Chapter 2009: Lotus City

The Blood-Filth Divine Light's ability to obscure artifact spirits was undoubtedly a treasure master artificers dreamed of.

Qin Sang had previously felt that the Seamless Blood Mulberry was somewhat undeserving of its reputation. Its effect, the Blood-Filth Divine Light, noticeably weakened when applied to Dharma artifacts, spiritual artifacts, and even acquired spiritual artifacts. It could no longer, as in the past, directly incapacitate an opponent's reliance during combat, achieving a decisive, miraculous effect.

So this was why the Seamless Blood Mulberry was ranked among the Ten Great Divine Woods.

Recalling the battle in front of the Ziwei Palace, Old Demon Ye and Sin Abyss truly squandered a precious resource.

However, Nascent Soul cultivators in the Storm Realm could not access artifact spirits. For them, the Seamless Blood Mulberry's greatest value was actually its most useless aspect. Whether it was a waste or not depended on individual perspectives.

He had initially believed that before revitalizing the Ziwei lineage, he would need to act cautiously, and the Cloud Roaming Sword would remain dormant. Unexpectedly, circumstances took a turn, allowing it to assist him in the path of artifact refining.

"I wonder what secret art is needed to refine the Blood-Filth Divine Light," Qin Sang mused. "It probably won't be easy, and such arts are surely collected by various sects, not easily passed on."

With this thought in mind, Qin Sang subtly inquired about it.

As expected, Elder Qi also did not know this secret art. Such arts could not be widely disseminated in the Great Thousand World, and the Ten Great Divine Woods were exceedingly rare. A secret art without the corresponding divine wood would eventually be discarded and forgotten over time.

Finding the secret art was undoubtedly much easier than finding a Seamless Blood Mulberry.

From Elder Qi, Qin Sang learned that the Five Elements Alliance had long collected numerous artifact refining secret arts and crafting legacies. Guest Elders could gain access to these collections after making certain contributions to the alliance, allowing them to acquire one or even several arts. This was also one of the Five Elements Alliance's methods for attracting talent.

Contribution was measured in various ways. The safest, of course, was to refine more treasures for the Five Elements Alliance, though this would be time-consuming.

Qin Sang knew that even if the Five Elements Alliance possessed such a secret art, it would likely not be easily accessible, and he shouldn't rush.

Through Elder Qi, Qin Sang not only learned many secrets but also gained a deep understanding of the common rules of artifact refining in the Great Thousand World, which would greatly facilitate his future actions.

Just as the two were engrossed in conversation, the outer restriction was triggered, and Deacon Zhao's voice came through, "Elder Qi, a talisman message has arrived from headquarters."

"There must be news from the alliance," Elder Qi said, rising. "Fellow Daoist Qin, please be patient."

Elder Qi returned to the quiet room moments after leaving, a smile on his face. He cupped his hands and congratulated, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qin! As expected, the alliance will not refuse any master artificer. As long as you are willing to join the Five Elements Alliance, a position will be reserved for you, and a Guest Elder token will be presented. In the future, by holding this token, you can mobilize the power of any branch, anywhere, at any time for assistance! However, before presenting the Elder token, we require you to complete one task for the alliance to demonstrate your capabilities."

"That is understandable," Qin Sang replied. "May I ask what you require of me?"

Qin Sang asked. The entire process was easier than he had anticipated; he guessed they would ask him to refine a spiritual artifact or similar treasure.

Just as Qin Sang had guessed, Elder Qi said.

"According to custom, the alliance should have sent other elders to meet with Fellow Daoist Qin. However, as our alliance is currently busy with a major undertaking, the elders in Jade Capital City are occupied and temporarily unable to come. We hope Fellow Daoist Qin will excuse this oversight in etiquette. For now, you only need to refine a few items here at this branch. Once the items are completed, the alliance will pay you the same remuneration as other Guest Elders. If you have no other requests, I will immediately arrange a refining chamber for you and have the alliance deliver the spiritual materials."

His main goal this time was to obtain an Elder token; remuneration was secondary.

Qin Sang hesitated, "Roughly how much time will it take to refine those items?"

Artifact refining, especially for spiritual artifacts, often took years. He feared being delayed too long here, which might affect his sword retrieval plan.

As Sword Servant had said, the current struggle over King Zhou's lifespan had attracted worldwide attention, presenting a rare opportunity.

Qin Sang explained, "With King Zhou's demise and no new king yet enthroned, undercurrents are swirling in Jade Capital. I worry that great chaos might erupt, so I wish to leave this troubled place as soon as possible."

"How could White Jade Capital fall into chaos unless someone intends to strip King Zhou's title?" Elder Qi dismissed the notion. "The powerful figures above are still locked in endless debate; it will be at least ten or eight years before it might affect us. Still, Fellow Daoist Qin's concerns are not entirely unfounded..."

Elder Qi, still unconcerned, calculated silently, "If Fellow Daoist wishes to leave quickly, I estimate half a year should suffice."

