Chapter 1515: Buddha Bone Relics

Upon hearing Qin Sang's words, Tong Lingyu was silent for a moment, then said gravely, "The Heavenly Mountain lineage is powerful and has always been rather restless. There have long been arguments that they shouldn't exclusively enjoy the resources and power of a main lineage. They instigated several internal conflicts within Xuantian Palace, gaining many benefits when the Eight Lineages declined, which allowed them to flourish as they do."

It seemed Tong Lingyu intended to target the Heavenly Mountain lineage first. Qin Sang nodded thoughtfully and asked, "How do you plan to proceed, Fellow Daoist?"

"The Heavenly Mountain lineage has many factions, but these are internal; they have always presented a united front to outsiders. Others might not have been unaware of Shang Lu's plot; even if they didn't secretly assist, they tacitly approved. The Heavenly Mountain lineage is ambitious and uncontrollable. Brother Luo and I are currently in a weakened state; if we allow them to continue, they will surely become a malignant tumor on the sect. The principal culprits go without saying, but others are also implicated. While the death penalty can be avoided, they won't escape severe punishment. Once their merits and demerits are clarified, they will be dealt with individually..."

Tong Lingyu clearly had a plan ready and had considered it deeply. If not for the demons like Hunmo and Tianpeng being suppressed by the Exquisite Pagoda, this would have been Xuantian Palace's most difficult time. With internal strife and external threats, even if Tong Lingyu had such thoughts, she could only keep them to herself, striving to unite the various lineages of the sect to resist foreign aggression. It would have been difficult for her to make the drastic decision to cleanse internal maladies. If internal conflict erupted, the demons would surely take advantage.

Now, the top demon experts had been captured in one fell swoop. The demon race was too preoccupied to care about anything else. Although the Nine-Headed Great Sage was the only late-stage expert in the Northern Sea, other demon kings had suffered heavy casualties. They also had to worry about the human race uniting and exploiting their weakness; how could they dare to provoke Xuantian Palace? The demonic forces of the Boundless Sea were also in a dire state. Now, the situation was serene and clear. There were no longer any imminent threats outside Xuantian Palace, providing an opportune moment to use Yin Changsheng's demonic transformation as a pretext to purge the internal forces and cleanse the sect.

However, Tong Lingyu's prestige was not as high as Yin Changsheng's, and having lost her spiritual treasure, she feared it would be difficult to completely subdue all factions, leaving her constrained. Tong Lingyu knew that Qin Sang was a powerful ally. By cooperating with him, all problems would be easily resolved. Although Qin Sang's nature was not that of a demon, she was very wary of him. Her full effort in saving Luo Yun was partly due to their long-standing relationship, and partly so that he could contend with Qin Sang in the future.

Tong Lingyu had limited contact with Qin Sang and couldn't claim to understand his temperament; it was simply a matter of prudent self-preservation. Having just been saved by Qin Sang, she couldn't possibly burn her bridges, especially since she truly didn't want to be his enemy. Her previous offer of the Grand Elder position was a test. Qin Sang's resolute refusal, though it couldn't confirm whether it was his true intention or a disguise, still brought Tong Lingyu some relief. Now, the two tacitly agreed to divide Heavenly Mountain, reducing it to a branch lineage! Qin Sang was very satisfied, certain to gain much when Heavenly Mountain was divided.

"What about the Xuantian lineage?" Qin Sang asked again.

"The Xuantian lineage was primarily composed of the Yin and Luo families. Through years of intermarriage, the two great families are intricately connected. Yin Changsheng's power was unparalleled; he controlled the Xuantian lineage for many years, and no one dared defy him." As she spoke, Tong Lingyu glanced at Qin Sang, as both Yin Changsheng and Hall Master Yin had fallen at his hands.

"I will first approach the Luo family, present Brother Luo to them, and clarify the situation. If there are any stubborn individuals, I will need to trouble Fellow Daoist Qin to intervene. Considering Yin Changsheng's merits and demerits, his descendants would be demoted from the main lineage, and their future conduct would be observed..."

