Chapter 1925: Dao

"What is a Ghost Cloud Steed?"

This was Vermilion Bird's first time hearing about such a demonic beast. Remembering that Luohou was still a spirit, she suddenly realized, "You want to seize a body?" Luohou had been severely wounded by Qin Sang back then and had never found a suitable physical body. She herself was unwilling to settle, which was why it had dragged on until now.

Luohou didn't commit either way, replying, "The Ghost Cloud Steed's bloodline has a certain compatibility with my original clan's." If she were to seize a body, she didn't have to insist on the Shadow Steed clan; she could also choose a similar bloodline as a physical body. Luohou had several alternatives, and the Ghost Cloud Steed was one of them.

Luohou's expression was clearly hesitant, partly because this particular Ghost Cloud Steed had a diluted bloodline, and partly because the Ghost Cloud Steed wasn't the best option, only a mediocre one at best. However, the demon races Luohou had chosen, including the Ghost Cloud Steed, were all extremely rare. It had taken this long just to encounter one. Deep within the Twilight Mountains, there might be better options. But as a defeated general, she considered herself lucky to have survived and become a guardian beast. How could she dare ask her master to make a special trip just to find a physical body for her? Moreover, the situation in the Twilight Mountains was complex, full of Spirit Transformation stage cultivators and hidden dangers. With only her spirit remaining and her strength impaired, she was more than capable of dealing with demon cultivators like the Violet Gold Divine Eagle. However, when facing cultivators of the same rank, she would appear somewhat inferior and dared not venture alone into the Twilight Mountains.

Unexpectedly encountering a Ghost Cloud Steed was a moderate stroke of luck. Seizing a Ghost Cloud Steed's body, though not as compatible as some other demon races, offered a chance to fully recover her peak strength, but it would require more effort. Missing this opportunity meant not knowing how long she would have to wait for the next. The prolonged absence of a physical body would significantly impact her cultivation, so the sooner she seized one, the better.

"Then what are we waiting for? Go, go, go!" Vermilion Bird urged her on repeatedly, boasting, "I'll handle this fellow! How dare it call itself a Demon Emperor in front of me, the Divine Bird? I'll show it what I'm made of!" Vermilion Bird rubbed its fists together, speaking with arrogant confidence.

Luohou, however, didn't move, hesitating, "But, Master..."

"Why are you worrying about that? Can that Qin fellow really stop you from seizing a body? He brought you down the mountain precisely to help you recover; otherwise, why wouldn't he bring that fox?" Vermilion Bird, with a hint of cleverness, rolled its eyes, guessed Luohou's concern, and suddenly burst into cackling laughter. "Cackle... did you really believe him? All his talk about not killing, wasn't that just to help Little Five curb his demonic intent? He didn't specifically tell us to be lenient when we came. Do you think that Qin fellow is an inflexible pedant, or do you really take your master for a great benefactor?" "Cackle, cackle, cackle..." Vermilion Bird seemed to have heard the funniest joke, clutching its belly and laughing. Having traveled with Qin Sang, it had learned many new and interesting words, such as 'pedant.'

The laughter reached the Violet Gold Divine Eagle's ears, filling it with rage. Its pursuers were brazen enough to converse and laugh wildly while chasing it—what an utter humiliation!

Luohou remained undecided. Since Qin Sang had descended the mountain, he had been slaying demons and eradicating evil, causing rivers of blood to flow. Seizing another's body was undoubtedly the act of a demon, even if the Ghost Cloud Steed had certainly slaughtered many mortals. She wasn't like Vermilion Bird, privileged enough to be pampered and arrogant, daring to disregard Qin Sang's words.

"Oh, wow, I didn't realize you were so timid! Whether you can do it or not, why don't you just ask that Qin fellow? Hurry up and catch that Ghost Steed or whatever it is, don't let it get away!" Vermilion Bird flapped a wing, conjuring a long fiery plume that transformed into a streak of red light, piercing the air as it shot away. Luohou left the Violet Gold Divine Eagle to Vermilion Bird, then leaped, pouncing towards the Ghost Cloud Steed.

