Chapter 1598: Talent

Overcoming its fear, the Ocellus Butterfly gently flapped its wings and landed on the ground in front of Qin Sang, revealing its true form. From a small and delicate butterfly, it instantly transformed into a large phoenix-patterned butterfly. The beautiful markings on its wings, resembling phoenix feathers, were breathtakingly stunning; Qin Sang was always amazed whenever he saw them. Its long tail protrusion lay along the ground, extending all the way to the entrance. The immortal's cave was almost too small to contain it.

The Ocellus Butterfly's wings slowly opened and closed. Its ocelli emitted strange lights that converged in the void, forming a halo of light that enveloped the energy. Qin Sang stopped his cultivation and focused on the Ocellus Butterfly's transformation. The halo was very unstable. It stumbled back to the Ocellus Butterfly, carrying the energy. The Ocellus Butterfly had already propped its wings upright, and the energy was perfectly sandwiched between its two ocelli. Then, the ocelli began to devour the energy little by little until nothing was left. During the devouring process, the Ocellus Butterfly trembled all over, clearly not finding it easy.

Qin Sang could sense that the Ocellus Butterfly had not yet absorbed this energy. Although the Ocellus Butterfly was a spirit insect, it couldn't directly absorb the energy. It could only rely on its ocelli's ability to restrain the Immortal-Fat Bee-Dragon to seal the energy within its ocelli, and then undergo a refining process. This process might be even slower than his own. Upon learning the details, Qin Sang chuckled to himself. Fortunately, he wasn't in a hurry to refine the Near-Dragon Saliva, so he could meet the Ocellus Butterfly's time requirements.

“By absorbing the energy of a Fifth-Transformation spirit insect, the Ocellus Butterfly should undergo a welcome change, right?” Qin Sang looked at the Ocellus Butterfly, filled with anticipation. The Ocellus Butterfly had always been a source of concern for him. Based on his experience, before cultivating to the peak late-stage Nascent Soul realm and attempting to break through the Deity Transformation realm bottleneck, he would need to elevate his essence, qi, spirit, and the Ocellus Butterfly to their respective peaks. His divine sense would undoubtedly be the fastest to meet the requirements. For body cultivation, he had the Heavenly Fiend Refining Art. As long as he dedicated time to it in the future, he would always be able to improve.

The most troublesome aspect was the Ocellus Butterfly. Its cultivation speed was too slow, making sluggish progress. If not for learning the Spirit Ascension Sacrificial Art in Hundred Flowers Valley, it might still be in the early stage of the Fourth Transformation. Finally, an opportunity had arrived!

The man and the insect faced each other. Inside the immortal's cave, they each busied themselves with their own affairs, without affecting one another. Qin Sang seemed to have forgotten about the Meteorite Divine Whip. Once he began cultivating, he completely lost track of the years. A month after the treasure exchange ended, Jiang Mu sent a sound transmission talisman. Later, he sent people twice more, but seeing that the talismans were still trapped within the restrictions at the immortal's cave entrance, he stopped disturbing Qin Sang.

Ten years passed in a flash. The immortal's cave restrictions, which had been silent for ten years, suddenly showed unusual fluctuations, and a figure slowly walked out. After ten years of arduous cultivation, Qin Sang had fully mastered the Thousand Knot Divine Net, and his Fire Seed Golden Lotus had also made significant progress. He was now ready to begin refining the Demonic Flame Origin, with high hopes for success and a promising future. The Ocellus Butterfly's cultivation also steadily improved during the process of absorbing the Near-Dragon Saliva. Everything was progressing favorably.

Qin Sang remembered his avatar and decided to return to the Pure Void Illusion Realm to check on its progress. Feeling refreshed, he stepped out of the immortal's cave and saw lights shimmering within the illusory barrier created by the restrictions. Dozens of various sound transmission talismans were bound by the restrictive barrier, suspended motionless. Qin Sang reached out and waved; the barrier vanished, and the talismans lightly vibrated, flying into his palm.

Most of them contained useless information. Some were from cultivators he had befriended at Flying Cloud Ferry, inviting him to discuss the Dao or to seek treasures and explore mysteries. Qin Sang quickly glanced through them, picking out the ones from Jiang Mu. After reading them, he walked briskly towards Zone B.

