Chapter 1459: A Crescent Moon, Countless Stars

Liuli's eyes swiveled to the ice casket in Qin Sang's hand. She said calmly, "First, before you return the sacred object, I'd like to borrow it for one day to extract the power of the Ice Demon Crystal."

It seemed there was a second condition.

Qin Sang had anticipated Liuli's first request and didn't ask what she intended to use the Ice Demon Crystal's power for. Instead, he asked with some surprise, "Won't doing this affect the seal or damage the Ice Demon Crystal?"

"No," Liuli replied.

Her voice showed no emotion. "My master once taught me about such seals. The Divine Ice Light can penetrate the seal and extract the power of the Ice Demon Crystal without causing damage. It will only weaken the crystal's power, requiring it to be placed back in the Everfrost Spring for over a decade to recuperate, thus delaying the opening of the sacred land."

The environment within the sacred land was beneficial for the cultivators of the Xuantian Palace.

Many in the Xuantian Palace were currently stuck at bottlenecks, eagerly awaiting the sacred land's opening. Even an extra year of waiting would be agonizing and intolerable for them.

Shi Xue was the head of the Tingxue Tower lineage.

As the Junior Sister of the Palace Master, her status wasn't low.

However, the Xuantian Palace had complex internal factions. The Tingxue Tower was merely one of the four main lineages, and currently the weakest. Beyond the four lineages were noble families and various functional halls, overseen by elders and the Palace Master.

With so many eyes watching, it would normally be impossible for her, considered rather unremarkable, to be permitted to use the sacred object. This was her only opportunity.

Qin Sang said, "When you extract the Ice Demon Crystal's power, it must be done in my presence."

Firstly, it was to prevent the sacred object from being taken entirely, and secondly, he wanted to use the opportunity to observe the Ice Demon Crystal.

As for Liuli's actions causing the Ice Demon Crystal's power to wane, it wasn't a major issue; it could easily be blamed on the traitor.

Qin Sang was more than happy for the sacred land's opening to be delayed by a decade.

Once this matter was settled, he planned to visit Hundred Flowers Valley.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would likely complete the spirit-ascension ritual for the Heavenly Eye Butterfly in ten years. If successful, the butterfly could advance to the mid-stage of its Fourth Transformation, greatly enhancing its divine abilities.

Additionally, the Sun God Bird might have solidified by then, providing him with another powerful magic treasure.

Before entering the sacred land, he needed to be fully prepared for any potential variables.

Liuli hesitated briefly, then said, "Alright."

Qin Sang nodded slightly, agreeing to the request. "What's the second condition?"

Suddenly, Qin Sang felt Liuli's gaze change, becoming more serious and solemn.

She looked directly at Qin Sang and said gravely, "When you break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, I hope you will accompany me to the Ziwei Palace to help rescue my master. At that time, I will offer suitable compensation."

For a moment, Qin Sang was stunned.

The main reason was that there were too many questions in her statement; he didn't even know where to begin.

After speaking, a hint of expectation flickered in the depths of Liuli's eyes. For her, rescuing her master was even more important than acquiring the Ice Demon Crystal.

Qin Sang, with his five-element spiritual root, had achieved so much before the age of four hundred, which was astonishing. Even the self-important geniuses of Xuantian Palace were not as dazzling as he was.

In Liuli's opinion, Qin Sang was the most promising cultivator of this era to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, perhaps even the only one.

After a moment of daze, Qin Sang looked at Liuli with a strange expression. "That time in Ziwei Palace, after I left, were you still threatened by Earl Dongyang and unable to rescue your master?"

Liuli shook her head first, then nodded.

"After you escaped, he lost his leverage and couldn't threaten me. I agreed to participate in the Three Regions War and fight for Shaohua Mountain, and promised to ask my master to teach him a secret tribulation-crossing technique. We then jointly entered the Demonic Cave and sensed my master's aura, but our strength was insufficient to free her."

Remembering the scene, Liuli's expression became somewhat somber.

Her master was so close, yet she was powerless, regretting only her low cultivation level.

Qin Sang sensed Liuli's emotions and recalled how proud she was, yet for her master's sake, she had been willing to cultivate an evil soul-harvesting technique, making countless efforts, only to fail in the end.

And now...

Qin Sang thought of the now ascended Ziwei Palace. His gaze met Liuli's resolute eyes, and he fell silent for a moment, only able to lament the cruelty of the world.

