Concealing his aura and hiding his traces, Ling Yunhe wove his way through the jumble of rocks.
With so many people present, it wasn't that no one wanted to use him to locate Mo Tiange and the others. He had to be extremely careful to shake off any tails.
Weaving left and right, darting forward and back, the terrain within Carefree Valley was complex. Combined with Ling Yunhe's deliberate efforts to hide his tracks, it didn't take long before he had shaken off all those secretly keeping watch. Just as he was about to leave with a sigh of relief, he suddenly sensed a presence approaching, and a voice called out, "Fellow Daoist Ling, wait."
The voice was familiar. Ling Yunhe turned in surprise to see Yang Chengji emerge from the rocky maze. It took him some time to locate Ling Yunhe's position before he slowly walked over, his face still expressionless and indifferent.
"Fellow Daoist Yang?" Ling Yunhe frowned slightly.
Yang Chengji nodded. "Fellow Daoist Ling, are you going to rendezvous with Fellow Daoist Tiancan and Fellow Daoist Mo?"
There was nothing to hide about this. Ling Yunhe replied, "Indeed. Does Fellow Daoist Yang have some advice?"
"Take me with you," Yang Chengji said.
Ling Yunhe was taken aback. It was no secret that during the twenty years the Guixu Sea Immortal Palace was closed, Yang Chengji had been with Mo Tiange and the others. Presumably, they had shared hardships and forged a bond. However, to just bring him along without notice...
"Fellow Daoist Ling can send a message to ask them. If they disagree, I won't insist."
Ling Yunhe thought for a moment, then retrieved a message talisman from his robes. He spoke a few words into it and sent it off. Not long after, the talisman returned with their reply: Bring him.
"Let's go," Ling Yunhe said. "They've agreed."
Soon after, Ling Yunhe brought Yang Chengji before the four of them.
Compared to years past, Yang Chengji no longer resembled a demonic cultivator at all. His body only emitted a dense yet perfectly restrained demonic aura. His face, as youthful as a teenager's, was handsome and elegant, though pale and thin. Those unaware would mistake him for a youth newly entered into the demonic path, not a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator.
After exchanging greetings and introducing Xiaofeng and Feifei, Yang Chengji dispensed with pleasantries and got straight to the point. "If you wish to return from this journey safely, it will be very difficult."
Mo Tiange was startled. "What do you mean, Fellow Daoist Yang?"
Yang Chengji didn't answer, instead turning to look at Ling Yunhe.
Ling Yunhe gave a bitter smile and briefly described the earlier situation. "They harbor hostility towards me. Even the Jiuyan Sect no longer trusts me."
On the surface, the Jiuyan Sect had temporarily stopped questioning him, but the fact that they had sent Senior Brother Yuan spoke volumes. This Senior Brother Yuan was a clansman of Perfected One Yuanmu.
Mo Tiange sighed. "Fellow Daoist Ling, we've implicated you."
Ling Yunhe shook his head calmly. "It was my own choice." He hadn't betrayed the Jiuyan Sect; it was just that the sect couldn't understand him for the time being.
"And you, Fellow Daoist Yang? What exactly do you want from us..." Qin Xi's question trailed off.
Yang Chengji's lips quirked slightly, resembling a smile. "Since I've come to find you, naturally I stand on your side."
The others were stunned. Although the five of them joining forces was not weak, it was nothing compared to the multitude of Nascent Soul cultivators present. Yang Chengji was actually choosing to join them under these circumstances?
"Compared to them, I trust you more," Yang Chengji said. "During those twenty-odd years in the Guixu Sea, I was the weakest, yet I escaped safely. That shows you all are people of your word. If not for that, I wouldn't have come to join this commotion."
"Then what do you seek, Fellow Daoist Yang?" Qin Xi asked again.
Yang Chengji's gaze fell upon Nie Wushang. "I want to know the origin of the Origin Demon Great Art."
Nie Wushang's eyes flickered, but she said nothing.
It was clear Yang Chengji was determined. The five of them simply each stated their position. Jing Xingzhi and Qin Xi reserved their opinions, while Mo Tiange, Nie Wushang, and Ling Yunhe agreed. Thus, Yang Chengji was accepted into their group.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, there's something you should know first," Mo Tiange said seriously. "The Origin Demon Stone Tablet in the Xuanwu Ritual Temple is likely the one in Wushang's possession. If you wish to trace the origin of the Origin Demon Great Art through it, it would be better to exchange research with Wushang. Going to the Xuanwu Ritual Temple might yield nothing."
Yang Chengji's expression remained utterly impassive. "If that is truly the case, I will not make any further demands."
With that settled, a new alliance was formed, and they laid out the situation plainly.
"Among these cultivators," Mo Tiange began, counting on her fingers according to the list Ling Yunhe provided, "Demon Lord Yeshuang has history with us, and there's nothing in the ritual temple that interests her. She should give us face. As for Juewu, he's not the type to pick fights. Even though I killed his junior brother in the past, he could still distinguish right from wrong. These two basically won't become enemies. Demon Lord Yueying and Han Shizhi—needless to say, they have grudges against us and likely won't let matters rest. As for Nan Guitian and Old Donkey Ma, they're opportunists. If there's no conflict of interest, fine. But if profit is at stake, they'll probably turn on us without hesitation..." She counted and recounted, but the hostile parties still outnumbered the others.
Yang Chengji's face remained cold. "It's already not bad. Over the past few decades, your cultivation has advanced greatly. With the six of us joining forces, unless two or more late-Nascent Soul cultivators team up, the others are nothing to worry about."
