Chapter 2225: Leaving the Mountain

"Whew..." Qin Sang stretched, shaking off the lingering heat. He looked at the two bottles of elixirs in his hand, a satisfied smile gracing his face. One was a poison elixir, the other an antidote, both essential for cultivating the *Poison God Scripture*.

With his current abilities, he could have long ago modified the *Poison God Scripture* to integrate the *Clear Dew Rejuvenation Elixir Formula*, significantly boosting his cultivation speed. Medicinal ingredients were never an issue either. Ever since Reverend Tong Shen witnessed Qin Sang's 'talent', he had been incredibly accommodating. As Qin Sang didn't currently require overly precious spiritual medicines, Reverend Tong Shen could easily provide them.

"He truly deserves to be called my master," Qin Sang thought to himself, carefully clearing out the dregs from the elixir cauldron. He wanted to avoid being discovered by Reverend Tong Shen and scolded for neglecting his primary duties.

After entering the Foundation Establishment stage, Qin Sang's diligence remained undiminished. Reverend Tong Shen, feeling more at ease with him, stopped frequently checking on his progress, which in turn granted Qin Sang significantly more freedom.

With his cultivation now firmly on track, Qin Sang's daily life became more structured. He advanced in both cultivation and elixir refining simultaneously. He would spend a period cultivating in seclusion in a quiet room, then move to the fire room for secluded elixir refinement. In reality, he spent the majority of his time in the fire room also cultivating.

Although he hadn't chosen elixir refining as his primary cultivation path, he had dabbled in it, and these elixirs posed no challenge to him. His success rate in refining was exceptionally high; he was simply putting on a show for Reverend Tong Shen.

Even so, in Reverend Tong Shen's eyes, this disciple was nothing short of an unparalleled genius.

Activating the formation to seal the earthly fire, Qin Sang stepped out of the fire room.

Mount Yuanjing in the morning was endlessly captivating. Qin Sang admired the scenic beauty as he walked towards his quiet room.

Reverend Tong Shen was currently away from the mountain gate, having gone to attend a gathering with fellow Daoists. He had even promised to bring Qin Sang a Sumeru artifact.

Upon reaching a pavilion, Qin Sang stopped, gazing out at the vast world beyond the mountain, lost in thought.

Almost two years had passed, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

In those two years, Qin Sang had grown accustomed to Mount Yuanjing and the routine of cultivation and elixir refining. Sometimes, he almost forgot it was an illusion, believing himself to be in a real world.

"Is the Inner Demon Tribulation like this too?" Qin Sang had never experienced an Inner Demon Tribulation, only read about others' experiences in ancient texts.

Some could break free from their inner demons instantly. Others would sink into the illusion, experiencing countless mirages, only narrowly breaking through when a certain opportunity arose. They would feel profound fear every time they recalled it.

Relying on the Jade Buddha, he had no Inner Demon Tribulation, which allowed him to avoid many dangers during his tribulations. However, he also missed the tempering effect that such a tribulation would have provided.

"What am I now?" Qin Sang looked at his own hands. He was clearly awake, fully aware that everything around him was an illusion, yet he couldn't escape.

Just then, Qin Sang seemed to sense something. His pupils contracted, and he let out a loud shout, "Who's there!"

Simultaneously, a jade-white streak of light shot out from his waist. Within the light was a jade Ruyi scepter, the very welcoming gift Mr. Lu had given him earlier. The Ruyi's material inherently had a calming effect, and when refined into an artifact, it also possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities, making it a rare treasure.

The jade Ruyi didn't make much noise, but its forceful momentum was incredibly sharp, striking fiercely behind Qin Sang. Moreover, this treasure concealed a hidden transformation, allowing it to ambush an enemy by surprise. The light emitted by the jade Ruyi transformed into a fierce tiger that suddenly opened its mouth, spitting out a fine needle. The needle was faster than the Ruyi itself and moved without a sound.

"Oh?" a girl's voice sounded from behind Qin Sang, filled with surprise. Immediately, two resounding thuds echoed, and Qin Sang instantly felt a powerful force emanating from the jade Ruyi.

"Thwack!" The jade Ruyi was sent flying out of the pavilion, landing on the ground. Qin Sang let out a muffled groan, his body swayed, and then a figure flashed before his eyes.

His fingers, hidden in his sleeve, trembled, but he didn't crush the poison elixir in his hand. This elixir was specially refined by him; its toxicity was so potent that even a Golden Core cultivator would suffer greatly if afflicted. Given his current low strength, he had to find alternative ways to prepare some life-saving measures for himself.

Immediately after, Qin Sang suddenly felt a finger lift his chin. A pretty little face then leaned close to his, curiously examining him, her breath as fragrant as orchids.

"So you're the talented junior brother master just took in?"

"Are you... Senior Sister Qinghong?" Qin Sang suppressed the surging qi and blood in his chest, feigning a bewildered expression. *How long has it been since anyone dared to tease me like this?* he grumbled inwardly. This senior sister was certainly quite forward.

Qin Sang had been on the mountain for two years but had never met this senior sister. He had heard from his master that she had emerged from seclusion twice before, but each time had coincided with his own seclusion, causing them to miss each other.

