Chapter 2016: Evil Wind and Treacherous Thunder

Traversing through the 'disordered spacetime' and experiencing one fantastical and magnificent scene after another, Gu Ya gradually became accustomed to it.

After passing through another fragment of a minor world, Gu Ya noticed Qin Sang suddenly stopped and seemed to gaze ahead with a sigh of wonder.

At the edge of the void, multicolored radiance appeared. In some places, the colors were distinct; in others, they merged. Yet, within each ray of light was a different scene, all existences beyond human imagination, none of which seemed to be naturally formed.

Furthermore, some of the radiant lights appeared serene on the surface, seemingly calm and harmless inside, but faintly emanated an aura that made Gu Ya's heart pound. If she had come alone, she would certainly have steered clear of them.

Seeing these familiar sights reminded Qin Sang of the Jushan Altar. The scenes ahead, like those at the Jushan Altar, were precisely the divine abilities left behind after ancient grand masters' battles. They seemed eternally indestructible, having evolved over countless years to form tangible illusions.

He still remembered that period, which was probably Qin Sang's fastest cultivation phase. Hiding within the altar, he didn't fear being disturbed; he only needed to focus wholeheartedly on his cultivation.

The Fengju Jade Gate should be much vaster than Jushan, unlike the 'crowded' Jushan Altar. There were gaps between some of the radiant lights, forming stretches of dark void. The divine ability illusions had largely stabilized, and as long as one was careful, even Nascent Soul cultivators could safely pass through.

Moreover, there were also shattered minor worlds here, dividing the illusions into separate areas with varying levels of danger.

Of course, Qin Sang was still in the outer reaches of the Fengju Jade Gate, and there might be further changes deeper inside.

A quick glance revealed there was almost nothing of value here; it had probably been scoured countless times already.

'Thump! Thump! Thump!'

A heart-like thumping sound emanated from Qin Sang's palm.

Since entering the Fengju Jade Gate, the Ancestral Blood Seal had shown a clear reaction. Now, a bloody glow flickered in Qin Sang's palm, and the Ancestral Blood Seal pulsed vigorously, giving Qin Sang a clear direction.

In the Fengju Jade Gate, it was easy to get disoriented, and many cultivators had gotten lost here. Qin Sang turned his head, looking towards what should be the northwest. Judging by the Ancestral Blood Seal's reaction, the target was probably not far.

He sped up a bit more, Qin Sang moving like lightning between the divine ability illusions, sometimes brushing past them and even stirring faint ripples. This was a stark contrast to his cautiousness at the Jushan Altar, which made Gu Ya tremble with fear.

Here, there was no distinction between day and night, and they didn't know how far they had traveled. Gu Ya suddenly remembered something and quietly asked, "Senior, be careful. I heard there's a natural disaster in Fengju Jade Gate called the 'Evil Wind and Demonic Lightning'."

Qin Sang hummed in response, "This location isn't too deep, so the Evil Wind and Demonic Lightning should rarely affect this area."

The Evil Wind and Demonic Lightning were similar to the mist waterfalls in the Sea of Mist, a unique disaster of the Fengju Jade Gate. Given their ominous name, one could imagine how dangerous they were.

There were various theories regarding the origin of the Evil Wind and Demonic Lightning.

One theory claimed they were aftershocks from conflicts within the ancient battlefield, where the grand masters' divine abilities had yet to settle. Another suggested they resulted from too many minor worlds being destroyed, affecting the major world and causing spatial instability. Yet another theory proposed that the Fengju Jade Gate was an ancient sacred mountain of the Witch Tribe, and remnants of the Witch Tribe's grand formation might still exist.

These various theories could not be confirmed. What was certain was that each appearance of the Evil Wind and Demonic Lightning often claimed countless lives, and countless individuals who sought to achieve greatness overnight met their end here.

The Evil Wind and Demonic Lightning originated from the depths of the Fengju Jade Gate, their power gradually decreasing from the inside out. However, each time the disaster appeared, it would shake the already stable divine ability illusions and minor world fragments, bringing unexpected dangers.

Although there were signs of the disaster, the time for people to react was very short, making it difficult to guard against. Everyone could only try their best to avoid the danger. The best way to cope was to assess one's own strength, resist temptation, and not go where one shouldn't.

As he spoke, Qin Sang slowed down, his gaze swept around, and he suddenly entered a divine ability illusion.

The illusion was filled with dazzling white light, with nothing else but light. The moment he entered, Qin Sang keenly sensed that this white light would subtly affect spiritual perception.

After traversing through the white light for a while, Qin Sang reached the other end of the divine ability illusion and found two more divine ability illusions ahead. The three illusions were closely adjacent, with only a narrow gap between them.

At this moment, the fluctuations of the Ancestral Blood Seal became extremely violent, as if it might fly out of his hand at any moment. Its target was precisely the void within the gap.

Qin Sang's eyes flashed, feeling a bit surprised that such a narrow space actually concealed the entrance to a minor world.

