Chapter 1192: Progress

The Mortal World

To sever distracting thoughts and refine one's Dao heart—this is a path every cultivator must tread with utmost seriousness.

Qin Sang experienced desires arising and fading, and his thoughts ebbed and flowed, but his true self never got lost. No inner demons were bred within him; he even bypassed the inner demon tribulation during his Nascent Soul heavenly tribulation.

For now, this was certainly a good thing.

Compared to other cultivators, Qin Sang was spared the step of resisting inner demons. He also didn't need to painstakingly search for secret treasures of that nature, which meant his breakthrough and cultivation speed would undoubtedly be much faster.

However, Qin Sang didn't know how long the jade Buddha could protect him.

When the jade Buddha was gone, would his Dao heart, which had never been tempered by inner demons, still hold firm?

Therefore, he didn't dare to be reckless; even without inner demons, he couldn't relax. However, tempering his Dao heart would be much easier, and he wouldn't need to be as apprehensive or walk on thin ice like other cultivators.

Qin Sang had never imagined that the jade Buddha, which could suppress inner demons, would one day become an obstacle.

He tried to follow the secret art of the Limitless Demonic Seal, stirring up desires in his heart, attempting to induce inner demons this way.

But it was like a tranquil lake, utterly undisturbed.

If no inner demons arose, how could he cultivate the demonic seal?

"'Limitless Demonic Seal, Limitless Demonic Seal,' indeed, for me, it truly means 'no birth'..."

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

He lightly traced the jade slip, finding no immediate clues, and had no choice but to put this dark art aside for now.

However, the secret art wasn't obtained for nothing. Since his senior sister had once cultivated it, the art itself must indeed have a threshold-breaking effect. He could dedicate some time to comprehending it, perhaps gaining some true insight.

The purpose of a cultivator's travels was to broaden their horizons and draw inferences from various things.

After sitting in quiet contemplation for a long time, Qin Sang rose and left the side hall.

He left the City Lord's Manor, concealed his aura, and quietly arrived at an abandoned courtyard within the city.

Not long after, a figure quietly entered; it was Granny Mei.

"Disciple greets Master!"

Granny Mei had received his message and rushed over.

With Qin Sang's personal guidance, she had clarified her past errors and her cultivation had significantly advanced.

Qin Sang told Granny Mei to rise. Noticing her significant cultivation progress, he nodded inwardly and said in a deep voice, "How many casualties did our disciples suffer in the battle a while ago?"

"Reporting to Master, after I delivered the letter to Senior Leng as ordered, I consistently received his secret protection. In this battle, only a few disciples were unfortunately injured..."

Granny Mei reported in detail.

She felt a little curious inwardly. During this time, she had secretly collected information on Nascent Soul cultivators from both realms, yet still couldn't ascertain her master's true identity.

Her master was an intimate friend of Sect Master Leng of the Primal Illusion Sect, making him highly likely to be a senior from the righteous path, but she didn't know which Patriarch he was.

After listening to Granny Mei's report, Qin Sang nodded slightly and asked, "Has there been any progress on the task I assigned you?"

Granny Mei's expression became stern. She knew this was the real reason her master had sought her. Fortunately, she had always treated this matter as a top priority and had never slackened even slightly.

"After arriving at Stone Curve Mountain, I found a way to befriend fellow Daoists from the Green Sun Demonic Sect and gathered some information about Divine Steel Peak. After the Green Sun Demonic Sect Master formed his Nascent Soul, he entered seclusion on Divine Steel Peak for a full year. Upon emerging, a vast green mist enveloped Divine Steel Peak, covering the entire summit. The phantom image of the Ancestral Sacred Flame was also shrouded in the green mist, and its previous restless and violent aura completely vanished..."

Qin Sang's heart sank upon hearing this.

Could it be that the Green Sun Demonic Sect Master could subdue the Ancestral Sacred Flame right after forming his Nascent Soul?

The aura of the Ancestral Sacred Flame on Divine Steel Peak was no less powerful than the Winter Nether Cold Flame. Qin Sang had initially thought he would need to be at least at the mid-Nascent Soul stage to achieve this.

