"Which sect of the Celestial Dao Alliance are you from, and which immortal palace do you belong to? You look unfamiliar!"

"We don't recognize you at all. Evidently, you aren't one of our Eastern Sect immortals. State your name and origin immediately - we'll have someone verify your credentials!"

"Correct! The current battle between blood sea immortals and demons is at its peak intensity. All sect disciples are in strict combat readiness. Without proper authorization, no one may leave the front lines. What business do you have coming to Black Sand City? Your behavior raises numerous suspicions. If you can't provide a satisfactory explanation, then prepare to accompany us to the city hall for interrogation!"

Ye Qin hadn't yet formed a response when several young Nascent Soul disciples near the fox demon saint began casting icy suspicious glances his way, cutting him off with sharp interrogations.

Though Ye Qin's Mid-Nascent stage was higher than their Initial-Nascent level, they paid no mind to his cultivation disparity.

In the eyes of Gold Core disciples, Nascent Soul elders were lofty and revered. But among Nascent Soul peers, there existed strict hierarchical divisions. A disciple's status relied not only on personal power and reputation but also political backing. Those lacking both strength and powerful affiliations had negligible standing.

As a Mid-Nascent practitioner, Ye Qin hadn't established strong authority or fame in the Nascent realm.

These Eastern Sect disciples from major immortal palaces possessed exceptional cultivation talent and aristocratic lineages. Having grown arrogant through generations of dominance, they naturally dismissed this outsider.

Ye Qin's brow furrowed slightly as he surveyed these young cultivators, a wave of disdain rising within him. Their immediate accusations clearly aimed to fabricate excuses for causing trouble.

If this were the Northern Sect territory, Ye would've already taught them a lesson. But on someone else's ground, it was wiser not to escalate conflicts now.

Moreover, Ye Qin currently had heavy burdens weighing on his mind. The appearance of the fox demon saint alone had caused him enough headaches to ignore these palace-born's provocations.

A dangerously ominous aura had already reached his senses - trivial compared to this threat.

Ignoring the disciples, Ye Qin bowed respectfully toward the fox demon saint and continued, "I am Ye Qin from Purple Sword Palace in Northern Sect. It is truly an honor to meet you, Lady."

While speaking these words, he mentally calculated how best to escape quickly. This Black Sand City had become extremely unsafe with this demon saint present!

"Ye Qin... Ah, so the Eastern Sea's Dao Alliance does have bold disciples! Last time we met, you were at Nascent One, now at Four. Likely you obtained that mystical item from the Blood Devouring Ancient Demon Vine. Remarkably, how did such a low-level disciple accomplish this?"

The fox demon saint softly repeated his name, pursing her lips in contemplation.

Her hypnotic charm had reached perfection - every movement exuded mesmerizing allure. This simple lip-purse sent waves of dizziness through the surrounding cultivators, their minds spinning despite being Nascent mid-to-late stage practitioners.

Ye Qin's gaze flickered momentarily before he bit his lip sharply to regain focus.

Witnessing fellow cultivators succumbing to her spell, a wave of sorrow washed over him.

The fox demon wasn't intentionally displaying her powers. Her overwhelming strength naturally ensnared lower-level disciples through mere proximity.

The real issue was Ye Qin's unstable mental state - the side effects from forcibly enhancing his cultivation with the Immortal Fruit had begun manifesting. His《Sitting Oblivion Scripture》Nascent chapter could no longer suppress emotional turbulence, making him increasingly vulnerable to external disturbances.

Unless he obtained the Nascent-stage version of the scripture, these mental vulnerabilities would persist.

"Thankfully Lady for fighting that other disciple at the time. The demon vine was severely damaged by their battle, allowing me this small fortune. If there's nothing further..."

Ye Qin feigned confusion before attributing his gains to the fox demon and three-legged crow saint. With many ears around, he preferred vague explanations as he prepared to depart.

Seeing she made no move to detain him, Ye turned away.

The Nascent disciples surrounding the fox demon finally broke free of their trance.

"Halt!"

