Chapter 549: Qiu Mubai

But these weren't the most dangerous things.

What made Qin Sang most wary was the rampaging spiritual qi under the impact of the Spirit Tide as the spiritual qi had become utterly chaotic.

Just then, a sudden bang came from behind, followed by startled cries.

Qin Sang turned his head and saw an early-stage Foundation Building cultivator fall flat onto the ground for no apparent reason, his face burning with shame. He wasn't the only one. Many others had also stumbled or dropped from the air, barely managing to regain their footing.

Most of them were rogue cultivators.

Only then did Chen Kuiqing smirk and offer a warning. "Fellow Daoists, do take note. Under the influence of the Spirit Tide, the spiritual qi here is far more volatile than within the borders. Do not recklessly absorb too much at once. If your refinement can't keep up, the imbalance of spiritual power will rob you of combat capability. If you're fighting someone on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, you'd better come well-prepared with spirit stones."

Why didn’t this bastard say that earlier!

The ignorant rogue cultivators glared at him furiously. Chen Kuiqing, having enjoyed the spectacle, casually instructed a junior brother to lead the way, then handed Qin Sang a jade slip. "Senior Brother Qin, this is a route map. The Xuanlu Guards should be arriving soon, so you’ll probably run into them along the way."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chen."

Qin Sang displayed the contents of the jade slip for all to see. After glancing around, he proposed, "Fellow Daoists, if none of you have other destinations, we might as well form a battle formation and travel together. If we run into Cloud Beasts, we’ll at least be able to support one another."

Everyone exchanged looks and agreed one after another.

Qin Sang had the highest cultivation among them and prior combat experience against the Tianxing Alliance. He calmly and efficiently organized the group, leading them toward Xuanlu Stronghold.

The Spirit Tide raged just above their heads, forcing them to fly at low altitude.

Even in its waning phase, the Spirit Tide still held the power to sweep across the land. Occasionally, a burst of spiritual qi would shoot down from the heavens, leaving massive craters on the ground with terrifying force.

The might of it was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.

Qin Sang stayed in the center of the formation, guarded by the others. His task was to keep his eyes on the sky, tracking the movements of the Spirit Tide and any nearby disturbances, constantly adjusting their course to avoid danger. The journey went relatively smoothly.

Most fortunately, they did not encounter any packs of Cloud Beasts.

After traveling non-stop toward Xuanlu Stronghold, someone at the front suddenly shouted, "Daoist Qin, there’s a black cloud ahead, heading in our direction!"

Qin Sang had already seen it. After studying it closely, his expression relaxed. "No need to panic. It’s the Xuanlu Guards."

The group let out a cheer. The arrival of the Xuanlu Guards meant that the area ahead had already been cleared of Cloud Beasts.

Even though they were in the wild, there was no need to worry about the Xuanlu Guards harboring ill intentions. They had arrived through a teleportation array arranged by the Shangyuan Tranquility Palace, which vouched for their integrity.

Qin Sang motioned for the group to keep moving forward. As they drew near, a voice came from within the black cloud. "The Cloud Beasts ahead have been dealt with. Fellow Daoists, feel free to proceed."

Before the voice faded, someone within the cloud suddenly called out joyfully, "Is that you, Junior Brother Qin?"

The voice was all too familiar. Qin Sang immediately recognized it and stepped out from the group in surprise. "Senior Brother Mu? When did you return from the Chaotic Island Waters?"

It was none other than Mu Yifeng.

A rift opened in the black cloud, and two figures flew out—Mu Yifeng and a graceful, poised young man with extraordinary bearing.

Mu Yifeng explained with a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his head, "Junior Brother Qin, after you left, I took over your role as squad leader. But I got entangled with some assholes from the Tianxing Alliance and ended up severely injured. I was sent back to the sect to recover. Once I was healed, I saw the ceasefire at the Chaotic Island Waters and figured there was nothing more to do there. So I came straight to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, since the Spirit Tide’s almost over anyway."

Qin Sang had led the squad for years without incident, yet in just a few days under Mu Yifeng’s leadership, a trap from the Tianxing Alliance nearly cost them everyone’s lives.

