Passing by Yinshan Stronghold, Qin Sang recalled the Tan Brothers and Shi Hong.

Back then, he had given Tan Hao the Heavenly Corpse Talisman and the ice coffin to preserve Tan Jie’s life. Who would have thought that in Canglang Sea, he would one day reenact Tan Hao’s story himself?

A hundred years had passed; who among his old acquaintances could still be alive? Shi Hong had abandoned her cultivation and started anew. Even with her dual spiritual roots, it was unlikely she had achieved much since then.

Qin Sang was prepared for the possibility that what awaited him this time would be nothing more than a grave.

As for Tan Hao, if he had failed to form his core, his lifespan would have long run out. The struggle for a rogue cultivator to gather cultivation resources was something sect disciples could never truly comprehend.

Is he still here? Qin Sang wondered. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The cave dwelling was deep in the Shiwan Mountains, hidden within a desolate snow peak.

Qin Sang found the location from his memory and was surprised to see the dwelling still well concealed. It was even protected by a formidable defensive array. His mind stirred as he sent a strand of true essence into the array.

"Who’s there?" The array rippled, and a cautious voice echoed from within the cave.

Qin Sang frowned slightly. The voice did not sound like Tan Hao’s. After a brief thought, he called out, "This place once belonged to an old friend of mine, Daoist Tan Hao. May I ask if that Daoist is still here?"

"You know my father?" The cultivator inside sounded startled.

Qin Sang could sense a faint spiritual gaze discreetly probing him. He paid it no mind and asked in return, "You are Daoist Tan’s descendant?"

"Yes, my name is Tan Yi'en. Since you know this cave dwelling’s location and mentioned my father by name, you must have had a deep connection with him. However, I’ve met nearly all of Father’s old friends, and I’ve never once heard him mention you, Senior..." Tan Yi'en said hesitantly.

He didn’t recognize Qin Sang and didn’t dare to invite him in rashly. Qin Sang wasn’t wearing a mask, but he had used a secret technique to alter his appearance.

"Tan Yi'en..." Qin Sang murmured, repeating the name of Tan Hao’s descendant. A surge of emotion rose in his chest. "My surname is Qin. Your father and I were fellow disciples under Kuiyin Sect..."

"Qin... You’re Senior Uncle Qin!" Before Qin Sang could finish, Tan Yi'en suddenly shouted in surprise.

The array opened a passage, and a figure hurried out. He was a tall man, his build almost identical to Tan Hao’s.

Qin Sang looked him over carefully.

Tan Yi'en was at the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm. His brows and eyes carried some resemblance to Tan Hao’s, but his features were gentler, reminding Qin Sang of another familiar face—Shi Hong.

"Senior Uncle Qin, you were the one who saved my family’s lives. My parents often told me never to forget the kindness you showed us. I was rude just now to turn you away. Please forgive me!" Tan Yi'en’s voice trembled slightly as he bowed deeply.

Qin Sang waved his sleeve to stop him. "There’s no need for that! So your mother is Senior Sister Shi Hong?"

Tan Yi'en nodded repeatedly and respectfully invited Qin Sang inside the cave. Shi Hong had chosen not to return to her homeland, staying behind to continue cultivating while Tan Hao cared for her. Unexpectedly, that bond had turned into love.

Qin Sang nodded slightly. Upon entering, he found the cave dwelling had changed a lot. Its layout was now better suited for both living and cultivation.

He looked around and sensed no other presence. Frowning, he asked, "You live here alone? When I last saw your parents a hundred years ago, they were both alive. Are they still well?"

Tan Yi'en’s eyes dimmed. "My mother passed away a hundred years ago..."

He led Qin Sang into the inner room, where Shi Hong’s spirit tablet stood. Tan Yi'en told him about her life, which was much as Qin Sang had expected.

After losing her cultivation, Shi Hong never gave up. Yet human will could not overcome fate. Even with Tan Hao’s help, after years of arduous effort, she managed only to reach the eighth stage of the Qi Refining Realm and could progress no further. The Foundation Building Realm was beyond her reach.

