Chapter 1114: Mysterious Stone Slab

The Sin Abyss has recently quieted down, and it's connected to the Ziwei Palace. Not only do the immortal arrays of the Sin God Palace and the Ziwei Palace originate from the same source, but cultivators from the Sin Abyss can also directly enter the Ziwei Palace through the demonic cave at the Inner Hall entrance.

Qin Sang learned more secrets from Qing Jun.

Only then did he understand why there was a standoff of spiritual arrays at the edge of the demonic cave.

It turned out that cultivators from the Sin Abyss could enter the Ziwei Palace through the demonic cave. During this treasure hunt, both sides were wary of each other, engaging in cunning schemes, and even fought several battles on Tian Shan.

Qin Sang was glad he had been vigilant enough, otherwise he would have fallen right into the Sin Abyss's trap.

Qing Jun's tone shifted, and she sneered, "It's laughable how some people believe the Sin Abyss is losing steam and they are safe, so they've begun stirring up trouble in secret. The internal strife within the Pure Yang Sect, in fact, has their shadow behind it; seeing the new Sect Master's foundation unstable, they attempted to split the Pure Yang Sect. Little do they know, I've always felt something strange about the Sin Abyss. Though it seemed like a back-and-forth earlier, the Sin Abyss might not have been attacking with full force. It's unknown when they will make a comeback. For now, you don't need to worry; you can cultivate peacefully in Peach Blossom Valley. Of course, once hostilities resume, you cannot remain hidden. You cultivate the Slaughter Sword Scripture, excelling in combat, and will be even more at home on the battlefield..."

"I am also a cultivator from the Minor Cold Domain. If there's a need, I will certainly do my part!"

Qin Sang stated firmly, not shirking responsibility.

He mused inwardly that by the time the Sin Abyss integrated its forces and launched an attack, at the very least, he would have recovered to the late Core Formation stage. With his array of divine abilities, as long as he didn't face a Sin Abyss Nascent Soul cultivator alone, he would have few rivals.

Disguised as an elder of the Primordial Mirage Sect, and with his senior sister helping to conceal him, he wasn't worried about being exposed by Earl Dongyang.

The cultivation world rarely saw peace; he had to seize this time to cultivate.

Qin Sang thought to himself.

If the Sin Abyss's movements were a little slower, he might have already reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang suddenly remembered something he had been considering and asked, "Senior Sister, is the Azure Luan puppet still with you? May I have a look?"

He also cultivated his physical body, and his *Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art* was already at the late third layer. Reaching the peak of the third layer was only a matter of time.

He learned from Senior Qing Zhu that a stronger physical body and divine sense might aid in breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, which sparked this idea in Qin Sang. If given the chance, he wanted to break through to the fourth layer of the *Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art* before forming his Nascent Soul.

However, there had always been an underlying concern.

When Qin Sang cultivated the technique, he actually visualized the Azure Luan puppet refined by Qing Jun, whose divine charm could not compare to a real Azure Luan. Although he could barely cultivate, his foundation was unstable, and Qin Sang was unsure how far he could progress.

According to the technique's description, the Celestial Demon Dharma Idol was crucial for breaking through to the fourth layer.

Merely visualizing the Azure Luan puppet, he wasn't sure if he could comprehend the Azure Luan Dharma Idol.

Qing Jun had once said that she had seen a real Azure Luan and felt its aura, which was why the Azure Luan puppet could be so lifelike and imbued with a true Azure Luan's divine charm.

As soon as Qin Sang finished speaking, a ripple appeared in the tea mist in front of Qing Jun. Where the mist converged, an Azure Luan emerged, spreading its wings and flying out.

Its phoenix cry was clear and melodious.

Due to the limited space in the wooden house, the Azure Luan puppet did not display its true size.

Even so, its posture was exquisite. Its phoenix wings shed divine light as it continuously flew around their heads, its voice carrying a hint of joy, as if it were a living creature.

"It should still remember you..."

Qing Jun's gaze towards the Azure Luan softened slightly as she spoke softly.

