Chapter 1467: Outside Manifestation (4k, Two-in-One)

Rain lashed against the bluestone.

"Bang!"

Liuli said nothing. The wooden door slammed shut.

Shi Xue's figure stiffened. She let out a long sigh, stopped, and turned to gaze at the tightly shut wooden building, her expression a mix of heartache and helplessness. "That stubborn girl!" she muttered.

Qin Sang glanced at the wooden building, then down at the ice sword impaled in the ground, and slowly began to understand. Clutching the *Divine Maiden Heart Sutra* in his hand, he looked at Shi Xue, feeling utterly speechless and a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Given his intelligence, even without knowing the full story, the *Divine Maiden Heart Sutra* from Shi Xue and Liuli's recent outburst allowed him to piece together most of the truth. Residual energy fluctuations lingered within the wooden building. Clearly, Liuli had just attempted to break through to the Mid-Nascent Soul stage but had failed. Since Shi Xue had offered him the *Divine Maiden Heart Sutra*, Liuli's failure was likely connected to him—or more precisely, to the imprint left by the *Profound Female Jade Cauldron Scripture*. It appeared Count Dongyang's earlier warning hadn't been an exaggeration; the lingering dangers of this wicked technique were truly problematic. Even after nearly three centuries, Liuli remained unable to shed the imprint.

No wonder Liuli, despite possessing a Heavenly Spirit Root, remained trapped at the Early Nascent Soul stage, having been surpassed by him. Since their reunion, Liuli had always acted normally in his presence. Qin Sang had assumed that Xuantian Palace, with its immense resources, surely possessed secret arts or rare treasures to resolve her predicament. He had even believed this outcome to be satisfactory, considering it a resolution of their karmic ties. But it was all just a facade.

Qin Sang remembered Count Dongyang's words from the Bronze Hall of the Purple Imperial Palace: from the very beginning, Liuli had suffered the backlash of the wicked technique, using silver needles to 'lock her emotions' and suppress the imprint's influence. She was likely employing a similar method now to seal the emotional imprint. Regrettably, the power of this technique's hidden dangers had been underestimated. Precisely at the critical moment of her breakthrough, the secret art failed, the imprint erupted, and her efforts ended in vain.

Recalling the look in Liuli's eyes during her emotional outburst, Qin Sang sighed inwardly. That deeply ingrained emotion was unsettling, yet tragically, it wasn't genuine, not arising from her true heart, but a product of the wicked art's imprint. Liuli, however, clearly understood this, and had bravely maintained her true self, refusing to succumb.

"Master Shi..." Qin Sang approached Shi Xue, returning the jade slip to her, momentarily at a loss for words. "You... you really overthink things." For a while, he had found Shi Xue's behavior rather odd, and now he realized she had been dwelling on baseless notions. Shi Xue was likely unaware of the nature of essence-draining cultivation. Had she consulted Qin Sang beforehand, he would have unequivocally advised her to abandon the idea and not waste her time. Regardless of his own feelings, Liuli would never have agreed.

Indeed, Liuli had decisively sealed the wooden building, choosing to forgo this breakthrough opportunity rather than even consider the possibility of dual cultivation. Qin Sang was not at all surprised by this outcome. Liuli was a celestial talent, a person fundamentally different from him. How incredibly proud she was! She had initially cultivated the essence-draining wicked art out of an urgent desire to save her master, not for her own benefit. Now, to compromise her cultivation, to yield to the imprint, and allow the wicked technique to manipulate her into becoming a Dao companion with someone she barely knew—even under the pretense of dual cultivation—was utterly impossible.

Whether one called her stubborn or unyielding, she would never numb herself to accept such a false emotion. Qin Sang had limited interactions with Liuli, yet he understood her deeply through her actions. If Liuli had accepted the *Divine Maiden Heart Sutra*, she wouldn't have been herself.

"'Fairy Liuli is blessed by fate and will surely find a solution. We simply need to trust her and not let our concern cloud our judgment.' Qin Sang dismissed the whole affair as a farce, shook his head, and swiftly flew out of the mountain hollow to attend to his own matters.

