Chapter 1757: Crane Cry Mountain

"Swish!"

The Grey Oriole Sword plunged into Qin Sang's palm.

The large man slid down the stone wall and fell to the ground, revealing his true form: a magnificent striped tiger. Qin Sang glanced at the corpse and surveyed the secret chamber. The room was sparsely furnished. Besides the two stone chambers used for placing the jade orb and the teleportation array, there were only two other rooms. If this was a cultivation area, it seemed too shabby for two great demons in the Transformation Stage. This was clearly a temporary cave dwelling! Yet, such a temporary dwelling was meticulously set up with protective arrays and restrictions.

The sword strike that just broke through the mountain wall was possible because the Eye of Heaven Butterfly had first used its divine ability to pinpoint the array's weakness, combined with the power of the pseudo-spiritual treasure Grey Oriole Sword and the Seven Souls Killing Formation. As Qin Sang's cultivation advanced, his understanding of the Seven Kills Sword Formation deepened. He could now wield it with greater ease and precision, no longer needing to unleash it with such massive fanfare as before. Outsiders only saw a flash of sword light, but it contained the full might of the sword formation.

With outer protective arrays and an inner teleportation array, the two demon beasts hiding here must have been plotting for a long time, leading one to question their intentions. Qin Sang scanned the tiger demon's corpse and noticed a jade bracelet on its right wrist. He summoned it into his hand, confirming it was a storage treasure. After some searching, Qin Sang pulled out a golden seal inscribed with two words in the demon script of the Guifang Kingdom. "Commander Yu."

After deciding to head to Jushan Prefecture, Qin Sang had been paying attention to information about the Guifang Kingdom, as it could become a major adversary. The Guifang Kingdom was known as the 'Nation of Demons and Ghosts'. While not exclusively inhabited by demons, demon cultivators were the dominant force. More overtly than the Daoist Court, the Guifang Kingdom's name included the character for 'nation'. It also established official ranks, just like the Daoist Court, with clear hierarchies and distinctions, effectively operating as a sovereign state. Only demon cultivators in the Transformation Stage were qualified to become Demon Commanders. Above them were Demon Marquises, and higher still, Demon Kings. Qin Sang had not yet gathered information about higher ranks, so he wasn't sure if all Demon Kings were Spirit Transformation Stage demon cultivators. However, given that the Guifang Kingdom had contended with the Daoist Court for so long without falling behind, it certainly possessed top-tier experts.

The presence of this golden seal indicated that the tiger demon was a Demon Commander of the Guifang Kingdom, holding a position of high authority. The character 'Yu' had multiple interpretations. It could be the tiger demon's name. Qin Sang also recalled that in the cultivation world, tiger demons had an alternative name: 'Yu Official'. The demon that escaped was likely also a Demon Commander. It was improbable that two Guifang Kingdom Demon Commanders would lie in wait in such a remote area just to ambush a few Nascent Soul Stage juniors.

Qin Sang looked back outside the mountain. He had just easily captured the strongest White Tiger, greatly reducing the pressure on Shi Xuan and the others. The battle in the Blue Fox Shrine was nearing its end. The tiger demon's jade bracelet contained several other useful treasures, which Qin Sang temporarily put away before bending down to examine the tiger demon's corpse. The tiger demon had been killed with a single sword strike without revealing its true strength. Qin Sang hadn't seen its inner spirit, but he sensed fluctuations similar to those he had detected on the snake demon.

"Qingfeng... Senior, this is..." Shi Xuan's hesitant voice echoed from outside the cave.

Most of the demon gods had been eliminated by Shi Xuan and his two companions, with three captured alive, including the White Tiger that Qin Sang had finally subdued. The three immediately rushed over with their captives, and upon seeing the tiger demon's corpse, they couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. Shi Xuan had never imagined that the helper they casually recruited midway was actually a True Human, nor that a seemingly simple mission would conceal such deadly danger.

