Chapter 1591: Sealed Spirit Secret Technique

Leaving Gong Xingqing behind, Qin Sang quickly exited the meditation room. The token in his hand pointed the way.

Soon after, the token led Qin Sang to a room where a servant was already waiting. The servant opened the door and respectfully said, "Please enter, Senior."

Behind the door was not a room, but winding stone steps leading downwards. A narrow, long stone path stretched into the unknown. The servant led the way. Qin Sang sensed the fluctuations of a restriction formation within the stone path. However, it wasn't a restriction meant to impede movement, but rather to block spiritual sense.

The servant's cultivation was not weak; he was skilled in movement techniques and moved very quickly. Qin Sang followed effortlessly. The dark tunnel seemed endless. Qin Sang estimated the distance and realized they had long left Tianzhong Prefecture, which slightly surprised him.

They continued at this brisk pace for some time. Suddenly, the light ahead dimmed, and a stone wall appeared.

The servant stopped, turned, and said, "Senior, this junior can only escort you this far. After you exit, you can use the token's spiritual sensation to confirm the location of the Treasure Exchange. This is a disguise artifact prepared by our hall for you; when combined with the formation at the Treasure Exchange, it can block spiritual sense and prevent others from prying."

After speaking, the servant handed Qin Sang a talisman treasure shaped like a jade pendant, bowed respectfully, then turned and walked back into the dark passage. He then vanished into thin air along with the passage before Qin Sang's eyes. Whether it was due to a mechanism or a restriction formation, this clearly demonstrated that the Six States Hall had deep roots here and completely controlled Tianzhong Prefecture. His previous guess was almost certainly correct: the Six States Hall headquarters was likely located in this city.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then activated the jade pendant. His figure blurred, transforming into a gaunt young Daoist. He then took out a mask artifact he had prepared and put it on. Confirming there was nothing unusual outside, he pushed the door open and exited.

Outside the stone door was a cliff. As expected, he had been led to the wilderness. Tall, withered grass covered the ground. Birds and beasts cried out. Not far ahead, a faint light glowed.

Just as Qin Sang was about to move, he heard a 'clack-clack' sound from behind. He turned his head and saw a graceful Daoist nun emerging from the cliff opposite him. This person had also certainly used a disguise; their appearance was meaningless. Though outwardly a Daoist nun, their true gender was unknown.

As soon as he exited the dark passage, Qin Sang sensed the fluctuations of a spiritual formation. He was already within the formation, and when he tried to activate his spiritual sense, he felt an unprecedented difficulty, as if his spiritual perception was invisibly restricted. His Heavenly Eye Butterfly was unaffected, but Qin Sang couldn't be sure if the Six States Hall had secretly prepared measures to counter such divine abilities. The cultivation of those attending the Treasure Exchange was extraordinarily high. Even a slight fluctuation caused by his Heavenly Eye divine ability would not escape their spiritual perception. It was better not to take risks, lest he become a target of everyone.

Their eyes met, and both paused for a moment. Then, as if nothing had happened, they looked away, deliberately maintaining a distance from each other as they flew towards the light.

When they got close, ahead was a secluded pool. The vegetation around the secluded pool had been cleared. Tables and meditation mats were arranged by the pool, and a few people were already seated, scattered around, some having arrived even earlier than him. Inside the secluded pool, several koi fish flicked their tails and spat out pearls, which were the source of the light. The pearl light wasn't particularly bright. However, for Qin Sang and the others, the presence or absence of light made no difference.

As Qin Sang and the Daoist nun approached, the seated individuals became aware. Some glanced sideways, while others continued to meditate with closed eyes. No one made any rude attempts to spy. The Daoist nun sat down without a word. Qin Sang casually found a meditation mat at the edge and sat cross-legged. He looked around but didn't see anyone from the Six States Hall.

