Chapter 1802: Nine Great Light Seals

The Mortal World

The Mortal World

"Would you like a sword cultivator to appraise it?"

Qin Sang fell silent, at a loss for words.

The Golden Mountain Sect Master harbored no other suspicions, simply assuming Qin Sang was in a difficult situation. In this realm, true sword cultivators are exceedingly rare, seldom seen by ordinary individuals.

"If the Venerable Master finds it inconvenient, this humble Daoist happens to have befriended a Venerable Master deeply engrossed in the path of the sword, whose swordsmanship is truly exceptional. I could arrange an introduction."

Qin Sang shook his head slightly, saying, "There's no need."

The Golden Mountain Sect Master looked disappointed. He was also very curious about the sword's origin, believing that acquiring its forging method would undoubtedly aid his own path of artifact refining.

Unfortunately, Qin Sang's resolve was firm, and his aura remained elusive. The Golden Mountain Sect Master dared not press the matter and could only reluctantly return the Chengying Sword to Qin Sang.

"Thank you for your trouble!"

Qin Sang paid the appraisal fee, stood up, and departed.

The Golden Mountain Sect Master sighed softly.

Star Island Immortal Lake.

Qin Sang flew slowly above the water. His recent journey to the Land of Sin and the Daoist sects had been incredibly fruitful. He now needed to seclude himself for a period to thoroughly digest his gains.

Spotting the outline of Sword Heart Island in the distance, Qin Sang instantly flew over. The black-robed elder immediately emerged to greet him.

Qin Sang had frequented the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master and was quite familiar with the black-robed elder. He knew the elder had once received immense kindness from the Venerable Master and had since referred to himself as "Sword Slave," forgetting his original name to demonstrate his unwavering loyalty.

After speaking with Sword Slave, Qin Sang learned that the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master was in seclusion. He then instructed Sword Slave not to disturb him.

"My master has commanded that Sword Heart Island always have a cave dwelling reserved for the Venerable Master. This old servant will lead you there now," Sword Slave said respectfully.

"Very well," Qin Sang nodded.

The two soon arrived at the heart of Sword Heart Island.

The central part of Sword Heart Island was elevated, resembling a bulging hill. The spiritual energy was most concentrated at its core.

The Sword-Wielding Venerable Master's cave dwelling was on the left side of the hilltop, while Qin Sang's was on the right.

Upon entering the dwelling, Qin Sang surveyed the interior. Its elegant and tasteful furnishings were perfectly to his liking, clearly arranged with meticulous care by Sword Slave. He was very satisfied. "Thank you for your thoughtful arrangements, fellow Daoist."

Sword Slave humbly replied that he wouldn't dare take credit, then bowed and withdrew.

Qin Sang entered the meditation chamber, activated the defensive arrays, and retrieved a jade slip containing the cultivation insights of predecessors who practiced the High Divine Cloud Talisman.

Some of these insights were treasured by the two Daoist Courts, while others came from the Left and Right Thunder Mansions.

Qin Sang briefly scanned through them and realized that not all these insights were necessarily suitable for him.

The predecessors who recorded these insights for the Daoist Courts and the Left and Right Thunder Mansions undoubtedly cultivated orthodox scriptures that complemented the High Divine Cloud Talisman. However, Qin Sang merely used the High Divine Cloud Talisman as a supplementary tool; his core cultivation technique remained the "Spirit Nurturing Sword Chapter."

Following their established paths could potentially lead to being influenced by their cultivation methods, even destabilizing his own.

Daoist talismans are all-encompassing; a single talisman might correspond to various scriptures. For instance, while the two Daoist Courts each possess only one official talisman, the Daoist Court boasts countless immortal officials, who surely don't all cultivate the same scripture.

Though not as formidable as the two Daoist Courts, the Left and Right Thunder Mansions were still counted among the major sects.

With differing scriptures came diverging paths, and the higher one's cultivation realm, the greater these discrepancies became.

Qin Sang suspected that the split of the Left and Right Thunder Mansions might be linked to disputes over scriptures.

Different scriptures would summon different altar-guarding divine generals. Consequently, the insights derived from the talismans would subtly diverge, and the constructed talisman altars would also vary.

What Qin Sang needed to do was extract the common threads from these insights, remaining uninfluenced, and adapt them for his own practice.

For the following period, Qin Sang arranged the jade slips on the ground before him.

He would occasionally pick up a slip and examine it for a long time, sometimes fall into deep thought, and at other times, summon his talisman altar, drawing upon the power of the Thunder Turtle's demonic core to attempt to forge the altar.