Zone B was an area where commercial guilds gathered, and Six Provinces Hall was no exception. Six Provinces Hall was bustling with activity. Qin Sang made no attempt to conceal his presence. As soon as he reached the entrance of Six Provinces Hall, he saw Jiang Mu hastily walk out, a bitter smile on his face. Jiang Mu bowed and said, “Fellow Daoist Qin, you have kept me in such suspense!” They had become acquainted in the Misty Waters Ruins, but Qin Sang had not revealed his true cultivation level to him then. Jiang Mu had tried to estimate Qin Sang's strength generously, believing him to be, at most, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. He never imagined that Qin Sang was actually an unknown Grand Cultivator.

“Fellow Daoist never asked me,” Qin Sang replied with a smile, “so it wasn’t concealment.” Jiang Mu shook his head repeatedly, then gestured, inviting Qin Sang into Six Provinces Hall. Qin Sang had expected Jiang Mu to subtly probe his identity. All Grand Cultivators in the world had names and known backgrounds, so the sudden appearance of someone with an unknown origin would naturally pique curiosity. After the treasure exchange, he had counter-attacked and killed the Crocodile Demon using a little-known divine ability. Six Provinces Hall should have made the connection.

Jiang Mu, however, was discerning. He didn't mention it at all, instead proactively asking about the Meteorite Divine Whip. “Ten years ago, this junior, following Fellow Daoist Qin’s instructions, bid for the Meteorite Divine Whip and stored it here with me. Fellow Daoist has come to retrieve this treasure, correct?”

“That’s right,” Qin Sang replied straightforwardly, “Has your hall managed to investigate the origin of the Meteorite Divine Whip?”

Jiang Mu sighed. “Your request has put us in quite a difficult position… Please follow me, and you’ll see.”

Dismissing his attendants, Jiang Mu led Qin Sang into the back hall, through several covered corridors, and into a secluded courtyard. He knocked on the door of one of the quiet rooms.

“Why knock? If I don’t let you in, are you just going to stand there?” a shout came from inside the quiet room, clearly laced with displeasure.

Jiang Mu smiled faintly and pushed the door open. “This old man was concerned about disturbing your quiet cultivation, young friend.” Qin Sang followed him in. The quiet room was small and entirely visible. It was a fire chamber for artifact refining. Since Flying Cloud Ferry was suspended over a lake, it didn't use underground fire veins, but rather a special spirit fire specifically for artifact refining. The fire source was a dull yellow flame, notable for its gentleness and ease of control. On the shelves by the wall were some jade slips, ancient texts, and artifact-refining spirit materials.

Inside the quiet room was only a long-haired young man with mid-stage Core Formation cultivation. He could be considered a master of sorts in Central Province, but he was unkempt, holding an ancient book, and sprawled casually on the floor. When they entered, the young man didn't even lift his head. He spoke impolitely to Jiang Mu, sneering mockingly, “Thank you for your concern, Senior Jiang. This truly is a wonderful place for quiet cultivation! I've been imprisoned by you for ten years, and Senior Jiang has finally remembered me. Have you decided how to deal with me now?” To this day, he still couldn't understand how he had offended Six Provinces Hall. Knowing that escape was hopeless and that he couldn't possibly contend with Six Provinces Hall alone, he decided to indulge in some verbal defiance.

Jiang Mu was not annoyed. He smiled amiably at the young man. “In these ten years, we not only gifted you many artifact-refining secret manuals but also provided various spirit materials for you to practice with, and even bought back your finished products at high prices. Wouldn’t you say we treated you well?”

The young man slammed the ancient book down, fuming. “Ten years of imprisonment, for no reason! If it were you, Senior Jiang, would you accept it sweetly? Everyone says Six Provinces Hall conducts business with integrity, but they don't know you're all sanctimonious hypocrites, bullying a lone cultivator like me who has no backing!”

