Chapter 181: Commonly Watching the Morning Glow

Qilong Island.

The island is long and narrow, shaped like a crouching dragon, hence its name. Though small, the island is rich in spiritual energy, making it an excellent cultivation cave. It had always been somewhat known, but its fame grew significantly after it was occupied by the Liu brothers.

The Liu brothers practiced the same cultivation method. Remarkably, both were talented, and despite their young age, they had already reached the thirteenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage. If they were lucky, they might even achieve Foundation Establishment.

Even in the Qi Refinement stage, they could combine their efforts to fight against Foundation Establishment cultivators. If they broke through to Foundation Establishment, their strength would be even greater. As a result, they were highly renowned among rogue cultivators, and no one dared to provoke them.

Qilong Island was home to the Liu clan, who lived a peaceful and content life under the protection of the Liu brothers. However, this tranquility was destined to be shattered after the brothers' deaths.

Early one morning, the usually composed steward of the Liu manor suddenly rushed into the inner quarters, his face filled with anxiety. He tripped over the threshold, nearly falling, but paid no mind to his disheveled appearance.

Mrs. Liu Jiang heard the commotion and emerged from her room, her brows furrowed. Displeased, she asked, "Uncle Wu, what urgent matter has made you so hasty?"

"Madam, disaster! Disaster has struck!"

Uncle Wu quickly moved to the madam's side and whispered a few words.

The madam's expression drastically changed, and she gasped in alarm, "Is this true?"

Uncle Wu looked as if he had lost a parent. "The two masters'... they are in the ancestral hall!"

Qin Sang remained hidden in the shadows, not revealing himself. Seeing that the Liu family had discovered the brothers' bodies, he quietly departed. As for the Liu family's future, now that they had lost their pillars, it was no longer his concern.

After entrusting Shopkeeper Wu with finding Ghost Carved Feathers and refining the Soul-Devouring Cones, Qin Sang left the market to tie up loose ends from his journey. He was on his way to Mingqin Island to bury Senior Sister Qingting and her husband, and since he would pass Qilong Island, he took the opportunity to return the Liu brothers' bodies.

Without dwelling on the Liu family's panic, Qin Sang traveled south for over ten days before finally locating the inconspicuous island in the area Senior Sister Qingting had described.

Mingqin Island was named by Qingting and her husband. It was not a famous island; the entire island was just a mountain, unremarkable and lacking spiritual beauty, save for a steep cliff face on its eastern side overlooking the water.

On the cliff, a massive artwork, or rather, a sculpture, had been carved with a sword.

It depicted a man and a woman embracing sweetly, gazing eastward, as if to watch the dawn and morning glow together every day.

The sculpture appeared quite old and weathered, but it was clear that it depicted Senior Brother Jiang and Senior Sister Qingting.

Beside the sculpture was a stone chamber containing a few simple household items.

Qin Sang could imagine that after Senior Brother Jiang's accident, as his soul steadily weakened, Senior Sister Qingting must have spent her days tirelessly traveling the cultivation world, seeking help from all sides and clinging to every glimmer of hope without the slightest relaxation, all to find a cure for him.

Only when she returned here, watching the sunrise and recalling their past happiness, could she find a brief moment of relaxation and smile.

The nature of love truly defies understanding.

Qin Sang sighed softly. With a swing of his sword, he dug a grave beneath the sculpture and buried Qingting and her husband there. He erected a tombstone, initially intending to write an epitaph but ultimately decided against it, simply carving 'Joint Tomb of Jiang Yi and Qingting' before setting up several prepared formation artifacts.

There were two small formations: one for concealment and one for protection.

Qin Sang should have left immediately, but he stood there, gazing at the sculpture, hesitant to move. Memories he had long suppressed now surged forth, vying for his attention.

In this world, the only woman he truly admired was Princess Dongyang. Princess Dongyang once said that they were similar, both seeking a sliver of possibility amidst the impossible, unswayed by the thorns along their path. Perhaps this was why Qin Sang admired her.

Unfortunately, despite their mutual admiration, their ambitions diverged: he was dedicated to seeking immortality, while Princess Dongyang steadfastly pursued the pinnacle of power.

What if he had chosen to stay back then?

Would a life of harmonious companionship and prosperity be more meaningful than the pursuit of elusive immortality?

Over countless years, how many Nascent Soul cultivators in the Minor Cold Domain had met their demise, with none even breaking through to the Soul Separation stage, let alone achieving true immortality?

A flicker of confusion appeared in Qin Sang's eyes, then instantly cleared. He shook his head firmly and gazed resolutely eastward.

There, the morning sun rose, and the sky was filled with red clouds.

There was no "if"!

Having chosen this path, he would walk it steadfastly, with no regrets, even if it meant death and the dissipation of his cultivation.

Qin Sang watched the morning glow with Qingting and her husband for a while, then quietly departed.

Upon returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang meticulously sorted and organized the spoils he had obtained from the underground cavern. He kept what was useful and planned to dispose of what was not when the opportunity arose.

After several life-or-death battles in the cavern, Qin Sang had also gained insights into cultivation methods. However, he was not in a hurry to cultivate. Instead, he intended to thoroughly study the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art* to ensure a successful refinement of the Fiend Corpse on his first attempt.

Five days later, Qin Sang opened his eyes and nodded subtly.

Currently, he only had the corpse of the White Cloud Mountain Man. Without a living Foundation Establishment cultivator, refining the most common Fiend Corpse didn't require a Heavenly Corpse Talisman. He only needed to gather the necessary spiritual materials and refine it patiently. The only concern was the extremely dangerous Earth Fiend Qi; a single mistake could not only destroy the Fiend Corpse but also injure him.

Naturally, this slight danger could not deter Qin Sang. The White Cloud Mountain Man's power was already nearing the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, so a Fiend Corpse refined from him would be formidable and certainly a valuable future helper.

In the cavern, the Fiend Corpses Qin Sang encountered seemed easy to deal with, but those were ownerless Fiend Corpses, devoid of intelligence and control, acting solely on instincts for slaughter and bloodlust. If manipulated by someone, a Fiend Corpse would immediately become different: its body would be tough, imbued with corpse poison, fearless of pain or death. Used skillfully, it could achieve great things.

Even if it was just to entangle an opponent, buy time, and prepare the Ten Directions Yama Array, it would be worth it.

Today was the agreed-upon delivery date with Shopkeeper Wu. Qin Sang sealed his cave dwelling and first flew on his sword to Huilong Temple. There were no new transmission talismans, nor any news from Granny Jing.

Upon arriving at Shopkeeper Wu's shop, Qin Sang saw exactly what he wanted: ten Ghost Carved Feathers and two Soul-Devouring Cones!

The Ghost Carved Feathers resembled the legendary black phoenix feathers. Each feather bore a large eye-shaped pattern, with the 'pupil' being an incredibly dark, spherical black flame—a unique type of Yin fire.

Shopkeeper Wu had procured six Ghost Carved Feathers as per Qin Sang's request. Given the short notice for delivery, the price was naturally extremely high.

Qin Sang also paid the commission for refining the Soul-Devouring Cones.

In total, from purchasing Nine-Aperture Stone and Azure Underworld Gold at Baota Peak until now, he had spent over eight hundred low-grade spirit stones, which flowed out like water. Of course, this was also due to his foresight in preparing several extra sets of Five-Element Yin items.