"Master isn't here again, who else could be at the mountain gate besides us?" Qinghong noticed Qin Sang's discomfort and revealed a mischievous smile. Instead of letting go, she lifted his chin even higher. "Who would've thought," she mused, "you're not just a cultivation genius, but a combat genius too."

A hint of awe flashed in Qinghong's eyes. She had originally intended to give her junior brother a scare but had unexpectedly almost suffered a minor setback. His timing had been practically perfect; she wondered if it was just a fluke. Could it really be as Master said, that he hadn't left the mountain or fought anyone for two years?

Qin Sang took a step back, escaping her grasp. He bowed and said, "Qingfeng greets Senior Sister."

Qinghong pouted. "Why would Master give you such a Daoist name?" Qin Sang offered no explanation, meticulously completing the formalities. He silently resolved to keep his distance from this senior sister in the future.

"Junior brother just came out of seclusion! Senior brother is coming back, quickly come with me to greet him!" Qinghong stepped forward, about to grab Qin Sang's arm.

"I'll go pick up the artifact..." Qin Sang tried to dodge, but he was no match for Qinghong; his arm was firmly pulled into her embrace.

"Here, for you!" Qinghong crooked a finger, retrieving the jade Ruyi for Qin Sang. "Don't worry," she added, "I held back; I wouldn't break your precious item." Saying this, Qinghong dragged Qin Sang towards the welcoming pavilion.

Qin Sang gave a helpless smile. He wasn't a truly innocent young boy; feeling the warmth from her arm and knowing he couldn't escape, he simply relaxed and enjoyed it.

Upon reaching the welcoming pavilion, Qinghong let go of Qin Sang's arm. She fiercely poked his nose, huffing, "So you're a little pervert! I misjudged you!"

Just then, a faint whistling sound came from beyond the mountain. A moment later, a bolt of lightning pierced through the mountain mist, instantly landing in the pavilion and revealing a man and a woman.

The man was burly and had an upright demeanor; he was their eldest senior brother, Qingyan.

"Greetings, Senior Brother," Qin Sang and Qinghong bowed in greeting. Qinghong shoved Qin Sang forward, giggling, "How did Master praise our junior brother to you?"

Qingyan smiled. "Mount Yuanjing has gained such a talented disciple in our junior brother; its future prosperity is hopeful. Junior Sister, you should be happy. I heard from Master that Junior Brother likes elixir refining. I've collected many medicinal ingredients; let me give them all to Junior Brother as a gift! In the future, when Junior Brother's elixir refining skills are perfected, I, as his senior brother, will also benefit."

Qinghong exclaimed, "Oh dear!" and her eyes darted about. "I forgot to prepare a gift for Junior Brother. I owe you one, okay? Junior Brother, when you decide what you want later, just tell your senior sister."

Qin Sang thanked his senior brother, embracing the armful of medicinal ingredients and inhaling their rich fragrance. He then turned to Qinghong and thanked her, "Thank you, Senior Sister! You don't have to go to any trouble; just some medicinal ingredients would be fine, even if it's a little less than what Senior Brother gave."

His senior brother was indeed very generous, giving him quite a lot, including several very rare medicinal ingredients.

"No... pro... blem!" Qinghong gnashed her teeth, glaring at Qin Sang, enunciating each word slowly.

Qingyan saw this and smiled. "Junior Brother, Junior Sister," he said, "do not neglect our esteemed guest. This is Miss Shuang, Mr. Lu's niece, who has been cultivating under Mr. Lu's guidance."

They exchanged greetings. Qin Sang noticed that Miss Shuang was a woman of few words and had a cool demeanor, though she was far from as icy as Liu Li had been in the past.

"Senior Brother, you've been adventuring down the mountain for several years this time; have you found a good place?" Qinghong asked after the small talk.

"I found a place where we can temporarily take refuge in times of crisis," Qingyan said gravely.

Both Qin Sang and Qinghong noticed the change in his tone. Qinghong's expression grew serious. "What happened outside?"

Qingyan shook his head. "We don't know the full details yet. Master and Mr. Lu told us to return to the mountain early and pack our belongings. If things don't go as planned, we will seal the mountain gate and leave Mount Yuanjing with Master. Mr. Lu has already sealed his immortal's cave."

"What? We're really abandoning the mountain gate?" Qinghong exclaimed, her face filled with reluctance. Qin Sang's expression was also very solemn. *Could this be trouble caused by his last inquiry about the painting?*

Unfortunately, he was too weak now and could only flee for his life.

"There's no time to lose. Miss Shuang, please wait in the pavilion for a moment." Qingyan urged Qin Sang and Qinghong, "Quickly follow Master's instructions. Junior Brother, this is the Sumeru artifact Master bought for you. I'll teach you how to refine it..."

Qin Sang took the dull black bracelet. After 'learning' how to use it from Qingyan, he probed it with his spiritual sense and found the internal space indeed to be quite narrow.

"So it's Purifying Void Stone," Qin Sang recognized the material of the bracelet at a glance.

