reward you handsomely."

Evil Impermanence and the others exchanged glances.

"Old Man Qi, are you tired of living? Do you want to provoke a Golden Core venerable?" Evil Impermanence looked at him as if he were an idiot.

The beautiful young woman pondered, casting a deep glance at the avatar. "A Golden Core venerable from a hundred years ago with such an arrogant name as 'Corpse Ghost Immortal' — we've never even heard of him. He's probably long gone now. Have you found some clue related to a Golden Core legacy or treasure?"

Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

The avatar's expression stiffened. Under the intense gaze of the others, it felt immense pressure and chuckled dryly, "I knew I couldn't hide it from your keen eyes! These past few days, I've been busy with this matter. My cultivation is low; I don't have the strength, nor do I dare to claim it all for myself. I intended to invite some helpers, which is why I called you familiar fellow cultivators here. However, I must say this first: we all know each other well, so it's best if none of you harbor any strange intentions..."

"There's really a Golden Core legacy? I never thought Old Man Qi would have a stroke of luck like this." Evil Impermanence rubbed his hands, his face full of excitement.

The others were equally interested. After a discussion, they dispersed. The avatar watched them leave, its gaze profound. Soon after, it also left the courtyard and began its own investigation.

After a thorough investigation, nothing was found. Qin Sang then sent the avatar to another market town, with the same result. Time could erase everything. The traces of a Golden Core cultivator were but a speck of dust in the long river of time, wiped away after just a century.

With no success in the search, Qin Sang initiated his second plan: he had the avatar return to the market town with the fiend corpse, which was comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and without any reservations, he summoned the avatar's old acquaintances again.

Feeling the powerful oppressive aura from the fiend corpse beside the avatar, Evil Impermanence and the others cursed inwardly. This old fellow clearly kept the treasure all to himself! While tricking them into helping with the investigation, he secretly retrieved the Golden Core legacy. Otherwise, how could an old fellow of his cultivation level have the ability to refine such a powerful fiend corpse? But thoughts were one thing; outwardly, they were all respectful, as if facing a true Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After a private discussion that lasted an entire afternoon, the avatar finally let them leave.

Evil Impermanence walked to a secluded spot, looking back towards the small courtyard, his eyes flickering. He sneered inwardly, "His cultivation isn't even as high as mine, and he expects me to risk my life for him just because he got a Foundation Establishment fiend corpse by sheer dumb luck? Dream on!"

Just now, Old Man Qi had actually wanted to recruit them all to his command to jointly search for treasure in the Sky Mark. With a Foundation Establishment fiend corpse, they could delve deeper into the Sky Mark in the future. But Evil Impermanence didn't believe Old Man Qi was so benevolent. If they encountered any danger, Old Man Qi would surely abandon them without hesitation, perhaps even using them as shields. Thinking of this, Evil Impermanence scoffed and quickly walked in another direction.

Before long, he arrived near a quiet and elegant courtyard deep within the market town. Evil Impermanence confirmed he wasn't followed, then lowered his head and approached the courtyard, a wide smile on his face. He explained his purpose to the gatekeeper and was then led inside.

Bright moon, stars.Central courtyard, jade table.Fine wine, delicious food.

A cultivator dressed as a Daoist priest was drinking, his face slightly flushed. Before him, several beautiful female cultivators danced gracefully, their gazes seductive. Evil Impermanence swallowed, filled with envy. These female cultivators had higher cultivation than him; they were indeed disciples of a major sect, living such carefree and enjoyable lives! Although he could imitate this lifestyle, at most he could find a few mortal women to dance for him, and he wouldn't dare to act so imperiously in a major city controlled by Jinyin Mountain. He could only go to remote, impoverished areas. How could he compare to the person before him?

The gatekeeper stepped forward to report. The Daoist priest glanced over. Evil Impermanence jolted and quickly straightened up. He saw the Daoist priest dismiss his attendants and say to him, "What do you have to report? Come up and speak."

"A Golden Core legacy? Is this true?"

