Chapter 2144: Enhancing Strength

Qin Sang took out the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock, and in an instant, golden radiance filled the room. When not activated, the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock was only palm-sized. Qin Sang held it in his hand, examining it carefully. The golden lock was tightly clasped, with faint cloud patterns carved on its surface.

Qin Sang attempted to probe the golden lock with his spiritual sense. He clearly felt the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock's inherent spirituality; its spirit embryo was already highly developed, not far from transformation. For a spiritual treasure, passing this stage meant giving birth to a tool spirit within the embryo, thus defying fate. However, this hurdle was incredibly difficult, and countless powerful spiritual treasures remained forever stuck before this final step.

When Qin Sang touched the spirit embryo, he immediately sensed a strong repulsion. Normally, if a cultivator and a spiritual treasure were highly compatible, recognition would occur instantly upon contact, and the treasure would readily accept its master. Since the spiritual treasure's embryo had not yet developed intelligence, it was driven purely by instinct. If a spiritual treasure did not accept a master upon first encounter, it would be almost impossible for it to willingly accept one later. The only option was to forcefully subdue it using the *Treasury Manipulation Art*.

Over the years, many artifact refiners had spent vast amounts of time and energy researching methods to subdue spiritual treasures. Similar secret arts emerged endlessly, but their effectiveness varied wildly. For instance, most secret arts relied on demanding conditions that ordinary cultivators found difficult to meet. Some arts, though allowing cultivators to wield spiritual treasures, would damage the treasure's spirituality, significantly diminishing its power. Others took the opposite approach, causing no significant harm to the treasure, but requiring the cultivator to pay a considerable price—a trade-off that was not worthwhile unless the spiritual treasure's power was exceptionally great. Among all these methods, only a few achieved true perfection, and these were mostly held by major legacies and powerful factions in the art of artifact refining.

Secret arts varied in quality. Utilizing the Blood-Stained Divine Light through the Boundless Blood Mulberry was undoubtedly one of the most superior secret arts. It could even be used to subdue the tool spirits of acquired and innate spiritual treasures. This was precisely why the Boundless Blood Mulberry ranked among the Ten Great Divine Woods. Qin Sang possessed the Boundless Blood Mulberry, but he lacked the corresponding secret art. If he were to directly defile the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock with the Blood-Stained Divine Light, it might enrage the spiritual treasure and produce a counterproductive effect.

The secret art he had acquired from the Five Elements Alliance was called the *Taiheng Art*. This was one of the best secret arts available for exchange by guest elders of the Five Elements Alliance, though certainly not their most top-tier treasure. It inevitably had drawbacks, but these were acceptable. Given Qin Sang's proficiency in artifact refining, he might be able to meditate on it thoroughly and devise ways to compensate for its imperfections, thereby minimizing its impact on the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock. Qin Sang already had some ideas for this, which needed to be verified. The Blood Refinement Art, taught in the *Profound Mystery Compendium*, could deepen the connection between a cultivator and a spiritual treasure. Qin Sang planned to use his own vital essence to nourish the spiritual treasure.

Before performing the *Taiheng Art*, Qin Sang needed to refine eight golden figures. He had prepared for this for a long time, and all the spiritual materials for crafting the figures were ready. He entered the fire chamber, first setting the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock aside. The Thousand-Pound Ring shimmered, and streams of light shot out, hovering in mid-air, almost filling the entire chamber. Countless spiritual materials, seemingly incredibly complex, were systematically cast into the spiritual flame by Qin Sang. His timing and control of the heat were absolutely perfect, showing effortless mastery.

Gradually, faint dark-gold light began to emanate from the flames. After some time, the entire fire chamber was almost bathed in a layer of dark-gold luster. Qin Sang's gaze sharpened. He slapped his palm towards the spiritual flame, which vibrated and split from the center. A beam of dark-gold light shot out and landed beside Qin Sang.

*Thud!* The ground vibrated, indicating its immense weight. This was a golden figure, half a person's height, with discernible features and complete limbs. It sat cross-legged, hands resting on its knees with palms facing upwards, eyes open and gazing straight ahead. Qin Sang glanced at the golden figure, nodded with satisfaction, and then continued refining. His movements were ceaseless as one golden figure after another was crafted. Even with his cultivation, it took him two failures before he successfully refined all eight figures. Putting away the excess spiritual materials, Qin Sang flicked his sleeve, and the eight golden figures scattered with a bang, each taking a position according to the Eight Trigrams.

Qin Sang's eyes slightly closed as he silently recalled the *Taiheng Art*. He had studied this secret art beforehand, but there were still some unclear points that required the cooperation of the eight golden figures for further comprehension. Before long, a subtle change occurred in Qin Sang's aura. Under the influence of qi, the golden light from the eight golden figures was drawn towards Qin Sang, dyeing his skin a dark-gold color. Immediately after, the eight golden figures seemed to come alive. Their eyes gleamed with a strange vitality, slowly turning to fix their gaze on Qin Sang. Then, they raised their right arms, index fingers pointing towards him. The eight golden figures maintained this posture, with no other unusual phenomena occurring. However, a mysterious qi continued to circulate quietly between Qin Sang and the eight figures.

