Chapter 1836: Refining Void Heavenly Might

Human World

Shadows in the clouds outlined the silhouette of a colossal bear. Only its upper body was visible to the naked eye, yet it already dominated half the sky. Mountains and rivers lay prostrate beneath the bear, appearing exceptionally tiny. The colossal bear stood towering between heaven and earth, like a deity gazing down upon all beings. It advanced, seemingly pushing mountains and driving peaks, accompanied by wind, thunder, clouds, lightning, and a vast spiritual tide.

At this moment, the earth trembled, and the firmament shook.

Dharma Form!

Qin Sang's pupils constricted, and his face turned pale. He recalled rumors about King Lingyue; this demon was indeed a demonic bear who had attained enlightenment. His greatest fear had materialized: King Lingyue had not been lured away by the Grand Daoist Master but had come to capture him personally!

Ahead, auspicious clouds permeated the Healing Altar, seemingly within reach, yet Qin Sang felt an illusion of being worlds away.

'Rumble!'

The earth was shaking. It was unclear if the colossal bear's Dharma Form was rushing across the ground, or if its mere manifestation was creating such a formidable presence. In the blink of an eye, dark clouds spread across the sky, and the colossal bear's Dharma Form drew nearer. Although still far away, given its speed, the distance was negligible.

Qin Sang was seized by horror, an instinctive reaction unrelated to his temperament. This was not his first encounter with the Dharma Form of a Void Refining stage demon cultivator. Years ago, when he exited the altar with Daoist Court experts, he had encountered a Dharma Form blocking their path. However, at that time, others shared the pressure, and that Dharma Form was targeting Daoist Court immortal officials; he was merely caught in the crossfire. Yet, the trembling sensation remained vivid in his memory.

Qin Sang had initially believed that, now capable of slaying late-stage Soul Transformation demon marquises and possessing a Green Luan Dharma Form, his reaction upon facing a demon king again might not be so pathetic. Only when confronted with real danger did he realize he had underestimated Void Refining stage cultivators.

At this moment, only one thought occupied Qin Sang's mind.

'Rumble...'

Startling thunder roared. Qin Sang dared not hold back the slightest. The Dharma Form integrated into his body frantically drew upon the Green Luan's innate thunder power. Dazzling lightning burst forth from the phoenix wings, engulfing Qin Sang and turning him almost into a sphere of lightning.

The demons saw the lightning sphere and noticed that the side facing the Healing Altar slightly bulged. Then, streaks of electricity protruded outwards, forming a lightning bolt that stretched through the void, desperately trying to reach the auspicious clouds. However, the sphere's main body failed to keep up, resembling a teardrop. Immediately after, the surrounding demons abruptly awoke, realizing that this scene was not an illusion; the lightning sphere's transformation was precisely as they perceived it. At this moment, time seemed infinitely stretched, and every subtle change in the lightning sphere was clearly revealed. The lightning, which should have been incredibly swift, appeared to encounter immense resistance and slowed down!

All this stemmed from the colossal bear's Dharma Form, still far in the distance. Due to the vast distance, the colossal bear's Dharma Form seemed unable to arrive in time to stop Qin Sang, forced to watch as he fled into the Healing Altar. But at that moment, the Dharma Form's colossal eyes locked onto the lightning sphere, emitting dazzling divine light that pierced through the void, like celestial bodies hanging in the sky.

Qin Sang's mind felt as if struck by a heavy blow, and then he discovered something even more terrifying. He had the illusion that the sky was about to collapse! The surrounding Heaven and Earth Essence underwent an anomaly; it solidified as if cast from iron, containing astonishing suppressive power that transformed the very world, which should have allowed him to roam freely, into a cage!

Void Refining stage cultivators could directly manipulate the Heaven and Earth Essence. It was said that when they employed divine abilities and spells, they could, to some extent, integrate with the Heaven and Earth Essence, drastically increasing their power to an incomparable degree with previous cultivation stages. For example, a Daoist spell Qin Sang learned at Xuantian Palace, the 'Great Xuantian Qi Grasping Hand'. Soul Transformation cultivators used their own true essence to condense the Xuantian Great Hand, at most drawing upon some Heaven and Earth Essence through cosmic resonance, integrating it with the might of heaven and earth. However, Void Refining cultivators could directly control the Heaven and Earth Essence, transforming it into sky-supporting giant hands capable of grasping stars and plucking the moon. No matter how profound one's true essence, how could it compare to the boundless heaven and earth?

