Chapter 144: Cloud Beast

Yu Daiyue was quite straightforward. He openly disclosed when and where he and Senior Disciple Sister Qingting had acquired the clue to the ancient cultivator's ruins from Tianhen Tower.

"If Junior Disciple Brother Qin agrees to join forces with us to break the formation, then once we enter the ancient cultivator's ruins, anything you discover on your own will, according to the custom of the cultivation world, belong solely to you. As for any spoils we find together, regardless of what they are, they will be distributed based on their value. Senior Disciple Sister Qingting and I will have the right to choose one item first, but Junior Disciple Brother Qin will still receive a share, no matter what. Since we are fellow disciples, it's best to set the rules beforehand to avoid any future disagreements."

After listening, Qin Sang fell silent, deep in thought.

Senior Disciple Sister Qingting and Yu Daiyue were recruiting helpers within the sect, so the ancient cultivator's ruins were likely real, and the terms they offered seemed very sincere. They had spent spirit stones to acquire the clue and invested time in finding the location and inviting allies, so it was reasonable for them to have priority in choosing treasures.

Still, the same thought remained: his strength was inferior to others, and self-preservation would be a problem if danger arose.

The Ten Directions Yama Array was indeed very powerful. After he broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, its might had increased significantly. Before he learned the divine ability from the 'Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter', it was arguably his strongest means of defense.

However, this array required a certain amount of preparation time. Given the strange barrier and formation restrictions outside the ancient cultivator's ruins, it was clear that this site was not simple. There were undoubtedly unknown dangers within, and if an attack came suddenly, he might not have time to set up the array.

Before his strength improved further, it was best not to easily venture into perilous situations. The treasures in the ancient cultivator's ruins were tempting, but one needed to be alive to enjoy them.

Since he wasn't particularly familiar with Yu Daiyue, Qin Sang decided not to go. He made a slight pretense and was about to politely decline.

Yu Daiyue seemed to have discerned his thoughts and quickly said, "Junior Disciple Brother Qin, there's no need to rush your decision. Senior Disciple Sister Qingting and I have only recently gathered all the spirit materials, and she is currently in seclusion, refining a formation-breaking artifact. It will be difficult to set out anytime soon. Once that artifact is complete, we'll still need at least seven Foundation Establishment stage cultivators to unleash its full power, and I haven't gathered enough people yet. You can go back and consider it, then give me your answer."

After leaving Yu Daiyue's cultivation cave, Qin Sang pondered for a moment, muttering, "It will be some time anyway. By then, I might have broken through to the second layer of my cultivation technique and understood what that divine ability can do. I'll consider it then."

There were quite a few ancient cultivator's ruins appearing in the Cloud Cang Great Marsh, and the gains depended entirely on luck.

They could be completely empty, or they might contain relics from ancient cultivators: secret techniques, magic treasures, or rare spirit materials—all highly tempting.

To cultivate the 'Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter' to a higher level, he would inevitably need to venture into dangerous areas to find the spiritual wood required for refining his ebony sword.

If his strength truly wasn't enough, he would naturally refuse outright. However, if his divine ability proved powerful enough, it might be worth a try. He would decide based on the situation.

His escape light soared, and in a flash, he arrived at Sect Master Peak.

Qin Sang quietly landed in front of the Sect Master's grand hall. He glanced around, then stepped inside, where a young Daoist attendant immediately came to greet him.

"Disciple greets Martial Uncle. Sect Master Martial Uncle is currently out on business and will not return until tomorrow. Does Martial Uncle have anything urgent? You may leave a voice transmission talisman, and I will deliver it to him when he returns."

Qin Sang hadn't come for the Sect Master; it was convenient that Sect Master Yu was absent, as it meant less trouble. He said, "Go fetch the accumulated tasks from Sect Master Peak for the past few days for me to look through. Ideally, I'd like to see any news of Demon Spirit stage demonic beast sightings, and also retrieve all available information on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield for me."

"As you command, Martial Uncle!"

The attendant took his leave and soon returned with a stack of jade slips.

Qin Sang went through them one by one. It wasn't until the very last one that he found two reports of early Demon Spirit stage demonic beasts. However, these seemed difficult to deal with, located deep within the Cloud Cang Great Marsh, requiring more than half a month's sword flight to reach.

Not to mention, flying recklessly in the Cloud Cang Great Marsh was out of the question, and there was no guarantee the demonic beasts would still be in those locations.

Early Demon Spirit stage demonic beasts were good materials for artifact refining, and killing them brought sect rewards. While Foundation Establishment stage cultivators wouldn't be particularly envious, any easy targets would have long since been dealt with.

Qin Sang noted down the information from the jade slips, then took out the last one, which contained data on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.

At Kuiyin Sect, he had already heard of the famed Ancient Immortal Battlefield. After arriving at Shaohua Mountain, he had, out of curiosity, learned a bit more about it, but not in detail.

It was said that this world once possessed extremely abundant spiritual energy, with natural treasures found everywhere. Cultivation was much easier than it is now, and cultivators above the Soul Transformation stage were numerous. There were even legends of Tribulation Transcending stage grand cultivators ascending to the immortal realm, unlike today where the Nascent Soul stage is the peak, with the path ahead seemingly cut off.

Later, for reasons unknown, the ancient immortals suddenly engaged in a massive battle.

The various legends offered conflicting accounts: some claimed it was a struggle for power among major immortal sects, others that a peerless treasure had appeared, causing chaos. Still others said it was an invasion by evil demons, which the ancient immortals resisted, sacrificing their lives to protect the beings of this world.

Without exception, however, all accounts used cruel terms like "mountains and rivers shattered," "heaven and earth collapsed," and "all life extinguished," illustrating the ferocity of that war.

It is said that after that battle, the once boundless world was left in ruins. Over countless years, while life gradually recovered, numerous cultivation lineages were severed, ancient texts lost, and spiritual energy became incredibly thin, which is why cultivation is so difficult today.

Cultivators in the Minor Cold Domain suspect that the Ancient Immortal Battlefield is one of the remnants of that great war.

Deep within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, countless spatial rifts still remain. Only a battle among ancient immortals could have caused such terrifying destruction, which, even after tens of thousands of years, has yet to heal.

These spatial rifts are extremely dangerous. A Core Formation stage cultivator, if careless and swallowed by a rift, faces certain death. Even more terrifying, while some spatial rifts can be discerned with the naked eye, others are extremely hidden, formless and intangible, difficult even for divine sense to detect. Nascent Soul stage cultivators must also exercise extreme caution.

Consequently, though the Ancient Immortal Battlefield contains countless ancient ruins, no one dares to explore them.

With Qin Sang's strength, he naturally wouldn't dare venture into the depths of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, but even its periphery was far from peaceful.

Legend has it that so many ancient immortals perished that countless bodies of powerful beings remain incorruptible in the depths of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Even in death, their fighting will lingered, and over countless years of evolution, transformed into a malevolent aura. This aura then materialized, forming peculiar creatures within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, which cultivators in the Minor Cold Domain call Cloud Beasts.

These Cloud Beasts possess no sentience, vary wildly in shape, harbor an intense hatred for living beings, and know only slaughter. Some are powerful enough to contend with high-level Golden Core stage cultivators, while others are weaker than even Qi Refining stage cultivators. However, their numbers are vast, and they seem endlessly abundant, impossible to fully exterminate.

Should they ever break into the Minor Cold Domain, it would undoubtedly lead to a massacre, not only wiping out mortal life but also leaving cultivators with no place to hide.