Qin Sang's brows occasionally furrowed and then relaxed. Finally, he slowly nodded, uttered, "So that's how it is," and exhaled a long breath, ceasing his spell. The eight golden figures retracted their arms and returned to their normal state. Qin Sang calmly meditated for a moment to recover his breath. Then, he conjured the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock, making it float above his head. Simultaneously, he activated the secret art, casting eight consecutive hand seals that sank into the bodies of the eight golden figures.

"Hum!" The golden figures rose into the air, surrounding the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock in the center. As before, they raised their arms, pointing their fingers at the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock. Qin Sang remained stationary, fully activating the secret art. Periodically, a faint ripple would emerge in the void, causing the golden light on the figures to ebb and flow. Then, a beam of golden light would surge from their fingertips, shooting towards the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock. Before long, the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock was enveloped in a sphere of dark-gold light, as if encased within a golden embryonic sac.

Qin Sang's movements grew more frantic, hand seals rapidly forming. Some were directed at the golden figures, but most dissolved into the golden embryonic sac. Mysterious patterns appeared on the surface of the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock within the golden embryonic sac. These patterns grew denser, seemingly permeating the lock's interior. Qin Sang's perception became clearer: the invisible force generated by the *Taiheng Art* was approaching the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock's spirituality.

As if sensing danger instinctively, the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock grew restless. Qin Sang immediately interrupted the secret art. Looking at the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock now, it was trembling up and down within the golden embryonic sac. The eight golden figures were still functioning, but they no longer made the spiritual treasure feel threatened, slowly allowing it to adapt and accept. Qin Sang raised his hands to his chest, cupping them together. He continued to operate the *Taiheng Art*, and golden droplets began to condense in his palms, gradually filling them. Qin Sang appeared to be expending enormous energy, his expression becoming somewhat listless. The golden liquid split into eight portions and flowed into the eight golden figures. Soon, the golden embryonic sac became as dense as liquid, and the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock calmed down. The chamber was silent, but the transformation continued ceaselessly.

Qin Sang sensed the qi circulating within the eight golden figures and nodded subtly. Subduing the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock was a long and arduous process, but with the assistance of the eight golden figures, he didn't need to stay here indefinitely. However, this golden liquid would eventually be depleted and require replenishment periodically. Each replenishment would demand a more intense toll on his own vitality. Moreover, the eight golden figures would lose all their power and become useless after only one use—a significant price to pay. Yet, as long as he could refine the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock, these sacrifices were well worth it.

Qin Sang entered a meditative state for a long time until his breath finally recovered. He stood up and stepped back, but did not leave the fire chamber, instead settling in a corner, preparing to cultivate there to prevent any unforeseen incidents. *Clang!* His Grey Oriole Sword hummed, leaping into the air and circling above Qin Sang's head. Moments later, darkness spread, engulfing Qin Sang and his spiritual sword. Inside the fire chamber, darkness and golden radiance each occupied half the space, coexisting peacefully.

Inside the sword array, it was a different scene entirely. The night sky was filled with brilliant starlight, stars forming a vast and boundless galaxy. At a glance, it was roughly divided into four regions. The western and southern regions were the brightest, with distinct starlight and clearly visible individual stars. The northern and eastern regions, however, were two chaotic masses of starlight, appearing as if composed of nebulae, with hardly any discernible independent stars.

Qin Sang materialized in the night sky, positioned at its center, taking in all four star domains. His gaze swept over the western and southern regions. The Western White Tiger Seven Mansions and the Southern Vermillion Bird Seven Mansions were already fully evolved. The south, in particular, was presided over by a true Vermillion Bird, and with the Vermillion Bird's breakthrough to the Void Refining stage, the power of the Southern Vermillion Bird Sword Array had advanced another level. It was a pity he only had one Vermillion Bird; if he could gather all four sacred beasts, each with cultivation comparable to the Vermillion Bird, not only would the sword array's deduction be much easier, but the Four Symbols Sword Array's power would reach a terrifying degree.

With this thought, Qin Sang's gaze swept over the eastern and northern regions. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to first deduce the Eastern Azure Dragon Sword Array. For him, both arrays were at the same starting point, so the order didn't make much difference. With a flicker of his figure, Qin Sang appeared at the center of the nebula, surrounded by chaotic light and shadows, and threads of light, like stardust drifting through the void.

Qin Sang stood in the void, gazing at the nebula, a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind. The Four Symbols Sword Array shared certain commonalities. He first recalled the process of comprehending the Western White Tiger Sword Array and deducing the Southern Vermillion Bird Sword Array years ago. Then he remembered the revelations he had gained from the Sword Path in the Ziwei Palace. The insights were vague but incredibly valuable; as long as he meditated diligently, he could discern the underlying connections and use them as a core to continue his deductions, thereby avoiding straying onto the wrong path.

