Chapter 1044: Dharma Door

Qin Sang and Ming Wei huddled together, their expressions tense.

Protected by the Life Talisman, others couldn't sense their presence, but they could clearly see what was happening outside.

Venerable Ye's gaze was chilling, like a sharp knife scraping over them.

Ming Wei pressed her lips together, cold sweat beading on her forehead, her heart pounding in her throat.

Qin Sang held the jade bottle containing the Three Luminaries Jade Liquid. If anything went wrong, he would have no choice but to consume the spiritual liquid and fight Venerable Ye to the death. However, Qin Sang remained quite calm, as Venerable Ye might not have much strength left.

After seeing Venerable Ye and his group leave, Qin Sang and Ming Wei felt a wave of relief; the crisis had been averted.

Afterward, more cultivators entered one after another, following Venerable Ye's group as they departed.

These individuals had secretly conspired, intending to acquire the Soul Cleansing Liquid.

The other three bottles had been stolen by a mysterious figure who had then vanished. It was unclear if the Nascent Soul cultivator had truly lost track of them or was deliberately setting up a diversion with some ulterior motive. The remaining cultivators could only focus on the last bottle.

The group formed an alliance and gave chase.

Just then, combat suddenly erupted again within the secret cavern.

Blood Bat and his companions had been severely wounded by Venerable Ye. Their adversaries seized the opportunity, and some of their friends and family also intervened to rescue them, leading to utter chaos. It was uncertain what became of those individuals in the end.

The smell of blood once again permeated the secret cavern.

Qin Sang and Ming Wei, uninvolved in the conflict, remained in place without deactivating the Life Talisman. Only after all the entering cultivators had vanished into the depths of the passage, and they confirmed no one else was coming from outside, did they quietly reveal themselves.

Everything was normal.

The two exchanged glances, then turned and went out, casually finding another cave entrance and swiftly moving away.

They navigated through the complex network of caves.

Just as when they entered, Qin Sang led the way and remained vigilant, while Ming Wei was constantly ready to activate the Life Talisman. The danger hadn't completely passed; true safety would only be achieved once they exited the Bewildering Cavern.

Eventually, they emerged from the caves and entered the interior of the ring-shaped mountain.

Ming Wei looked up at the sky, which was obscured by dark mist and dim. She asked nervously, "Fellow Daoist Qin, that old demon wouldn't block everyone's exit up there just for the Soul Cleansing Liquid, would he?"

"If he were at full strength, he might very well do something like that."

Qin Sang recalled Old Demon Mu, who had dared to block the entrance of the Seven Kills Hall and slaughtered countless Core Formation cultivators back then. "His strength is damaged," Qin Sang continued. "Those people would be eager for him to stay. Being overly arrogant would be self-defeating. Besides, I sense they've already gone far away..."

Qin Sang took out the Ghost Seal given to him by Su Nü, which allowed him to sense her location.

To be safe, they did not rush to reveal themselves but remained hidden in the shadows, observing for a while.

After some time, a cultivator flew out from the exit of the Bewildering Cavern's restrictive barrier.

He sighed, lamenting that this time he had truly lost both his wife and his army; he hadn't obtained the Soul Cleansing Liquid, and the treasures in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion were likely all divided up.

However, witnessing a grand spectacle and seeing an adversary suffer a great misfortune made the trip worthwhile.

A slight smile played on his lips, and he immediately activated his escape light, flying towards the stone peak, ready to leave the trial realm.

Soon after, Qin Sang and Ming Wei emerged from the Bewildering Cavern.

Their figures flickered, and they vanished into the mountain forest.

"Fellow Daoist Ming Wei, this is yours."

Qin Sang kept his promise, taking out a bottle of Soul Cleansing Liquid and handing it to Ming Wei.

Ming Wei was overjoyed, holding the Soul Cleansing Liquid and examining it repeatedly.

She knew Qin Sang had taken three bottles of Soul Cleansing Liquid at the time but wisely didn't ask further questions, content with receiving one.

Without Qin Sang, she would most likely have returned empty-handed, needlessly squandering her Patriarch's efforts.

