Chapter 999: Meeting

“Fellow Daoist, do you have any idea how to break through to the Corpse King stage?” Qin Sang asked, a hint of delight in his voice.

Bai shook his head. “Without solving the problem of primordial vitality, I wouldn’t even dare to attempt a breakthrough. How could I have any idea? It’s also difficult for me to glean anything useful from other corpse cultivation secret arts.”

After a long secret discussion in the cave mansion, the two discreetly left the market and flew towards the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Amidst an expanse of azure-green and ochre-red, a faint white path wound its way upwards. This unremarkable mountain path led directly to the Heavenly Dao Sect’s main gate.

At this moment, a figure was walking along the mountain trail. Qin Sang had come here alone. His steps seemed slow but were actually swift; a single light step could cover several dozen feet. He soon reached the vicinity of the mountain peak and saw an ancient stele inscribed with the words ‘Heavenly Dao’.

It appeared this was the Heavenly Dao Sect’s main gate, which felt quite humble. However, the ancient Heavenly Dao stele exuded profound Daoist essence, indicating its extraordinary nature.

Qin Sang glanced back at the mountain below, then stepped forward. The scenery suddenly shifted, and before Qin Sang, a young man and woman, both only at the Foundation Establishment stage, had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

“Juniors Zhang Yi and Xia You, by order, guard the mountain gate. May we ask for your honored name, Senior, and your purpose for visiting?” The two cupped their fists towards Qin Sang in a respectful salute. Qin Sang had not deliberately concealed his cultivation, which was clearly evident, so the two naturally dared not show any disrespect.

“This humble Daoist’s surname is Qin. I have come to visit your esteemed sect today to call upon an old friend,” Qin Sang said genially. As he was making a formal visit, it was inappropriate to be secretive, so Qin Sang used his true appearance. In this identity, he had offended the Black Snake Mountain, a Wuwitch Clan force. Later, Qin Sang had investigated extensively and found that the Landou Gate had not widely pursued him, indicating that the incident had not implicated him. Thus, he had nothing to worry about in human territory.

Hearing this, the two relaxed. The woman, named Xia You, spoke: “May we know which Martial Uncle your old friend is, Senior? We will send a message for you immediately.”

Qin Sang showed a hesitant expression and said, “This humble Daoist doesn't know much about that old friend. We met by chance many years ago, but then lost all contact. This time, I happened to pass by the Heavenly Dao Sect, remembered this old acquaintance, and specifically came to visit. This humble Daoist only knows that the old acquaintance's surname is Ning, and they claimed to be from the sword cultivation lineage...” He provided ambiguous information.

Hearing this, the two looked troubled and asked, “May we know what cultivation level your old friend is, Senior?”

“That's hard to say. Many years ago, he was already at the Core Formation stage. Given his talent, it's highly probable he would have reached the Nascent Soul stage…” Qin Sang pondered for a moment before replying.

The two held him in awe and dared not be negligent. After exchanging a few whispered messages, Xia You respectfully said, “We are not certain of your old friend's identity, Senior. If you have no urgent matters, perhaps you could accompany this junior to Welcoming Guest Peak to wait. This junior will then report to our Martial Uncle and help you find your old friend.”

“Very well…” Qin Sang readily agreed and followed Xia You, flying deeper into the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Towering peaks stood majestically, and rivers crisscrossed the landscape. The Heavenly Dao Sect truly lived up to its reputation as the foremost righteous sect in Canglang Sea. What Qin Sang saw now was merely the tip of the iceberg, yet its magnificent scenery was already no less impressive than Shaohua Mountain. This was also quite normal to consider. Shaohua Mountain only had one Nascent Soul Patriarch, Dongyang Bo. In Canglang Sea, there were many similar sects. The Small Cold Domain seemed even more insignificant compared to Canglang Sea, not even on par with the Witch God Continent, let alone the entire vast sea region.

The two soon arrived at Welcoming Guest Peak. Xia You settled Qin Sang in an exquisite quiet chamber, ordered tea and spirit fruits to be served, and then hastily excused herself. Qin Sang had no mind for tea. He gazed at the scenery outside, his thoughts racing. The Pure Yang Sect being comparable to the Heavenly Dao Sect should be correct. Senior Azure Bamboo sending him here to find someone surely had profound meaning; arrangements might have been made long ago, but he wondered who that person was.