Regathering her spirits, Liuli showed a hopeful expression. "Fortunately, my master is still in good condition. She sent a message, ordering me to return to Xuantian Palace and cultivate the Divine Ice Light. I must wait until the Divine Ice Light is fully mastered, then invite a powerful grand cultivator to help me enter the Demonic Cave together. Only then will there be a chance to open the ancient prohibition of the Demonic Cave."

Hearing "Divine Ice Light," Qin Sang recalled that it must be the strange divine ability she had used against him before. It was indeed an unrivaled grand divine ability.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Why didn't you ask the Xuantian Palace Master for help? Or the Grand Elder? She certainly has more hope of breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage than I do."

Liuli's eyes flickered. "The Palace Master... it's inconvenient for him to act. The Grand Elder was injured during the previous chaos, damaging her foundation. This nearly caused her internal demons to erupt, adding insult to injury. Before that hidden danger is removed, I'm afraid..."

The Palace Master's condition was worse than he had imagined!

No wonder Liuli hadn't asked the Palace Master for help and hadn't returned to the Beichen Realm all this time.

The Grand Elder was likely injured by the Ghost Mother. The Ghost Mother, having recovered her strength, was surprisingly formidable; the Grand Elder, even wielding a spirit treasure, was no match for her.

How strong must Reverend Tianyue have been then, to force the Ghost Mother at her peak into desperation and seal her until now?

Thoughts raced through Qin Sang's mind. He then asked, "I remember Earl Dongyang once mentioned taking some treasure from the Bronze Palace?"

Liuli answered readily, "Perhaps because my master broke into the Demonic Cave, the Bronze Palace's restrictions changed. We ultimately didn't find it."

A glint flashed in Qin Sang's eyes.

He had long suspected that the Killing Sword's spirit had possessed him in the Bronze Palace. Hearing Liuli's words, he felt even more certain.

Perhaps Liuli's master breaking into the Demonic Cave had accidentally released the sword spirit from its seal. It had been lingering in the Bronze Palace and, upon seeing him, a practitioner of the *Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter*, had possessed him.

Of course, these were all speculations.

The true origin of the sword spirit and why it was sealed remained a mystery.

"Earl Dongyang..."

Qin Sang's voice paused slightly. "His breakthrough to the mid-Nascent Soul stage and surviving the last heavenly tribulation—was that thanks to your master? And he didn't visit you in Xuantian Palace afterward?"

Earl Dongyang's current whereabouts were unknown.

If Earl Dongyang had visited her, even if bound by a heart demon oath not to reveal the Ascension Platform, he could have disclosed the disappearance of Ziwei Palace, extinguishing her hope.

It seemed that although they had made another deal, the rift between them was deep, and Earl Dongyang preferred not to seek trouble for himself.

"My master passed on to him a secret breakthrough technique that came at a great cost. Coincidentally, during the Three Regions War, Earl Dongyang painstakingly gathered all the necessary conditions. After his forced breakthrough, the vital energy in his body would rapidly decay. Even if he had methods to solidify his foundation and nourish his vitality, he would still surely die when the next heavenly tribulation descended. By my estimation, he only has a few decades left."

As she spoke, Liuli couldn't help but glance at Qin Sang.

She suspected Earl Dongyang had already died by Qin Sang's hand.

Earl Dongyang was no match for Qin Sang now, and the conflict between them was almost irreconcilable, especially since Qin Sang had been so deeply manipulated, nearly suffering eternal damnation.

Hearing this, Qin Sang remembered his senior sister's previous assessment of Earl Dongyang and suddenly understood.

No wonder Earl Dongyang had always chosen to retreat; he apparently had only a few years left to live.

His departure from the Beichen Realm seemed to be driven by a sliver of hope for recovery, perhaps wandering around or helping Qiu Mubai find an opportunity to form her Nascent Soul.

"Earl Dongyang should be in the North Sea now. I don't know why he didn't visit you. When we fought earlier, how did you recognize me?"

Qin Sang asked curiously. He had worn a mask and taken great pains to disguise himself. He had thought Earl Dongyang had told Liuli about his exploits, and that she already knew he possessed a pair of phoenix wings and was skilled in thunder evasion.

Liuli was silent for a moment, then parted her lips. "Sword intent."

Qin Sang suddenly realized.

The sword intent of the *Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter* was unique, unparalleled in the world.

Since Liuli had sought him out later, she must have known he cultivated this technique. He hadn't expected her to recognize his sword intent so quickly and connect it to him.

Qin Sang nodded, looked at Liuli, then hesitated, mumbling, "There's something you might not know. In just two hundred years, Ziwei Palace opened twice more, with each interval shorter than the last."

His voice paused slightly.

Liuli seemed to sense something. Her lips pressed together tightly, and her eyes, unblinking, stared intently at Qin Sang.

