Chapter 2248: Mountain Pavilion

The Human World

As the sound dissipated, the jade pendant trembled, then actively flew towards Qin Sang, merging into his right palm. Perhaps the moment he solved the puzzle, the jade pendant had already acknowledged him as its master.

Qin Sang’s thoughts stirred, and the jade talisman reformed. He didn't dwell on it, knowing it wasn't a bad thing.

"Jade Mechanism Mountain..."

Qin Sang had spent so much time in Yongtu Immortal City and understood various factions, especially human forces, but he had never heard of this sect. It sounded like the Jade Mechanism Mountain's legacy was the path of Yin and Yang, and he had finally found the true lineage!

Qin Sang was secretly delighted. He bowed respectfully to the spot where the skeleton had sat cross-legged and then paid homage to the empty altar, grateful for the transmission of knowledge. Unfortunately, he didn't know the senior's name or appearance, so Qin Sang could only pay his respects to the void.

This senior had probably been dead for a long time; their bones had already turned to dust. The longer time passed, the slimmer the hope of gathering all three legacies. Without Qin Sang, this jade pendant might have remained buried here forever. Apart from this, there were no other items. It was unclear what had happened back then; the senior had been all alone, not even leaving behind a single magical artifact.

"From now on, this will be the senior's tomb. I'll come back to pay my respects when I have time..." Thinking this, Qin Sang walked out of the stone wall. With a gentle wave of his hand, he dispelled the spirit formation. With a "rumble," the cave collapsed, completely burying the tomb.

'Whoosh!' A streak of light shot into the air. Qin Sang flew while sensing the jade pendant.

The jade pendant could guide him, but the distance seemed considerable; it would likely take some time to reach Jade Mechanism Mountain. Following the jade pendant's guidance, Qin Sang flew southwest, traveling day and night, over countless mountains, rivers, and lakes.

"I'm now south of Yongtu Immortal City. It seems Jade Mechanism Mountain is in the heartland of human territory, so it should at least be unaffected by the recent changes..." Qin Sang glanced north, secretly wondering what Jade Mechanism Mountain was like now. If the sect had perished, he could naturally take easy control and be the rightful Lord of Jade Mechanism Mountain. But if the sect still existed, its disciples would surely not easily acknowledge a stranger as their Lord; a commotion would be unavoidable. The situation was unclear; he would have to adapt once he reached Jade Mechanism Mountain.

After flying for a few more days, Qin Sang judged from the changes in the jade pendant that he was not far from Jade Mechanism Mountain. As he flew, the terrain became increasingly complex. There were desolate Gobi deserts and lush, towering mountains, generally appearing more vibrant than the area around Yongtu Immortal City. Being in the heartland of human territory, there were plenty of mortals living here, mostly humans. At this moment, Qin Sang was flying over a city.

These mortals lived ordinary lives, working from dawn to dusk, unaware of the cruel battles far away or that the entire human race was in a precarious situation. If they were defeated, the human race might be erased from the Great Thousand World! Of course, as someone from a later era, Qin Sang knew that humanity would be the ultimate victor.

"We're here, just ahead!" Qin Sang paused his flight, gazing forward.

Unlike his imagination, there were no proudly towering strange peaks, nor misty, ethereal great marshes. This was the border of a mortal kingdom, with layers of mountains stretching continuously, yet not unapproachable. There were mountain paths carved by mortals, and mortal towns and villages scattered everywhere, filled with the presence of human life. It didn't look like a place where a cultivation sect would be located.

Qin Sang slowly flew forward, and soon arrived above a mountain peak. This mountain was the highest peak in the vicinity. The nearest town was separated from it by two other mountains. Perhaps due to the steep terrain, there were no villages on the mountain, but traces of woodcutters and hunters were not uncommon. Just as one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, the same applies to mountains.

Qin Sang activated the jade pendant, sensing carefully, and indeed discovered the mystery. He descended, arriving at the east side of Jade Mechanism Mountain. The entire eastern face of Jade Mechanism Mountain was a sheer cliff, almost vertical, where only ancient pines could take root.

At this moment, there was a young boy halfway up the mountain. He was a herb gatherer, who had climbed there using only his hands and feet from the base of the mountain. He was carefully plucking a precious herb from a rock crevice, his small face full of excitement. Qin Sang glanced at him, then gazed at the cliff face. He activated the jade pendant, sending it towards the cliff. The moment it touched the cliff, the jade pendant glowed brightly, transforming into a strange rune that flashed and disappeared. Subconsciously, Qin Sang perceived an invisible gateway opening for him. At that instant, the entire Jade Mechanism Mountain trembled.