Tong Lingyu intended to weaken the Xuantian lineage, yet still preserve its status as a main lineage. Xuantian Palace would then establish a tripartite power structure, preventing her from having a direct conflict with Qin Sang over sectarian affairs before she broke through to the late Nascent Soul stage. Qin Sang rarely participated in power struggles, but that didn't mean he was slow-witted; he clearly understood Tong Lingyu's intentions. His sole focus was on cultivating the Dao; he had no ambition to control Xuantian Palace and was indifferent to Tong Lingyu's attitude, as long as he could achieve his goals.

Qin Sang lightly tapped the table with his finger and said, "I, humble Qin, established a sect called Qingyang Temple several decades ago. It's a small, humble establishment, incomparable to Xuantian Palace." Qin Sang spoke of Qingyang Temple and his origins. Tong Lingyu was not surprised to learn that Qin Sang came from the Northern Star Realm; otherwise, why would such a figure be unknown in the Northern Sea?

Tong Lingyu frowned slightly. "Does Fellow Daoist mean...?"

"I wish to find a place in the Boundless Sea to establish my lineage in the Northern Sea. At that time, I hope Fellow Daoist and Xuantian Palace can offer some support." Qin Sang said lightly.

Compared to the Northern Sea, the Northern Star Realm seemed too crowded. With ancient secret realms like the Ziwei Palace and Sin God Palace no longer existing, the Northern Star Realm had lost its greatest advantage. With the demonic cultivators suppressed, the Northern Sea's demonic path was exceptionally weak, and the Boundless Sea was vacant, making it the perfect time to claim territory. With his personal intervention, he could effortlessly claim an excellent island as his sect's headquarters. Qin Sang planned to borrow the Ten Directions Earth-Splitting Shuttle from Liuli to relocate some disciples. The Northern Star Realm was a place of origin and foundation and could not be completely abandoned. When he had leisure, Qin Sang intended to spend some time trying to find the path through the storm belt, so as to prevent Qingyang Temple from being split between two locations. He possessed a Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros Horn, so he wasn't afraid of getting lost, and the danger was minimal.

However, Qin Sang's purpose in mentioning this to Tong Lingyu was not merely to foster good relations between Qingyang Temple and Xuantian Palace. Xuantian Palace's Holy Land lived up to its name, containing many treasure troves from which low-level cultivators could gain immense benefits. If some Qingyang Temple disciples could be sent in, there would be a constant stream of experts from Qingyang Temple, ensuring its perpetual prosperity! Qingyang Temple only had him, a Nascent Soul cultivator, so Qin Sang wasn't greedy. He didn't covet treasures or opportunities above the Nascent Soul level, only requesting a few quotas for places similar to the Ice Wind Cave. With the Heavenly Mountain lineage gone, there would certainly be many vacancies.

Tong Lingyu's expression turned solemn, seemingly considering the matter carefully. In reality, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief; as long as Qin Sang wasn't asking for Qingyang Temple to replace Heavenly Mountain as a main lineage, everything was negotiable. She could sense that Qin Sang acted with great restraint and gradually began to believe that his devotion to the Dao was genuine, not a pretense. The location of the Holy Land had already been leaked, so Tong Lingyu was still willing to share some benefits with Qingyang Temple and curry favor with Qin Sang.

"There's no precedent for this, but I will do my best!" Tong Lingyu promised gravely.

"I will also assist Fellow Daoist with all my strength," Qin Sang said, nodding with a smile. His actions seemed a bit eager; he had proactively given up a lot. If he had more time to digest what he gained from the Holy Land, his strength would skyrocket. He could then simply manage Xuantian Palace for a bit and secure far more benefits for Listening Snow Tower and Qingyang Temple, and Tong Lingyu wouldn't be able to stop him. However, Qin Sang simply didn't have the time. He had already decided to depart for Zhongzhou as soon as possible, if feasible, the sooner the better!

