Chapter 505: I Follow My Own Path

A ducal residence stood by the river. It was exceedingly luxurious, spanning over a thousand mu. This was the home of the Gongsun aristocratic family.

Few knew that the Gongsun family was divided into inner and outer branches. The outer branch consisted entirely of mortals, while the inner branch comprised the true Gongsun family, a cultivation family affiliated with Shaohua Mountain, entrusted with governing a region on their behalf.

The Gongsun family was relatively weak; the current patriarch, Gongsun Li, was two hundred and fifty-three years old and only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation.

Today, the entire Gongsun manor was draped in white mourning cloth. Gongsun Li, dressed in funerary robes, sat in a grand armchair, awaiting his inevitable end. Before him, a boy in white knelt on the ground. Only the two of them were in the room.

Gongsun Li's expression was unreadable; he gazed blankly at the brilliant blue sky outside the door and murmured, "I once had the potential to reach Core Formation, but in my youth, I indulged in worldly pleasures, spending my days in enjoyment. I squandered my prime years, only barely managing to achieve Foundation Establishment at the age of fifty-eight.

"Afterward, with a hundred more years added to my lifespan, I became even more dissolute. My manor was filled with beautiful wives and concubines, and countless delicacies and fine wines. By the time I was one hundred and fifty, my cultivation had made almost no progress.

"It was then that I suddenly realized time was short, and a cold sweat broke out. I wanted to turn over a new leaf, but it was too late. Despite exerting all my effort, I only barely broke through to the mid-stage at two hundred years old. By then, my vital energy was already depleted, and further progress was impossible.

"Now that my end is near, I realize that the past was nothing but a fleeting dream. Reflecting on what has passed, I regret it deeply! How I regret it!"

The boy listened to Gongsun Li with a bewildered expression. When Gongsun Li beckoned to him, he quickly moved closer.

"Dong'er!" Gongsun Li gripped the boy's hand tightly, then suddenly gasped violently. With wide eyes, he struggled to finish his last words: "Your talent is no less than mine. After you join Shaohua Mountain, you must cultivate diligently. Do not be disturbed by external things, do not let your Dao heart be extinguished, and do not follow in my footsteps!"

Having said this, Gongsun Li's head suddenly tilted, and he passed away peacefully. In a corner of the room, a phantom image flickered and vanished, unnoticed by anyone in the manor.

After leaving the Gongsun family, Qin Sang ascended on a cloud, determined his direction, and swiftly flew towards the small island. A full month had passed since he descended from Xianglong Mountain.

For the past month, Qin Sang did not cultivate assiduously in his cave dwelling as usual. Instead, he either disguised himself as a mortal or disappeared into the shadows, traveling through the various countries near Shaohua Mountain, observing the ways of the world. He saw many people. Among them were beggars, common folk, royalty and nobles, seekers of immortality, rogue cultivators, and cultivation families like the Gongsun family.

Qin Sang had indeed followed Qi Yuanshou's advice to immerse himself in the mortal world. However, what he saw was what he deliberately sought: scenes of farewell at death. He wondered if Qi Yuanshou would be so angered as to spit blood upon learning this.

Qin Sang's Dao heart was firm; he had long determined his path and would not be swayed by external factors. Thus, he merely observed: he watched mortals, unable to let go due to their attachments before death, and he watched cultivators, filled with regret as their end approached.

Upon returning to the island, Yun Youzi was already waiting there. Qin Sang's expression relaxed, and he descended from the cloud. "I apologize for making you wait, Senior."

Yun Youzi shook his head, eyed Qin Sang, and asked, "Little brother, you spent a month in the mortal world, observing its various aspects. What insights have you gained?"

Qin Sang shook his head. "Others' paths are not my path. I am merely an observer; I walk my own way."

"Observing the myriad aspects of the human world can also clarify one's inner self, which is a form of gain." Yun Youzi stroked his beard and smiled, no longer pressing the matter. Changing his tone, he asked, "You mentioned you needed my help with something, little brother. What is it?"