At this moment, Qin Sang truly experienced the terrifying power of a Void Refining master. Despite the great distance, their divine abilities could still manipulate the Heaven and Earth Essence and use its suppressive force to confine him, easily nullifying his escape technique!

The surrounding demons quickly understood the situation, their hearts filled with deep reverence for King Lingyue, as they looked at Qin Sang with sneers. In a short span, the demons' emotions fluctuated several times. First, they were astonished by Qin Sang's strength and helpless as they watched him escape. Now, they were invigorated again. But immediately after, all the demons' expressions froze.

'Shriek!'

A resounding phoenix shriek, originating from within Qin Sang, echoed through heaven and earth. A blue light shimmered around Qin Sang, and then a Green Luan flew out from the top of his head, spreading its wings and soaring. The Green Luan's form appeared very ethereal, incomparable to the colossal bear's Dharma Form, yet their auras shared similarities. The divine Green Luan, magnificent and soaring with its head held high, scattered specks of blue light from its feathers, like stardust trails, truly splendid.

The moment the Green Luan appeared, the colossal bear's Dharma Form's gaze solidified. The Dharma Form resisted the Heaven and Earth's suppressive power, and the Heaven and Earth Essence began to flow again, allowing Qin Sang to break free from the cage. The pressure on Qin Sang instantly diminished. He let out a long cry, transformed into a bolt of lightning, and, under the astonished gazes of the demons, surged into the auspicious clouds, disappearing into the mist.

'Whoosh! Whoosh!'

'Rumble...'

A raging wind howled, lightning flashed, and thunder roared. The colossal bear's Dharma Form arrived with the celestial phenomena, stopping just outside the Healing Altar, its eyes gleaming. Shadows enveloped the demons, startling them awake.

"Your subordinate is incompetent. Please punish me, Your Royal Highness!" The demons, including the demoness, knelt on the ground, their faces filled with trepidation. The culprit had escaped into the Healing Altar right before them; even King Lingyue's personal intervention couldn't stop him. They wondered if the king's wrath would be unleashed upon them.

The demoness's face was subtly pale. She had just exerted her full power, barely avoiding the Sun God Bird, and thus escaped a calamity. The colossal bear's Dharma Form ignored the demons, staring intently at the auspicious clouds, as if trying to see through them. The demoness secretly bit her lip. The only way to atone for her failure was to say, "Your subordinate will lead a team into the Healing Altar now and vow to bring back his corpse!"

The colossal bear's Dharma Form glanced at the demoness, then slightly narrowed its eyes. "Enough! His aura doesn't match; he's not our target! Moreover..."

The dark clouds across the sky receded. King Lingyue's true form never appeared, leaving only a faint remark: "You are not his match."

Qin Sang was gone, and the Dharma Form retreated. Calm returned outside the Healing Altar. Marquis Fu and other demons soon received the news and rushed over. The demons looked at the auspicious clouds outside the Healing Altar, their expressions varied.

Inside the Healing Altar.

Qin Sang surged through the auspicious clouds, not daring to pause for a moment. He swiftly traversed the outer golden halls, passed through the Nine-Bend Star River, and entered the depths of the Healing Altar. With his heart still pounding, he finally escaped back to his cave dwelling.

Recalling the recent experience, Qin Sang felt lingering fear and remained silent for a long time. He had anticipated that frequently traveling between the two places might lead to unexpected events. However, confident in his own strength, he believed he could resolve most crises. Who would have thought he would encounter a demon king on his very first attempt? His escape was purely a stroke of luck. Qin Sang still didn't understand the full story, having been inexplicably pursued. While he was relieved to have escaped, he felt more helplessness.

