Chapter 1760: External Talisman

Mortal World

The Daoist's expression was serene.

"If you agree, you won't need to do anything, and you will earn my gratitude. Afterward, I will certainly visit to express my thanks. Should you secretly inform my adversaries, they can, at most, disrupt my plans this time; they will not be able to apprehend me. However, you will have made a new enemy. I trust you can weigh the pros and cons."

"Are you threatening me?" Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly.

The Daoist opened his mouth, about to speak, when his brow suddenly furrowed. His spiritual sword vibrated, and instantly he unleashed eight consecutive slashes around himself.

The eight streaks of sword light were exceedingly sharp, but after slashing only a foot from the Daoist, they transformed into streams of sword energy. Then, upon touching the void, countless streams of sword energy vanished one by one, their whereabouts unknown.

The Daoist stared at Qin Sang, his tone betraying no emotion. "I didn't realize you were also skilled in the art of poison. This poison is remarkably mystical. Although I've never encountered it before, I know that allowing it to invade the body would likely lead to dire consequences. Fortunately, I have some proficiency in the Way of Transmuting Swords; a single sword can transmute all phenomena, otherwise, it would have been difficult to detect."

Qin Sang's expression remained unchanged, even as the Daoist uncovered his method. He was secretly astonished.

Just moments ago, upon realizing someone was ambushing him, he had activated the Poison Pearl, secretly releasing the venom. This poison, being the primordial toxin of the Bloodthirsty Mire Spirit, was naturally extraordinary. He hadn't expected the Daoist to discover it so quickly. Qin Sang felt an invisible force within the poison, which he suspected was the Daoist's spiritual sword transforming and intertwining with the toxin, even showing a faint tendency to dissolve and seize the poison. It was noteworthy that this poison originated from a Five-Transformation Spirit Insect, albeit from its corpse.

The profundity of this person's swordsmanship was unlike anything Qin Sang had ever witnessed in his life. At least among fellow Nascent Soul cultivators, Qin Sang had never encountered anyone who could rival this individual.

If Senior Azure Bamboo hadn't perished and had cultivated to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, he might have barely grazed this level of mastery.

This heightened Qin Sang's vigilance even further.

This poison was actually used as a probe.

Qin Sang had already secretly prepared the Heavenly Soul-Scattering Divine Needle. After some thought, he ultimately withdrew his divine ability and silently urged the Poison Pearl. The toxins in the void were recalled one after another. If the divine needle missed, it would result in a lose-lose situation. Although the opponent was somewhat constrained, it didn't mean he couldn't unleash his full power. Qin Sang mused that, in his current state, it wasn't advisable to fight a life-or-death battle with a top-tier expert.

If it truly was a misunderstanding, taking action without seeing any benefit would be unwise.

Furthermore, Qin Sang had another concern. Star Valley was the place he had found with the densest Star Essence. Even if it couldn't lead to a direct breakthrough, it could provide a higher chance of success when casting spells there with the help of others in the future. The formation of Star Valley was still unknown, and a full-scale battle between him and the Daoist might very well destroy this precious land.

Seeing Qin Sang withdraw his divine ability, the Daoist smiled and nodded. He formed a sword seal, and his spiritual sword suddenly appeared from the void, emerging from an unknown place before flying into his sleeve pouch. Next, the Daoist flicked a finger, sending a streak of light flying towards Qin Sang.

Qin Sang circulated his true essence to catch it, seeing it was a golden token.

"If you seek me, simply activate the restriction within the golden token at Crane Cry Mountain," the Daoist explained the token's use concisely, then made an oath.

Qin Sang casually put it into his Thousand Jin Ring and said blandly, "I'm afraid what I seek, fellow Daoist, is beyond your reach."

"Oh?" The Daoist grew interested. "Why not tell me?"

Qin Sang scrutinized the Daoist, seemingly contemplating something, then after a moment, asked, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, which esteemed sect do you belong to?"

