Chapter 553: Dilemma

Beyond Qin Sang, the other four were equally astonished.

The Ziwei Palace was originally something very distant to them. It was a stage for cultivators at the Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages. Unless they had an unavoidable reason to go, like Qin Sang and Yun Youzi, even those at the False Core stage wouldn't easily risk venturing there.

In the Ziwei Palace, they were at the bottom rung, constantly facing mortal danger.

They were at Skull Pass, initially waiting for the spiritual tide to subside so they could enter the ancient immortal battlefield to seek opportunities. They never expected to get entangled in such a matter.

The five of them exchanged glances.

Qin Sang's mood was even heavier than theirs. If he were to follow Earl Dongyang, not to mention the dangers he might encounter, what would happen to his own affairs?

The Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit and the subsequent cultivation methods for the "Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter" could only be obtained in the Ziwei Palace. If he missed this opportunity, he didn't know when it would open again.

But what reason could he give to refuse?

Qin Sang racked his brain. Pretending to be injured or too afraid to go certainly wouldn't work.

If they met again in front of the Ziwei Palace, his deception would easily be exposed. If Earl Dongyang found out that a disciple dared to deceive his ancestor, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At that moment, the Black Tortoise Beast Seal floated before him, and Qin Sang had no choice but to reach out and grab it.

The instant his finger touched the beast seal, a green thread suddenly shot out from it. Qin Sang's heart jolted, and he quickly tried to shake it off, but the thread was incredibly fast.

A sudden sharp pain shot through his fingertip as the thread cut a wound, and blood dripped onto the beast seal.

Then, the thread rapidly climbed up Qin Sang's palm, coiling around his wrist to form a slender, bracelet-like mark.

Everything happened in a flash. Even with Qin Sang's cultivation level, he had no time to react, watching helplessly as the mark embedded itself within him.

"Roar!"

As the blood dripped, a furious roar suddenly erupted from within the beast seal.

It was as if an unparalleled fierce beast was sealed inside. An extremely savage and terrifying aura instantly surged from the beast seal, directly impacting the spiritual consciousness of the person touching it.

It felt like a primeval beast, looking down upon the world, ready to crush everything in its path!

What kind of beast soul was sealed within?

Qin Sang felt a flicker of doubt but remained unperturbed. Protected by the jade Buddha, he was completely unafraid of such spiritual impacts.

After hearing a muffled groan beside him, Qin Sang's peripheral vision caught sight of Qiu Mubai, whose face was flushed red, and whose spiritual energy fluctuated erratically as he struggled to resist the beast soul within the seal.

Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he decided to feign effort, slowly subduing the beast soul.

The beast soul was helpless against him, but Qin Sang gradually accumulated an advantage. As one gained and the other waned, the beast soul finally gave up struggling and gradually quieted down.

It would still take some time to truly tame it and make it his own, but Qin Sang found it much easier and quicker than Qiu Mubai and the others.

This was hardly good news, and Qin Sang was distracted.

Not long after, Qiu Mubai and the others also managed to suppress the beast soul.

Among them, Qiu Mubai and Ji Qing were the quickest.

Seeing that the time was right, Qin Sang deliberately slowed down, then stopped, frowning as he looked at the mark on his wrist.

The mark had merged with his flesh and blood, but no matter how many times Qin Sang swept his spiritual consciousness over it, he couldn't detect anything, as if it didn't exist at all.

Once they had suppressed the fierce souls, Che Yutao said, "For the next six months, find a room in this manor and cultivate quietly. Put aside all other matters and make sure to tame the beast souls!"

Qin Sang opened his mouth, about to speak.

Beside him, Qiu Mubai questioned, "Uncle-Master Che, I heard that even with our ancestor's protection, cultivators at our Foundation Establishment stage cannot withstand the pressure of the spiritual array outside the Ziwei Palace. We must be under the protection of the Ziwei Secret Talisman to enter safely."

Che Yutao nodded and said, "I have already asked Ancestor and Lady Chenyan. You just need to refine the Five Elements Beast Seals; don't worry about anything else. Even without the Ziwei Secret Talisman, Ancestor has a way to get you inside."

The last person selected was Yu Wansen, a disciple of a Core Formation cultivator named Shoushanzi from their sect.

Upon hearing he was to be taken to the Ziwei Palace, Yu Wansen appeared utterly distraught. Just now, while taming the beast soul, he nearly made a mistake due to his unstable mental state.

Yu Wansen's throat bobbed, and he stammered, "Uncle-Master Che, I heard that the Ziwei Palace is full of dangers at every turn. Even Nascent Soul grand cultivators have perished there, and even Ancestor and the others... What if something unexpected happens? Will we be..."

"Nonsense! What are you thinking?"

Che Yutao glared at him fiercely, his face like a stormy sea. He scoffed, "Just a few of you, you're not even qualified to scout ahead in the Ziwei Palace! Ancestor merely wants you to wield the Five Elements Beast Seals and use their power to break a certain restriction. The beast seals have already recognized their masters, and I am powerless to change that. If anyone is too afraid to die, go explain it to Ancestor yourself!"

Yu Wansen was thoroughly rebuked and dared not say another word, repeatedly saying, "This disciple understands his mistake."

Che Yutao snorted, his expression softening slightly. Pointing at Qin Sang and the others, he reprimanded them, "Think carefully! After this journey, if you gain Ancestor's favor, do you think he would treat you unfairly when you return from the Ziwei Palace? This is an opportunity others would die for, yet you're hesitating!"

After a good scolding, Che Yutao continued, "You should all have heard that the Ziwei Palace is divided into outer and inner halls. In the outer hall, you only need to follow Ancestor and Lady Chenyan. However, upon entering the inner hall, you might be randomly teleported to an uncertain location. Do not wander off; simply find a safe spot and wait there. Ancestor and Lady Chenyan will find you based on the marks on your wrists. After the restriction is broken, follow Ancestor's instructions. As long as you don't trespass into dangerous areas, you will certainly be safe."

Qin Sang casually picked a room in Che Yutao's manor.

He walked into the room, closed the door, and sealed the restrictions. His expression immediately turned grim.

He sat in the chair for a long time, at a loss for what to do.

According to Che Yutao, after their task in the inner hall was complete, Earl Dongyang would no longer need them, which might present an opportunity to escape.

However, Qin Sang knew this was unlikely. Having followed Earl Dongyang deep into the secret realm, they didn't possess the ability to leave on their own.

Furthermore, in the outer hall of the Ziwei Palace, Earl Dongyang and Chenyan would constantly protect them. While this greatly reassured Yu Wansen and the others, it posed a major problem for Qin Sang.

The subsequent cultivation methods for the "Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter" and the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit were equally important. If he were forced to switch cultivation methods, it would be almost impossible to find another one so suitable for him.

But if he didn't uphold his agreement to help Granny Jing kill Leng Yuntian, how could he persuade her to tell him the location of Senior Qingzhu's demise?

Qin Sang paced back and forth in the room.

Perhaps Yun Youzi wouldn't have a good solution either. It would be best to contact Granny Jing first and see if she could help him escape in the Ziwei Palace.

Unfortunately, when they parted ways at Pointing Heaven Peak, Granny Jing had only told him to wait for her at Skull Pass and hadn't left any contact information. He had no idea when she would arrive.