Chapter 2070: Qingling Energy

Some cultivators were still worshipping before the holy statue, yet none of them noticed a figure standing beside them, a figure identical to the statue itself.

Just then, two streaks of light soared from the depths of Luye. Li Yufu, having heard from Shen Chen of his Senior Uncle's return, rushed out to greet him. Upon seeing his Senior Uncle, Li Yufu's spirits lifted, his heart stirring with emotion. He quickly stepped forward, about to bow, when he sensed an unusual aura emanating from his Senior Uncle. He then noticed Silu, who was standing nearby, shaking his head at them.

Suppressing his excitement, he glanced at the surrounding cultivators and then revealed his true form before them.

"Oh? His appearance... isn't that Abbot Li?"

"And that's Alliance Master Shen of the Heavenly Craft Alliance!"

"Greetings to Abbot Li and Alliance Master Shen!"

Upon seeing the two, the cultivators quickly converged. To the public, these two were legendary figures. The cultivators were extremely excited, inwardly proclaiming their trip to be well worth it.

"Greetings, fellow Daoists!" Li Yufu bowed deeply and announced, "Our abbey has an urgent matter to attend to, requiring us to temporarily close our gates. We apologize for any inconvenience or oversight in hospitality, and we hope you will not take offense."

"Not at all..."

"Abbot, you're too kind. You humble us."

The cultivators returned his bows, each assuring him it was no trouble. For a matter like this, Green Goat Abbey could have simply sent a deacon. Yet, for the venerable Abbot of Green Goat Abbey to personally come out and explain—what an immense honor! There was certainly nothing to be dissatisfied about.

Some even asked with concern, "Has your esteemed abbey encountered any difficulties? Though our cultivation may be meager, we are willing to offer our assistance!" Others too showed expressions of concern. Green Goat Abbey had long been considered a sacred place by cultivators, and any trouble there could potentially impact the entire Storm Realm.

Li Yufu cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, fellow Daoists. There are no actual difficulties. The gates will reopen soon, and you are welcome to visit again."

Hearing this, the cultivators all breathed a sigh of relief and took their leave. In moments, only a few of them remained before the holy statue. Li Yufu then summoned the Abbot's command token, activating a layer of the protective array to conceal Luye. Immediately afterward, all Green Goat Abbey disciples within Luye heard a voice transmission from the Abbot, instructing them not to leave.

After seeing off the cultivators, Li Yufu and Shen Chen stood respectfully to the side, but soon sensed something unusual about Qin Sang's aura. It was so profound, ethereal, and unfathomable... Li Yufu and Shen Chen exchanged glances, a possibility dawning on them, filling their hearts with profound shock and reverence.

Qin Sang remained immersed in a peculiar state. The chaotic fragments of divine will dissolved within his consciousness. Qin Sang instinctively refined them, transforming them into a pure divine essence that melted away the barrier.

Qin Sang felt that his comprehension of the Purple Star Sword Scripture and the Path of Mahayana had deepened even further, providing more than enough insight to overcome his current bottleneck. Concurrently, Qin Sang definitively confirmed that while both were Mahayana paths, the path of the Purple Star Sword Scripture differed significantly from the Divine Path commonly found in the Great Thousand Worlds. Unlike cultivators of the Divine Path who drew strength from incense offerings, his power did not stem from such sources.

In Yuedu Bay, he annihilated Luohun Abyss and expelled Zhuyun Dutian, earning the world's reverence. In the Storm Realm, people erected holy statues in his honor. Though he benefited from both places, he did not directly absorb power from them. Instead, it was his own cultivation realm, his grasp of the Purple Star Sword Scripture, and his understanding of the Great Dao that were enhanced. His previous doubts were resolved. Consequently, most of his subsequent bottlenecks were imperceptibly overcome, making his cultivation twice as effective and his breakthroughs far easier.