Not long after, there was a sudden sound of footsteps downstairs. Qin Sang turned his head and looked. Xia You had returned, following a young man. Seeing the young man, Qin Sang’s heart stirred. This person’s cultivation was unfathomable, seemingly not inferior to his own.

“Martial Uncle, this is the Senior who wishes to find an old friend surnamed Ning,” Xia You introduced them. “Senior Qin, this is Martial Uncle Pei…”

The young man surnamed Pei spoke in a low voice: “You may leave first. I will personally receive Fellow Daoist Qin.”

“Yes!” Xia You bowed and withdrew.

Under Qin Sang’s gaze, the young man surnamed Pei calmly sat opposite him and personally poured tea. “Xia You was a bit vague just now. Could Fellow Daoist elaborate on the characteristics of your old friend?” As he spoke, the young man presented a jade cup with both hands.

Qin Sang gazed at the jade cup. Tea mist ascended, transforming into countless shapes, carrying a faint, inexplicable sharpness. A subtle tea fragrance wafted, refreshing the mind. At this moment, the natal spirit sword within him surprisingly stirred. Qin Sang’s expression subtly changed. He reached out to take the jade cup, and the moment his fingertips touched it, they suddenly trembled imperceptibly. In that instant, Qin Sang’s fingers seemed to transform into spirit swords, and sword qi burst forth. The sword qi was invisible.

The tea mist transformed more rapidly, initially forming images of flowers, birds, fish, and insects, then various phenomena like azure lotuses and divine beasts, and finally even grand spectacles like starlight and thunder that captivated the heart. Within this small space, the sword intent erupted quickly and dissipated even faster.

“Whoosh!” In an instant, the tea mist suddenly dispersed without a trace. The young man’s expression subtly changed, and he released the jade cup. Inside the small room, everything was ordinary, and aside from the clear ripples in the tea, nothing else was affected. The jade cup was perfectly intact.

Qin Sang drained the cup. The tea was warm and left a lingering fragrance in his mouth.

With a soft clink, Qin Sang set down the jade cup, gazing at the young man. “Should I call you Fellow Daoist Pei, or Fellow Daoist Ning?” The brief exchange was confined to the tea mist, and the outcome was not important. Qin Sang could clearly sense that the young man’s sword arts were very familiar, identical to Senior Azure Bamboo’s insights.

“The Primordial Spirit Sword Nurturing Chapter! Fellow Daoist, you’ve actually cultivated this technique to such a profound level!” The young man sighed repeatedly, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, “Pei is fine, Ning is also fine. When no one else is around, please call me Fellow Daoist Ning. My name is Ning Wuhui!”

Qin Sang’s eyes flickered upon hearing this. This person even knew about the ‘Primordial Spirit Sword Nurturing Chapter,’ which surely meant he had a close relationship with Senior Azure Bamboo. He had finally found the right person. He hadn't expected it to be so easy. This person was actually on Welcoming Guest Peak, responsible for this matter. It was indeed pre-arranged, no wonder Senior Azure Bamboo was so certain.

“This place has too many eyes and ears. Perhaps Fellow Daoist would care to join me at my cave mansion for a discussion…” Ning Wuhui stood up.

Qin Sang had no objections. He immediately stood up and followed Ning Wuhui out of the quiet chamber. Ning Wuhui’s cave mansion was located behind Welcoming Guest Peak. They stepped into a bamboo grove.

Ning Wuhui sent a voice transmission: “Since Fellow Daoist can cultivate this technique to the late Core Formation stage, there's definitely no issue. However, I have never met Fellow Daoist Qin before.”

“I am unaware of any agreements between Senior Azure Bamboo and Fellow Daoist Ning,” Qin Sang replied carefully. “I had no prior connection with Senior Azure Bamboo; we met by chance. After receiving guidance from Senior Azure Bamboo, I specifically came to visit Fellow Daoist Ning.”