Drafts being written RN

The main ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pill cannot be cultivated by oneself but are obtained from the secret realm deep within the ancient battlefield of immortals.

"Legend has it that the great war between the ancient immortals destroyed heaven and earth, and the spiritual power of this world is no longer as abundant as before. Even the cultivation of immortals has become more difficult. These rare spiritual medicines have very strict environmental requirements for growth, which is why they are becoming increasingly scarce. Nowadays, the easiest place to find spiritual medicines in our Xiaohan Territory is deep within the ancient battlefield of immortals. There are some ancient immortal caves and forbidden places, which few people have ventured into. The main ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pills you took were found in one of these ancient forbidden places controlled by our sect, which is why they are so rare."

Uncle Wen warned Qin Sang, "The depths of the ancient battlefield are extremely dangerous. There are countless perils, and even our sect has paid a price to control these ancient forbidden lands. Many weaker sects have managed to find a place, but they lack the ability to break the bans and enter. Without sufficient defenses, they are vulnerable. Even a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage would die if they were careless. As a low-level cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, you should not dream of going there."

Qin Sang, who had little hope for the path of alchemy, knew he could not catch up with others even if he practiced with all his might. He understood that if he allowed himself to be distracted, there would be no hope of immortality in this life. Therefore, he didn't dwell too long on his disappointment and instead decided to voice his true purpose.

When Qin Sang expressed his desire to borrow the waist badge, Uncle Wen didn't refuse outright. He pondered for a moment before saying, "You are not my nephew. Although the sect has not explicitly prohibited it, it is not simple for you to take the waist badge directly."

Qin Sang had already prepared the spirit stone and was trying to gauge whether Uncle Wen's words had any hidden meaning. Unexpectedly, Uncle Wen changed his tone and said, "It just so happens that I have something on hand, and I don't have time to find someone else. You can take care of it for me. When you return, I will reward you with the waist badge and ensure that no one else hears about it."

Hearing this, Qin Sang was both happy and concerned. He was glad that he would save the spirit stone, but he worried that the task, which had garnered the attention of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and was personally assigned, might not be simple and could delay him. There was no need to worry about safety, however. His cultivation had risen, and he now had the Ebony Sword and Sun De's Ten Directions Yama Banner, both of which made him far stronger than ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. Even if he couldn't defeat the dangers, he could at least protect himself.

Just as Qin Sang was reflecting on this, Uncle Wen threw him a jade slip.

"The jade slip contains information about the ancient Yuan Kingdom, which falls under our sect's jurisdiction. The disciple stationed there is named Gu Tiannan, whose cultivation level is similar to yours. A few days ago, he reported that civilians had been disappearing in several places in the ancient Yuan Kingdom. Gu Tiannan later discovered that evil spirits were responsible, but he was no match for them. He has asked our sect for assistance. Go and see what you can do."

Qin Sang took the jade slip and checked it with his spiritual sense.

The ancient Yuan Kingdom was a small country. According to the jade slip, it was smaller than the Great Sui Dynasty and located in the southeast, near Yuncang Lake.

Generally, immortal sects rarely intervened in worldly affairs. Mortal kingdoms were typically governed by immortal families associated with the sects. For small, remote countries like the ancient Yuan Kingdom, there were no nearby immortal families, and so only one or two disciples would be sent to guard it.

Gu Tiannan, stationed in the ancient Yuan Kingdom, was a local. After joining Shaohua Mountain, he failed to break through the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage before the age of 40 due to poor talent. He eventually gave up his pursuit of immortality and chose to return home to protect the area.

Because of its remote location, the ancient Yuan Kingdom had suffered many demonic disturbances, all of which had been handled properly by Gu Tiannan. He had also asked his master for help several times when needed. The jade slip's evaluation of him was mostly positive.

After sending Qin Sang away, Uncle Wen whispered, "If you are thoughtful and efficient, you can be relied on in the future."

It seemed that Uncle Wen had already concluded that Qin Sang had no hope of Foundation Establishment.

The Capital of the Ancient Yuan Kingdom, Zecheng

Upon suddenly returning to the mortal world from the secluded immortal sect, seeing the bustling crowds and feeling the familiar secular atmosphere, Qin Sang couldn't help but feel dazed and nostalgic. He then realized that he had been away from the Sui Dynasty for ten years.

Taoist Priest Jixin, Mingyue, Princess Dongyang, Bai Jianglan, Wu Chuanzong, Water Monkey...

Familiar faces flashed through his mind. For ordinary people, ten years could turn a child into a teenager, and a strong middle-aged man into someone gray-haired.

He wondered if he would have the chance to meet them again in this life.

Quickly shaking off his chaotic thoughts, Qin Sang regained his composure. He squeezed through the crowded street, found a bun shop, ate several large meat buns, and then walked toward the East City of Zecheng.

On Xianglong Mountain, outside the East City, there stood a Taoist temple called Huilong Temple. It was a small place, with only two masters and apprentices. It couldn't compare to other temples that had prosperous incense offerings. Apart from nearby villagers, few knew of it.

As Qin Sang walked along the mountain road, memories of Qingyang Temple surfaced. Though those memories seemed mundane, they were deeply embedded in his heart, perhaps because they represented the most peaceful and tranquil time he had experienced in this world.

The Taoist temple had no pilgrims. Since this was the immortal residence of his fellow senior brother, Qin Sang paid his respects and gently knocked on the door.

After a while, the door opened, revealing a fair-looking young man who peered out.

Qin Sang saw that the young man was also a cultivator, and his cultivation was at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage. "You are Gu Yuan, Senior Brother Gu's disciple, right? My name is Qin Sang. My sect received a letter from Senior Brother Gu and sent me here."

Upon hearing this, the young man immediately opened the door and bowed, "Gu Yuan greets Uncle Qin. My master is burning incense and meditating in the quiet room. Please follow me to the guest room for tea. I will invite my master."

Qin Sang had no objections. After sitting in the guest room for a while, he heard hurried footsteps and quickly stood up. A white-haired old Taoist entered, his eyes lighting up when he saw Qin Sang.

"This is Junior Brother Qin, right?"

"Senior Brother Gu, I am Qin Sang."

Qin Sang bowed and secretly studied Senior Brother Gu Tiannan. According to the jade slip, he was over a hundred years old, with silver hair and an alarmingly pale face.

For some reason, when he looked at Senior Brother Gu's face, he felt an uncomfortable sensation.

Was he afraid that he might end up like this in the future?

Qin Sang couldn't help but silently laugh at himself.

"Junior Brother Qin, please take a seat," Gu Tiannan said kindly, taking Qin Sang's arm. "You have such a high cultivation level at such a young age. Your future is indeed promising!"

Qin Sang, eager to return to the mountain gate and report, was not in the mood for pleasantries. He asked directly, "Senior Brother Gu, do you know where the evil spirit is hiding? When do you plan to take action?"

Gu Tiannan stroked his long beard and replied, "I truly regret troubling you, Junior Brother Qin, but the evil spirit is so powerful that I've been forced to do nothing. Now that we have your help, I'm confident that we'll be able to force the evil spirit into submission!"