Chapter 2137: Black Gold Skeleton

“It might be kept in the Lu Manor, or perhaps King Lu is carrying it. Once True Man Qin finds the Mirage Jade, if he intends to part with it, he might consider the imperial family; we will certainly ensure True Man Qin is satisfied.” The Grand Tutor said earnestly.

Although Qin Sang was powerful, he was an outsider and not qualified to enter the Yi Ren Clan's sacred land, rendering the treasure useless to him. The Siyou Clan's Mirage Jade had to be wielded by a Siyou descendant. Within the Siyou Clan, Silu was the only one on good terms with Qin Sang. Unless Qin Sang was willing to give it away for free, Silu would certainly not be able to offer a higher reward than the imperial family. The Si family of Yanshan already possessed a Mirage Jade, and with no top experts under Silu's command, their existing one was sufficient. Additional Mirage Jades would hold little significance for them. The sacred land offered countless opportunities, but it was also a place for tempering and selecting powerful cultivators of the Yi Ren Clan. It was fraught with peril; some dangers could not be avoided. Without sufficient strength, a large group was not necessarily an advantage; the sacred land could easily become a death trap.

Qin Sang remained noncommittal. The Grand Tutor, still unwilling to openly break ties, was helpless; he could not force Qin Sang to hand over the Mirage Jade.

As they spoke, the situation on the battlefield changed dramatically: the outer manor of Lu Manor fell, and the inner manor subsequently collapsed. Banners were torn to shreds and scattered by the wind, the protective array was broken, and the army faced no further obstacles. In this battle, Silu achieved a decisive victory. From then on, the Hanjiang Lu family ceased to exist!

At this moment, the Grand Tutor appeared at the opportune time, publicly announcing the Siyou Emperor's decree. This decree not only conferred the title of the new King Yan upon Silu, signifying the imperial family's recognition of him as the legitimate King Yan, but also tacitly approved the destruction of the Lu family. Observing the imperial family's stance, other factions set aside their own ambitions. The Si family of Yanshan and the name King Yan once again became widely known among the Siyou people.

Silu's great revenge had been avenged, but rebuilding the Si family of Yanshan would not be achieved overnight. Qin Sang was unconcerned with the subsequent trivial matters and soon returned to the Storm Realm. Su Nu and Vermilion Bird would remain for a period to assist Silu.

Qingyang Temple.

Qin Sang's round trip did not take long. Upon returning to his cave dwelling, he woke Min Zhuo and lifted some of the seals on his body.

Min Zhuo slowly opened his eyes, finding himself still bound and unable to move, though his internal injuries had significantly improved. During this time, Qin Sang had fed him various healing elixirs and, without hesitation, expended his true essence to personally heal him. However, Min Zhuo did not believe Qin Sang's actions were out of kindness; he simply couldn't fathom what scheme Qin Sang had in mind."True Man Qin, how exactly do you intend to deal with me? Why not just put me out of my misery!" Min Zhuo said coldly.

He had initially harbored a glimmer of hope of defecting to Qin Sang, but Qin Sang's attitude during this period showed no such intention. He gradually realized that Qin Sang would likely not allow him to leave alive, and Qin Sang's strange actions sent an inexplicable chill down his spine.

Qin Sang took out two meditation cushions. He sat cross-legged on one, and with a mere gesture, Min Zhuo, completely unable to resist, floated to a spot opposite him and sat perfectly still."What do you want to do!" Min Zhuo, sensing danger, demanded sharply.

As he spoke, the Qianjun Ring flashed with spiritual light, emitting a ray of dark gold. It was a skull. The skull's luster was gentle, revealing a dark golden glow, its eye sockets empty, yet a strange light seemed to flicker within them. This dark gold skull was precisely what Qin Sang had obtained after slaying Old Ancestor Minghu; it had formed from Minghu's physical body after his death.

This object was originally covered in cracks, and Qin Sang, unaware of its power, temporarily put it away. In his free time, he would later take it out to study, discovering that it could regenerate itself—fortunately, it wasn't Old Ancestor Minghu rising from the dead. Combining his understanding of artifact refining, Qin Sang treated it as a magical artifact. After numerous attempts, his understanding of the dark gold skull deepened. Subsequently, he personally refined the dark gold skull, developing some ideas he intended to test on Min Zhuo.

The dark gold skull floated between Qin Sang and Min Zhuo, facing Min Zhuo. Stared at by its empty eye sockets, Min Zhuo felt a chill run down his spine and a strong sense of foreboding.

Qin Sang cast several hand seals in succession. Dark gold light flickered erratically, and the surface of the dark gold skull seemed to ignite with dark gold flames. These illusory dark gold flames had no warmth, making the skull appear even more bizarre."Pardon me," Qin Sang said blandly. With a thought, the dark gold skull flew towards Min Zhuo.

"What is this..." Min Zhuo was greatly alarmed. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly an intense pain assailed him. He saw the dark gold skull directly mount his head, its lower part clinging tightly to his scalp. Min Zhuo looked as if he had two heads, and illusory dark gold flames erupted from the connection point.

