Chapter 1796: Mole Cricket Mountain

The Mortal World

After informing Qin Sang how to contact him, Mo Xingdao continued, "Hong Yuzi is quite seriously injured this time. The elixir can only temporarily ease his wounds; he'll need to return to the Daoist Court to recuperate for a while and likely won't be back here anytime soon. I also cannot act alone. Once he recovers, I will send you a message before we make any moves. Where do you plan to reside, Fellow Daoist Qin?"

Qin Sang thought for a moment and replied, "Please send the message to Huzhong City. I will make the necessary arrangements."

The two used a specific talisman seal as a secret identifier.

When Mo Xingdao and Hong Yuzi return to this place in the future and delve deeper into the Healing Altar, Qin Sang will follow behind them. Mo Xingdao will secretly leave instructions, and the two will seize the opportunity to act.

This was only a rough plan.

After all, Mo Xingdao was under Hong Yuzi's control and had limited freedom, severely restricting what he could do.

As time passed, no one could predict how the situation would unfold. The two could only ensure continuous contact and adapt their actions as circumstances dictated.

When the time came, Qin Sang's decision to agree would also depend on his own circumstances.

Undercurrents surged between Guifang Kingdom and the Daoist Court, and perhaps there were opportunities that could be exploited.

Qin Sang pondered, then asked, "Did you discover anything during your deep exploration of the Healing Altar this time?"

Mo Xingdao had just mentioned that his and Hong Yuzi's visit to the Gushan Zhi Healing Altar had two objectives: first, to investigate the schemes of the demons from Guifang Kingdom; and second, to delve deeper into the altar and find a place that matched Mo Xingdao's memories.

"No."

"The deeper we went, the more complex and dangerous it became," Mo Xingdao replied. "Hong Yuzi would have been fine on his own, but he had to constantly protect me. My old injuries hadn't fully healed, so even without this incident, it was already extremely strenuous."

He paused, then continued, "I will now tell you about some scenes from my memory. If you have time, fellow Daoist, you might want to search for them and take the initiative."

Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. Wasn't Mo Xingdao afraid that he would ascend alone once he found a way out?

But on second thought, even if there was an exit deep within the Healing Altar, it would surely connect to the Guixu. Moreover, it might not lead directly back to the Path of Ascension. Falling into the chaotic depths of the Guixu would be extremely dangerous.

He had never entered the Guixu before, and teaming up with Mo Xingdao was the wisest choice.

Little did he know, Mo Xingdao also had no other option.

The Imperial Censor of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace and the Daoist Court behind him were like a towering mountain, leaving Mo Xingdao no room to act rashly.

Qin Sang was the only external force he could rely on.

While in the Storm Realm, he had interacted with Qin Sang a few times. He had heard the evaluations of Qin Sang by figures like Saint Huiguang, and thus had some understanding of Qin Sang's character. Mo Xingdao was well aware of how Qin Sang, with his late Nascent Soul cultivation, had contended with two Soul Transformation cultivators, and was quite impressed.

Next, Mo Xingdao replayed some memory fragments.

Scene after scene flashed into Qin Sang's mind, most of them chaotic. Seeing these, Qin Sang's own memories were also stirred.

He recalled his experiences when he fell into spatial turbulence, and a sense of powerlessness and despair surged within him.

Even the clearest memory fragments were very blurry, but Qin Sang could sense something unusual in these scenes. They strongly resembled the illusions formed by various divine abilities within the Healing Altar, making it no wonder Hong Yuzi was suspicious of this place.

"And our experience this time," Mo Xingdao said, not waiting for Qin Sang's response, as he transmitted some more information.

He and Hong Yuzi weren't merely exploring; they were searching for the Path of Ascension. After traveling a certain distance, they would first find a temporary resting place and open up a relatively safe path.

Before coming, Hong Yuzi had made some preparations. Initially, their speed was fast, but the further they went, the slower they became.

In the deepest part, auspicious clouds were almost invisible. There were no gaps between the various illusions and residual divine abilities; they could only force their way through using their own strength.

