Chapter 1893: Refining the Void

## The Mortal Realm

The demonic core entered his stomach.

Qin Sang wasn't in a hurry to refine the demonic core.

In the time since the Thunder Ancestor's descent, Qin Sang increasingly felt that he had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Before, there were too many sudden events, leaving him no time to comprehend them.

The closer the crisis, the calmer one must remain!

Qin Sang cast aside all distracting thoughts, entered a meditative state, and recalled the scenes after the Thunder Ancestor's arrival.

He couldn't miss a single detail, not even the slightest feeling.

Most of his memories were blurred, and his perceptions were chaotic.

At that time, he pointed a finger towards the sky, manifesting the Five Thunders Celestial Heart Talisman, and the world's elemental energy was immediately mobilized, transforming into lightning...

Too many details were missing.

Qin Sang tried his best to integrate all his memories, seeking the insights and pulsations originating from the deepest parts of his instincts.

Suddenly, he raised his hands, palms facing the sky.

The elemental energy around his palms immediately began to vibrate.

Whoosh... whoosh...

The elemental energy's unusual movement stirred up subtle winds that flowed between Qin Sang's five fingers, and the wind grew increasingly fierce.

Gradually, visible ripples appeared in the void, like wisps of light, ethereal wind swirling around Qin Sang's hands, which then led to gusts of strong wind howling.

This phenomenon was a sign of elemental energy being mobilized, and also an indication of a cultivator's initial harmony with the world.

After cultivators enter the Soul Transformation stage and stabilize their cultivation, they can easily mobilize elemental energy, which offers many benefits, such as greatly increasing the power of their Daoist techniques and divine abilities.

As their cultivation advances, Soul Transformation cultivators' ability to mobilize elemental energy grows stronger, step by step pursuing the unity of Heaven and Man, until they reach the Void Refinement stage, gaining control over heaven and earth!

Qin Sang's current mobilization of elemental energy seemed significant, but there was a world of difference between mobilizing and controlling it.

As expected, this was already Qin Sang's limit.

However, what followed was a shocking sight.

Qin Sang's fingers trembled slightly, and he brought them together, gripping two currents of elemental energy in his palms.

These two currents of elemental energy first solidified, then a small vortex appeared at their center.

The two currents of elemental energy vibrated frequently, then rotated along with the vortex, eventually being assimilated by it!

Whoosh!

His ten fingers fully spread open.

The vortex continuously devoured the surrounding elemental energy, and Qin Sang's hands seemed to be cradling two tornadoes.

This scene was now almost indistinguishable from controlling elemental energy.

At this moment, Qin Sang still had his eyes tightly closed, and in his mind, the scene of the eight directional thunder dragons converging when he manifested the Five Thunders Celestial Heart Seal kept flashing.

When the Thunder Ancestor descended, spurred by the thunder seal, the elemental energy transformed into thunder dragons, none daring to disobey!

Of course, Qin Sang couldn't fully replicate it; at that time, he was resisting the Thunder Ancestor's power and could only perceive a superficial understanding, but that was already enough!

"Control heaven and earth! Control heaven and earth! All things are in my hands, heaven and earth are at my disposal... Is this the unity of Heaven and Man? Is this the divine ability of Void Refinement stage cultivators?"

Qin Sang's heart surged with tumultuous waves; his premonition was not wrong, he had even underestimated the benefits of the Thunder Ancestor's descent.

Guided by True Master Zuo, Qin Sang understood the path to breaking through to the Void Refinement stage and tentatively established that the most suitable method for him was to gradually balance the five elements, seeking their mutual generation, thereby achieving the unity of Heaven and Man.

Looking at all Soul Transformation cultivators, who among them didn't undergo years of arduous cultivation and gradual enlightenment after reaching the peak of the Soul Transformation stage?

Qin Sang was no different from ascending to the heavens in one step!

Even during the golden age of Daoism, such a situation was exceedingly rare.

For a high-ranking Daoist True Master to summon a Talisman God beyond their own cultivation realm was already their limit.

What descended into Qin Sang's body, however, was the Nine Heavens Exalted Thunder-Sound Universal Manifestation Heavenly Lord, far surpassing his realm.

