Chapter 1767: White Stone Treatment

The Mortal Realm

Northern Exorcism Institute.

Qin Sang was again received by the Nine Heavens Patrolling Envoy.

“Fellow Daoist, you completed the mission so quickly?”

The Patrolling Envoy looked at the unharmed Qin Sang, a hint of surprise in his expression.

Qin Sang felt a strange sense of bewilderment. This mission seemed very dangerous, requiring him to infiltrate a demon marquis’s territory, but in reality, its difficulty was incomparable to missions involving intelligence gathering or ambushing demon marshals. If not for the trouble caused by Master Jian, he would have completed it even more smoothly.

“Fortunately, I did not fail the mission.”

Qin Sang presented the Four Seasons Dream-Transforming Flower.

The Patrolling Envoy reached out and took it. After a careful inspection, a peculiar glint flashed in his eyes. He then took out a thumb-sized jade talisman and handed it to Qin Sang, saying, “This is Senior Lingxu’s token. It contains a special mark left by Senior Lingxu. Fellow Daoist, take this to Senior Lingxu’s residence in Xuyijing, Baishi Prefecture, and you will be able to meet him.”

The location of Master Lingxu’s residence was no secret; Qin Sang had already found out.

Solemnly taking the jade talisman, Qin Sang cupped his hands and said, “If the Patrolling Envoy has no further important instructions, this humble Daoist will take his leave.”

“Please, Fellow Daoist.”

The Nine Heavens Patrolling Envoy escorted Qin Sang out of the hall. Standing in front of the main hall, he pondered for a long time, then suddenly realized something and hurriedly departed.

Ten days later.

Master Cuiwei entered the Northern Exorcism Institute. The guards, seeing the Nine Heavens Inspector, bowed in greeting. Astute individuals noticed Master Cuiwei’s rather somber expression, felt inwardly alarmed, and became even more deferential in their conduct, fearing his displeasure.

Master Cuiwei walked directly into his official residence. Just as he sat down, the Nine Heavens Patrolling Envoy quickly entered.

“Greetings, honored master.”

The Patrolling Envoy bowed deeply. Seeing his master’s expression, he understood the situation. A few days ago, he had received intelligence that his master’s plan had failed, and he had fled from the Guifang Kingdom in disarray, though he didn’t know the full details.

The Patrolling Envoy carefully observed his master’s face and said, “That demon, Marquis Liu...”

“This master was overconfident!”

Master Cuiwei sighed. There was nothing to hide from his own disciple, so he explained the reason for his exposure. At the end, he gave a self-deprecating smile, “As the saying goes, ‘calamity brings blessings,’ and I didn’t expect Marquis Liu to be so vigilant, having already invited a master to guard his territory. If this master hadn’t been exposed prematurely, and Marquis Liu had acted in haste without sufficient preparation, the loss might have been even greater.”

Hearing this, the Patrolling Envoy’s face showed realization. “So that’s how it is! When Master Qingfeng brought back the Four Seasons Dream-Transforming Flower earlier, I thought...”

“Master Qingfeng?”

Master Cuiwei raised an eyebrow. “The one who took the mission, he’s back?”

“He returned ten days ago. He seemed perfectly fine, his aura complete and unharmed. At the time, your disciple hadn’t received the intelligence report, so I didn’t ask much,” the Patrolling Envoy nodded.

Master Cuiwei leaned back slightly and let out a soft huff. “This person was able to evade Marquis Liu’s watchful eyes and return safely; his abilities are not bad. This time, it was also his good fortune.”

How precious was a token from a Grandmaster of Alchemy? Under normal circumstances, a mission to merely collect spirit herbs would hardly grant such an opportunity, unless the herb was something the Grandmaster desperately needed.

The Patrolling Envoy whispered, “Your disciple initially didn’t know the full story. Seeing this person’s unexpected return, I investigated further and can confirm that Qingfeng is an alias; his identity is entirely false.”