Activating the Ancestral Blood Seal, its blood light swept away the darkness, leaving a tiny speck of light. Qin Sang's figure flickered, passing through the speck of light, and immediately entered another space.

This minor world was probably the smallest Qin Sang had ever seen. It seemed not yet fully developed, with a circumference of less than a thousand li, and was filled with rolling mountain ranges.

The space here was more stable than the minor world fragments outside. Qin Sang was unsure if this was also a fragment or a newly formed minor world.

Qin Sang retracted Gu Ya's protective energy shield. Gu Ya couldn't help but sniff with her delicate nose, detecting a faint fragrance.

Following the fragrance, the gurgling sound of water came from ahead. The two immediately saw a clear pond at the center of a large valley, with an unending stream of spring water bubbling up from it. The fragrance emanated from this spring water.

In front of the valley stood a stone tablet, inscribed with "Chen Family Secret Abode."

All around the clear pond, protective light flickered everywhere. Within each restriction was one or several spiritual herbs.

Gu Ya couldn't help but be stunned. Among these spiritual herbs, those she recognized were all highly valuable. And some she didn't recognize were clearly extraordinary at first glance.

"What kind of spring water is this?" Gu Ya mused, "It seems to nourish spiritual herbs..."

Qin Sang also noticed that the area around the clear pond was a superior medicine field, no worse than the Azure Sky Grotto-Heaven. Several spiritual herbs, even those at the Void Refinement stage, would be tempted by them, and they were already mature.

"Deer Blood Udumbara, Green Pearl Original Bamboo..."

Qin Sang looked at them one by one, secretly thinking it was a pity. He had a rudimentary understanding of alchemy, but had neglected it later on, and lacked the ability to refine spiritual pills. Furthermore, he didn't have the corresponding pill recipes.

However, trading them would certainly yield many spiritual materials, which was a pleasant surprise.

That old demon Chen merely treated this place as a medicine field and left no other treasures. Qin Sang's figure flickered repeatedly, collecting the top-grade spiritual herbs and leaving the rest for Gu Ya. He then said to Gu Ya, "There's no danger here. You can stay here to heal your injuries for now. I'll take you away once I've finished my business here, heading to Kanzhou first."

Kanzhou, one of the eight great Heavenly Provinces, was located in the east.

Kan represents the water trigram. Kanzhou's provincial capital was not on land, but in the East Sea. It was rumored to be an ancient giant turtle of immense size, whose gigantic shell bore a celestial city.

Rumor had it that the ancient giant turtle was still alive and currently in a deep slumber. If true, such a long lifespan could, to some extent, be considered immortality.

"How long until you return, Senior?" Gu Ya asked, having finally encountered a senior from the lower realm and afraid of being left behind.

"Not too long. I still have some matters to attend to," Qin Sang replied. "Wait until you've recovered from your injuries, then come out and help me. I'll transmit a refining method to you for refining the Jade Heart Blade, so you can strive to upgrade it to a spiritual treasure as soon as possible. That way, you can kill more Changyou tribesmen when we return."

Qin Sang took out a blank jade slip, inscribed a secret method on it, and handed it to Gu Ya.

"Thank you for bestowing this method, Senior Qin. I will certainly cultivate diligently!" Gu Ya happily took it, eager to browse its contents.

After settling Gu Ya, Qin Sang stayed for a while longer, meticulously setting up restrictions on the two captives. He then left the Chen Family Secret Abode and hurried towards the agreed meeting place.

The agreed meeting place was deeper within the Fengju Jade Gate, a hundred-li wide void area.

Illusions surrounded the void. Qin Sang passed through them and upon entering the void, saw the Imperial Chariot parked at its center. Young Master Xin and the others had already arrived.

The dragons and phoenixes that pulled the chariot were gone, and the Imperial Chariot had transformed into an elegant palace, quietly suspended there.

Several stone platforms surrounded the Imperial Chariot. On each platform, cultivators sat cross-legged, and Qu Zhen and his group occupied one of them.

The other platforms were occupied by unfamiliar faces, presumably the Xin family elites Young Master Xin had mentioned. Each had at least Nascent Soul cultivation, and every team was led by a Soul Transformation cultivator.

The moment he entered the void, Qin Sang's gaze sharpened, looking towards the palace. He saw that one side of the palace was Young Master Xin's private chamber, still veiled by thin curtains concealing his true appearance. The other side was empty, with only two people.

An unfamiliar young man sat cross-legged behind a jade table, with his eyes closed, while Butler Luo carefully attended to him nearby.

The young man had a slender face and unusually thick eyebrows. He wore a silver robe that shimmered with a metallic luster, woven from countless tiny scales, as soft as brocade.

This person was clearly a Void Refinement cultivator. His aura was even more profound than Qin Sang's, similar to Gu Yun-sou, and not far from the mid-Void Refinement stage.

At the same time, the young man's eyes snapped open. His gaze, carrying an imposing aura, fell upon Qin Sang's face.

"Greetings, Elder Qin."

Qu Zhen and the others also saw Qin Sang and immediately stood up to greet him. The Xin family cultivators also rose, secretly sizing up Qin Sang.