After Evil Impermanence recounted the full story, the tipsiness on the Daoist priest's face vanished instantly. Evil Impermanence nodded repeatedly. "Absolutely true. Old Man Qi's Foundation Establishment fiend corpse must have come from there."

"Corpse Ghost Immortal..." The Daoist priest thought hard but could not recall such a figure from a hundred years ago. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He abruptly shot out a sword light from his sleeve, instantly pressing it against Evil Impermanence's throat, and sneered, "Old Man Qi obtained a Golden Core legacy and dares to meet you openly, refining a corpse with Earth Fiend Qi instead of Yin Qi? Do you take me for a three-year-old child? You have quite some nerve, daring to conspire against me with such clumsy methods!"

"Venerable, please see clearly! Even with a hundred times my courage, I wouldn't dare plot against you and Jinyin Mountain!" Evil Impermanence trembled, pleading repeatedly, "According to Old Man Qi, his fiend corpse's power is comparable to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. He probably thinks all the other venerables have been dispatched to the front lines. Now the market town is empty; when the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king. That's why he dares to be so unrestrained. Old Man Qi is still in the market town right now; you can verify if I'm lying, Venerable..."

The Daoist priest's eyes narrowed, his tone surprised. "A mid-Foundation Establishment fiend corpse?" He had only recently achieved Foundation Establishment and was not a match for this fiend corpse. If Evil Impermanence truly wanted to harm him, there would be no need to explain so clearly.

"Hmph! I'll spare your dog life for now!" The Daoist priest withdrew his sword. Seeing Evil Impermanence's expectant expression, he scoffed, "You go and deal with Old Man Qi first; don't reveal any flaws. If there really is a Golden Core legacy, you won't be without your reward!"

"This junior obeys!" Evil Impermanence's face was beaming with joy as he bowed and departed.

The Daoist priest looked contemplative. After a moment of thought, he decided to send a message back to his sect to consult with a few senior disciples he was close with, to ascertain if there was indeed a person with the Daoist name 'Corpse Ghost Immortal.' A Golden Core venerable's legacy was still very tempting. If his senior disciples came, even if it were a trap, they could simply break through it!

Qin Sang hadn't expected that even before the avatar paraded the fiend corpse around, the news would, by sheer coincidence, easily reach the ears of a Jinyin Mountain disciple.

Soon, the Daoist priest received a reply. After reading it, his face was full of surprise. "There actually was a Golden Core cultivator named Corpse Ghost Immortal who could refine corpses using Earth Fiend Qi, and he had quite a good relationship with Martial Uncle Wu. However, this person died on the battlefield soon after gaining some fame, no wonder I hadn't heard of him. It seems this person might have had a premonition and left his legacy here before being dispatched to the battlefield, and Old Man Qi got it..."

The Daoist priest immediately sent a reply inviting his senior disciples to come and lend assistance, to prevent Old Man Qi from realizing the situation and escaping with the treasure.

Two days later, the avatar and the fiend corpse left the market town. Not long after entering the deep mountains, its vision blurred, and suddenly a person appeared out of thin air in front, blocking its path. Just as it was about to turn back, another person blocked its way from behind. Both of these individuals were actually mid-Foundation Establishment masters! Immediately after, a figure emerged from behind an ancient tree; it was the Daoist priest.

He looked at the fiend corpse beside the avatar, his eyes sparkling with interest. He lightly fanned himself with a feather fan and leisurely said, "I hear Fellow Daoist Qi has been blessed with immense fortune and obtained a Golden Core venerable's legacy. Might we be permitted to observe it?"

The avatar showed no fear, calmly stating, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Seeing the avatar's fearless demeanor, the three felt greatly perplexed. They had just thoroughly scouted the surroundings and found no abnormalities. Before they could react, they suddenly felt their bodies tighten, their vision darken, and then they were all immobilized in place, unable to move, filled with immense dread. The opponent's strength was terrifying; they hadn't even seen a figure. No matter how they struggled, the binding force on them remained completely unyielding.

