Chapter 1697: Preaching

At that moment, the entire galaxy seemed to twinkle for them. Those gazing at the night sky might have witnessed an anomaly, but unaware that someone was traversing the void, they merely dismissed it as an illusion.

Qin Sang gazed at the star-studded night sky, then turned to the empty altar.

Logically, resolving a five-hundred-year-long obsession should have brought immense relief, but Qin Sang felt as though in a dream, remaining silent for a long time.

That lingering chill persisted.

The feeling of that moment might never be forgotten.

Recalling the Ghost Mother's final message, Qin Sang murmured, "Firefly..." She had truly transformed into a firefly and flown away! And Fat Silkworm.

Now, only the poison bead remained with him, the sole lingering connection of that five-hundred-year bond, a testament to the bygone years.

Qin Sang ascended the altar step by step.

The altar itself appeared largely unchanged, but Qin Sang now realized that the power of its grand array had been depleted upon the completion of the ritual dance, leaving it as nothing more than an ordinary earthen platform.

The spiritual liquid in the spring pool had also lost all its vitality.

The Ghost Mother's physical body still stood there, maintaining its final posture.

The Ghost Mother had given no specific instructions regarding this body.

Qin Sang examined it, observing that the body's skin was rapidly losing its luster, and cracking skin revealed ancient Witch Clan divine patterns. It seemed to be more than a simple possession, having been refined by the Ghost Mother using a secret Witch Clan technique.

He couldn't discern anything significant.

Qin Sang pressed his palm downwards, and the ground rumbled. The earthen platform, the spring pool, and the Ghost Mother's body all sank into the earth, erasing every trace.

After a final glance, Qin Sang flew away, returning to Luye. His avatar soon followed, bringing the others back as well.

The Nether Moon Guards were completely unaware of what had happened, feeling quite bewildered.

Qin Sang left orders for them to return to the Northern Barrens, then re-entered his cave dwelling for secluded cultivation.

This time, he did not enter a meditative state. Instead, he intended to meticulously sort through the gains from his time in the Boundless Immortal Sect. After leaving the sect, he had been preoccupied with healing and Firefly's ascension, and hadn't had a proper chance to organize everything.

First, there were some low-tier cultivation methods, spells, and Daoist arts he had acquired from the Langhuan Jade Pavilion. Naturally, he found them beneath his notice, but since he had conceived the idea of establishing the Green Goat Daoist Temple in Central Continent, they would be perfectly suitable for his disciples to cultivate.

With this in mind, Qin Sang took out some blank jade slips and began inscribing all the other ancient texts he had obtained this time.

These included the inheritances of the Water, Metal, and Wood lineages.

The Water lineage inheritance was the most complete, comprising two parts: the Ice Ritual Palace and the Snowfield Tomb, with some overlaps, as well as alchemy traditions including the formula for the Boiling Snow Pill.

Next was the Wood lineage, which contained several inheritances, the top-tier cultivation method "Wood Emperor Strategy," the great divine ability "Post-Heaven Wooden Figure Stele," and a complete artifact refining inheritance.

The Golden Sword contained records of the Metal lineage's sword arrays.

Additionally, there were various incomplete scrolls obtained from the top of the Langhuan Jade Pavilion.

While most of these cultivation methods and Daoist arts were not suited for Qin Sang and could only serve as reference, bestowing them upon the Green Goat Daoist Temple would greatly enrich its heritage, as they were all top-tier in the world.

Combined with several superior inheritances from the Northern Sea, he wondered if future disciples would be spoiled for choice.

Qin Sang belatedly realized that by inheriting so much legacy from the Boundless Immortal Sect, the Green Goat Daoist Temple could almost be called a "Lesser Boundless Immortal Sect."

After categorizing and setting these aside, Qin Sang then retrieved the treasures he had fished out from the Treasure Pool: the Unpolished Jade, the Shadow-Bearing Sword, a broken drum, and a scroll-like drawing, all connected to the "Yin-Yang Heaven-Battling Secret Art."

Acquiring these four treasures was purely coincidental; they were either damaged or of unknown origin. Despite having time to study them now, Qin Sang remained at a loss. He decided not to waste further energy on them and put them all away.

Perhaps there would be a breakthrough if his skill in artifact refining advanced significantly in the future.