The talisman altar gradually began to take shape.

The altar forging process wouldn't happen overnight; it required complementing his ongoing cultivation.

Several months later, realizing the time was opportune, Qin Sang ceased forging the altar. He calmed his mind and truly began his cultivation.

Qin Sang had cultivated the eleventh layer of the "Spirit Nurturing Sword Chapter" for some time in the Storm Realm. Although he couldn't directly cultivate it in this new realm, he would still devote any spare moment to comprehending the technique.

His recent battle and slaying of Marquis Li had provided new insights into his cultivation technique, suggesting that his practice in the coming period would be exceptionally smooth.

Pondering these thoughts, Qin Sang began to circulate his cultivation technique.

Dense spiritual energy continuously converged towards Qin Sang's meditative posture, and the cave dwelling once again fell into tranquil silence.

It was common for Soul Transformation cultivators to enter seclusion for years, even decades.

Yet, after just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qin Sang abruptly opened his eyes, awakening from his meditation with a gleam of pleasant surprise.

In the brief span of an incense stick's burning, his cultivation had shown remarkable progress, even faster than Qin Sang had expected.

To his surprise, Qin Sang found himself deep in thought and gradually made a discovery.

The accumulated insights into the path of slaughter gained from slaying Marquis Li were one factor. The other, he realized, was very likely the lingering boon of the ascension tribulation!

After surviving the tribulation, Qin Sang had vaguely sensed a transformation within himself. It was as if the tribulation lightning carried the true essence of the Heavenly Dao, rectifying his own path. Any previous biases or deficiencies in his comprehension of the Grand Dao had been perfected.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly also benefited from this, achieving a breakthrough on its own.

Now, as Qin Sang resumed his cultivation, the full benefits of the heavenly tribulation truly manifested, causing his cultivation to advance rapidly in a short span.

After all, the resonance between heaven and man was also the most crucial aspect of Soul Transformation stage cultivation.

He carefully pondered this realization, confirming its truth, but he didn't allow the pleasant surprise to overwhelm him.

"How long can this boon from the heavenly tribulation last?"

Qin Sang believed it couldn't possibly be sustained; otherwise, with such an advantage, the Great Thousand World would be entirely dominated by ascended cultivators.

Perhaps because the Heavenly Dao in the Small Thousand World was incomplete, ascended cultivators arriving from such a realm would only experience this burst of accumulated power upon their initial entry into the Great Thousand World. This effect, he reasoned, should gradually diminish.

Nevertheless, there was no doubt that the perfection of one's own path would provide lifelong benefits to every ascended cultivator.

With this discovery, Qin Sang was even more eager to resume his cultivation.

Days and seasons passed unnoticed as he cultivated.

Two years had passed since Qin Sang's return to Sword Heart Island.

Throughout those two years, Qin Sang remained in complete seclusion.

Qin Sang had already made arrangements for the agreed contact method with Mo Xingdao on Pot Island.

Neither Mo Xingdao nor Venerable Qingdan had sent any news, and the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master had also refrained from disturbing him.

Inside the cave dwelling.

Qin Sang had stopped cultivating at some unknown point, his hands cupped before his chest, staring intently at his empty palms.

A faint sword shadow lay on the ground.

Since returning to Sword Heart Island, Qin Sang would, in his spare time from cultivation, take out the Chengying Sword and examine it repeatedly.

He first attempted to analyze it using secret artifact refining techniques, but yielded no results. Then he tried to infuse his own sword intent into the Chengying Sword, but it was like a stone vanishing into the sea.

Even when he combined both approaches, two years passed, and Qin Sang remained completely stumped.

Qin Sang considered himself at least half a sword cultivator and suspected the Golden Mountain Sect Master had made a misjudgment.

An hour later.

Qin Sang abruptly retracted his thoughts, a pensive look on his face. He was systematically trying out his own theories, and if he remained at a loss, his only recourse would be to seek the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master's appraisal.

Putting away the Chengying Sword, Qin Sang then took out the gauntlet artifact embryo, meticulously tracing its energy pathways, and soon re-entered meditative seclusion.

After an unknown duration, the cave dwelling's defensive spell array was suddenly activated from the outside.

Qin Sang awoke from his cultivation. His divine sense probed, revealing Sword Slave outside. He sent a voice transmission: "What is it?"

"Reporting, Venerable Master, Venerable Zhenru from Mirror Terrace Temple has arrived. My master requests your presence for a discussion."

"Oh?"

