Chapter 124: Corpse Pill Secret Technique

The cave dwelling was compact but warmly furnished, resembling the boudoir of a wealthy mortal maiden, with even the furniture and decor identical to human styles.

In the deepest part of the dwelling was a small jade-crafted pool. Above it, spiritual mist gathered, while below, a tiny spring gushed forth, already filling the pool halfway. This clear spring indicated that the spiritual eye was on the verge of fully forming into a true spring.

The quality of this spiritual eye was even higher than Qin Sang had imagined. Even on Shaohua Mountain, few cave dwellings could compare; it was undoubtedly a top-tier residence. Qin Sang secretly nodded. With this cave dwelling, his future cultivation speed would increase by an additional ten percent. One should not underestimate such a small improvement; accumulated over time, it could prove crucial for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Upon confirming it was indeed a spiritual eye, Qin Sang tossed the jade slip containing the "Spirit Concealment Art" to the white cat. After examining it, the white cat closed its eyes and sat in silent contemplation for a moment. Suddenly, it swiped its front paw, sending out several streams of spiritual energy that condensed into mysterious runes in the air.

*Swoosh!* The runes vanished into the white cat's body. In that instant, her spiritual energy abruptly drew inward, and her demonic aura significantly diminished. Once she mastered the "Spirit Concealment Art," she would be able to completely conceal her demonic presence.

The "Spirit Concealment Art" proved effective. The white cat was overjoyed. It stood up and bowed to Qin Sang, saying, "Many thanks, Young Master Qin, for gifting me this art. I shall now provide you with the activation incantation for the cave dwelling's formation." With that, the white cat produced a jade slip and handed it to Qin Sang with both paws. It then cast a lingering gaze at its former dwelling, gathered all its belongings as mementos, and promptly bid Qin Sang farewell.

Qin Sang was surprised by the white cat's decisive departure and escorted it out of the dwelling.

The last rays of the setting sun faded into the vast, hazy clouds. Qin Sang watched as the white cat walked westward across the water, its small figure disappearing into the distance at the edge of the marsh. He silently wished, "May you reach Heavenly Demon Hill safely and fulfill your desires."

After returning to the dwelling, Qin Sang began to consider how to arrange his newly acquired residence. He cared little for luxury, only desiring a secure place to cultivate was sufficient. The dwelling was currently the perfect size; it could accommodate his Water-Heart Bamboo futon and a few essential items, making further expansion unnecessary.

The only issue was the main defensive formation of the dwelling was not particularly strong. The formation left by the bamboo demon could only seal the spiritual energy from the spiritual eye, preventing its leakage, and offered concealment once activated. Qin Sang circled the dwelling several times, then flew out and observed the island for a considerable period. Finally, he meticulously examined the environment within a hundred-mile radius, discovering that the spiritual energy around the island was very sparse. The nearby smaller islands were similarly desolate and overgrown with weeds, completely devoid of any spiritual charm.

Even if a cultivator flew overhead, they would never suspect the existence of a spiritual eye in such a desolate place and would likely not even bother to cast a second glance. Combined with the formation's concealment, the dwelling would not be easily discovered unless a powerful grand cultivator meticulously searched with their divine sense. Ultimately, Qin Sang resolved to find a powerful defensive formation to install around the dwelling when he had the chance. This area was within the vast Cloud Cang Great Marsh, a chaotic place not under the jurisdiction of Shaohua Mountain, and he couldn't guarantee that no accidents would occur.

Qin Sang used his Blood Blade to tidy up the dwelling, then cleaned it thoroughly. This residence was likely to be his home for a very long time. As he arranged his familiar belongings and looked around, an inexplicable sense of warmth and a feeling of "home" welled up within him.

After tidying up, Qin Sang awakened the unconscious Gu Yuan. Gu Yuan was not as unyielding as he seemed; a few lessons from Qin Sang made him confess everything. Once he had extracted the information he needed, Qin Sang granted Gu Yuan a swift end. He then settled onto his futon, picked up the jade slip, and fell into deep contemplation.