If what had descended was merely a Talisman God comparable to the Void Refinement stage, Qin Sang could still gain insights from it, which would help his breakthrough, but it would be difficult to achieve such immediate results.

Ancient Daoist True Masters could also personally guard and invite high-level Talisman Gods for their disciples and juniors to aid their breakthroughs, similar to Kun Dao, but they wouldn't do so unless absolutely necessary.

Firstly, this act was extremely dangerous; a slight mishap could damage a disciple's Dao foundation, leading to more harm than good.

Secondly, summoning a god or general required the True Master's full protection; the higher the level of the Talisman God, the greater the pressure on the person presiding over the ritual. This required even more caution than summoning a god for oneself, as any unexpected event could implicate the True Master, causing severe damage to their vital essence at best.

Thirdly, if a disciple's temperament was insufficient, even if a high-level Talisman God was invited, they could only barely maintain a sliver of clarity, remaining dazed and gaining no insights.

Most importantly, forcefully raising one's realm instead of achieving enlightenment oneself was akin to pulling up sprouts to help them grow, artificially creating obstacles for future cultivation, and leaving many hidden dangers.

Unless it was an outstanding disciple with excellent temperament, confirmed to have no major hidden dangers, or during a sect's critical moment of survival, such a ritual would not be performed rashly.

With the protection of the Jade Buddha, Qin Sang was truly the best among the best in terms of 'temperament'!

This was equivalent to an Integration stage True Monarch summoning a Mahayana stage Talisman God to personally anoint and enlighten Qin Sang, who was only at the Soul Transformation stage, allowing him to personally experience the unity of Heaven and Man and assist him in breaking through.

Such a rare honor, from ancient times to the present, was probably only enjoyed by Qin Sang.

It would also be difficult for it to happen again in the future.

Thunder City, Eighth Heaven.

The thunderous light receded.

Previously, the Thunder Ancestor's Grand Hall was still surrounded by thunder and lightning, but now it had fallen into complete silence.

Inside the Grand Hall, it was also completely silent.

Small flashes of lightning flickered on the Thunder Ancestor's statue; a closer look revealed them to be intersecting cracks.

The cracks were widespread, a shocking sight.

It was worrying whether it would shatter into pieces with a mere touch.

"Did the Daoist sect use my hand to wield the Thunder Ancestor's power intentionally or unintentionally?"

Qin Sang realized that the truth might not be what he thought, that the Daoist sect and Heavenly Lord Tianyue had abandoned him.

They might be dealing with a stronger enemy, unable to extricate themselves or attend to him, but they had left him a glimmer of hope.

It just depended on whether he could seize this sliver of life!

After all, Qin Sang had caused all of this, so he had no right to complain.

It could be said that Qin Sang's current understanding far surpassed his cultivation, lacking only in the accumulation of true essence.

As for his comprehension of the Path of Slaughter and his insights into cultivation techniques, they were even less of an issue.

Before this, Qin Sang had collaborated with True Master Zuo to slay Spirit Nether King, who had self-mutilated his cultivation.

Now.

He had thunderously destroyed two great demon kings.

He had guided the Heavenly Demon, nearly obliterating the shadow figure.

The cultivation of these enemies far surpassed Qin Sang's; they had once forced him into situations where there was no escape, pushing him to the brink of death.

Although these were not Qin Sang's own powers, it was undeniable that he was a participant and played an indispensable role.

He cultivated the Path of Slaughter, not the Path of the Sword; as long as he could kill his enemies and resolve karma, why adhere to formalities?

Yet, he wondered if all of this was also part of someone else's calculations.

Boom... boom...

The elemental energy vortex in Qin Sang's palm suddenly dispersed.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning appeared, revealing a talisman altar.

"Hmm?"

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly, and only then did he discover that within the talisman altar, his inwardly contemplated True Self had been replaced by a divine will originating from the same source as the Thunder Ancestor's aura.

"The Thunder Ancestor?"

He had seen many Daoist cultivators' talisman altars, and the auras of their altar-guarding generals were all more solidified than his own.

Qin Sang found that the divine will of the altar-guarding general seemed very silent; his attempts to sense it were like a stone sinking into the sea.

