Chapter 437: Zhitian Peak

The white-robed man glanced back. "What a pity that I was injured, and Daoist Wu fell victim first. Otherwise, with the three of us joining forces, it wouldn’t have been difficult to take him down. Comprehending Sword Qi Thunderclap at the Foundation Building Realm—he will surely become a grave threat in the future. He has remained hidden all this time. Do you think he will follow us?"

Luo let out a cold snort and slightly adjusted the ship's course. "Senior Brother Liu and the others are not far ahead. If he dares to follow, he can leave his life behind!"

...

Seeing the ship retreat, Qin Sang paused for a moment before continuing his withdrawal.

The distance between them grew larger and larger until the boat completely vanished from his sight.

Qin Sang did not pursue them.

The enemy’s numbers were not large, and one of the two late-stage Foundation Building cultivators was injured. If he found the right opportunity, there was a chance to eliminate them all.

But this was not the place for a prolonged fight. If he failed to take them down quickly and encountered another squad from the Tianxing Alliance, he would be in serious trouble.

If the enemy had not been intimidated by his earlier strike and had persisted in their pursuit, he might have considered trying again.

Since they had chosen to retreat, Qin Sang decided to let them go.

After observing for a while and confirming that the Tianxing Alliance had indeed withdrawn, Qin Sang surfaced. He summoned the Nether Cloud and flew toward Mu Yifeng.

Before long, he spotted Mu Yifeng’s unstable evasion light.

"Senior Brother Mu!"

Qin Sang caught hold of the utterly exhausted Mu Yifeng and tossed him a bottle of spiritual pills. "They’ve fled. Quickly, get on and take the pills to recuperate. I’ll stand guard for you."

"Junior Brother Qin, thank you for saving my life!"

Mu Yifeng turned to look, and sure enough, the ship was nowhere to be seen.

Having narrowly escaped death, he felt both relief and exhaustion. His entire body was on the verge of collapse, and his Qihai and meridians were in a terrible state; only his sheer willpower had kept him going until now.

Knowing this was not the time for courtesy, he climbed onto the Nether Cloud, took the pills, and entered meditation to heal.

Qin Sang rode the cloud, skimming just above the water’s surface, flying swiftly toward the herb garden.

As he delved deeper into Small Cold Domain’s territory, he encountered no further enemies.

He had no idea how the battle was unfolding, but he sensed imminent danger. He had already made up his mind—once he returned to the herb garden, he would gather all the spiritual herbs, seal the barriers, and flee the area.

At the very least, he needed to wait for the situation to stabilize before considering a return.

Curious, he glanced at Mu Yifeng. He had attended every trade fair, staying closely informed about the situation.

There has been no signs of an impending battle before, so why has chaos suddenly erupted?

As they neared the herb garden, Mu Yifeng finally regained consciousness, though his injuries had yet to fully heal.

"Junior Brother Qin!"

Mu Yifeng stood up and bowed solemnly. "Great kindness needs no words of thanks!"

Qin Sang pressed him back down. "Senior Brother Mu, you're too courteous. I’m stationed at a herb garden just ahead. You are still injured, why not continue your recovery there?"

Mu Yifeng’s eyes lit up with realization. "So Junior Brother has been stationed at a herb garden here! After returning to my sect from Xuanlu Stronghold, I had just broken through to the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm when I received orders to patrol this area alongside Senior Brother Kuang. If I had known earlier, I would have sought you out sooner to catch up!"

"I’ve only been here for less than two years. I attended a few trade fairs but rarely ventured out, so I had no idea you were nearby."

With that, Qin Sang recounted what he had seen at the latest trade fair. "How did you and Senior Brother Kuang end up getting stuck with the Tianxing Alliance? Were you also with Senior Fang...?"

Unlike Xiong Li, Mu Yifeng was straightforward. "That’s right. Recently, we received orders to act alongside Senior Fang and the others. They were searching for something called Zhitian Peak, saying there had been signs of its emergence. As for what it actually is, I’m not sure. Somehow, our tracks were exposed. The Tianxing Alliance secretly gathered their forces and ambushed us when we were returning, catching us off guard..."

Mu Yifeng was candid with Qin Sang, holding nothing back.

Yet, after hearing everything, Qin Sang was still baffled. This was the first time he had heard the name Zhitian Peak. It sounded like a mountain, but why was it so significant that it had drawn both sides' Core Formation experts into battle?

Since the appearance of the Spirit Tide's signs, both sides had engaged in skirmishes, but the casualties had been limited to Foundation Building cultivators. Until now, no Core Formation expert had openly taken action.

Qin Sang pressed for more details and learned that alongside the Core Formation experts, more than a dozen Fake Core cultivators had also participated. Had it not been for the Tianxing Alliance’s treacherous ambush, they would not have suffered such losses.

For so many high-level cultivators to be mobilized, Zhitian Peak had to be something extraordinary!

This only strengthened Qin Sang’s resolve to leave.

Mu Yifeng asked Qin Sang about their flight direction before saying, "Junior Brother Qin, I have military orders and must return to Stargazing Island to report the enemy’s movements."

At the trade fairs, Qin Sang had heard of Stargazing Island before.

It was the island where Core Formation cultivators from various sects were stationed, serving as the command center overseeing the situation in the Yuncang Marshlands and coordinating the resistance against the Tianxing Alliance.

All military orders originated from this island.

Despite the many rumors surrounding it, the location of Stargazing Island was highly secretive—only those in the patrol squads knew of its whereabouts. It was only through Mu Yifeng that Qin Sang finally learned its precise location.

It lay northeast of the herb garden, surprisingly close.

Since Mu Yifeng’s injuries had not yet healed, he was in no condition to travel alone. However, Qin Sang had no intention of heading to Stargazing Island at this time.

If war broke out, the island would undoubtedly become the epicenter of the conflict.

Rushing there now was too unpredictable—who knew what could happen? He still wished to cultivate in peace for a few more years.

"When I return to the herb garden, I’ll harvest the spiritual herbs with Junior Brother Xie Ying and leave this place. Senior Brother Mu, why not continue traveling with me? Once we are near Stargazing Island, your injuries should have stabilized enough for you to head there safely."

Mu Yifeng saw no reason to refuse and readily agreed.

As he continued meditating to heal, Mu Yifeng asked about Qin Sang’s experiences over the years.

Qin Sang omitted anything related to his personal secrets. After some casual conversation, they delved into discussions about cultivation insights.

As the herb garden came into view, Qin Sang thought of Yu Yangzi and the others. They had once been on good terms. When he first entered Xuanlu Stronghold, Yu Yangzi had looked after him, helping him establish his footing.

However, both had become engrossed in their cultivation, and after parting ways, they had lost contact.

Qin Sang then asked, "Senior Brother Mu, how is Senior Brother Yu Yangzi and the others who stayed behind at Xuanlu Stronghold?"

Unexpectedly, Mu Yifeng’s expression darkened. He let out a long sigh and said, "Senior Brother Yu Yangzi remained in Xuanlu Stronghold, serving as one of the Xuanlu Guards. Twenty years ago, he was ordered to lead a squad outside the stronghold to clear out Cloud Beasts... Junior Brother, you know the state of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield nowadays. After venturing out, Senior Brother Yu Yangzi and his squad were ambushed by a horde of Cloud Beasts... None of them made it back."

Qin Sang’s expression froze.

To hear of Yu Yangzi again, only to learn of his tragic fate.

The Nether Cloud fell into silence. Both Qin Sang and Mu Yifeng lost the will to continue the conversation, lapsing into wordless contemplation.

A long time passed before a heavy sigh finally broke the stillness.