By combining the contents of the art detailed in the jade slip with Gu Yuan's confession, Qin Sang gained a clear understanding of the "Corpse Pill Secret Art." The "Corpse Pill Secret Art" was divided into two main parts: the first detailed the method for refining Corpse Pills, also known as Blood-Heart Pills, while the second explained how to refine and absorb these Blood-Heart Pills to nourish one's own body.

First, an individual would cultivate the initial part of the art, compelling them to consume mortals and refine Corpse Fiend Qi. In this process, influenced by the qi, both their physical body and primordial spirit would undergo grotesque mutations. This evil art then used the practitioner's physical body as a furnace and the Corpse Fiend Qi as the flame, refining the practitioner himself along with the essence of the living souls and blood he consumed into Blood-Heart Pills.

Those who cultivated this evil art, even if they initially harbored good intentions and resisted the temptation to harm innocent mortals, would ultimately have their minds corrupted by the practice, driven mad by overwhelming desires. Once driven to madness, their instincts would compel them to consume flesh and living souls, rendering them utterly incapable of self-control. If not for the white cat demon's constant vigilance, even Black Wa, with his formidable willpower, would have struggled to maintain control, and the mortals in the cave would have long since become his prey.

Practitioners of the "Corpse Pill Secret Art" who consumed Blood-Heart Pills could use them to nourish their vital blood, thereby strengthening their physical body, enhancing their power, and extending their lifespan. Naturally, consuming Blood-Heart Pills came at a cost. Once a practitioner began taking them, they could never stop and would require a continuous supply. Furthermore, Blood-Heart Pills contained residual Corpse Fiend Qi. While the consumer's physical body would grow stronger, as the Corpse Fiend Qi increasingly accumulated within them, their body would undergo irreversible and bizarre transformations, effectively severing any possibility of breaking through to higher cultivation realms. Without a constant supply of Blood-Heart Pills, or if they became unable to suppress the Corpse Fiend Qi within, they would instantly transform into a monster, losing their sanity—precisely what happened to Gu Tiannan in the end.

It was only after the master and disciple began cultivating the "Corpse Pill Secret Art" that they realized they could not survive without Blood-Heart Pills. They sank deeper into this predicament, and to avoid detection by Shaohua Mountain, they devised a treacherous scheme to lure others. They didn't only harm the nation of Guyuan. Firstly, they were excellent at deception, maintained a low profile, and knew when to retreat. Secondly, being backed by Shaohua Mountain and possessing the identity of disciples from one of the Eight Righteous Sects, they had consistently avoided suspicion.

After uncovering the full details of the "Corpse Pill Secret Art," Qin Sang completely abandoned any thought of cultivating this secret method. The jade Buddha could only protect his primordial spirit and prevent his mind from being affected; it could not stop the Corpse Fiend Qi from eroding his physical body, unless he could find another jade Buddha capable of protecting the flesh. The consequence of being unable to achieve Foundation Establishment was utterly unacceptable.

Setting aside the "Corpse Pill Secret Art," Qin Sang proceeded to cultivate the "Spirit Concealment Art." This internalizing of his aura was not a true concealment of his cultivation; a cultivator significantly stronger than him could still see through it. While its immediate utility was limited, it might prove invaluable in the future.

Sitting on the Water-Heart Bamboo futon, he circulated his cultivation art and practiced for a while. Indeed, his cultivation speed was noticeably faster than before. Qin Sang couldn't help but smile. He then organized the belongings of the master and disciple, planned how to report the incident to Martial Uncle Wen, sealed the dwelling, and returned to Shaohua Mountain with Gu Yuan's corpse. On his way back, he decided that after reporting his mission at the mountain, he would first go to Baota Peak to ascertain the properties and value of the mysterious orchid. Following that, he would resign from his duties at the Earth-Sunken Cave and return to his new dwelling for secluded, rigorous cultivation.