Chapter 1837: Sword Cry

The Mortal World

The shadow of the Azure Luan was cast on the stone wall of the cave. Qin Sang bathed in the azure light, his breath long and steady, before falling into a prolonged silence.

The Azure Luan Dharma Idol slowly flapped its wings, circling above Qin Sang's head, its beautiful radiance shimmering.

Before long, a drum-like resonance emanated from within Qin Sang, as if his entire body — flesh, blood, and bones — vibrated in unison, and a surge of exceptionally vigorous vital energy erupted.

Inside the cave, purplish-red light soon emerged, constantly flashing with various profound runes, and faint phantom images of banners materialized. This indicated that the protective formation of the cave had been impacted, and its power was being activated.

Vital energy surged.

The Azure Luan Dharma Idol's wingbeats accelerated, its neck arched in a cry, as if it would break free from its confinement at any moment and soar beyond the heavens.

Unfortunately, it was short-lived.

Qin Sang's aura, after surging to a certain extent, could no longer be sustained. It plateaued from its continuous rise, struggled to maintain itself for a short period, and then reluctantly receded.

Immediately after, the azure light on the Azure Luan Dharma Idol also dimmed, its momentum became sluggish, and it finally transformed into a streak of azure light, returning into Qin Sang's body.

Gradually calming his turbulent vital energy, Qin Sang opened his eyes and murmured, "Failed..."

A butterfly shadow flickered, and the Celestial Eye Butterfly flew back from the cave entrance. Sensing its master's low spirits, its wings gently stroked Qin Sang's face, attempting to comfort him in this way.

Qin Sang's eyes quickly regained their luster. Looking at the Celestial Eye Butterfly trying to comfort him, a smile appeared on his lips. He raised his hand, letting the butterfly land on his fingertip, and took out a Spirit Bloom Pill.

In the past, as soon as Qin Sang took out a Spirit Bloom Pill, the Celestial Eye Butterfly would cling to his finger, trying to snatch it.

If Qin Sang didn't give it to her immediately, her Celestial Eyes would instantly become misty.

At this moment, however, the Celestial Eye Butterfly seemed not to notice the pill. The Celestial Eye pattern on its wings remained fixed on Qin Sang, its eyes subtly flickering as if observing his expression to ensure his mood had recovered. Only then did it cautiously refine the Spirit Bloom Pill and dutifully fly to Qin Sang's shoulder.

In fact, this failure was within Qin Sang's expectations. He had only just reached the peak of the fifth layer, mid-stage, of the Demonic Transformation Art a few days prior, and had impetuously attempted a breakthrough without sufficient preparation.

The Celestial Eye Butterfly's spirits were low because of its master, so Qin Sang, in turn, comforted her for a while, reflecting on the breakthrough process.

Although he failed, he also gained something.

"The poisonous fruit sap is still abundant; the breakthrough shouldn't be too difficult," Qin Sang mused silently. His figure flickered, appearing outside the cave, and then flew into the spiritual orifice.

The shadows within the spiritual orifice had been completely cleared by him, leaving only the poisonous fruit, suspended in the void.

Compared to decades ago, the poisonous fruit's luster had dulled and it had shrunk. Its skin was wrinkled and somewhat shriveled, as if air-dried and dehydrated.

Because Qin Sang had continuously extracted the sap without new flower dew to replenish it, the poisonous fruit had taken on this appearance.

The potent and rich poison within the fruit had supported Qin Sang's rapid progress in a short time, bringing him close to a breakthrough.

At least until the poisonous fruit sap was depleted, his cultivation speed would not slow down. Such an achievement would be astonishing in anyone's eyes.

Qin Sang skillfully extracted a drop of sap, sealed it in a jade bottle, and exited the spiritual orifice.

Just as he was about to return to the cave, he suddenly paused, turning his head to look towards the back of the flower field, in the direction of the deeper parts of the Healing Altar.

He had already reached a bottleneck. No matter how diligently he cultivated now, he wouldn't make further progress. It would be better to use this time to explore the Healing Altar.

