Chapter 107: Earth Fiend Yin Vein

"Fellow Daoist Hong isn't in his cave dwelling, nor did he leave any messages for his friends. Fellow Daoist Liu and I forced our way in and discovered it had been unoccupied for a long time. Either Fellow Daoist Hong left in a rush for an urgent matter, or he encountered an accident outside."

Two rogue cultivators, close friends with Hong Shan, returned to Dianyun Mountain in haste, their faces etched with weariness as they spoke.

Both men were deeply worried. They had a very close relationship with Hong Shan. After their last encounter, they hadn't seen him and had assumed he was in seclusion, having made a breakthrough in his cultivation.

Only when he failed to appear at their usual gatherings did they realize he was missing.

Sun De frowned, scanned the group, and asked, "After the last gathering, did any of you fellow Daoists speak with Fellow Daoist Hong?"

Everyone shook their heads in response.

Just then, Qin Sang arrived on his flying shuttle, dimming its aura. Sun De's eyes lit up. He eagerly rose to his feet and repeatedly asked, "Junior Brother Qin, when you saw Fellow Daoist Hong in the Sinking Cave last time, did you hear him mention where he was headed next?"

As Qin Sang landed before the group, he sensed that their gazes were somewhat unusual, and he subtly frowned.

After patiently listening to Sun De's words, Qin Sang immediately grasped the crux of the matter.

After all, they had only shared a drink once; there was no deep friendship between them. Moreover, even if there had been, incidents of murder and treasure-snatching were far too common in the cultivation world.

Qin Sang felt completely at ease, knowing he was innocent. He told Sun De, "Fellow Daoist Hong mentioned he intended to temper his artifact using Malevolent Yin Qi. I even sent a flying talisman to Senior Brother Sun to verify this. After Senior Brother Sun confirmed it, I returned to my cave dwelling to cultivate. I patrolled the Sinking Cave several times since then but never saw Fellow Daoist Hong again. Has he gone missing?"

Sun De said with frustration, "Since then, no one has seen Fellow Daoist Hong again. Could it be that..."

Over a dozen streaks of light descended before the Sinking Cave. After Qin Sang indicated a few critical restrictions, everyone fanned out to search the Sinking Cave, concentrating around the crack through which Hong Shan had entered.

In the uppermost layer, which Qin Sang frequently patrolled, no trace of Hong Shan was found. The other rogue cultivators had lower cultivation levels and couldn't endure the Malevolent Yin Qi for long. Consequently, only Qin Sang and Sun De ventured deeper into the Sinking Cave.

Since the incident occurred on his territory, Qin Sang couldn't remain uninvolved. He joined the search, and before long, Sun De suddenly pointed to a crevice and exclaimed, "Here!"

Qin Sang swiftly moved over, and upon seeing the scene before him, he let out a slight sigh.

This crevice was extremely well-hidden, with a very narrow entrance that gradually widened inside. At its widest point, a flat stone platform jutted out, with several formation flags embedded in it, likely intended to ward off the corrosive Malevolent Yin Qi.

On the ground, amidst the formation flags, Hong Shan sat motionless, his body stiff, his face a ghastly bluish-black. There was not a trace of breath left in him.

An artifact resembling an ice blade lay across his hands, glimmering with faint, cold light, and a wisp of Malevolent Yin Qi still clung to it.

Sun De kicked aside the formation flags and approached Hong Shan. After examining him, he shook his head and said, "Malevolent Yin Qi has entered his body; he's completely frozen solid. I warned Fellow Daoist Hong long ago that using Malevolent Yin Qi to refine artifacts is not a righteous path and is extremely dangerous, capable of harming oneself if one isn't careful. But he disregarded my warnings. Now, he's met with this disaster, which is truly regrettable... Junior Brother Qin, please collect Fellow Daoist Hong's belongings. I will take his remains up so he can be laid to rest."

The two carried Hong Shan's body upwards, and upon hearing the full account of what had happened, everyone fell silent.

Sun De handed Hong Shan's ice-blade artifact, formation flags, and mustard seed pouch to his friend, saying, "Fellow Daoist Bai, I remember Fellow Daoist Hong had descendants. These are his personal effects; please keep them for his family. Let me know when Fellow Daoist Hong is interred, and I will certainly come to pay my respects."

