Chapter 1318: Forbidden Zone Turmoil

As he neared the forbidden area, the Fire Jade Centipede began to stir.

Qin Sang had only witnessed such a reaction twice before: once when he discovered the Scarlet Fire Gilt in an ancient cultivator's relic site, and the second time in the Abyss, drawn by a mysterious white bronze.

Qin Sang looked up towards the mountain peak. Whatever was attracting the Fire Jade Centipede was inside the mountain!

What other secrets lay hidden within the Void Spirit Sect's forbidden area, beyond the 'mountain within a mountain'?

Qin Sang suppressed his curiosity, applying a restriction to the Fire Jade Centipede to prevent Ice Han from noticing it when they met, thus avoiding any misunderstanding. There might be a rare treasure in the mountain, but Qin Sang harbored no delusions of claiming it for himself. His purpose in coming to the Void Spirit Sect was to foster a good relationship with Ice Han and seek her guidance on artifact refining, not to create complications. No matter how rare a treasure, it couldn't compare to the Southern Bright Separating Fire.

Placing the Fire Jade Centipede back into his Corpse Puppet Bag, Qin Sang gathered his thoughts, took out a demonic banner, activated the Fire Lotus Seed within him, and began cultivating the "Fire Seed Golden Lotus" to refine demonic flames.

Not long after, the Aversion Flame Pavilion suddenly vibrated.

Qin Sang was startled awake, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He rose to his feet, staring intently towards the mountain peak. That kind of fluctuation had appeared again. Here, his perception was even clearer; the entire forbidden area had shaken violently.

Qin Sang was certain that the source of the fluctuations was indeed the mountain's core! An expression of surprise appeared on his face. Judging by his perception, the power of the fluctuations was immense, and the source must be even more violent—so much so that even with his cultivation, if he were inside the mountain's core at that moment, he would also need to summon his magic artifacts to resist.

"What exactly is inside?" he wondered. "Could it be the treasure the Fire Jade Centipede sensed?"

Qin Sang pondered silently. He was certain that Ice Han was definitely not in seclusion; the fluctuations must be related to her. Qin Sang noticed Yun Lan guarding outside, observing quietly. Yun Lan's expression was normal, seemingly accustomed to such fluctuations. He suspected he might be overthinking it, so he shook his head, sat down cross-legged, put away the demonic banner, and then summoned his Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet again.

While subduing the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet, Qin Sang also began to experience the talisman puppet's soul imprint. The Dao Cultivation Tree was indeed unique. Qin Sang immersed his mind into the soul imprint, forgetting himself, as if he had become another person. This practice was very dangerous, potentially leading to a backlash from the soul imprint and complete loss of self, yet Qin Sang had no qualms.

What Qin Sang gained was not, as he had imagined, residual memories from the soul imprint, but rather an ineffable understanding of realms and the Great Dao that the soul imprint possessed during its life. This understanding remained within the soul imprint's essence and could be experienced by outsiders. Qin Sang's will was firm; he would not be swayed by others' Great Dao. However, this experience still greatly benefited him, not by accelerating his cultivation speed, but by providing insight when he encountered bottlenecks. The Great Dao are interconnected; by incorporating others' insights, one's own path becomes clearer.

This also involved a process of comprehensive integration, which wasn't fast. However, Qin Sang now had plenty of time, so whenever he had leisure, he would summon the talisman puppet. Given enough time, he would accumulate enough to make a significant breakthrough. Once the Corpse Flower Blood Amber was fully purified, his cultivation would surely enter a phase of rapid advancement.

In a blink of an eye, it was Qin Sang's fifth day at the Void Spirit Sect. Over these five days, fluctuations appeared daily. Qin Sang discerned a pattern: the fluctuations varied in strength. Only one wave each day was the strongest, while the others were very weak. Though the forbidden area showed no reaction to the weaker ones, they couldn't escape Qin Sang's perception. After the strongest fluctuation appeared, it would completely subside. The next day, at the same time, the fluctuations would reappear.

**Sixth Day**

**Void Spirit Sect Forbidden Area**

A streak of flight light flew out from the mountain's core, hovered briefly, then shot towards a palace. Qin Sang, who was cultivating in seclusion at the Aversion Flame Pavilion, immediately detected the person's presence. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes, and he darted out of the pavilion, ignoring Yun Lan, and flew into the air.