Navigating various strange illusory realms might provide him with inspiration, which would be beneficial for his breakthrough.

Qin Sang made his decision, but he wasn't in a hurry to act. He first returned to the cave to stabilize his cultivation, then summoned his Talisman Altar, released the Fiery Jade Centipede, and took out an Azure Frost Pill.

The power of the first pill had already been digested by the Fiery Jade Centipede.

The spiritual pill entered its stomach.

The Fiery Jade Centipede's reaction was similar to the last time: its entire body curled up, resisting the pill's impact in agony, struggling to find an opportunity for a breakthrough.

This time, the fluctuations in the Fiery Jade Centipede's aura were greater than before, but unfortunately, they eventually subsided into silence; it still didn't succeed.

"We're in the same boat," Qin Sang shook his head, returning the Fiery Jade Centipede to his Talisman Altar, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes.

After taking two pills, the Fiery Jade Centipede had not undergone a qualitative change. If this continued, even taking a third Azure Frost Pill would likely not yield the desired result.

Qin Sang frowned, deciding that he would select a few secret arts from the Pangu True Scripture and devote more effort to the Fiery Jade Centipede.

Several days later, Qin Sang emerged from the flower field and followed the path in his memory, delving deeper into the Healing Altar.

Thousands of crimson-gold spiritual needles came into view.

Qin Sang returned to the place he had visited previously with Mo Xingdao, carefully observing the reflection before him. If he could figure out the cause of the refraction here, he should be able to pinpoint the location of the crimson-gold spiritual needles.

Floating before the reflection, the crimson-gold spiritual needles in the reflection were close at hand; some even brushed past Qin Sang's nose.

Even though he was certain the crimson-gold spiritual needles were merely reflections, the threat they posed felt incredibly real.

An intensely sharp aura emanated from the crimson-gold spiritual needles. The spiritual needles, infinite in number, yet unable to harm each other, remained in this stalemate for countless ages, and still do.

Each of the two-colored spiritual needles numbered in the millions, attacking each other, clashing sharply at the center, and then both dissolved.

Rushing in rashly would mean experiencing the agony of thousands of needles piercing one's body.

Qin Sang's eyes gleamed as he silently activated his Celestial Eye Divine Ability, observing for about an incense stick's time, then suddenly stepped into the sea of needles.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The sound of needles piercing the air instantly filled his ears, coming from all directions, ubiquitous.

Qin Sang's pupils suddenly contracted. A golden spiritual needle happened to strike, about to pierce his right eye.

His right eye stung, and Qin Sang's heart pounded violently, yet he made no attempt to dodge or resist.

"Whoosh!"

The golden spiritual needle pierced directly into the pupil of his right eye. The stinging sensation reached its peak, then abruptly vanished.

Qin Sang was not harmed. The spiritual needle passed through Qin Sang's head, reappeared behind him, and continued its charge towards the crimson spiritual needles on the opposite side.

At the same time, other spiritual needles piercing Qin Sang also passed through him, as if Qin Sang didn't exist.

"As expected, they are reflections..."

Qin Sang thought to himself.

The stinging sensation was too real. For anyone else, even if they noticed something amiss, they wouldn't dare to try it lightly.

Qin Sang paused for a moment, then continued forward, passing through the interior of the needle sea unharmed.

He changed direction and entered the opposing crimson spiritual needle area, observing carefully. After a period of this focused movement, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation, realizing he had exited the needle sea and found a patch of auspicious clouds before him.

"This..."

Qin Sang frowned, feeling somewhat puzzled.

The reflection of the crimson-gold spiritual needles certainly wouldn't appear here without reason. It should have been caused by a special illusion, yet he hadn't noticed any abnormality until he had passed through the needle sea.

Qin Sang turned around, gazed at the needle sea, and fell into thought. Then he sat cross-legged among the auspicious clouds, letting the Celestial Eye Butterfly rest on his shoulder, and, using a blood essence secret art as a guide, fully activated his divine ability.