“Fellow Daoist Qin,” Jiang Mu said, bringing Qin Sang forward, “this young friend Shen Chen is the owner of the Meteorite Divine Whip, and he personally refined it.” Upon learning that Qin Sang was a Grand Cultivator, Six Provinces Hall dared not treat him lightly. After weighing and analyzing the situation, they concluded that Qin Sang's objective was likely the treasure, and he wouldn't cause an unmanageable scene. Paying a small price to befriend a Grand Cultivator was well worth it. So, they secretly sent people to find the owner of the Meteorite Divine Whip and invited him to Flying Cloud Ferry.

The young man was stunned, looking at Qin Sang with surprise and uncertainty. Only then did he realize that it wasn't Six Provinces Hall that had captured him, but this mysterious person. Six Provinces Hall actually followed this person's orders. Who exactly was he?

Qin Sang was a little surprised. This was because the young man’s cultivation realm was lower than he expected; he seemed to have only recently broken through to mid-stage Core Formation, and his cultivation might have been even lower when he refined the Meteorite Divine Whip. He had originally thought that the person who refined the Meteorite Divine Whip would at least be in the late-stage Core Formation realm! Unless one possessed extraordinary talent, an artifact refiner's abilities were closely related to their cultivation.

The Demon-Restraining Cord was an item capable of suppressing a Jade Bone Demon Lord. Although the Meteorite Divine Whip only utilized a portion of the Demon-Restraining Cord fragments' power and didn't involve its core spirit array, it was still remarkable that the young man could refine a complete and usable magical artifact.

“Where did you obtain the meteorite fragments on the Meteorite Divine Whip?” Qin Sang asked Shen Chen directly, without avoiding Jiang Mu. Seeing this, Jiang Mu stood to the side. He was also very curious about what kind of treasure the meteorite was, to almost make a Grand Cultivator lose composure. After the treasure exchange, the Hall Master and others conducted a joint examination, repeatedly inspecting the Meteorite Divine Whip. They could only confirm that the meteorite fragments were extraordinary and not contemporary treasures, but they couldn't discern their exact nature.

Qin Sang’s tone was very gentle. Shen Chen, however, felt an inexplicable fear towards him. Knowing that his life was in this man's hands, he dared not be as insolent as before and answered honestly, “In the southern part of Manzhou, inside a sinkhole.”

Jiang Mu interjected at this point, “We sent people to Manzhou. The sinkhole's location is not far from the South Sea. We didn't find any other fragments near the sinkhole, but after analysis, this sinkhole doesn't appear to be naturally formed.” He observed Qin Sang’s expression as he spoke. “There are two conjectures. First, it might truly be an extraterrestrial meteorite that formed the sinkhole upon impact when it fell from the sky. Second, there might have been a battle between powerful cultivators nearby in the past, which altered the terrain, and the meteorite is a fragment of some shattered unique treasure. We lean towards the second theory; there have always been legends of a world-shaking war occurring in the Southern Barbarian Provinces, which is why they are now riddled with scars…”

The Southern Barbarian Provinces again! Qin Sang’s heart stirred upon hearing this. The Demon-Restraining Cord fragments had landed in Manzhou. The Gu God Sect spread its doctrines in the Southern Barbarian Provinces, and their scriptures described the South Sea Immortal Palace as a Pure Void Immortal Realm. The Southern Barbarian Provinces held many secrets! His avatar also held the Gu God Token gifted by the Gu God Sect. First, his main body had been at a critical juncture of breakthrough, and then his avatar had been in seclusion cultivating the Ice Soul Divine Light, making it impossible to spare time. He hadn't had time to contact the Gu God Sect. Should he proactively reach out now?

This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind. Without showing any change in expression, he raised his left hand, and his finger, imbued with spiritual light, drew runes in the void, forming the outline of a spirit array. This was a spirit array comprehended by his senior sister and Bai, designed to activate the Demon-Restraining Cord. Qin Sang only displayed a small portion of it.

“Do you recognize it?” Qin Sang asked the young man.