"Hong Yuzi ultimately entered a pure white light domain, which originally posed no danger. A golden light eruption triggered a tide of light, and shortly after it appeared, Hong Yuzi returned severely injured. I escaped because I was lagging behind," Mo Xingdao said, still somewhat shaken as he described the scene.

Qin Sang nodded, making a mental note of this place.

He didn't necessarily have to retrace Hong Yuzi's path. His search was originally without a specific direction; as long as he could continue to go deeper, approaching from other directions would be the same, allowing him to choose based on his own abilities.

For example, he could easily pass through illusions of divine abilities that attacked the nascent soul or affected the spiritual consciousness.

Mo Xingdao still wanted to say something, but his tone suddenly changed. He said gravely, "Hong Yuzi is awake! Fellow Daoist Qin, until we meet again!"

With that, the facial features on the stone vanished.

Qin Sang raised his hand and grabbed the stone. The moment it landed in his hand, the stone's shape changed drastically, becoming a cold stone figure.

This item was Mo Xingdao's token.

Qin Sang placed it into his Qianjun Ring. Immediately afterward, he felt a spiritual sense sweep over him. His expression remained calm as he rose and flew back to the stone pavilion.

Mo Xingdao stood with his hands clasped behind his back in a corner of the stone pavilion. Their gazes met and immediately separated, as if nothing had happened.

Hong Yuzi refined the spiritual elixir. His aura was stable, and his injuries were almost imperceptible, with only a subtle pallor on his face.

Next, True Master Zhijian and the others arrived one after another.

Hong Yuzi swept his gaze over the crowd. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a spiritual talisman towards Qin Sang. "This humble Daoist and True Master Wan have set up a talisman formation here. I ask True Master Qingfeng to take charge of this talisman and respond to our fellow cultivators."

"I shall obey!"

Qin Sang cupped his hands, took the spiritual talisman, and told the True Masters beside him to be careful.

Everyone else's expression was grave, but only True Master Zhijian smiled grandly, merely saying it was nothing.

Qin Sang knew that True Master Zhijian's strength was certainly not as simple as it appeared. That one sword strike, comparable to a Void Refinement cultivator, was enough proof.

It was a pity they were forced to separate this time, and he couldn't personally witness the grace of such advanced swordsmanship.

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..."

The True Masters transformed into streaks of light, disappearing in an instant.

Qin Sang stepped into the stone pavilion, sat down cross-legged, placed the spiritual talisman on his lap, and with a slight perception, discovered the existence of the talisman array.

This array was attached to the grey curtain, very ingenious, and difficult to detect before activation.

Through the talisman array, Qin Sang could perceive what was happening outside the grey curtain. If anyone pursued them to this point, he would be able to detect them in advance.

After the others left, the stone pavilion was silent and still.

Qin Sang thought about the encounters of this trip, growing curious about the source of the golden light and the demons' schemes. But he quickly cautioned himself not to delve too deeply, and ideally, not to get involved in a major war.

He set aside distracting thoughts, soothing the lingering effects of the wood spiritual energy within him while simultaneously keeping an eye on the depths of the Healing Altar.

Time passed.

Soon, more than half an hour passed.

The golden light had faded, and the turmoil affecting the entire Healing Altar was gradually subsiding. The surroundings became even quieter.

There had been no unusual phenomena from the depths of the Healing Altar for a long time, nor had any of the True Masters returned.

Qin Sang had nothing to do. His thoughts churned as one matter after another flowed through his mind.

Meeting Mo Xingdao had disrupted his previous plans. Next, he needed to find a starting point, sort things out properly, and pursue cultivation and the search for the Path of Ascension in parallel.

As he was contemplating, a light suddenly flickered on a slender cloud path, formed by auspicious clouds, in front of the grey curtain and amidst the gaps in the illusions.

Qin Sang's expression subtly hardened. Upon closer inspection, he confirmed it was a streak of light flying towards his location. Its aura was very weak, and its flight speed was not fast, only equivalent to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

At this moment, the cultivators in the Gushan Zhi Healing Altar were at least at the Soul Transformation stage.