After leaving the Holy Land, Qin Sang had time to carefully browse the remaining content in the jade slip. It contained many of Xiaoxiangzi's observations in Zhongzhou, making Qin Sang increasingly eager to go there. According to Xiaoxiangzi's description, Zhongzhou gathered countless spiritual wonders and was truly the core of this realm! With the passage of time, most of Xiaoxiangzi's records could only be regarded as curiosities. Unexpectedly, Qin Sang found an entry at the end that made his heart pound. While traveling in Zhongzhou, Xiaoxiangzi had unexpectedly discovered a Buddhist relic, a bone relic of a highly virtuous Buddhist monk. The monk's successor believed it was just an ordinary relic, but Xiaoxiangzi saw that the bone relic concealed profound mysteries, potentially aiding Nascent Soul cultivators in breaking through! The relic was useless to Xiaoxiangzi, so he didn't take it without permission, merely recording it as an interesting anecdote. If no one else had discovered its secrets, the Buddhist bone relic might still be there! This was the first opportunity Qin Sang had encountered to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, making the trip worthwhile.

The problem was that traveling from the Northern Sea to Zhongzhou was not an easy feat. The journey to Zhongzhou was long; the sanctuaries were not connected in a straight line, making the route circuitous, many times the direct distance. Even with a sea chart, there were many dangers along the way, and it would require a long period of travel; only late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators had a high chance of success. If one could break through to the late Nascent Soul stage on their own, would they still need to go to such lengths to find the Buddhist bone relic? There was another method: leveraging external power. Cultivators were adept at using magical artifacts, and Qin Sang immediately thought of Liuli's Ten Directions Earth-Splitting Shuttle.

Qin Sang could tell that the Ten Directions Earth-Splitting Shuttle had an extraordinary origin, and he didn't know where Bingyao had obtained it. Even if Qin Sang wanted to imitate it, expending immense effort and a long time to refine a similar artifact, he wouldn't be able to replicate all its various powers and effects, making it incomparable. Qin Sang planned to first borrow the Ten Directions Earth-Splitting Shuttle to confirm if it could help him pass through the storm belt and reach Zhongzhou, then discuss it with Liuli. This artifact was a gift from her master, so Liuli would probably be unwilling to trade it. If he could persuade her to go to Zhongzhou together, it would be good too; they could help each other in a foreign land.

With the passage of time, no one knew where the Buddhist bone relic had ended up, so naturally, the sooner he departed, the better. He could then cultivate while searching. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he shouldn't remain in the Northern Sea for too long; it was impossible for him to perpetually preside over Qingyang Temple. Before his departure, leaving some legacy for Qingyang Temple was the only thing he could do. Therefore, Qin Sang stopped at a reasonable point, both securing benefits and preventing Xuantian Palace from holding any grudges against Qingyang Temple. Heading to Zhongzhou, with an uncertain path ahead and no knowing when he might return, he had paved the way for Qingyang Temple. How far it could go in the future would depend on the abilities and fortune of its successors.

Sensing Qin Sang's goodwill, Tong Lingyu's mind relaxed, and she began discussing the details with him. After the discussion concluded satisfactorily, Tong Lingyu rose and left, yielding the cave dwelling to Qin Sang, urging him to use the time to rest and recover. Once the group fully recovered their strength and returned to Xuantian Palace, conflict would be inevitable.

After seeing Tong Lingyu off, Qin Sang sealed his cave dwelling. He sat idly for a while before remembering to sort through his gains from this trip. Being dragged into the abyss by Yin Changsheng this time was the greatest crisis he had faced since forming his Nascent Soul. Fortunately, he ultimately won, and the gains from this trip far exceeded his imagination!

The Four-Phase Teng Snake Seal had already been given to Liuli; once she comprehended the 'Tongbao Art', she would be able to truly wield a spiritual treasure! Thinking of this, Qin Sang glanced at the external incarnation sitting beside him. He hadn't expected the incarnation to possess a spiritual treasure before his main body. Then, Qin Sang closed his eyes slightly, his mind sinking into his Qi Sea, where he saw the Earth-Slaying Sword. After fusing the two fragments, the Earth-Slaying Sword had shown no new changes, and its sword spirit had not responded. Qin Sang sent out a wisp of spiritual sense to touch the Earth-Slaying Sword, but after many futile attempts, he gave up. He sighed inwardly. Now that he had collected all four Earth-Slaying Sword fragments, the sword spirit's recovery speed should be faster than before, but he didn't know when it would awaken. This cultivation method clearly had a great connection with the Earth-Slaying Sword; surely the sword spirit would understand the method? Qin Sang thought of the amnesiac Bai, and became less certain. It was Qin Sang's experience not to place all his hopes on one person. Xiaoxiangzi probably didn't know about the cultivation method's existence; otherwise, why wouldn't he have mentioned it at all? The cultivation method Qin Sang had seen at the bottom of the Netherworld Valley had been engraved nearby with sword qi. The sword qi formed a terrifying, perennial storm that enveloped the cultivation method; only with Qingzhu's help in clearing the way could it be seen. Barring any surprises, other parts of the cultivation method should also be near the fragments. Qin Sang suspected that Xiaoxiangzi might not have been the first to encounter the fragments.

