Chapter 1314: Strange Object

Rain on bluestone.

"For now, the few of you must work together and make preparations. The day I return from Ziwei Palace will be the day of the grand ceremony. At that time, I will invite fellow cultivators from far and wide to attend. We mustn't let Qingyang Temple's prestige be diminished." Qin Sang said with a smile.

He mused to himself that Qingyang Temple was newly established, and its strength was still too weak. Both the number of disciples and their cultivation levels were far from comparable to other sects.

Qin Sang decided to prioritize quality over quantity.

Leveraging Qin Sang's reputation, Li Yufu had recruited many new disciples, including some Golden Core stage rogue cultivators. However, they were still under observation, and important matters could not be entrusted to them yet.

Hearing this, everyone beamed with joy, also feeling the immense weight of their responsibility.

Qin Sang's reputation had spread throughout the Beichen Realm. By then, most of the Nascent Soul cultivators from the realm would likely come to observe the ceremony, so they absolutely couldn't make a fool of themselves.

Afterward, Qin Sang took out a jade slip.

"Yufu, arrange for people to prioritize the mining of these spirit mines."

Next, Qin Sang planned to delve deep into the art of artifact refining, which would require a vast amount of spirit materials for practice. He didn't need to bother himself with these minor matters; the younger generation could handle them.

Afterward, Li Yufu and the others took their leave, but Shangguan Lifeng remained behind.

"Daoist Master, I have made up my mind. I will walk the path of slaughter! From now on, I will abandon my blade and cultivate the sword!"

Shangguan Lifeng unstrapped the long blade from his back, his expression resolute.

Qin Sang remained silent, gazing into Shangguan Lifeng's eyes.

Shangguan Lifeng showed no fear, meeting Qin Sang's gaze openly, without the slightest hesitation or doubt in his eyes.

Qin Sang nodded slightly.

"Good! I shall now impart to you the Azure Bamboo Sword Scripture!"

Peach Blossom Valley.

Qin Sang led Shangguan Lifeng to Azure Bamboo's tomb.

"Senior Azure Bamboo bestowed many favors upon me, for which I can offer no repayment. The Sword Scripture is the senior's final work. Unfortunately, I could only comprehend the sword intent and was unable to cultivate the full scripture, thus only counting as half a successor. From now on, I will act on behalf of the master and transmit the Azure Bamboo Sword Scripture to you."

Before Azure Bamboo's tomb, the smoke from the incense sticks curled upwards. Qin Sang bowed three times to Azure Bamboo, then, with his back to Shangguan Lifeng, spoke in a deep voice.

Shangguan Lifeng's expression turned solemn. He stepped forward and respectfully kowtowed to Azure Bamboo, saying, "Disciple Shangguan Lifeng respectfully greets Master! Thank you, Daoist Master, for imparting the technique!"

Qin Sang said softly, "By cultivating the Azure Bamboo Sword Scripture, you become Senior Azure Bamboo's successor. We were already old acquaintances, so from now on, let us interact as peers. You can call me Senior Brother."

"This..." Shangguan Lifeng was startled, still somewhat hesitant to presume. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Junior Brother greets Senior Brother Qin!"

Qin Sang patted Shangguan Lifeng's shoulder.

He didn't particularly like determining seniority based on cultivation level. The rules of Qingyang Temple would certainly not be like those of Shaohua Mountain in the future.

"This Sword Scripture embodies Senior Azure Bamboo's lifelong efforts. The senior possessed extraordinary talent, but unfortunately, their fate was fraught with misfortune, and their unexpected demise is deeply saddening. Otherwise, the Beichen Realm would soon have gained a great cultivator."

Qin Sang felt a pang of melancholy. He deeply respected Senior Azure Bamboo, and whenever he thought of the peach blossom tree in Netherworld Valley, he couldn't help but sigh with regret.

"You are the first to cultivate the Azure Bamboo Sword Scripture, and also the future leader of Qingyang Temple's sword cultivation lineage. I hope you will not forget your original aspiration and will not let down the senior's efforts!"

Qin Sang, with a solemn expression, handed the Sword Scripture to Shangguan Lifeng.

Shangguan Lifeng knelt, held his hands above his head, and received the Sword Scripture. He then kowtowed to Azure Bamboo's tomb again, vowing to dedicate his entire life to the path of the sword.

