Chapter 1630: Sword Cultivation Technique

Initially, Qin Sang cultivated a Demonic Embryo and refined a doppelganger, which he dispatched to the Landou Sect for intelligence gathering. Coincidentally, this doppelganger was recognized by the Yin-Yang lineage of the Landou Sect and subsequently inherited the "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art."

At that time, the Landou Sect had only acquired the first layer of this inheritance. Later, an exceptionally gifted senior, Daoist Yin-Yang, completed the cultivation method, establishing a new lineage.

This particular cultivation method was extraordinary; it allowed practitioners to refine Yin-Yang Armor and cultivate Yin-Yang Qi from the earliest stages of their training.

Qin Sang was once quite intrigued, even contemplating it as a contingency cultivation method for the "Primordial Spirit Nurturing Sword Chapter." However, upon realizing the method was incomplete and its true lineage inheritance difficult to acquire, he abandoned the thought.

Nevertheless, he had already mastered the first layer of the "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art," refining a set of Yin-Yang Armor to obscure the Buddha's light emanating from the Jade Buddha within his primordial spirit.

For years, the Yin-Yang Armor remained unused.

Qin Sang lacked the energy to study this cultivation method, so he set it aside and nearly forgot about it entirely.

Unexpectedly, a tremor now arose within him, suggesting a connection between the treasure in the jade cage and this particular cultivation method!

Qin Sang was inwardly surprised, his gaze fixed on the orb of light.

Carved from spiritual jade, the cage obscured its contents from his Heavenly Eye.

Probing the cloud pond with his spiritual sense would provoke a forceful counterattack. To uncover the sealed treasure, he had to devise a way to retrieve the jade cage.

He did not spend too long on the lower level of the Jade Pavilion.

Time was not pressing.

He was also keenly curious about the treasure linked to the "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art." Although he had only practiced the first layer, Qin Sang believed this cultivation method stemmed from a profound origin and represented a significant inheritance!

He turned, his gaze fixed on the drifting jade cage, and moved along the surrounding corridors, maintaining the closest possible proximity to it.

Simultaneously, guided by Qin Sang, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly activated its power to the maximum, meticulously examining the surroundings and contemplating the most secure method for retrieving the treasure.

When the Formless Immortal Sect was destroyed, the Immortal Pavilion remained intact. Even if he were to use the Sun God Tree, he couldn't possibly blast open the cloud pond, making a forceful retrieval clearly unfeasible.

A single misstep could cause an anomaly in the cloud pond, leading to even greater complications.

"Each treasure in the pond is intricately connected to the cloud pond's energy, forming a cohesive whole where disturbing one affects all. To retrieve a treasure from the pond, one must rely on ingenuity. A single person's effort is limited, making it quite difficult. If I were to summon my doppelganger or enlist a few more helpers, it would be considerably easier..."

The Formless Immortal Sect's adversaries at the time, whose mastery of array formations and restrictions might not have equaled his, likely collaborated to retrieve treasures, yet they still failed to empty the cloud pond.

Qin Sang ceased staring intently at the jade cage, instead surveying the entire cloud pond as he silently began his deductions.

Soon after, a stream of light emerged from his dantian.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out, gently circling the cloud pond, while Qin Sang stood motionless, strange lights flickering in his eyes, and the Immortal Pavilion fell silent once more.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Qin Sang exhaled softly, pondered for a moment, and a fiery lotus appeared on his brow.

Next, Qin Sang summoned the demonic fire from his demonic banner, which, guided by the fire lotus, formed a sea of flames above his head.

With a slight thought, Qin Sang split the sea of fire into four. Flames converged towards the center of each quadrant, gradually forming four fire figures. These figures lacked facial features and sentience, serving only as simple effigies, yet each contained a wisp of Qin Sang's aura, as he himself sealed off his main presence.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

The four fire figures flew to the four corners of the cloud pond.

Qin Sang stood in the middle of a corridor, overseeing the entire operation.

Once again, silence descended upon the Immortal Pavilion.