Just as they were gripped by extreme terror, an unfamiliar voice rang in their ears, "You have quite some nerve, daring to track my disciple."

One of them, barely composed, found he could speak and pleaded repeatedly, "This junior was blind and did not know Fellow Daoist Qi was your disciple, Senior. Please, Senior, be magnanimous and spare our lives, considering we caused no great harm. This junior is willing to return to Jinyin Mountain and retrieve all the treasures in my cave dwelling as an apology to Fellow Daoist Qi."

They still believed it was because they had provoked Old Man Qi.

"Heh heh, there's no need to threaten me with Jinyin Mountain; I wasn't raised to be easily scared. However, for the sake of Jinyin Mountain, if you answer a few questions of mine thoroughly, I can spare your lives."

The three felt somewhat relieved. The opponent was, after all, wary of their sect. They quickly agreed.

Soon after, Qin Sang and his avatar flew out of the mountain forest. Those three individuals were not dead, but Qin Sang had bound them in the jungle with Golden Core level restrictions. As for when they would be freed, that depended on when Jinyin Mountain found them.

Qin Sang didn't want to cause too much trouble. If he killed three direct disciples, Jinyin Mountain would certainly not let the matter rest. It was a tumultuous time; as long as no one died, Jinyin Mountain should not relentlessly pursue the matter, provoking a mysterious opponent for the sake of a mere Golden Core legacy.

"If I still can't find anything, I'll have to make some noise and infiltrate the various powers, large and small, near Jinyin Mountain, interrogating them one by one." Qin Sang looked west, muttering to himself, "So Corpse Ghost Immortal's real surname was Chen, and he came from the Southern Hidden Mountains west of the Sky Mark. Unfortunately, the Golden Core cultivator surnamed Wu, who was close with Corpse Ghost Immortal, is currently fighting on the front lines, so it's impossible to capture and question him in a short time. I can only go to the Southern Hidden Mountains first. None of these three have ever seen Tan Hao, so I don't know if Tan Hao has been here, or if he went directly to the Southern Hidden Mountains."

One of the three Jinyin Mountain disciples had served as a Daoist attendant to the Golden Core cultivator surnamed Wu. He had been present when Corpse Ghost Immortal visited, heard the Golden Core cultivator refer to Corpse Ghost Immortal as Fellow Daoist Chen, and knew he had cultivated in the Southern Hidden Mountains before. Qin Sang suspected that Corpse Ghost Immortal only came to Jinyin Mountain to absorb Earth Fiend Qi for corpse refinement after obtaining the Heavenly Corpse Sect's legacy. He decided to try his luck in the Southern Hidden Mountains.

Without delay, he set off immediately. Crossing the Sky Mark once more, Qin Sang headed straight for the Southern Hidden Mountains. By noon on the third day, Qin Sang finally arrived, having already thoroughly investigated the powers in the Southern Hidden Mountains along the way.

The Southern Hidden Mountains had a peculiar shape. At the Sky Mark's border, peaks formed a semicircle, then extended outwards in rings. This place was characterized by treacherous mountains and harsh waters, with no top-tier sects nearby, mostly individual cultivators. However, these forces were more or less intricately connected to the major sects outside.

Qin Sang dispatched his avatar, employing the same trick again. Unfortunately, although he lured out a few individuals with ill intentions, none of them knew anything about Corpse Ghost Immortal. Qin Sang realized this path was fruitless and simply went directly to the major powers within the Southern Hidden Mountains. Among these powers were immortal cultivator families, rogue cultivator alliances, and even branch academies of sects.

Qin Sang made a round and found that the mountain-guarding formations of the immortal cultivator families and rogue cultivator alliances were slightly weaker. One immortal cultivator family's grand formation surprisingly had a huge flaw, undetectable by others but spotted by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. This allowed him to infiltrate without causing a major commotion, saving a lot of trouble.