In his vision, the crimson-gold spiritual needles changed. What he saw were no longer individual needles, but rather the trajectories of their movement, forming crimson and gold threads in the void.

The threads were dense, like countless zither strings.

Then, the threads also gradually faded from Qin Sang's sight. It wasn't that the crimson-gold spiritual needles had disappeared, but rather that Qin Sang intentionally ignored them, eliminating all distractions to peer through the reflections and observe the reality.

Under the activation of the Witch Clan's secret art, both the Celestial Eyes on the butterfly's wings and Qin Sang's own eyes turned blood-red, emitting an eerie glow.

As the threads faded, the void was fully revealed before him, appearing empty.

Gradually, Qin Sang revealed a knowing smile. Taking the Celestial Eye Butterfly, he returned to the needle sea, swiftly traversed it, and arrived at its center.

The two types of spiritual needles converged here, but Qin Sang ignored them. He raised his right hand and slid it vertically through the void.

As his finger slid past, a trace remained, as if opening a slit in the void, but it vanished in an instant.

Qin Sang appeared thoughtful. Without hesitation, he summoned his Azure Luan Dharma Idol.

As the Dharma Idol merged into his body, Qin Sang's power greatly increased. He formed a Buddhist seal with his heart and forcefully unleashed a palm strike.

"Boom!"

The void trembled.

The reflection of the needle sea rippled like water. A gaping void, resembling a doorway, suddenly appeared at the convergence point. Qin Sang immediately twisted his body and squeezed into the rift, inexplicably vanishing into thin air.

The ripples subsided, and the needle sea returned to its former state.

A moment later, Qin Sang suddenly reappeared, stumbling back several yards, looking quite disheveled, as if he had been knocked out from inside.

After steadying himself, Qin Sang stared at the spot where he had just entered, a strange light in his eyes.

Passing through the reflection into reality, he was met with utter darkness. He and the Celestial Eye Butterfly saw nothing before being forced out by a powerful repellent force.

Even with his Dharma Idol and Buddhist seal fully unleashed, representing his strongest power, he still couldn't maintain his footing there.

Fortunately, that repellent force caused no harm.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then once again blasted open the door to reality.

He intruded repeatedly, and was repeatedly forced back. Within the Healing Altar, day and night were indistinguishable, as if it never tired.

Although each stay was extremely brief, through his persistent efforts, he finally made new discoveries.

His eyes gradually brightened, and the last time he was forced out, it was accompanied by a hearty laugh.

Qin Sang retreated all the way back to the auspicious clouds, looked at his palm, and circulated spiritual energy to draw in the air.

Several runes were formed in an instant.

Each rune seemed incomplete, barely forming a cohesive shape, yet they were among the most complex runes Qin Sang had ever seen.

The runes transformed into a black disk.

The black disk was as profound as a black hole. Qin Sang examined it, then pressed his left hand onto it, and a circular imprint immediately appeared on his palm.

Feeling the rune imprint, Qin Sang secretly nodded, "As expected!"

This incomplete rune was his only gain in the darkness. Its origin was unknown, and its function unclear, but by using the rune, Qin Sang developed a vague sense of something, seemingly from the depths of the Healing Altar.

He guessed that the reason for the reflection appearing here was that these runes were fragmented, and another part of the runes projected the scene from there through a special connection.

Following the connection of the rune imprint, he might be able to find the crimson-gold spiritual needles, which would undoubtedly be much simpler than searching everywhere.

Qin Sang's face showed relief. He immediately sat down to meditate, and once his full strength was restored, he followed the faint connection, entering deeper into the Healing Altar.

The Healing Altar's space was deeper and more dangerous than imagined, full of unknowns.

The further he went, the more strenuous Qin Sang found it, constantly ready to unleash his Dharma Idol and Buddhist seal. Even so, he sometimes had to brave danger and try multiple times to barely pass through an illusory realm.

Each dangerous experience also broadened Qin Sang's horizons; every new illusory realm was a novel experience.