"Elder Qin has finally arrived," Young Master Xin's voice came from behind the gauze curtain. "Allow me to introduce you both. This is Senior Pei, an esteemed guest of our Xin family, who has helped us overcome numerous tribulations. Senior Pei, this is Elder Qin of the Five Elements Alliance. I specifically invited him to assist us."

Consort Pei frowned slightly and coldly questioned, "You invited a Void Refinement cultivator for assistance? Why didn't you discuss it with me first?"

His tone was as if he were interrogating a junior.

Young Master Xin's tone remained unchanged as he patiently explained, "This expedition requires a Grandmaster Artificer, and one who can achieve such mastery at the Soul Transformation stage is simply too rare. I've tried searching for years, but haven't found a suitable candidate. Before Senior arrived, I took the liberty of making arrangements."

Consort Pei snorted. "You're hiding everything from me, and what kind of helper you need, isn't that for your Xin family to decide? How many sects and aristocratic families wish to gain my protection? If it weren't for Brother Xin's sake, do you think a mere Xin family could catch my eye?"

"It's not that I deliberately concealed anything," Young Master Xin said. "Senior knows that before my late father ascended, he forced me to swear an oath never to reveal a single word outside."

Young Master Xin's tone was bitter. "Once we find the location, the truth will naturally be revealed. Please have a little more patience, Senior."

At this moment, Qin Sang flew closer, stepping into the palace. He first cupped his hands to Consort Pei and said with a half-smile, "Consort Pei doesn't seem to welcome me. Young Master Xin, you aren't thinking of breaking our agreement, are you?"

He accepted Young Master Xin's invitation, firstly, to conceal his true intentions, and secondly, to utilize the Xin family's manpower. As for whether to help the Xin family with artifact refining, it was neither here nor there.

During their previous discussion, Young Master Xin had offered two conditions. One was to provide sufficient purple source stones. The second was to invite Qin Sang to become a Xin family guest elder, with the gains from finding the target serving as his remuneration. This could be considered after the target was found.

Qin Sang didn't care about the Xin family's remuneration and readily agreed. But now, it seemed being a guest elder wasn't so easy.

Was Young Master Xin trying to use him to "drive a tiger to swallow a wolf"?

If Young Master Xin had this idea, he had probably chosen the wrong target.

"The Five Elements Alliance is renowned, and Elder Qin is an elder of the Five Elements Alliance," Young Master Xin said. "His attainments in artifact refining are beyond ordinary people. Even Senior Pei would probably find it difficult to find someone superior to Elder Qin."

Consort Pei was unceremonious with Young Master Xin, but outwardly he didn't take his anger out on Qin Sang. He rose and returned the greeting, saying indifferently, "What's done is done. Why should I be the bad guy in vain? Besides, once you started acting, the news was bound to spread. Where would you find another Grandmaster Artificer on short notice?"

"For this expedition, we will rely heavily on Senior Pei and Elder Qin," Young Master Xin said. From behind the curtains, his bowing figure could be vaguely seen.

Qin Sang made no comment.

Young Master Xin gave a light cough. The Xin family members immediately left the stone platforms and formed ranks in front of the palace. Qu Zhen also brought his people closer.

Then, Butler Luo stepped forward, took out a stack of yellow talismans, and distributed them to the leaders. Qu Zhen also received one.

A geomantic map was also distributed along with them.

"Everyone, please hold this talisman and search separately according to the marked routes," Young Master Xin said solemnly. "While searching, you must constantly burn this talisman with your true essence. Normally, it will emit a crimson flame. If the flame shows any abnormality, hold your position and send a signal immediately. The future of the Xin family depends on all of you!"

"Elder Qin?"

Sensing Young Master Xin looking at him, Qin Sang flicked his fingers, sending out several streams of light that landed on the geomantic maps in the hands of the leaders, leaving marks.

"While searching, please approach these marked locations," Qin Sang instructed. "And record the surrounding environment so I can make a judgment. Whoever finds the Earthly Jade Rose Vine will be handsomely rewarded by me."

The marked locations were special places Qin Sang had selected by combining numerous geomantic maps. After investigating each one, he then planned the routes.

Consort Pei had been resting with his eyes closed, not saying a word. He paid no attention to the actions of Young Master Xin and Qin Sang.

"Understood!"

Everyone bowed in assent and immediately dispersed.

Qin Sang also stepped out of the palace and said, "I also need to search for herbs myself, so I'll go ahead first. If I find anything, I'll inform fellow Daoist immediately."

With a greeting, Qin Sang took Qu Zhen and the others and departed.

Some of the places he had chosen could only be approached by Void Refinement cultivators, so he had to go there personally.

Continuing deeper with Qu Zhen and the others, after reaching a void area, Qin Sang ordered the Hengsha Society members to split into two groups to explore, keeping only Qu Zhen by his side.

"Tell me in detail," Qin Sang said, "where did you want me to go before? Is it related to the Ancient Sword Pavilion?"