The time commitment was shorter than he expected, so Qin Sang readily agreed.

Elder Qi led Qin Sang out of the quiet room and towards the back hall, saying, "Our alliance has Five Elements refining chambers and some special ones. Which type would Fellow Daoist prefer?"

"I typically use fire," Qin Sang replied.

Elder Qi was not surprised. All five elements had their unique artifact refining traditions, with fire being the most common.

Upon reaching a fire chamber, Elder Qi left Qin Sang, went out for a while, and returned with a wooden ring.

A simple character '木' (wood) was carved on the ring.

"The spiritual materials and schematics are all in this ring. If you have any questions, I will be in that refining chamber," Elder Qi said, pointing to a chamber on his left, then cupped his hands and left.

Qin Sang activated the grand formation, sealing off the interior from the outside.

Qin Sang extended his spiritual sense into the wooden ring, and what appeared before his eyes were rows of neatly arranged spiritual materials.

Unexpectedly, these materials were not extremely rare, but their variety was exceptionally extensive and dazzling.

At the very back, Qin Sang saw a scroll made from some unknown beast hide.

He took out the scroll, unfurled it before him, and an extremely precise schematic was revealed to Qin Sang.

"Oh?"

Qin Sang immediately spotted the anomaly. "It looks like a Dharma artifact! No, it's part of some Dharma artifact!"

He hadn't expected the Five Elements Alliance to ask him to refine a Dharma artifact instead of a spiritual artifact.

Certain special Dharma artifacts could possess extraordinary power, with a refining difficulty no less than, or even greater than, that of spiritual artifacts. The large-scale flying Dharma artifacts popular in Moondew Bay also belonged to this category.

The schematic contained three images, depicting three beast heads: a dragon head, a tiger head, and a phoenix beak.

Of course, they had no relation to real divine beasts; it was merely a borrowing of their forms. The three beast heads had largely similar structures, with the crucial differences lying in their internal runic restrictions and construction.

Qin Sang gave it a quick glance and could only describe it with one word: intricate!

No wonder it required the expertise of a master artificer.

The wide variety of spiritual materials included many with conflicting properties, requiring ingenious refining techniques to transform them into various components and assemble them into a cohesive whole. This not only meant avoiding conflicts and embedding runic restrictions but also turning the mundane into the miraculous, achieving a synergistic effect.

The sheer number of components for a single beast head was unimaginable for an ordinary person, ranging from human-sized to microscopic. While refining might not take excessively long, it was a tremendous test of an artificer's control.

Qin Sang couldn't guarantee success every time, but fortunately, the Five Elements Alliance had provided extra spiritual materials.

The Five Elements Alliance's arrangement was also very ingenious: they divided a single Dharma artifact into various parts, each to be refined independently. An artificer could not deduce the complete Dharma artifact just from the part they knew.

Qin Sang suspected that the parts assigned to him were likely the easier ones. The main body of the Dharma artifact must be far more complex, and the Five Elements Alliance elders were probably collaborating on its refinement, which was why they couldn't spare the time.

Setting aside distracting thoughts, Qin Sang immersed himself in the schematic, carefully studying it. He then began with the simplest components, refining and exploring as he went.

During his refining period, Qin Sang left the Five Elements Alliance several times to meet with Sword Servant and explain the situation.

Qin Sang estimated that completing the Five Elements Alliance's task would take half a year to a year, a duration he could afford to wait.

After all, for their subsequent actions, they would first need to contact Grandmaster Tianyue and then wait for Grandmaster Tianyue to make proper arrangements. The actual execution might be much later.

He agreed on a departure time with Sword Servant to avoid implicating him. Going forward, they would minimize their meetings and maintain their disguises.

Half a year later.

Inside a refining chamber of the Five Elements Alliance.

Qin Sang sat cross-legged, surrounded by a fiery red glow, with a fire dragon circling above his head.

The fire dragon encircled a mass of golden liquid. Impurities were continuously refined out, and golden patterns emerged within. Gradually, these patterns were extracted, forming extremely fine golden threads. When a complete golden thread was drawn out, the liquid completely lost its luster.

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. The golden thread suddenly straightened, then he flicked his sleeve, and with a 'bang,' countless components burst forth before him.

The golden thread swiftly weaved among these components like a needle and thread, forming the rough outline of a tiger head in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the tiger head's eyes opened wide in a furious glare, radiating ferocity.

Qin Sang's expression was solemn. He continuously flicked his fingers, sending streams of light into the tiger head. The fierce glare gradually receded, finally forming a tiger head roughly half the size of the fire chamber.

Its mouth was wide open, radiating fierce power.

Facing its open mouth, one felt a sense of danger, as if sharp attacks might erupt from within.

"Could it be a cannon muzzle?"

Qin Sang pondered, but didn't delve deeper. After adjusting his breathing, he continued refining.

In the tenth month, Qin Sang finally completed one each of the dragon head, tiger head, and phoenix beak, and then invited Elder Qi.