Qin Sang summoned a few demon gods and interrogated them. He found that none of them recognized the tiger demon. They had all mysteriously gained sentience some time ago, driven by an unseen force to establish temples, impersonate demon gods, display miracles among the ghost folk, and compel them to worship. It was certain that the awakening of these demon gods' sentience was connected to the two Demon Commanders. Qin Sang, unaware of the full story, couldn't discern their intentions, but considering the officially conferred gods of the Daoist Court, he vaguely sensed an unknown conspiracy at play. Shi Xuan and the others also realized this, and the best course of action was to report the matter to the Daoist Court as soon as possible. However, since Qin Sang had killed the tiger demon, they dared not speak up. Even Shen Huo, usually the most outgoing, became quiet.

Qin Sang knew they couldn't linger. He tossed the commander's seal and a few demon gods back, then kicked the tiger corpse at his feet towards Shi Xuan, asking, "These should earn a large sum of merit, right?" Shi Xuan caught the seal, glanced at it, and his face showed surprise. "Bringing back the corpse of this Demon Commander and this information, whether or not it exposes the Guifang Kingdom's conspiracy, will be a great achievement. The Daoist Court will surely heavily reward senior. The Daoist Court is never stingy with those who perform meritorious deeds." He didn't dare to claim any of Qin Sang's credit and decided to persuade his companions to give all the original rewards to Qin Sang as well. As they spoke, everyone gathered their spoils of war and flew away from the mountain with their captives. Qin Sang led the way, with the three others following closely behind. They did not return the way they came, instead choosing a roundabout route to avoid encountering any pursuers.

After several days of flying, they found no trace of enemies. Qin Sang suddenly halted his escape light, landing on a desolate mountain. He turned and said, "There shouldn't be any pursuers now. Are you heading directly to Crane Cry Mountain? You might as well take the spoils back first, and my merits can be claimed by Fellow Daoist Shi. I have other important matters to attend to that will take a few days, but I will come to Crane Cry Mountain to find you soon."

Crane Cry Mountain was the largest immortal city in Jushan Prefecture, said to be named after a legendary sacred mountain in Daoist lore. The Daoist Court issued Dharma Calls there, and a True Human was stationed as guardian. However, the city was not solely under the Daoist Court; other factions like the Yin Heaven Palace, rooted in Jushan Prefecture, also resided there, creating a mixed population. With the Daoist Court's foundation, occupying a city would be effortless. It was said that this arrangement was deliberately maintained by the Daoist Court to preserve this tacit understanding and balance. Thus, Crane Cry Mountain became renowned as the largest stronghold for Daoist cultivators' activities in Jushan Prefecture. Shi Xuan and his companions had originally planned to go to Crane Cry Mountain after completing the mission on the Dharma Call and cultivate there for a period. Now that this incident had occurred, they needed to return even faster. Hearing Qin Sang's words, Shi Xuan and his companions were stunned. They dared not ask further questions, agreed on a contact method, bade farewell to Qin Sang, and departed in haste. Qin Sang wasn't worried about them taking his merits. After watching the three leave, he looked around, then flashed and entered a mountain.

A month later. Qin Sang emerged from his cave dwelling, his expression now tinged with a deeper sense of gloom. Calculating the time, in about thirty years, it would have been six hundred years since he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage. This meant that his second Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was approaching. The Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation occurred every three hundred years and was the greatest test for cultivators; its timing would not change due to shifts in the cultivator's realm. If someone unfortunately broke through to the Spirit Transformation Stage just before a Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, they would have to prepare for two consecutive tribulations.

Qin Sang could already sense the aura of the heavenly tribulation, and even after leaving the Storm Realm, the tribulation had not been delayed. Before this, Qin Sang hadn't worried about the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, even though his current state was unprecedentedly poor and he faced numerous restrictions. The power of the heavenly tribulation accumulated with each occurrence, and it also had some relation to the cultivator's cultivation level, but it wouldn't be excessively extreme; there was always an upper limit. In the cultivation world, individuals like him, who faced their second Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation only after breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Stage, were extremely rare, at least in the Storm Realm.