Shi Xue watched Qin Sang's disappearing figure, her eyes flickering. She then walked quickly to the wooden building, hesitated, but ultimately didn't push the door open, choosing to stand guard outside. "That faithless man actually made a valid point; my concern truly clouded my judgment. With Junior Sister's intelligence, she must have considered the possibility of failure, knowing the hidden dangers of the Ice Soul Seal. But besides the *Divine Maiden Heart Sutra*, which uses emotion to enter the Dao, what other method could allow her to break through before the next tribulation?" Shi Xue pondered for a long time, sighing inwardly. "Alas, Junior Sister, I understand you less than that faithless man. Why, exactly, are you unwilling to accept him?"

Leaving Tingxue Tower, Qin Sang headed directly northeast. He traversed the snow without leaving a trace, and before long, a vast expanse of snow-capped mountains appeared, marking his return to this region. The subterranean Yin meridian Shi Xue had mentioned was located beneath these mountains. Soon after entering the snowy peaks, Qin Sang sensed a faint trace of Yin qi. His gaze swept downwards, piercing through the snow, revealing the entrances to various underground caves—the very source of the Yin qi.

"Pffft!" A hole opened in the snow, and Qin Sang entered the cave. The subterranean caverns intertwined and connected, forming an extremely complex network. He summoned his Golden Submergence Sword for protection and ventured deeper into the caves, continuing his search. Just as Shi Xue had described, there was indeed a subterranean Yin meridian here, but its strength fluctuated. Some areas had thin Yin qi, while others were exceptionally dense, like scattered "Yin accumulation pools" throughout the caverns.

The first stage of the *Nine Netherworld Reversion to Yin* required utilizing a subterranean Yin meridian for eighty-one days to refine a spiritual body. This step differed from corpse refining; it wasn't about completely transforming the physical body with Yin qi. Instead, it involved a slight modification using the power of the subterranean Yin meridian. The true purpose wasn't to absorb its Yin, but its coldness, which would facilitate the refining of cold-attributed materials later and increase the success rate of subsequent steps. Eventually, the Yin qi would be expelled from the body. Consequently, the subterranean Yin meridian had stringent requirements: the Yin qi could be neither excessively strong nor too weak.

Qin Sang had already spent a long time searching the caverns. This time, he dedicated another full day, finally narrowing down three potential locations before settling on one. This chosen spot was a deep grotto, its surrounding stone walls as smooth as a mirror and seemingly bottomless. Qin Sang carved out a stone platform with his sword, then sat down cross-legged and summoned his Nascent Soul Talisman Golem.

The process of refining an external incarnation using the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem involved not only whether the Dao Evolution Tree could be consecrated into a spiritual body, but also how the golem marks and soul shadows within the Talisman Golem would be refined for the incarnation's use. The Nascent Soul Talisman Golem differed somewhat from the spiritual body required by the *Nine Netherworld Reversion to Yin*. Qin Sang might need to make minor adjustments to the cultivation method to accommodate the secret art for refining soul shadows that Bai had given him. Fortunately, the modifications would not be extensive, leaving the core of the secret art intact, which meant a high chance of success, though extreme caution was still necessary.

Qin Sang instructed the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem to sit cross-legged opposite him, and he couldn't help but recall yesterday's dramatic scene. It still felt absurd; Shi Xue truly lived up to her title as sect leader, constantly worrying herself. Dispelling all distracting thoughts, Qin Sang connected his consciousness with the Talisman Golem and sank into a long period of contemplation. The cave fell silent.

He remained in meditation for two months. In that time, Qin Sang had thoroughly comprehended the *Nine Netherworld Reversion to Yin Jade Chapter*. Liuli had once mentioned that if his main body perished, he could revive through his external incarnation, but this was somewhat overstated. True resurrection was only possible if he activated the main body and incarnation transformation secret art from the *Nine Netherworld Reversion to Yin Jade Chapter* just before his demise. Instant death before the secret art's completion would render revival impossible. However, Qin Sang doubted there was any master in the Northern Sea cultivation world powerful enough to prevent him from completing the transformation. Thus, for him, it represented a genuine opportunity for resurrection. Consequently, Qin Sang dedicated himself to the *Nine Netherworld Reversion to Yin Jade Chapter* with great care.