What did he want? Undoubtedly, it was a Talisman! In this world, one must be ordained to cultivate. Given this Daoist's cultivation level, his status within a sect would surely be very high, similar to the Xuanji Sect, which has only one Soul Transformation stage sect master. Qin Sang wondered if this person was qualified to use the ancestral altar to bestow talismans upon outsiders.

The Daoist shook his head slightly. "It's not that I dare not reveal my origin before you, fellow Daoist... I belong to no sect or school."

No sect or school? Qin Sang's brows furrowed slightly. "Are you a Daoist Court Immortal Official?"

The Daoist Court's power was immense. How could a force he'd never even heard of dare to pursue a Daoist Court Immortal Official? "Who says I must be a member of the Daoist sect?" the Daoist retorted.

He called himself 'this humble Daoist' yet claimed not to be a member of a Daoist sect, which sounded somewhat strange. However, Qin Sang understood the meaning behind the Daoist's words. A term immediately flashed through his mind—Rogue Cultivator! There were rogue cultivators in this world?

A sudden realization struck Qin Sang: he might have been operating under a misconception. Ever since he arrived in this world, the first cultivators he encountered were Daoist Court Immortal Officials. From Zhongmao Prefecture all the way to this place, everything he saw and heard was under the Daoist Court's control; order was meticulously maintained. Given that the Six Heavenly Old Qi rampaged in this world, and cultivation necessitated reliance on talismans, even for demon cultivators, Qin Sang had assumed there was no room for rogue cultivators to exist.

The Daoist's words made Qin Sang recall various experiences after entering Gushan Prefecture, realizing there had been suspicious points all along. Crane Cry Mountain, the largest immortal city in Gushan Prefecture, was at the heart of the vortex, yet its overt defenses weren't particularly strict. In order to receive a summons from the Daoist Court, he had tried to leave a spiritual contract with the Daoist Court using his previously forged identity. He had forged the identity merely to use the great teleportation array, not putting much effort into it, yet unexpectedly, it passed review easily—or rather, there was hardly any review at all.

Qin Sang had initially thought the Daoist Court was either wary of another major power, the Nether Palace, or that the Daoist Court was internally prepared to abandon this city at any time. For the Daoist Court, rebuilding an immortal city was a trivial matter. Now, it seemed more likely that they had intentionally relaxed controls, leaving an opening for cultivators outside the Daoist sect.

What was the strength of the forces outside the Daoist Court? How did they resolve the challenges of cultivation? Did they also have to seek talismans from the Daoist Court? If so, obtaining a talisman himself might not be as difficult as he had imagined.

In a flash of thought, Qin Sang connected many ideas, nodding his head. "I truly didn't expect that such a distinguished master like yourself could exist outside the Daoist sects."

The Daoist raised a hand and pointed outside, saying, "You must have only recently arrived in Gushan Prefecture, fellow Daoist. The scenery here is quite different from the two Daoist Court prefectures. You'll see more if you stay longer."

Qin Sang nodded. He was currently focused on preparing for his tribulation, and his departure this time had indeed been somewhat rushed.

"I am merely curious, from where did you obtain the qualification to be ordained?"

The Daoist gave Qin Sang a meaningful look. "In Gushan Prefecture, it's not entirely under the Daoist sect's dominion. There are also altars outside the Daoist sect that can bestow talismans. However, for cultivators at our level, we can only seek them from the Daoist Court. This is where our difficulty lies: obtaining a talisman becomes incredibly hard, otherwise, we'd be halted here, and the path of cultivation would be arduous every step of the way. It's not like you, fellow Daoist, who are a legitimate successor of the Daoist sect; you can receive your talisman as soon as your cultivation is sufficient, and your future path is bright."

As Qin Sang had suspected, cultivators in this world, regardless of whether they originated from a Daoist sect or not, must be ordained.

The Daoist had inadvertently pointed out another path for Qin Sang. However, Qin Sang required a Talisman of the Soul Transformation stage, and according to the Daoist, he would have to seek it from the Daoist Court, and obtaining the qualification for ordination was no easy feat.

