Chapter 559: Eight Sect Secrets

Dongyang Bo, Daoist Chongyi, and Tie Guanzi flew away from the Jade Ruyi to meet Red-Haired Ancestor and his group. The Jade Ruyi flew autonomously, carrying the remaining people into the red cloud-shrouded peak. After depositing them, it shrank to its original size, pierced through the air, and was retrieved by Daoist Chongyi.

On the peak, numerous simple stone platforms, varying in size, had been carved out. Most of them were already occupied.

Everyone chose a platform and waited quietly. Noticing Daoist Yunyouzi nearby, Qin Sang hopped onto his platform and quietly inquired about the identities of the three individuals who had just accompanied Red-Haired Ancestor. As expected, all three were Nascent Soul Ancestors from the Eight Righteous Sects.

The only woman among them, dressed in palace robes, was Bing Han, the Ancestor of the Void Spirit Sect. She was rumored not only to have profound cultivation but also to be unrivaled in artifact refining within the Lesser Cold Domain. While Daoist Chongyi was the sole Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Grand Yi Pill Sect, his alchemy skills were said to be surpassed by some of the sect's elders who were deeply devoted to the Dao of Alchemy. Bing Han, however, had inherited her sect's true teachings and was considered every bit as capable as her male counterparts.

The other individual, who appeared remarkably young, with a jade-like countenance and a graceful demeanor, resembling a noble young master, was Leng Yuntian, the current Sect Master of the Primordial Mirage Sect.

"So, this is what Leng Yuntian looks like," Qin Sang thought, and he couldn't help but glance at Granny Jing, who was some distance away. Granny Jing occupied a platform by herself, sitting with closed eyes, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.

Qin Sang was about to team up with Granny Jing to confront Leng Yuntian in the Ziwei Palace. He certainly didn't want Granny Jing to fail, as it would implicate him and put his future in jeopardy. He wanted to learn more about Leng Yuntian, but unfortunately, Daoist Yunyouzi knew very little about him. He was far more knowledgeable about Leng Qian, the previous Sect Master of the Primordial Mirage Sect. Reportedly, Leng Yuntian was Leng Qian's adopted son, and they also shared a master-disciple relationship.

During his lifetime, Leng Qian was a renowned figure whose cultivation could rival that of Red-Haired Ancestor. However, news of his sudden death over a hundred years ago had caused quite a stir in the Lesser Cold Domain's cultivation world. Fortunately, Leng Yuntian proved himself capable, ensuring Leng Qian had a worthy successor, allowing the Primordial Mirage Sect to maintain its stable position among the Eight Righteous Sects.

Years ago, Grand Elder Zhangxing and Golden Core cultivator Yushan Ting from the Primordial Mirage Sect died at Pointing Heaven Peak. Later, Qin Sang was preoccupied with forming his Core and only occasionally paid attention to the Primordial Mirage Sect's movements. There had been no widespread rumors in the cultivation world about Leng Yuntian extensively searching for the killers or avenging his Grand Elder. Having suffered such a significant and inexplicable loss, Leng Yuntian certainly wouldn't let the matter rest. However, given his prior schemes involving Pointing Heaven Peak, he likely dared not publicize the matter openly and could only investigate in secret.

The last individual was a middle-aged man dressed in black, with a stern expression and an extraordinary aura. He was the Sect Master of the Boundless Gate. Seeing the Sect Master of the Boundless Gate again, Qin Sang couldn't help but recall the mysterious Nascent Soul cultivator from Boundless Valley who had accompanied him and wielded a Black Tortoise Shell artifact. The two of them had concealed their identities and ventured into Boundless Valley together, though Qin Sang never learned what they were searching for. Later, they unexpectedly provoked a Thunder-Swallowing Falcon. The two had teamed up to battle the beast but failed to suppress it.

"Senior, in all these years, have you heard of any Nascent Soul cultivator whose magic treasure is a Black Tortoise Shell?" Qin Sang asked via spiritual transmission.

Daoist Yunyouzi clearly remembered the incident. Though he hadn't witnessed the two Nascent Souls battling the Thunder-Swallowing Falcon, linking it to the Shadowless Sword technique used to slay the Star Poison Frog, his expression subtly changed, and he looked at Qin Sang in surprise.

"Are you suspecting..."

Qin Sang nodded lightly.