Qin Sang quietly observed the jade cage darting erratically within the cloud pond.

Finally, as the jade cage drifted close to the center of the cloud pond, Qin Sang’s expression shifted. He pressed one hand towards the pond, and a pre-prepared seal flew from his grasp.

Simultaneously, as if on command, the four fire figures uniformly raised their arms, pointing at the jade cage, and eight fire snakes shot out from their bodies in quick succession.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…*

The fire snakes shot into the cloud pond, immediately provoking a fierce counterattack.

Thunderous roars erupted as cloud lightning burst forth from all four corners of the cloud pond. The fire snakes, without dodging, collided with the cloud lightning directly.

Amidst a mighty rumble, the fire snakes proved no match for the cloud lightning and were routed one after another.

However, the fire snakes moved in pairs. As the leading snakes resisted the cloud lightning, the trailing ones seized the chaotic moment to breach the lightning blockade and make contact with the misty clouds within the pond.

The misty clouds were not actual phenomena but manifestations of the cloud pond's restrictions.

The demonic fire's power engaged directly with the cloud pond's restrictions.

This was the most critical moment. As the restrictions launched their counterattack, the treasure in the pond gradually became ethereal, threatening to vanish as it had before.

He had to retrieve the jade cage before the treasure disappeared!

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly hovered mid-air, capturing the entire scene within the cloud pond and relaying it to Qin Sang's mind. He had to split his concentration into four, simultaneously controlling the four fire figures to manage changes in all four directions.

Qin Sang fully deduced the changes in the restrictions. Even with his level of cultivation, he felt immense pressure, his brow furrowed, holding his breath, not daring to be distracted for a moment.

The fire figures served to mislead the cloud pond's restrictions.

The cloud pond's restrictions perceived the fire figures as adversaries, unleashing violent cloud lightning towards all four corners. Undeterred by death, the fire figures not only held their ground but defiantly began to counterattack.

Within the cloud pond, the confrontation with the restrictions also progressed.

Amidst the misty clouds, the four fire snakes branched into countless threads, connecting at some unknown point to form a hollow fire net that rapidly began to contract inward.

This wouldn't stop the treasure in the cloud pond from disappearing, but it could restrain the cloud pond's restrictions, thus decelerating the jade cage's disappearance.

At this critical juncture, Qin Sang was no longer merely focusing on four tasks; he further split his concentration to lock onto the jade cage, racing against time to analyze the changing restrictions around it!

At this moment, he finally made his move!

A resonant sword hum echoed as the spiritual sword reappeared!

The sword light, like a rainbow, pierced directly into the cloud pond.

Simultaneously, Qin Sang's spirit returned to his Zifu. His body swayed, and the surrounding light suddenly flickered, as the Yin-Yang Armor was summoned from his Zifu.

*Whoosh!*

The Yin-Yang Armor reverted to its essence of Yin-Yang Qi, then transformed into a massive Yin-Yang hand that lunged towards the jade cage, following the trail left by the sword light.

The Golden Sinking Sword sliced through all obstacles, but this action also caused the jade cage to rapidly recede from view.

Suddenly, the jade cage trembled as an inexplicable resistance emerged from within, preventing it from concealing itself in time. After just a moment's delay, it was seized by the large Yin-Yang hand!

Qin Sang's face lit up with joy; the Yin-Yang Armor had indeed provoked a reaction from the treasure within the cage.

The cloud pond's restrictions counterattacked furiously, but it was too late.

The massive Yin-Yang hand immediately retreated.

Protected by the Golden Sinking Sword and demonic fire, which churned the cloud pond into chaos, the jade cage was successfully retrieved!

Having secured the treasure, Qin Sang immediately withdrew to the lower level. He waited for the cloud pond's restrictions to settle before reascending the Immortal Pavilion.

By then, the jade cage was already in his hands.

As anticipated, the jade cage's purpose was simple: to isolate and seal the fluctuations of the treasure it contained. Other broken swords and blades, having lost their power, had no need for such a cage.