Qin Sang's expression subtly changed. He had been so immersed in his cultivation these past years that he had completely forgotten about Venerable Zhenru.

This was also a deliberate tactic on his part; if the other party sought the "Seven Master Buddhist Seals," he would naturally maintain a strategic, waiting position.

"This humble Daoist understands. Please wait a moment, esteemed Daoists," Qin Sang replied, then calmed the true essence within him before rising and exiting his dwelling.

His cave dwelling was separated from the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master's by a field of Sword Heart Orchids.

Passing through the orchids, he reached the entrance of the main hall, where he heard the two men conversing and laughing.

Venerable Zhenru and the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master had also noticed Qin Sang and both rose to greet him.

The Sword-Wielding Venerable Master said playfully, "Brother Qingfeng has been on Sword Heart Island for two years, and this humble Daoist hasn't had the pleasure of seeing him once. It seems we owe this meeting to the Venerable One's arrival."

Venerable Zhenru clasped his palms together and replied, "This humble monk has presumptuously visited, disturbing fellow Daoist Qingfeng's tranquil cultivation."

"Is Brother Daoist implying this humble Daoist lacks courtesy?" Qin Sang retorted with a smile, then shook his head at Venerable Zhenru. "To have friends come from afar, is that not a joy? Why does the Venerable One speak such words?"

As he spoke, Qin Sang noticed something unusual in the expressions of both the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master and Venerable Zhenru.

The Sword-Wielding Venerable Master was the first to detect the anomaly, continuously scrutinizing Qin Sang.

Venerable Zhenru soon noticed it too, an expression of surprise on his face. "The Venerable Master's cultivation... in just a few short years, your progress is astonishingly rapid!"

At this point, Qin Sang's cultivation had significantly advanced since his time at the Jushan Healing Altar.

However, Qin Sang's earlier conjecture also proved true: the benefits from the ascension tribulation were indeed gradually diminishing.

"This humble Daoist idled away many years before attaining the talisman rank. What is this minor progress worth mentioning?" Qin Sang said, shaking his head nonchalantly.

The three took their seats, sipping tea and engaging in discussions about the Dao.

Before they knew it, they were reminiscing about their experiences at the Jushan Healing Altar and discussing the recent activities of the Daoist Court and the Ghost Realm.

After that major battle, it was unclear what the Daoist Court had gained at the Jushan Healing Altar, but a period of silence followed.

In the past two years, there had been no summons concerning the Jushan Healing Altar, nor any reports of the Daoist Court launching a major offensive there.

Instead, the Ghost Realm had begun to make significant moves.

"The two fellow Daoists have been cultivating in seclusion at Star Island Immortal Lake, so you might not have received word. The demon nations in the east have suddenly embraced the practice of demon worship. Demons have proclaimed themselves demon gods, and illicit shrines and demon temples are proliferating. If it were merely one or two demon nations, it might not be alarming, but all of them have undergone significant systemic changes. This undoubtedly points to the Ghost Realm's hidden orchestration. It's even said that some demons have entered the Land of Sin, deceiving the ghost people into becoming their devotees..."

Venerable Zhenru recounted these observations.

Mirror Terrace Temple, situated southeast of Star Island Immortal Lake, bordered the demon nations and was intimately aware of their every movement.

Hearing this, Qin Sang immediately recalled his initial experiences upon arriving at Jushan Healing.

Back then, demons had only established temples on the outskirts, and demon marquises had merely dared to lurk in the shadows, seemingly testing the waters.

Now, they were openly sacrificing to demon gods.

"Could this be related to the battle at the Jushan Healing Altar?"

A thought sparked in Qin Sang's mind: could the treasure the Ghost Realm and the Daoist Court had contended for be connected to the divine path?

The Sword-Wielding Venerable Master took a sip of spirit tea, seemingly unconcerned, and smiled calmly. "Are these demons so eager to become local deities under the Daoist Court's rule?"

"This 'god' is not that 'god'!"

Venerable Zhenru shook his head. Local deities were entirely under the Daoist Court's control; how could the Ghost Realm, which could contend equally with the Daoist Court, be compared?

He voiced his concern, "I fear these demons have glimpsed a heavenly secret of the divine path and will greatly prosper by exploiting it."

If the nest is overturned, how can any eggs remain unbroken?

The cultivators and sects of Jushan Healing had remained safe precisely because the Daoist Court resisted the Ghost Realm's aggressive advances, preventing demons from causing widespread chaos.

If the Daoist Court were to fall to the demons, Jushan Healing would be the first to be overrun. What then would become of them?