Shen Chen raised his head and stared at the spirit array for a moment. His mouth widened, and he couldn't tear his eyes away, a look of enchantment on his face, forgetting to reply. Jiang Mu wanted to call him awake, but Qin Sang stopped him with a wave of his hand.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shen Chen suddenly cried out, grasping his head with both hands, his cry filled with pain. “This array far exceeds the scope of your cultivation realm. You can comprehend it, but it’s best not to try to mentally form the runes and arrange the array within your Purple Mansion,” Qin Sang advised, seeing the situation. As the pain subsided, Shen Chen, still lingering with fear, thanked him in a low voice, “Thank you for the reminder, Senior.” After a pause, he couldn't help but ask, “Is this array… and the meteorite fragments from the same origin?”

“You haven’t seen it before?” Qin Sang's expression changed slightly. If this young man hadn't seen the spirit array before, his talent was truly impressive to discern the connection between the two in such a short time. No wonder he was able to refine the Meteorite Divine Whip. Shen Chen shook his head. “This junior only found a few fragments back then and didn't discover anything else.”

Qin Sang questioned him again thoroughly, confirming that the young man knew only this much. He exchanged a glance with Jiang Mu, then pulled out a bag of spirit stones and tossed them to Shen Chen. Just as he was about to leave, his figure suddenly paused.

“You just said you were a lone cultivator?” Qin Sang scrutinized Shen Chen. Under Qin Sang's gaze, Shen Chen felt uneasy. Daring not to conceal anything, he recounted everything. “When this junior was young, I apprenticed under a master from a small sect. My master offended a powerful expert within the sect, and we were both expelled. Later, my master met with an accident, suffered severe injuries, and died. This junior, by chance, learned artifact refining and made a living by crafting magical artifacts for others. Bit by bit, I managed to become self-reliant. Unwilling to be bound, I never joined another sect…”

Jiang Mu, discerning Qin Sang's intention, chimed in, “Young friend Shen's talent is extraordinary. He is quite well-known in the Southwestern Desert Province and has received invitations from many sects.”

Qin Sang nodded lightly and said in a deep voice, “Are you willing to learn artifact refining from me?”

Shen Chen froze on the spot. He had been imprisoned by Six Provinces Hall for ten years, thinking he had committed some offense and that his time was limited. He never expected such a turn of events: this powerful, mysterious expert was actually offering to take him as a disciple.

Qin Sang's decision was also an impulse. He hadn't originally intended to take a disciple in Central Province, but the idea arose when he saw that Shen Chen could instantly recognize the connection between the Demon-Restraining Cord and the spirit array. In the future, once he subdued the Demonic Flame Origin, he would be able to restore the Demonic Banner and repair the Demon-Sealing Stake. The Demon-Sealing Stake served the same purpose as the Demon-Restraining Cord—to restrain ancient demons—but it was of a higher grade, making it the supreme magical artifact for dealing with them. The challenge, however, was that the Demon-Sealing Stake was broken into two pieces. He would first need to repair the Demon-Sealing Stake, and then, based on this spirit array, deduce the corresponding spirit array to activate it. This would be extremely complex and troublesome.

In the current era, traces of ancient demons were found everywhere. Who knew when he might encounter an ancient demon again in the future? Being prepared was not a bad thing. However, in the foreseeable future, it would be difficult for Qin Sang to spare time for these tasks. Taking Shen Chen as a disciple could be considered a strategic move. Shen Chen’s current cultivation was somewhat low, but his ability to reach mid-stage Core Formation as a lone cultivator while also practicing artifact refining indicated that his cultivation talent was not bad. As long as Qin Sang was willing to put in some effort, forcefully elevating him to the Nascent Soul realm would not be difficult.

Shen Chen remained stunned for only a moment before bowing his head in prostration, declaring, “Disciple Shen Chen respectfully greets Master!” Although this person had imprisoned him for ten years, he hadn't harmed him, and even gave him a bag of spirit stones after questioning. This showed he wasn't a malicious individual. The fact that he could make Six Provinces Hall break its rules indicated that his cultivation and status were extremely high. These two reasons alone were enough to convince Shen Chen.

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qin, on taking such an excellent disciple!” Jiang Mu clapped his hands and smiled, a look of regret on his face. “We have all witnessed Young friend Shen's talent in artifact refining. I had always intended to invite young friend Shen to join Six Provinces Hall after this matter was resolved, but unfortunately, Fellow Daoist Qin got there first!”