After they sat down, the number of incoming individuals sharply increased, with constant whooshing sounds. Within just a few dozen breaths, Nascent Soul cultivators arrived one after another, and most of the seats found their occupants. Despite so many people, silence was maintained. Some among them arrived in pairs, but communicated only through private means.

"Splash!"

Suddenly, with a splash, a cloud of mist rose from the center of the secluded pool, drawing everyone's attention. Mist billowed, and a figure suddenly appeared. An old man with white hair and beard stood on the water's surface. His gaze swept over the crowd as he cupped his hands with a smile, bowing in a circle. "This old one, Jiang You, greets all fellow Daoists. There should be some close friends of mine among you, but I currently cannot recognize any of your identities. The event was arranged in haste, and the venue is simple; I hope no fellow Daoist takes offense at any oversight."

Before his words finished, someone below jokingly retorted, "Who among us doesn't know the esteemed name of Deputy Hall Master Jiang? Is there still a need for an introduction?"

"If it's truly fellow Daoist Jiang, is this not also a disguise? I heard that fellow Daoist Jiang's Seven-Path Soul-Losing Spear captures souls and spirits. Why not demonstrate it to verify your identity?" another person remarked sarcastically.

Jiang You was not offended, his smile unchanged. "All of you possess world-shaking divine abilities. Whether or not I bear a disguise, I presume it would not escape your discerning eyes. Among those present, there are fellow Daoists whose spear arts far surpass mine, so I shall not make a fool of myself..."

Qin Sang straightened his upper body. The Six States Hall had two Deputy Hall Masters, and above them, a mysterious Hall Master. Among the two deputies, Jiang Mu held Jiang You in the highest regard, and Qin Sang had heard of him long ago.

Another person arrived. Jiang You glanced at the sky and said in a deep voice, "The hour has arrived. The Treasure Exchange begins now. For those fellow Daoists who have not yet arrived, I can only express regret."

He formed a hand seal with one hand and struck towards the void. The formation's power suddenly contracted, covering only the area near the secluded pool, even blocking the light here, creating a hidden zone. The crowd stirred slightly, all quite surprised. As long as the qualifications were met, more people were naturally better. The Six States Hall's actions were overly cautious. Could it be at the employer's request?

"Jiang, since you're only the organizers, why are you showing your face? Where's the principal? We've been at his beck and call for so long; how much longer does he intend to hide?" The person who spoke up had a deep, hoarse voice and an air of dissatisfaction. He had arrived with another person and was seated on the left. The person on the right remained still with closed eyes, seemingly of higher status.

Jiang You explained, "The principal is among you all. I am merely entrusted to preside over this event. The principal is generous; there will be no commission charged for this exchange. The principal will reveal themselves at the appropriate time, so please do not be anxious, fellow Daoist. Our hall conducts business openly and will strive to meet all esteemed guests' requests. It will be the same if any of you have errands for us in the future."

Hearing this, everyone looked left and right, feeling that anyone could be the principal. This was truly the strangest Treasure Exchange they had ever attended. The principal hiding and not daring to show themselves implied either an extremely sensitive identity with many enemies, or that the treasures to be exchanged were of immense significance. This, paradoxically, made everyone quite expectant.

"You all should already know the rules of the Treasure Exchange, so I needn't elaborate. I will only state one point now: during an exchange, if the principal makes an offer, under the same conditions, the principal will have priority. Please do not let this cause any discord," Jiang You emphasized. This was a normal rule, and no one had any objections.

Jiang You nodded and raised his palm. The water in the pool surged upwards, forming a water platform. With a flick of his sleeve, three items appeared out of thin air. "I shall start by offering these three treasures to set an example," he announced.

He first pointed to the double rings on the left. "These are the special artifact, Moon Reflecting Rings. They are unparalleled in sharpness and specifically designed to break through body-protecting energy shields. As for their other powers, they are hard to describe, but I will release a slight restriction shortly, allowing you all to investigate with your spiritual sense."