"Could someone be severely injured?"

Qin Sang's heart sank involuntarily.

Someone returning severely injured so quickly—had the demons gained the upper hand?

Qin Sang suddenly stood up, his expression shifting. But as the streak of light drew closer, Qin Sang suddenly realized something was amiss.

"Why is it him?"

Upon seeing the person clearly, Qin Sang murmured softly in surprise, finding it extremely unexpected.

The person was a tall, slender Daoist priest whose face was very familiar; it was none other than True Master Yunwei of Ant Mound Mountain!

Back then, when he received the summons to collect the Four Seasons Dream-Transforming Flowers, Qin Sang had once competed with him for the qualification.

True Master Yunwei was also holding a female Daoist priestess in his arms. Her face was deathly pale, her breath faint, and she lay motionless, clearly severely injured.

As he flew, True Master Yunwei occasionally checked the priestess's condition, his face filled with urgency.

"How is he here?"

Observing True Master Yunwei's cultivation, he was still in the late Nascent Soul stage.

Nascent Soul cultivators, if bold enough and with some prior preparation, could cross the Nine Bending Star River and explore the outermost areas, broadening their horizons.

But to go deeper, even Soul Transformation cultivators had to be extremely cautious.

True Master Yunwei was coming from the depths of the Healing Altar. For a mere Nascent Soul cultivator to venture so deep, his daring was perhaps too great.

Qin Sang carefully observed the female Daoist priestess, discovering that she was also a Nascent Soul cultivator. This made him feel even stranger.

He stood in the pavilion, watching the two of them, making no move.

"Please open the talisman array, Senior!"

Flying to the front of the grey curtain, Yunwei's eyes gleamed with hope. He called out loudly and shot out a divine talisman.

Seeing the divine talisman, Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then opened the talisman array.

This was the secret signal he and Hong Yuzi had agreed upon. Yunwei knowing this talisman indicated that he had come under Hong Yuzi's guidance.

"Thank you, Senior!"

Yunwei was overjoyed. Holding the priestess, he did not stop for a moment. He passed through layers of the grey curtain, arriving before the pavilion. Still with a face full of urgency, he performed a deep bow, pleading, "Please, Senior, save my junior sister!"

Qin Sang glanced at the priestess and said calmly, "Who sent you here?"

"It was True Master Hong Yuzi and True Master Wan," Yunwei explained. "My master and I encountered them on our way. My master was invited by the two Seniors to deal with the demons, and in haste, he could only temporarily suppress my junior sister's injuries, which will gradually worsen. True Master Wan instructed me to come here, hoping that you, Senior, would lend a hand..."

Yunwei spoke very quickly. It was no wonder he was anxious; the priestess's breath was becoming increasingly faint, and an unnatural flush appeared on her face.

So, the Soul Transformation ancestor of Ant Mound Mountain had arrived. Why did he risk bringing his disciple here?

Qin Sang recalled the conversation between Inspector Youyi and Yunwei back then.

Had the Ant Mound Mountain ancestor discovered some treasure in the Gushan Zhi Healing Altar, prompting him to take such risks?

"Senior, you only need to suppress the strange power within my junior sister," Yunwei pleaded. "Once my master returns, he will then heal her."

Yunwei was afraid Qin Sang wouldn't agree, so he spoke quickly and repeatedly.

Suppressing the strange power wouldn't consume too much true essence. However, that strange power was extremely elusive; it had spread into his junior sister's vital organs, requiring time to seal it bit by bit to completely suppress it.

The matters of the Daoist Court were urgent. The Ant Mound Mountain ancestor didn't want to displease the two Grade 4 Immortal Officials, so he had no choice but to agree, ordering Yunwei to quickly bring the priestess here.

Ant Mound Mountain was proficient in poison Dao talismans and spells.

Qin Sang had long considered making contact with Ant Mound Mountain. He hadn't expected to meet them here.

Even if it weren't True Master Wan's request, he would still lend a hand to save her.

Instructing Yunwei to place the priestess on the ground, Qin Sang extended two fingers to her brow and began to meticulously examine her.