Three beast heads were sufficient to prove his capability. Refining more would yield greater remuneration, but Qin Sang could not wait any longer.

"Elder Qin's skill is indeed profound!" Elder Qi remarked after seeing the three beast heads, immediately addressing him as 'Elder.'

Unbeknownst to him, during the refining process, Qin Sang had not hesitated to expend his vital blood, incorporating the Blood Refining Art of the Chongxuan Sect. His purpose was to make the Five Elements Alliance value him more.

Elder Qi put away the three beast heads. "Elder Qin wishes to leave, so I won't waste words; there will be ample time in the future. What remuneration does Elder Qin desire this time? I will report it accordingly."

"How much Thousand Feather Spirit Silk can you give me?" Qin Sang asked.

Thousand Feather Spirit Silk was one of the indispensable spiritual materials for constructing Daoist altars, and the required quantity was much less than that of Azure Trace Origin Essence.

"Thousand Feather Spirit Silk..."

Elder Qi pondered for a moment. "Typically around three zhang. However, I can try to secure five zhang for Elder Qin. Since Elder Qin is a new member, the alliance will likely be accommodating to show goodwill."

"In that case, I thank Elder Qi very much," Qin Sang said gratefully, acknowledging the favor.

"It's a minor matter," Elder Qi waved his hand casually. "Elder Qin, just await my good news."

It wasn't long before Elder Qi returned, indeed bringing five zhang of Thousand Feather Spirit Silk and an Elder token.

The Thousand Feather Spirit Silk resembled fine cords, multicolored and seemingly woven from countless bird feather filaments.

Azure Trace Origin Essence, Thousand Feather Spirit Silk...

He had already obtained two types. By slowly collecting items piece by piece like this, he would eventually be able to construct his own altar.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Elder Qi, Qin Sang left the Five Elements Alliance.

At this time, Sword Servant had already requested leave from the King Zhou's Palace and was disguised, awaiting Qin Sang's departure.

After meeting, Sword Servant, disguised as Qin Sang's disciple, headed towards an official residence in the Thirtieth Heaven.

Upon arrival, Qin Sang had been a rogue cultivator; upon departure, he had transformed into a Guest Elder of the Five Elements Alliance. The fees for the Grand Teleportation Array were indeed considerably reduced. Qin Sang paid a sum of Black Rainbow Silver and boarded the Grand Teleportation Array with Sword Servant.

However, they only had one jade talisman between them. During the teleportation, Qin Sang had to use his stronger magical power to protect both himself and Sword Servant.

The moment he left White Jade Capital, Qin Sang couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. He had intended to properly admire the human race's holy land and plan his future path, but instead, he had arrived and departed in a rush, spending his entire time in White Jade Capital refining artifacts within the Five Elements Alliance.

'Crackling...'

Riding the Grand Teleportation Array, they teleported from White Jade Capital to Duizhou Prefecture City.

As Qin Sang and Sword Servant emerged from the Grand Teleportation Array, the first thing they felt was the humid air, and they heard the sound of raindrops hitting the water surface and lotus leaves.

The sky was dim and heavy.

Thick, unmoving clouds enveloped all directions, and fine rain drizzled down, neither heavy nor light, without a downpour. Yet the rain's intensity was like an unyielding sorrow, as if it would never cease.

It was said that the weather in the Duizhou region was like this year-round; the entire Duizhou was almost entirely situated within an endless vast swamp.

Qin Sang looked down at his feet. Beneath him were emerald lotus leaves, their undersides pressed tightly against the water surface, floating like green plates that would not sink, and were extraordinarily tough.

Looking out, dense lotus leaves covered all directions. These 'lotus leaves' varied in size, some actually being duckweed, extending to the horizon, where countless tiny green specks could still be seen.

This was Duizhou's prefecture city, one of the Eight Great Heavenly States: an immortal city built upon lotus leaves and duckweed, spread flat above the swamp!

It was thus given the name — Lotus City.

This lotus was called the Clear King Lotus, a unique variant. Its leaves ranged from several zhang to even thousands or tens of thousands of zhang in size. It was said to only grow in Duizhou's capital city, wilting if taken elsewhere. Mortals who consumed its seeds could prolong their lives, and its leaves were a tough spiritual material, allowing pavilions and towers to be built upon them without fear of collapse.

Lotus City was not entirely flat; the lotus leaves varied in height, connected by arched bridges made from lotus stems, forming a beautifully staggered and picturesque landscape.

Qin Sang noticed that the water level in Lotus City was actually only one zhang deep above the swamp below.

Yet, standing there, he detected no hint of putrid odor, only wafts of fresh lotus leaf fragrance.

Even more peculiar was that for countless years, the dark clouds in Duizhou's sky had never dispersed, and the rain had been continuous. Infinite rainfall descended, yet the water level neither rose nor fell by a single fraction.

When Qin Sang shifted his foot, the lotus leaf subtly trembled, and ripples spread across the water surface.