One month later.

Qin Sang entered a long corridor filled with various strange creatures wandering within. He fought his way through them.

The third month.

Qin Sang entered a stone forest and was attacked, yet he never saw the appearance of his enemies from beginning to end.

Paying the price of injury, he managed to figure out some patterns and painstakingly exited the stone forest.

The sixth month.

Qin Sang entered a landmass but was besieged by peculiar monsters composed of water.

The monsters took on various forms, devoid of intelligence, like puppets. When dispersed, they wouldn't vanish but would merge with others of their kind, strengthening their collective power.

This time, Qin Sang was stalled for nearly a year. He initially tried to bypass them but eventually returned, repeatedly being repelled by the last monster.

Finally, with the help of the Celestial Eye Butterfly, he found a weakness in the monsters and set a trap to pass this trial.

By the end of the second year.

Qin Sang arrived in a void space.

As soon as he entered the space, immense pressure immediately bore down from above. A colossal dark-yellow boulder materialized out of thin air and crashed down.

No matter which direction he entered from, he couldn't avoid the boulder.

Qin Sang's entire body glowed with dazzling azure light. With both hands raised high, veins bulging all over his body, he desperately held up the massive boulder, struggling to take steps forward.

With each step he took, the boulder grew heavier.

One step, two steps... ten steps... a hundred steps...

Qin Sang's arms trembled, and his face was flushed red.

"Boom!"

The boulder suddenly dropped.

His arms bent sharply, almost crushed by the boulder. Qin Sang roared, his vital energy surging, and he forcefully managed to lift the boulder.

At the same time, a brilliant light erupted from Qin Sang's eyes. He immediately abandoned his forward push and flew backward.

This retreat took him all the way back to the flower field, marking his first return to the cave in two years.

Upon returning to the cave, Qin Sang eagerly sat in meditation and circulated his cultivation art.

A few days later, a clear phoenix cry echoed from within the cave, and a violent surge of vital energy almost broke through the protective formation.

The Demonic Transformation Art, fifth layer, late stage, achieved!

Qin Sang looked up at the Azure Luan Dharma Idol, contemplating for a long time.

Upon entering the late stage, the Azure Luan Dharma Idol solidified further, but it did not condense into a true Dharma Idol as Qin Sang had hoped; there was no qualitative change.

The gap between the Spirit Transformation and Void Refinement realms was like an unbridgeable chasm, not something a mere cultivation art could overcome.

However, the advancement of his Dharma Idol and physical body also brought about earth-shattering changes for Qin Sang.

If he were to face Xia Hou now, he would definitely not be as discomfited as last time, even if both of Xia Hou's forms were at their peak.

At the same time, Qin Sang confirmed a long-held suspicion: the true purpose of the Dharma Idol phantom in the Spirit Transformation realm was not to enhance combat power, but to allow cultivators to glimpse the path of Dharma Idols, greatly benefiting future breakthroughs.

He was still at the stage of knowing "what" but not "why," but with continued progress, he would surely gain enlightenment.

After the breakthrough, Qin Sang stabilized his vital energy and then shifted his focus to the Primordial Spirit Sword Nurturing Chapter. It was time to raise his cultivation realm.

There was no need to rush his upcoming cultivation.

Qin Sang now possessed sufficient strength to venture deeper. He could allocate some energy to cultivate while simultaneously searching for the path to ascension.

Five years later.

Qin Sang once again left his cave and entered the depths of the Healing Altar.

This time, he easily reached the opposite side by supporting the massive boulder.

Having been there several times before, he smoothly passed through the next few illusory realms, arriving at the one that had stopped him previously.

He attempted to break through several times in a row but was repeatedly repelled.

Qin Sang couldn't help but frown; the methods he had devised during this period seemed ineffective.

After a moment of contemplation, he prepared to try again.

Just as he was about to step into the illusory realm, he suddenly froze, his eyes widening with surprise.

Inside his Purple Mansion, a sword hum resonated!