"Ah!" Min Zhuo let out a painful scream. His cultivation was sealed, yet even with his mental fortitude intact, he couldn't endure such agony. Through the illusory dark gold flames, one could see the light, like sharp blades, cutting into his skin. The dark gold skull had already embedded itself into his scalp and continued to burrow inward, attempting to enter his body. Min Zhuo was in immense pain, but with his entire body bound, he couldn't even struggle.

Qin Sang's gaze was cold as he stared intently at the dark gold skull. There were no normal wounds, and thus no blood. At the connection point, only dense, fleshy tendrils constantly wriggled like living things. It was impossible to tell if they belonged to Min Zhuo, the dark gold skull, or were symbiotic growths, making the sight utterly bizarre. The dark gold skull embedded itself deeper and deeper. Min Zhuo let out hoarse screams, his breath gradually weakening as Corpse Qi invaded his body. What was even more horrifying was that Min Zhuo felt his consciousness begin to dim.

Progress was smoother than expected. Qin Sang secretly nodded. Just as this thought flashed through his mind, his expression subtly stiffened.

The dark gold skull, almost halfway embedded in Min Zhuo's body, suddenly began to tremble without any warning. Its dark gold light flickered violently, as a power within Min Zhuo furiously resisted. Qin Sang's eyes flashed, and he immediately intervened, attempting to stabilize the dark gold skull. However, the repelling force was unexpectedly strong and rendered his efforts futile.

*Bang!*With a loud bang, the light abruptly dimmed, and the dark gold skull was flung out of Min Zhuo's body. Min Zhuo's physical body was intact, with no visible wounds, but the pain still lingered, and his breath was weak, as if the dark gold skull had caused him immense damage. It took a long time for him to recover even a trace of vital energy.

"Demon! You falsely claim to be a True Man of the Daoist sect!" Min Zhuo shrieked, his eyes filled with hatred.

Qin Sang paid no heed. He turned the dark gold skull over in his hand, recalling the recent process and silently calculating.

Min Zhuo's cultivation was completely sealed by him, so logically, he should have been unable to resist. Yet, that resisting force truly existed. After careful deliberation, Qin Sang roughly guessed the source of this repelling power: it stemmed from Min Zhuo's life instinct and will, and also from the dark gold skull itself. The two were inherently incompatible; forcibly combining them was bound to fail. He realized he had been confined by his past experiences, attempting to control a living corpse through the dark gold skull. Reaching Void cultivators have infinite lifespans, firm wills, and are difficult to extinguish; it was almost impossible to turn them into living corpse puppets while they were alive. At least with his current cultivation, he couldn't do it yet, and he had abandoned the Corpse Dao a long time ago.

Having figured this out, Qin Sang stopped making futile attempts. He looked up at Min Zhuo and said, "I'll borrow your body, fellow Daoist!""You..." Min Zhuo's eyes stiffened and quickly lost their luster.Thus, the patriarch of the Changyou Tribe fell.

Qin Sang once again controlled the dark gold skull to land on Min Zhuo's head. This time, he encountered no such resistance, but when it burrowed in more than halfway, its speed slowed again. During this process, Qin Sang also comprehended the various changes and made corresponding adjustments. Some points he hadn't fully comprehended before were now validated in reality, and he quickly grasped the underlying principles. Under Qin Sang's manipulation, the dark gold skull burrowed deeper and deeper until it was completely embedded within Min Zhuo's body.

*Swish!*Min Zhuo stood up ramrod straight. His eyes were closed, and his facial features were exactly as before. From the outside, it was impossible to tell that a dark gold skull had invaded and replaced his own. It could be described as parasitism or fusion; through the dark gold skull, Qin Sang effortlessly obtained a corpse puppet. Of course, it only seemed easy now; the previous process of comprehending and refining the dark gold skull was not easy.

With a thought from Qin Sang, Min Zhuo stepped out of the cave dwelling, completely obeying Qin Sang's commands. Unlike living corpses, both the dark gold skull and the physical body were inanimate objects, possessing no will of their own. Unless a new consciousness were to be born later, it was impossible for it to betray Qin Sang.

Qin Sang also flashed outside the mountain, standing in the void, facing Min Zhuo. A moment later, Min Zhuo spread his arms out to his sides. Instantly, the sound of water shook the heavens, and a great river appeared out of nowhere, winding and circling.

He could manipulate the elemental energy of heaven and earth, just like a true Reaching Void cultivator, and could even cast Min Zhuo's divine abilities! This was an unexpected pleasant surprise. Qin Sang immediately ordered Min Zhuo to attack him.

*Splash!*The river water surged, rushing towards him. The Bright Mountain Armor appeared on Qin Sang's body, and he secretly activated his Dharma Form and the Great Vajra Wheel Seal, preparing to take the full force of the blow head-on.

*Rumble...*Great waves surged, rumbling through the heavens as they washed over Qin Sang. Qin Sang remained unmoving, like a pillar in the river.

*Splash!*The river water suddenly turned, returning to Min Zhuo, transforming into a water giant whose massive fist struck out. Qin Sang raised his hand to block. When fist met palm, the void shook violently. Fortunately, Qin Sang had set up restrictions beforehand, so others were not disturbed.

