Qin Yi gazed in the direction of Tian Shan.
As Tian Shan reached an altitude of over five thousand meters, soaring into the clouds and obscured by mist, Qin Yi saw only a vast expanse of white, resembling a snow-capped mountain.
He closed his eyes slightly and took a gentle breath, sensing the abundance of spiritual energy in the surroundings.
They were still at the foot of Tian Shan; if they went further in, the spiritual energy would be even denser.
Where spiritual energy was abundant, there was a high probability of nurturing rare treasures, including materials for setting up formations!
Qin Yi couldn't help but feel a sense of eagerness to ascend Tian Shan and explore.
However, with the current predicament of the Kongtong Sect, Wei He, Liu Anbang, and the others were all furious. Qin Yi found it difficult to bring up his desire to go to Tian Shan at that moment!
Luo Dexuan and Luo Yongnian felt the same way.
After a while, Wei He turned to Qin Yi and said, "Young friend Qin, if you need materials for setting up formations, go and search for them on Tian Shan yourself!"
"..."
Qin Yi's expression was one of surprise.
Wei He ignored his reaction and continued, "However, whether you can find them in the end will depend on your own luck! Although Tian Shan is rich in rare items, you know that treasures are often elusive. Even if they exist on Tian Shan, if you're unlucky, you might pass right by them without noticing!"
Qin Yi replied, "That is natural. If I cannot find them, it can only be said that I am too unlucky!"
Wei He added a reminder, "And remember this: you can go to Tian Shan, but you absolutely must not go to the east, west, or north sides of Tian Shan, as those areas belong to the Xiaoyao Sect and Fengwang Valley. Only the south side is our Kongtong Sect's territory!"
"If you venture into the territories of the Xiaoyao Sect and Fengwang Valley and are discovered by them, I worry for you..."
He left his words unfinished, but the implication was clear.
Qin Yi, Luo Dexuan, and Luo Yongnian understood instantly.
Qin Yi smiled and said, "Understood. Thank you for your reminder, Sect Master Wei!"
With Wei He's consent, Qin Yi did not linger at the Kongtong Sect. He turned and left the main hall, heading towards Tian Shan.
Seeing this, Luo Dexuan and Luo Yongnian exchanged a greeting with Wei He and Liu Anbang and followed him.
After they departed, Wei Baiyan asked Wei He with some confusion, "Father, why did you agree to let them go to Tian Shan? We are not that familiar with them."
"The Tie Xian Quan Guan had a past collaboration with our Kongtong Sect, and Luo Dexuan and I have some acquaintance. If they wish to go to Tian Shan, we should give them this bit of face!"
"Furthermore, they are going to Tian Shan to find materials for setting up formations..."
Wei He shook his head and smiled, saying, "Most of the good things on Tian Shan have almost been discovered and taken by us. They will likely be returning empty-handed. Therefore, it will not result in any loss for us!"
Upon hearing this, Wei Baiyan understood.
He then shifted the conversation away from this topic and returned to the matter of the Xiaoyao Sect, asking, "Father, the Xiaoyao Sect killed two of our people and severely injured three. How should we respond?"
Wei He's smile vanished. His gaze returned to the two corpses and the three injured disciples, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Since they can cross the border to attack us, why can't we cross the border to attack them?"
Wei He shouted to Liu Anbang, "Anbang, take ten disciples from the sect and head to the northern region of Tian Shan. If you see anyone from the Xiaoyao Sect, kill them on sight!"
"Yes!"
Liu Anbang cupped his hands in response and quickly left the main hall.
The northern region of Tian Shan was indeed the territory belonging to the Xiaoyao Sect.
Wei Baiyan and the three disciples sitting in chairs all had fierce expressions, their hands involuntarily clenching into fists.
...
After Qin Yi, Luo Dexuan, and Luo Yongnian emerged, they followed a path directly towards Tian Shan.
The main entrance of the Kongtong Sect faced the southern side of Tian Shan, so Qin Yi and the other two ascended the southern region of the mountain.
Upon entering Tian Shan, Qin Yi hurried upwards.
The higher the altitude on Tian Shan, the denser the spiritual energy, and thus the greater the probability of rare items growing there.
Luo Yongnian, not being a martial artist, could keep up with Qin Yi's pace initially. However, as time passed, he gradually began to tire and couldn't keep up.
Qin Yi had to slow his pace.
If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have asked Luo Dexuan and Luo Yongnian to accompany him up the mountain. He should have left them at the Kongtong Sect.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Qin!"
Luo Yongnian panted, speaking with embarrassment.
Seeing the other man gasping for breath, Qin Yi considered and said, "Perhaps, Pavilion Master Luo, you and Luo Guanzhu should not continue further up with me. You can rest here, and I will come down to find you once I've found the formation materials?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Dexuan glanced at Luo Yongnian and said, "That works too!"
They hadn't even reached halfway up Tian Shan, and Luo Yongnian was already exhausted. Continuing further up, who knew how tired he would become.
Luo Dexuan, out of concern for Luo Yongnian and not wanting to be a burden to Qin Yi, agreed.
"Alright then, you two rest here. I'll head up first!"
Qin Yi left his words and prepared to continue upwards.
However, before he could take a step, Luo Dexuan called out to him, "Mr. Qin, Tian Shan is vast. Searching for formation materials might be like finding a needle in a haystack. It won't be easy!"
"If you really can't find anything later, we'll go back and ask Sect Master Wei for help. If the Kongtong Sect has formation materials themselves, we can buy them or trade for them with other items!"
"In short, Mr. Qin, don't be too persistent. There are many ways to acquire formation materials!"
It was evident that Luo Dexuan said this because he was worried Qin Yi wouldn't find the formation materials and would stubbornly refuse to come down.
Qin Yi smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, Pavilion Master Luo, I have a sense of proportion!"
With that, he wasted no more time and quickly ascended.
In just over ten seconds, his figure completely disappeared from the sight of Luo Dexuan and Luo Yongnian.
Clearly, the two of them had indeed slowed him down earlier.
Not long after, Qin Yi arrived alone at the mountainside of Tian Shan. He stopped and scanned his surroundings.
Then, he circulated his true qi, his senses fully extended.
Instantly, Qin Yi could clearly perceive everything within a fifty-meter radius, even the smallest blade of grass or a crawling insect.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Qin Yi's mouth, forming a wicked arc as he continued to walk upwards. This time, however, he slowed his pace.
Qin Yi climbed up several hundred meters more. He discovered something and changed direction, walking towards a large tree.
He crouched down and picked out a bright red Ganoderma lucidum from beneath the tree.
This Ganoderma lucidum was about the size of an adult's palm, estimated to be around fifty years old!