Yang Chengji appeared very confident. He believed that with his own strength, plus the Heavenly Demon Tower, he could suppress an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. As for the strength of Mo Tiange, Qin Xi, and Jing Xingzhi, he knew it well. Back then, Qin Xi and Jing Xingzhi joining forces could contend with a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, let alone now that Jing Xingzhi and Mo Tiange had both advanced to the mid-stage. As for Nie Wushang, although this was their first meeting since her Core Formation, he knew the power of the Origin Demon Great Art. And Ling Yunhe—he was a genius disciple of the Jiuyan Sect to begin with, and with the God-Restricting Bead in hand, if he went all out, he wouldn't be much weaker than Yang Chengji. With a lineup like theirs, if they couldn't take the initiative among these Nascent Soul cultivators, then what face did they have to consider themselves superior to ordinary cultivators?
"And us!" Feifei said lazily from the side.
"..." Yang Chengji automatically ignored him. Xiaofeng was one thing; she was an eighth-rank demonic cultivator with a noble bloodline and could be of help. But Feifei hadn't even passed his transformation tribulation yet. When the time came, they'd probably have to stuff him into a spirit beast pouch.
After discussing the possibilities a few more times, the group finally set off again.
Feifei transformed into his true form, leading the way while telling them about what he had seen back then.
"...That ritual temple isn't much to talk about. However, the surrounding terrain is rather special. It might take some effort."
"What kind of terrain?" Jing Xingzhi asked.
Too lazy to explain, Feifei replied in a poor tone, "You'll know when we get there. Why so many questions?"
His tone made Jing Xingzhi's hands itch. "You really don't know your place as a spirit beast, do you? As a spirit beast, you should speak to humans with reverence and politeness, understand?"
Feifei paused, then directly lifted a hind leg, mimicking a dog relieving itself as a gesture of contempt.
Jing Xingzhi exclaimed upon seeing this, "You're acting like a hooligan? As a spirit beast, you're acting like a hooligan towards humans? Never mind there being women here, there's even a female beast present. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Ahem." Xiaofeng tucked her sleeves and stood far away, indicating this had nothing to do with her.
For goodness' sake, even if she was female, she was avian, and Feifei was a beast—different species, okay? Besides, she could practically be Feifei's grandmother...
After walking for a while, Feifei suddenly stopped, sniffed the air, and let out a series of "woof woof" sounds, as if calling to something.
"Roar! Roar!" As his sounds faded, other noises echoed from the surroundings.
Feifei called again, and the sounds answered in harmony. The two called and answered back and forth until, not long after, the other party finally lowered its guard. A massive figure emerged step by step from the stone forest.
The figure was terrifyingly large. Before it, the six of them seemed like tiny ants, looking up in awe.
Three-Headed Giant Ape. Among those present, four had personally witnessed this Three-Headed Giant Ape years ago. Its body was entwined with the Three Qi, making it impervious to blades and spears, and difficult to affect with spells.
"Stone!" Feifei lifted his head and called out.
The Three-Headed Giant Ape stopped before them. Its huge eyes stared at Feifei for a moment before extending a palm and placing it in front of him.
Feifei kicked off the ground and leaped onto the palm, then was lifted onto the giant ape's shoulder.
"Hmm..." The Three-Headed Giant Ape blinked, tilting its head to look at Feifei on its shoulder. Feifei possessed a miraculous ability—no matter how ferocious the beast, it would never harbor ill will towards him.
The two beasts rubbed heads affectionately and communicated in their beast language for quite some time before Feifei turned around. He said, "Let's go. Stone will take us there."
The first time they came to Carefree Valley, it was Stone who led Feifei over. Otherwise, they would never have discovered that a ritual temple was hidden here.
Stone seemed to understand. It raised its head and roared a few times before leading the group through the chaotic rocks.
Only those who had entered Carefree Valley knew just how chaotic its terrain was—one moment spiritual qi, the next demonic qi, then foul qi. Stone, however, paid it no mind. It was itself a monster born from the mixture of the Three Qi; none of the individual qi types affected it. And these qi types weren't significant enough to trouble Nascent Soul cultivators either. For a time, their progress was swift, and before long, they ducked into a certain cave.
The party traveled through the pitch-black cave. Mo Tiange took out the Heaven and Earth Fan, using the moonstone mother on its tassel to provide light.
Soon, the scene within the cave began to change. Sections of ice protruded from the soil. At first, they were just tiny fragments, but as they went deeper, they became more and more numerous until the surroundings were covered in ice walls. It was as if they had walked into a world of ice and snow.
"So beautiful," Xiaofeng couldn't help but exclaim, gazing at the crystalline ice formations and jade-like ice walls.
Passing through one ice cavern after another, they gradually heard the sound of flowing water. A winding stream slowly appeared beneath their feet. The stream grew larger and larger until, at the end, they stood before a massive underground river.
Listening to the roar of the water and watching the turbulent waves, the six of them were somewhat dumbfounded.
"This... there's actually a river?"
Actually, a river itself wasn't strange. What was peculiar was that this river gathered the Three Qi, with death qi being the most prominent.
"How do we proceed?" Mo Tiange asked. With their cultivation, they could certainly cross directly, but that would consume a significant amount of spiritual energy. Moreover, if they were accidentally entangled by death qi, it would be troublesome.
"Roar! Roar!" The Three-Headed Giant Ape raised its head and roared.
Feifei said, "Stone will carry us across."
The Three-Headed Giant Ape casually knocked a large chunk of floating ice from the ice wall and tossed it into the river.
The six humans and one beast watched for a good while. Feifei, crouched on the giant ape's shoulder, grew impatient. "Hurry up!"
After a moment's hesitation, the group gritted their teeth and jumped onto the floating ice chunk.
The Three-Headed Giant Ape pushed the floating ice and stepped into the river.