Qin Sang had judged that with the assistance of the Eye of Heaven Butterfly, numerous ultimate treasures and secret arts at his disposal, two top-tier sword formations, the Post-Heaven Wooden Figure Stele refined using the Dao Comprehension Tree, and the 'Inner Lion Seal' for instant recovery of injuries, he had full confidence in overcoming this tribulation, even if his strength wasn't fully recovered, so he wasn't anxious. Unexpectedly, when he previously acted to slay the demon, he inexplicably felt a sense of trepidation. After a month of seclusion, he carefully contemplated it and realized it might be related to the next heavenly tribulation! The next heavenly tribulation was very likely to undergo an anomaly that could threaten his life! He wondered if coming to another realm had caused this change in the heavenly tribulation. None of the sects in the Storm Realm had any relevant records; it was a complete blank, with no experience to draw upon. This feeling seemed ethereal, but as it concerned his life and death, Qin Sang dared not be negligent. This left him with only two paths: first, to quickly find a method to stabilize his vital energy and restore his strength, and second, to seek a breakthrough in the path of body cultivation and regain Spirit Transformation-level combat power.

After years of discreet investigation, Qin Sang knew that the method for stabilizing vital energy could only be initiated through Dharma Seals. Qin Sang had some idea of how to obtain Dharma Seals, but he had no clue whether he could qualify for a Spirit Transformation-level Dharma Seal within thirty years. The higher the Dharma rank, the less likely it was to pass easily, requiring careful planning with no room for error. In contrast, the path of body cultivation held more promise. Body cultivators thrived in this realm. With the Six-Day Ancient Qi for body tempering, plus the unrefined Dragon Pond Spiritual Liquid within him, and perhaps finding a few more pills beneficial for body cultivation, Qin Sang was confident he could cultivate the 'Cultivation of the Heavenly Demon' to the peak of its fourth layer within thirty years. The only difficulty was where to find a place for Astral Essence Infusion. While traveling through Zhongmao Prefecture and Baishi Prefecture, Qin Sang had specifically looked but had not found such a blessed land.

"Crane Cry Mountain..." Qin Sang looked up, gazing northward. Due to its special status, Crane Cry Mountain Immortal City was destined to be the fastest place for information circulation. It would be wise to enter the city and gather intelligence before making a decision.

Perhaps because of the rampant demons and devils, the weather in Jushan Prefecture was always more overcast than clear. This region seemed to be perpetually shrouded in a grey, lingering sinister aura. Even Crane Cry Mountain, touted as the foremost immortal city, was no exception. As its name suggested, Crane Cry Mountain Immortal City was indeed built on mountains, not just one, but a vast, seemingly endless expanse of interconnected peaks. The true Crane Cry Mountain referred to the most magnificent divine peak at the center of the range, which now stood for the entire immortal city. The immortal city was built on the mountaintops. Below the mountains lay a vast, misty, and bottomless lake. It was as if someone had used a great divine ability to cut off a portion of the earth in this area, raising it tens of thousands of feet into the sky, using a thousand mountains as pillars to support the immortal city. Looking up from the lake's surface, one could see a landmass suspended in the heavens.

The immortal city had eight entrances, located in eight different directions, each with a wide stone staircase winding down the mountains below, extending directly into the lakebed. No matter one's background, even a Daoist Court immortal official had to dutifully dismount and walk to enter the immortal city. From a distance, the immortal city's edges had no walls, nor did they seem to possess powerful restrictive arrays. However, no one was foolish enough to cause trouble here. Even the Guifang Kingdom's advances would deliberately bypass Crane Cry Mountain. Not only were Daoist Court immortal officials stationed here, but it was also rumored that the Yin Heaven Palace Lord's cave dwelling was near the immortal city, though no one knew on which mountain.

