Chapter 1741: 化龙池

Refining the Qilin Origin Seed would bring him immeasurable benefits.

Even without the Vermillion Bird's reminder, Qin Sang already knew that the source of an ancient mighty being could not be so easily seized; it was sure to be protected by powerful means. Even if he could locate the Qilin's true origin through the seed, it wasn't something a mere Incarnation Stage cultivator like himself could break through. If he allowed himself to be blinded by greed for treasure, he would be courting death.

Qin Sang's only current curiosity was the whereabouts of the Qilin's true origin. He most hoped that, like the Qilin Origin Seed, it had found its way to this realm. With no cultivators above the Incarnation Stage here, there would be no concern of anyone getting to it first, no matter how long it remained dormant. When his cultivation was high enough, he might even gain the ability to traverse realms and then seek out the treasure.

Such thoughts were premature for now. Qin Sang cleared his mind and, following the Vermillion Bird's instructions, calmly began to perceive the Qilin Origin Seed. In his eyes, it was just an unremarkable, transparent lotus seed; no matter how many times his divine sense scanned it, he could not discern anything unusual.

Following the Vermillion Bird's method, Qin Sang shifted his divine sense and immediately felt a slight difference within the lotus seed. Though the Vermillion Bird had spoken of it lightly, perhaps due to differences in their races, Qin Sang found performing the secret art incredibly difficult. He dared not relax for a moment, meticulously infiltrating the Qilin Origin Seed, layer by layer, until he sensed a peculiar power at its core, like a lotus heart. According to the Vermillion Bird, this power was the essence of the Qilin Origin Seed, but Qin Sang still couldn't perceive any spiritual fluctuations.

This was the profound mystery of ancient divine beasts' methods. When the Qilin Origin Seed was dormant, it was as if truly dead. Even those who cultivated the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus* art would not discover its revival within their bodies until it began to stir. He could only vaguely perceive it, unable to manipulate the Qilin Origin Seed's essence. This suggested that there must be restrictions left by the Qilin in the seed from its lifetime. While the Vermillion Bird in its prime might have easily seized it, even it couldn't directly absorb it now.

The Vermillion Bird's solution was simple: to use the opponent's own methods against them. Qin Sang still needed to draw the Qilin Origin Seed into his body using the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus* art, then find a way to suppress the Qilin's true spirit and absorb its essence while it was in a dazed, unaware state. Doing so, of course, was far from easy.

Qin Sang pondered for several days, seeking guidance from the Vermillion Bird without hesitation, before daring to act. The fire lotus flew out from between his brows and hovered before him. Simultaneously, a wisp of his divine sense guided the Qilin Origin Seed slowly towards the fire lotus, stopping approximately three inches directly above it.

He had not yet cultivated the second stage of the art to its peak, so the lotus petals at the center of the fire lotus were tightly clasped. However, a thin thread of fire lotus essence now rose, coiling around the surface of the Qilin Origin Seed. Black flames spread out, enveloping the Qilin Origin Seed. The Divine Solar Tree sat beside Qin Sang, its nine divine birds on the branches craning their necks, their eyes showing both envy and resentment.

Qin Sang's gaze was fixed on the Qilin Origin Seed. His thoughts flickered, and his hand seals rapidly changed, striking out like flowing water. The flames on the seed rippled and churned ceaselessly. Then, the flame wisps began to twist, and fiery talismans emerged, flashing before vanishing into the seed. Finally, the Qilin Origin Seed suddenly trembled, as if pulled by that thread of flame, plummeting downwards. It didn't stop upon contact with the bud but continued to fall unhindered into the lotus core!

Up to this point, all steps involved applying the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus* art to integrate the Qilin Origin Seed back into the fire lotus. What came next was the most critical part. Qin Sang's expression hardened, and his divine sense surged out from between his brows without reservation. An invisible fluctuation spread through the ship's cabin, and a vast, boundless force emerged from thin air, swirling and converging towards the fire lotus.

