Chapter 2226: Misconception

Qin Sang detected the urgency in Master Tong Shen's tone. Even the mountain gate was to be abandoned, which suggested the crisis was likely more severe than just targeting Yu Jing Mountain; the situation had probably undergone a drastic change.

"Master, my parents..."

Although he was in an illusion and his family members were mere phantoms, Qin Sang still needed to appear compassionate and dutiful in front of Master Tong Shen.

"My disciple, you needn't worry. The Golden Eagle clan should not involve mortals, but I will move them to a safe place. Unfortunately, my abilities are limited, and I cannot protect more of our kin."

Master Tong Shen sighed mournfully and then told his eldest disciple, "Qing Yan, you should also go and settle your family members, then rejoin me."

"Understood!"

Qing Yan departed first.

Qin Sang glanced at Qing Hong, who was beside him.

"Master said my parents had already died of illness when he found me," Qing Hong said in a calm tone, then looked at Miss Shuang, "What about your family, Miss Shuang?"

Miss Shuang shook her head, her expression somewhat dim.

"Master, what exactly happened outside?" Qing Hong stepped forward and asked. Both she and Qin Sang still looked bewildered.

"The myriad races are planning a major move, reportedly targeting our human cultivators. It will likely be difficult for us to remain in the Golden Eagle clan's territory from now on. Fortunately, Fellow Daoist Lu is well-informed; the Golden Eagle clan hasn't acted yet, so we still have time. Otherwise, we wouldn't know danger was approaching until the mountain was surrounded by demons!"

As Master Tong Shen spoke, he sent out several talismans.

Qin Sang asked, "Master, is this related to those portraits?"

"Perhaps related, perhaps not. One thing is certain: the situation for our human race is becoming increasingly perilous. The world is vast, but where can we find a place to belong?"

Master Tong Shen called Qing Hong over and handed her a jade pendant. "You two, hurry and leave! Fellow Daoist Lu is contacting other fellow daoists, and we will set up some illusions to mislead the Golden Eagle clan, just in case... Be careful on your way, remember to avoid the patrolling demon soldiers, and if you encounter danger, you can use this treasure for protection."

"Master, you must be careful too," Qing Hong said with concern.

Master Tong Shen nodded and turned to leave.

"Junior Brother, Miss Shuang, only the three of us remain now. You must follow my orders!" Qing Hong said, leaving no room for doubt.

Qin Sang naturally had no objection, and Miss Shuang also agreed, as Qing Hong had the highest cultivation among the three.

Qing Hong's tone softened. "You don't need to be too nervous. Since Master dared to let us act alone, it means the situation hasn't worsened. We just need to avoid the demon soldiers' patrol routes. Let's go!"

Among the three, Qin Sang had the lowest cultivation, while Qing Hong and Miss Shuang were both Core Formation cultivators. They took turns using their artifacts to carry Qin Sang, traveling without pause.

Along the way, Qing Hong meticulously explained the route Qing Yan had scouted, so they could find their way independently if they were separated.

Qin Sang knew that Master Tong Shen had long foreseen this day. Their destination for this journey was merely a temporary dwelling, and he would eventually lead them to the sanctuary established by humans and the descendants of deities.

He hadn't expected this day to arrive so soon. Qin Sang speculated that all the alien cultivators might have ended up there, making it easier to find old acquaintances. The only drawback was his current low cultivation level.

They were still within the Sky-Soaring Mountain range. Heading west from Yu Jing Mountain, there were still mountains everywhere, continuous and boundless.

Qing Hong had an optimistic disposition. As they hurried along, she constantly found topics to amuse Qin Sang and Miss Shuang.

Miss Shuang was taciturn, but she couldn't resist Qing Hong's enthusiasm and answered her questions, allowing Qin Sang and Qing Hong to learn a little about her.

With more interaction, they realized that Miss Shuang wasn't exactly cold on the outside but warm on the inside, nor was she aloof.

Miss Shuang's master, who was Fellow Lu's junior sister, had died unexpectedly, but the killer was never found. Fellow Lu had therefore taken Miss Shuang, his junior sister's only disciple, under his wing, caring for her with great affection.

Learning about Miss Shuang's background, Qing Hong immediately felt a sense of camaraderie, and soon they were addressing each other as "sister."

"Ahead, we'll be leaving the territory of that young Eagle King..."

After flying for several hours, Qing Hong pointed forward.

Qin Sang and Miss Shuang looked ahead and saw that the mountains suddenly ceased, and a crack appeared on the ground, forming a natural boundary, created by some unknown force.

"Further ahead, it becomes even more barren. Originally, no Golden Eagle cultivators were willing to come here, but a few minor demons arrived some years ago and claimed several territories. These minor demons are even weaker than me, so they're not a concern. Beyond this area, it's even more desolate and impoverished. Although it hasn't been occupied by Golden Eagle cultivators, it's the border of Sky-Soaring Mountain and also the border of the Golden Eagle clan's territory, so there will be demon soldiers patrolling there..."