However, to further elevate his cultivation, he still needed to train diligently on his own. Cultivators of the Divine Path, dependent on the worship of their followers, are ironically constrained; should they lose all believers, their Dao foundation could crumble. If the Purple Star Sword Scripture functioned similarly, it was not Qin Sang's desired outcome, as he consistently believed that only one's own self was the true foundation.

This fundamental difference prevented Qin Sang from making a definitive judgment. However, he couldn't possibly stand by and watch the Storm Realm be annihilated just to verify his theory. Qin Sang speculated that during the Void Refinement stage, the Purple Star Sword Venerable was likely still seeking his path and had not yet definitively chosen the Mahayana Killing Path.

If the Great Dao is likened to a perilous peak, then a cultivator's journey is akin to ascending a suspended ladder to its summit. Perhaps the Purple Star Sword Venerable, midway through his ascent, found the Mahayana Killing Path to be quite compatible with his nature, tested it for a segment, but hadn't yet committed to fully crossing over to it. If this was indeed the truth, it remained uncertain whether the Purple Star Sword Venerable would ultimately choose the Mahayana Killing Path.

Qin Sang introspected, 'seeing' the sword intent he had acquired in the Lunar Divine Temple. Given this, he saw no need to hastily change his path. It would not be too late to make a decision when he reached the peak of the Void Refinement stage, or even the Body Integration stage, once he fully comprehended the Dao principles within the sword intent. Thus, his Void Refinement Path was truly established!

His next step would be to establish a Dao field here, as per his existing plan, to protect all beings in the Storm Realm and repel external foes. The more prosperous the Dao field became, the more beneficial it would be for his comprehension of the Purple Star Sword Scripture.

Qin Sang emerged from his meditative state, slowly opening his eyes. Upon seeing Li Yufu, he gave a slight nod.

"Your unworthy disciple greets Senior Uncle!"

Li Yufu prostrated himself in homage. Qin Sang used spiritual energy to gently lift Li Yufu, then surveyed him and said, "Your predecessor would undoubtedly be very pleased with your current achievements."

He had initially thought it would be a great fortune if Li Yufu merely broke through to the Soul Transformation stage, allowing master and disciple to reunite in this lifetime. He never expected this disciple to prove so capable, having already advanced to the mid-Soul Transformation stage. Yunyouzi's and his efforts in nurturing him were truly not in vain! Li Yufu's lips quivered, and a flicker of excitement crossed his eyes. As the abbot, he always had to maintain his composure, and it had been a long time since he had been so visibly moved.

"Come, let's go inside and talk." Qin Sang stepped inside. Li Yufu affirmed, quickly followed, and then inquired, "Senior Uncle, should I ask the disciples to come out and pay their respects?"

"No rush," Qin Sang shook his head. "For now, do not reveal my return to the outside world. As the abbot, you will continue to make all decisions regarding Green Goat Abbey's internal and external affairs."

"Understood!"

Knowing his Senior Uncle had his considerations, Li Yufu did not press further. He bowed and escorted Qin Sang and the others into the main hall. Green Goat Abbey's main hall had been constructed beside Qin Sang's former cave dwelling.

"Please rest in the main hall for a moment, both of you. I have some things to discuss," Qin Sang said. Being very familiar with Silu, he dispensed with formalities, leaving Shen Chen to entertain, and then called Li Yufu before heading to his cave dwelling.

His cave dwelling was now a forbidden area. Aside from the Taiji Immortal Platform and the Tribulation Transcending Grand Formation formed by the Ice-Fire Token being gone, it largely retained its original furnishings from when he departed. As familiar objects from the past appeared before him, Qin Sang gazed at each one, sighing, "When I hastily broke through the realm back then, I believed I would never return in this lifetime. Only upon meeting Guya did I learn that the entire Storm Realm had ascended..." As for the complex journey of his ascension and the matters of the Talisman Realm, there was no need to inform Li Yufu at present.

"Guya?"

Li Yufu then remembered her identity, finally understanding the full story. He said joyfully, "I never imagined the mist waterfall wasn't a dead end. It seems other fellow Daoists swept away by it might also be alive, just like Daoist Guya. For Daoist Guya to encounter Senior Uncle in the vast Great Thousand Worlds, it must truly be destiny!"

