Qin Sang sat up abruptly, grabbing a spirit stone and absorbing it into his palm. He was about to stride out when he suddenly paused, pressing a hand against his chest—the wooden carving was hidden there.
Granny Jing had told him that the wooden carving could not be stored in a Mustard Seed Pouch and had to be carried on his person.
Fortunately, no matter how one looked at it, it was just an ordinary peachwood carving. If someone asked about it, Qin Sang could easily explain.
Cultivation wasn’t about severing all ties to the mortal world, nor about erasing emotions and desires. Immortal cultivators were, at their core, just mortals who had gained great power. At least, Foundation Building cultivators were.
Who didn’t have something to hold onto?
After seeing how Granny Jing used her wooden carvings, Qin Sang recalled that years ago, during a transaction with the Le Sisters, he had purchased a peachwood sword from Granny Jing’s shop as part of her payment.
Just like the other carvings, there was nothing visibly unusual about the peachwood sword.
Does it also possess some hidden power?
There were many tales in the cultivation world about powerful figures disguising themselves, leaving behind opportunities for the fated.
Only when those fated individuals encountered great peril would they realize the true value of the gift they had received—saving their lives and allowing them to rise to greatness.
These stories were widely circulated in the cultivation world.
But unfortunately, Qin Sang had thought too much. Granny Jing had explicitly stated that all the carvings in her shop were ordinary; the sword Qin Sang had bought was no exception.
The only unique trait of her carvings was that they were crafted using her special technique, making them valuable only to mortal sculptors, who, upon seeing them, might experience a surge in artistic skill.
Securing the wooden carving, Qin Sang took a deep breath, then stepped out of his cave dwelling, riding the clouds toward Stargazing Island.
On the way, he encountered Senior Brother Rong again.
Senior Brother Rong’s expression was solemn, and he seemed uninterested in conversation.
The two simply exchanged brief greetings before flying toward Stargazing Island in silence.
When they arrived, they waited briefly before all thirty-three gathered experts arrived one after another. The island fell into a deathly silence. Everyone took their designated positions, without the slightest interest in idle chatter.
After a short wait, a sudden light flared from the depths of Stargazing Island. Then, five streaks of evasion light shot toward them.
The first among them was none other than Snake Granny.
Beside her was Vice Island Master Xiao, and the remaining three were all late-stage Core Formation cultivators.
"Daoist Xiao and I will go ahead. The rest of you will gather the remaining cultivators and follow after us," Snake Granny’s voice echoed.
"Understood!"
With that, the three other Core Formation cultivators quickly dispersed, flying toward the righteous sects, demonic sects, and rogue cultivators.
"Get on!"
Snake Granny waved her hand, and the snake bracelet on her wrist detached, expanding into a giant python. Its vertical pupils glowed with a chilling light as it swept its gaze across Qin Sang and the others.
Everyone secretly held their breath. Without hesitation, they activated their evasion techniques and carefully landed on the python’s back.