Chapter 1227: Fire Lotus Seed

At the summit of Shengang Peak, Qin Sang and Xiang Qing sat cross-legged like silent statues, one on each side of the Ancestral Sacred Fire. One dedicated himself to cultivating secret arts, while the other fully activated the grand formation to restrain the fire.

Wu Youdao led a group of Qingyang Demonic Sect disciples, guarding the base of Shengang Peak. They formed battle formations, ready to obey orders at any moment. From time to time, they would look up at the peak, secretly whispering among themselves.

"Our Sect Master has been in secluded cultivation on the peak for several months, not even going to the front lines," someone mused. "Could something have gone wrong with the suppression of the Ancestral Sacred Fire again?"

"Suppression?" another scoffed. "Before, we could go up the mountain to absorb the Qingyang Gangqi. But after the so-called suppression, we're forbidden to go up. It hardly looks like it's been suppressed at all."

Among the disciples, only Wu Youdao knew some of the truth. However, they were all intelligent individuals and could discern clues from the sect's various strange behaviors. Wu Youdao looked up, gazing intently at the mountaintop.

He heard the disciples' discussions but did not stop them. This was because the Sect Master had recently transmitted a message to him, stating that this time, the sect's hidden danger would be completely resolved, and there would be no need for secrecy in the future! Thinking of this, Wu Youdao felt an extraordinary surge of excitement.

Since he had joined the sect, he had known that the Ancestral Sacred Fire was on the verge of losing control, like a dark cloud hovering over the Qingyang Demonic Sect, suffocating everyone within. The Qingyang Demonic Sect both revered and feared this spiritual flame left by their ancestor. It had once repelled invaders and protected the sect, yet it had also become a serious internal threat, potentially destroying Shengang Peak and severing the Qingyang Demonic Sect's foundation.

It was regrettable that no descendant had been capable enough to subdue the Ancestral Sacred Fire, leading to a situation that was difficult to reverse. Xiang Qing had ventured deep into the battlefield, finding life in the face of death, and successfully breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. They had initially believed that they could finally suppress the Ancestral Sacred Fire, but unexpectedly, Xiang Qing could only temporarily restrain it.

"I wonder what method the Sect Master has come up with," Wu Youdao mused. "Could it be related to that senior ancestor from the Demonic Flame Sect?" He recalled that the Demonic Flame Sect ancestor seemed to have never left after arriving.

"I hope it gets resolved quickly!" someone sighed, followed by a chorus of agreement. "Otherwise, if we're always forbidden from going up the mountain, and only get uniformly distributed Gangying, it's barely enough to sustain our cultivation. The most annoying thing is that Gangying is difficult to preserve; if something happens and we can't refine it in time, it just dissipates."

"Indeed," another chimed in. "I've lost it twice myself, it's truly infuriating!"

"Are there no other places in this world with Qingyang Gangying?"

"Gangying is formed from Qian Tian Gangqi falling from the Nine Heavens. Even our Sect Master doesn't have the ability to ascend to the heavens and collect Gangqi. And Qian Tian Gangqi isn't just Qingyang Gangqi; legend says there are thirty-six types. Even if Gangying exists elsewhere, it might not be Qingyang Gangqi. The Sect Master must have searched everywhere..."

These Qingyang Demonic Sect disciples cultivated day and night using Qingyang Gangying and were quite knowledgeable about Qian Tian Gangqi. "The Sect Master has been in seclusion for so long this time, he must have a solution," someone snorted. "Perhaps before, he wasn't unable to suppress it, but simply didn't want to!"

Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. "Didn't want to suppress it? Could the Sect Master intend to refine the Ancestral Sacred Fire?"

"Wouldn't that make the Sect Master's power..."

Regardless of the commotion at the foot of the mountain, Qin Sang refined another strand of the Ancestral Sacred Fire and recalled the fire seed. A cyan-green fire seed floated before him, appearing mostly like a lotus seed, though a portion of it was still illusory.