The flames intensified! The fire lotus swayed gently, its petals trembling. Outwardly, it remained relatively calm. Divine sense, like a tide, continuously poured into the fire lotus, transforming into invisible spiritual seals that merged one after another into the Qilin Origin Seed. Before long, beads of sweat appeared on Qin Sang's forehead, a clear sign of the strenuous effort.

After an unknown period, Qin Sang suddenly let out a long breath. The fire lotus trembled, then returned to normal. The divine solar birds all pouted. The Vermillion Bird, of course, had hoped Qin Sang would fail and be forced to seek its assistance, allowing it to opportunistically demand benefits, but alas, its wish was not granted.

*Whoosh!*

The fire lotus floated into Qin Sang's palm. He didn't immediately rush to recover but instead stared intently at the lotus core, sensing a new presence inside. Yet, it was perfectly integrated with the fire lotus, with no anomalies. Absorbing the essence of the Origin Seed was not a task to be completed overnight, but the smooth completion of this initial step gave Qin Sang immense confidence. The only drawback was the constant need to maintain his divine sense and the secret art.

After a brief contemplation, Qin Sang put away the fire lotus and shifted his gaze to the Divine Solar Tree, asking, "How do I give you that True Phoenix Feather?"

With the Qilin Origin Seed now integrated, Qin Sang couldn't continue refining spiritual fire or cultivating the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus* art for the time being. However, once the task was complete, he would make significant progress, far faster than through conventional cultivation. During this period, he might as well fulfill his promise and give the True Phoenix Feather to the Vermillion Bird, allowing it to study it thoroughly so that, when the time was right, it could directly provide him with True Phoenix Fire.

The Vermillion Bird, which had been feeling dejected, immediately perked up at the question, replying eagerly, "It's simple. Just insert it into the Divine Tree. I'm inside there; you don't need to worry about anything else."

"This..." Qin Sang frowned, glancing at the divine birds on the branches. "It won't affect the Divine Solar Tree?"

To date, the Divine Solar Tree remained his strongest asset, and he couldn't afford any mistakes. The Vermillion Bird's own feather was located beneath the tree, suppressed by the green copper block and the tortoise shell. It wasn't a spatial treasure, and the confined space was filled with violent Southern Bright Lihuo, barely maintaining balance. If he were to insert the True Phoenix Feather, and the two true fires clashed, destroying the Divine Solar Tree, wouldn't that be a catastrophic loss?

"Don't worry. Although this Vermillion Bird cannot control the true fire, I have been able to restrain it somewhat over the years. That feather is severely damaged, and its true fire power has been dormant for many years. As long as you don't overly stimulate it, nothing will happen. If I can't suppress it, you can just take it out again." The Vermillion Bird sounded very confident, with a hint of impatience. Qin Sang had promised to share some of the True Phoenix Fire with it.

Qin Sang looked doubtful. The words and actions of this young spirit were truly hard to trust. He pressed for more details, questioning it repeatedly until he had a clear understanding. Seeing that the Vermillion Bird answered clearly and confidently, Qin Sang nodded slightly. He summoned the Divine Solar Tree and took out the True Phoenix Feather.

With the Vermillion Bird's help, Qin Sang was able to perceive the interior of the Divine Solar Tree, which was now vastly different from when he had first refined it. Qin Sang could barely find any traces of his original refining work. Years of being calcined by Southern Bright Lihuo had left it unrecognizable. Aside from the green copper block, which seemed unchanged, the mysterious white copper, the Nine-Life Dark Tortoise's shell, and other auxiliary spiritual items had all been melted and fused into a single entity, making it impossible to distinguish their original materials. The power of Southern Bright Lihuo circulated constantly within the Divine Solar Tree. In the future, when the Vermillion Bird's power recovered and no longer needed the Divine Solar Tree to help suppress the true fire, this item, even if it didn't become a supreme treasure, would surely be a rare material.