He himself never expected to see his Senior Uncle again in this lifetime. After the storm subsided, they had all traveled to Witch God Mountain in the Canglang Sea. This sacred mountain, a spiritual totem of the Witch Tribe, had even been relocated by them and now stood in Zhongzhou. Traces left by Qin Sang during his ascension still remained on Witch God Mountain to this day. Though the anomalous power had dissipated, anyone with keen insight could discern its immense strength, especially considering it had pierced through a realm barrier and endured its erosive force. It was difficult to imagine the terrifying power wielded by the source of that anomalous energy. Qin Sang, who had only just entered the Soul Transformation stage at the time, could hardly have been expected to survive.

Combining the Heavenly Dao Demonic Sound with the Witch Tribe's description of events, everyone made a reasonable conjecture: behind the Heavenly Dao Demonic Sound was a peerless ferocious beast aiming to devour an entire realm. The regional barriers could not only block the storm but also sever the beast's prying gaze, though the barriers' power was constantly diminishing. Previous ascendants had long since met their end in the beast's maw. Qin Sang, however, left Zhongzhou, traversing the storm to the Canglang Sea, which is why he was targeted. All indications suggested that the integration of the lower realm into the Great Thousand Worlds was likely due to Qin Sang luring away the ferocious beast, even at the cost of his own life. It was for this very reason that various clans and sects willingly revered him as a saint.

Qin Sang surveyed his surroundings and said, "We were deeply concerned about your current situation. It appears now that both the Storm Realm and Green Goat Abbey are in much better condition than we anticipated."

"It was also due to the favor of fate. Had our lower realm directly merged into the Great Thousand Worlds and encountered the Changyou Clan at its full strength, we would likely have been annihilated long ago." Li Yufu revealed a hint of lingering fear as he recounted their past experiences in detail.

"Later, we discovered that our integration into the Great Thousand Worlds was a prolonged process, which also impacted the Great Thousand Worlds itself, causing the impure qi here to surge and swell. During that time, many powerful and inherently ferocious beasts also escaped, slaughtering all living beings they encountered and causing great chaos for the Changyou Clan. In their efforts to resist these beasts, they paid a tremendous price, suffering heavy losses, and thus did not immediately discover us. We suspect that as the lower realm integrated, the realm barrier gradually dissolved, causing drastic changes to the heavens and earth. The ferocious beasts roaming in the storm and Guixu instinctively felt uneasy and attempted to escape. Once the realm barrier weakened sufficiently, they were the first to surge into the Great Thousand Worlds, inadvertently shielding us from disaster.

"Even so, our situation at that time was still extremely perilous. Although spiritual energy became increasingly abundant after the heavenly changes, various terrifying celestial phenomena made everyone fear the realm's impending doom, leaving them utterly bewildered. At that time, those with the strongest cultivation and the greatest potential for breakthrough, such as Master Xingji of Sweet Dew Zen Temple and Sect Master Situ of Mount Bunian, much like the ferocious beasts, sought to escape and forcefully attempt to break through to the Soul Transformation stage. They meticulously prepared various treasures to counteract the Heavenly Dao Demonic Sound, but during their tribulations, they encountered grey tribulation lightning and were almost entirely wiped out. Fairy Liuli, a step slower, received a warning. With the additional aid of the Tribulation Transcending Formation left by Senior Uncle, she was able to successfully transcend her tribulation.

"Fairy Liuli managed to contend with the Changyou Clan, and also timely found a method to accelerate the recovery of the Ice-Fire Token's power. Furthermore, she acquired a type of Azure Spirit Qi in the impure lands. This Azure Spirit Qi could help cultivators overcome their bottlenecks. Fairy Liuli did not selfishly hoard it but convened various clans and sects for a joint discussion. Consequently, more and more fellow Daoists gradually broke through to the Soul Transformation stage. Therefore, by the time the Changyou Clan amassed a large army and launched a major invasion, we had developed a certain capacity for resistance, though we still lost Canglang Sea and the Demonic Sea. This disciple also received a wisp of Azure Spirit Qi, which led to my current achievements..."