He ran countless mental simulations, confirming several key points. Firstly, the power of the golem marks within the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem could not be retained. He would first have to erase these marks to restore the Dao Evolution Tree to its original state; otherwise, it would conflict with the spiritual body. This was truly a pity, as fusing the power of the golem marks would have guaranteed the external incarnation Mid-Nascent Soul stage strength upon its completion. However, to minimize conflicts and increase the overall success rate, this step was unavoidable.

Secondly, there was good news. An external incarnation could be controlled by the main body, much like a puppet, but this method had drawbacks: it resulted in rigidity and could not be used for resurrection, making it generally undesirable. The orthodox approach involved splitting off a secondary primordial spirit to control it, granting it greater autonomy and enabling it to perform more complex actions. A secondary primordial spirit created by splitting from the main primordial spirit differed from those refined by demonic cultivators through bloody means. Unless the main body granted it complete autonomy or it broke free under special circumstances, there was no need to fear a backlash from the secondary primordial spirit. This method presented both advantages and disadvantages; upon completion, the external incarnation's cultivation realm would be one level lower than the main body's, requiring gradual advancement later.

Qin Sang's plan was to use the secret art Bai had given him to refine the soul shadows within the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem after creating the secondary primordial spirit, thereby strengthening it. Bai had already considered this when he first advised Qin Sang to cultivate an orthodox external incarnation method. Although the soul shadows within the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem were merely residual images, there were enough of them, and they had previously been unable to be converted into combat power. If all were refined, especially when combined with a rare item like the Ice Soul Divine Gang, the external incarnation's strength might not only avoid decreasing but even increase, effectively serving as a shortcut. These soul shadows were inherently without consciousness, and the primordial spirit he split carried a portion of the Jade Buddha's power, thus eliminating any concern about the refined soul shadow power being too complex and increasing the risk of backlash.

Qin Sang's strategy became increasingly clear, and he emerged from his meditative state. His gaze shifted from the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem to the subterranean Yin meridian, then he withdrew his sight, letting his consciousness sink into his Purple Mansion. Within his Purple Mansion, his primordial spirit wore the Yin-Yang Armor, its golden glow concealed.

Qin Sang had previously split off portions of his primordial spirit when refining corpses and puppets to create soul imprints. This time, however, was different: he intended to sever a substantial part of his primordial spirit to forge a secondary primordial spirit! Recalling the agonizing pain of splitting his primordial spirit in the past, Qin Sang grimaced slightly. He then concentrated, entered meditation, and removed the Yin-Yang Armor from his primordial spirit, revealing its true form.

An unknown amount of time passed before Qin Sang's brow suddenly furrowed, a fleeting expression of pain crossing his face. The agony of splitting his primordial spirit was profound; even with Qin Sang's composure, he couldn't help but blanch. Within his Purple Mansion now rested a sphere of golden light, though it was countless times dimmer than his main primordial spirit. Without hesitation, Qin Sang activated the secret art. As time progressed, the golden sphere writhed and transformed, gradually assuming his original form, and the secondary primordial spirit began to take shape! The next moment, a golden light flashed between Qin Sang's brows. "Swoosh!" The golden light merged into the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem's body.

Instantly, the soul shadows within the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem showed signs of rebellion, attempting to devour the still-weak secondary primordial spirit. Qin Sang endured the pain, his hand seals rapidly changing as he cast the soul-suppressing secret art Bai had imparted to him. The secondary primordial spirit delved deep into the core of the soul shadows, sitting motionless, emitting special fluctuations that gradually brought the soul shadows to peace. Refining soul shadows would require a long time; it couldn't be rushed. Qin Sang first used the secondary primordial spirit to subdue the soul shadows, then proceeded to erase the power of the golem marks within the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem, restoring the Dao Evolution Tree. Ensuring everything was foolproof, Qin Sang raised a finger and pointed, causing the light of the golem marks on the Nascent Soul Talisman Golem to flicker.

