Chapter 1316: Virtual Spirit Sect

Qing Jun listened quietly to their conversation from the side.

Previously, Qing Jun had asked Qin Sang about Bai's origins. Qin Sang's answer was ambiguous. Now, hearing that Bai knew everything about the Dao Enlightenment Tree, an entity they had never even heard of, Qing Jun realized that his origins might be even more mysterious than she had imagined. She glanced at Bai, deep in thought.

"So, no matter how extraordinary the Dao Enlightenment Tree's origins, it will be no different from any other puppet in the future." Qin Sang composed himself and said calmly, "Brother Bai, I saw you easily suppress the Talisman Puppet just now. Do you have a way to deal with the soul remnants inside it?"

"Not necessarily," Bai shook his head. "After all, it's a spiritual root of heaven and earth, so it must possess unique wondrous uses that other spiritual objects lack. If you acquire a 'Body Outside of Body' secret art, you can transform the puppet into an external avatar, which surely won't disappoint you. I suggest you don't cleanse the soul remnants inside it for now; otherwise, you'll just end up with an obedient puppet. This Dao Enlightenment Tree can only seal Nascent Soul-stage soul remnants, indicating that even if you ultimately maximize the puppet's power, it won't be much stronger than it is now, making it not worth the effort. I'll teach you a method to keep them for when you cultivate the 'Body Outside of Body' technique; they'll still be useful then."

Qin Sang nodded, knowing Bai's advice was sound. Unlike Qing Jun, he didn't primarily cultivate the path of puppets. No matter how strong a puppet was, it remained an external object and couldn't compare to an external avatar. He thought of the *Demon Fetus of Origin Cultivation*.

Bai scoffed, "That crude Blood Dao avatar evil art of yours is extremely rudimentary. At best, it can cultivate a Nascent Soul avatar. When it self-destructed back then, I said there was nothing to regret. Using it on the Dao Enlightenment Tree would be a pure waste, not much better than the person who refined the Dao Enlightenment Tree into a puppet. It's not too late to act once you acquire a genuine Daoist 'Body Outside of Body' secret art."

Qin Sang was speechless, secretly thinking that Bai must have been a Daoist cultivator in the past. In Bai's eyes, everything outside of Daoism was considered an unorthodox path. But Qin Sang had no choice but to comply. From Bai's tone, an external avatar refined from the Dao Enlightenment Tree held limitless potential, possibly even allowing cultivation to a realm beyond Nascent Soul. Following his advice would be beneficial. However, where could he find such a genuine Daoist grand divine ability? Whether such a top-tier secret art even existed in the current world was unknown. At the very least, Qin Sang had never heard of it during the Three Realms War.

At this moment, Qing Jun, who was nearby, smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Bai, for sharing these secrets. I've certainly broadened my horizons. Congratulations, Junior Brother, on acquiring another rare treasure. If the Dao Enlightenment Tree is truly that wondrous, and you cultivate a Spirit Transformation-stage external avatar, it will undoubtedly greatly benefit your main body. In the Northern Star Realm, this would be an unprecedented achievement!"

"Senior Sister, you jest. These are merely illusory dreams. I shouldn't aim too high; staying grounded is the correct path," Qin Sang said earnestly.

Qing Jun nodded slightly in approval, saying, "It's good that Junior Brother recognizes that."

After a moment of thought, Qin Sang suddenly remembered something and asked Bai about it. Since it was now clear that the soul remnants' persistence was due to the Dao Enlightenment Tree, was there a way to refine a similar magical artifact, separate a few soul remnants, and seal them inside? "Golden Core cultivators can increase their chances of breaking through by comprehending these soul remnants. When I travel later, I'll definitely take the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet with me, but leaving a magical artifact at Qingyang Temple would also provide a path for future generations of our sect."

Bai pondered for a while, then nodded, saying, "There should be a way, but I need to give it some careful thought. Ah! Today has truly been a rollercoaster of emotions; it almost shook this old man's Dao heart." Bai sighed deeply, looked up at the sky, and listlessly stood up. After asking Qin Sang for the location of the Sunken Earth Cave, he flew out of Peach Blossom Valley without looking back.

After watching Bai depart, Qing Jun also stood up and returned to her cave dwelling.

Qin Sang sat alone in the stone pavilion, repeatedly examining the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet. "I'm not afraid of the soul remnants' backlash. Using the method Bai taught me, refining these soul remnants won't be difficult. However, I still have the Demon Banner, and a mid-Nascent Soul stage puppet is sufficient. There's no need to demand even greater power. There's no need to sacrifice the future for the present." Qin Sang quickly made his decision and returned to his cave dwelling.

For the next period, he remained in Peach Blossom Valley, fully focused on refining the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet.

Several months later, the mist in Peach Blossom Valley stirred, and a figure shot out, pausing briefly before soaring northward. It was Qin Sang! During this time, his conversion of the talisman seals within the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet was not yet complete, but it had been highly effective. He could now barely control the puppet in combat. Completely subduing the puppet would take more time, but Qin Sang couldn't wait any longer and decided to visit Bing Han now. Bing Han had previously invited him to be a guest at the Void Spirit Sect, with her words carrying significant implications, suggesting something important. Considering Bing Han's friendship with Xiang Qing and her help in subduing the Ancestral Sacred Flame, Qin Sang guessed that Bing Han was likely planning something and needed assistance. Qin Sang was determined to obtain the Void Spirit Sect's artifact refining texts. No matter what conditions Bing Han proposed, he would agree. Bai was currently cultivating in seclusion in the Sunken Earth Cave and should not be disturbed for now. Taking the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet with him would be sufficient. At this point, the talisman seals within the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet had already transformed into puppet seals. When it made a move, there were no longer any flickering spiritual talisman shadows, a stark difference from before. Even the ancestors of the Supreme Clarity Palace might not recognize the current Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet if they saw it. Of course, even if news of the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet being in his possession leaked, Qin Sang wasn't particularly worried, but it was always better to avoid unnecessary complications. He had no time to be distracted by other matters. Before the Purple Micro Palace emerged, refining a magical artifact to subdue the Southern Bright Lihuo was the real priority. Old Demon Ye's infiltration of the Sin God Palace gave Qin Sang a bad premonition; he worried that if he delayed further, something might happen, and he absolutely couldn't miss the Southern Bright Lihuo.

The Void Spirit Sect's mountain gate was located northeast of the Spirit Control Sect, forming a perfect triangle with the Spirit Control Sect and the Taiyi Pill Sect. Qin Sang flew out of Peach Blossom Valley and headed north.

Mountains and rivers crisscrossed. After flying over countless mountains and plains, Qin Sang arrived at a hilly region. Upon reaching this place, the scenery changed abruptly. Unlike other areas, there were no lush forests here, only sporadic, stunted trees, mostly low-lying shrubs and withered grass, which were also extremely sparse. It was as desolate as a desert Gobi. Along with this came gusts of hot wind, blowing continuously from ahead, and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur. The Void Spirit Sect was located just ahead! The Void Spirit Sect's mountain gate was built where underground fire veins converged, making it the place with the densest and purest earth fire energy in the entire Minor Cold Domain.

Qin Sang continued flying for a while, and a black river appeared in his sight. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the trace of a past lava flow. Arriving here, there was even less vitality, and no human figures could be seen. He continued flying forward along this lava river.

Before long, Qin Sang put away his escape art, revealed himself in mid-air, and swept his gaze towards a large expanse of extinct volcanoes ahead. Immediately, several streaks of light shot out from the mountains. The disciples of the Void Spirit Sect had already spotted Qin Sang.