"Oh? Fellow Daoist Qin!"

A familiar voice emanated from within the streak of light, which abruptly halted. It was Xiang Qing.

"Fellow Daoist Xiang, what's this about?" Qin Sang scrutinized Xiang Qing, secretly surprised and suspicious. At this moment, Xiang Qing appeared exceptionally disheveled; his Daoist robe even had scorched marks. His breathing was rapid, seemingly indicating a huge expenditure of energy.

"It's a long story." Xiang Qing shook his head. "Soon after the Three Domains peace talks, I returned to the Void Spirit Sect with Fellow Daoist Ice Han. We tried multiple times, failing repeatedly, and this time I nearly suffered a backlash. I was just about to invite Fellow Daoist Qin, but I didn't expect you to have already arrived."

"I've been waiting for a while!" Qin Sang said, astonished. "What happened in the mountain? Even with both of you working together, you failed?"

Xiang Qing carried the aura of the Ancestral Sacred Fire, indicating he had already refined a portion of it, making him stronger than before. Xiang Qing paused. "Fellow Daoist Qin doesn't know the full story yet? Then it's not convenient for me to say much. I once swore an oath to Fellow Daoist Ice Han not to reveal the Void Spirit Sect's secrets to anyone. If Fellow Daoist Qin wishes to know, you can only ask Fellow Daoist Ice Han. She should be coming out soon..."

"I will personally explain to Fellow Daoist Qin," a voice interjected. "Fellow Daoist Xiang, quickly go and recover. These fire toxins are unusual, and even though you possess the Azure Sun Demonic Fire, you shouldn't let them accumulate for too long."

Before the words finished, a palace-dressed woman flew out from the mountain peak. It was indeed Ice Han.

Xiang Qing cupped his hands at Qin Sang and flew into the palace. Ice Han's figure flickered, and she appeared before Qin Sang. Outwardly, no traces were visible, but her weakened aura couldn't be concealed. Like Xiang Qing, Ice Han's true essence within her body had also undergone severe depletion.

"I wonder if my timing is appropriate," Qin Sang said, looking up towards the mountain peak. "It seems there's an important secret concerning your esteemed sect within this mountain."

Ice Han smiled. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you've arrived at the perfect time! It's true, nothing escapes your discerning eye. The secret within the mountain is indeed extremely vital to the Void Spirit Sect and cannot be lost. If Fellow Daoist wishes to know, please follow me."

With that, Ice Han gestured, preparing to fly towards the mountain peak.

However, Qin Sang remained rooted to the spot, motionless. "From what Fellow Daoist Xiang said, this matter is far from trivial. Does Qin also need to take an oath first?"

Ice Han replied earnestly, "If Fellow Daoist Qin doesn't mind, that would certainly be for the best."

"In return, what can I gain?" Qin Sang fixed his gaze on Ice Han.

"What does Fellow Daoist desire?" Ice Han naturally perceived that Qin Sang had come with an agenda. Given the gravity of the situation, she didn't want to haggle further and stated frankly, "My entire Void Spirit Sect will do its utmost to fulfill Fellow Daoist's request."

Qin Sang hesitated, feeling somewhat amused and bewildered. He had originally intended to come seeking assistance, but unexpectedly stumbled upon Ice Han and Xiang Qing's plans, which turned the tables, making Ice Han the one asking for his assistance. This wasn't a bad thing; it would make negotiating terms easier later. Ice Han's ambition was not the ancient secret realm, but judging by their current states, it was likely just as dangerous.

"I wish to examine all of your esteemed sect's artifact refining classics," Qin Sang stated, emphasizing the word "all," "and if Fellow Daoist could personally offer some guidance, that would be even better!"

"So Fellow Daoist Qin wishes to learn artifact refining," Ice Han realized. She wasn't surprised; most cultivators who reached the Nascent Soul realm found that artifacts they refined themselves were the most compatible. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Fellow Daoist Qin, rest assured, whether this endeavor succeeds or fails, I will grant you access to our classics. However, Fellow Daoist Qin will need to swear an oath not to transmit them externally, which I trust you can understand."