Master Cuiwei was not surprised by this. In Jushan Prefecture, such things were commonplace. Besides those wanted by the Dao Court, many cultivators outside the Daoist Sect also liked to disguise their identities. This was a strategy for survival in the cracks between two behemoths: if they offended the Dao Court or the Guifang Kingdom, they could immediately abandon that identity and, with a quick transformation, become innocent again.

Master Cuiwei grunted in response, his tone flat and unperturbed. In fact, this mission was part of a plan to lure the snake out of its hole. The Four Seasons Dream-Transforming Flower was real, but behind Master Lingxu’s issuance of the mission lay Master Cuiwei’s shadow. Once the plan was activated, the person who accepted the mission would undoubtedly face a near-certain death, if not absolute doom.

Because the herb collector’s strength could be neither too strong nor too weak, and within the Daoist Sect, those with such cultivation were either pillars of a certain sect or held high positions in the Dao Court. Losing one would be a huge blow, and other colleagues wouldn’t stand idly by, so candidates could only be sought from outside the Daoist Sect.

When Qin Sang accepted the mission, his information had already reached Master Cuiwei’s desk. Learning that this Master Qingfeng was precisely the one who had exposed the conspiracy behind the Demon God and slain a demon marshal under Marquis Liu, Master Cuiwei was overjoyed. Through the mission, someone could be sent to their death without leaving a trace, but the choice of person couldn’t be too selective. What if a deep background was uncovered? Should they still be used or not? It could be said that the genesis of this matter was not unrelated to Master Qingfeng. This person could not be a spy for the Guifang Kingdom, making him the most suitable candidate.

“Hmm?”

Noticing the strange look on his disciple’s face, a sudden flash of insight struck Master Cuiwei. Before this, he hadn’t suspected anything. This was because the demon gods’ disturbances were not limited to just that one place—it wasn’t an isolated incident. Recently, news of demon gods appearing in various locations had emerged, which was what drew their attention.

What if Marquis Liu had deliberately done the opposite, and this person was a spy he had planted? Sacrificing a demon marshal’s life, setting an ambush in his territory beforehand, to lure himself into a trap... Thoughts churned in Master Cuiwei’s mind, but reason told him this possibility was very small. The decision of whether to infiltrate the Guifang Kingdom was in his own hands. Within the Dao Court, informed colleagues opposed this plan. He himself had decided to take the risk to obtain more precise intelligence and to gain merit with the Prefectural Altar. For Marquis Liu to mobilize so much for something so vague and unsubstantial seemed hardly worth it.

“Have you found out his true identity?”

Master Cuiwei pressed.

The Patrolling Envoy said sheepishly, “Not yet! However, this person once entered this place, and he carried Master Jian’s token, so he should have a close relationship with him...” As he spoke, the Patrolling Envoy activated his true essence, conjuring a corner of the immortal city in the air and pointing to a courtyard within it.

Master Cuiwei’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Master Jian, who recently flattened Lingdu Mountain?”

The Patrolling Envoy nodded.

Master Cuiwei slightly closed his eyes, leaned back on the couch, and after a moment of contemplation, said, “No need to investigate further.”

“Yes!”

Qin Sang, inside his cave abode, knew nothing of these matters.

After receiving the token, Qin Sang did not immediately go to Baishi Prefecture to visit Master Lingxu. Instead, he returned to his cave abode to cultivate diligently. His Demonic Transformation Refining Technique was not yet complete, so Qin Sang planned to set off only when he was close to a breakthrough. Hemingshan was a rare place where one could cultivate in peace.

Time flew by. Eighteen years passed in a blink of an eye. For eighteen years, Qin Sang cultivated diligently day in and day out, rarely venturing out. Only when he needed elixirs would he make a trip, spending merit points to exchange them at the Dao Court. In fact, with the spirit liquid from the Dragon Transformation Pond and the unique environment of this realm, Qin Sang’s need for external resources was not great. He bought a large quantity of elixirs only to reach his peak cultivation as quickly as possible, thus leaving more buffer time. Hard work paid off. After eighteen full years, Qin Sang finally cultivated the Demonic Transformation Refining Technique to the peak of the fourth layer!

Inside the cave abode.

