Chapter 461: Turbid World People

In the ethereal moonlight, Qin Sang was momentarily stunned. How could such a woman appear in the mortal realm? Her true destiny should be to remain detached from the world's turmoil, perhaps residing in a moon palace, her only companion a lonely lamp. Facing this woman, Qin Sang felt an unexpected sense of inferiority. He was, after all, a man of the mundane world.

Having witnessed Qingluan transform from a wooden carving and then revert, Qin Sang wondered if this woman might also be a puppet carved by Granny Jing. However, after seeing the woman in person, his doubts began to fade. What incredibly powerful puppetry would it take to create such a real and perfect being?

"It is I." The woman nodded gently, confirming she was Granny Jing. Her voice had also changed, becoming softer. While not as distant as her demeanor, it still held a touch of coolness and solitude, like the clear moonlight cast by a solitary moon in the night sky.

"It's really you?" Qin Sang asked in surprise, "Was your previous appearance a disguise, Senior? Is this your true form?"

Granny Jing offered no explanation, merely retorting indifferently, "It's merely a shell. What difference is there between who I was before and who I am now?"

"Alright, I'm just a common person," Qin Sang thought to himself. He inwardly gave a wry smile and didn't press further. Instead, he watched Granny Jing step out from under the jade pillar, lifting her gaze slightly to stare at the Heaven-Pointing Peak, which towered into the clouds.

"Would you like to take a look outside your grand-ancestor's cave abode?"

Qin Sang was startled by the question. He looked up, following Granny Jing's gaze, but could only see swirling white clouds. The next moment, Qin Sang's body tensed as Granny Jing carried him directly upwards. The wind whistled in his ears, and Mount Shaohua rapidly receded from his sight. In the blink of an eye, the white clouds were within reach.

The clouds were only at the halfway point of Mount Shaohua. Beyond them lay a perilous, snow-capped peak, its summit almost piercing the nine heavens' fierce winds. From their vantage point, Qin Sang's eyesight could vaguely make out a stone door on the cliff face at the peak. The stone door was carved with incredibly complex runes, glowing with a mysterious light that Qin Sang couldn't comprehend. Frigid winds howled, and snow swirled everywhere, yet neither could penetrate within ten zhang of the stone door.

"Is that enough?" Granny Jing asked, turning her head to look at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang gave a wry smile, understanding the unspoken implication. He had never realized how fragile his heart was, unable to withstand such experiences. "Enough! Enough! This junior already believes..." he stammered.

In the Scattered Islands region.

Qin Sang sat blankly in his cave abode, one hand clutching a bundle of silk threads, the other holding the wooden carving Granny Jing had given him, turning it over and over. Everything that had just happened felt like an unreal dream. He had quickly traveled to his sect and back, even catching a glimpse of a Nascent Soul Patriarch's cave abode. Only now, back in his own dwelling, did he fully regain his composure. Upon their return to the Scattered Islands region, Granny Jing had vanished, leaving him only the Star Spirit Net and the wooden carving.

Previously, Qin Sang had thought the wooden carving was incredibly lifelike and perfect. But after seeing her true form, he realized the carving was truly incomparable to the real person.

Qin Sang's thoughts were restless, a single question repeatedly surfacing in his mind. Granny Jing... just how powerful was she? Even someone as strong as Granny Snake couldn't freely come and go from Mount Shaohua without fear of being discovered by Count Dongyang, could she? There was already such a vast difference between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation. The gap between Core Formation and Nascent Soul must be like an abyss. While there were many Core Formation masters in the Minor Cold Domain, how many Nascent Soul Grand Cultivators were there? Could Granny Jing be a reclusive Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator?

Qin Sang was startled by his own thought, his eyes shifting uneasily. If he could forge a good connection with a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator, Qin Sang would be pleased, even if he received no direct benefits. What's more, Granny Jing had promised to help him acquire the most Star Origin Stones to exchange for Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flowers. However, Qin Sang also understood that this would turn their arrangement into a mere transaction; once it was complete, they would owe each other nothing. Good connections were not so easily forged. With his current cultivation, he held no value to a master of Granny Jing's caliber. Distant and indifferent, her true demeanor was one of keeping others at arm's length. The old woman in Ask Moon Market was merely a disguise for her worldly travels. As for why Granny Jing was living reclusively in Ask Moon Market, Qin Sang dared not ask further.

"Heaven-Pointing Peak..." Qin Sang silently glanced southeast, then cast aside all distractions and entered a state of meditative cultivation.

He was startled awake again by the token. Qin Sang abruptly stood up, drew the spirit stone into his palm, and was about to step out when he suddenly paused, pressing his hand against his chest where the wooden carving was hidden. Granny Jing had instructed him not to put the carving into a spatial bag, but to keep it on his person. Fortunately, by all appearances, it was just an ordinary, unremarkable peach wood carving, easy for Qin Sang to explain if anyone inquired about it. Cultivation wasn't about severing ties with the mundane world or eradicating emotions and desires. Cultivators were merely mortals who had mastered powerful forces, at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. Who didn't have something to lean on for spiritual comfort?

After seeing how Granny Jing used her wooden carving, Qin Sang remembered that year when he had traded with the Le family sisters and, as payment to Granny Jing, had purchased a peach wood sword from her. Like Qingluan and Granny Jing's own carving, Qin Sang couldn't discern anything unusual about the peach wood sword. Could it also possess powerful might? Powerful beings often traveled the mortal realm, encountering fated individuals and, on a whim, leaving behind opportunities. Only when these fated individuals faced danger would they discover the true purpose of these opportunities, not only saving their lives but also leading them to swift advancement. Such stories were common in the cultivation world. Unfortunately, Qin Sang was overthinking it. Granny Jing had explicitly stated that everything in her shop was ordinary wooden carvings, and the sword Qin Sang bought was no exception. However, these wooden carvings were made using Granny Jing's unique technique. Their only purpose was perhaps to greatly enhance the skills of mortal carving masters who examined them.

Hiding the wooden carving, Qin Sang took a deep breath, exited his cave abode, and flew towards Stargazing Island on a cloud. On the way, he encountered Senior Brother Rong again. Senior Brother Rong had a solemn expression and little inclination for conversation. The two exchanged greetings, then silently flew towards Stargazing Island.

They arrived at Stargazing Island and waited briefly as thirty-three masters successively gathered. The island was silent; everyone occupied a designated spot, lacking any interest in small talk. After a short wait, the depths of Stargazing Island suddenly lit up, and then five streaks of light flew forth one after another. The first person was none other than Granny Snake. Besides Granny Snake, Deputy Island Master Xiao was also among them, and the remaining three were all late-stage Core Formation masters.

"This old woman and Fellow Daoist Xiao will go ahead first. All of you gather the other fellow daoists and follow," Granny Snake's voice resounded.

"As you command!" The other three immediately dispersed, flying towards the righteous, demonic, and rogue cultivator factions.

"Come up!" Granny Snake waved her hand, and the snake bracelet on her wrist detached, transforming into a giant python. Its vertical pupils emitted a chilling gaze as they swept over Qin Sang and the others. The crowd was secretly startled, and one by one, they activated their escape light, carefully landing on the python's back.