With such grim news, everyone lost the mood for a gathering and dispersed in small groups.

Watching the others leave, Qin Sang felt a slight uncertainty and turned to ask Sun De, "Senior Brother Sun, should this matter be reported to the sect?"

Sun De replied, "Junior Brother Qin, you can decide for yourself. Whether you report it or not, no one truly cares. Senior Brother Wang, who guarded the Sinking Cave before you, also vanished suddenly. His fate was even more tragic than Fellow Daoist Hong's, as his body was never recovered; it's suspected he might have fallen into the Sinking Cave. A Martial Uncle from the sect was dispatched, took one look, and then dismissed the matter entirely. Fellow Daoist Hong was merely a rogue cultivator; who would truly care?"

Qin Sang was surprised by this revelation. "That Martial Uncle didn't search deep within the Sinking Cave?" he asked.

"How could he possibly find anything?"

Sun De shook his head and chuckled, "Beneath this Sinking Cave lies a Terrestrial Fiend Yin Vein. The Malevolent Yin Qi on the surface is merely a superficial manifestation, condensed from the yin energy of countless beings devoured by the terrestrial fiend. Compared to the true Terrestrial Fiend Qi, there's a world of difference. It's said that even a Golden Core Ancestral Master from our sect, despite personally intervening, dared not venture too deep into the Terrestrial Fiend Yin Vein. He opted to seal it off from the outside with restrictions, and that Martial Uncle certainly wouldn't have dared to enter. The Terrestrial Fiend Yin Vein is unfathomable, harboring unknown bizarre entities. Junior Brother Qin, you must also be careful."

After Sun De departed, Qin Sang fell into contemplation. No wonder his own artifacts couldn't withstand the frigid depths of the Sinking Cave. It was said that Terrestrial Fiend Qi was the most yin and malevolent energy in the world, and this Sinking Cave contained an entire Terrestrial Fiend Yin Vein.

Given this revelation, Qin Sang no longer dared to venture deeper into the Sinking Cave. He dutifully remained in the uppermost layer, where the Malevolent Yin Qi was abundantly available for his cultivation.

He continued his routine of patrolling the cavern and cultivating. When he occasionally had free time, he would return to Shaohua Mountain to listen to his Martial Uncle's sermons or attend gatherings at Dianyun Mountain.

Cultivating without distractions made Qin Sang recall his time in the Kuiyin Sect. He wondered about the current circumstances of the Tan brothers and Senior Sister Shi Hong—were they fleeing with the remnants of the Kuiyin Sect, or had they once again become rogue cultivators?

After experiencing so much, Qin Sang found it difficult to truly open up to others. Even with Sun De, despite their numerous gatherings, Qin Sang always felt a subtle distance between them.

After determining which sword mastery the "Song Family Sword Art" was derived from, he went to Pagoda Peak to acquire the true sword art. This particular sword mastery was called the "Profound Finger Sword Art." It contained intricate techniques for nurturing and wielding swords, capable of significantly boosting combat power, which is why most Shaohua Mountain disciples chose to cultivate it.

This sword art comprised three layers. The first involved nurturing and wielding the sword. Qin Sang had now comprehended Sword Qi, placing him at the second layer. Many Shaohua Mountain disciples lacked suitable spirit swords capable of withstanding the might of Sword Qi and thus remained stuck at this stage. The third layer, which involved Sword Qi transforming into a rainbow to enable sword flight, required breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage to be freely utilized.

The "Song Family Sword Art" comprehended by the Song family's ancestor contained many superfluous elements. Qin Sang meticulously reviewed it from scratch, adhering to the authentic "Profound Finger Sword Art." By discarding the dross and preserving the essence, he felt a noticeably tighter connection between his Ebony Sword and his mind, and a hint of joy appeared on his face.

Once he broke through the tenth layer, he would no longer need to constantly prepare spirit stones to absorb spiritual energy. With a mere thought, he could wield his spirit sword to vanquish foes. Only then could he truly be considered a sword cultivator!