Putting away the Soul Cleansing Liquid, Ming Wei hesitated before saying, "Fellow Daoist, you must know how to refine the Soul Cleansing Liquid, right?"

"Oh?"

Qin Sang was surprised. "Is there something special about refining the Soul Cleansing Liquid?"

He had assumed one could simply consume it.

"It seems I'll have to ask Ning Wuhui," Qin Sang thought to himself. As expected, Ning Wuhui had not participated in the scramble for the Soul Cleansing Liquid and had gone elsewhere, otherwise their chances would have been even greater.

Ming Wei nodded. "The most precious aspect of the Soul Cleansing Liquid, besides increasing the chance of forming a Nascent Soul, is its ability to purify the soul and greatly enhance divine sense. If consumed directly, some of its medicinal efficacy would be wasted. I have a refining method passed down from my grand-master; Fellow Daoist Qin can take it for reference."

Ming Wei handed a jade slip to Qin Sang.

A hint of curiosity lingered in her gaze as she looked at Qin Sang.

In the battle within the secret cavern, Qin Sang displayed various techniques, each beyond the reach of cultivators of the same rank. It was truly peculiar that such a person remained unknown in the Demon Sea.

In Ming Wei's view, among the cultivators who entered the trial realm, including the renowned Blood Bat and Daoist Xiao Yun, none were as capable as Qin Sang. He might be the most promising candidate to achieve the Nascent Soul stage.

It would be good to establish a favorable connection with him.

"Purifying the soul... I wonder how that differs from the soul light of the Soul Nurturing Wood..."

This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind. He unceremoniously accepted the jade slip, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist. I'll gladly accept."

Ming Wei smiled and said, "I have finally lived up to my Patriarch's expectations, and I am now ready to leave the Seven Kills Hall. What are your plans, Fellow Daoist Qin?"

Qin Sang held the Ghost Seal and shook his head. "That warning message wasn't delivered for no reason. I made a promise to someone, and it wouldn't be right to go back on my word. I still have something to do here."

Ming Wei simply hummed in understanding.

She also understood that there must be a reason why Qin Sang could gain such an early and covert warning about the Nascent Soul cultivator's clandestine entry. Seeing that Qin Sang was unwilling to elaborate, she did not press further. Instead, she imparted the method for controlling the Life Talisman to Qin Sang, saying, "The Life Talisman has one more use left, but I probably won't need it. Fellow Daoist Qin, please take it; it might be helpful. I am a disciple of Mujia Village. Our Patriarch is amiable and a devout ascetic, which is why there are few disciples in Mujia Village, and our reputation in the cultivation world isn't prominent. However, we can still offer protection to a few fellow cultivators. After leaving the Seven Kills Hall, if Fellow Daoist Qin has free time, please consider visiting Mujia Village..."

Qin Sang agreed.

He had thoroughly offended the Eastern Extremities Alliance this time, so if he couldn't return to the Small Cold Domain, befriending a Nascent Soul Patriarch would be beneficial.

Ming Wei bid farewell to Qin Sang and flew towards the stone peak.

Qin Sang put away the Life Talisman, pondered for a moment, and then followed the Ghost Seal's guidance to pursue Su Nü.

His agreement with Su Nü was simple: he merely needed to activate the Ghost Seal from a distance and retreat immediately if the situation turned unfavorable, without having to confront Venerable Ye directly to rescue anyone, thus involving little danger.

"This method is feasible," Bai transmitted. "However, the process is somewhat slow; it requires refining the Soul Cleansing Liquid's medicinal power bit by bit. Keep the Soul Cleansing Liquid; I won't refine it for now. So much has happened in the trial realm already, and there's no telling what we might encounter when we enter the inner hall. I might still need to take action."

Bai's transmission came through.

Qin Sang had just handed the refining method given to him by Ming Wei to Bai.

"Alright, then I'll keep it safe for you."

Having no time to refine it for now, Qin Sang placed both bottles of Soul Cleansing Liquid into his mustard seed bag.

To avoid being detected by Venerable Ye, Qin Sang did not dare to use escape techniques. He traveled alone through the mountain forest; with Venerable Ye scouting ahead, he didn't have to worry about being exposed by disturbing any earth spirits.