Qin Sang nodded subtly. "Get up. We also have a Senior Sister, who is Senior Azure Bamboo's daughter. I'll introduce you to her when there's an opportunity. Since you've suddenly abandoned the blade for the sword, you'll certainly experience many discomforts. Don't rush into secluded cultivation. First, go find Yufu and get yourself a spirit sword that suits you, and also recruit a few promising sword cultivation talents along the way. After gaining some experience outside, you can then come back and meditate on the Sword Scripture for greater insight."

"Understood!"

A few days after Shangguan Lifeng left, Qing Jun returned.

These days, Qin Sang had been inscribing puppet seals onto the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet. Having just encountered some difficulties, he promptly emerged from seclusion to consult Qing Jun.

In the stone pavilion.

The two sat facing each other. The Azure Luan Puppet, having shrunk in size, landed on Qin Sang's shoulder, showing great affection for him. Anyone unaware would have thought Qin Sang was its master.

Just then, the Sky Eye Butterfly flew out on its own.

The phoenix and the butterfly playfully chased each other.

The Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet stood to one side as Qing Jun raised her hand and pressed it lightly in the air.

The next moment, the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet glowed. Inside its body, talisman seals and puppet seals appeared simultaneously. The two forces collided and intertwined, seemingly devouring each other, creating utter chaos.

The struggle on its face intensified, and its eyes turned crimson.

"It's not a big problem. I overlooked a few key nodes earlier. A slight modification will suffice."

Qing Jun easily discerned the cause. Her jade-like fingers tapped repeatedly, sending streams of light into the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet's body.

Soon, the puppet seals settled, and the talisman seals no longer aggressively suppressed them, allowing the two forces to coexist peacefully. One after another, the talisman seals were converted into puppet seals, and Qing Jun's speed was much faster than Qin Sang's.

Seeing this, Qin Sang relaxed. He leaned back in his wooden chair, leisurely sipping a cup of peach blossom wine brewed by his Senior Sister, and glanced sideways at the Azure Luan and Sky Eye Butterfly playing, feeling a sense of ease he had never experienced before.

"Senior Sister, what did you encounter earlier? Do you need any help? I plan to visit Bing Han at the Void Spirit Sect in a few days to consult her on the art of artifact refining. I'll probably stay there for a while."

Qing Jun replied, "It's fine. I still need to verify some things. Just attend to your own matters. Bing Han is quite cunning. It won't be easy to get her to reveal the Void Spirit Sect's legacy, so be careful not to fall into her trap."

Just then, a whooshing sound came from within the valley.

Bai had also emerged from seclusion. With a few flashes, even before his figure arrived, he spoke rapidly: "My realm is stable now. I need to cultivate using Earth Fiend Qi next, striving to raise my cultivation as much as possible before Ziwei Palace emerges. Brother Qin, where is the Earth Sinking Cave you mentioned earlier?"

Bai flashed into existence before the stone pavilion. Seeing Qing Jun, he seemed quite wary of her, his expression turning serious as he cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qing Jun."

Then, Bai's gaze shifted, and he saw the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet in front of Qing Jun.

"The Earth Sinking Cave is near Shaohua Mountain, guarded only by Qi Refining stage disciples. Brother Bai, as long as you don't cause too much commotion, you don't need to worry about being discovered by Duke Dongyang..." Qin Sang said while sipping his peach blossom wine, suddenly sensing that Bai's aura was a bit off.

Glancing over, Qin Sang saw Bai staring blankly at the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet, his eyes wide and unfocused, an expression of disbelief on his face.

Qin Sang was surprised and called out, "Brother Bai..."

"That thing..." Bai, still staring blankly, pointed at the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet, his voice trembling, "Where did you get that?"

Only then did Qin Sang remember that this was Bai's first time seeing the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet. Judging by his expression, could the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet hold some secret?

Qin Sang's expression turned serious, and he sat upright.

Qing Jun also looked surprised and withdrew her secret technique.

Qin Sang and Qing Jun exchanged a glance. Then Qin Sang said, "This is a Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet passed down from the Shangyuan Purity Palace. Not long ago, at the Blood Lake, Duke Dongyang plotted against Gongliang Yu, and I happened to seize it. I hadn't mentioned it to you before... Brother Bai, do you recognize this item?"