Under Liuli's intense gaze, Qin Sang felt immense pressure and sighed inwardly. "The last time, Ziwei Palace... for some unknown reason, its inner hall reverted to its original immortal palace form and ascended entirely, departing from this realm, including Tianshan and the Bronze Palace, everything... Even if your master survived that upheaval, she is no longer in this world."

After speaking, he gave a bitter smile. "You must remember to swear an oath not to reveal this matter, or the Beichen Realm will never know peace again."

He himself wasn't afraid of a heart demon backlash.

After Qin Sang finished speaking, he heard no reply.

There was deadly silence.

Liuli's lips were devoid of color, and her face was ghastly pale.

In that moment, her eyes seemed to lose all light, staring blankly towards the north.

There were no tears, but Qin Sang felt a profound sadness.

He didn't know much about Liuli, but he could deeply sense the bond between her and her master, as if rescuing her master was her sole obsession in this life.

What a pity...

The Heavenly Dao was ruthless, as it had always been.

Liuli remained motionless for a long time, like an ice sculpture.

Fearing his words might cause her to fall into qi deviation, Qin Sang lightly coughed and said, "Your master's cultivation is profound. Trapped in the Demonic Cave, she was surrounded by the ancient prohibitions of the Demonic Cave, the Bronze Palace, the Black Pagoda, and the layered immortal restrictions on Tianshan. These were originally restraints, but at that moment, they acted as four layers of protection. Perhaps your master not only emerged unharmed but also gained a blessing from misfortune, seizing the opportunity to escape and witness more beautiful scenery and a broader path in the Upper Realm! This is a heaven-defying opportunity. Compared to her, we are all in a cage, our path cut off, our future uncertain, not knowing when we'll break free from these confines..."

Though meant as comfort, these words indeed contained some of Qin Sang's genuine thoughts.

After all, Ziwei Palace didn't shatter on the spot; during its ascension, most of the immortal palace remained intact. Perhaps there were certain special places within it where one could hide to avoid the impact and seize the chance to smuggle oneself out.

Unfortunately, the immortal palace's ascension was too sudden, and everyone's attention was diverted by the Jade Bone Devil and the Ascension Platform, leaving no opportunity for investigation.

Liuli's stiff eyes finally moved, suddenly regaining some vitality.

"Thank you!"

Her voice was somewhat strained but contained a glimmer of hope.

Qin Sang smiled. "You can ask for a different condition."

Liuli looked up at the sky, seemingly talking to herself, yet also confiding, her voice a little ethereal. "I was originally alone and helpless. My master took me in, like a teacher, like a mother. I clearly remember that night, a crescent moon, a sky full of stars..."

Qin Sang listened quietly, not saying a word.

He looked up at the edge of the sky.

Shadows danced as the starlit river drew near, the bright moon without a speck of dust.

Liuli let out a soft breath, reinvigorating herself. "Aside from observing the sacred land ritual and the *Nine Nether Returning Yin Jade Chapter*, what other requests do you have?"

"Let me think again... Ideally, I'd like access to the Xuantian Palace treasury, to choose as I please."

Qin Sang smiled faintly. Seeing that Liuli wasn't going to make any more conditions, he promptly handed over the ice casket. "You may begin, Immortal Maiden! Consider this an offering of borrowed flowers to the Buddha. To gain the Divine Ice Qi this way, I've already benefited."

"You deserve it," Liuli replied.

She didn't refuse, taking the ice casket and glancing around.

"Follow me."

Qin Sang led Liuli to the center of the island, where he opened a cave dwelling. After entering, he set up a prohibition formation, then sat down opposite Liuli.

Liuli sat cross-legged and placed the ice casket flat before her.

Next, she took something from her mustard seed pouch and handed it to Qin Sang.

As Qin Sang took it, he felt a wave of cold penetrate from his fingertips to his internal organs, nearly freezing his meridians. He looked down to see a white, brocade-like pouch, woven from transparent ice threads, feeling heavy inside.

Liuli explained, "This is an Ice Soul Pouch, woven by my master using ice silkworm silk refined with the Divine Ice Light back then. It can store Ice Soul Essence. My master left me with little Ice Soul Essence, and half of it is in here, enough for your outer avatar to establish its foundation."

Qin Sang nodded, put it away without ceremony, and then quietly watched Liuli's actions.

The cave dwelling was quiet.

Liuli closed her eyes, her breathing becoming steady. Finally, only a barely perceptible fluctuation remained as she opened her palms and placed them flat above the ice casket.

Qin Sang waited patiently.