Of course, the most important were the eleventh and twelfth levels of the "Primordial Spirit Sword Nurturing Chapter," corresponding to the Soul Transformation and Void Refinement stages respectively. Since Qin Sang had not yet reached these realms, he could only superficially study them for now.

What most astonished Qin Sang were the changes occurring to the seven killing talismans as his cultivation level increased.

Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, a cultivator's main task was to condense killing talismans, then, in the late Golden Core stage, to separate a total of seven sword lights, which Qin Sang called Sword Souls.

Upon entering the Nascent Soul stage, one needed to project the killing talismans from their Natal Spirit Sword onto the seven Sword Souls, then merge these Sword Souls with their own seven corporeal souls.

And all of this was preparation for what was to come.

As cultivation progressed, cultivators could gradually separate seven Sword Phantasms, each born from sword intent and solely dedicated to the Dao of the Sword.

The seven Sword Phantasms, combined with the main body wielding the Natal Spirit Sword, together formed the "Seven Phantasm Killing Array" – the true sword Dao killing array!

Naturally, these achievements were still quite distant for Qin Sang.

With anticipation, Qin Sang shifted his gaze to other treasures.

These included the Ice Ritual Divine Plate, the Fire Rhinoceros Pendant, and the Ice-Fire Token, all related to the Tribulation Transcending Array.

With a thought, his avatar pushed open the door and entered, picking up the Ice Ritual Divine Plate, the Fire Rhinoceros Pendant, and a large quantity of spiritual materials, preparing to set up the spirit array for nurturing treasures.

These two arrays were not complex, and Qin Sang had already chosen suitable locations in Luye.

Next were the gains from his battle with the grotesque-faced man.

He had no immediate plans to touch the Heavenly Exquisite Spirit Embryo.

The wooden armor had already been given to his avatar for refinement, to serve as a defensive treasure.

The Gu King had been placated by the Ghost Mother's secret technique and fallen into a deep slumber, requiring no constant vigilance. Qin Sang only needed to complete the re-refinement of the poison pill before it could begin devouring.

Finally, there were the fragments of the Crimson Profound Ancient Tree.

This treasure was severely damaged and couldn't be used to cultivate the "Post-Heaven Wooden Figure Stele." It would be kept for future artifact refining. Furthermore, Qin Sang could not abandon his external avatar; to cultivate this technique, he would need to find another supporting object.

The treasures obtained from Fire Rhinoceros Island were the fewest, yet they proved most helpful at Emperor's Grant Mountain.

The Mani Pearl was undoubtedly a supreme defensive treasure, currently holding the origin of demonic flames.

The Fire Jade Centipede had been dormant since leaving the mansion. Once it fully devoured the frozen fire spirits, its cultivation was sure to advance significantly.

Despite numerous twists and turns at Emperor's Grant Mountain, the gains were undoubtedly abundant.

The Fire Rhinoceros Pendant, Soul Transformation remnants, Dao essence, Five Elements Pills...

With the relics of a Witch Clan Soul Transformation cultivator as a foundation, cultivating the "Pangu True Scripture" and raising the realm of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly would become much easier.

In Qin Sang's eyes, the Five Elements Pills were second only to the subsequent cultivation methods in value, though their future transaction might still encounter difficulties.

Su Zinan's relics also brought Qin Sang a significant windfall. As expected of a Soul Transformation successor, he possessed numerous treasures; the spiritual stones alone would be enough to support the development of a sect.

The grotesque-faced man, by contrast, seemed considerably less affluent, yet given his cultivation, he had also collected some rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

He kept the valuable ones and handed the rest to his avatar for future use in developing the sect.

Not all of the remaining items could be used immediately; he could trade them later for treasures he needed to support his cultivation. Once these trivial matters were handled, Qin Sang planned to enter secluded cultivation, dedicating himself to reaching the late-stage consummation.

The Dao essence from the Wordless Jade Tablet and the Buddha relic had already cleared many obstacles from his cultivation path.

The Three Corpse God-Slaying Banner, now perhaps more accurately called the One Corpse God-Slaying Banner since Su Zinan's demonic soul was integrated and still recovering, was currently being refined by Qin Sang. He planned to give it to his avatar along with the Thousand Worlds Mirror once the latter was repaired.