Purifying Void Stone was a special kind of jade containing a peculiar cavity, making it suitable for refining into a Sumeru space. Using this stone as the primary material allowed for the creation of stable Sumeru artifacts.

However, this refining method had long been abandoned by later generations. Qin Sang had only come across it in the ancient texts of the Five Elements Alliance.

Later generations refined Sumeru bags by relying on a type of exquisite restriction spell, rendering materials like Purifying Void Stone no longer necessary.

In the current Great Thousand World, this refining technique had long become prevalent and was almost universally known. Its mastery was not particularly difficult, and even ordinary artifact refiners could comprehend it.

"I wonder which great power of later generations created this, benefiting the world..." Qin Sang thought to himself, as he placed his most crucial items inside, almost filling the narrow space.

The three siblings busied themselves, organizing the essential items they had to take. They waited quietly for their master in the welcoming pavilion. Not long after, Reverend Tong Shen arrived, flying through the air, his expression solemn. With a wave of his sleeve, he activated the mountain-protecting array, sealing off the mountain gate.

"Qingyan, you come with me," Reverend Tong Shen instructed. "Qinghong, take Junior Brother and Miss Shuang to the place Qingyan found, and wait for us there!"

Sinister River.

Mist currents formed from the Six Heavens Ancient Qi howled to and fro. With a black sky and black sea, the scenery here was monotonous, a barren land for living beings where not even a single fierce beast could be seen.

Suddenly, the Six Heavens Ancient Qi solidified. Two ethereal figures appeared in the void, gradually solidifying into Reverend Ning and the old Daoist priest.

"The world barrier shows no anomalies. Senior Sister, have you found anything?" the old Daoist priest asked. Reverend Ning shook her head slightly.

Before her words finished, both turned their gaze to the distance. A white rainbow was swiftly moving through the Six Heavens Ancient Qi; it was a white crane.

"Swoosh!" The white crane landed before them, its wings folding. Its feathers were pure white as snow, giving it a sense of sacredness and arrogance.

"Greetings, fellow Daoists." The white crane opened its mouth, spitting out a precious jade which it held. The jade then emitted a clear voice: "I didn't expect to alarm Reverend Ning. Since both of you are here, this world barrier must be safe! Had I known this, I wouldn't have needed to send this white crane to investigate. Have either of you discovered anything?"

The voice paused, then continued, "Our Daoist sect only learned about the Great Dream Divine Monarch's enlightenment after the sacred land opened. Ordinarily, the Demon Realm couldn't have received the news beforehand."

Reverend Ning said, "There are no signs of the world barrier's fissures widening, and the seals are all normal. It must be something on the other side that is causing the world barrier to vibrate."

"It seems the Demon Realm is restless again, and there's no news from the border pass yet," the old Daoist priest sighed, looking at Reverend Ning. "Senior Sister, you must be careful when you go to guard the border pass this time."

"In that case, there's no need to alarm other fellow Daoists," said the precious jade in the white crane's mouth. "The Divine Monarch doesn't know when he'll emerge from seclusion, so to prevent any malicious plots from the Demon Realm, let's guard this place for a while, the three of us."

The old Daoist priest looked at the white crane. "Fellow Daoist, have you brought the Soul-Summoning Dust Veil? Why don't you unfurl it and attach it to the world barrier? Perhaps we can discover the Demon Realm's schemes in advance."

Immediately, the two individuals and the crane conjured a large stone out of thin air and sat cross-legged upon it.

The white crane swallowed the white jade, then arched its neck and spat out a cloud of purple gauze. The gauze was as thin as cicada wings, incredibly light, and unfurled endlessly, seeming boundless. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire heaven and earth.

An unknown distance from this location, the Six Heavens Ancient Qi was equally fierce.

Under the constant battering of storms and colossal waves, an island made of stone had survived, floating and sinking in the black sea.

On the island, a massive stone had been hollowed out. Inside, a person sat cross-legged—it was precisely the individual who had fought Reverend Tianyue at the Fengju Jade Gate back then.

This person carried a sword on his back, and a profound azure sword light enveloped his entire body, extending even to the whole island. Not a single trace of aura emanated from him.

He remained motionless, as if in a deep slumber.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, two bright gazes shooting forth. He looked through the stone wall towards the depths of the Sinister River, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

It was just a minor tremor of the world barrier, not unprecedented in the past. At most, it would attract the attention of the Human-Alien powerful beings, but as long as there were no other anomalies, the Human-Alien race generally wouldn't pay too much heed.

This time, however, it seemed to have attracted more than one powerful being, and they seemed to have stopped moving. Also, why did the aura emanating from that treasure seem to be from the Daoist sect?

His face was filled with confusion as he looked towards the edge of the Sinister River, in the direction of the Yuanjiao Seamarket.

*Had something happened to the Human-Alien race that he didn't know about?*

"It seems I can only give up..." This thought surfaced in his mind.

In front of those powerful beings, every step had to be extremely cautious, allowing no room for even the slightest error. One could not harbor any wishful thinking, let alone scheme across two realms.

He knew this truth well. His gaze flickered, then he closed his eyes, and the stone chamber remained silent as before.