Qin Sang pondered, about to press for more questions, but the Daoist's expression suddenly changed. He cupped his hands and said, "My adversaries are using secret arts to find me again. I must immediately enter seclusion to avoid being tracked down. I hope you will forgive me, fellow Daoist. In a few years, I should be able to resolve my troubles, and then we can share a drink and chat."

Qin Sang frowned slightly and ceased his questioning. He had no desire to get involved in unnecessary conflicts. Moreover, the more he asked, the more he might reveal his vulnerabilities. It would be better to return first and investigate thoroughly. Now, with the information provided by the Daoist, he could conduct a more targeted search, which should be easier.

Pondering this, Qin Sang cupped his hands slightly, activated his escape light, and swiftly departed from the cavern.

The Daoist stood on the water's surface, watched Qin Sang leave, then slowly sank beneath the water.

Calm gradually returned to the cavern, with only the gentle sound of flowing water.

After exiting Star Valley, Qin Sang glanced back, then continued directly to Crane Cry Mountain without further delay. Reflecting on his brief skirmish with the Daoist, although rushed, he had gained considerable insights. The power of the Post-Heaven Wooden Man Stele had not disappointed him, solidifying his resolve to meticulously comprehend this technique further. Even if his cultivation were to fully recover in the future, this technique could significantly enhance his combat prowess. He encountered no unexpected incidents on the way.

Qin Sang returned to Crane Cry Mountain without incident. Upon entering the city, Qin Sang continued with his two-pronged approach: diligently cultivating without cease, and gathering information based on what the Daoist had provided. After several months, he finally gained a more comprehensive understanding.

Qin Sang confirmed one thing: the sects in Gushan Prefecture, while outwardly respecting the Daoist Court and calling themselves Daoist sects, were not necessarily true Daoist lineages.

Although these sects were not strictly Daoist, they maintained some ties with the Daoist Court. With the Daoist Court and the Ghost Fang Nation in fierce opposition, no faction could remain neutral; not siding with the Daoist Court meant allying with demons.

There were also rogue cultivators in Gushan Prefecture, but they weren't entirely without a background. Indeed, there were altars outside the Daoist sects that could bestow talismans, and their conditions were not as stringent as those of the Daoist sects. However, according to the information Qin Sang gathered, these talismans could at most support cultivators up to the Ascendant Profound Rank (the Nascent Soul stage), and most of them had flaws, being precisely what the Daoist sects referred to as 'external talismans'.

The Daoist had evidently perceived Qin Sang's true cultivation level, indirectly confirming his own strength.

After discovering this information, Qin Sang tried to contact a sect named Tao Hengshan. If he was willing to exchange merit points, obtaining the qualification for ordination shouldn't be difficult. However, as he learned more about talismans, he became hesitant again.

Daoist talismans encompassed a wide range, and receiving a specific talisman required establishing a corresponding talisman altar. The Dragon-Tiger Altar, one of the three major Daoist branches, was actually secretly learned from demon talismans; force cultivators naturally didn't need to stabilize their vital energy. Qin Sang could only cultivate the Soldier-Horse Altar or the Golden Seal Altar. Comparing the two, he leaned more towards the Golden Seal Altar.

Therefore, he needed to carefully consider which talisman to cultivate, taking into account his existing resources, so that he could quickly forge a talisman altar after ordination, and choose one that was as suitable as possible for himself. Talismans below the Soul Transformation stage were not urgently needed by Qin Sang; even without a talisman, he had few rivals at the Nascent Soul stage.

The real challenge was how to obtain the qualification for ordination from the Daoist Court. Qin Sang would only know once he contacted the Daoist Court, but it was certain that to gain the Daoist Court's approval, one's background had to be impeccable and withstand scrutiny. This was precisely what Qin Sang lacked.

Everything seemed to have returned to square one, but it wasn't quite so; obtaining an identity outside the Daoist sects was much easier than infiltrating them. With this information, Qin Sang mused that acquiring the ordination qualification required a long-term plan, and time was not abundant. It might be more hopeful to first consider how to achieve a breakthrough in body cultivation.