The next moment, Min Zhuo retreated and dispersed the surrounding river water. Qin Sang withdrew his hand, pondering inwardly, having gained a rough estimate of Min Zhuo's strength.

The ability to control the elemental energy of heaven and earth, a feat beyond the reach of Nascent Soul cultivators, undoubtedly signified Reaching Void level combat power. However, it was still slightly weaker than Min Zhuo in his prime.

Qin Sang clearly understood that the dark gold skull was not best suited for spell cultivators. "It would be best to find a Reaching Void stage body cultivator, or a great demon with a naturally formidable physical body, to truly unleash the dark gold skull's power," Qin Sang thought to himself.

This was another valuable aspect of the dark gold skull: Qin Sang discovered he could extract it from Min Zhuo's body and transfer it to another. Whether there were any limitations to such a transfer remained to be verified.

The dark gold skull was undoubtedly an extraordinary treasure with various advantages, but it was not without hidden concerns.

Aside from its various requirements for the physical body, Old Ancestor Minghu's cultivation in life was only at the early Reaching Void stage, so the dark gold skull could not be without limitations. Although Qin Sang had meticulously refined it, and it was no longer merely the original skull, he was unsure if it could control corpse puppets whose original cultivation levels were higher than its original owner's.

Unfortunately, on the battlefield, to prevent King Lu and others from using divine abilities to escape, Qin Sang dared not hold back, and several experts failed to leave behind complete bodies.

After testing, Qin Sang brought Min Zhuo back to the cave dwelling.

Min Zhuo stood quietly behind Qin Sang, like a guard hidden in the shadows. His appearance remained unchanged; his skin had a faint, almost imperceptible dark gold hue. Qin Sang could also control his expressions, making them vivid and realistic. Aside from the faint Corpse Qi lingering about him, he was indistinguishable from a living person; one could not tell at all that he was a corpse puppet.

There were many ways to conceal Corpse Qi. Qin Sang took out a cloak and had Min Zhuo wear it. As long as he didn't attack, Min Zhuo would be a lifeless corpse and wouldn't cause any trouble. Qin Sang then stored him in his small grotto-heaven. From then on, he had another fearless helper by his side.

Only then did Qin Sang have time to carefully sort through the relics of King Lu and others. Most of the spirit treasures from Lu Manor only resonated with the Siyou Clan's bloodline, so Qin Sang left them all to Silu, enabling Silu to trade them for useful treasures within the Siyou Clan.

Upon careful consideration, Qin Sang currently had no urgent needs. Only spiritual elixirs and miraculous medicines that boosted cultivation were always valuable, and the more, the better. The path ahead seemed smooth; all he needed to do was proceed with his cultivation systematically.

Qin Sang divided the treasures according to value and type. Those of slightly lesser value were handed over to Li Yufu or used to strengthen the Daoist temple. The world was largely settled, and people's hearts were aligned.

He could manage the Daoist temple according to his own ideas; the structure of the Storm Realm would surely change. He would need to establish altars and transmit teachings. These matters would have to be addressed step by step. Before that, he needed to make a trip to Ziyun Mountain.

Soon after, Su Nu and Vermilion Bird also returned. Qin Sang stated that he would be leaving for some time and asked Su Nu to stay and look after the Daoist temple. Upon hearing this, Vermilion Bird immediately perked up, jumping onto Qin Sang's shoulder and clamoring, "I'm coming too! I'm coming too! Once I, the Vermilion Bird, appear, all beings will bow, and none will dare to disobey! I can definitely help you win the beauty's heart! Hehehe..." It was unclear what this fellow had learned from whom, but his laughter became increasingly smarmy.

Qin Sang had originally intended to take Vermilion Bird with him, so the next day, he bade farewell to Su Nu and headed for Ziyun Mountain.

Not long after entering the territory of the Zhu Yan Tribe, Yuan Miu received the news and personally came out to greet him.

Since that great battle, Yuan Miu had never mentioned sparring again.

The two exchanged a few greetings, then arrived at the Teleportation Hall, where Yuan Miu handed Qin Sang a token.

"This is our clan's guest elder token. True Man should keep it with him to facilitate his movements. The patriarch had instructed me in advance that the place True Man intends to go is located at the southernmost tip of the Mist Sea, connecting the teleportation arrays of all the major higher tribes. It serves as the gateway for our Celestial Division to enter and exit the Mist Sea. Beyond the Mist Sea lies the territory of the East Sea Aquatic Race. Although we have an alliance with them, that area is a mixed bag of good and bad elements and not entirely safe. Furthermore, since True Man is of human origin, caution is paramount..."

At this point, Yuan Miu patted his forehead. "I almost forgot that True Man's disguise as a demon is so convincing. This trip will surely be without hindrance."

Qin Sang smiled slightly, hung the token at his waist, and then took out a cloak and put it on. After Yuan Miu activated the grand teleportation array, Qin Sang cupped his hands to him and stepped into the array.

The sky spun, the earth turned, and the void twisted. After a blur of light and shadows, Qin Sang felt himself return to solid ground, already countless miles away.