"Ah!" The boy had just put away the herb when, caught off guard, his hand slipped, and his foot slid, causing him to fall from the sheer cliff. He almost thought he was going to die when a strong mountain wind suddenly blew, pushing him towards an ancient pine tree. The boy used all his limbs to tightly hug the tree trunk, still trembling from fright. The boy was completely unaware that a person had arrived directly above him, whose figure flashed and entered the cliff face.

'Whoosh!' The moment he entered the invisible gateway, a sensation of alternating cold and heat assailed him. Qin Sang focused his gaze and saw a stone bridge ahead. The bridge was narrow and long, wide enough for only one person, and its end was out of sight.

On both sides of the stone bridge were two distinct scenes: to the right was a vast expanse of crimson, a raging sea of fire, while to the left was a swirling white mist, hazy with water vapor. Below, there was the sound of rushing water, and above, a biting cold wind. The raging fire and water mist were boundless, and the stone bridge was perfectly situated between them, serving as their dividing line.

Seeing this sight, Qin Sang's expression became solemn. "Am I supposed to walk across this stone bridge?" Qin Sang secretly thought, "Just as I expected." Becoming the Lord of Jade Mechanism Mountain was not so easy; the so-called entry into the sect gate and control of the grand formation inherently contained a test.

Standing at the bridgehead, Qin Sang did not act rashly. He waited, to see if anyone would emerge from within. He had just thoroughly scanned Jade Mechanism Mountain and probed it, but there was no reaction from within the mountain, and no cultivators had appeared. It seemed this sect had long since perished, leaving only a grand formation behind. Since that was the case, Qin Sang no longer hesitated and stepped onto the stone bridge.

'Boom!' 'Swish!' The raging fire and water mist erupted simultaneously. Tongues of fire licked from the right, while a bone-chilling cold wind assailed from the left. With fire and water arriving together, it was clear without a doubt that it related to the 'Water-Fire Confluence' scripture.

Qin Sang immediately summoned his natal magical artifact. The Water-Fire Chess Pieces spun out, flying into the sea of fire and the mist, respectively. After a moment of silence, two torrents simultaneously surged forth from the raging fire and the cold wind, encircling Qin Sang. Protected by the Water-Fire Spirit Wheel, Qin Sang advanced step by step. With each step, he felt the pressure increase.

"Hmm?" Qin Sang had initially only focused on fully resisting the pressure from both sides, but after a few steps, he felt something unusual. After a moment of contemplation, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the stone bridge and closed his eyes.

The Water-Fire Spirit Wheel revolved around him, preventing even a trace of the raging fire or cold wind from invading. Qin Sang's aura began to change; he was actually cultivating in this place! After circulating his energy for several cycles, Qin Sang slowly opened his eyes, which gleamed with an unusual light.

This was not just a test; it was also a sacred cultivation ground for practicing the 'Water-Fire Confluence' scripture, capable of helping him comprehend the Great Dao better and faster. Cultivating here had the effect of achieving twice the result with half the effort, and the further he went, the better the effect! The benefits were right before him. Since that was the case, it seemed he didn't need to rush to break the formation.

In fact, Qin Sang also realized that it was impossible for him to break through the formation and enter immediately. Unlike the Jade Mechanism Three Prohibitions, this was a massive mountain-guarding formation, only partially revealed. Before, it was solving a puzzle; now, it was about breaking through a formation. If he forced his way in, he would have to withstand the formation's counterattack, and his cultivation was clearly not enough. The intention of the person who left the legacy was clear: to allow the successor to improve themselves while breaking through the formation. The grand formation was like a renowned master; as long as one had sufficient talent, they would naturally grow stronger during the process, eventually becoming the Lord of Jade Mechanism Mountain. Judging solely by the information available to him, with Qin Sang's current abilities, he would only be able to reach the end of the stone bridge after breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage. He didn't know what awaited him beyond that.

However, the harder the test here, the stronger the legacy of Jade Mechanism Mountain.

Qin Sang's thoughts flickered. He stood up and continued forward until the Water-Fire Spirit Wheel showed signs of instability, nearing its limit, then he sat down cross-legged. Circulating his cultivation technique, Qin Sang immediately felt a difference from before. The grand formation was his 'enemy' and also the object for verifying his ideas. In this environment, many questions were readily resolved, deepening his understanding of the Water-Fire Confluence path and greatly increasing his cultivation speed.

Several days passed in a flash.

Qin Sang leisurely awoke, feeling a significant improvement. He secretly praised, thinking that this alone made his journey worthwhile. Suddenly, Qin Sang suppressed his joy and secretly sighed in regret.

The pity was that he still needed to search for someone, investigate the truth of the illusion, and find a way to break the situation. He couldn't stay in one place indefinitely. How to balance his time was also a test.