If Mu Yifeng hadn’t risked his life to bring them back, he truly would have had no face left to see Qin Sang again—the one who had once saved him.

After hearing the full story, Qin Sang didn’t blame him.

The fact that Mu Yifeng had risked his life to save his men spoke volumes. He could be counted as a man of exceptional loyalty.

What surprised Qin Sang even more was Mu Yifeng’s cultivation. He had actually broken through to the Fake Core Realm!

In just a few short years?

Mu Yifeng had been gravely wounded before and had seen his strength rise dramatically afterward. This time, his injury had directly triggered a breakthrough.

"Senior Brother Mu, I’ve heard of breaking through by slaughter, and breakthroughs from battle, but never through being seriously injured. Don’t tell me you’ve embarked on the path of wounds?" Qin Sang teased.

Mu Yifeng laughed heartily. "I don’t know why, but every time I’m lying half-dead on a sickbed, inspiration just strikes. I’ve even thought about seeking Core Formation by putting myself in mortal peril but Junior Brother Qin, don’t go giving me ideas!"

Then his expression turned serious. He gestured to the young man beside him and said, "Junior Brother Qin, this is Senior Brother Qiu Mubai. You two probably haven’t met."

"Though we’ve never met, your name has long preceded you, Junior Brother Qin." Qiu Mubai cupped his hands with a warm tone. "Now that I’ve seen you in person, your reputation proves well-deserved!"

It's him!

A flash of realization lit up in Qin Sang’s mind—he finally remembered who this man was.

He was one of those rare individuals who almost never showed their face in public, held little reputation outside the sect, yet was the subject of countless legends within it.

Qiu Mubai wasn’t the disciple of a Core Formation Realm cultivator, but his status was even higher. He had been granted special permission by Dongyang Bo, the Spiritual Infant grandmaster, to cultivate on the main peak of Shaohua Mountain!

Qiu Mubai had entered the sect over a decade earlier than Qin Sang. It was said that Dongyang Bo had taken notice of him while he was still swaddled in infancy.

Rumor had it that Qiu Mubai had long been capable of forming his core, yet for some unknown reason, he had remained at the Fake Core Realm, choosing instead to refine his cultivation painstakingly rather than advance.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Qiu."

Although Dongyang Bo had never officially taken Qiu Mubai as a disciple, they still addressed one another according to sect seniority.

As a disciple favored by a Spiritual Infant grandmaster, even Core Formation Realm cultivators treated Qiu Mubai with courtesy and warmth. Naturally, Qin Sang showed no hint of disrespect.

At first glance, Qiu Mubai carried himself with the grace of a cultivated gentleman—approachable, pleasant, and calm. Qin Sang could not yet tell what kind of man he truly was, so he observed him carefully with measured caution.

Through their brief conversation, Qin Sang learned that Qiu Mubai had come to serve as a Xuanlu Guard after emerging from secluded cultivation, and it was under his command that the Cloud Beasts had been purged during this mission.

"We still have duties to fulfill and can’t afford delays. Junior Brother Qin, why not continue ahead for now? We can speak more when we return to Xuanlu Stronghold," said Qiu Mubai.

Qin Sang’s thoughts stirred, and he promptly took out his own Xuanlu Guard command token. "Senior Brother Qiu, I came here precisely to report for duty as a Xuanlu Guard. Since I’ve run into your team on a Cloud Beast purge, I naturally won’t stand idly by. I’m willing to accompany you both on this mission."

"You willing to lend your aid is more than we could have hoped for!"

Both Qiu Mubai and Mu Yifeng were delighted and agreed at once.

Qin Sang had his own reasons, too.

Qiu Mubai was clearly favored by Dongyang Bo and undoubtedly knew him well.

After returning from the Ziwei Palace, Qin Sang would soon have to present his report directly to Dongyang Bo.

Getting closer to Qiu Mubai and learning more about Dongyang Bo’s temperament could help him approach that meeting with greater confidence and clarity.

After all, Dongyang Bo was not only his future master but also a Spiritual Infant powerhouse who held authority regarding life and death.

Qin Sang dared not dream of winning Dongyang Bo’s favor but he certainly didn’t want to walk in blind, offend some hidden taboo, and end up incurring the wrath of the grandmaster.