"You heard us speaking! As a Northern Sect disciple, why are you in Black Sand City?!"

When Ye showed no intention of engaging and attempted to leave, several young cultivators erupted in anger.

No one had ever ignored them in this city before.

Among these disciples, the cold-featured hawk-nosed man seemed pensive after hearing the name, "Ye Qin, Fifth Elder of Purple Sword Palace... Previously ranked eleventh on the Gold Core Demon Killing!"

"Ji Brother knows him?"

A dashing Nascent Two disciple turned inquisitively.

"Not personally. Years ago I was twelfth on the rankings before this man," he recalled with growing shock, "He was directly above me. After leaving the rankings, several others followed, allowing me to reach top ten! But my stay there lasted only months before I withdrew for Nascent cultivation. I achieved Nascent status just last year."

The dashing disciple raised his eyebrows, voice turning ruthless, "Impossible! No one can break through multiple cultivation levels so quickly. If he's not the real Ye Qin of Purple Sword, then this impostor is plotting against our city. Seize him and send him to the city hall for interrogation!"

"Speak! Who are you truly? What business do you have in Black Sand City!"

The coordinated Nascent disciples swiftly formed a perimeter with weapons drawn.

"If you want me at the city hall," Ye sneered, producing an obsidian-colored guest elder token, "Then have your Eastern Sect headmaster Ji personally come - these few lowlifes aren't qualified! Dare to openly attack a Dao Alliance guest elder? Better count whether you still desire your heads attached. Or would you like to experience firsthand the eternal darkness of our main sect's dungeons?"

The surrounding Nascent disciples paled upon seeing the token, hesitantly retreating as they exchanged nervous glances.

They recognized these authoritative tokens from countless interactions with the elder council - a direct threat to Dao Alliance authority itself.

As the Five Great Sect Heads enforced alliance laws, defying an elder would inevitably draw Ji's personal intervention against them. With so many witnesses present in this street, news could spread across the cultivation world within hours.

Turning toward the hawk-nosed man (Ji's) and the dashing guard captain from a major Eastern Palace, he continued:

"Ye Qin is not only Purple Sword's Fifth Elder but also an official guest elder. With proof of his status shown clearly, none may disrespect him! Retreat respectfully - our precautions aimed solely to prevent spies."

The hawk-nosed man's icy expression twitched slightly as he suppressed both envy and pride loss in front of the "Green Lady."

Ye knew exactly how this would play out, coldly tucking away his token before melting into the crowd.

He immediately sprinted toward the city's teleportation array - Black Sand City had become an unwelcoming place.

While maintaining caution around the fox demon saint, he feared more the unseen three-legged crow. Who knew where it might appear next to clash with the nine-tailed fox?

The fox saint made no effort to stop Ye's departure.

Suddenly raising her gaze, she locked eyes on the midday sun - its core clearly containing a massive golden-feathered three-legged bird! This celestial being overlooked all lands beneath the Eastern Sea's sunlight.

"Golden Crow of Solar Zenith" - this was the crow demon saint's supreme technique. No matter where enemies hid or how far they fled, once spotted, it could plummet directly from the sky for its fastest and fiercest attack.

Exclusive to high-level three-legged crows among all demons, only those with such power could serve as guards at the Dusklight Holy Temple.

She intimately understood this ability yet sighed softly in frustration, "Damn that Golden Crow... How can I evade it? The Eastern Sea won't be safe long. Should I flee to Southern Demonland, Northern Frosthaven or Western Shadowlands? While Western's perpetual darkness hides from sunlight, its ghost-infested realm is too ominous. Northern Frosthaven may be freezing and unappealing. Southern Demonland has too many madmen... Alas, seems there's no place for my Qing family in this world."

The surrounding Nascent disciples, witnessing the world-renowned beauty weeping over the sun, felt heartache yet puzzlement - why mourn before the noonlight?

They gazed up at the blinding solar glare, only to be blinded by its intensity.

Even with their low cultivation levels, they couldn't hope to discern anything beyond the dazzling light.