Qin Sang pondered, then said, "I wish to ask for your help, Senior, in stealing the Qingyang Gangying from the Qingyang Demonic Sect."

Upon hearing this, even Yun Youzi was startled. He said in a deep voice, "I recall, back then, when you asked me where Qiantian Gangying could be found, I advised you not to act rashly. Did you not heed my words?"

"I engrave every word you speak into my heart, Senior, daring not to forget," Qin Sang said, unperturbed. "However, I have an undeniable reason. The Qiantian Gangying is crucial to my path to Core Formation. The Qiantian Gangying within the Pure Yang Sect's Sect Master's cave dwelling is unobtainable, so I can only target the Qingyang Demonic Sect."

"It concerns your path to Core Formation?" Yun Youzi's expression turned serious. As a cultivator devoted to the Dao, he naturally understood the significance of the Core Formation path. If it were him, he would face any difficulty, no matter how great.

"Do you know what Qingyang Gangying means to the Qingyang Demonic Sect? They will absolutely not allow you to take it."

Qin Sang nodded. "I understand the Qingyang Demonic Sect will never agree, so there's no other way but to steal it."

Qingyang Gangying is the foundation of the Qingyang Demonic Sect. The core cultivation method of the Qingyang Demonic Sect requires the Qingyang Gangying to give birth to demonic fire. Back then, the founding ancestor of the Qingyang Demonic Sect discovered Qingyang Gangying on Shengang Peak, which led to his rise to fame and the flourishing of the Qingyang Demonic Sect, making it a major demonic sect that shook the Little Han Domain.

However, the quantity of Qingyang Gangying is limited. Countless years ago, Qiantian Gang Qi descended from the heavens, landing on Shengang Peak, undergoing numerous transformations to evolve into Gangying. Since then, even if more Qiantian Gang Qi were to fall, it's highly unlikely it would so coincidentally land on Shengang Peak again, and even if it did, it might not evolve into Gangying. After the establishment of the Qingyang Demonic Sect, the Qingyang Gangying has only been consumed, with no way to replenish it. And once the Qingyang Gangying is exhausted, with no other solution found, it would be as if the Qingyang Demonic Sect's foundation crumbled, leaving it a sect in name only.

Qin Sang had been lurking in Qingyang Market City for many years, discreetly investigating and uncovering much, learning that the amount of Qingyang Gangying on Shengang Peak was not optimistic. Under these circumstances, the Qingyang Demonic Sect would absolutely not permit anyone else to touch the Qingyang Gangying; it couldn't even be exchanged for magical treasures. Moreover, the Qingyang Demonic Sect possessed ancestral legacies and was not lacking in magical treasures. That's why Qin Sang stated it couldn't be exchanged and could only be stolen.

Yun Youzi no longer tried to dissuade Qin Sang but instead helped him consider the feasibility of the plan. "Stealing Qingyang Gangying? Although the Qingyang Demonic Sect has declined, it still has four Golden Core Venerables within its ranks. The Qingyang Demonic Sect Master, in particular, is a late Golden Core expert. Although his end is near and he's far from reaching Nascent Soul, he possesses ancestral legacies, so his strength is undoubtedly formidable... Besides me, how many other helpers have you found? How many Core Formation experts are there?"

"None at all." Qin Sang shook his head with a touch of embarrassment. "The only helper I've sought is you, Senior. However, not all four Golden Core cultivators of the Qingyang Demonic Sect are currently within the sect. To my knowledge, one was dispatched by the demonic sect to the Chaotic Isles water domain to battle the Heavenly Alliance and cannot be recalled before the war ends. Another is representing the Qingyang Demonic Sect, defending Qingyang City against the spiritual tide, and will not return before the tide subsides.

"Currently, there are only the Qingyang Demonic Sect Master and one newly promoted Golden Core cultivator within the sect. And with the Ziwei Palace about to open, the Qingyang Demonic Sect Master will certainly not miss it. As soon as he appears in Qingyang City, only one Golden Core cultivator will remain in the sect! This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. After the Ziwei Palace returns, I might never find such a good chance again."