"Whether it be demons or demon gods, there are Daoist Court immortal officials to concern themselves with such matters," the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master said calmly. "We are few and isolated; we can only adapt to the world's great trends. Why trouble ourselves? As long as these demons don't resort to blood sacrifices and the ghost people find some solace, it could even be considered fortunate."

The Sword-Wielding Venerable Master's expression turned solemn. "What measures has the Daoist Court taken concerning these demon gods?"

"I have not heard anything," Venerable Zhenru replied, shaking his head.

"Let's observe the situation quietly."

The three conversed at length, and before they realized it, dusk was approaching.

The Sword-Wielding Venerable Master stood up and said, "The Venerable One's visit is surely to discuss important matters with Brother Qingfeng. This humble Daoist will not keep you any longer."

Qin Sang and Venerable Zhenru also rose and bid farewell to the Sword-Wielding Venerable Master.

Through the woods, along a stone-paved path.

A monk and a Daoist walked, with tree shadows swaying and a stream gurgling beside them.

"This humble Daoist has always kept the Venerable One's invitation in mind," Qin Sang explained. "Before, I delayed for too long, and having newly acquired the talisman, I was eager to consolidate my cultivation."

For Soul Transformation cultivators, what were merely one or two years?

Venerable Zhenru couldn't even wait a few years, which suggested the "Seven Master Buddhist Seals" was of immense importance to them.

Venerable Zhenru smiled in response, saying, "If the mountain won't come to the monk, the monk must go to the mountain."

As they spoke, the two entered Qin Sang's cave dwelling and sat facing each other.

Qin Sang remained silent, waiting for Venerable Zhenru to state his purpose.

Venerable Zhenru's smile faded, and his expression turned solemn. He formally asked, "May I ask where fellow Daoist learned the Buddhist seal you demonstrated?"

Qin Sang feigned a frown and countered, "Does this Buddhist seal have some connection to your esteemed temple?"

Seeing Qin Sang's reluctance to answer, Venerable Zhenru sighed softly, knowing he had been too eager and given himself away.

However, this matter concerned a great secret of his temple, and he absolutely could not let this opportunity pass.

Furthermore, the other party was a Cavern Profound Venerable Master, highly perceptive of worldly matters; deceiving him would certainly not be easy.

Venerable Zhenru hesitated, pondering for a long time before finally asking, "Has the Venerable Master ever heard of the Nine Great Light Seals?"

The Nine Great Light Seals!

Qin Sang's pupils constricted, and a wave of shock surged within him.

The Nine Great Light Seals—he not only knew of them, but had even learned half a seal!

He had acquired half of the Inner Lion Seal from Master Huaiyin of the Great Compassion Zen Temple. Though incomplete, it possessed immense power, capable of instantly restoring a severely injured body—a truly peerless divine ability.

"What is the relationship between the 'Seven Master Buddhist Seals' and the Nine Great Light Seals?" Qin Sang asked, having already realized something, feeling a mix of surprise and delight.

"Among the Nine Great Light Seals, there is one called the Great Vajra Wheel Seal."

Since he had already started, Venerable Zhenru no longer kept him in suspense and explained, "When this seal is fully mastered, one cultivates the Vajra Glazed Body—a body like pure glazed glass, impervious to divine artifacts, and of unparalleled might. Our temple possesses a visual record of a revered monk performing this seal, and this humble monk has had the fortune to observe it..."

Pausing, Venerable Zhenru gazed at Qin Sang and said, "The various Buddhist seals the Venerable Master displayed bear a remarkable resemblance to the Great Vajra Wheel Seal. This humble monk suspects that the creator of these seals not only possessed profound Buddhist wisdom and formidable divine powers but very likely drew inspiration from the Great Vajra Wheel Seal."

"Drew inspiration, you say..."

Qin Sang fell into silent contemplation.

Venerable Zhenru was unaware that what he had witnessed was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Having fully comprehended all seven Buddhist seals, Qin Sang had realized he was far from mastering the complete "Seven Master Buddhist Seals."

The seven Buddhist seals could be fused, yet he had only just begun to grasp this.

The abilities of the seven seals were remarkably balanced. What kind of divine power would result from their fusion, and would that be their ultimate potential?

How much of the Great Vajra Wheel Seal's grandeur could it achieve?

Recalling his cultivation process, an idea suddenly sparked in Qin Sang's mind.

Could it be that there was no "drawing inspiration" at all?

What if, instead, a being of immense divine power had disassembled one single seal into seven, allowing later generations to cultivate it systematically and achieve mastery more easily?