After an unknown period, the sky outside brightened considerably. Liuli looked exhausted, seemingly having expended a great deal of energy.

Suddenly, Qin Sang inexplicably felt a chill.

He lowered his head and focused on Liuli's fingertips.

The void there remained as calm as ever, but he knew for certain that Liuli had activated the Divine Ice Light ability, detecting a subtle fluctuation.

"What a peculiar divine ability! It sounds like her ability hasn't reached mastery yet. Once it does, I might not even notice it before being hit. How sharp! Has she been dedicating most of her energy to cultivating the Divine Ice Light, which is why she hasn't broken through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage for so long?"

Qin Sang speculated to himself.

At this moment, he noticed that the seal on the mysterious ice casket's surface had loosened. As Liuli moved, transparent, water-like wisps of aura seeped out from the seal's cracks.

Seeing this, Qin Sang was full of admiration.

If the traitor had possessed Liuli's methods, he would have obtained the sacred object long ago and wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

Eventually, these wisps of aura converged into a single droplet.

Liuli reached out and cupped it. After concentrating and examining it for a moment, she stood motionless.

Qin Sang noticed the hint and softly asked, "This... isn't suitable?"

Liuli nodded, her voice calm. "It's not compatible."

Qin Sang scratched his head. He wasn't sure what Liuli was trying to do and couldn't offer any good suggestions.

However, he could tell that Liuli was likely searching for some treasure related to the path of ice and cold, most probably for a cultivation technique or secret art.

"Let me see it," Qin Sang said, extending his hand.

Liuli didn't hesitate, handing the 'droplet' to Qin Sang.

Qin Sang analyzed it repeatedly but found no clues.

He knew very little about the path of ice and cold, but he understood that even spiritual objects with similar properties varied greatly in essence. At the Nascent Soul level, the requirements were even more stringent; there could be no errors.

For example, when he refined the Gold Sinking Sword, if he had required extreme compatibility with himself, like others did, perhaps only the Phoenix Descent Jade among his three spiritual objects would barely have met the criteria, while Blue-spotted Gold and Heavencrown Heavy Liquid would have been unsuitable.

A tiny deviation could lead to a huge error.

This was also why top-grade magic treasures were difficult to refine.

Qin Sang returned the 'droplet'. He now believed about eighty to ninety percent of what Liuli had said earlier.

Since Liuli hadn't known about Ziwei Palace's ascension before, and her goal was to ask him to save her master, she certainly wouldn't lie about such a matter and antagonize him.

After thinking, Qin Sang asked, "Regarding the rumors about the Yellow Dragon Scholar's temporary palace, were they spread jointly by Xuantian Palace and the Old Devil of Chaos to mislead others and secretly advance the Ten Thousand Devils Assembly?"

Liuli hadn't known about it before.

Later, Shi Xue learned about it from an elder, and only then did they understand. Given the current situation, whether the matter was true or false no longer mattered. Liuli nodded, tacitly confirming it.

"Just as I thought!"

Qin Sang felt more confident, stating firmly, "They didn't expect the sacred object to be in my hands. Their true purpose was to lure the traitor out."

Liuli nodded again, her eyes subtly shifting, as if she dimly grasped something.

Qin Sang said indifferently.

"That fellow isn't a fool. Knowing that Xuantian Palace could sense the sacred object, how could he be as ignorant as me, openly bringing it to the assembly?

"Xuantian Palace must have another way to pinpoint him!

"The fact that you didn't dare to act on Chaos Devil Island indicates that your connection with the Old Devil of Chaos isn't deep. The forces behind the Ten Thousand Devils Assembly would certainly not allow you to conduct extensive searches and break the rules.

"Therefore, the best approach would be to make him reveal himself."

Qin Sang merely made reasonable inferences based on the information he had gathered, putting himself in their shoes.

He raised his eyes. "Your Grand Elder must have prepared an extremely rare treasure, the kind that would make the traitor willing to risk exposure to obtain it."

Liuli stopped nodding and looked at Qin Sang instead.

Such a treasure was very likely what she needed.

However, given her status in Xuantian Palace, it wouldn't be so simple to acquire it.

Unless...

Qin Sang chuckled. "After I meet the Grand Elder, I will tell her that you, Immortal Maiden, risked danger, appealed to my emotions and reason, and painstakingly persuaded me to resolve my anger and wariness, agreeing to return the sacred object. One-third of the credit for the sacred object's return goes to you, Immortal Maiden. As for what you tell the Grand Elder, I won't interfere."

Liuli stared steadily at Qin Sang. "Thank you."

"You've said 'thank you' twice in a row. Can't you use a different word?"

