"The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Mountain Protection Array is the Tier Three Top-Grade Ten Thousand Ghosts Fierce Soul Formation. It uses nine Tier Three Ghost Kings as its foundation. Over thousands of years, countless powerful Divine Souls have been refined into Vengeful Ghosts and integrated into the Array. The number of Ghost Souls in the Array is far greater than ten thousand. At full power, it can transform a hundred-mile radius into a Ghostly Realm. Anyone with insufficient Cultivation who passes through will have their Soul torn out and become part of the Array."

Zhou Suqing spoke very slowly, as if she too were imagining the scene of Ancestor Ge Cang’s shocking actions.

"The Ancestor stood outside the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Mountain Gate without a word. Any Demon Cultivator who tried to enter or leave was struck by Divine Thunder from above and blasted to smithereens... For an entire month, not a single person came out of the Ghost Spirit Sect, and not one Cultivator was able to get in."

"Those few Core Formation Cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect wanted to use the power of the Array to fight the Ancestor again. But as soon as they left the Ten Thousand Ghosts Fierce Soul Formation, the Ancestor seized the opportunity and severely injured Daoist Hex. Only when another Core Formation Elder arrived from the Blood Demon Sect did the Ancestor finally leave the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Mountain Gate and return to our Sect today."

"The might of a single person could actually reach such heights..."

Bai Zichen was captivated, confident that he, too, could achieve such a feat after reaching Core Formation.

"With Ancestor Ge Cang’s divine might, the Ghost Spirit Sect surely won’t dare to offend Black Mountain again!"

"That’s right! We can finally have some peaceful days again, no more living in constant fear!"

Several Foundation Establishment Cultivators heaped praise on Ancestor Ge Cang’s strength, remaining optimistic about the future peace of Black Mountain.

This was especially true for the few Clan Cultivators. The absence of war was the best possible outcome for them; they had no intention of seeking revenge against the Ghost Spirit Sect.

’Peaceful days... I’m afraid we’re about to enter a time of great turmoil, with no peace in sight.’

Bai Zichen sneered inwardly. The war initiated by the Ghost Spirit Sect had started with a roar but ended with a whimper, culminating in Master Ge Cang blocking their gate and turning them into the laughingstock of the Liang Country’s Cultivation Realm.

But Master Ge Cang had once been victorious against four opponents at once, so it was impossible for the Ghost Spirit Sect to be unaware of his strength.

Since they dared to start a war, they must have had a counter-strategy prepared.

Recalling the scenes from Mo Changzhi’s Soul Search, Bai Zichen remembered that the Blood Demon Sect’s head disciple, Zhong Ge, had told Mo Changzhi he would come to Black Mountain with Treasures and a few Honored Guest Elders after he settled his affairs. But in the end, they never appeared. A flicker of understanding dawned on Bai Zichen.

’Could the Ghost Spirit Sect have been set up by the Blood Demon Sect? They were promised support, but the reinforcements fell short of expectations, preventing them from securing a swift victory. In the end, not only was the Qingfeng Sect’s strength depleted, but the Ghost Spirit Sect’s own power also plummeted, leaving them firmly bound to the Blood Demon Sect’s warship.’

Among the various Demon Path Sects in Liang Country, the Ghost Spirit Sect’s strength was considered top-tier, second only to the Blood Demon Sect.

Although they lacked a cultivator with pinnacle combat strength, their five Core Formation True Men were enough to intimidate any outsider.

Countless Sects struggled to survive with just a single Core Formation True Man, finding it nearly impossible to find a successor.

Thus, in the past, the Ghost Spirit Sect had been more of a partner than a subordinate to the Blood Demon Sect, often publicly complying with orders while privately defying them.

Perhaps in the eyes of Blood God True Man, whether the Ghost Spirit Sect could conquer the Qingfeng Sect was irrelevant; it was merely a convenient move on the board.

With a great enemy like Master Ge Cang, the Ghost Spirit Sect would now have to rely on the Blood Demon Sect and would not dare to have any disloyal thoughts.

Bai Zichen felt his speculation was highly probable. There might be some minor inaccuracies, but the general thrust of it had to be correct.

"Junior Brother Bai, the Sect originally wanted you to accompany me to the Mountain Gate for a meeting. However, given that the Blood Demon Sect’s Honored Guest Elder, Jiang Yuhua, has yet to appear, there are concerns he might still be hiding in Black Mountain. Therefore, it was decided that Ancestor Ge would bring a few senior brothers directly to Feiyue Lake. They also need to pay a formal visit to the two True Men of the Five Elements Sect to express their gratitude."