After some examination, Qin Sang devised a method to open it. His spiritual sense permeated the jade cage, and with a 'click,' the cage split open, revealing a rolling orb of grayish-white light.

Within the grayish-white light was a crude jade!

The crude jade was roughly oval-shaped, its surface rough and mottled, as if a layer of unrefined rock skin remained, completely devoid of any smooth, warm texture.

From within the crude jade, layers of grayish-white halos continuously rippled outward.

These halos diffused outwards, gradually fading and vanishing.

Illuminated by the halos, Qin Sang felt no discomfort. Instead, he detected a familiar fluctuation, clearly sharing an origin with his Yin-Yang Armor, signifying a strong connection.

He re-condensed his Yin-Yang Qi and activated the "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art." As he drew near, the crude jade's light visibly intensified, and its fluctuations grew more vigorous, but nothing more.

When he withdrew the Yin-Yang Qi, the crude jade reverted to its normal state.

Several attempts yielded the same result.

Even when Qin Sang used the "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art" to stimulate the crude jade, he couldn't unleash any new power.

"Could this be because my mastery of this cultivation method is too rudimentary?"

Knowing the cultivation method was incomplete, Qin Sang had abandoned it and never plotted to steal the complete method understood by Daoist Yin-Yang.

"This item subtly aligns with the Dao of Yin-Yang, yet lacks any other extraordinary qualities. The Formless Immortal Sect's decision to place it in the cloud pond suggests its origins are significant, most likely from the Immortal Palace."

Qin Sang's thoughts turned to the Landou Sect.

A fragmented cultivation method ended up in the Canglang Sea, while a related treasure appeared in Zhongzhou. This connection likely stemmed from the Immortal Palaces in both regions.

Unfortunately, he didn't know the location of the Canglang Sea. Otherwise, he could visit and inquire; the Landou Sect might be able to discern something.

Unable to decipher its purpose for the time being, Qin Sang stored the crude jade in his Qianjun Ring.

"Canglang Sea... Tian Tong and Tian Xiang must have ascended with the Ziwei Palace. The Seven Killers Palace is probably gone too, isn't it?"

This thought spontaneously occurred to Qin Sang.

The ascension of the Ziwei Palace actually harbored a hidden path to ascension.

The ancient teleportation array within the Immortal Palace possessed unfathomable power; it might even be capable of breaching the world barrier.

If the Seven Killers Palace had remained, one could have used its ancient teleportation array to reach the Ziwei Palace, thus achieving the goal of leaving this realm!

However, Qin Sang felt this hope was slim, less feasible than the Ascension Platform or the Eastern Sea Ruins.

With the ascension of Tian Tong Hall and Tian Xiang Hall, hope for this path was virtually nonexistent.

Shaking his head lightly, Qin Sang dismissed these errant thoughts and ascended the jade steps to the apex of the Langhuan Jade Pavilion!

This level was even simpler than the one below.

Four pillars supported the pavilion's ceiling. Beyond these, there were no extraneous furnishings; only a single meditation cushion rested on the flat floor.

The meditation cushion itself was not woven from any rare spiritual materials.

The sole remarkable feature was the Jade Pavilion's dome. While the passage below resembled a starry sky, this ceiling depicted an actual, glittering firmament.

Qin Sang paused briefly, then walked towards the meditation cushion, examined it for a moment, and sat down cross-legged.

*Whoosh!*

The instant he settled, the starlight in the dome brightened significantly, converging into a pillar of light that enveloped Qin Sang.

Sensing no threat, Qin Sang remained motionless.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly on his shoulder took flight, circling around Qin Sang and vigilantly guarding the surroundings to prevent anyone from approaching the Jade Pavilion.

In that moment, Qin Sang experienced the illusion of falling into a sea of stars.

In reality, a wisp of his spiritual consciousness had been drawn into an unknown space. Here, various orbs of light drifted, some quite brilliant, but most were dim.

The actual number of orbs was not as vast as it seemed; they merely orbited his spiritual consciousness, creating an illusion of density.

Qin Sang subconsciously drifted towards one of the gleaming orbs.