The Li family. For a family to produce two Golden Core cultivators would have been a sign of prosperity in earlier times. But with war, family prosperity was secondary; they only sought to survive on the battlefield. Fortunately, the Li family fared better than those with only a single Golden Core cultivator. Not all two of their Golden Core cultivators were conscripted; at least one could survive, and they could even rotate.

Li Yutian had just been relieved by his grandfather, withdrawn from the front lines, and was preparing to recuperate properly at home for a while. Recalling the scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, Li Yutian still felt lingering fear. Even Golden Core venerables were precariously balanced on the chaotic battlefield, liable to die suddenly at any moment. The only good news was perhaps being able to witness Nascent Soul cultivators fighting firsthand and experiencing continuous battles, which led to rapid progress. He didn't understand why those Nascent Soul Grandmasters, instead of living peaceful lives, insisted on invading the Heavenly Path Alliance, when the Sinful Abyss had clearly not yet reached the point of resource depletion.

Outside the cave dwelling, two maidservants stood at attendance. Suddenly, Li Yutian's voice came from within, "Pass down the order: this Grandmaster has gained new insights and will be entering seclusion for a breakthrough. No matter what happens, no one is to disturb me." The two maidservants were overjoyed upon hearing this. Their Grandmaster was already at the peak of early Golden Core. If he broke through further, the family would have two mid-Golden Core experts, and the Grandmaster was still young, possibly even capable of reaching the Nascent Soul stage. The two maidservants bowed and withdrew. Seeing the restrictive light appear on the door, they had no doubts whatsoever.

Meanwhile, inside the cave dwelling, Li Yutian was utterly terrified, staring at the cloaked figure who had appeared out of nowhere before him.

"A Nascent Soul Grandmaster!" Li Yutian felt a terrifying pressure and his face was filled with despair.

Qin Sang appeared before Li Yutian like a phantom, reaching out and placing his hand on Li Yutian's head, directly performing a soul search. On the battlefield, this person had killed countless cultivators from the Two-Domain Alliance. Qin Sang naturally showed him no mercy. After obtaining the desired information, Qin Sang erased Li Yutian's corpse and all traces, then quietly departed.

The entire Li family knew nothing of this. It wasn't until another ancestor returned later and forcibly opened the cave dwelling that they discovered Li Yutian had disappeared. However, there were no traces inside the cave dwelling; Li Yutian seemed to have vanished into thin air, becoming a major unsolved mystery of the Southern Hidden Mountains ever since.

Subsequently, Qin Sang and Fatty Chicken split up, finding opportunities to create several more unsolved cases, though these involved Foundation Establishment cultivators.

With various pieces of information corroborating each other, Qin Sang gained some understanding of Corpse Ghost Immortal. His name was Chen Heng. He had always been a rogue cultivator, originally unremarkable, just like other low-level cultivators, constantly venturing into the Sky Mark, barely scraping by. Then one day, he somehow obtained an unknown opportunity, and his cultivation advanced rapidly. Thus, he actually managed to break through to the Golden Core stage step by step, becoming a Golden Core venerable.

This person cultivated a Wood-attribute cultivation method; his Wood spiritual power was exceptionally pure, and his divine abilities were extraordinary, earning him a minor reputation in the Southern Hidden Mountains. In Li Yutian's memory, he was quite wary of Chen Heng because the latter was a loner and extremely vindictive. But it was certain that at that time, Chen Heng had absolutely no connection with corpse path cultivators, nor did he have the title 'Corpse Ghost Immortal.'

Until a hundred years ago, for unknown reasons, Chen Heng suddenly left the Southern Hidden Mountains and vanished without a trace. Everyone speculated he might have died outside. That was indeed the case. From this, Qin Sang could conclude that Chen Heng acquired the Heavenly Corpse Sect's corpse refinement technique during his journey from the Southern Hidden Mountains to Jinyin Mountain.

However, Qin Sang still had no clue about the Heavenly Corpse Sect. Chen Heng had no relatives or friends in the Southern Hidden Mountains. If he acquired the corpse refinement technique elsewhere, the trail would likely go cold here, and Qin Sang would have no choice but to return to the Heavenly Path Plateau to find that Golden Core cultivator from Jinyin Mountain.

