Chapter 2032: Rain and Dew Shared Equally

Wuxia and Xianxia

“Gao!”

The chant, high-pitched as thunder, reverberated intensely within his heart.

Qin Sang suppressed the shock in his heart and fully immersed himself in the chant's peculiar rhythm.

He felt as if he had returned to the high altar atop the mountain, standing tall between heaven and earth. The shaman led the tribe's people in worship below the altar, devoutly praying to the heavens.

As the chant echoed through countless mountains, fierce winds swept across the plains, stirring up sand and pebbles. The evening glow of dusk gradually faded into the dark clouds until the last ray of light receded, and darkness enveloped the world.

After nightfall, the plains did not return to peace; an uneasy atmosphere permeated the air. The wild beasts on the plains stopped howling, restlessly clawing at the ground. Frightened small animals scurried back to their nests, huddling inside, trembling.

Suddenly, a mournful wail and a hunter's roar echoed across the plains. The roars unleashed complete chaos.

In the darkness, the torches around the altar were the sole source of light. Illuminated by their glow, the mountain appeared like a sacred peak, capable of connecting heaven and earth. Innumerable beasts were fighting nearby, yet not a single one dared to intrude upon this mountain. As the chant grew louder, they seemed to be gripped by a fear etched deep within their souls, frantically fleeing outwards.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The fierce wind brought in more dark clouds. The torch flames swayed violently but stubbornly illuminated the altar.

Rumble... rumble...

Above the clouds, lightning snakes streaked across the sky, and muffled thunder seemed to be the heavens responding to the chant.

Swoosh!

Torrential rain poured down.

The figures beneath the altar remained motionless in the downpour. The chant grew even louder, and the shaman ascended the steps, dancing alone with powerful movements. The torches extinguished, but amidst the lightning and thunder, streaks of electricity imprinted his silhouette onto Qin Sang's mind.

Qin Sang had seen sacrificial dances before; Ghost Mother had performed one during her ascension. These were two distinct types of dances. He desperately wanted to see clearly, but the more eager he became, the blurrier it got, reminding him that this was not reality.

Scene after scene, illusory yet incredibly real, emerged within Qin Sang's mind. As the ritual's atmosphere intensified to its peak, the chant merged with the thunder between heaven and earth. Wind, rain, lightning, and thunder—symbols of the heavens' might—converged above the altar.

Crack!

Qin Sang felt his body explode, transforming into countless tiny dust particles. He involuntarily floated upwards, merging with the wind and rain, the dark clouds and lightning, becoming a part of nature itself.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Loud thumping sounds echoed in his heart, as if he had touched the very pulse of heaven and earth. Qin Sang had no time to ponder the source of these sounds. At that moment, he sensed a powerful presence.

It was as vast as the firmament and as profound as the earth. As his body drew closer to this presence, it felt like returning to a mother's embrace—immensely warm, incredibly comfortable, making him want to forget everything and completely merge with it.

He sensed this unknown presence, and simultaneously felt a strange power drifting in the void. Every tiny particle of his body was immersed in this power. This power was inherently profound, but upon contact with Qin Sang's body, it suddenly surged, like a tsunami engulfing the ocean. Qin Sang's body became like a sponge, frantically absorbing the surrounding energy. Every tiny particle of his being was like a hungry lamb, ravenously devouring the power. Concurrently, Qin Sang instinctively activated his core cultivation technique, the *Purple Star Sword Sutra*. His cultivation immediately began to soar, and he became completely engrossed in this blissful sensation.

“Hmm?”

After an unknown period, Qin Sang suddenly awoke, immediately realizing that his cultivation had significantly advanced out of nowhere. Having experienced enlightenment at Moon Ditch Bay, the path ahead was already clear; all that was lacking was the accumulation of cultivation. This praise chant provided him with a shortcut.

The shamanic chant was too miraculous, a power beyond Qin Sang's comprehension. He didn't experience the pain of empowerment he once endured in the Talisman Realm, yet his cultivation genuinely increased, as if it were a natural progression.

Precisely at this moment, Qin Sang felt a subtle discord. The energy remained immense; he had not fully absorbed it. However, it was unclear if this was because he wasn't a descendant of the Wu Clan and couldn't fully resonate with the praise chant, or for some other reason. After Qin Sang was startled awake, the sense of discord grew increasingly pronounced. Abnormal fluctuations continuously assailed him, causing a hint of unease in his heart, as if he were about to be expelled.

His heart sank. Such an opportunity was incredibly rare; the longer he persisted, the more benefits he would gain. He had to grit his teeth and hold on, no matter what. Had it been anyone else, their mind would have been completely awed by the shamanic chant, only able to guard their inner self until the moment they were expelled, by which time it would have been too late to salvage the situation.