Qin Sang couldn't help but joke, then immediately became serious. "It's merely a small favor! If you hadn't stepped in to mediate, my interaction with Xuantian Palace wouldn't have been so smooth. There would have been a confrontation, needlessly accumulating much animosity, and I might even have been secretly attacked by the Grand Elder with a spirit treasure. This truly is your achievement! Besides, we're both getting what we need, so don't take it to heart."

From beginning to end, he and Liuli tacitly avoided mentioning the soul-harvesting matter.

Since Liuli didn't bring it up, he found it inconvenient to say anything.

Qin Sang had wanted to ask her if she had cultivated *Stone Bridge Zen*, but seeing her so earnest, not seeming like someone who had practiced such a deviant technique, he found it difficult to ask.

He remembered Earl Dongyang had once said that the *Profound Female Jade Cauldron True Scripture* had endless repercussions.

He himself had fortunately escaped this disaster due to the Jade Buddha's protection, which meant the hidden danger would fall upon Liuli.

From the moment he met Liuli, Qin Sang had been quietly observing. He hadn't perceived any emotional fluctuations from her directed at him, which made him wonder if Earl Dongyang might have been exaggerating back then.

Liuli remained silent for a long time, but eventually said, "Thank you."

Qin Sang looked helpless.

As they parted, Qin Sang handed Liuli a sound transmission talisman, instructing her, "If your Grand Elder agrees, crush this talisman near Pearl Island. I will transmit the location to her for a detailed discussion. Oh, and tell the Grand Elder it's best not to bring too many powerful cultivators; I'm quite timid."

Liuli's gaze quickly swept over Qin Sang's face, as if silently saying, 'You, timid?'

She said nothing more, quietly put away the talisman, and flew off.

Qin Sang stood on the shore, watching her depart.

After Liuli's light disappeared, he pondered for a long time, then sighed softly and turned back.

He first put away the formation, then went to visit True Person Yin Quan. Through him, Qin Sang met several fellow cultivators. After staying for a day, he bid farewell to the others and returned to Pearl Island with True Person Yin Quan.

Qin Sang was now considered a distinguished guest. When he suggested renting the Alchemist Guild's fire chamber, it displeased True Person Yin Quan, so he had to reluctantly occupy it for free.

He knew clearly that their high regard for him was partly due to the ancient formulas. Additionally, Danding Mountain might already be suspicious of his origins.

Regardless of whether Qin Sang knew the path to the Beichen Realm, even if he did, he wouldn't reveal it.

Through his travels during this period, Qin Sang deeply realized the strength of the North Sea cultivation world, which far surpassed the Beichen Realm. Fortunately, the human and demon races in the North Sea were at odds, and the human race was disunited, holding each other back.

The Beichen Realm had just emerged from chaos, with powerful cultivators ascending, leaving it at a vulnerable point.

Restoring contact between the two realms at this time would bring more harm than good to the Beichen Realm's sects. It was not a wise move; it would be better to wait until a grand cultivator emerged.

Therefore, he consistently feigned ignorance, revealing nothing.

After thanking True Person Yin Quan, Qin Sang entered the fire chamber and took out the Gold Sinking Sword along with the three spiritual objects, including the Phoenix Descent Jade. He intended to upgrade it to the level of a top-grade magic treasure before meeting the Grand Elder.

With his current cultivation, he could fully refine artifacts using his own Infant Fire and the Nine Nether Demonic Flames.

However, doing so would consume too much energy.

Refining magic treasures couldn't be done in one go. During the process, most of the time, such powerful spiritual flames weren't needed. The underground fiery veins would suffice, allowing him to work with ease. Why not take advantage of it?

He then added several more layers of restrictions outside the fire chamber.

Next, he made a grasping motion with one hand, drawing the Phoenix Descent Jade towards him. The Infant Fire flickered in his palm.

The Phoenix Descent Jade slowly rotated in his palm. As soon as it showed signs of melting, Qin Sang stopped, lightly shook his palm, and cast it into the furnace to be calcined by the earth fire.

After an unknown period, the Phoenix Descent Jade melted into a mass of spiritual liquid, all impurities removed.

Qin Sang placed it above the furnace, maintaining its molten state, then successively drew in the other two spiritual objects, refining them all in the same manner.

He wasn't in a hurry to re-refine the spirit sword. First, he picked up the spirit sword and used his divine sense to comprehend the characteristics of both the spiritual materials and the spirit sword itself. Once he confirmed everything was foolproof, he summoned the Nine Nether Demonic Flames and cast the Gold Sinking Sword into them.