Vermilion Bird shook its wings, glancing sideways at the enraged Violet Gold Divine Eagle, and let out a sinister cackle. "You are doomed!" Vermilion Bird, having learned a more refined new phrase from the mortal world, roared, its entire body ablaze with raging flames, as it charged towards the Violet Gold Divine Eagle.

"Arrogant!" The Violet Gold Divine Eagle retorted verbally, showing no weakness, but it didn't look back. Vermilion Bird easily caught up, and as soon as they clashed, it realized something was wrong. Vermilion Bird appeared to only have late Nascent Soul stage cultivation, comparable to the Violet Gold Divine Eagle, but it absolutely could not be regarded as an ordinary demonic beast. Moreover, the Demon Emperor had just endured an attack from Luohou and was already wounded. It quickly fell into a disadvantage and was swallowed by overwhelming flames.

With the palace breached, the Demon Emperor couldn't even fend for itself. The other demonic beasts were acting independently, scattered like loose sand. They couldn't organize a decent offensive, retreating steadily, and even escaping was a luxury. Luohou captured the Ghost Cloud Steed, moving like a phantom as she cleared the battlefield. All the other demons could only surrender.

The sky above the capital became the battlefield for Vermilion Bird and the Demon Emperor. "No one is allowed to interfere!" Vermilion Bird's roar echoed from the raging flames. It had finally gotten a chance to fight and intended to enjoy itself thoroughly.

"Senior Luohou, what do we do now?" A cultivator stepped forward. Luohou gazed for a moment, confirming that the Violet Gold Divine Eagle couldn't escape, then said, "Let Lord Divine Bird play by himself. We'll go reinforce other areas! Let's go!" "Play?" The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Facing a late-stage shapeshifting great demon, and it was just "playing"? It was simply unbelievable!

As soon as reinforcements arrived, the other two battlefields were also swept clean. All three demonic lairs were destroyed overnight!

Finally, the crowd surged towards the capital of the Myriad Spirits Kingdom. The battle hadn't ended yet, but the Violet Gold Divine Eagle was already at the end of its rope. 'Boom!' A streak of crimson fire crashed to the ground like a meteor, destroying half the palace with an earth-shattering impact! When the flames dissipated, everyone saw a tiny Vermilion Bird with one foot resting on the head of the Violet Gold Divine Eagle, which was countless times larger than itself. Vermilion Bird preened its feathers, looking down on the crowd with disdain. Amidst a chorus of compliments, its little head cocked higher and higher, its beak almost touching the sky.

Master Su and others began to clean up the aftermath. The three demons, having completed their mission, departed swiftly.

Vermilion Bird called out to Luohou, shaking a fiery plume, "Your master has already approved it. Why aren't you seizing the body quickly? What are you waiting for?"

"I trouble you two fellow daoists to guard me!" Luohou didn't question the truth, making a decisive choice. She took the Ghost Cloud Steed and landed on a mountaintop. Vermilion Bird and Taiyi stood on her left and right, guarding her.

The next day, at noon.

The three demons returned to Taiyi's cave dwelling. Qin Sang was meditating on the Taiyi Thunder Talisman. Seeing Luohou, he was a little surprised. "You found a body yourself? I was planning to make a detour to the Twilight Mountains, but that saves me the trouble. Take these elixirs; adapt to this body and recover your strength as quickly as possible." He tossed over a jade bottle. Inside the jade bottle were three highly valuable elixirs, obtained from the remains of a Demon King. These elixirs were specially refined for demon cultivators and would be of great benefit to Luohou.

Only then did Luohou realize that Qin Sang had always remembered her situation. She immediately knelt and kowtowed, gratefully saying, "Thank you, Master, for the elixirs."

"Hehe, I told you he couldn't possibly refuse, but you just had to ask for permission..." Vermilion Bird hopped onto Luohou's shoulder, looking smug.

"Permission?" Qin Sang looked at Vermilion Bird. Vermilion Bird suddenly clapped its beak shut, its eyes darting around. It turned and darted towards the entrance but was yanked back by a powerful force, instantly letting out a shriek.

