Chapter 1815: Awakening

Mortal Realm

The Monstrous Ox opened its mouth and spat out a silvery mist. The mist carried a dense demonic aura and emitted an extremely foul, pungent odor, forming a surging storm from thin air that charged wildly forward.

Qin Sang felt an ominous, evil energy from the mist. With a slight thought, a bolt of lightning immediately shot forth from between his eyebrows, manifesting as a divine talisman in mid-air.

Surprisingly, it wasn't just one divine talisman, but three!

The Jade Purity Lightning Summoning Talisman.The Flowing Gold Fire Bell Lightning Summon.And the Five-Thunder Heavenly Heart True Seal Talisman!

Although the Jade Purity Lightning Summoning Talisman and the Flowing Gold Fire Bell Lightning Summon carried first and second-tier Dharma Seals, their ability to become such seals was undoubtedly the painstaking creation of Daoist predecessors. They were extremely profound and wondrous and should not be regarded as ordinary divine talismans.

As a cultivator's cultivation level increased, the power of the divine talismans would also strengthen accordingly. They could still serve as personal divine abilities, activated or retracted at will, proving extremely convenient.

More importantly, Dharma Seals of the same lineage were interconnected; by fully comprehending the divine talismans, one could integrate them and empower them with Qi.

Therefore, Qin Sang's comprehension of the Five-Thunder Heavenly Heart True Seal Talisman was still not the end. Only when he could truly merge all three talismans and unify them with a single Qi flow would he possess the strongest Five-Thunder Seal!

He could currently merge the Jade Purity Lightning Summoning Talisman and the Flowing Gold Fire Bell Lightning Summon, but to fully comprehend the Five-Thunder Heavenly Heart True Seal Talisman, he would need to reach the Void Refinement stage. The integration of all three talismans was even further off.

However, simultaneously casting two talismans and then activating the Five-Thunder Heavenly Heart True Seal Talisman could still provide a boost to the lightning's power.

"CRACK!"

Thunder erupted from thin air.

Above the battlefield, the night sky was instantly illuminated as streaks of lightning snaked across the high heavens. In an instant, lightning rained down.

What descended was not only lightning, but also spheres of thunderfire.

Thunderfire filled the sky, staining the firmament, as if an immortal had overturned an alchemy furnace, sending its contents crashing down from the heavens. Above the sea of fire, a god-like phantom actually appeared.

It arrived riding a divine chariot, accompanied by raging flames as the heavens and earth roared. Like a thunder general touring the realms, it vanished in an instant, leaving behind endless thunderfire.

In the Immortal Summoning of the Myriad Thunder God Registry, there was indeed a divine name, "Flowing Gold Fire Bell Great General." He was also the only divine general among the second-tier Dharma Seals who could be summoned.

At this moment, though a true god had not arrived, the thunderfire it brought was immensely powerful, as if it could burn mountains and boil oceans.

In an instant.

Lightning danced wildly, and streams of fire rained down from the sky.

"BOOM!"

A clap of thunder shook heaven and earth.

A brilliant white light illuminated the battlefield, as a Heavenly Thunder Seal formed. Its thunderous might was unparalleled! Compared to this bolt of lightning, both the other lightning and thunderfire seemed dim.

With all three talismans unleashed, evil was eradicated and impurities dispelled.

The demonic aura approaching Qin Sang dispersed, annihilated by the divine thunder, revealing the wildly charging Monstrous Ox.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

Thunderfire rained down, continuously striking the Monstrous Ox, sounding like a beating drum.

The Monstrous Ox roared in extreme fury. The antlers on its head emitted a strange glow, transforming into crystalline, jade-like antlers. Then, silver light flashed from the tips of its antlers.

The silver light spun, rapidly enlarging.

In an instant, a massive silver disk appeared in the void. While absorbing the thunderfire, its rotation speed increased rapidly, eventually transforming into a silver wheel that shot towards Qin Sang.

One could tell at a glance that the silver wheel was incredibly sharp; a slight mistake could lead to dismemberment.

"Whoosh!"

The silver wheel flew forward, cutting through the void, and arrived before Qin Sang in the blink of an eye. Surprisingly, he neither dodged nor evaded, raising his right palm to face the silver wheel.

Compared to it, his palm was so fragile, yet it was not cut open by the silver wheel. He held it firmly in his hand.