As Qin Sang continued, the golem marks shattered one after another, their power dissipating. The Nascent Soul Talisman Golem's aura sharply diminished, its body gradually revealing its inherent wooden texture. Qin Sang watched the once-powerful golem's power unravel with no hint of regret in his eyes; instead, his movements quickened until the very last golem mark was erased. The Nascent Soul Talisman Golem vanished, leaving a small spirit tree in Qin Sang's palm. Only then did he realize it was indeed a Heavenly Spirit Root. Aside from its slightly rough bark, it was perfectly shaped like an infant, with discernible facial features. Who could have imagined a spirit tree so naturally formed, so akin to a human figure!

Next, Qin Sang lowered the Dao Evolution Tree into the subterranean Yin meridian. The Dao Evolution Tree floated and sank below. Qin Sang continuously performed hand seals, guiding the Dao Evolution Tree to absorb the power of the subterranean Yin meridian and refine its spiritual body. This was a crucial step, second only to fusing the Ice Soul Divine Gang, and Qin Sang dared not relax. Although the Dao Evolution Tree had been contaminated, it was, after all, a Heavenly Spirit Root, capable of absorbing myriad energies. The process of absorbing Yin qi proceeded remarkably smoothly, rendering Qin Sang's worries superfluous. The entire refining process needed to last eighty-one days. Once the hand seals were complete, it could continue refining itself without constant supervision. Seeing that everything was progressing smoothly, Qin Sang withdrew his consciousness and took a pill to heal his primordial spirit.

Unexpectedly, this step encountered a minor hitch. Although it was supposed to take eighty-one days to refine, Qin Sang had to wait for over half a year before the spiritual body was finally complete. The significant delay naturally made Qin Sang uneasy, but knowing the unique nature of the Dao Evolution Tree, he patiently waited, until this day finally arrived. "Whoosh!" The Dao Evolution Tree flew into Qin Sang's palm. Upon closer inspection, a faint, cold light shimmered on its surface. Qin Sang observed it carefully for a long time, feeling assured that there were no issues, then retrieved the Ice Soul Pouch from his Thousand Jin Ring.

Opening the Ice Soul Pouch, a bone-chilling aura immediately assailed him, carrying an astonishing sense of wild ferocity. Qin Sang was no stranger to Qian Heaven Divine Gang, so his expression remained calm as he peered inside. The Gang Jade formed by Ice Soul Divine Gang differed from Green Yang Divine Gang; its core was transparent like ice, appearing outwardly like an ordinary ice cube. Though inherently Qian Heaven Divine Gang, an extremely Yang substance, it possessed exceptionally cold properties—a truly peculiar characteristic. Fortunately, the Yin qi within the Dao Evolution Tree had already been expelled after the spiritual body's initial refinement, otherwise, a conflict might have arisen.

After a brief deliberation, Qin Sang levitated a piece of Ice Soul Gang Jade. Not daring to touch it directly, he enveloped it in True Essence, then cast the secret refining art Liuli had taught him. Gradually, the Gang Jade transformed back into a pure stream of Ice Soul Divine Gang. The cold intensified, and the surrounding Yin qi seemed to halt its flow, as if frozen. Under Qin Sang's guidance, a wisp of this Ice Soul Divine Gang separated and merged into the Dao Evolution Tree's body. In an instant, the coldness around the Dao Evolution Tree intensified significantly, and its body became somewhat transparent. It had surprisingly absorbed this wisp of Ice Soul Divine Gang with ease. Qin Sang's face showed a hint of surprise, his understanding of the Dao Evolution Tree deepening. He no longer hesitated, moving swiftly to refine and integrate stream after stream of Ice Soul Divine Gang into the Dao Evolution Tree's body. With the spiritual body nearing perfection, the Ice Soul Divine Gang established its foundation within the Dao Evolution Tree. At this point, the external incarnation could essentially be declared complete!

Qin Sang took a deep breath, surprised by how smoothly everything had progressed, thinking, "As expected of a Heavenly Spirit Root." Next, he activated the secondary primordial spirit within the Dao Evolution Tree, and while its foundation was being cast, he ensured the secondary primordial spirit completely fused with it, becoming inseparable.

The external incarnation was finally complete!