"Luohou needs to focus on refining her new body and can't be a mount anymore. From now on, you'll take her place!" Qin Sang ignored the screeching. He raised his hand and pointed, and the firelight on Vermilion Bird's body surged. "Master..." Luohou opened her mouth but was silenced by a glance from Qin Sang, rendered as quiet as a cicada in winter.

Before long, a large red-feathered bird flew out from the mountain, carrying everyone on its back towards the sky, leaving behind heart-wrenching screams. "Ah! I, the magnificent Vermilion Bird!"

Fire Domain, cultivation ground.

Qin Sang's true self awoke from meditation. Calculating with his fingers, he murmured, "It's almost time for my appointment with the Cloud Cauldron City Lord."

By now, restoring his foundation was no longer an issue. Qin Sang needed to consider the priorities of his future cultivation. Comprehending the Path of Slaughter was clearly something that couldn't be rushed. Seeking the Dao, seeking the Dao... the most important thing is the clear understanding and comprehension of the Grand Dao. Enlightenment refers to this. His true self leaving the mountain wouldn't necessarily achieve better results than his clone. Entrusting it to his clone, letting the clone continue to wander the mortal world and seek opportunities there, might be the best option.

What Qin Sang's true self needed to do was to quickly acquire strength comparable to a Void Refinement cultivator. Various divine abilities and treasures from before the Void Refinement stage, some of them, were now slightly lacking in power. Especially the three incredibly powerful Buddhist Seals, which could be said to be his most crucial methods before the Void Refinement stage, were now limited by his strength cultivation. Comprehending lightning techniques would be difficult to achieve extraordinary results in a short time, unless the Thunder Altar could bring him a surprise.

He had two choices. One was to quickly improve his strength cultivation, breaking through the sixth layer of the *Celestial Demon Refining Form*. The other was to comprehend the Seven Mansions Constellation Sword Array, relying on the *Purple Star Sword Scripture* and Heavenly Sovereign Yue's sword light to deduce a Sword Domain from the Seven Mansions Constellation Sword Array. Even if he could only grasp a trace of the Sword Domain's essence, it would give him an overwhelming advantage when fighting Void Refinement cultivators! Achieving a breakthrough in the Way of the Sword would undoubtedly lead to a leap in strength, but the difficulty would certainly be immense.

For over three hundred years, Qin Sang had often pondered where he should begin. Gradually, Qin Sang gained some insights and made a plan, though it hadn't been verified yet. Heavenly Sovereign Yue's words back then had also been subtly guiding him.

Qin Sang knew it would be difficult to evolve the stars of the entire cosmos using a sword array and dared not have such a grand ambition for now. To create his own Grand Cosmic Star Sword Array, he would have to proceed step by step. He planned to emulate the Seven Mansions Constellation Sword Array, gradually constructing the Southern Seven Mansions, Eastern Seven Mansions, and Northern Seven Mansions. With all Four Symbols complete, he would achieve the Four Symbols Sword Array! In this way, the sword array could be considered a minor accomplishment. Then, he would evolve the Nine Luminaries of the Sun and Moon, the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, Supreme Palace Enclosure, and Heavenly Market Enclosure—the three enclosures—and finally achieve mastery of the Grand Cosmic Star Sword Array. This was a grand plan, and Qin Sang wasn't sure if he could complete it during the Void Refinement stage.

Images flashed through Qin Sang's mind—his experiences in the Divine Court. There were the scenes he remembered from the Western White Tiger Star Domain when he was being chased by the Demon King. And also, when he was possessed by the Thunder Ancestor, controlling heaven and earth, trampling both the world and the Divine Court underfoot. The spiritual imprint from that moment seemed to encompass some impressions of the Divine Court, the Four Quadrant Star Regions, the Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions. His consciousness was blurry then, and he was repeatedly assaulted afterwards, unable to settle his mind. The impressions that remained were very faint. Qin Sang wasn't sure how much he would ultimately gain, but if he could truly comprehend something from it and use the Divine Court's essence to construct the sword array, it would certainly yield twice the results with half the effort! Compared to directly observing the ethereal stars of the cosmos, it was undoubtedly a shortcut.