The moment his spiritual consciousness made contact, a stream of information flowed into his mind.

The "Unnamed Elixir Art Fragment"!

It proved to be a fragmented alchemy technique.

While the Water Palace's inheritance had left his doppelganger dizzied, this fragment was the true heavenly scripture. He could decipher the ancient characters individually, but combined, they made no sense to Qin Sang.

Furthermore, the fragment's content was disjointed, and merely trying to commit it to memory would demand significant mental effort.

"The bright orbs contain various fragmented ancient texts!"

Far from worrying, Qin Sang was delighted; he had finally found the right place.

The Langhuan Jade Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation as a treasure trove: its lower level housed ancient artifacts of unknown origin, while its upper level contained various texts.

This was a place where high-level cultivators of the Formless Immortal Sect sought enlightenment. Although these texts were fragments, they were of profound origin, and comprehending even a small part could bring lifelong benefits.

"Is the Primordial Spirit Nurturing Sword Chapter here?"

Qin Sang rarely felt nervous, but this was an exception. The Langhuan Jade Pavilion represented his sole hope beyond the Sword Spirit; acquiring the cultivation method would significantly impact his future cultivation path.

Immediately, Qin Sang withdrew his consciousness from the Elixir Art and promptly began touching other orbs, searching tirelessly.

The "Lingxu Heaven Guiding Fragment."

The "Unnamed Cultivation Method."

The "Method for Refining the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Confinement Seal (Incomplete)."

Orb after orb flashed by. Most were various "Unnamed" or "Fragmented" texts, confirming Qin Sang's suspicions.

In reality, few such incomplete texts would qualify for placement in the Langhuan Jade Pavilion; most of the orbs were empty.

Qin Sang quickly scanned through most of them, but failing to find what he sought, his mind grew tense.

He scanned another orb.

"A fragmented divine ability, not a cultivation method!"

Qin Sang glanced at the name, a look of disappointment on his face. He skipped the content and his consciousness moved to the next orb. When he saw the name within, he instinctively held his breath.

The "Unnamed Sword Nurturing Art"!

Sword Nurturing Art! The Primordial Spirit Nurturing Sword Chapter!

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He swiftly probed the orb, and upon clearly seeing its contents, his tense mind immediately relaxed after just a single glance.

It was indeed the "Primordial Spirit Nurturing Sword Chapter"!

After years of painstaking search, it was finally within his grasp, and with such ease. Qin Sang found it almost surreal, his only wish being that it was the section for the Soul Transformation stage.

Calming himself, Qin Sang resumed browsing the cultivation method's content.

He scanned it roughly.

"The eleventh layer! Excellent!"

"The twelfth layer..."

"Is that all?"

Qin Sang was momentarily stunned, then quickly re-examined the content, only to realize he had been overthinking.

The first ten layers of the Primordial Spirit Nurturing Sword Chapter, with the first layer forming the foundation of the entire method, corresponded to each minor realm starting from the Foundation Establishment stage.

Before its division, the cultivation method consisted of two parts, each with five layers.

After the Soul Transformation stage, this pattern no longer applied. The eleventh layer actually corresponded to the entire Soul Transformation stage, while the twelfth layer astonishingly corresponded to the Void Refining stage!

At the very least, this was a cultivation method that directly guided one towards the Grand Dao of Void Refining!

When the Formless Immortal Sect acquired this cultivation method, they lacked the sections preceding the Nascent Soul stage, making comprehension exceedingly difficult. Furthermore, the method was overtly unorthodox, involving nurturing a sword with one's primordial spirit, so no one dared to attempt it.

However, due to the extremely high cultivation levels involved in these two sections, they were placed in the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, specifically in some of the most prominent positions towards the rear.

With the cultivation method now in hand, Qin Sang was in no rush to comprehend it, as his current cultivation level was insufficient anyway. He continued browsing other orbs, hoping to find higher levels of the "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art."

Unfortunately, by the end, Qin Sang found another fragment that pointed directly to the Void Refining stage, but not the complete "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art."