Chapter 458: Sword Evasion

After leaving Stargazing Island, Qin Sang furrowed his brows tightly and rode the clouds toward his cave dwelling.

Hearing the sound of a sword humming behind him, Qin Sang halted and turned his head, only to see Senior Brother Rong catching up to him.

"Junior Brother Qin, what are your thoughts? Do you have any intention of cooperating? Should we agree on a location to meet first once we enter Zhitian Peak? Do you think that would work, or do you have another idea...?"

The two of them slowed down and flew side by side.

After listening to Senior Brother Rong, Qin Sang hesitated for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

"Senior Brother, you and I both understand that a single tree cannot make a forest, but cooperating inside Zhitian Peak will be extremely difficult. You also heard what Senior Xiao said—once the barrier is activated, we will have less than an hour to collect the Elemental Star Stones."

"From the illusions Senior Xiao showed, the interior of Zhitian Peak is towering, vast, and filled with complex terrain, with layers upon layers of barriers."

"The peak is so large, and there are only sixty-six of us, all scattered across different areas. Unless one's luck is exceptionally bad, the chances of encountering opponents will be low."

"Snake Granny's warning was merely a reminder for us to stay vigilant and not get caught off guard."

"In such circumstances, forming an alliance doesn't hold much significance. The most important thing is the Elemental Star Stones, and the true obstacles are the hidden barriers within Zhitian Peak."

"Once we're separated by the barriers, there's no telling where we might end up. Since communication artifacts won’t work inside, arranging a meeting point in advance would only waste too much time and effort, making us lose more than we gain!"

This was the very reason Qin Sang had been feeling uneasy about the whole endeavor.

The struggle for Zhitian Peak was not merely a test of combat prowess. His two astras had limited effectiveness in this scenario.

Of course, strength was indispensable. Without sufficient power, one wouldn’t even be able to break through the barriers on the peak. But in the end, how many Elemental Star Stones one could obtain relied heavily on luck.

Qin Sang did not reject the idea of working with Senior Brother Rong outright. Over their time together, he had come to recognize that Senior Brother Rong had a decent temperament and had treated him, a fellow disciple, quite well. Moreover, Senior Brother Rong himself was not someone to be underestimated.

However, the environment within Zhitian Peak simply did not allow for cooperation.

Seeing Qin Sang’s reasoning, Senior Brother Rong had no choice but to give up on the idea. With a sigh, he said, "Junior Brother Qin, you're right. Just now, Shang Yi and I discussed this, and we reached the same conclusion... I can only wish you great success and that you achieve your goal."

"Same to you, Senior Brother Rong."

After a brief exchange, Qin Sang entrusted the juniors of the Tiange Tower's manager to Senior Brother Rong, then the two of them parted ways, each flying toward their respective cave dwellings.

While traveling on his cloud, Qin Sang took the time to assess himself.

Compared to others, his advantage lay in his two astras and the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman. But those who had made it this far certainly had their own hidden cards as well.

Fate was determined by the heavens, but effort was within one's control.

Unfortunately, Zhitian Peak had emerged too soon. If he had just two more years, things would be different.

By then, he could have broken through to the Fake Core Realm and wielded the ebony sword with far greater ease. When achieving unity between man and sword, he could integrate the Sword Qi Thunderclap while flying on his sword, exponentially increasing his escape speed, far surpassing cultivators of the same realm.

This was why the Sword Qi Thunderclap was so coveted and revered.

If only he had time to return to Endless Valley and extract the Jiao spirit, he could enhance the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, making his escape speed even faster.

Through his observations, Qin Sang had gained a basic understanding of a Core Formation cultivator's strength. If he combined the Sword Qi Thunderclap with the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, his escape speed would surpass the Foundation Building Realm, rivaling that of an early-stage Core Formation expert.

Such speed would undoubtedly be a great asset in Zhitian Peak.

But the opportunity had already slipped away, and there was nothing he could do about it. Since stepping onto the path of immortality, he had never allowed himself a moment of complacency. If he couldn’t catch up, then he simply couldn’t.