The Thousand Worlds Mirror had slight damage, but it wouldn't be difficult to repair.

In the future, with the addition of the wooden armor, the Thousand Worlds Mirror, and the demonic banner – three significant treasures – his avatar's strength would surge by a level, making it unlikely that even ordinary grand cultivators could contend with it.

This was even assuming the avatar had not yet achieved a breakthrough.

Before the battle at the Boundless Immortal Sect, the avatar had already reached a bottleneck and sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough, making advancement to the late Nascent Soul stage imminent.

The avatar's breakthrough, assisting the Heavenly Eye Butterfly in its advancement, and the main body refining the origin of demonic flames.

These were Qin Sang's next objectives.

Other tasks, such as comprehending the Boundless Immortal Sect's inheritances and refining the Taiji Immortal Platform and the Ice-Fire Token, were also essential.

Despite having his avatar to share the burden of his many responsibilities, Qin Sang still felt overwhelmed.

Another matter of utmost importance was trading the Spirit Rhinoceros Immortal Fruit with Mo Xingdao!

Su Zinan had controlled some subordinates in the Northern Barrens through the Nether Moon Guards. Qin Sang integrated these subordinates, and during his time drifting in the Northern Barrens, a steady stream of intelligence was sent to him.

Qin Sang closely monitored the movements of the Sweet Dew Chan Monastery, attempting to find clues and ascertain Mo Xingdao's whereabouts.

However, it was unclear what Saint Huiguang was truly planning. Since Sect Master Yu entered the Ghost Rock Plateau, Saint King Azure Fox and the three major sects of Daoism, Buddhism, and Demon Arts had not left.

Old Devil Fan, Poison King, Yue Lingtian, and others who had participated in the Demon Subduing War had also not shown themselves outside.

Mo Xingdao might still be confined within the ancient mansion.

Qin Sang had already dispatched a Nether Moon Guard to infiltrate their agreed-upon trading location, awaiting Mo Xingdao.

The organization was complete.

The avatar put away all the treasures and turned to leave.

Qin Sang's main body paused for a moment, then also walked out of the cave dwelling.

His cave dwelling was located deep within a bamboo forest, at a spot Su Zinan had originally used for refining the Three Corpse God-Slaying Banner. Now, with the grim atmosphere cleared, it was enveloped in spiritual mist, exuding the aura of an immortal's abode.

After a few steps, Qin Sang heard a hissing sound.

The snake cave was still in its original location. Some of the Earth-Bound Dragons raised by Su Zinan possessed decent strength. Qin Sang had no intention of extracting their tendons for artifact refining; keeping them as mountain-guarding spiritual beasts would be a good alternative, but their ferocity would first need to be subdued.

He walked out of the bamboo forest.

The flower sea outside was still there, but after Shen Chen's meticulous transformation, it had lost its artificial scent and gained a natural, harmonious feel, which perfectly suited Qin Sang's taste.

Did this unexpected disciple also know how to discern his intentions?

Qin Sang smiled faintly and flew to the other side of the flower sea. Before long, he saw several newly built lodgings at the foot of the mountain, from which Shen Chen's voice, lecturing on Dao, could be heard.

Inside a bamboo pavilion, Shen Chen sat at the head, delivering a very shallow lecture, suitable only for those just beginning their cultivation journey.

Xie Yi and Zhou Li were listening attentively.

Behind them, several beautiful women were also seated, all appearing very serious.

Qin Sang landed beside the bamboo pavilion, unnoticed by anyone inside.

At that moment, a woman carrying a bamboo tray with a pot of spiritual tea and jade cups hurried along the path. Upon seeing Qin Sang, she was startled, letting out a small cry. Her arm trembled, almost sending the contents of the tray flying.

"Your humble servant greets Master!"

The woman knelt, her voice trembling.

The lecture inside the pavilion abruptly ceased. Shen Chen emerged, and upon seeing Qin Sang, he quickly knelt and bowed. Xie Yi, Zhou Li, and the other women also swarmed out, kneeling in disarray. Some called him "Grand-master," others "Master," creating a chaotic scene.