Li Yufu's words were imbued with deep gratitude towards Liuli. Not only he, but various clans and sects across the realm now carried a measure of debt to Liuli. This, combined with Qin Sang's extensive travels and connections with various forces, allowed the Storm Realm to be smoothly unified under Liuli's command.

Qin Sang could visualize Liuli's strenuous efforts, bearing the immense responsibility for the realm's fate upon her slender shoulders. Yet, Liuli needn't have undertaken such a burden; she didn't cultivate the Path of Mahayana, while the ultimate benefits were reaped by him. Li Yufu noticed Qin Sang's expression. Everyone in Green Goat Abbey had witnessed Fairy Liuli's sacrifices and held immense respect and recognition for her as their Senior Uncle's wife. However, Li Yufu knew that the marriage back then was merely a pretense and was now unsure if his Senior Uncle and Fairy Liuli were truly Dao companions.

It was not his place to comment on matters between his seniors, so he hesitated before saying, "There's something I need to report to Senior Uncle."

"What is it?"

"Fairy Liuli is not currently in the Storm Realm. It's publicly stated that she's in seclusion at Mysterious Heaven Palace, which is a ruse to avoid causing widespread alarm and detection by the Changyou Clan. Only this junior and Palace Master Tong are aware of this," Li Yufu said with a heavy tone.

Qin Sang was stunned. "Liuli isn't in the Storm Realm? Where did she go?"

Li Yufu shook his head. "This disciple does not know! Before her departure, Fairy Liuli mentioned that the Changyou Clan Chief was attempting to break through to the Void Refinement stage, and once he succeeded, he would be unstoppable! Fairy Liuli then embarked on a journey, seeking an opportunity for her own breakthrough. The Changyou Clan is also aware of the Azure Spirit Qi and has been competing with us for it, restoring much of their strength. That Clan Chief must have greatly advanced his cultivation due to this."

Qin Sang's brows furrowed slightly. It was undoubtedly extremely dangerous for Liuli to travel. With only Soul Transformation stage cultivation, how could she navigate through countless different races? Even if she used secret methods for disguise, encountering any expert at the Second Layer of the Emptiness Realm could potentially expose her. Furthermore, the Heavenly Continent was too distant from Kanzhou. Relying on the teleportation arrays of other races to leave the Mist Sea and journey across vast oceans to Kanzhou was almost impossible. The best outcome was that she hadn't yet left the Zhuyan Clan's territory, allowing him to potentially seek her out.

With Liuli's whereabouts unknown, further speculation was pointless for now. Qin Sang's eyes flickered, and he asked, "You mentioned that Azure Spirit Qi was found in the impure lands. Did it originate from Guixu?"

Hearing Li Yufu mention that Guixu had not reappeared after the Storm Realm merged into the Great Thousand Worlds, Qin Sang suspected that Guixu had either sunk into the impure lands or that the two places were fundamentally connected. Years ago, he had personally traveled to Guixu, gazing from afar, and was profoundly shaken by the mysterious sights within. Guixu undoubtedly still held many secrets. Unfortunately, Li Yufu currently had no Azure Spirit Qi, making it impossible to ascertain its power from descriptions alone.

"No one has personally seen Guixu. I've only read fragmented descriptions in ancient texts, so I cannot be certain. The impure qi waxes and wanes, with minor low tides occurring approximately every century, revealing portions of the impure lands. During these times, Azure Spirit Qi disperses from there. However, residual impure qi remains, and those with insufficient cultivation will perish if they draw too close. Furthermore, the low tide period is brief, so no one dares to investigate deeply. We can only collect the Azure Spirit Qi from the periphery," Li Yufu explained.

Qin Sang nodded, secretly thinking that he should personally investigate the impure lands and determine if they were indeed the Sin River.

Setting that thought aside, Qin Sang then asked, "How is Green Goat Abbey faring now?"