Yunwei's anxious heart finally settled. Only then did he truly notice Qin Sang. The more he looked, the more familiar Qin Sang seemed, and he couldn't help but show surprise.

When he heard the Daoist title 'True Master Qingfeng' from True Master Wan, Yunwei hadn't thought much of it. He never would have imagined it was him!

They had once competed on a dueling stage.

Meeting again today, the other had already taken that step, while he was still struggling in the Nascent Soul stage.

True Master Yunwei's expression was complex. Seeing Qin Sang open his eyes, he showed concern, "Senior, my junior sister, she..."

"Fellow Daoist Yunwei, you and I could say we became acquainted through conflict. After many years apart, do you no longer recognize this humble Daoist?" Qin Sang said with a slight smile.

Yunwei's lips moved hesitantly, then he gave a wry smile, "Senior, you are no longer among us. How could I be impolite?"

Qin Sang shook his head, no longer pressing the matter. He lowered his gaze to examine the priestess. "Suppressing the strange power shouldn't be difficult, but I wonder what its origin is?"

"Well..."

Yunwei first showed joy, then hesitation.

Seeing his difficulty, Qin Sang changed his question, "Dare I ask if this strange power is a type of poison?"

He probed the priestess's body. Upon encountering the strange power, he immediately made a discovery: it felt somewhat like poison but not quite, and was quite peculiar.

"This junior's knowledge is limited, so I cannot confirm if it is poison, but it is definitely related to poison. This strange power suddenly appeared when the golden light erupted. There was no warning beforehand, and my junior sister couldn't evade it..."

As he spoke, Yunwei's eyes lit up. He suddenly remembered that Qin Sang was also proficient in the Dao of Poison, and that his sect's true transmission, the Spirit-Dissipating Curse, had no effect on him.

"Senior, can you remove this strange power?" Yunwei asked with a glimmer of hope, pleading nervously, afraid of angering Qin Sang.

Before his breakthrough, Qin Sang could easily resist the Spirit-Dissipating Curse. Now that his cultivation had greatly advanced, his poison arts must have improved further.

If the strange power lingered in the body for a long time, it could leave unknown hidden dangers. The sooner it was removed, the better.

"I'll try."

Qin Sang said calmly, and a strange light emanated from his fingertips, entering the priestess's body.

At the same time, Qin Sang activated his poison bead, subtly infiltrating. Upon contact with the strange power, it indeed successfully absorbed a trace of it.

The strange power within the priestess was not extensive, but it was extremely peculiar, deeply entrenched, and unheard of, making even the Ant Mound Mountain ancestor feel it was difficult to handle.

However, Qin Sang discovered that removing all the strange power with the poison bead was not difficult. But he didn't want to appear too relaxed, so he feigned deep contemplation.

After a while.

Seeing his junior sister's complexion begin to show signs of improvement, Yunwei was overjoyed and surprised, and grew even more impressed with Qin Sang.

Seeing the crisis resolved, Yunwei's tense mind finally relaxed. Only then did he have the inclination to think about other things. He seemed to recall something, and a look of delight flashed in his eyes.

After a long while, Qin Sang removed all the strange power and slowly withdrew his art.

The priestess's complexion was rosy. Her aura was still very weak, caused by recent severe injury and depletion, but there was no major problem.

"Thank you, Senior, for saving my junior sister's life. Everyone in Ant Mound Mountain is endlessly grateful to you."

Yunwei bowed deeply, full of admiration. "Senior's poison arts far surpass what they were back then. Few in the world can compare!"

"I don't deserve such praise," Qin Sang said calmly. "This humble Daoist merely has a slight understanding of detoxification arts. I've heard that Ant Mound Mountain's poison spell arts are unparalleled in the world, and this humble Daoist has long admired your master."

"Knowing there is a fellow Daoist like you, Senior, my master will certainly be overjoyed," Yunwei said, not sparing his praise.

His eyes flickered, and he seemed about to speak but then stopped. In the end, he swallowed the words on his lips.

With his master present, he couldn't make decisions and could only wait for his master to return before deciding.