The item in the middle was a round pearl. Qin Sang took a few glances. Wasn't this the Corpse Soul Pearl that Bai had obtained from hunting a Corpse King back then? The Corpse Soul Pearl's surface was greenish-black, with solidified corpse qi inside. Occasionally, a terrifying grotesque face would materialize within it, though this Corpse Soul Pearl was much thinner than Bai's. "This is from a Nascent Soul-stage Corpse King. Unfortunately, the Corpse Soul Pearl lay hidden for many years before we discovered it, so its power is damaged. However, for fellow Daoists cultivating the Corpse Ghost Dao, it remains a rare and invaluable treasure."

The third item was a green crystal. Its green light manifested as a miraculous whirlwind, giving off a sensation of lightness, offering many benefits for cultivating divine abilities related to wind manipulation.

"These three treasures are to be exchanged for artifacts of the Five Elements path, or other easily circulating treasures. They can also be traded for spirit stones, with a starting bid of ten thousand and each increment no less than ten thousand," Jiang You announced the conditions.

Indeed, he was setting the stage with modest offerings. The three treasures themselves weren't low in value, but their utility was somewhat limited. The most precious, the Corpse Soul Pearl, couldn't fetch a high price due to its diminished power. As for spirit stones, that was merely a formality; transactions involving spirit stones were virtually impossible at such Treasure Exchanges.

Qin Sang examined the Moon Reflecting Rings. His Ruyi Pearl was an energy shield-type defensive artifact, and he never expected the first item to be one that countered him. Such artifacts were not uncommon in the cultivation world, and Qin Sang couldn't possibly acquire all of them. With a spirit treasure and the Solar Divine Tree in his possession, as long as he could strike, an additional Moon Reflecting Ring wouldn't be of much help.

Comparatively, he was more interested in the Corpse Soul Pearl. Bai had refined a Corpse Soul Pearl to advance his cultivation back then. However, Dumb Girl's intelligence had not yet recovered, so Qin Sang couldn't communicate with her directly. Otherwise, buying the Corpse Soul Pearl to help Dumb Girl refine it would surely yield significant benefits. After some consideration, Qin Sang still didn't make a move. Dumb Girl's lifespan defied common sense, but she was only at the Qi Condensation stage before her slumber. Forcibly refining a Nascent Soul-stage Corpse Soul Pearl, no one could be sure of the consequences. It was still more reliable to search for the Ghost Mother and anticipate the plump silkworm's advancement.

Ultimately, all three treasures were exchanged for other artifacts.

Jiang You, with a smile on his face, flashed and landed at the edge of the pool. "Please begin, everyone," he said.

Before his words finished, a figure shot out from the foremost seat, seizing the initiative. "Haha... this old man is a bit impatient, please forgive me, everyone! Look closely, this is an Earth Origin Pearl, meticulously refined for many years using profound techniques by this old man at a place where earth qi gathers. For fellow Daoists cultivating earth-element techniques, refining this pearl aids in breakthroughs, with better effects for lower cultivation stages... I wish to exchange it for a living Earth Spirit at the Transformation stage."

A moment of silence followed. Not a few coveted this treasure, but none could meet the old man's requirements. Any other conditions proposed were all rejected by the old man. The old man showed a look of disappointment, preparing to return dejectedly.

At this moment, the armored giant seated not far to Qin Sang's right suddenly spoke. "I don't have a living Earth Spirit, but a hundred years ago, I saw a group of them in a remote area, where there should be an Earth Spirit leader. Earth Spirits rarely move their nests in such remote places, so they must still be there. After the Treasure Exchange, I will personally take you there and help you capture an Earth Spirit... would that suffice?"

The old man was overjoyed. "Acceptable!" The two communicated via spiritual transmission, discussing who knew what in secret. The old man, thoroughly satisfied, flew back to his seat, and someone immediately queued up to follow.