He found a cave dwelling in the immortal city and fully immersed himself in cultivating the "Heavenly Demon Refining Form." Drawing the Six Heavenly Old Qi into his body to temper his physique, complementing it with Star Essence, and with the aid of the Dragon Transformation Pool's spiritual fluid, his cultivation speed far surpassed anything before. If not for the concern of mental disorientation, this world would undoubtedly be a blessed land for force cultivators. In just five short years, Qin Sang felt his progress was incredibly rapid, as if he had undergone a transformation.

During this period, Qin Sang was not completely oblivious to external affairs. Shi Xuan and others frequently sent in various news, and Qin Sang himself occasionally contacted various forces to understand this world as much as possible.

One day, a blue light flew into his cave dwelling, manifesting as a spiritual talisman before Qin Sang. The talisman shattered, and several lines of message appeared in Qin Sang's mind.

A moment later, Qin Sang opened his eyes, a contemplative expression on his face. He had left a spiritual contract with the Daoist Court, allowing them to send summons to him as long as he had a place to stay in an immortal city. He now understood that the Daoist Court issued summons not only to offer benefits but also to appease external forces. Given the unique environment of this world, if the Daoist Court didn't win them over, it would be akin to pushing them towards the Ghost Fang Nation. At the same time, troublesome tasks could also be assigned to outsiders, serving a dual purpose.

Of course, the summons wouldn't involve true secrets. The spiritual talisman carried a newly issued summons from the Daoist Court, and one particular entry caught Qin Sang's attention. The summons stated that upon completion, one could obtain a token from a Daoist Court Cavern Profound True Person. With this token, one could request this Cavern Profound True Person to act once. However, it wasn't for combat; this Cavern Profound True Person specialized in alchemy and was highly renowned, and having him refine pills was a dream for many.

A Cavern Profound True Person was equivalent to a Soul Transformation cultivator. Qin Sang had been waiting for precisely this kind of summons. His idea was to use the reward from the summons as an exchange, appealing to the Xuanji Sect Master through the Daoist Court. A summons that could earn the assistance of a Soul Transformation cultivator in combat would undoubtedly be extremely dangerous, but this one was just right. For him to request the Xuanji Sect Master to cast a spell for Star Essence infusion, it was comparable to asking this person to refine pills.

Of course, with enough merit points, there was also a chance to solicit the Xuanji Sect Master's help, but that would involve him humbly requesting assistance, and if the other party refused, he would be helpless. Furthermore, over these five years, to accelerate his progress, he had exchanged many merit points for spirit herbs at the Daoist Court, and accumulating more merit points would inevitably involve constant travel, impacting his cultivation.

Additionally, Qin Sang needed to prepare Azure Frost Pills for the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, so befriending an alchemist beforehand was not a bad thing.

Qin Sang no longer hesitated, immediately leaving his cave dwelling and heading straight for the Daoist Court.

The summons was issued by the Northern Pole Exorcism Institute.

Qin Sang hurried there, extending his spiritual sense into the archway. Seeing that the summons had not yet been taken, his spiritual sense made contact, and instantly a small path appeared ahead, leading to a large black hall. When he reached the hall, the doors opened on their own. Qin Sang stepped inside and saw a Daoist sitting upright within the hall, his stern and unsmiling demeanor inspiring awe.

His gaze swept over the person's attire, and Qin Sang bowed with cupped hands. "Greetings, Nine Heavens Touring Envoy." The Nine Heavens Touring Envoy held a rank of Official Fifth Grade in the Northern Pole Exorcism Institute, one level higher than a Grand Altar Master. Judging by his aura, this person had already reached the late Nascent Soul stage.

The Touring Envoy scrutinized Qin Sang. "Do you wish to accept this summons, fellow Daoist?" Qin Sang nodded. "I do, but I have one condition."

"Please state it." "If I complete the summons, may I use the token to request that senior to arrange for the Xuanji Sect Master to do something?"

The Touring Envoy did not make things difficult for Qin Sang. He thought for a moment and said, "Please wait a moment, fellow Daoist. I need to inquire about that senior's wishes."