Seeing Qin Sang look at the women, Shen Chen felt a little embarrassed and quickly said, "Reporting to Master, not all of this demon Su Zinan's concubines were willing. After careful screening by this disciple, most have had their memories erased and were properly sent home. The few remaining who have no home confirmed they were forcibly abducted by him and earnestly pleaded with this disciple to stay in Luye for the rest of their lives. I recalled Master's instructions; rashly abandoning them might invite disaster, but I also dared not presume to keep them without permission. I was waiting for Master to emerge from seclusion to make a decision."

"You certainly are sympathetic to women."

Qin Sang's tone betrayed no emotion.

"Luye can certainly support a few more people, and it's fine to let them stay. The mundane affairs of the Daoist site also require managing. As for these..."

Qin Sang looked at the women who had been listening to the lecture.

A high proportion of Su Zinan's favored concubines possessed spiritual roots. These newly brought ones had not cultivated for long and their realms were not high.

The women were filled with apprehension.

If they harbored ill intentions, they wouldn't escape Qin Sang's discerning eye.

"If any possess excellent temperament and talent, they may be selectively chosen as registered disciples."

He dismissed the women.

Qin Sang, along with Shen Chen and his two grand-disciples, flew towards the mountaintop, where a Daoist temple had already been built according to Qin Sang's instructions.

The temple's furnishings were simple, and there were no spiritual tablets enshrined on the altar. Shen Chen and his two disciples watched curiously as Qin Sang approached the altar and solemnly took out three memorial tablets, bearing the names Yun Youzi, Daoist Jixin, and Mingyue.

Shen Chen, being astute, immediately led his disciples in a bow.

"The Green Goat Daoist Temple was founded by Senior Yun Youzi. This master once received favors from Daoist Jixin and Mingyue. Later, in accordance with Senior Yun Youzi's dying wish, I inherited the Dao lineage of the Green Goat Daoist Temple to carry it forward and make it flourish..."

Hearing this, Shen Chen was somewhat surprised; he had searched his memory of Central Continent and couldn't recall the name Green Goat Daoist Temple. Then he heard Qin Sang say, "The Green Goat Daoist Temple is located in the Northern Sea. This master came from an outer domain in search of the Dao, traversing the Storm Belt for several decades until finally reaching Central Continent..."

Shen Chen's mouth fell open in disbelief.

They had never personally experienced the Storm Belt, but they had heard countless terrifying rumors. To think that their Master came from an outer domain—no wonder he had been unknown before.

Yet, once he emerged, he established a fearsome reputation in Central Continent!

Shen Chen found it hard to imagine what it meant to traverse the Storm Belt for decades, and his reverence for his Master deepened further.

"This master is now re-establishing the Green Goat Daoist Temple in Central Continent. Though separated by two domains, the Dao lineage remains unchanged. Should there be an opportunity in the future to encounter fellow disciples from the Northern Sea, you must not engage in conflict with each other..."

Qin Sang's tone was stern as he meticulously explained the sect's regulations.

Shen Chen, Xie Yi, and Zhou Li lowered their heads, committing the words to memory.

"Shen Chen, as my personal disciple, you are a second-generation disciple of the Green Goat Daoist Temple. Above you are Li Yufu, Aunt Mei, Shangguan Lifeng, Zhao Ying, Tan Yi'en, and others..."

As he spoke these names, Qin Sang's voice involuntarily softened. He wondered how many of them were still alive.

Qin Sang knew the chances of disciples from both Green Goat Daoist Temples meeting were infinitesimally small.

However, the necessary protocols had to be meticulously completed. Moreover, if a grand cultivator emerged from either side and decided to travel afar, a meeting would still be possible.

While the main body was instructing his disciples,

his avatar had already arrived at the rear of the bamboo forest, entering a deliberately opened cave. There, he continuously deployed spiritual materials to set up a spirit array, into which he placed the Ice Ritual Divine Plate and the Fire Rhinoceros Pendant for nurturing.

Afterward, the avatar did not leave, but entered secluded cultivation beside the Ice Ritual Divine Plate to comprehend its mysteries.

Time slowly passed.

With the Green Goat Daoist Temple newly established, Qin Sang became a hands-off manager, allowing the Nether Moon Guards to assist Shen Chen in its administration, which gradually brought it onto the right track.

Just as Qin Sang was immersed in diligent cultivation,

news finally arrived from the Northern Barrens: Mo Xingdao had appeared at the agreed-upon location!