Next, some, like the old man, returned with successful exchanges, while others returned empty-handed. As the Treasure Exchange proceeded, Qin Sang truly felt the vastness and abundant resources of the Central Continent. Most of the items were various rare spiritual materials. Exotic treasures appeared one after another, many of which were extremely rare or even long-extinct in the Northern Sea, elevating this event far beyond the Devil Suppressing Convention of yesteryear. If Qin Sang's objective hadn't been clear, he would have made several bids by now. There were also some items Qin Sang had never even heard of, making it impossible for him to judge their value.

Artifacts rarely appeared at the exchange. After all, the cultivators attending didn't lack top-grade artifacts. But surprisingly, someone actually brought out a pseudo-spirit treasure, and it wasn't another's life-bound artifact, meaning it could be properly refined by others! Qin Sang had too many areas needing improvement, and artifact refining was last on his list. After entering the Central Continent, he hadn't specifically inquired about its artifact refining heritage. As expected, the Central Continent indeed possessed more profound artifact refining techniques! This was quickly confirmed.

"'The secret artifact refining technique, 'Spirit-Immobilizing Art,' can be used to refine pseudo-spirit treasures, and it doesn't require a life-bound artifact,'" a green-robed Daoist floated into the pool and took out a jade slip. Before he could announce the conditions, surprised voices rang out from below. "'Spirit-Immobilizing Art'? Is that one of the three great legacies of the ancient sect Profound Artifact Mountain in the Southern Sea?"

"Precisely!" The Daoist nodded with a smile.

"Learning the 'Spirit-Immobilizing Art' allows one to refine spirit treasures! A thousand years ago, the Jade Shadow Sect discovered the ruins of Profound Artifact Mountain along the Southern Sea coast and uniquely obtained half of its treasures. It's said that even fragmented parts of the 'Spirit-Immobilizing Art' fell into the Jade Shadow Sect's hands. Does fellow Daoist possess the complete 'Spirit-Immobilizing Art'?" the person continued to inquire.

"Not so," the Daoist shook his head. "I also possess a fragmented part. As for whether it's the same as the Jade Shadow Sect's portion, I wouldn't know. I can include the parts I've personally comprehended, but it can't refine spirit treasures, only pseudo-spirit treasures."

The person chuckled. "Pseudo-spirit treasures are enough. Spirit treasures aren't something our generation can even consider. Do you not wish to break through to the Soul Transformation stage?" Refining a spirit treasure was not the work of a single day, nor even of a single person. With the two speaking in such unison, it was hard not to suspect they had a prior understanding.

After a moment of silence, the voice of a female cultivator rose from among the seats. "Fellow Daoist, what do you wish to exchange for the 'Spirit-Immobilizing Art'?"

The green-robed Daoist's eyes lit up. He rattled off over a dozen extremely rare heavenly and earthly treasures, leaving everyone speechless, before finally adding, "Fellow Daoist only needs to provide three of them."

The female cultivator was silent for a moment, then asked, "Three heavenly and earthly treasures for a fragmented text? The conditions are too demanding! Why doesn't fellow Daoist go directly to the Jade Shadow Sect to trade?" The green-robed Daoist remained silent. The female cultivator didn't press further, saying, "I want to see some of the secret technique's content first."

"Easily done!" The green-robed Daoist looked at Jiang You. Jiang You formed an incantation seal and nodded slightly. A wisp of spiritual sense quietly probed the jade slip.

Qin Sang looked at the jade slip, feeling quite tempted. But not now. Later, when he had time to delve into this path, he would seek out a sect specializing in artifact refining for guidance.

"I'll take it." The female cultivator took out three jade boxes and tossed them into the pool. The green-robed Daoist examined each one, a joyful expression on his face, then sent the jade slip towards the female cultivator and returned to his seat.

Following this, people continued to come and go from the center. Still, the principal did not appear, nor did the treasures Qin Sang had hoped for — items that could strengthen his spiritual sense.

Qin Sang secretly took out the Yin-Yang Puppet Crystal and stood up.