Qin Sang suddenly stood up, flashing out of the door, his entire being like a fierce beast. The Bèi demon, who was resting outside, shivered, rolled to its feet, and all its fur bristled. Feeling the aura emanating from Qin Sang, the Bèi demon’s pupils widened, revealing deep fear.

“Congratulations, Immortal Senior, on the completion of your divine skill!”

The Bèi demon prostrated itself on the ground. Since its talisman altar was taken away and it hadn’t obtained a demon talisman, it feared that continued cultivation would lead to mental confusion. Thus, it hadn’t made much progress over the years, playing the role of a guard dog for Qin Sang.

Qin Sang felt the abundant power within him and smiled slightly. “In a few more years, I’ll send you to the Demon Kingdom.” With the breakthrough in his strength cultivation, he once again possessed Nascent Soul realm power, counting as a considerable strong cultivator in this realm. The few secrets the Bèi demon knew were merely its own conjectures; no one would believe them if it spoke them, so they were of no consequence.

Dismissing the Bèi demon, Qin Sang flipped his hand and took out the bone flute. The bone flute was smooth and pure white, emitting a faint luminescence, giving off a warm and gentle sensation. The Demonic Transformation Refining Technique was obtained from this very treasure. However, ever since Qin Sang began cultivating this technique, up until today, the technique within the bone flute only revealed the first four layers, with the later parts still covered by mist. Qin Sang was just a step away from a breakthrough, yet the bone flute remained unchanged.

“Will the subsequent layers of the technique only appear after I break through?” Qin Sang withdrew his divine sense, deep in thought.

Baishi Prefecture.Xuyijing.

Dressed in a crane cloak, Qin Sang appeared before a bamboo forest. The bamboo forest was lush and verdant, exuding a fresh and natural ambiance. A small path meandered into its depths. Feeling this rare tranquil artistic conception, Qin Sang secretly admired it. This place was the core area of Xuyijing’s Prefectural Altar Immortal City. To cultivate such a vast bamboo forest in a treasure land where every inch of land was precious—this was truly “great reclusion within the city.”

Qin Sang stood at the path’s entrance, cupped his hands towards the empty bamboo forest, and announced, “This humble Daoist Qingfeng pays respects to Master Lingxu.”

Before long, a young attendant emerged from the bamboo forest. He returned Qin Sang’s bow meticulously, and after checking the token, spoke clearly, “True Master, you are invited.”

Deep within the bamboo forest, there were only a few thatched huts. Unexpectedly, Qin Sang easily met Master Lingxu. Master Lingxu was an old man with a youthful complexion and hair like white cranes, holding an ebony dragon staff. His eyes were particularly bright and piercing. He did not conceal his aura; he only had early Nascent Soul realm cultivation, but his fame was unparalleled by other cultivators of the same rank.

“Greetings, Master Lingxu.” Qin Sang bowed deeply.

Master Lingxu stroked his beard and smiled. “Master Qingfeng, this old Daoist remembers you. Thanks to you bringing back the complete Four Seasons Dream-Transforming Flower last time, its medicinal properties were truly exceptional. This old Daoist successfully refined that batch of spirit pills, and their quality was superior. I had long wanted to meet you, but unexpectedly, I waited for eighteen years.”

“This humble Daoist has been cultivating on Hemingshan for eighteen years. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, Master,” Qin Sang said.

“Have you come to use this token?” Master Lingxu glanced at the jade talisman in the attendant’s hand. “I recall the Dao Court sent a message asking if you wished to use this token in exchange for me asking the Xuanji Sect Master to take action.”

“Exactly!” Qin Sang nodded.

“Hehe...” Master Lingxu shook his head slightly. “Everyone who comes to this old Daoist does so to ask me to refine pills. You are the first to give up the opportunity to refine pills and instead seek something else.” As he spoke, Master Lingxu stood up, lightly tapped his dragon staff on the ground, and walked out. “This old Daoist happens to have something to attend to, and I plan to visit an old friend at the Xuanji Sect. We can handle both matters at once.”

