Chapter 557: Yuan Ying Gathering

Outside the pass.

Qin Sang looked in the direction of the voice and immediately saw Chen Yan, who was wearing a cloak.

Chen Yan stood alone at the edge of a protective barrier, gazing at the surging spiritual tide outside. She exuded an aloof aura that kept people at a distance. Her expression under the cloak was obscured, and no one dared approach her.

To Chen Yan's left, a man in a brocade robe and a long-bearded Daoist were conversing.

These two showed no spiritual fluctuations, making it easy to mistake them for ordinary mortals. With Qin Sang's current cultivation level, he could sense faint true essence fluctuations even from Core Formation experts, provided they weren't deliberately concealing them. It was impossible to encounter mortals here, so this situation meant their cultivation far surpassed his own!

The moment he saw them, Qin Sang's heart tensed, and he felt an inexplicable pressure.

They stood before the protective barrier, where the terrifying spiritual tide incessantly buffeted it, as if it would burst through at any moment. Yet, both remained composed, seemingly oblivious to the spiritual tide.

It was the man in the brocade robe who spoke.

Lord Dongyang!

Qin Sang's heart stirred with emotion; after nearly a century of cultivation, he finally saw his sect's patriarch in person.

The other person, being on equal footing with Lord Dongyang, must also be a Nascent Soul-level grand cultivator. Qin Sang wondered if it was Daoist Chongyi, the patriarch of the Taiyi Pill Sect, or Tie Guanzi, the Palace Master of the Shangyuan Pure Palace.

When Lord Dongyang spoke, the Core Formation cultivator surnamed Liu dared not cause further trouble. He meekly acknowledged the order and immediately granted passage.

Qin Sang and the others followed behind Martial Uncle Fengming, quickly stepping forward to perform a respectful bow to Lord Dongyang. "Disciples greet Patriarch!"

"Rise."

Lord Dongyang nodded slightly and said blandly, "Fengming, take them to wait aside."

"Yes!"

Qin Sang dutifully retreated to the side, quietly observing the people present.

Yun Youzi hadn't arrived yet. Apart from Lord Dongyang, Chen Yan, and the mysterious Daoist, all the others were Core Formation cultivators.

A few of them had appeared in the Chaotic Islands region before; some were from the Taiyi Pill Sect, but most were from other sects stationed at Xuanlu Pass.

Among them, only Martial Uncle Fengming was from Shaohua Mountain, and there wasn't a single person from the Shangyuan Pure Palace, which puzzled Qin Sang.

It was understandable that Qi Yuanshou, who had just formed his core, didn't go to Ziwei Palace.

But what about the other martial uncles, who were seasoned Core Formation cultivators? Had none of them gone to Ziwei Palace either?

As Qin Sang discreetly surveyed the situation, the Daoist also glanced at them, looking somewhat puzzled. Instead of directly asking Lord Dongyang about his intentions, he tactfully inquired, "Fellow Daoist Dongyang, with so many pseudo-Core Formation disciples, will you still have the capacity to protect others? Don't the disciples of Shangyuan Pure Palace and other sects allied with your venerable sect also require your personal protection? Could it be that they all managed to acquire a Ziwei Secret Talisman?"

Lord Dongyang smiled faintly.

"Fellow Daoist Chongyi, didn't you see I only brought two disciples? To ensure fairness, powerful sects like ours cannot extensively participate in the competition for the Ziwei Secret Talisman. Why would I make myself a target? Fellow Daoist Tie Guanzi wishes for his sect to recuperate and rebuild, so this time he will enter Ziwei Palace alone. Given Fellow Daoist Tie Guanzi's strength, I need not worry about him. I have a way for these five to work together and unleash power beyond their individual cultivation levels. As for the younger generation from other sects, there won't be too many. I should be able to protect them with all my effort."

Daoist Chongyi nodded, then suddenly remembered something and asked with surprise, "Fellow Daoist Tie Guanzi leaving Shangyuan Pure Palace alone... is it nearly time?"

Lord Dongyang sighed softly, "Indeed, Fellow Daoist Chongyi has a good memory."

