Chapter 135: Xuanming Turtle Shell Formation

Ever since he stepped into the cultivation world and recognized his own talent, Qin Sang no longer dared to speak of immortality.

Nascent Soul.

He had only ever dreamed of it.

Even during the Qi Condensation stage, he didn't dare to hope for Core Formation.

As the saying goes, "the more you get, the more you want." After reaching Foundation Establishment, Qin Sang's ambition began to grow.

Qin Sang couldn't help but wonder, now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, what if he accidentally formed a Core? After forming a Core and cultivating to the late Golden Core stage, wouldn't he be able to use it then?

It was rumored that there were spirit herbs in the cultivation world that could extend lifespan.

Such a rare treasure of heaven and earth was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; it would be impossible to obtain a second one in this life. Now that it was in his hands, it would be a terrible shame to let it slip away—it would be an offense against heaven.

If he truly managed to form a Core, the Salvation Pill would increase his chance of forming a Nascent Soul by twenty percent, allowing him to directly surpass the so-called geniuses. The significance of this was immense.

After learning the true purpose of the Nine Illusory Sky Orchid, Qin Sang secretly decided that he would only consider other matters if he had no other options.

Now Qin Sang was certain that Master Yi of the Kuiyin Sect coveted the Yuanzhao Gate solely for this Nine Illusory Sky Orchid.

Master Yi's lifespan was nearing its end; if he didn't stake everything on attempting to reach the Nascent Soul stage, he would only die of old age.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang couldn't help but inwardly mock, "If Master Yi truly obtained this Nine Illusory Sky Orchid and discovered that it had only undergone seven transformations, meaning it wouldn't be ready for medicinal use for at least five hundred more years, would he just die of rage on the spot?"

Unless he had a way to force the spirit herb to mature quickly.

Qin Sang flew out of Baota Peak, and with a flip of his hand, several jade slips appeared in his palm. These jade slips were all relics of that alchemy master. One of them specifically mentioned the Nine Illusory Sky Orchid, containing not only records of it but also the formula for the Salvation Pill. Qin Sang had purchased them all under the guise of studying alchemy, in order to conceal his true intentions.

He wondered if Senior Brother Zhang had given him a discount out of respect for True Person Ma Wu, charging him only one mid-grade spirit stone.

However, Qin Sang had also seen many incredibly potent pill formulas in the alchemy room earlier, but they were all casually tossed in a corner, seemingly forgotten for a long time.

Without spirit herbs, even the best pill formulas were worthless.

Qin Sang picked out that specific jade slip and carefully put it into his mustard seed pouch.

Forming a Nascent Soul was like a distant dream; he could only first plant a seed of that dream.

What he needed to do now was cultivate diligently, find a way to form a Core, and only after that, think about the Salvation Pill.

After standing and thinking for a while, Qin Sang set off towards the Master's Grand Hall.

After waiting for some time in the Master's Grand Hall, Master Yu finally returned to the sect. Qin Sang put down his teacup, stood up, and bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Master Senior Brother."

"I've kept you waiting, Junior Brother Qin."

Master Yu returned the greeting with a smile and eyed Qin Sang. "Junior Brother Qin, you look well. That's splendid news."

Qin Sang gave a bitter smile and said, "Fortunately, Senior Brother bestowed the Nine Yang Pill upon me earlier, and I consumed it in time, which allowed me to recover my vitality. I haven't had a chance to thank you, Master Senior Brother."

Master Yu chuckled and said, "Those are all my duties, Junior Brother Qin, there's no need for such courtesy. What's more, the Nine Reversion Pill was compensation stipulated by True Person Ma Wu. Oh, right..."

His tone paused, and Master Yu clapped his hands sharply. "I almost forgot! It was stated before that after Junior Brother Qin completed the mission, you could make one request. Have you decided what you want, Junior Brother?"