Aside from initially using the Nine Nether Demonic Flame to condense a rudimentary fire seed as a primer, Qin Sang had been diligently refining the Ancestral Sacred Fire during this period. At this moment, the Ancestral Sacred Fire still raged fiercely, but its true form was significantly smaller than it had been months ago. The Ancestral Sacred Fire, now greatly weakened, was no longer as difficult to deal with. Using the original formation, Xiang Qing could re-seal the Ancestral Sacred Fire with just some effort. He could then gradually refine it, simultaneously improving his own strength, thereby resolving this critical hidden danger.

Seeing Qin Sang stop, Xiang Qing looked over and asked, "Is this enough?" Qin Sang's condition for helping suppress the Ancestral Sacred Fire was that he would be allowed to refine it. Over a month ago, Xiang Qing could have sealed the Ancestral Sacred Fire by himself, but seeing that Qin Sang hadn't stopped, he had let him continue.

"It's enough! Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Xiang, for your generosity!" Qin Sang sensed the fire seed, then placed it into his Violet Mansion, nodding in reply.

Previously, he had estimated that he would need to first use the Ancestral Sacred Fire to condense the Fire Lotus Seed before he could refine the Nine Nether Demonic Flame. After drawing inspiration from the Qingyang Demonic Sect's secret arts, Qin Sang found he could refine demonic flames more easily, making them simpler to subdue. Therefore, he didn't need to wait for the Fire Lotus Seed to fully form.

News had come from Boundless Valley that anomalies in the Blood Lake seal were becoming increasingly frequent. Since Qin Sang's trip to the Abyss Ruins, nearly two years had passed, and Old Devil Ye had made slow progress, indicating the immense strength of the Blood Lake seal. The Alliance of Two Realms had been observing silently, preparing in secret, and would not assist in breaking the seal, aiming to let Old Devil Ye expend as much energy as possible. Before entering the Blood Lake, Qin Sang needed to quickly refine the Nine Nether Demonic Flame and gain control over as many demonic banners as possible, hence his decision to conclude early.

Xiang Qing smiled broadly, stood up, and bowed. "Fellow Daoist Mingyue, your words put me to shame! Your actions are tantamount to saving our sect's legacy. There's no need to discuss what's more important; I should be thanking you!" Both of them had resolved a major problem, and they burst into laughter, looking at each other.

Qin Sang briefly adjusted his breathing, then bid farewell. He first visited the Demonic Flame Sect, reminding Zhao Shanran to diligently cultivate disciples, build a strong foundation, and avoid being overly ambitious. Then he went to the Mirage Gate, and seeing that Bai was still in seclusion, he returned to Sandie Pass.

After being away for several months, Sandie Pass remained largely unchanged. Qin Sang called over some juniors, gave them guidance, and then entered seclusion once more. He took out the complete demonic banner his senior sister had given him and expertly began refining the demonic flame.

The "Fire Seed Golden Lotus" was indeed extraordinary. Two entirely different spiritual flames, when refined by Qin Sang according to the secret art, could integrate into the fire seed without conflict. The two spiritual flames did not truly merge into a new spiritual flame possessing both characteristics. Qin Sang's divine sense activated the fire seed, and a cyan-green flame emerged from his fingertip, then turned black, shifting back and forth, moving with perfect control.

Subsequently, the flame dispersed, transforming into a thin, light veil, its shape endlessly changing. A sense of bloodline connection existed between Qin Sang and the spiritual flame, a feeling completely different from manipulating it through the Ten Directions Yama Banner. Everything could be done at will, without revealing any flaws when used against an enemy.

However, with his current cultivation, it was impossible for him to refine all the Nine Nether Demonic Flames within every demonic banner; for now, he still needed to rely on the grand formation of demonic banners. His current objective was also to gain control over more demonic banners.

Days passed one by one. Qin Sang remained in his quiet room, concentrating on refining the demonic flame. Li Yuyao and the others had been instructed not to disturb him unless something significant occurred. Several more months passed in this manner.

The last illusory part of the Fire Lotus Seed was finally filled by the spiritual flame! Next, he would continuously nourish it with his divine sense, consuming the spiritual flame to nurture the Fire Lotus Seed. When the time was right, the Fire Lotus Seed would "sprout," advancing to the next stage and forming a flower bud. Qin Sang put away the demonic banner, adjusted his breathing for a moment, then his figure flickered, and he flew out of the Cold Bell Grand Formation alone.