Chapter 465: Temperament

Grandma Jing’s timing was exquisite. Despite some scares, no real danger materialized.

“Excellent!” Grandma Jing praised.

“I trust that senior will not harm me,” Qin Sang said.

His words were not entirely flattery. He had learned of Grandma Jing’s temperament at the Moon-Asking Market, knowing she detested ingratitude and the killing of companions above all else.

Grandma Jing chuckled, offering no comment on Qin Sang’s words. “Fellow Daoist Qin, please continue forward.”

Guided by Grandma Jing, Qin Sang ventured deeper into the forest. Qin Sang couldn’t fathom Grandma Jing’s objective. Their direction of travel shifted multiple times: initially heading roughly downwards to the right, then straight to the right, before suddenly turning downwards again.

During their journey, Grandma Jing honored their agreement. Whenever they encountered Star Essence Stones that were easy to collect, she would wait for Qin Sang to retrieve them before they continued. This actually didn't delay them much. Grandma Jing's mastery of restrictions was simply too formidable. Apart from those clearly unstable or layered restrictions, any restriction with a flaw could not escape her notice. Their progress was almost entirely unhindered. Qin Sang carefully observed Grandma Jing's choices at each turn, and unexpectedly gained significant insight.

The forest stretched over an exceptionally vast area. After navigating countless dangerous restrictions, they finally emerged from the forest. Seeing a messy thicket of thorns ahead, Qin Sang let out a long sigh of relief. The reason was simple: while the thorny thicket was chaotic, it contained no restrictions, allowing his taut nerves a moment of relaxation.

Less than fifteen minutes had passed since entering Heaven-Pointing Peak, yet Qin Sang felt somewhat exhausted. The ancient restrictions were simply too mysterious. Grandma Jing had Qin Sang pass through the thorny thicket while she sat cross-legged on his shoulder, seemingly sensing something again. Finally, she flew to a high point to observe their surroundings.

The thorny thicket was much smaller than the forest. Qin Sang quickly swept to its end and entered a different grove. This time, Grandma Jing seemed to have a clear destination, ordering Qin Sang to head directly downwards to the right. Along the way, they encountered several more forest-like areas dense with restrictions, as well as zones with fewer but very hidden restrictions. All were easily discerned by Grandma Jing.

A landscape of bizarre, jagged rocks stretched before them. This was a stone forest, devoid of any vegetation. Bare stone pillars, as tall as the ancient trees of the forest, stood everywhere, bearing the marks of wind and sand. It was hard to imagine how such a landscape could have formed.

Blizzards inexplicably drifted through the stone forest, yet no chill could be felt. The snowflakes were manifestations of restriction fragments. Though they appeared to be a heavy snowfall with no safe footing, there were actually perpetually untouched spots amidst the endless flurry, just difficult to distinguish.

The Star Spirit Net descended, carrying two Star Essence Stones into Qin Sang's palm. Then, Qin Sang darted through the falling snow, a seemingly perilous journey, yet not a single snowflake landed on him.

After several rapid flashes, Qin Sang suddenly stopped, a surprised expression on his face. He glanced at Grandma Jing; a faint spiritual energy fluctuation had abruptly appeared ahead. The fluctuation was fleeting but still very conspicuous within the restrictions, and Qin Sang keenly detected it.

Someone was ahead! This was the first person they had encountered since entering Heaven-Pointing Peak.

“Continue!” Grandma Jing said calmly, showing no intention for Qin Sang to take a detour.

Qin Sang had no choice but to proceed, though with greater caution and at a slower pace. Soon, another spiritual energy fluctuation emerged, lasting longer than the previous one. Qin Sang guessed the person might be collecting Star Essence Stones; the Soul-Locking Bracelet was too inefficient, making the collection speed very slow.

As they drew closer, Qin Sang had already guessed the other person's identity. Sensing Grandma Jing's gaze, Qin Sang knew what she wanted to ask. After a moment's hesitation, he honestly replied, “It’s Fellow Daoist Wei from the Ancient Will Sect.”

The Ancient Will Sect was one of the Great Demonic Sects of the Lesser Cold Domain. Similar to the Azure Sun Demonic Sect, its disciples were not inherently heinous. This person, surnamed Wei, was in the False Core stage and very powerful.

Grandma Jing grunted in acknowledgment, then said, “Bypass him.”

Qin Sang sighed inwardly, feeling a mix of disappointment and relief that Grandma Jing hadn't changed. It was a pity it was a fellow cultivator from the Lesser Cold Domain. If it had been an opponent from the Heaven-Traveling Alliance blocking their path, Grandma Jing would surely not have hesitated to act. Even if all spoils went to Grandma Jing, obtaining the corpse of a False Core stage cultivator would be a significant gain.

Qin Sang no longer concealed his movements, unleashing his footwork and speeding through the snow. The cultivator surnamed Wei quickly spotted Qin Sang as well. Clearly surprised to encounter someone else here, he immediately abandoned collecting the Star Essence Stones. Immediately afterward, Qin Sang felt a sharp intent directed at him, a warning from the other party.

Qin Sang remained silent and bypassed the cultivator surnamed Wei. At their closest, only a few stone pillars separated them. The falling snow obscured their vision of each other, but it couldn't hide the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Qin Sang.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, is that you?” The cultivator surnamed Wei couldn't help but ask in a condensed voice, but received no reply. He stood still, vigilant, and did not strike first, thus dispelling Qin Sang’s last lingering thought.

Heavy snow continued to fall. The two brushed past each other; it was merely a brief interlude.

Before they knew it, half an hour had passed. Qin Sang had been silently counting the time. He had collected Star Essence Stones continuously along the way, and more than half his pockets were filled with them. Once he delivered Grandma Jing to her destination and was free, he could search for even more. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, securing first place would certainly not be a problem. It was worth noting that he had spent most of his time traveling. The speed at which his Star Spirit Net collected Star Essence Stones was unimaginable to others.

For some reason, Grandma Jing seemed to grow more urgent. Climbing over a rock, they saw a massive, seemingly endless canyon stretching before them. This canyon, much like the Floating Peak, was a clear landmark. Their current position was on the lower half of the mountainside, yet they were already on the other side of Heaven-Pointing Peak. In half an hour, they had traveled such a great distance.

The canyon was filled with dense black mist that seemed to never dissipate, completely shrouding the entire chasm. Glimmers of light occasionally flickered within the mist. As soon as Qin Sang stood firm at the canyon's edge, before he could even observe the chasm, he heard Grandma Jing's command: “Jump down!”

Grandma Jing's tone allowed no room for doubt. Qin Sang didn't know why she was urgent, nor did he ask further questions. He hadn't lived long enough; the fewer secrets he knew, the better.

The canyon wasn't very deep; Qin Sang reached the bottom shortly after descending, but it was intensely cold and eerie. Upon entering the canyon, he discovered countless restrictions hidden within the black mist, exceptionally concealed. Had Grandma Jing not guided him, Qin Sang would not have dared to move freely here.

Continuing along the canyon, the terrain noticeably sloped downwards, and the canyon seemed to grow progressively deeper. After traversing a considerable distance, Qin Sang's expression subtly changed. He immediately reined in his aura, his eyes fixed on the turbulent black mist ahead, quickly confirming it wasn't his imagination.

“Senior, it seems there's someone ahead?”