"The Sinister Wilds are becoming increasingly dangerous..." Qin Sang sighed inwardly, deciding it would be best not to act rashly unless absolutely necessary in the future. As conflicts between the Daoist Court and the Ghost Fang Kingdom intensified, similar incidents were bound to occur frequently, and he might not be so lucky next time. Thinking of this, Qin Sang's desire to avoid trouble and distance himself grew even stronger.

He summoned his Dharma Form, looking up at the Green Luan slowly flapping its wings, and murmured, "I owe you much this time." The Green Luan Dharma Form was now his greatest reliance. The Dharma Form could help him resist the Void Refining stage's heavenly might, buying him a glimmer of hope, but it was clearly not strong enough, leaving him utterly defenseless against a demon king.

"'Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Art' breaking through to the mid-fifth layer will surely cause the Dharma Form to transform again. I wonder if it will grant me the power to protect myself against a demon king..." Qin Sang mused inwardly. It seemed he still needed to prioritize the 'Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Art'. In fact, that was precisely what he had been doing for the past eight years.

After breaking through to the mid-Soul Transformation stage, Qin Sang could sense that the insights gained from his battle with Xia Hou might not be enough to support his breakthrough to the late Soul Transformation stage. After all, Xia Hou was not at his peak then, and Qin Sang's strength could not be simply measured by his cultivation stage. To break through to the late Soul Transformation stage, he still needed to find a stronger opponent and engage in a truly exhilarating battle! Such opponents in the Ghost Fang Kingdom were likely limited to the chief demon marquises under the various demon kings, or even rare geniuses who had comprehended Dharma Forms early. All of them held esteemed positions and were seldom seen. Even when they ventured out, they rarely traveled alone, and clashing with them could potentially attract a demon king. Compared to the 'Primordial Spirit Sword Nurturing Chapter', 'Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Art' was easier to break through, making Qin Sang's choice obvious.

"I need to cultivate to the peak of the mid-fifth layer as quickly as possible and attempt a breakthrough, putting other matters aside for now..." Qin Sang made his decision.

The poisonous potency of the 'Aperture Eye Poison Fruit' was far more concentrated and profound than the flower dew. In the past eight years, though the time was short, his progress had been astonishing. He had initially intended to set aside some time to gradually explore the Healing Altar and seek the path to ascension, but now he changed his mind, deciding it wouldn't be too late to act after achieving a breakthrough. This pursuit had instilled a sense of urgency in Qin Sang, giving him the constant feeling that a major change was impending.

His gaze flickered dimly as he stared at the stone door of his cave dwelling. After a long moment, he closed his eyes, took out the poisonous fruit pulp, and swallowed a drop.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. During those ten years, Qin Sang returned only once when his Blooming Flower Pills ran out, spending the rest of the time diligently cultivating in his cave dwelling. That outing had been smooth. The Sinister Wilds remained as they were, and the previous turmoil seemed to have subsided. Qin Sang had deliberately investigated in Gushan Prefecture, but found only ambiguous information that was unreliable.

Inside the cave dwelling, Qin Sang sat cross-legged, not cultivating, but instead performing a secret witchcraft technique. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out from his dantian, spread its wings, and hovered before Qin Sang. Man and insect faced each other, unmoving for a long time, plunging the cave dwelling into an eerie silence. If an observer had been present, they would have seen a thin thread of blood extending from Qin Sang's glabella. The thread was extremely fine, barely discernible to the naked eye. Its other end connected to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, spreading into a net that covered the entire butterfly, including its wings. Once dispersed, the blood thread appeared even more delicate, lightly covering the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's surface. As time passed, it seemed to slowly merge into the butterfly's body.

Gradually, a faint bloody light appeared on the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Every pattern on its wings was embedded with the blood thread, silently undergoing fusion. After an unknown period, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly gently fluttered its wings a few times, seemingly in pain. Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. Sensing the intent transmitted by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he gently comforted it and, with a flick of his wrist, took out a Blooming Flower Pill, feeding it to the butterfly. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly quickly calmed down, absorbing the medicinal power.

Several more hours passed. Qin Sang suddenly opened his eyes, his expression serious, as he continuously conjured various hand seals. These seals flew not towards the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, but merged into the blood thread connected to his glabella.