It was Qin Sang's first time leaving Yu Jing Mountain, and Miss Shuang rarely ventured out, so they both listened intently to Qing Hong.

"How strong are the demon soldiers?" Qin Sang asked.

"I went there once with Master. We encountered patrolling demon soldiers, and the strongest among them was only at the peak of the Spirit Illumination realm. The Golden Eagle clan probably uses them to train their juniors. After all, being an enemy of the Golden Eagle clan is equivalent to being an enemy of the Phoenix clan. And in the Golden Eagle clan's eyes, these are remote areas, not even considered part of Sky-Soaring Mountain; otherwise, they would have driven us away long ago," Qing Hong had been there before and knew the way. She led them on a detour, passing through the territories between the Golden Eagle cultivators.

The journey was uneventful. As they passed through this area, the landscape ahead visibly became more desolate.

Most of the peaks were rocky mountains, with sparse vegetation struggling to grow in the cracks, drawing meager nourishment.

At first, they occasionally saw patches of Gobi desert, but gradually the sandstorms increased, and the area became a barren wasteland, where even birds and beasts were rarely seen.

"They're coming!"

After flying over a sand dune, Qing Hong suddenly whispered softly and immediately descended to the ground.

Miss Shuang also landed, bringing Qin Sang down with her.

They hid between two sand dunes. Qing Hong took out the jade pendant Master Tong Shen had given her, lightly tapped it with her jade finger, and the pendant emitted three white lights that landed on their bodies.

The auras of the three vanished into thin air.

Qin Sang saw that Miss Shuang and Qing Hong's bodies turned the color of yellow sand, and the next moment, they merged with the sand dunes, disappearing as if into thin air.

*It's a very good concealment artifact,* Qin Sang thought to himself.

"Don't move!"

Qing Hong's voice sounded in his ear.

Qin Sang remained still, looking upwards, and soon saw four dark specks flying in from the horizon.

The specks grew closer, revealing themselves to be four Golden Eagles.

They flew high in the sky, passing over the trio's heads, their sharp gazes scanning all directions, completely unaware of the three people hidden below.

After the Golden Eagles disappeared into the distance, Qing Hong let out a soft sigh, put away the jade pendant, and looked at Miss Shuang: "Sister Shuang, did you sense them?"

"Two of them had cultivation levels far superior to mine," Miss Shuang said.

Qing Hong nodded. "One of them had a cultivation level similar to Senior Brother. Patrols usually consist of three Golden Eagles, but I don't know why there was an extra one this time..."

With that, the three continued their journey.

The road ahead was long. According to Qing Hong, this desolate region was vast; when she and her master came in search of spirit herbs, her master had flown with her for over ten days without reaching its end.

Along the way, the landscape varied, sometimes featuring rivers, sometimes transforming into desert or Gobi terrain.

They followed the route Qing Yan had scouted, encountering demon soldiers twice more along the way, easily avoiding them thanks to the jade pendant.

"It's been over ten days, and there's still no news from Master and Senior Brother..."

The experiences of the past few days had lowered their guard, and they chatted casually while flying.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister, Master is so powerful, he'll be fine!"

Qin Sang wasn't entirely being perfunctory; he still needed to rely on his master before he could stand on his own.

"You're such a smooth talker, no wonder Master likes you so much," Qing Hong said with a smile to Miss Shuang. "Sister Shuang, you'll have to be careful in the future. Don't believe anyone's sweet words, lest your heart be stolen."

"What are you talking about, Sister Qing Hong!"

Miss Shuang's cheeks flushed slightly.

"You're so clever, how can you not understand? I'm saying you should be wary of my good junior brother..."

Qing Hong mischievously pointed at Qin Sang, but her words were suddenly interrupted by a tremor.

Qin Sang's cultivation wasn't high enough to detect it, but seeing Qing Hong and Miss Shuang's expressions, he could guess what was happening.

Both women simultaneously looked towards the south.

The tremor came from an extreme distance, very faint, but highly unusual. It wasn't a simple earthquake, and it made them vaguely uneasy.

"Oh no, here it comes again!"

Before they could determine the source of the tremor, they detected the aura of demon soldiers again.

One surprise followed another.

Below them was a rocky mountain range. Qing Hong's gaze swept over it, and she beckoned the two to descend to one of the mountains. They found a hidden crevice in the rock, hid themselves inside, and activated the jade pendant.

The jade pendant perfectly blended them with the rock crevice.

The next moment, three dark specks appeared on the horizon; this time, three Golden Eagles arrived.

With their feet on solid ground, their perception was clearer. The continuous tremors intensified.

Qing Hong and Miss Shuang were still bewildered, but a look of solemnity flashed in Qin Sang's eyes.

