Chapter 1235: Plotting

On the stone platform, Lord Dongyang activated the Vajra Wheel, concealing his presence.

Qin Sang waited for a while. Seeing Lord Dongyang standing motionless, he grew even more curious. It seemed Lord Dongyang had been there for quite some time. Lord Dongyang's status among the righteous cultivators in the Minor Cold Domain was akin to an alliance leader. Disrupting Old Devil Ye's plan held significant importance for the overall battle. Instead of quickly joining the others to strategize, he had come here alone, which was very unusual.

Qin Sang initially suspected that a treasure might be hidden nearby, and Lord Dongyang had found clues in ancient texts, intending to secretly claim it before rejoining. However, the longer he observed, the more he felt something was off. After a long time, Lord Dongyang still did nothing, simply standing there. If he were waiting for a treasure to emerge, there would be no need for him to go to such lengths, deliberately using his natal artifact to hide himself, unless there were guardian spirit beasts around the treasure. Even the Eye Butterfly nearly missed him, showing how cautious Lord Dongyang was.

Qin Sang instructed the Eye Butterfly to monitor Lord Dongyang's movements, while he himself maintained his distance, discreetly shifting position to observe the surroundings and discern Lord Dongyang's objective. Having unexpectedly encountered his enemy, with the enemy in the open and himself concealed, how could Qin Sang miss such an opportunity? Therefore, he decisively put away the fat chicken and prepared to wait and see what Lord Dongyang was planning. Revenge would be ideal, but even if he couldn't find an opportune moment for it, having the chance to disrupt Lord Dongyang's plans or seize any treasures he targeted would still be satisfying. Qin Sang was more than willing to do it.

After surveying the area, Qin Sang found no other figures. Only Lord Dongyang was here. Moreover, apart from ancient restrictions on the two mountaintops near Qin Sang, there were no other anomalies in the vicinity, nor any signs of a treasure about to emerge. This made Lord Dongyang's actions even more puzzling.

"What is he waiting for?" Qin Sang was completely baffled and decided to continue waiting out Lord Dongyang.

"Rumble..."

Streaks of blood-red lightning descended from the sky, continuously striking the mountaintops. The surrounding area reverberated with rumbles, yet it couldn't mask the profound silence and desolation of the place. In such a place, two peculiar individuals were now hidden in the shadows, remaining motionless for a long time, their purpose unknown.

Qin Sang was very patient, but he began to wonder if he had misjudged. Perhaps the white light wasn't from the Vajra Wheel but from a similar magical artifact. However, he couldn't let the Eye Butterfly examine it closely. Lord Dongyang's cultivation was superior to his own, and since he wasn't currently distracted by other tasks, being spied upon could easily trigger a sudden intuition, allowing him to discover Qin Sang's presence.

Just then, a figure suddenly flew into view from a distance. Qin Sang had been intently watching Lord Dongyang. Noticing a slight fluctuation in the white light, he then became aware of the unexpected visitor. Turning his head, he saw a streak of light approaching from afar.

"Lord Dongyang is waiting for this person." A realization struck Qin Sang. Contrary to his expectations, Lord Dongyang's objective wasn't to search for treasure, but to wait for someone.

At this moment, a nearly imperceptible sigh echoed from within the white light: "You've finally arrived. I thought I had misjudged you before." Then, the white light receded, Lord Dongyang suppressed the fluctuations of the Vajra Wheel, and he swiftly descended from the rock, hiding himself in a more concealed spot.

"Could it be Lord Dongyang's enemy?" Observing Lord Dongyang's movement, Qin Sang quickly reviewed the Nascent Soul cultivators who had entered the Blood Lake. Most of the Nascent Soul cultivators who entered the Blood Lake this time were from the Minor Cold Domain. Lord Dongyang was adept at networking, and his only rivals were those with conflicting interests, such as Daoist Chongyi. However, their conflicts were far from deadly. Qin Sang couldn't even find an ally.