'Snap!'

The blood thread snapped with a sound. Then, a rich crimson glow emerged from Qin Sang's glabella, within which was a peculiar magical imprint. The imprint flashed and vanished into the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's body. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly stiffened for a moment. The Heavenly Eye patterns on its wings burst forth with bright light. As divine light flowed, its aura began to fluctuate violently!

Joy appeared in Qin Sang's eyes. He stared intently at the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, fully activating the witchcraft technique. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's aura gradually stabilized, then seemed to break through a certain boundary, instantly soaring!

Mid-Fifth Transformation!

With a continuous supply of Blooming Flower Pills and Qin Sang's constant feeding of vital essence through secret techniques, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly finally advanced, though still much slower than Qin Sang himself. This demonstrated just how astonishing Qin Sang's current cultivation speed was. Watching the Heavenly Eye Butterfly flitting about and sensing its joyful and excited thoughts, Qin Sang smiled silently. He raised a finger, allowing the butterfly to land on its tip, and sensed its changes. Spirit insects only comprehend new divine abilities after undergoing transformation or mutation. After the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's advancement, its existing divine abilities, including the 'Separation and Union Divine Light', had grown stronger, enabling it to assist him more.

After helping the Heavenly Eye Butterfly stabilize its cultivation, Qin Sang summoned his Talisman Altar. A thin line swam out from the altar, coiling into a circle in Qin Sang's palm. The Fiery Jade Centipede, also supported by pills, had reached the peak of the late Fourth Transformation, just a step away from its next metamorphosis. Qin Sang waited a few more years for the Fiery Jade Centipede's cultivation to stabilize before attempting to help it break through.

Searching his Qianjun Ring, Qin Sang found a Frost Azure Pill and took one from its jade bottle. As the pill's aura permeated the air, the Fiery Jade Centipede immediately became agitated, lunging towards Qin Sang's hand holding the pill, transmitting an extremely urgent desire. The allure of the Frost Azure Pill was irresistible to it.

"Giving this pill to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly back then would have also yielded considerable benefits. I'm leaving all three Frost Azure Pills for you; don't disappoint this humble Daoist..." Qin Sang murmured, then flicked his finger lightly.

The Frost Azure Pill flew towards the Fiery Jade Centipede, which immediately embraced it. Amidst flickering firelight, the pill was refined into its body. The Frost Azure Pill could assist spirit insects in breakthroughs, and its medicinal properties were extremely potent. The Fiery Jade Centipede's entire body tightly curled up. Qin Sang also cast spells to aid its refinement. Unfortunately, since the Fiery Jade Centipede was not his soul-bound spirit insect, many profound secret techniques from the 'Panhu True Scripture' could not be used.

After a long time, the medicinal power began to recede, and the Fiery Jade Centipede's contorted body relaxed. During this time, its aura also fluctuated, but it never truly broke through, gradually becoming dormant.

"It failed." Qin Sang shook his head slightly. This was within his expectations, so he wasn't too disappointed. He gently tapped the Fiery Jade Centipede's carapace, helping it suppress the chaotic medicinal energy within its body. Even though the breakthrough failed, residual medicinal power remained. Refining this power would still be beneficial, laying a foundation for its next attempt. Therefore, the three Frost Azure Pills didn't need to be consumed consecutively. It would be best to take the second pill after some time, proceeding gradually.

Once the Fiery Jade Centipede fell into slumber, Qin Sang placed it back into the Talisman Altar and resumed his own cultivation.

Seven more years passed. Qin Sang remained in his cave dwelling within the Healing Altar, enduring boredom and solitude. On this particular day, the cave dwelling was as quiet as ever. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly perched on Qin Sang's shoulder, seemingly in slumber, occasionally fluttering its wings.

Suddenly, a blue light flashed around Qin Sang's entire body. Phoenix wings instantly materialized, then abruptly spread open. The Green Luan Dharma Form emerged within the blue light. Startled by the anomaly, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly immediately flapped its wings and flew to the stone door of the cave dwelling, taking up a vigilant posture.