"Qin Sang, I'm here." The crisp child's voice reached Qin Sang through his perception. Though its power was limited, it possessed the arrogance of a Vermillion Bird. It didn't feel it was living off Qin Sang; it believed their alliance meant they were equals, and thus it refused to acknowledge Qin Sang as its master, calling him by name. Qin Sang didn't care about such things; he only cared if it was useful to him. At this moment, he vaguely perceived a feather within the Southern Bright Lihuo, and on the feather, the outline of a fiery spirit bird seemed to emerge, though indistinctly. This was the young Vermillion Bird spirit, barely managing to project itself.

Qin Sang observed for a while, then instructed the Vermillion Bird to follow his commands, which it did. Inside the ship's cabin, the firelight flickered between bright and dim. Finally, Qin Sang nodded and, holding the True Phoenix Feather, pressed his other hand against the Divine Solar Tree, slowly inserting the True Phoenix Feather below the green copper block, into the space where the Vermillion Bird's feather resided.

The Southern Bright Lihuo became slightly calmer. The True Phoenix Feather did not sink into the flames but clung tightly to the green copper block. There was a subtle fluctuation, seemingly the Vermillion Bird extending its power. Seeing that the Divine Solar Tree was functioning normally, Qin Sang felt a slight easing in his heart.

The magic vessel remained anchored near the Dragon Ancestral Land for a month. During this month, all eligible leaders from the various demon tribes received summons from the Dragon King to gather for discussions. Awed by Qin Sang's might, none of the demon kings dared to approach the Dragon Ancestral Land, instead arranging to meet in a water mansion appointed by the Dragon King.

His avatar sat meditating on the bow of the ship, while his true body remained within the cabin, never stepping out, nor pressing for a response. Several days later, the two demon kings who commanded the Dragon King's personal guard suddenly exchanged glances. Seemingly having received orders, their voices boomed like thunder towards the magic vessel.

"Reporting, True Monarch, our King wishes to discuss something."

The avatar opened his eyes and said, "Speak."

The two demon kings, seeing that Qin Sang's true body did not leave the cabin, dared not question it. They reformed the water mirror, revealing the Dragon King, with the Phoenix King standing beside him. The Dragon King, already aware of the avatar's identity, wasted no words and stated gravely, "True Monarch, are you willing to swear an oath first?"

The avatar smiled. "It seems my fellow Daoists have reached a decision. What difficulty is there in swearing an oath? Set up the Karma Altar."

"The altar has already been set up!" The Dragon King silently gave an order.

Before long, waves surged before the magic vessel as several dragons, bearing a golden platform a hundred *zhang* wide and long, emerged from the water. The avatar surveyed it, nodded slightly, and awakened his true body.

Qin Sang's true body emerged from meditation, floating gracefully onto the altar. He saw the oaths already laid out, line by line, column by column, meticulously thorough. He smiled faintly, unconcerned, and in full view of everyone, swore the karma oath. The Dragon King and Phoenix King watched through the water mirror, their expressions only relaxing after Qin Sang completed his vow.

True to his nature as a ruler of his race, the Dragon King then left the Ancestral Land in his true form and boarded the magic vessel. Observing this king, whose bearing surpassed even that of the previous Dragon King, Qin Sang couldn't help but praise, "Fellow Daoist has great courage."

The Dragon King clasped his fists in礼 and said with a booming voice, "Since True Monarch cannot ascend and leave, we cannot always shrink back in the Ancestral Land. I presume True Monarch would not deceive this humble king and break his karma oath. Going forward, our tribes will fully search for the Ascension Platform. If we discover anything else, we will certainly not conceal it from True Monarch."

Qin Sang nodded with satisfaction. "I am deeply pleased that you all can resolve your disputes and work together to find a path for the cultivators of this realm. Next, I will go to the Witch God Mountain. The Witch Clan will also restrain their actions, just like the Human Clan."

The two discussed the details. Although only the Dragon King appeared in person this time, the other demon kings were observing from afar. Qin Sang was, in effect, negotiating with the entire demon ocean's demon race. Qin Sang did not propose excessive conditions, and the subsequent discussions proceeded very smoothly.

Finally, Qin Sang suddenly smiled. "The Dragon Clan's physical bodies are exceptionally strong, far surpassing other races. Rumor has it that there is a secret place in your Ancestral Land with miraculous effects for tempering the body. Is this true?"

