The black mist rolled and converged into a single point, revealing the figures of three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.
Glancing at the bones on the ground, Uncle Wu sighed, "These desperate outlaws are getting bolder and bolder."
Uncle Yue frowned and said, "Their strength is increasing as well. Last time it was only a few Qi Refinement thieves, but this time even Foundation Establishment cultivators have appeared. Judging by the magical tools they use, they don't look like mere rogue cultivators; they are likely connected to several surrounding cultivation clans. Wealth truly stirs the heart! It seems we must abandon this Divine Artifact Pavilion. What a pity..."
Uncle Dong snorted coldly, "Next time, we shall invite several Senior Brothers to come out of seclusion and wash the surrounding cultivation clans of Mount You in blood. We'll see which other clowns dare to jump out!"
...
Under the night sky, the light of the flying shuttle streaked through the air like lightning.
The three uncles were positioned in a Three Talents formation, jointly controlling the shuttle, while Qin Sang and the others remained in the center.
Enveloped by the遁光 (escape light), Qin Sang felt neither the jolting nor the freezing wind. The mountains and plains below passed by like fleeting shadows, stirring memories from his previous life.
Such incredible speed. Qin Sang envied the capabilities of Foundation Establishment cultivators immensely, but for now, he could only focus on hard cultivation.
In front of others, Qin Sang did not dare to take out his Soul Pill to assist his cultivation. His Five Elements Spiritual Root lived up to its reputation; after one full cycle, only a negligible trace of spiritual energy had accumulated in his body. Rather than wasting time, he decided to take this opportunity to practice incantations instead.
Complex incantations required not only the chanting of spells but also the coordination of hand seals.
Qin Sang had thought himself clever enough to learn them easily, but to his surprise, the incantations were all convoluted and difficult, filled with strange rhymes and interspersed with obscure ancient tones and cryptic jargon.
That was one thing, but every time he recited a line, he had to maintain close coordination between his divine sense, hand seals, and spiritual energy, which left him in a frantic mess. Only then did he realize that cultivation was truly not that simple.
For now, he could only stammer through the incantations of the "Cloud Escaping Method"; he couldn't dream of casting spells with them in the short term.
Even if he could barely release an incantation, such a long casting time would be useless in actual combat; he would be killed by his opponent before the spell was even ready.
To be able to move at will and strike in an instant required long-term, bitter practice, which would inevitably conflict with his cultivation technique.
The shuttle sped along for three days. Qin Sang estimated that the distance covered in these three days was several times the distance he had traveled through hard work in an entire year.
A glimpse was enough to see the whole; this was the gap between the immortal and the mortal.
Though Mount You was experiencing the biting chill of spring, the winter snow had already melted. After the shuttle flew a certain distance, one could see withered vegetation and the white earth still remaining; as they moved further north, they encountered frozen plains and swirling snow.
In the early hours of the fourth day, the shuttle suddenly plummeted. Qin Sang and the others were startled awake. After the initial shock, they realized their sect had finally arrived, and their faces filled with anticipation.
Before long, Qin Sang felt a weight beneath his feet. The escape light surrounding them dissipated, and the flying shuttle shrank to the size of a palm, falling into Uncle Dong's hand to be stored away.
Seeing the scene before him, Qin Sang's heart sank.
In every direction lay vast, desolate snowfields, devoid of human life.
The snow-capped mountains stretched endlessly, with jagged peaks piercing the sky and thousand-foot cliffs. Clouds swirled around the mountainsides, while beneath them lay bottomless abysses, shrouded in a gloomy mist that never dissipated.
This mountain looked like a sharp sword thrust upward from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, pointing toward the heavens.
The barren mountains were covered in white snow, with not a single plant in sight. The exposed rocks were a pitch-black color that epitomized desolation.
There were no imagined pavilions, winding streams, or lush greenery filled with birdsong and flowers; there were only a few cave dwellings carved into the cliffs, their doors blocked by snow, looking incredibly primitive and meager.
This mountain, filled with desolation and loneliness, was his sect?
Seeing the stunned expressions on Qin Sang and the others, Uncle Yue said with a smile, "The Kuiyin Sect lacks any semblance of immortal elegance. Are you all very disappointed?"
Everyone's gaze shifted in unison toward Uncle Yue. No one dared to say it aloud, but their eyes clearly conveyed the sentiment.
Uncles Dong and Wu flew toward the mountain peak using their magical tools, but Uncle Yue led Qin Sang and the others down into the valley below.
"Now that you have stepped through the gates of cultivation, grand scenery, fine food, and even parents and friends are merely external things. Only that which helps you increase your cultivation is real... Feel the difference between here and the outside."
As he spoke, Uncle Yue opened a gap in the escape light. A freezing wind rushed at them, making Qin Sang shiver. He hurriedly circulated his spiritual energy to drive away the cold, only to hear gasps of surprise around him.
At that moment, Qin Sang also sensed it: upon entering the territory of the Kuiyin Sect, the spiritual energy in the world had become incredibly dense.
For cultivators, the density of the surrounding spiritual energy directly affects the speed of cultivation. However, most blessed lands had already been carved up by cultivation sects and great families; only wealthy rogue cultivators could afford to use spirit stones to set up Spirit Gathering Arrays to assist their training.
The spiritual energy in the Kuiyin Sect was so dense that this place likely contained legendary spirit veins or spirit springs. This was the foundation of a cultivation sect.
Uncle Yue was right; compared to the dense spiritual energy, mere beautiful scenery was nothing.
Uncle Yue led them into the valley, soon reaching the top of the mist. Unexpectedly, he showed no intention of stopping and was eventually swallowed by the fog, obscuring their vision.
After descending for some time, Uncle Yue finally halted his sword light. Qin Sang landed on solid ground and looked around, realizing they were on a stone bridge beside a cliff.
The stone bridge was narrow, and they stood right at the edge of the precipice with a bottomless abyss below. A timid senior brother clung tightly to the rock wall, his face pale.
Qin Sang looked around and found that the entire cliffside had been carved with similar stone bridges, paths, and steps. The stone bridges connected various cave dwellings; some doors were tightly shut, while others stood wide open, yet there wasn't a single soul around.
Standing here, Qin Sang felt as if he were in an ice cellar. The thick mist never dissipated, leaving the place in perpetual darkness, and the yin winds from the depths whistled through the cracks in one's bones. Only a cultivator could barely endure this.
In a place like this, no matter how dense the spiritual energy, it would be difficult to cultivate.
"Follow me..." Uncle Yue said, stepping toward a cave dwelling at the end of the stone bridge. The others hurried to follow.
Upon reaching the cave, Uncle Yue waved his hand, releasing a streak of golden light. The stone door opened automatically. As the group followed him inside, the chill was instantly banished, revealing that the interior was a world unto itself.
The cave was simply furnished with a stone bed, a prayer mat, and an incense altar.
Behind the altar hung a portrait of an old man in black robes, standing amidst the clouds, looking as ethereal as an immortal.
Uncle Yue walked to the altar, lit an incense stick, and bowed to the portrait. Turning to see Qin Sang and the others standing solemnly, he nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile, "From this day forward, you are disciples of the Kuiyin Sect. The Kuiyin Sect was founded by our Ancestor, the Venerable Kuiyin. First, you shall pay your respects to the Ancestor."