Chapter 1376: Rumors

Rain pattered on bluestone. A sharp gasp escaped him as waves of pain shot through his meridians.

Qin Sang furrowed his brow, but his expression quickly settled, and he entered a meditative state to cultivate. In truth, simply recovering his true essence wouldn't have been so troublesome. When crossing the storm zone, Qin Sang had frequently consumed spiritual elixirs and directly absorbed spiritual energy from spirit stones. The residual medicinal power and impurities accumulated in his body, unable to be refined, damaging his meridians and spiritual sea. This affected his well-being, caused his true essence to become chaotic, and combined with other injuries, led to all these complications.

Over a month later, Qin Sang slowly exhaled a long breath of turbid air. He inwardly surveyed his body. His injuries were healed, and his true essence was abundant; he finally felt confident enough to travel.

Next, Qin Sang summoned the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet. The Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet's true form was a rare treasure of heaven and earth, not easily destroyed. However, the puppet marks within it had collapsed in swathes during the great battle, requiring Qin Sang to repair them personally.

Outside the cave dwelling, everyone from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect was crammed into the great hall. The hall doors stood wide open, revealing a spring day outside, bright and fragrant with birdsong and flowers. No one was guarding the entrance, yet no one dared to step out of the hall. However, they were unaware that a beautiful phoenix butterfly was quietly perched in a corner of the hall.

Qin Sang, having borrowed the cave dwelling and not wishing to commit widespread slaughter, had ordered the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to stand guard outside. It was also tasked with watching these people, instructed to act only if someone defied orders, attempted to escape, or sent messages outside.

The great hall was utterly silent. After the initial panic, the disciples felt a little calmer. Even so, no one could cultivate with peace of mind. Their eyes were vacant, occasionally glancing towards the cave dwelling, silently awaiting their final fate.

“Senior Sister, did that senior say when he would leave?” a man in the late Foundation Establishment stage cautiously sent a voice transmission.

The female cultivator who had previously spoken to Qin Sang was the sect master's personal disciple and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect's chief disciple. Hearing her junior brother's voice transmission, she merely shook her head gently.

The man said with a strained voice, “Senior Sister, don't worry. That senior's cultivation is peerless; he shouldn't deceive us with false words.” However, his tone lacked confidence.

The female cultivator remained silent for a moment, then thought somberly, “Fortunately, the sect master and my junior brother are outside. I just hope they don't return too soon. No matter what happens, at least the legacy of our Ten Thousand Swords Sect won't be severed...”

In this region, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect was considered a dominant power. As the Ten Thousand Swords Sect Master's disciple, and possessing a pseudo-Core Formation cultivation herself, nearby cultivators treated her with utmost respect. Only at this moment did she truly understand how powerless one was when facing a true powerhouse. The opponent could make the Ten Thousand Swords Sect disappear from the world with just one finger. Even if the Yin Moon Sect received news, they would most likely let the matter drop, as they wouldn't risk offending a Nascent Soul cultivator for them. They were like fish on a chopping block, able only to hope that the other party was not a bloodthirsty and cruel demon.

'Boom...'

A muffled thud came from the direction of the cave dwelling. Immediately after, a streak of light shot out from the great hall. Before anyone could clearly see what the streak of light was, it vanished into the horizon.

A commotion erupted in the great hall. The female cultivator abruptly stood up, her expression shifting uncertainly. The others dared not move, all watching the female cultivator. After a moment of hesitation, the female cultivator tremblingly walked towards the cave dwelling. She saw that the cave dwelling's door was open, empty inside, with a bag of spirit stones left behind. The female cultivator's mind instantly relaxed, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

“That's Fengyang Mountain over there...”

Qin Sang stood atop a desolate mountain, gazing at the magnificent peak in the distance. Fengyang Mountain soared into the clouds, grand and imposing. The surrounding myriad mountains' spiritual beauty seemed to converge on Fengyang Mountain, truly a well-deserved immortal mountain!

Qin Sang had rushed here without delay after leaving the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. At the foot of Fengyang Mountain was the largest market town in the vicinity, an excellent place to gather information. Qin Sang activated his Heavenly Eye, observing Fengyang Mountain from afar. He found that the spiritual formations on the mountain were fully activated, enveloped by immortal clouds and heavily guarded. Indeed, something significant seemed to be happening. However, the market town at the foot of the mountain appeared normal; people flowed like a woven tapestry at the city gates, and everything seemed regular. It seemed only the vital areas on the mountain were under strict guard.

After a brief hesitation, Qin Sang changed his appearance, donned a Daoist robe, suppressed his cultivation to the Golden Core stage, activated his movement technique, and leisurely flew towards Fengyang Mountain. The market town was essentially a city, built into the mountain.

Before long, Qin Sang arrived at the city gate. Sensing the aura Qin Sang displayed, the crowd immediately made way. The guards first bowed respectfully, then politely said, “Senior, please show your fish token.” Qin Sang had already noticed that cultivators entering and leaving the market town all held a fish-bone-shaped talisman plaque, which he presumed was a form of identity token. Nascent Soul cultivators could enter the city freely, but Golden Core cultivators were not exempt from this custom.

He shook his head, “This humble Daoist has come from afar. I've long admired the esteemed Master Feng's reputation. As I'm new to Fengyang Mountain, I haven't yet received a fish token.”

The guards dared not make things difficult. They took out a golden fish token and asked, “May I ask for Senior's Daoist name?”

“This humble Daoist is Mingyue!”

Before long, Qin Sang entered the city, now holding a golden fish token. He examined it briefly before putting it into his Qianjun Ring.

“Senior, please wait.” A hurried call came from behind him, and a man in green robes quickly caught up. While Qin Sang was interacting with the guards, this person had been peeking around at the city gate. Seeing Qin Sang stop, the man in green was overjoyed, his face creased with smiles. “Senior, as you're new here, you surely need a guide. Though I'm not very capable, I've lived here for generations and know every corner of this city like the back of my hand...”

He was halfway through his speech when Qin Sang interrupted him by tossing two spirit stones. The man in green caught the spirit stones, looking confused.

“What are the names of the largest trading associations in the market town, and where are they located?” Qin Sang asked.

The man in green paused, then pointed towards the mountain peak. “To answer Senior, there are three largest trading associations, all located in the upper district...”

The upper district was the most important trading area in the city. The man in green wasn't boasting; he not only knew the locations of the major trading associations by heart but also recounted various rumors as if they were precious family possessions.

“The third one is the Fengyang Trading Association, and it’s also the most powerful among the three. Just from its name, you can tell it's affiliated with Master Feng. Each trading association in the city is significant, with its own focus and background, plus other taboos, making them difficult to explain clearly in a short time. May I ask what Senior needs? Perhaps it would be better to hire this junior for a few more days, it would only cost...”

The man in green was speaking voluminously, but he suddenly met Qin Sang's indifferent gaze, as if struck by lightning, and fell silent, trembling. Only after Qin Sang's back disappeared did he seem to awaken from a dream, shivering violently, clutching the spirit stones as he hurried away.

Qin Sang was not in a hurry to go to the upper district. He wandered around the city for a long time, observing the local customs and gathering information. Two hours later, Qin Sang started walking towards the upper district, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“Interesting. Master Feng is actually looking for me and inviting me to be a guest on Fengyang Mountain. It seems that one of the two people who startled away the Bifang that day was very likely him!”

It wasn't that Qin Sang deliberately inquired. In fact, this matter was too widely circulated and had become a hot topic. Qin Sang casually entered a few shops and heard many cultivators discussing it.