Of course, if *Celestial Demon Refining Form* could achieve a breakthrough, he could also gain powerful combat strength by relying on the three Buddhist Seals.

Qin Sang lightly tapped his knee with his fingers. He had previously asked the Cloud Cauldron City Lord to help him collect potent poisons, and it was almost time to pick up the agreed-upon medicines. The *Poison God Canon* was secondary, Qin Sang mused. He should now focus on comprehending the Way of the Dharma Idol; the deeper his understanding, the more naturally he would break through when he encountered a bottleneck in the future. While Grand Daos differ, they also share commonalities. As a Void Refinement cultivator, his understanding of the unity of Heaven and Man would also benefit his comprehension of the Dharma Idol.

'Swoosh!' A fierce wind rose within the cave dwelling. Qin Sang summoned his Dharma Idol. Qin Sang looked up, gazing at the Azure Luan Dharma Idol, sensing it carefully.

Previously, after receiving guidance from True Man Zuo, he understood the so-called "internal scenery" and "external scenery" in body cultivation, but his comprehension was still very vague. Now, Qin Sang grasped a few points of their true meaning. For Dharma cultivators at the Void Refinement stage, manipulating the elemental energy of heaven and earth emphasized 'control.' For body cultivators, the transition from internal scenery to external scenery was also about the unity of Heaven and Man, but it aimed to incorporate heaven and earth into oneself, with oneself as the primary focus. It was as if they were absorbing the power of heaven and earth to nourish themselves, forming their own inner heaven and earth, which would then, in turn, influence the true heaven and earth.

What about the Yang God? Is it to take heaven and earth as its root, with the soul actively merging into heaven and earth? In this path, is the most extreme choice to abandon oneself, to reside within heaven and earth, to be one with heaven and earth? It seemed to have some similarities with the Divine Path, which either roots itself in the veins of mountains and rivers or relies on incense offerings.

This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, making him recall the Yang God who attacked him in the Divine Court, whose figure was like a phantom, making it impossible to discern how it moved in front of him. Do these three distinct Grand Daos represent the three ultimate paths for living beings seeking the Dao, which then further diverge and give rise to various other Grand Daos? These were the results of Qin Sang's continuous contemplation. He knew there were certainly many errors and omissions, but it didn't matter. As his cultivation advanced, his understanding would gradually improve, and he would come to realize the true nature of the Dao. This process was a journey of seeking the Dao, and also a transformation and sublimation of his very being!

"Dao! Dao! Dao!" Qin Sang repeatedly uttered the word. Facts proved that the higher the cultivation realm, the greater the importance of the 'Dao,' and the smaller the influence of innate talent. At the Void Refinement stage, who would still care if you possessed a Five-Element Spirit Root? Of course, the speed at which one comprehends the Grand Dao is also a form of talent. Some achieve sudden enlightenment in a day, while others waste half a lifetime.

"This must be comprehension, right? But the level of comprehension certainly can't entirely dictate future achievements; it can also be supplemented through external means and gaining revelations." Qin Sang stared at the Azure Luan Dharma Idol. The so-called Dharma Idol is an external manifestation of the power of one's inner heaven and earth. With his Void Refinement stage understanding, his 'comprehension' of the Dharma Idol was certainly incomparable to that of ordinary people.

Qin Sang silently activated the *Celestial Demon Refining Form*.

Several days later.

The stone door of the cave dwelling opened, and Qin Sang emerged from seclusion, full of vigor. He instructed Elder Gui to guard the entrance and flew out of the cultivation ground. He flew unhurriedly through the sky, crossing the Fire Domain and reaching Cloud Metropolis Mountain, observing the changes below.

It appeared that Cloud Metropolis Mountain had undergone no changes for over two hundred years; at least, on the surface, it was extremely peaceful. Under the governance of Cloud Metropolis Heaven, Cloud Metropolis Mountain could enjoy long-term peace and stability, which was undoubtedly a blessing for cultivators.

Cloud Cauldron City.

Qin Sang visited the immortal city only once every few decades, but all successive guards knew his name. Upon entering the city, the guard commander personally led the way, straight to the highest level of Cloud Cauldron City. The City Lord himself came out to greet him.