The Dragon King's expression immediately changed, and his gaze deepened. "What does True Monarch mean by this?"

"Fellow Daoist, rest assured. Since I have sworn an oath, I will not go back on my word. I imagine you can perceive the qi and blood within my body and know that I also cultivate the Body Tempering Dao. If this secret place of your noble clan is useful to me, I am willing to make a trade with you. I will certainly not disappoint you," Qin Sang stood with his hands behind his back, his tone confident.

The Dragon King was tempted. Qin Sang was an Incarnation Stage cultivator from outside this realm and was certainly not lacking in supreme treasures. Although the demon clans of the demon ocean had ancestral inheritances and special bloodlines, they were relatively impoverished, mostly having to rely on themselves. While demons could cultivate their own bloodlines, they couldn't entirely forgo external resources, and their bloodlines had become very diluted over generations.

Qin Sang saw the expression on his face and knew there was a chance. He took out a dozen jade boxes containing sacred artifacts produced by the major holy lands of the Central Plains demon race. Although he hadn't thrown his weight around, those demon clans, upon learning that he was the Incarnation Stage cultivator behind the Dragon Whale clan and possibly the only Incarnation Stage cultivator in this realm, dared not claim all the treasures and voluntarily offered tribute. Unfortunately, most of these treasures were only useful to demons.

"These treasures are just a portion; they should be enough. As for the others, if Fellow Daoist can provide something useful to me, we can exchange. If you are interested, please prepare quickly."

The jade boxes opened one after another, emitting dazzling flashes of treasure light that momentarily blinded the onlookers. With Incarnation Stage demons constantly appearing in the Central Plains, the treasures from their holy lands were far from ordinary. Even with the Dragon King's temperament, his gaze was firmly drawn, and his breathing involuntarily grew heavier.

"Our clan does indeed have a secret place called the Dragon Transformation Pool. It can cleanse meridians, refine marrow, and circulate qi and blood, possessing quite miraculous effects. However, no outsider has ever entered it. How much True Monarch can gain depends on your own ability," he mused, thinking that although Qin Sang was an Incarnation Stage cultivator, his physical cultivation might not be very high, and as a human, he certainly wouldn't last long, nor would he consume much of the spiritual liquid in the pool.

After some bargaining and another oath from Qin Sang, the Dragon King, overriding all objections, invited Qin Sang into the water mansion. Although the Dragon Clan's Ancestral Land was underwater, it was surprisingly dry inside, shimmering with pearls and auspicious energy, with rare treasures scattered everywhere. The legendary Dragon Palace could be no more splendid.

Unlike his demeanor when he was with the Phoenix Clan, Qin Sang behaved respectfully, following the Dragon King through several palaces until they arrived at a cluster of coral. The Dragon King cast a spell and then took out a golden token, waving it forward. The coral cluster automatically parted, revealing a path.

"True Monarch, please!"

Qin Sang walked a short distance and then saw a square stone pool. The pool was not large, only enough to accommodate a young dragon, and contained half a pool of water, from which floated a light, ethereal mist. As the mist shifted, profound mysteries naturally arose.

"This is the Dragon Transformation Pool." The Dragon King pointed to the stone pool, then tapped the four walls. The spiritual mist intensified, and within it, faint outlines of true dragons seemed to appear and disappear. Although Qin Sang knew they were illusions, he genuinely felt a daunting aura, secretly amazed.

He examined it carefully for a few moments, confirming there were no anomalies. Suppressing his True Yuan, he leaped into the air and settled into the Dragon Transformation Pool in a seated posture. The spiritual liquid reached roughly his waist. As the spiritual liquid permeated him, Qin Sang first felt a refreshing coolness that seeped through his skin into his flesh and blood, penetrating his meridians and cleansing even his bone marrow. Before he could fully experience it, the qi and blood within Qin Sang's body exploded with a rumble. The coolness suddenly turned into excruciating pain, a familiar agony of cleansing meridians and refining marrow.