Zhou Suqing turned to find Bai Zichen and spoke to him directly.

"That would be for the best."

The possibility of Jiang Yuhua, a dignified Core Formation True Man, lingering in Black Mountain for half a year after the Ghost Spirit Sect’s army had withdrawn just to ambush him was extremely small.

But since the Sect had considered this possibility and it allowed him to avoid any danger, Bai Zichen naturally had no objections.

「Three days later.」

A Wind Shuttle slowly approached.

After their identities were verified, the Three Thousand Six Hundred Rings Water Smoke Array opened, its fully activated, high-alert state lowering to normal operational levels.

With Master Ge Cang present, there was no need to worry about Demon Cultivators lurking in the shadows to launch a sneak attack.

In the main hall on Lake Heart Island, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Feiyue Lake were present—a total of seven Sect Elders and eight Foundation Establishment Clan Cultivators.

From the Sect, Wei Dao and Dai Hui, two Great Cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection, were both present, accompanied by Deputy Sect Leader Gu Xisheng and Qi Yue.

As Qi Yue entered, he followed behind the others and gave Bai Zichen a wink.

But Bai Zichen’s gaze was fixed on the man in the lead.

This man wore a Fan Cloud Crown, a Hydration Suit, and hemp shoes, looking like an ordinary Daoist in his forties or fifties.

But a glance upward revealed a pair of profound eyes. His left eye contained a roiling, ceaseless Thunderbolt Ocean, while his right held a colossal Divine Wood that touched the heavens. The moment one saw those eyes, everything else faded away. He was by no means an ordinary Daoist.

This thin-faced Daoist was none other than Master Ge Cang.

After Master Ge Cang sat down, everyone paid their respects in turn.

"This calamity that has befallen our Sect, the fall of Senior Brother Yangg, the deaths of our Sect Disciples... the fault is mine..."

Master Ge Cang raised a hand to stop the disciples from speaking, his weathered voice filled with deep sorrow.

"I knew the Lotus Secret Realm would require a long time, yet I clung to false hope. Confident in my formidable Divine Techniques, I believed I could leave earlier than the others. I never imagined the Lotus Secret Realm’s fame was so well-deserved; it is truly an extraordinary place, not one to be left easily. Fortunately, our Sect Disciples were of one mind, fearless in the face of death, and with the aid of a brother Sect, we managed to preserve the legacy of our forefathers."

"The Ghost Spirit Sect... a mere buffoon. Within thirty years, I will reach the Late-Stage Core Formation, and I will pay another visit to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Grotto."

Master Ge Cang’s voice was resolute, filled with a powerful confidence that made everyone believe his words.

The Ten Thousand Ghosts Grotto was the location of the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Mountain Gate.

Every night, it was said that ten thousand ghosts would walk the earth there.

Before leaving for the Lotus Secret Realm, Master Ge Cang had a private conversation with Master Yangg. He was well aware that his senior brother had very little lifespan remaining.

Even without self-detonating his Golden Core, there was a high probability Master Yangg wouldn’t have lived to see his return from the Lotus Secret Realm.

But to die so heroically, leaving no corpse behind, and to self-detonate his Golden Core without even a trace of his Divine Soul remaining—it still caused him deep sorrow.

"This time, we only lost resources. The Sect is safe, and we killed many Demon Cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect. All of you have rendered great merit."

"We dare not accept the Ancestor’s praise. It is our duty to contribute to the Sect."

Several of the Sect Elders quickly rose, not daring to brazenly accept the credit.

This was especially true for the Elders stationed at Feiyue Lake. They had likely never even come face-to-face with a Demon Cultivator. Besides spending the past few years living in fear, they couldn’t honestly say they had made any contribution.

"Wei Dao and Dai Hui, you commanded the Illusion Moon Yin Yang Array and protected the Mountain Gate, keeping it unharmed. Zhou Suqing, you single-handedly controlled the Three Thousand Six Hundred Rings Water Smoke Array, holding back three Core Formation Demon Cultivators and rendering exceptional service. Bai Zichen, you slew numerous Demon Cultivators with your sword, achieving the highest combat merits, and then performed another great service by leading the two True Men from the Five Elements Sect into the array..."