Qin Sang felt his shoulder sink slightly as the Azure Luan landed on him, very contentedly preening its feathers, as if greeting an old acquaintance, showing no sign of unfamiliarity.

From the Azure Luan, Qin Sang surprisingly sensed a hint of danger.

This showed that the Azure Luan puppet was by no means merely beautiful. With its master's cultivation far surpassing what it once was, its strength had also increased.

Qin Sang carefully observed the Azure Luan.

Disappointingly, the transformed Azure Luan puppet's divine charm was not significantly different from before.

"I was fortunate enough to have seen the true appearance of an Azure Luan, but it wasn't the divine beast's true body; it was a residual image, and merely a fleeting glimpse. Although the Azure Luan left a deep impression on me, in that haste, the image I could remember fell far short of the divine charm of the beast's true form. When carving the Azure Luan puppet, I incorporated many imagined elements..."

Qing Jun recalled the Azure Luan puppet, indicating she could not help further.

"Senior Sister, where did you see that residual image? Is it still there now?"

Qin Sang's tone was urgent as he sought her advice.

Qing Jun recalled, "The Azure Luan phantom originated from a mysterious stone tablet, which was discovered in a secret realm. When the stone tablet appeared, I wasn't the only one there. At the time, my cultivation was low, so I wasn't qualified to participate in the contention for it. The stone tablet likely ended up in the hands of a Demon King."

"A Demon King?"

Qin Sang hadn't expected it to be related to a Demon King. "A Demon King from the Demon Realm?"

"Exactly. To demon beasts, a stone tablet sealing an Azure Luan's phantom image is nothing short of a supreme treasure. As for what exactly is within the tablet, only that Demon King knows..."

Qing Jun nodded and said.

The two chatted for a while longer. Qing Jun then hinted at her intention for him to depart, mentioning that she would be leaving soon for an uncertain period and instructed Qin Sang to take good care of the peach forest.

Qin Sang didn't ask further. He left the wooden house and returned to his own cave dwelling.

"A mysterious stone tablet is in the hands of a Demon King in the Demon Realm; that's a bit tricky..."

Qin Sang sat cross-legged on his meditation cushion, a headache brewing.

Although the demon race had formed an alliance with humans and contributed to the current battle against the Sin Abyss, they still maintained caution, and even animosity, towards humans.

During the alliance meetings of the two realms, Demon Kings rarely made appearances.

Most of the time, both sides communicated through the Spirit Control Sect.

How could a Demon King easily lend such an important treasure for human observation?

"In this situation, Senior Sister wouldn't deliberately offend a Demon King. Senior Wandering Cloud often travels in and out of the Demon Realm, so he must have befriended some demons and might understand that Demon King's temperament..."

Qin Sang considered all possibilities.

"There's no rush. The Star Essence Infusion has an excellent location, the Heaven-Pointing Peak. Breaking through to the fourth layer might not necessarily require observing the stone tablet. For now, the plan is to first cultivate the *Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art* to the peak of the third layer."

Qin Sang made up his mind.

As an elder of the Primordial Mirage Sect, there was no need to rush to subdue the Demonic Flame Sect. Afterward, he only needed to focus on diligent cultivation. Before entering seclusion, he would first commission major merchant guilds and powers to purchase the necessary items.

As for elixirs that could enhance cultivation, he would acquire as many as possible.

Next were demonic fruits beneficial for the *Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art*, such as Tyrant Blood Fruits, Azure Roots, and Scorpion Poison Grass.

Qin Sang had found information about the medicinal properties of these demonic fruits in the ancient texts of the demon race in the Demon Sea.

The demon race in the Minor Cold Domain resided in a secluded corner, and their heritage was certainly not as complete as that of the demons in the Demon Sea. They might not be aware of the effects of those demonic fruits, so there might be some oversight.

Additionally, the spiritual herbs needed to feed the Sky-Eyed Butterfly and the Fiery Jade Centipede should not be difficult to obtain in the Minor Cold Domain.

All things considered, he needed quite a few items, each of considerable value.

Fortunately, Qin Sang had brought back many demon cores and demon bones from the Azure Wave Sea, and after reselling them, the profits were sufficient to cover the expenses.