Hearing this, Qin Sang didn't hesitate for long before saying, "Reporting to Master Senior Brother, I have no other requests. I only wish for a powerful array to protect my cave dwelling, to ward off external enemies, and ideally, one that also has a concealing effect, so I can cultivate in peace. It's just that I, your junior brother, have limited knowledge and am completely clueless about array formations, so I'll trouble Master Senior Brother to make the choice for me."

When Master Yu made his promise earlier, he didn't set a limit, implying that any request could be fulfilled.

But Qin Sang wasn't so naive. The Nascent Soul Ancestor had bestowed the Dragon Ginseng to help him establish his foundation, which was enough to offset most of the debt. If he were to make an exorbitant demand, it would be too ungracious.

While sitting and sipping tea just now, Qin Sang had already made his decision.

The Nine Illusory Sky Orchid had extremely stringent requirements for its growing environment. The alchemy master had stated in the jade slip that a spirit eye was the minimum, and a spirit spring was ideal.

The spirit spring in his cave dwelling hadn't fully formed yet, but it was still much stronger than other spirit eyes. Planting the Nine Illusory Sky Orchid there would be perfect, and it wouldn't be too late to transplant it once he found a true spirit spring later.

That cave dwelling was in the Cloudmist Great Marsh and lacked proper security; it couldn't be without a spirit array for protection.

Although the original array in the cave dwelling was usable, it had, after all, been laid by a bamboo demon. While it was fine for merely protecting the dwelling, Qin Sang couldn't feel at ease once he planted the Nine Illusory Sky Orchid there.

Master Yu, unaware of the true situation, misunderstood and asked curiously, "Junior Brother Qin, have you decided to search for a cave dwelling outside the sect? Later, you can go to the Spirit Beast Hall on Baota Peak. Several types of spirit beasts capable of locating spirit veins and sensing spirit eyes are kept there; you may borrow any of them."

Shaohua Mountain disciples, after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, could have their own cave dwellings. They could choose to be assigned an existing one within the sect, or many who preferred not to be restricted within the sect could go to the Cloudmist Great Marsh and, with the help of the sect's spirit beasts, find a suitable location to open their own cave dwelling.

The spirit veins of Shaohua Mountain could be said to be unparalleled within several thousand li. Even a common cave dwelling with just a spirit eye had much purer spiritual power than elsewhere.

Opening a cave dwelling outside would make it difficult to find a better dwelling than those within Shaohua Mountain, and security would also be hard to guarantee.

It was quite normal for Qin Sang to want a spirit array to protect his cave dwelling.

Master Yu wore a thoughtful expression and secretly nodded. He had initially feared that Qin Sang, being young and impetuous, would make an excessively demanding request. But now it seemed Qin Sang knew when to advance and when to retreat, which made things easier.

After thinking for a moment, Master Yu's eyes lit up, and he said, "Junior Brother Qin, you've come at just the right time. The sect has just acquired a set of array flags called the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Array. It couldn't be more suitable for protecting a cave dwelling! Junior Brother Qin, please wait a moment..."

Master Yu hurried away. Qin Sang sat and waited for a moment, then saw Master Yu return, holding several dark, mysterious flags which he handed to Qin Sang.

There were seven small flags in total. Faint water ripples were depicted on their surfaces. To the naked eye, these ripples appeared to flow, and within them, a profound tortoise would rise and fall, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

Qin Sang grasped a flagpole, feeling a subtle chill permeate him. He realized the chill came from the persistent Profound Nether Qi lingering on the flags.

"Junior Brother Qin," Master Yu said, "these array flags for the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Array are quite extraordinary. They are relics left behind by a highly skilled cultivator from the Yuanzhen Sect, who was proficient in array formations. Once set up, the flags generate Profound Nether Qi, providing a concealing effect. Not only are they difficult to discern with the naked eye, but even Golden Core stage cultivators would struggle to detect them with their divine sense. Should an external enemy invade, the formation will shift, the profound tortoise will manifest, and its defensive capabilities are equally astonishing. If you think this is suitable, Junior Brother, I will make the decision to gift you this set of array flags."