He deduced from the frequency and changes in the tremors that their source was rapidly approaching, at an astonishing speed.

*Could it be...*

Qin Sang had an ominous premonition: *Could it be a battle between powerful cultivators?*

If they were caught in the battlefield, even a single ripple of aftermath could turn them to ash.

But now it was too late to dodge. The tremors were heading directly towards them, and at Qing Hong and Miss Shuang's flying speed, it would be impossible to escape the battlefield's range. Moreover, with Golden Eagles patrolling above, exposing their location could draw a large group of them to encircle and intercept them.

"What is that?"

In a flash, Qin Sang heard Qing Hong's cry of surprise. He looked up and saw a towering red glow appearing in the south.

The sight was like a volcanic eruption, with a red glow shooting straight into the sky, dyeing it crimson.

The three Golden Eagles clearly saw the phenomenon and hovered hesitantly in the sky.

Unexpectedly, before the red glow fully erupted, clusters of raging flames appeared out of thin air in the void. These intense flames were even more dazzling than the red glow, instantly forming a sea of fire that seemed to scorch the very heavens.

Endless fiery torrents licked the sky; even from afar, they could feel the terrifying power of the flames.

Qing Hong and Miss Shuang were stunned; they had never witnessed such terrifying power. In the face of this force, Master Tong Shen and Fellow Lu probably wouldn't be able to resist; a casual ball of fire could turn them to ash.

*It's indeed a battle between powerful cultivators! Could it be a human expert fighting a Golden Eagle expert?*

Qin Sang's heart sank. Judging solely by the magnitude of the commotion, both sides involved in the battle were at least Soul Transformation cultivators, perhaps even Void Refinement cultivators.

His brows furrowed. He felt a profound sense of powerlessness; forces he once didn't need to concern himself with could now easily obliterate him.

*What would be the consequences of dying in an illusion?*

This thought suddenly occurred to Qin Sang: would it mean restarting a new life, or would it affect his true body, or even worse, cost him his life within the illusion?

He realized he had underestimated the danger of this illusion. Yet, he couldn't even flee now and could only pray that the combatants wouldn't come closer.

The next moment, Qin Sang's pupils suddenly contracted as he witnessed a shocking sight.

Amidst the raging flames, golden light suddenly burst forth, and a gigantic claw abruptly appeared.

This claw, like a pillar supporting the heavens, descended from the sky towards the red glow.

Qing Hong and Miss Shuang were terrified by this horrifying claw, and Qin Sang's mind was even more shaken.

This was because he had witnessed a similar scene before: during the resistance against the beast tide, a powerful Infant Scoop clan cultivator had used this exact move!

The Infant Scoop clan certainly existed in ancient times, but that powerful cultivator had merged his innate divine ability with the might of a spirit treasure to achieve such an effect. Could its reappearance in this illusion truly be just a coincidence?

*Boom!*

The heavens and earth violently shook, and the red glow dispersed in response.

The celestial phenomena changed unpredictably. With Qin Sang's and their cultivation levels, it was impossible to discern with the naked eye who was winning or losing.

The tremors continued to approach rapidly, like the earth's pulse, unsettling their minds.

Suddenly, the tremors ceased abruptly.

Fire waves surged on the horizon, the sea of flames churning restlessly.

"Hahahaha..."

A wild laughter echoed from within the celestial fire, followed by several streaks of light that vanished into the sky in an instant.

"Phew!"

Seeing this, they couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

*There was more than one person. Was that Infant Scoop clan expert among them? Did he win or lose?*

What puzzled Qin Sang was that he had the jade Buddha's protection and realized he was in an illusion the moment he entered. Yet, someone had seen through the illusion even earlier than him and had restored their Void Refinement stage strength in just two short years. This couldn't possibly be achieved through normal cultivation.

*Was this person a peerless genius, or was there some other hidden mystery?*

Qin Sang couldn't possibly chase after them to ask. Not only could he not catch up, but even if the victor was the Infant Scoop clan expert, they might not be benevolent towards him. Doing so would only put him in danger.

At this moment, Qin Sang suddenly realized a potential misunderstanding.

In an illusion, everything, including space, is illusory. Therefore, time could also be false.

Although they were drawn into the illusion at the same time, they might not have entered the same era. Perhaps some individuals had already lived in the illusion for decades or even centuries. They were all geniuses of their respective races, with excellent mental fortitude, so it wouldn't be surprising for them to see through the illusion after such a long time.

If this were the truth, the situation would undoubtedly become much more complex. Liuli might not even be 'born' yet, which immediately gave Qin Sang a headache.

Of course, these were all Qin Sang's speculations, but he had to consider this possibility.

Moving forward, he would not only need to carefully conceal his identity but also ideally find a way to approach an 'awakened' alien cultivator.