Qin Sang stood up and returned to the beginning of the stone bridge. For any cultivator practicing the 'Water-Fire Confluence' scripture, this was a sacred cultivation ground. However, the jade pendant only recognized him as its master, and Qin Sang could not yet control the grand formation. Nevertheless, Qin Sang could bring the insights he gained here back to his sect, which would greatly benefit Yuanning Mountain.

Qin Sang also wanted to try if he could control the Jade Mechanism Mountain's grand formation through other means, and for that, he first needed to understand the history of Jade Mechanism Mountain. Even if such a sect perished, it couldn't completely disappear without a trace. Perhaps there were records in the surrounding cultivation sects. Thinking about these things, Qin Sang exited the cliff, looked around, chose a direction at random, and began searching aimlessly.

Clear spring water tinkled, and floral scents wafted. By the spring, several people sat on the ground, abandoning all restraint. They sometimes sang loudly, sometimes laughed wildly, with wine pots, cups, spirit fruits, and immortal peaches casually placed and scattered across the ground.

Suddenly, one of them stopped laughing and loudly called out, "Which fellow Daoist is in the sky? Why not come down and have a cup of nectar?" "It would be disrespectful not to accept!" A person slowly descended from the sky; it was Qin Sang.

"Fellow Daoist, please!" A wine pot filled with fine wine flew towards Qin Sang on its own. Qin Sang thanked them and drank it all in one gulp, which immediately drew exclamations of admiration, and their gazes at him became a bit friendlier.

Having cultivated for many years, Qin Sang had seen all kinds of people. He easily blended in, as if he had been old friends with them for years. In their conversation, he learned that these cultivators were pessimistic after understanding the current situation. With the entire human race potentially facing extinction, their small lives were precarious, and becoming an immortal was a mere fantasy. What was the point of arduous cultivation? It was better to forget their worries and live for the moment, drinking while they could.

Qin Sang did not comment on their thoughts, subtly extracting information. These cultivators all came from several nearby cultivation sects, holding respectable positions within their respective factions, and knew some secrets.

One even had a copied record of their sect's archives with them and kindly offered it for Qin Sang to look at. Qin Sang was interested in history, not sect secrets, so he didn't arouse anyone's suspicion. When asked about his origins, he merely said he was a traveler from outside who happened upon them, and no one probed further.

That night, the cultivators enjoyed their gathering greatly, reluctantly parting ways.

In a blink, only Qin Sang remained by the spring, looking at the messy ground, lost in thought. Almost all the major cultivation powers nearby had disciples attending this gathering, yet none of them knew about Jade Mechanism Mountain, completely unaware that a grand formation was hidden near their sect's entrance!

"Could it be that because it's too ancient, it has been obliterated by time?" The names of these factions flashed through Qin Sang's mind. According to these people, the most powerful and long-standing sect was one called Silver Goose Manor. Qin Sang decided to find a suitable reason to interact more with Silver Goose Manor.

In the early morning hours, as daylight gradually broke, Qin Sang returned to Jade Mechanism Mountain.

As he passed over the town near Jade Mechanism Mountain, Qin Sang suddenly thought that he didn't necessarily have to search within the cultivation world; perhaps some clues might have been preserved among mortals. With this thought, Qin Sang released his spiritual sense and swept it downwards.

This town was built between two mountains. Due to its favorable location on a vital route to the city and having a marketplace for surrounding villagers to trade, it gradually developed. On the eastern slope of the town, there were several clearly wealthy residences, positioned high up with expansive views, magnificent and grand. Strangely, the western slope, despite having better feng shui, was less popular than the eastern side, and most of its houses were abandoned.

Qin Sang noticed these inconsistencies at a glance but paid them no mind, just as he was about to activate his spiritual sense to examine the items within people's homes. Suddenly, Qin Sang's expression froze as if he had seen something, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

'Swish!' Qin Sang descended from the sky, landing directly in a courtyard on the western slope.

In the courtyard, there was a stone pavilion, built on the best spot of the entire hillside, offering excellent views and surrounded by mountains. Unfortunately, the stone pavilion was overgrown with weeds, its pillars covered in vines, and its roof piled high with fallen leaves. It was almost submerged by wild grass, long forgotten by people, exuding the vicissitudes of time.

Qin Sang stood before the stone pavilion, his fingers trembling slightly. A wisp of breeze swept through the mountain pavilion, blowing away fallen leaves. The vines twisted like snakes, retracting themselves to the ground, and all the surrounding wild grass bowed down. The original appearance of the stone pavilion was finally revealed.

Qin Sang gazed at the stone pavilion, his expression complex.

In his mind, scenes of memories were stirred, like pages of a book stored for many years, slightly yellowed, yet with clearly legible writing. Once, in an identical stone pavilion, he had made a promise. That was the only time he had made such a promise to a woman.

That day, just like now, golden rays filled the eastern sky, with the morning sun about to rise but not yet fully emerged.

"No matter what, I will not let you down!"