Next, images flashed through Qin Sang's mind—scenes he had witnessed within the Divine Court. The Talisman Gods resided in the Divine Court, and each divine hall was like a star, arranged according to the laws of celestial constellations. Recalling the Eastern Azure Dragon Star Domain, and simultaneously referencing the Daoist scriptures he had previously studied in the Daoist sect, all these elements aided him in deducing the sword array. In fact, Qin Sang's initial idea to create the Heavenly Star Combat Sword Array originated from the Divine Court, and he later used it as a reference. Once the sword array was perfected in the future, it could be considered a direct lineage from the Divine Court's Combat Division. Beyond that, the most invaluable aspect was the understanding he had gained over many years from comprehending Grandmaster Tianyue's sword light and from within the Sword Domain.

These elements were all jumbled together, making it difficult to sort them out for a moment. Qin Sang's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes somewhat vacant. He was deeply immersed, his palms unconsciously sifting through the void before him. The nebula was stirred by him as if swept by a storm. The surrounding nebulae vibrated, quickly colliding and merging. The nebulae, initially uniformly distributed in the void, began to show signs of dispersion and aggregation. Where they converged, stardust gathered increasingly, and starlight became more dazzling, forming ribbon-like or wispy stardust belts. These belts continued to condense, seemingly drawn towards the center by an attractive force. First, a massive disk of stardust formed, then it became a loose sphere with flying stardust around it. As the sphere continued to compress, a star was born! Hidden beneath this phenomenon was the transformation of sword intent. This star hovered before Qin Sang, emanating a chilling sword intent—it was a Sword Star!

"This can be the first star of the Horn Mansion..." Qin Sang gazed at the star, murmuring to himself. A word became law! The star vibrated violently, then abruptly shot into the depths of the nebula. Wherever it passed, the nebulae receded, and it finally settled in a certain spot in the night sky, hanging high, radiating brilliant starlight that illuminated the entire star domain. The Horn Mansion was the first mansion of the East, and this was the first star of the first mansion! The establishment of this star held immense significance.

A smile appeared on Qin Sang's lips. Suddenly, he felt a premonition and quickly exited the sword array. He found that the eight golden figures had dimmed, and the golden embryonic sac had become very ethereal, on the verge of collapsing. "So much time has passed..." Qin Sang, immersed in deducing the sword array, had felt as though only an instant had gone by. He repeated the process, helping the eight golden figures stabilize the golden embryonic sac and condense the golden liquid. After recovering his breath, he returned to the sword array.

Gazing at the first star of the Horn Mansion, Qin Sang reflected on the process and realized that this sword array deduction was easier than anticipated. The reasons were evident: his cultivation was higher than before, and he had the accumulated experience from deducing the Southern Vermillion Bird Sword Array. Furthermore, there was another crucial reason: as his cultivation improved, he better understood the true meaning of the *Purple Tenuity Sword Scripture*, making it easier to comprehend the sword light left by Grandmaster Tianyue and deepening his understanding of the Sword Domain. Conversely, deducing the sword array also served to nourish him, deepening his comprehension of the Dao of the Sword and aiding him in comprehending the sword light and Sword Domain. For the following period, apart from occasionally emerging to assist the eight golden figures, Qin Sang completely immersed himself in the profound Dao of the Sword, forgetting everything outside.

While Qin Sang was in secluded cultivation, Li Yu axe was, as per his instructions, mobilizing the power of the Storm Realm, selecting locations, and constructing altars. With all the spiritual materials ready, they simply needed to proceed step by step. With the assistance of Su Nü and the Vermillion Bird, progress was remarkably swift. Throughout the three major domains of the Storm Realm, altars rose from the ground. Most were built in areas rich in spiritual energy and densely populated, or at crucial strategic passes. Simultaneously, corresponding spiritual formations, majestic halls, pavilions, and quiet cultivation chambers were also constructed, serving as the dignified residences for the immortal officials of the Five Thunders Institute.

Emerging from the sword array once more, Qin Sang again probed the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock with his spiritual sense. He found that the repulsive force had significantly weakened, prompting him to nod subtly. Once the spiritual treasure no longer resisted him, he could begin refining it. During this period, not only had the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock gradually submitted, but the Eastern Azure Dragon Sword Array had also been largely deduced to its preliminary form. Qin Sang activated his secret art, condensing golden liquid and infusing it into the eight golden figures. Just as he was eager to continue deducing the sword array, the barrier outside his door was suddenly triggered.

The person outside was Li Yu axe. A moment later, Li Yu axe's respectful voice came from outside. "Reporting, Martial Uncle, all the Transmission Altars have been completed. Only the final Governance Altar remains. May I ask when Martial Uncle plans to exit seclusion?"

"Oh? The altars are already built?" During this period of secluded cultivation, Qin Sang had completely lost track of time. The darkness receded like a tide. Qin Sang recalled his Grey Oriole Sword, left the eight golden figures and the Heaven-Binding Golden Lock in the fire chamber, and pushed open the door.

Next, with the completion of the Governance Altar and the commencement of the official investiture and teachings, his Daoist sanctum would truly take shape!