At the south gate of the immortal city, two cultivators wearing dark Daoist robes and hats obscuring their faces were walking down the mountain. One of them shook his head and cursed, "How vexing! I was held up by those demonic cultivators for half an hour, and all the Dharma Calls just issued by the Daoist sect were taken!" His companion wondered, "Haven't you always complained about the Daoist Court being autocratic and idle? Why are you still taking their Dharma Calls?" The man snorted, "I curse the Daoist Court because I hate their inaction! They are harsh internally but don't try their best to wipe out the demonic miasma and restore peace, letting the Guifang Kingdom grow stronger! Most Dharma Calls are for hunting demons and ghosts, and besides, the Daoist Court's rewards are mostly generous, so why shouldn't I take them?" His companion chuckled upon hearing this. "You certainly know where your loyalties lie, Senior Brother. But there are still so many Dharma Calls untouched by anyone; why don't you take one to avoid returning empty-handed..." "Do you think I'm a fool, Daoist Master?" The two talked as they walked, not noticing a young man who brushed past them. This person was Qin Sang, who had traveled thousands of miles to get there.

The immortal city had no city walls, nor any discernible city gates; stepping onto the mountain stairs was equivalent to entering the city. There were no strict inspections, only a bronze mirror suspended in the air. Qin Sang paused briefly, subtly glancing at the bronze mirror, then entered the immortal city with a normal expression. The bronze mirror showed no reaction. He wasn't in a hurry to find Shi Xuan and the others, first seeking out the Daoist Court. He easily found its location. Flying was forbidden within the city, but immortal birds, spiritual beasts, and grand carriages were available for transport. Qin Sang rented a grand carriage and entered a state of meditation to cultivate.

After an unknown period, he was awakened by the spiritual beast pulling the carriage. "Immortal, Tianshu Institute has arrived." Qin Sang alighted from the carriage, paid the fare, and saw on his left a misty rain-shrouded area where pavilions and palaces were nestled, appearing as if floating deep within a sea of clouds, like an immortal realm—this was the Tianshu Institute. To his right, opposite the Tianshu Institute, was the Beiji Exorcism Institute. The Beiji Exorcism Institute's style was more austere and solemn, mostly consisting of black, square stone halls. In front of both institutes stood towering archways, a hundred *zhang* tall, carved with Qiong Palace spiritual script bearing the names of the two institutes. Though separate, in Jushan Prefecture, the two institutes were considered as one, sharing a common goal: to slay demons and subdue ghosts!

At this moment, many Daoists were gathered beneath both archways. Qin Sang sent a wisp of his divine sense into the Tianshu Institute's archway and immediately felt as if he had entered a dark space, 'seeing' clusters of golden light suspended. Each golden light contained a golden talisman, which were the famous Dharma Calls he had heard about. The same was true on the other side. Periodically, the Daoist Court would issue new Dharma Calls, and those waiting beneath the archways were anticipating these new calls. As for the remaining ones, without exception, they were highly dangerous and no one dared to accept them for now. Some of them, Qin Sang secretly thought, would even be difficult for him. Yet, he watched with keen interest, particularly focusing on the rewards offered within the Dharma Calls. Many were treasures he had never heard of. Suddenly, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation. He discovered that one reward allowed one to request the intervention of a Lord of the Daoist Court's First Pacification for a single instance, provided it didn't violate Daoist principles. Upon closer examination, he found that through the Daoist Court, one could even request assistance from a master far surpassing oneself in cultivation, as long as one could pay sufficient merit! Upon seeing this, Qin Sang's heart stirred.

That night. Qin Sang appeared at a small shop specializing in selling intelligence, asking the white-haired old Daoist in front of him. "Among our Daoist sects, which faction is most skilled in talismans for drawing down starlight?" The old Daoist gave him a strange look. "The Daoist Court's official seals correspond to the various gods of the Dipper Department, so naturally, the immortal officials are most proficient in star-killing talismans."