There was only one explanation: the Ancestral Sacred Flame was actually the Green Sun Demonic Flame left by the Green Sun Demonic Sect's ancestor. Subsequent generations cultivating the same cultivation method could therefore easily refine it.

Qin Sang remembered that the Green Sun Demonic Sect's cultivation method was very unique. Disciples who failed in their cultivation and died would leave behind Demonic Flame Seeds, which others could refine as a great tonic.

This was also why the righteous path did not recognize the Green Sun Demonic Sect.

This was somewhat tricky.

If the Green Sun Demonic Sect Master couldn't resolve the hidden danger of the Ancestral Sacred Flame, there would still be room for negotiation. But if he had already subdued the Ancestral Sacred Flame, why would he hand it over?

This person's strength was likely far beyond what the rumors suggested.

Unless there was some treasure he couldn't refuse, other methods wouldn't work.

Did he have to find another spirit fire?

Qin Sang frowned inwardly.

He had originally intended to meet this demonic sect master this time. However, the master had been sent out on inspection by Old Daoist Zhenyi, and they had just missed each other.

Granny Mei, unaware of Qin Sang's thoughts, continued to report on the various pieces of information she had gathered. "There's something strange: after the Sect Master came down the mountain, he strictly forbade all disciples above the late Foundation Establishment stage from ascending the mountain to absorb Green Sun Aura Jade. Instead, the sect would uniformly distribute it to them for their cultivation at regular intervals."

"Hmm?"

Qin Sang's eyes flashed.

This was somewhat strange.

Green Sun Aura Jade was the purest form of divine aura.

When he had infiltrated the Green Sun Demonic Sect in the past, the Ancestral Sacred Flame was already extremely violent and the elemental energy chaotic, yet disciples were still allowed to enter the mountain to absorb it on their own.

However, they couldn't freely absorb it near the summit, otherwise it would trigger a flame mutation.

Now, they weren't even allowed to go up the mountain at all.

This didn't look like the Ancestral Sacred Flame had been subdued at all.

"Some time ago, I met a fellow Daoist who is a direct disciple of the Green Sun Demonic Sect Master and is highly valued. She must know many secrets, but she is very suspicious by nature. I was worried about her suspecting me, so I didn't dare to ask too much for now. I need to wait a while longer, until I am more familiar with her, before..."

After Granny Mei finished her report, she felt somewhat uneasy, worried that her master would blame her for not handling things effectively.

"You've done well."

Qin Sang nodded, knowing that such matters couldn't be rushed and that it was already quite difficult for Granny Mei to have achieved this much. "These elixirs are newly acquired by me; they can help increase the cultivation of Core Formation cultivators. You only need to gather information. Don't do anything extra, and don't be eager for quick results. Remember to prioritize your own safety."

A general doesn't send hungry soldiers into battle. He took out a jade bottle containing elixirs he had obtained from Old Devil Pei's relics.

"Thank you, Master!"

Seeing that her master not only didn't reprimand her but also cared for her, Granny Mei's fear of him lessened somewhat, and her gratitude in that utterance held a touch more sincerity.

After sending Granny Mei away, Qin Sang transformed back into the Demon King and, taking the minor demons from Thousand Mountains and Bamboo Sea, returned to Threefold Pass.

Jing Lin and Si Di were understanding; without Qin Sang needing to say much, they arranged for the minor demons. Old Monkey took advantage of this time to quickly return to the mountains and transmit orders.

The war continued, with battles sporadically occurring at other passes, but Threefold Mountain remained remarkably calm.

The Sin Abyss seemed to find this place troublesome and didn't intend to break through here.

Jing Lin and Si Di, doing the opposite, took the initiative to attack. They discovered that the Zen Spirits had set up a large camp a hundred miles from Threefold Pass, personally guarded by the Zen Spirits themselves, making them difficult to defeat.

After a few back-and-forths, the skirmishes gradually died down.

During this period, Qin Sang, as agreed, presided over the Cold Bell Grand Formation and hardly left the tall building, without delaying his cultivation.

The seven sword souls were finally almost completely integrated into his seven souls.

He had been monitoring Shaohua Mountain. Not long ago, he finally received definite news: since the war began, Mu Yifeng, Che Yutao, Qiu Mubai, and others had been in perennial seclusion within their sect and had never appeared on the battlefield.