Tan Hao and Shi Hong had depended on each other for years. Eventually, affection grew into love, and they married, giving birth to Tan Yi'en.

"Is Brother Tan still alive?" Qin Sang didn’t see Tan Hao’s spirit tablet or the ice coffin.

Tan Yi'en hesitated. "Father was determined to awaken my uncle. He said he had found a clue. After helping me reach the Foundation Building Realm, he took my uncle and left. Not long after, a letter came through a merchant guild, and then there was no more news. He never returned."

"A clue? What kind of clue?" Qin Sang’s expression changed, and he immediately asked in a low, urgent tone.

Before leaving back then, he had told Tan Hao about the connection between the Heavenly Corpse Talisman and Heavenly Corpse Sect.

Years ago, Qin Sang had stayed hidden in Qingyang Market, secretly investigating Heavenly Corpse Sect, but had found nothing. Did Tan Hao discover something about it?

"Father once said that saving my uncle was his responsibility alone. He didn’t want to burden me, so he rarely spoke of it. I only ever heard fragments." Tan Yi'en frowned, trying to recall. Then, following Qin Sang's wishes, he began recounting Tan Hao's story.

Tan Hao has actually succeeded in forming his core! Qin Sang was surprised.

"When the war broke out, my father volunteered to fight on the frontline. He went through countless deadly battles, earning great military merit. With the rewards from the Two-Domain Alliance, he advanced his cultivation. Before he left, he was only at the Fake Core Realm, but in his last letter, he said he had finally formed his core..." Tan Yi'en said softly.[1]

His father had never told him what happened on the battlefield, so he knew few details. But Qin Sang could easily imagine what Tan Hao must have endured.

When he himself had taken part in the war between Small Cold Domain and Tianxing Alliance, the scale and brutality of that conflict were already terrifying, and he had almost faced death multiple times. However, that still could not compare to the current war.

Tan Hao, as a rogue cultivator without backing, had come out of the deadly battlefield all by himself!

The suffering he endured was known only to him. Some rejoiced while others grieved. War brought disaster, yet it also created opportunities for a portion of immortal cultivators.

The most famous tale of all concerned the current sect leader of Devilish Qingyang Sect.

Back when Qin Sang infiltrated the sect to steal the Divine Qingyang Gale, that leader had only been at the late stage of the Core Formation Realm, and Devilish Qingyang Sect was steadily declining. Rumor held that his chances of reaching the Spiritual Infant Realm were slim.

Then war arrived. Somehow the sect leader gained a stroke of fortune and quickly distinguished himself, earning great military merit and breaking through to the Spiritual Infant Realm in one move.

Afterward, he led Devilish Qingyang Sect to rise as a major devilish sect, reclaiming its former glory.

Tan Hao’s path was similar. He had always been a rogue cultivator with no sect to shield him. All he could do was stake his life for battlefield merits to exchange for the resources needed to form his core.

Qin Sang had yet to see Mei Gu, but he assumed she had endured something similar.

"Father writes that he is leaving Small Cold Domain to infiltrate Sin Abyss and search for clues. He tells me to focus on cultivation and not let this distract me..." Tan Yi'en says, presenting Tan Hao’s letter with both hands.

After reading it, Qin Sang fell into thought. If that's true, then Heavenly Corpse Sect’s headquarters might not be in the Small Cold Domain at all. No wonder I have never found it!

He had operated only within Small Cold Domain and had not even gone to Tianxing Alliance.

Tan Hao, who had met cultivators from both Tianxing Alliance and Sin Abyss on the battlefield, might well have discovered something. Qin Sang had not expected to receive a lead on Heavenly Corpse Sect from Tan Hao of all people.

He asked Tan Yi'en to recall, in detail, every word Tan Hao had ever said about it.

1. The Two-Domain Alliance is the name given to the alliance between Small Cold Domain and Tianxing Alliance. ☜