At this moment, a fragment of a true treasure appeared in his palm, transforming into ripples of water that blocked the silver wheel.

Seeing this scene, even the enraged Monstrous Ox couldn't help but freeze in astonishment. Then, it became even more furious, directly using its antlers as weapons to stab wildly forward.

Qin Sang let out a cold snort. With a bend and stretch of his arm, he caused the silver wheel to deflect and graze past him. At the same time, his figure flickered, strangely appearing beside the Monstrous Ox, and he heavily hammered both fists into its shoulder.

The Monstrous Ox staggered, but its skin was thick and tough, and these injuries were not enough to be fatal.

Unless other fierce beasts were drawn, Qin Sang didn't wish to end the fight quickly. He relied on his strong defensive capabilities to contend with the Monstrous Ox, while commanding the Grey Oriole Sword to be the primary attacker.

From high in the sky, sword-stars continuously fell, leaving wounds on the Monstrous Ox. Qin Sang used the Monstrous Ox to verify his previous insights and comprehend his sword art.

The Monstrous Ox fell into the same predicament as Marquis Li, almost going mad. The prey before it seemed to be covered in a turtle shell; its usually infallible divine ability had met its match today.

While Qin Sang and the Monstrous Ox fought, large swathes of ancient trees in the jungle withered.

This was because the wood spiritual energy was being drained. As the Spirit Wood Body continuously absorbed it, an aura of death gradually permeated the jungle.

Such a noticeable sign—if it were a mentally sound opponent—would immediately allow them to discern Qin Sang's reliance and devise a counter-strategy.

Unfortunately, the Monstrous Ox possessed nothing but brute strength.

The celestial stars shifted.

A ray of sword light originated from the Kui Constellation, shooting towards the other constellations. After six leaps, it finally entered the Zi Constellation. With each leap, the sword light solidified a bit more, and when it shot out again from Zi, it had almost become a true spirit sword.

"Swish!"

Like a sword that could slay immortals, it precisely struck the Monstrous Ox, piercing through its back armor, which was as tough as steel, deep enough to expose bone, and blood spurted wildly.

The Monstrous Ox cried out in pain, its roar sharp and tragic. The fleshy growths on its spine burst open one after another, spewing dark red pus and blood, which then coalesced into lumps, transforming into snake-like monsters.

The tails of the monsters were connected to the Monstrous Ox, with snake heads on their upper bodies. There were nine of them in total, all glaring furiously at Qin Sang—an extremely bizarre sight.

Qin Sang was slightly startled. For a moment, he couldn't determine if they were transformations of the Monstrous Ox's divine ability, or if another fierce beast was parasitic on its body.

"RUMBLE!"

The thunder talismans were unleashed again.

The nine monstrous snakes were annihilated by the divine thunder, but immediately reformed, entangling with each other and surprisingly transforming into a massive python.

The Monstrous Ox and the monstrous snake truly behaved like two fierce beasts, cooperating with extreme tacit understanding to sandwich and attack Qin Sang.

The monstrous snake spat out a bloody mist, which quickly enveloped half the void, emitting a nauseating odor, and its power was not to be underestimated.

If it were anyone else, they might have been flustered and chaotic, but Qin Sang, cultivating both arcane arts and physical body, did not feel strained in dealing with it.

He showed no weakness, swinging his sturdy arms to fiercely attack the Monstrous Ox, while the Grey Oriole Sword locked onto the monstrous snake.

Suddenly, the sky brightened considerably.

The night sky vanished. It turned out Qin Sang had put away his Seven Constellation Sword Array. Then, seven phantoms appeared out of thin air beside the monstrous snake, momentarily transforming into dazzling sword lights.

Seven Souls Killing Array!

The Seven Constellation Sword Array could attack, defend, and trap, making it very comprehensive. Especially when combined with his powerful physical body, it complemented him perfectly. Since comprehending this sword array, Qin Sang had rarely used the Seven Souls Killing Array.

Seven swords of slaughter intersected, transforming into a world-shattering killing sword that, carrying endless killing intent, swiftly slashed down.

"Pffft!"

A sword light was seen deeply piercing the monstrous snake's head and, along its slender body, splitting it into two halves on the spot.

The pus and blood separated into nine clumps, writhing unsteadily, and immediately reformed into snake shapes.