Thanks to the Jade Buddha, Qin Sang remained calm. He noticed that the Heavenly Eye Butterfly in his spiritual sea was also restless, exhibiting the same condition. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's cultivation had also increased, despite having only recently broken through and not yet fully digesting the gains from its tribulation. Even a spirit insect could benefit—what a miraculous praise chant!

The feeling of discord had only just emerged. It was not too late to mend the fence after the sheep were lost. Qin Sang began consciously making various attempts to adjust himself, resist the impact, and guide the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, extending the duration of this state. His efforts paid off. After a while, he and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly should have been expelled, yet they continued to persist.

Finally reaching their limit, the repellent fluctuations surged like a tumultuous tide. Qin Sang gave up his persistence. In an instant, all illusions vanished, returning to reality. Slowly opening his eyes, he immediately saw the stone palace door, which had been shaken open, revealing a crack. Behind the door, there was no light, only darkness.

Looking around, Marquis Luo, Marquis Gui, the Fire Jade Centipede, and the Vermilion Bird were lying sprawled in various awkward positions. They had withdrawn from the chant earlier, but still benefited significantly, and were now fully focused on digesting their gains. Among the two demon marquises, Marquis Gui's cultivation was already superior. He used this opportunity to break through his bottleneck and directly reach the late stage of Nascent Soul. Marquis Luo had reached the peak of the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation and would likely be able to attempt a breakthrough after digesting his current gains. Although the Fire Jade Centipede didn't break through to the late stage of its fifth transformation, its cultivation had also noticeably increased. It remained to be seen whether it could break its species' shackles in the future. Comparatively, the Vermilion Bird's progress was the least significant. Its cultivation remained stagnant at the peak of Nascent Soul, indicating that breaking through to the Void Refinement stage was not an easy feat.

Naturally, Qin Sang and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly gained the most. Qin Sang persisted until the very end. His cultivation was the highest, and his ability to withstand the impact was the strongest. Coupled with his continuous adjustments, he achieved astonishing improvements from this praise chant.

“Gasp!”

Qin Sang himself was astonished. Once he fully digested these gains, he might not be far from the mid-stage Void Refinement realm! The Heavenly Eye Butterfly gave up earlier than Qin Sang, but it still saved a significant amount of effort and time.

Qin Sang examined his inner self. Gaining power that wasn't originally his meant a somewhat unstable foundation was inevitable, but it was much better than his state after the Thunder Ancestor's empowerment.

Having temporarily stabilized his cultivation, Qin Sang shifted his gaze to Young Miss Xin. Young Miss Xin was seated cross-legged in the void, having also broken through to the peak of Nascent Soul during the chant. Perhaps it was because she had previously bound the talisman stone, but she was still immersed in the chant. At that moment, the true essence within her surged like a tide, wave after wave, continuously assailing her bottleneck. If she could truly break through to the Void Refinement stage in one go, it would be utterly astonishing!

Qin Sang pondered silently. Undeniably, without Young Miss Xin's invitation, he would have surely missed this opportunity, and it would be difficult to find another chance to restore the Thousand Jins Ring in the future. It proved that Young Miss Xin had indeed not lied earlier. After some thought, Qin Sang waved his hand, dispelling the restrictions on her, and instantly appeared before the grand hall. Through the crack in the door, he saw the scene inside the hall.

Surprisingly, the hall was empty, containing only a few stone pillars and a tall stone seat, resembling a throne. On the back of the stone seat was a circular indentation, with a raised orchid-like relief inside, identical to the pattern on the door. Qin Sang pushed the door open and entered. He found no anomalies; the hall seemed to have only sealed a single praise chant.

After walking a full circle inside with no discoveries, Qin Sang exited the hall and looked around. Since the stone hall had manifested, the five-colored radiance had faded, and no other unusual phenomena were occurring deep within the grand formation.

Next, he flew elsewhere, continuously retrieving fragmented pieces. The internal space of the Thousand Jins Ring gradually expanded, eventually becoming a Grotto-Heaven treasure with a circumference of a hundred li! From then on, carrying the Thousand Jins Ring was equivalent to having a small Grotto-Heaven with him at all times. Within the Grotto-Heaven, the spiritual energy was somewhat sparse, insufficient for Qin Sang's cultivation. Apart from its large space and serving as a refuge in times of crisis, it seemed of little practical use. It was uncertain whether its condition would improve once the Grotto-Heaven was fully restored. Moreover, he still didn't know how to restore the Grotto-Heaven. Qin Sang retrieved the Thousand Jins Ring, examining it repeatedly, hoping the internal Grotto-Heaven could recover on its own, knowing it would undoubtedly be a long process.

Returning to the stone hall, Qin Sang saw that Young Miss Xin's aura was receding, indicating she had reached her limit and ultimately failed to break through to the Void Refinement stage. Before Young Miss Xin awoke, Qin Sang stored Marquis Luo and the other demons into his talisman altar. With the restrictions shattered, the stone hall lost its mystical properties and became ordinary stone. Qin Sang attempted to move it and successfully stored the entire stone hall into the Thousand Jins Ring without causing spatial instability.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Young Miss Xin's eyelids fluttered. She slowly woke up, and seeing the empty void before her, she couldn't help but be stunned.