Nevertheless, the Thunder Ancestor still possessed protective abilities.

For Qin Sang, the presence or absence of an altar-guarding general made little difference; he instantly dismissed it from his mind and immersed his consciousness into the Phoenix Wing.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The green feathers fluttered.

Blue lightning coursed through the feathers.

Suddenly, a brilliant blue light flared, and a ball of blue thunder flew out, heading towards the talisman altar.

This was the Azure Luan True Thunder. Previously, when Qin Sang drew thunder to forge his altar, he could only cautiously draw a trace. Now, he could directly separate a thunder ball.

Not only could he control elemental energy, but controlling the Azure Luan True Thunder was also easier for him.

Qin Sang realized that he couldn't seem to control all the Azure Luan True Thunder, but he only needed a portion of it.

Whoosh!

The thunder ball vanished into the talisman altar, instantly dividing.

Streaks of blue thunder spread throughout the talisman altar, and a violent aura permeated, making one worry if the altar would explode.

Qin Sang's expression remained unchanged as he guided the blue thunder to merge into the talisman altar, becoming its framework, gradually perfecting it.

This was also thanks to the Thunder Ancestor's power, which allowed him to cast the Five Thunders Celestial Heart Talisman through Qin Sang's hands.

Qin Sang dared not claim full mastery of this divine talisman; at the very least, his understanding of it was enough to forge a talisman altar beyond what was required for the Soul Transformation realm!

Daoist talismans were inherently beneficial for cultivation.

Enhancing the talisman altar and stabilizing his true essence would be of immense benefit to Qin Sang's upcoming breakthrough.

The Azure Luan True Thunder was exhausted, and the talisman altar was completed in an instant.

Having no time to admire the sturdy talisman altar, Qin Sang immediately recalled it into his body!

With immense composure, he meticulously and calmly completed each step.

Finally, Qin Sang spread his arms.

Accompanied by a phoenix cry.

The Azure Luan Dharma Idol appeared, flapped its wings, circled once above Qin Sang's head, and then merged into his body.

The surrounding elemental energy stirred unusually again.

With Qin Sang at the center, a massive vortex formed, drawing in a continuous stream of elemental energy.

He could directly refine elemental energy to raise his cultivation, but it wouldn't be as fast as absorbing pure toxins!

Qin Sang gazed deeply at the blood pool, entered a meditative state, and focused on the Serpent King's demonic core within his abdomen!

The Fat Silkworm's poisonous core hovered above the Serpent King's demonic core, emitting a radiant glow that gently enveloped the demonic core.

What Qin Sang wanted was not the demon king's power within the demonic core, which he couldn't refine in a short time. He only wanted to use the poisonous core to extract the serpent venom from the demonic core.

The demonic core contained the serpent venom cultivated by the Serpent King, which was incredibly pure. By using it to refine his poisonous essence, he could increase his cultivation more quickly.

He intended to break through to the Void Refinement stage here!

Qin Sang naturally understood how dangerous this endeavor was; even if successful, a forced breakthrough would leave significant hidden dangers.

But he had no choice but to gamble.

Even if he had to spend ten or a hundred times the effort and time to compensate for it later, it was better than dying on the spot!

Having made his decision, Qin Sang didn't hesitate. He immediately ruptured the demonic core, his internal poisonous core rapidly rotated, and a radiant glow enveloped the demonic core, extracting the serpent venom.

Time was pressing, so Qin Sang could only crudely rupture the demonic core.

Boom!

The power of the demonic core gushed out like floodwaters breaching a dam.

Once he did this, there would be no turning back, and Qin Sang couldn't possibly seal the breach in the demonic core.

Although the demonic core was masterless, how could the immense power contained within it be borne by a mere Soul Transformation cultivator?

If he didn't want to be overwhelmed, Qin Sang had to make a choice.

Those violent powers, which were actually the most precious aspects of the demonic core, were all drawn out of his body.

Without the poisonous core, it wouldn't be easy to simply separate the serpent venom. Even with it, most of the serpent venom was still wasted.

Qin Sang wasn't worried; this was a demon king's core, and the serpent venom within it was sufficient for his use.