Qin Sang was slightly startled, then overjoyed. He quickly followed. Master Lingxu personally making an appearance was more assuring than a mere letter.

The two first headed to Xuyijing’s teleportation array. With Master Lingxu present, they encountered no inspections. When Qin Sang emerged from the teleportation hall, he saw a sight far more magnificent than Xuyijing Immortal City. The immortal city before him seemed to be built in the sky. Beneath it, immortal clouds swirled endlessly, supporting this immensely vast immortal city. It was sunset, and Qin Sang happened to be looking west. At the edge of the immortal city, colorful clouds stretched across the sky, golden radiance filled the air, and in the depths, there seemed to be immortal mountains and layers of golden palaces, reaching up to the azure heavens, like celestial palaces.

“The legendary Nine Heavens Golden Palace couldn’t be more splendid than this, could it?” Qin Sang’s gaze lingered, unable to tear itself away.

This place was precisely Baishi Prefecture! This “Baishi Prefecture” specifically referred to this immortal city, the location of Baishi Prefecture’s Prefectural Altar! It was said that the Grand Masters of the Northern Exorcism Institute—the Nine Heavens Inspection Envoy, a third-rank official of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace, the Nine Heavens Investigation Envoy, a true third-rank immortal of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace, and even higher-ranking immortal officials—resided within those cloud palaces and immortal pavilions.

Qin Sang had long admired this place. Without Master Lingxu accompanying him, he wouldn’t have dared to come alone. Master Lingxu didn’t notice Qin Sang’s peculiar reaction. Pointing outside the city, he said, “It’s still a five-day journey to the Xuanji Sect from here. Let us not delay; let’s leave the city quickly.”

After leaving the city, Master Lingxu wished to admire the scenery and declined to ride in a beast-drawn carriage or treasure palanquin. Qin Sang was happy about this, seizing the opportunity to build a good relationship with Master Lingxu. The two traveled on foot, flying unhurriedly at a low altitude. The area near the Prefectural Altar was the most enlightened place and where the Daoist Sect’s strength was most profound. They hadn’t traveled far before passing by the mountain gates of several sects. Master Lingxu was not as aloof as rumored; he was quite talkative. Qin Sang, eager to please, found both of them enjoying the conversation.

Finding an opportunity, Qin Sang sought Master Lingxu’s advice on the Azure Frost Elixir.

“Oh? This type of elixir seems somewhat different from what this old Daoist has learned... Could you present the pill formula for this old Daoist to examine?” Master Lingxu immediately became very interested after hearing Qin Sang’s description.

Qin Sang had no objection and immediately presented the pill formula. Unexpectedly, Master Lingxu became completely absorbed upon seeing the pill formula, remaining silent for an entire day and night. Qin Sang patiently guarded Master Lingxu.

“Phew! What an exquisite pill formula! The path of alchemy is truly vast as the ocean; what this old Daoist knows is merely superficial!” Master Lingxu let out a long sigh of emotion, then looked eagerly at Qin Sang, “Fellow Daoist, where did you obtain this... Oh, this old Daoist was rude!”

The Azure Frost Elixir was a legacy of the Witch Tribe. In the path of alchemy, there were also significant differences between the Witch Tribe and the Human Race. Qin Sang had realized this when he used a clone to study alchemy back then.

“If Master is interested, this humble Daoist will search carefully again upon returning. If I can obtain similar pill formulas, I will immediately send them to your residence,” Qin Sang considered. The Panhu True Scripture was a secret manual of insect manipulation passed down by the Ghost Mother. It contained many pill formulas even more valuable than the Azure Frost Elixir, but Qin Sang had no intention of directly presenting them.

“This old Daoist thanks Fellow Daoist in advance!” Master Lingxu put away his joyful expression and mused, “The last ingredient you’re missing, Heavenly Centipede Root—if I’m not mistaken, it should now be called Hundred-Jointed Earth Bamboo. Unfortunately, this old Daoist currently has no information on its whereabouts. If Fellow Daoist can gather all the ingredients in the future, this old Daoist can refine a batch for you for free.”