“You’re awake.”

Qin Sang's voice came from behind her.

Young Miss Xin quickly turned around to find Qin Sang facing away from her, gazing towards the entrance of the grand formation. She also noticed that the restrictions on her had been lifted. She noticed that Qin Sang's aura was slightly fluctuating, unlike his previous calm. Her expression relaxed slightly as she said, “Elder Qin, you must believe me now; I spoke no falsehoods.”

“Where is the secret realm your father mentioned?” Qin Sang asked.

Young Miss Xin immediately understood Qin Sang's meaning and quickly replied, “It’s also within the Jade Gate of Fengju. I wonder if Senior has time now; we can go right away?”

“Good!”

Qin Sang nodded, not mentioning any compensation. His attitude conveyed everything. Young Miss Xin flew to Qin Sang's side, positioning herself half a step behind him, and together they looked towards the destructive storm. From the looks of it, they would have to wait a while longer before they could leave.

“Tell me how you discovered this place,” Qin Sang said.

“Years ago, I encountered a surge of strange lightning and had to hide everywhere, inadvertently stumbling upon this vicinity. The strange lightning caused changes in the unusual light outside, and I realized there was something more within. After the strange lightning subsided, I returned to this place and discovered this tomb. I was also fortunate that the talisman stone was casually discarded on a high platform outside the tomb, and I bound it with my blood; otherwise I might not have even been able to open the first door's restrictions…”

Young Miss Xin narrated softly, producing the items she had previously obtained here for Qin Sang to examine. She then briefly described the Xin family's situation and the environment around the cultivation grounds of Enshriner Pei and Loose Cultivator Zhong Liang, though Qin Sang made no comment.

Finally, the destructive storm began to wane. Once it was no longer as dangerous outside, the two approached the storm. Inside was a chaotic void, devoid of any cultivator's aura. Enshriner Pei and Loose Cultivator Zhong Liang were completely annihilated, not even a speck remaining. What a pity for the treasures they carried. Two mighty Void Refinement stage cultivators, now accompanying each other on the path to the netherworld. They likely never dreamed they would fall at the hands of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

“Young Miss!”

“Elder Qin?”

When Qin Sang and Young Miss Xin emerged from the grand formation, Steward Luo and the others were waiting outside, consumed by anxiety. Not all of the Xin family cultivators had made it out; casualties were inevitable. Steward Luo and the Xin family's Great Elder, who had some knowledge of the situation, had long been prepared to die for the family, even anticipating the complete annihilation of their group. Seeing Young Miss Xin not only safe but also having made great strides in her cultivation, everyone was first overjoyed, then greatly alarmed. The plan had gone smoothly, successfully trapping and killing Enshriner Pei and the Loose Cultivator, yet an unexpected turn of events occurred. They had not seen Qin Sang for a long time before, assuming he had perished inside, but now he had emerged alongside the Young Miss.

“What, are you surprised to see this old man?”

Qin Sang calmly swept his gaze over the Xin family members. Their hearts jolted, and their faces were filled with terror.

Young Miss Xin stepped forward and stated gravely, “Regarding today’s events, once we leave, everyone must swear an oath not to reveal a single detail, or they will face the family’s disciplinary law!” Facing Young Miss Xin's stern gaze, everyone lowered their heads, respectfully affirming their compliance. After this incident, no one within the family dared to challenge Young Miss Xin's authority again.

“Our strong enemies are eliminated, but that doesn’t mean the Xin family can rest easy from now on. Great Elder, Uncle Luo… you must have also guessed that the secret realm Father spoke of before his death is not this place. Elder Qin has already agreed to help us enter that secret realm. You all should go out and rest first, then we will depart.”

Hearing these words, everyone finally put their hearts at ease. It seemed Elder Qin was an ally, not an enemy. For the Xin family, this was the best possible outcome.

With the grand formation destroyed, the outside world was also affected. The various strange spaces on their path here shattered, eliminating the danger. There was no need for Qin Sang to personally escort them, so Steward Luo and the others departed first. Qin Sang and Young Miss Xin remained behind, intending to explore every corner of the place.

“It seems this place won’t last much longer.”

Qin Sang noticed that the destructive storm had not fully dissipated but was gradually expanding outwards, indicating that the grand formation was the foundation of the tomb. Now that its foundation was destroyed, the tomb was heading towards ruin. He was powerless to stop it and could only move anything that seemed useful into the Grotto-Heaven before the tomb was destroyed, to analyze later when he had time.

Finally, Qin Sang led the Xin family cultivators out of the light domain and rendezvoused with the others waiting outside. Fewer people were needed for the next phase, so Young Miss Xin selected a group of core family members and set off for the secret realm with Qin Sang.