Since he was already here, Qin Sang decided to continue his investigation in the Southern Hidden Mountains. He searched through the memories of Li Yutian and others, looking for any significant events that occurred in the Southern Hidden Mountains in the years before Chen Heng's departure, such as the emergence of ruins.

Ultimately, Qin Sang pinpointed four locations, all deep within the Sky Mark. Three of these were in secret realms sealed by ancient restrictions, where ancient treasures had once emerged from the ruins, causing a sensation. The fourth was located in the extreme depths of the Sky Mark. For unknown reasons, a violent fluctuation had once erupted from the abyss, sweeping through ancient restrictions, causing many cultivators seeking treasure in the Sky Mark to be caught off guard, either killed or severely injured. Later, experts from the Southern Hidden Mountains attempted to investigate further, but the depths were too perilous, and they ultimately failed to determine the cause.

Having discovered this information, Qin Sang decided to personally enter the Sky Mark and investigate. A secret realm accessible even to Golden Core cultivators was naturally no challenge for Qin Sang; he needed no special preparations. He flew downwards along the cliff face without pause. Many cultivators risked their lives searching for treasure within the Sky Mark, completely unaware that someone had just passed by them. The deeper one went into the Sky Mark, the dimmer the light became, and dangers lurked everywhere. There were two ancient restrictions that even Qin Sang had to cautiously avoid.

Soon, Qin Sang arrived before the first secret realm. The entrance to the secret realm, a mountain fissure, was filled with multicolored light. After the previous great disturbance, the chaotic ancient restrictions had once again sealed the opening. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly perched on Qin Sang's shoulder, its wings aimed at the entrance. After observing for a moment, Qin Sang perceived the thoughts conveyed by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly and smiled. Then, he conjured the Golden Sinking Sword and unleashed a perfect strike. The ancient restrictions were triggered, converging towards the sword light. The mountain wall trembled, and shattered stones flew everywhere. Simultaneously, a gap appeared in the ancient restrictions, and Qin Sang seized the opportunity to slip inside.

The next moment, Qin Sang appeared by a lake. The lake had dried up, and the surrounding palaces had become ruins, a scene of broken walls and shattered foundations. This place had clearly been thoroughly plundered. Qin Sang released his spiritual sense, searching every inch meticulously. He found no presence related to the Heavenly Corpse Sect. Undeterred, he flew out of the secret realm and swiftly moved towards the next location.

The second secret realm sealed a mountain range, where ancient palaces stood abundantly, suggesting a past of infinite glory. Qin Sang unexpectedly gathered a rather rare spiritual herb, but still found no traces of the Heavenly Corpse Sect.

Continuing deeper, he arrived at the third secret realm. The entrance to this secret realm was chaotically distorted, even featuring spatial rifts, having been destroyed by colliding ancient restrictions. Qin Sang and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly worked together, gradually deciphering the ancient restrictions, finally finding a fragment of the secret realm's ruins, but still gaining nothing.

"Now, it's down to the fourth place." Qin Sang looked down into the abyss, below lay endless darkness. With the Heavenly Eye Butterfly guiding the way, Qin Sang dove fearlessly into the depths. A full two hours passed before Qin Sang finally located the source of that volatile eruption. Surprisingly, after passing through the most perilous zone, further down lay a vast expanse of desolation, and fragments of ancient restrictions were exceptionally rare.

Seeing this scene, Qin Sang felt something was amiss. He ordered the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to fully activate its divine abilities, then cautiously began searching the area. The desolate area was larger than Qin Sang had imagined. It took him the time it takes an incense stick to burn to reach its opposite edge.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's gaze fixed on a stone wall as smooth as a mirror. Moments later, his pupils suddenly dilated, his face filled with shock. "This aura... divine runes! It's actually a unique restriction of the Witch Tribe!"