Daoist Yunyouzi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "It's certainly not any of our Righteous Path Ancestors!" he said. "Among the rogue cultivators of Yinshan Pass and the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Demonic Path, some are extremely mysterious. It's likely one of them. Nascent Soul Ancestors aren't bound by so-called righteous-demonic opposition; it's not unusual for them to have connections with each other. I myself have a few demonic cultivation friends."

Qin Sang was merely curious. Seeing that Daoist Yunyouzi had no leads, he didn't press the matter further. At that moment, he suddenly realized that, counting Tie Guanzi, the Palace Master of the Supreme Purity Palace, only seven of the Eight Righteous Sects' Nascent Soul Ancestors had appeared. The Sect Master of the Spirit Control Sect was still missing.

When Qin Sang inquired, Daoist Yunyouzi replied meaningfully, "During my trip to Celestial Demon Ridge, I observed some intriguing signs regarding the relationship between the Spirit Control Sect and Celestial Demon Ridge. This sect has never fallen out of the ranks of the top Righteous sects since its establishment. What secrets lie within, I'm afraid only Nascent Soul cultivators truly know."

The red cloud kept the spiritual tide at bay.

After conversing with Daoist Yunyouzi for a while, Qin Sang returned to his own platform to wait. Bored, he quietly inventoried the treasures within his iron ring. Under the watchful eye of his Ancestor, Qin Sang planned to use the Cold Gold Sword and two talisman-treasures from the Dove-Robed Daoist's relics to present himself. For a cultivator in the False Core realm, this level of wealth was by no means shabby.

Among his trump cards, the Void Heaven Thunder and Ebony Sword were the least risky to expose. After all, with his improved cultivation, acquiring treasures of that caliber through serendipitous encounters was perfectly plausible. A dignified Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator like Dongyang Bo wouldn't even deign to look at them. As for his other possessions, it was best to keep them hidden if possible. The Nine Dragons Celestial Chariot Talisman was connected to the missing Daoist Xuanyu of the Supreme Purity Palace. The Ten Directions Yama Banner held immense implications. The Flying Yaksha and the Corpse Core were both linked to the secret corpse art, 'Heavenly Yin Corpse Incantation.' While Dongyang Bo tolerated Chenyan using unorthodox cultivation methods to form her Nascent Soul, implying he wasn't someone who vehemently abhorred evil, Qin Sang still felt it was best to avoid unnecessary complications.

As Qin Sang mentally rehearsed his upcoming trip to the Ziwei Palace, he suddenly realized the sheer number of tasks awaiting him, all of which demanded flawless execution. He felt an immense burden of pressure.

After waiting for several hours, there was still no announcement from the Nascent Soul Ancestors about their departure. Just as the crowd began to grow restless, a powerful aura suddenly appeared from the west. Sensing it, everyone rose to look, and saw a mass of vibrant, multicolored mist rapidly drifting toward them. Within the mist, demonic energy surged skyward!

"The demon cultivators from Celestial Demon Ridge are here!" someone exclaimed. The mist swirled, obscuring the exact number of demon cultivators within, but indistinctly, many massive, non-humanoid figures could be seen. It appeared that not only Great Demons in the Transformation stage had arrived, but also many demon beasts in the Demonic Core stage. Great Demons were rarely seen in the Lesser Cold Domain. Most cultivators present found the sight novel; it was their first time witnessing so many demon cultivators mobilized together. These beings had undoubtedly been enlightened by the Emperor's Dew, and therefore couldn't be regarded as ordinary demon beasts, possessing intelligence and divine abilities no less than human cultivators.

Just as everyone was discussing this, Red-Haired Ancestor's voice simultaneously echoed in everyone's ears: "Our fellow Daoists from Celestial Demon Ridge have arrived. We depart now."

Immediately afterward, the red cloud suddenly descended. Everyone felt their bodies tighten, and when they recovered their senses, they realized they were already inside the red cloud. On the edge of the red cloud, several figures had appeared unnoticed, precisely Red-Haired Ancestor and his group.

Concurrently, the multicolored demonic mist, black demonic energy, and the golden palace also drew close to the red cloud. The red cloud encompassed the largest area, followed by the demonic energy, while the golden palace was the most inconspicuous. These entities, each distinct in color, converged tightly, forming what could loosely be described as a four-colored cloud cluster, which then shot off towards the inner layers of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.