With a sigh, Qin Sang brushed away his stray thoughts. When he landed before his cave dwelling, he habitually checked the barriers he had left outside. Everything was in order.

Deactivating the barrier, he pushed the door open and entered.

Sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, he activated the spirit-gathering array, preparing to enter meditation.

Just as he was about to begin cultivation, a strange sensation arose within his cave dwelling.

His expression changed abruptly. He snapped his head around and glared furiously at a shadowy corner of the room.

"Who’s there!"

At the same time, Qin Sang sprang to his feet and dashed toward the entrance in a flash. His palm swept across his waist, summoning the Cold Gold Sword and Yin-Yang Luopan, which instantly flew into his grasp. Meanwhile, the ebony sword within his primordial spirit was already poised to strike.

Qin Sang locked his gaze onto the shadowy corner of his cave dwelling, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. Even in the midst of bloody battlefields, he had never felt such terror.

Within the shadows stood a black silhouette—unmistakably human in shape.

Someone had infiltrated his cave dwelling silently and without warning!

The barriers he had meticulously set up showed no signs of being broken, as if they had been completely bypassed!

Who is it?

Or... what kind of monster is this?

Qin Sang pressed his back against the stone door, feeling its coldness seep through. With just a little force, he could break through and escape, but he dared not make another move.

He could sense a faint, almost imperceptible spiritual consciousness locking onto him.

This spiritual consciousness did not seem to carry malice, but Qin Sang dared not act recklessly.

His cave dwelling was still a fair distance from Stargazing Island, and the cultivators on the surrounding islands were weaker than him. If this was someone he couldn’t defeat, no one else would stand a chance either.

This was, after all, the Chaotic Island Waters, surrounded by the Thousand-Illusion Array of True Waters.

Anyone who could infiltrate this place unnoticed must possess terrifying strength. Any rash movement might provoke the black figure, and before reinforcements could even arrive, he could already be dead.

Qin Sang couldn’t help but suspect.

Have my astras been exposed?

It was best to stabilize the situation first.

His mind was in turmoil, but he forced himself to stay calm, his thoughts racing. Finally, he took the initiative to speak. "Daoist, who exactly are you? I have always avoided making enemies. If—"

Mid-sentence, Qin Sang saw the black figure slowly step out of the shadows, revealing an aged face. His expression froze, his words faltering as a look of astonishment crossed his face.

"Granny Jing? It’s you!"

Recognizing the elderly woman before him, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation.

The old woman was frail and hunched over, her face deeply wrinkled. It was none other than Granny Jing, the mysterious shop owner from Wenyue Market.

Among cultivators above the Foundation Building Realm, it was rare to see someone as aged as Granny Jing—unless they were nearing their lifespan’s end and their vital energy was nearly depleted.

Yet, when Qin Sang had first met her at Wenyue Market decades ago, she had already looked exactly like this. Now, over seventy years had passed, yet her appearance had not changed in the slightest.

More importantly, back then, he had just broken through to Foundation Building and had found Granny Jing utterly unfathomable.

Now, even when he was on the verge of entering the Fake Core Realm, he still couldn’t see through her at all.

To Qin Sang, Granny Jing’s aura was like a deep, silent spring—immeasurably profound and shrouded in mystery.

The only other time he had sensed such an aura was from Core Formation Realm cultivators.

"It is rare for Daoist Qin to still remember me."

Granny Jing gave a slight nod, her deeply wrinkled face contorting into a somewhat eerie smile.

"Senior, you have helped me many times in the past. How could I possibly forget?"

Qin Sang forced a dry chuckle, appearing to relax as he withdrew the Cold Gold Sword and Yin-Yang Luopan. Yet, in reality, the ebony sword within his primordial spirit remained primed and ready to strike.

There was no other reason.

Granny Jing had vanished for so many years, only to suddenly reappear, sneaking into his cave dwelling of all places.

This was far from normal.

Back at Wenyue Market, Granny Jing had built a solid reputation, and Qin Sang had always respected her. But that didn’t mean she was still the same after seventy years.