Daoist Chongyi lamented, "Fellow Daoist Tie Guanzi's chances of forming a Nascent Soul should have been considerable, especially with Shangyuan Pure Palace's unique secret talismans. His potential was certainly no less than ours back then. Yet, to preserve his sect, he chose to sever his path to Nascent Soul, resolutely sacrificing himself to nourish the talisman puppet. It's truly admirable. Fellow Daoist Tie Guanzi embarking on this perilous journey alone, I presume he's resolved to succeed or die trying? But I wonder how confident he is?"

Lord Dongyang shook his head, "To my knowledge, Fellow Daoist Tie Guanzi is prepared to die. Before leaving, he already passed the position of Palace Master to his junior brother, Gongliang Yu..."

Before his words could finish, a streak of green light gracefully arrived.

The cultivator surnamed Liu stood respectfully before the city gate. Not only did he not dare to obstruct, but he deferentially saluted, "Greetings, Senior Tie Guanzi."

The green light dispersed, revealing a thin figure with an abnormally pale complexion. Such a pallor on the face of a high-level cultivator was truly surprising.

Tie Guanzi nodded to the cultivator surnamed Liu, then walked towards the two Nascent Soul cultivators and cupped his hands, "Tie Guanzi greets both seniors."

Qin Sang quietly observed Tie Guanzi, his curiosity piqued.

From Tie Guanzi's words and actions, he didn't seem to be addressing two cultivators of the same realm. Instead, he seemed to be presenting himself as a junior. Could it be that Tie Guanzi wasn't a true Nascent Soul grand cultivator?

The secrets behind this were beyond his comprehension.

"Palace Master Tie, there's no need for such formality."

Daoist Chongyi and Lord Dongyang both cupped their hands in return.

After Tie Guanzi arrived, more people gradually appeared, most of whom held a Ziwei Secret Talisman.

Finally, Qin Sang saw Yun Youzi arrive in a hurry.

Yun Youzi seemed to be quite renowned in the Taiyi Pill Sect. His appearance not only surprised the Core Formation cultivator surnamed Liu and others, but even startled Daoist Chongyi, who called him forward.

"Are you a disciple of my sect? Why aren't you diligently cultivating within the sect and preparing for Core Formation, instead putting yourself in danger?"

Yun Youzi bowed, then replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "To answer Patriarch, this disciple wishes to seek a spiritual medicine in Ziwei Palace."

Daoist Chongyi frowned slightly but didn't press further. He said blandly, "Stay with your Martial Uncle Liu. You don't need to stand with those rogue cultivators."

After Yun Youzi arrived, significantly fewer people came afterward.

Soon after, Granny Jing also arrived.

This brought a sigh of relief to Qin Sang, who had been eagerly waiting.

Granny Jing still appeared as an unremarkable old woman, and no one present seemed to recognize her.

Granny Jing displayed her Ziwei Secret Talisman, glanced at Qin Sang, then found an unoccupied corner, propped herself on her staff, and closed her eyes to rest.

After waiting another hour, as dusk approached, past mid-You Shi (around 6 PM), two more late-arriving rogue cultivators of the Core Formation stage appeared.

Lord Dongyang surveyed the surroundings and stated gravely, "The time has come! If any of you are still hesitating, this is your last chance. Once we leave Xuanlu Pass, there will be no turning back!"

A stir went through the crowd, but no one spoke.

Lord Dongyang nodded to Daoist Chongyi. Daoist Chongyi gently raised a hand, and a jade Ruyi flew out from his sleeve. The Ruyi circled and ascended into the air, growing larger and larger until it was the size of a flying boat.

Daoist Chongyi's figure flickered and vanished into thin air.

Then, Daoist Chongyi's voice came from above.

"Come up, everyone!"

Awed by Daoist Chongyi's exquisite escape art, everyone wasted no time and flew into the air. The jade Ruyi, despite accommodating everyone, still appeared quite spacious.

"Fellow Daoist Dongyang, how about this poor Daoist leads the way while you hold the rear?" Daoist Chongyi asked.