Qin Sang wanted to see what exactly the monstrous snake was, so the Seven Souls Killing Array only targeted it. Now it seemed the monstrous snakes' aura weakened after reforming, while the Monstrous Ox roared repeatedly. It was clear that this was the Monstrous Ox's divine ability, not another fierce beast.

The moment the nine monstrous snakes had just reformed, the Grey Oriole Sword trembled, and a faint, almost imperceptible sword light shot from its tip, plunging into the forehead of one of the monstrous snakes in a flash.

Qin Sang, who was currently fighting the Monstrous Ox, paused slightly. This strike seemed to consume a lot of his mental energy.

That monstrous snake suddenly stiffened and burst open with a bang.

Without any warning, another monstrous snake nearby also froze, its head exploding into pus and blood, leaving only its remaining body swaying.

Qin Sang lightly exhaled and secretly shook his head.

He had obtained a sword art from the Shadow Concealing Sword's legacy, but had not yet fully comprehended it. When he used it at this moment, it was indeed very strained.

After another round of struggle, the Monstrous Ox used all its divine abilities, but could not do anything to Qin Sang.

Qin Sang still wanted to use it for comprehension, unwilling to give it release, but the Heavenly Eye Butterfly transmitted a thought.

Dark clouds were surging towards this location from deep within the Sinister Plains, rapidly swallowing the mountains. Fierce beasts or ghostly entities were being attracted here, and it seemed there was more than one.

Qin Sang's expression slightly hardened, and the Heavenly Obliteration Soul-Shaking Needle flew out of his hand.

Sword-stars reappeared, and the White Tiger descended upon the world, roaring across the mountains. He clenched both fists, bloodied spikes extending from his gauntlets, revealing his full killing intent.

Outside this jungle, only darkness was visible, along with the occasional flashes of sword light and starlight.

The ground shook violently without cease, and constant thunderous roars echoed out, followed by agonizing screeches.

The dark clouds gradually drew closer.

Suddenly, the darkness receded like a tide.

Qin Sang transformed back into his human form, carrying the Monstrous Ox's corpse in one hand. He glanced back, and with lightning wings sprouting from his back, he broke through the air and departed, leaving behind a scene of devastation.

Over seventy percent of the ancient trees in the jungle had withered, and the surviving ones had also turned a withered yellow, almost becoming a dead forest. Several mountain peaks in the forest had collapsed, and the ground was riddled with craters.

The speed of his lightning escape was extremely fast; in a short while, the dark clouds behind him were no longer visible.

After flying for another distance, Qin Sang stopped, confirmed there were no pursuers behind him, scanned his surroundings, and landed on a barren mountain.

"Thud!"

The Monstrous Ox's corpse hit the ground.

Qin Sang used the Grey Oriole Sword to dismember the corpse. The Monstrous Ox's demonic core, antlers, and the nine clumps of pus and blood were the most valuable, so he sorted and stored them carefully.

After quickly dissecting the spoils, Qin Sang sat down cross-legged in meditation.

He wanted to reflect on the gains from this battle.

Several hours later.

Qin Sang slowly opened his eyes, a look of hesitation flashing in them.

The Monstrous Ox and Marquis Li were both in the Mid Nascent Soul stage, and he had killed both by himself. Yet, the insights he gained from the two battles showed a clear difference.

It wasn't a matter of timing.

Qin Sang frowned deeply, vaguely sensing that his previous understanding had been flawed.

Perhaps it was because this opponent was a fierce beast with a muddled mind.

It wasn't enough to simply challenge powerful opponents.

Qin Sang recalled the momentary exhilaration when he killed Marquis Li. It was a release, a satisfaction derived from using every possible means to outwit and outmaneuver the enemy, culminating in ultimate victory.

Of course, there was also the exhilaration of revenge!

The way of slaughter—whom should be slain?

Was it slaying the strongest enemies, seeking rebirth from desperation, or slaying those who would kill him, or perhaps a combination of both?

As his cultivation level increased, Qin Sang increasingly understood the importance of the 'Dao'. The creator of the cultivation method was not a mindless killer, but had forged their own path. If he couldn't grasp this, his future cultivation would not be smooth.

If this speculation was true, he might not be able to continue cultivating in seclusion indefinitely. Fortunately, the battle where he counter-killed Marquis Li yielded immense gains, and hunting fierce beasts offered some help, so there was no need to rush into the world.