Master Ge Cang named four people in succession—the very four who had played the greatest roles in this sect war.

"This pot of Ice-Fire Dragon Blood Wine is something I received in a trade with an Elder from the Holy Lotus Sect for an Ancient Treasure I acquired in the Lotus Secret Realm. It contains a hundred drops. The four of you shall divide it equally."

"This wine is made by mixing Qiu Dragon Essence Blood with ninety-nine types of Spirit Fruits and fermenting it for thirty years... First, it is placed in an ice cellar carved from Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade and refrigerated for fifteen years. It is then removed, thawed, and heated with the Great Sun True Flame. Drinking it invigorates your blood and qi and enhances your Essence."

"For the two of you at Foundation Establishment Perfection, this quarter of the Ice-Fire Dragon Blood Wine will essentially spare you the laborious process of polishing your Magical Power. It can directly purify your Liquid Magical Power to the minimum threshold for Core Formation, allowing you to condense True Essence."

"As for you two, refining a single drop of this Ice-Fire Dragon Blood Wine is equivalent to a year of bitter Cultivation... However, the wine is incredibly potent. It is best not to drink it in quick succession, lest you fall into a drunken stupor and sleep for several years."

With a flick of a delicate wine bottle, he poured the Spirit Wine inside, dividing it equally among four Jade Bottles.

Master Ge Cang flicked his fingers, and a Jade Bottle landed in each of their hands.

"Thank you for the Treasure, Junior Martial Uncle Ge."

The faces of Wei Dao and Dai Hui lit up with joy. By skipping the painstaking, slow-grind of purifying their Liquid Magical Power, they would have more time for other Core Formation preparations.

"Thank you for the Treasure, Ancestor."

Zhou Suqing’s voice trembled slightly. She was exceptionally talented, her Cultivation speed only slightly inferior to Wei Dao’s and on par with Dai Hui’s.

However, she’d had a difficult start in life. Her Spiritual Root was discovered late, so she began her Cultivation far too late, causing her to fall a step behind at every stage.

Now, with the Ice-Fire Dragon Blood Wine to accelerate the Refinement of her Magical Power and save her nearly twenty years, her hopes of reaching Core Formation had grown that much greater.

"Thank you for the Treasure, Junior Martial Uncle Ge."

Bai Zichen caught the Jade Bottle and put it away with great care.

Not long ago, he had been considering spending a fortune on a special Spirit Pill to advance his Cultivation. He never thought he would receive such a gift from Master Ge Cang today.

To him, the Ice-Fire Dragon Blood Wine was a priceless Treasure. More importantly, it was a perfect fit for his needs.

It was the Spiritual Object he needed most at his current stage; he wouldn’t trade it even for a Magical Treasure.

But at Bai Zichen’s form of address, all the Elders in the hall exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.

Even Wei Dao and Dai Hui looked at each other, a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Zhou Suqing was momentarily stunned, but then she smiled, relieved. ’Junior Brother Bai has already made the bold claim of aiming for the Nascent Soul realm, so what’s the big deal if he acts as if Core Formation is already within his grasp?’

Within the Qingfeng Sect, there was an unwritten rule regarding forms of address.

For instance, True Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples generally addressed Bai Zichen as Junior Martial Uncle Bai, while Stewards and Firework Daoists obediently called him Elder Bai.

This was because the former had a chance of reaching Foundation Establishment, while ninety-nine percent of the latter were destined to remain in the Qi Refining Stage, with little hope of ever attempting the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

One level higher, the same rule applied.

All Elders addressed a Core Formation True Man as "Ancestor" to show their respect, and not even the Sect Leader was an exception.

Only those who reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, earned the right to attempt Core Formation, and were at the very least candidates to become a Fake Pill Cultivator, were qualified to address a Core Formation True Man as "Junior Martial Uncle."

Bai Zichen was merely at the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment. Although everyone called him a Core Formation Seed and a prodigy of immense talent, it was not uncommon to see examples of cultivators who advanced rapidly in their early stages, only to get stuck at a bottleneck and be caught, surpassed, and left in the dust by those who started later.

His premature form of address was presumptuous and overstepped the unspoken rules.

’No matter how highly you think of yourself, you can’t just break the rules everyone in the Sect abides by.’

However, since Master Ge Cang did not voice any objection, the other Elders naturally did not dare to comment.

But in their hearts, they had all labeled Bai Zichen as a haughty and arrogant Sword Cultivator.