On this trip to Zhongzhou, there were several immediate tasks to accomplish. First, to find the Buddhist bone relic. Second, to gather information about the Heavenly Unity Hall and Heavenly Aspect Hall; if the sword qi storm hadn't dissipated, he might still obtain the cultivation method from its original location. Third, to start with Xiaoxiangzi's experiences and investigate the person who took out the Earth-Slaying Sword fragments. Fourth, to search for sea charts leading to the Canglang Sea in Zhongzhou. And fifth, to search for the Ghost Mother. Zhongzhou was extremely vast, and each task would be difficult, like finding a needle in a haystack, not achievable overnight. Based on his experience, ancient secret texts couldn't be opened at any time; missing one opportunity meant waiting unknown hundreds of years, which was precisely why Qin Sang was eager to depart.

There were also many underlying worries. The Seven Kills Hall and Ziwei Palace were connected, opening and closing simultaneously. What impact would the ascension of the Ziwei Palace have on the Seven Kills Hall? What about the Heavenly Unity Hall and Heavenly Aspect Hall? Were similar halls also in this realm? Would they... also ascend? There were too many things that needed to be confirmed.

He was a solitary individual. Once Qingyang Temple was settled, he would have nothing to miss in the Northern Sea, as cultivating anywhere else would be the same. Putting aside his scattered thoughts, Qin Sang silently activated his profound art, entered a meditative state, and experienced the effects of the Body Cleansing Pool. His current cultivation speed surpassed that of a dual spiritual root, which was no longer slow. The moment he activated his cultivation method, the spiritual energy around Qin Sang fluctuated, rapidly being absorbed and refined by him, significantly boosting his cultivation speed compared to before. Qin Sang circulated his cultivation method for eighty-one cycles in one go. With a flicker in his mind, he awoke from his meditative state, a hint of joy on his expression.

"Even a Heavenly Spiritual Root's performance might not exceed this!" Qin Sang was filled with emotion. The effect of the Body Cleansing Pool was excellent; Qin Sang had undergone a transformation. He wondered if there were other benefits besides the increased cultivation speed. He couldn't sense other changes for now and would slowly experience them later. The thought of the disparity between a Five Spiritual Root and a Heavenly Spiritual Root made Qin Sang feel a pang of bitterness, truly a case where comparison only leads to frustration.

Halting his cultivation, Qin Sang recalled another gain: two Spirit-Suppressing Incense sticks. This treasure was of no use to his cultivation, but it was indeed a coveted item for other cultivators; even great cultivators would be tempted by it, making it the best bargaining chip. He would see if Xuantian Palace had any treasures worth exchanging for the Spirit-Suppressing Incense; otherwise, he would take them to Zhongzhou. Cultivators in Zhongzhou would likely also be susceptible to temptation, and it might prove to be of great use there. Thinking of this, Qin Sang took out a jade box he had refined for storing treasures and carefully put them away. In addition, Xiaoxiangzi had also left the refining method for Spirit-Suppressing Incense on the jade slip. Unlike ordinary elixirs, Spirit-Suppressing Incense was not difficult to refine; even someone who wasn't a grandmaster alchemist could complete it. However, the required spiritual herbs, both in quantity and quality, were astonishingly rare, making it impossible for ordinary people to gather them all. Qin Sang currently only had the Ten Thousand Spirit Fruit. He would endeavor to collect the spiritual herbs needed for the Spirit-Suppressing Incense in the future, but he genuinely lacked the confidence that he could gather all of them.