A continuous stream of serpent venom poured into his body, and Qin Sang fully activated his cultivation technique.

His cultivation increased at an astonishing speed.

If any other cultivator were standing beside him and sensed the changes in Qin Sang's aura, they would be utterly shocked, suspecting him to be a high-level cultivator whose realm had fallen.

While his cultivation increased, the poisonous bead itself and Qin Sang's physical body were also gradually strengthening.

Previously, Qin Sang had always been meticulous, cultivating for a period, then allowing the poisonous bead to consume flower dew for enhancement, protecting him as he continued to cultivate.

In this cyclical manner, he had grown together with the poisonous bead, complementing each other perfectly.

Now, however, a drawback appeared.

The poisonous bead hadn't been sufficiently enhanced, nor had the "Heavenly Fiend Refining Form" been cultivated to its fifth-layer peak. By the time he reached the peak of the Soul Transformation stage, it was likely to exceed the poisonous bead's limit.

At that point, he would poison himself to death without an enemy's intervention.

It was clearly too late to enhance it now; the poisonous core required time to absorb potent poisons.

This was precisely where the greatest danger lay.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

True essence roared within his body, his Qi Sea surged with turbulent waves, and violent true essence coursed through his meridians.

While refining the poisonous essence, toxins were also continuously accumulating.

Toxins merged into his flesh and blood, refining his physical body, but this was clearly not as fast as the rate of toxin accumulation. Qin Sang was dancing on the edge of a knife.

Facing danger, he was not entirely without recourse.

Firstly, having received guidance from True Master Zuo, he had a deeper understanding of Dharma Idols. By using the power of his Dharma Idol to suppress the toxins, he could greatly alleviate the pressure on Qin Sang.

Additionally, since he could control even elemental energy, Qin Sang's ability to control the power within his body had reached an unprecedented level.

In the past, with this cultivation speed, his Qi Sea and true essence would have long since spiraled out of control, amounting to self-destruction of his Dao foundation.

Yet, Qin Sang could still grit his teeth and persevere.

Reckless, almost mad!

Unfortunately, the crisis still arrived.

The toxins accumulated within his body quickly reached an extremely dangerous level.

Qin Sang's entire body, from the inside out, emitted multi-colored light.

Until his skin was also assimilated, as if covered in snake scales, the serpent venom invaded all his flesh and blood, and his life force rapidly drained away.

Qin Sang had forgotten life and death, showing no signs of stopping.

Finally, as his last vestiges of life were about to vanish and Qin Sang was on the verge of becoming a walking corpse, he performed the hand seal he had long prepared.

Inner Lion Seal!

Whoosh!

The radiance across his body instantly vanished, and his physical form was completely restored!

However, the recovery was only temporary, and Qin Sang still needed to pass the heavenly tribulation before the power of the Inner Lion Seal faded.

At this moment, his urgent mood matched his rapidly escalating cultivation.

He was getting closer and closer to the peak of the Soul Transformation stage.

Suddenly.

Crack!

The sound of cracking startled Qin Sang.

It was the poisonous core!

Qin Sang was greatly alarmed.

Absorbing too much serpent venom instantly had exceeded the poisonous core's limit, and a crack appeared, spanning its surface.

Crack, crack, crack...

The cracks grew more numerous.

Finally.

Pop!

The poisonous core shattered.

The parting gift from Flowing Firefly and Fat Silkworm was shattered.

Qin Sang felt immense regret.

No one understood the poisonous core's potential more than him. The Fat Silkworm truly lived up to its Divine Silkworm lineage; this core was far from its limit, yet it was destroyed here.

Without the poisonous core, he would have had no way of making such astonishing progress during the Soul Transformation stage.

In fact, when Heavenly Lord Tianyue initially discovered Qin Sang also cultivated poison arts and set up the scheme involving the "Poison God Codex," he hadn't anticipated that Qin Sang's cultivation speed would far exceed his estimates, forcing him to accelerate his plans.

"Ah!"

Qin Sang roared up at the sky, his hair and beard wildly flying, appearing like a madman.

His cultivation finally reached the peak of the Soul Transformation stage, and with hardly any pause, he broke through the Void Refinement bottleneck in one fell swoop!