As the person flew closer, Qin Sang realized that this individual was not a Nascent Soul cultivator but rather the Palace Master of the Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime, Gongliang Yu. Qin Sang had seen him at Stonebend Mountain and recognized him immediately.

"Why him?" Qin Sang was utterly astonished. The Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime had a profound heritage and was ranked among the super sects. However, no Nascent Soul cultivators had emerged among its disciples for several generations in recent centuries, making its reputation somewhat undeserved. Because of this, the Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime had to choose a powerful ally to avoid disadvantages when contending for interests with other sects. Due to its good relationship with Shaohua Mountain, it advanced and retreated together with Shaohua Mountain. The previous Palace Master, Iron Crown, and the current Palace Master, Gongliang Yu, were both like this. Back when he was at Shaohua Mountain, Qin Sang used to address the elders from the Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime as 'Martial Uncle' or 'Martial Granduncle.'

By conventional reasoning, Gongliang Yu and Lord Dongyang should have been very close. The Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime and Shaohua Mountain were closely aligned, and there had been no known conflicts between them. Yet, Lord Dongyang's current actions seemed to indicate an intent to launch a sneak attack on Gongliang Yu, leaving Qin Sang bewildered and unable to guess Lord Dongyang's true intentions.

Completely unaware that he had fallen into the sights of two Nascent Soul cultivators, Gongliang Yu, holding a wooden carving in one hand and a jade tablet in the other, flew closer. Upon seeing the two almost identical Twin Peaks, a look of delight immediately appeared on his face.

"Finally found it!" He swooped down and landed between the two mountains.

Qin Sang quietly retreated some distance, moving further away from Gongliang Yu, intending to see what Lord Dongyang would do. Given Lord Dongyang's cultivation, there was no need for him to resort to a sneak attack to kill Gongliang Yu. Of course, Gongliang Yu was the Palace Master of the Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime, having inherited the entire sect's legacy, and he was also a peak Golden Core expert himself. He would certainly possess life-saving abilities. However, in a place like the Blood Lake, those abilities might be restricted. Perhaps this was why Lord Dongyang chose to act here. Seeing the joy on Gongliang Yu's face, Qin Sang couldn't help but sigh inwardly for him.

Upon landing, Gongliang Yu was very vigilant, but it was impossible for him to imagine that two Nascent Soul cultivators were plotting against him. "Twin Peaks, this is the place!" Gongliang Yu looked up, surveying the two peaks beside him. They matched the description in his information perfectly.

"From here, it's just over ten li north to the location. Once I get that Blood Ganoderma and form my Nascent Soul, why would I ever need to defer to others again?" Gongliang Yu seemed to recall some unpleasant past event, a cold smile playing on his lips. Impatiently, he summoned his escape light and sped off towards the north.

Qin Sang remained still and watched as the white light, concealing Lord Dongyang, drifted away, following Gongliang Yu. After waiting for another moment, Qin Sang finally moved. As the saying goes, 'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.' However, Qin Sang couldn't fathom Lord Dongyang's intentions, making it difficult to make a quick decision.

If Lord Dongyang were to kill Gongliang Yu, it was highly probable that he intended to absorb the Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime. Absorbing the Pure Serenity Palace of the Upper Prime would not only significantly boost Shaohua Mountain's power but also grant Lord Dongyang access to the Pure Serenity Palace's cultivation techniques and secret arts, making him even more formidable in the future. Morally and strategically, Qin Sang could not stand by and watch Lord Dongyang kill Gongliang Yu. Saving him would not only clip one of Lord Dongyang's wings but also create a sworn enemy for him.

Thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind, but he remained calm, trailing far behind. Before long, Gongliang Yu, who was in the lead, stopped. Before Gongliang Yu was an ordinary-looking hill, but at its base was a cave, blood-red inside, from which blood mist continuously emerged, giving it a rather eerie appearance.