This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind. He sighed softly and vanished from the spot.

Two months later.

Southeast of the Jushan Administration Altar, on a bare mountain ridge, a snake demon lay prostrate before Qin Sang.

"Reporting, Honored Immortal, this is this lowly demon's fiefdom."

Qin Sang surveyed the desolate region. There were caves in the mountains where ghostly inhabitants struggled to survive.

A fiefdom. Had the Ghostfang Nation already claimed the Sinister Plains as its own?

Qin Sang estimated the distance. If the snake demon were stationed here in the future, it would be much more convenient to travel from the Jushan Administration Altar. This was a good thing.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

The snake demon's vision blurred, and several items appeared on the ground—all hides, bones, blood, and flesh.

"Take these things and exchange them for spiritual medicines," Qin Sang said, pointing to a small jade bottle among them. "This bottle of demon blood, you may use it yourself."

Feeling the aura emanating from the bones, the snake demon immediately shivered, its heart filled with immense dread.

Although it could not discern the cultivation level of this fierce beast when it was alive, it could confirm that it was stronger than the demon marquis it served, and had only recently died.

This person could actually slay such a fierce beast alone!

Under the grip of terror, the snake demon no longer dared to harbor any other thoughts. Then, upon hearing Qin Sang bestow the blood, it was overwhelmed with ecstasy, repeatedly kowtowing and saying, "This lowly demon will surely gather spiritual medicines for Honored Immortal with all its heart and soul, serving as your humble servant..."

These were only a small portion of his recent gains. Given the snake demon's cultivation level, occasionally taking out one or two pieces would be justifiable; otherwise, it would easily arouse suspicion.

The snake demon's task was to gather information. If it encountered a large quantity of spiritual medicines, it was to stall the other party, wait for Qin Sang to return, and then disguise himself as a demon cultivator to make the transaction.

Next, Qin Sang chose a hidden spot, set up a spiritual array for the snake demon, and then returned to the Jushan Administration Altar.

The poisonous lake remained unchanged.

Qin Sang passed through the spiritual array and returned to the Bone Flower Field.

During the time he was away, the Bone Flower Field had not changed.

Qin Sang circled the flower field, inspecting it. First, he collected the mature flower dew. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, array artifacts flew to various locations.

Previously, he lacked spiritual materials. This time, upon returning, Qin Sang specifically borrowed Master Qi's fire chamber to refine all the array artifacts, completely repairing this spiritual array.

Nothing seemed to change to the naked eye, but the power of the spiritual array had undoubtedly greatly increased, and it had regained several layers of transformation, making it even more covert.

"It's time for secluded cultivation..."

Qin Sang glanced around, muttered, and flashed into his cave abode.

The door of the cave abode closed.

Qin Sang internally observed his body. A moment later, he sat in silent meditation. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out from his Dantian, landed on Qin Sang's shoulder, nestled by his neck, its wings gently fluttering open and closed.

The cave abode was silent, permeated by a sense of tranquility.

Only Qin Sang's aura occasionally fluctuated, then settled into stability.

Unlike his previous death-like seclusion, every three to five years Qin Sang would emerge from seclusion to go out once, to meet the snake demon and True Person Zhijian.

The Inner Core, imbued with the Jade Buddha's aura, could protect the Fire Jade Centipede for so long, so he didn't need to ask others to care for it.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang always made hurried round trips, occasionally sneaking into the Ghostfang Nation to trade while hidden, and he would not linger.

Time flew by.

Thirty years leisurely passed.

From within the Bone Flower Field, no traces of time could be felt. The spirit flowers were still as vibrant, and the flower spirits remained as beautiful as celestial beings.

Inside the cave abode.

Qin Sang's Qi and blood surged as he was tempering his body with poison. The vigor of his Qi and blood far surpassed that of thirty years ago; his progress was truly astonishing.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's eyebrow twitched. He forcibly stopped his secret art and, with a flick of his sleeve, took out the Solar Divine Tree.

"You're finally awake."

The young Vermilion Bird's slumber this time had lasted for nearly a hundred years.

"You're not dead yet."

A crisp, childlike voice came from within the Solar Divine Tree. Its tone carried a hint of weariness. Then, it paused and asked in surprise, "Huh, where is this? Why do you look so ghastly?"