Chapter 2233: Reforging the Heavenly Demon Body Again

Qingyan and the two others were visibly tense, but saw nothing, uncertain of what was happening in the pond.

After about fifteen minutes, the mist slowly parted, and Qin Sang emerged.

The three of them instinctively held their breath.

Qingyan's eyes widened.

Qinghong gasped.

Miss Shuang instinctively covered her mouth.

Qin Sang stood atop a stone pillar, smiling at them, holding an eagle's head in his hand!

Even after they left the pond, the three still found it hard to believe, feeling as though it wasn't real.

Despite their junior brother's extraordinary talent, his cultivation level was still significantly lower. Yet, he had managed to kill a powerful Golden Eagle clan member from the Transformation Realm, a feat beyond his current stage.

In truth, Qin Sang had only used a few poisonous pills; he relied far more on the power of the formation.

Of course, for anyone else, even after subduing the Stone Foetus Fire, it would be difficult to immediately control the grand formation and use it to kill a Golden Eagle expert. Qin Sang, however, was an anomaly.

Regardless of his senior brother and senior sisters' shock, Qin Sang was delighted to examine his spoils of war.

Firstly, the Golden Eagle expert's mustard seed artifact was quite valuable and spacious. Qin Sang finally wouldn't have to stuff his pockets with items anymore.

This individual must have held a high position within the Golden Eagle clan, as their wealth was considerable, likely surpassing even Venerable Tong Shen's. While some magical treasures could only be utilized by Golden Eagle cultivators, the sheer value of the spiritual materials and herbs they had collected was significant.

The Golden Eagle's demonic corpse was also a treasure; it could be used to refine high-grade Fiend Demon Pills, which would further accelerate Qin Sang's cultivation.

Most importantly, there were clues related to the *Great Treatise on Yin and Yang Correspondence*.

Qin Sang hadn't found the direct clue, but he did discover some peculiar items. He wasn't sure if they had been brought from that cave dwelling, and it seemed he would need to show them to Venerable Tong Shen for identification.

Finally, Qin Sang turned his attention to several jade slips, which contained records of various Golden Eagle clan cultivation methods.

"Just as I thought!"

Qin Sang read through each one, noticing that all these cultivation methods utilized astral essence for body tempering, bearing a striking resemblance to the *Heavenly Demon Body Forging* technique.

The *Heavenly Demon Body Forging* technique was clearly more profound, as it could be cultivated by humans, unlike the Golden Eagle clan's methods.

Qin Sang had not yet begun cultivating *Heavenly Body Forging* because its cultivation process involved drawing upon astral essence, a characteristic that was far too conspicuous.

In this era, neither humans nor descendants of deities possessed such cultivation methods, and Qin Sang had no desire to be branded a demon spy.

Nevertheless, it was time to put it on his agenda. Qin Sang now possessed the ability to protect himself, and his strength would only continue to grow. He couldn't remain confined to Yongtu Immortal City forever; he also needed to visit the demon territories.

While he was contemplating, they had already exited the grand formation from a different direction.

Looking towards the horizon, they saw a chaotic scene; the intense battle was still ongoing.

"Let's go first; Master will find us," Qingyan said, retracting his gaze. He then instructed everyone to activate their spiritual talismans and depart quietly.

Far from the battlefield, the group arrived at their designated meeting point to wait for their Master.

As soon as Qin Sang sat down, he noticed all three of them staring intently at him.

"What is it?" Qin Sang asked, surprised.

"You!"

Qinghong took a deep breath, composing herself. "Don't you want to tell us how you killed that Golden Eagle?"

"What's there to tell? It overestimated itself and got poisoned by me. After that, it was all thanks to the grand formation..."

Qin Sang shrugged.

The three exchanged glances. Their intuition told them it couldn't be that simple, yet they couldn't fathom what other methods Qin Sang might have employed.

Qinghong sat before Qin Sang, gazing at him for a moment before sighing. "You're becoming truly remarkable. You can even kill a powerful Transformation Realm expert. Before long, your cultivation will surpass ours. Will you still acknowledge me as your senior sister then?"

Qin Sang smiled. "Does Senior Sister think I'm heartless?"

"You said it yourself!" Qinghong declared. "Senior Brother Qingyan will always be your senior brother, and we will always be your senior sisters!" She then put an arm around Miss Shuang and sighed, "I truly wonder what kind of woman could ever be worthy of you."

Miss Shuang had been watching the siblings' playful banter with a smile, but upon hearing this, her eyes dimmed. She hugged her knees and looked down at the ground, silent.

Qinghong suddenly changed her tone. "But cultivation isn't an issue! The storybooks all say that as long as two people have genuine affection and mutual love, nothing else matters, right, Junior Sister?"

"I haven't read any of those," Miss Shuang mumbled.

"I haven't read them either," Qingyan chuckled. "Only Junior Sister likes to read those frivolous books, unafraid of Master's scolding."

"Mind your own business!" Qinghong snapped, glaring fiercely at him.

At this point, Qin Sang took out the Golden Eagle's mustard seed artifact and emptied its contents.

"Senior Brother, Senior Sisters, these are all spoils of war. Let's divide them up."

The three were first astonished by the treasures' value, then surprised by Qin Sang's generosity.

"My doting on you was not in vain!"

Qinghong's face was filled with satisfaction, but she then shook her head. "No, this won't do! The enemy was killed by Junior Brother alone; how can we take his spoils?"

Qingyan and Miss Shuang also concurred.

"Venerable Tong Shen may be lacking in skill, but his ability to teach disciples is indeed commendable. In the current world, they would all be trustworthy individuals."

Qin Sang saw that the three were genuinely sincere. He secretly admired them but continued to insist.

Ultimately, the three couldn't refuse him completely, but they still wouldn't take the items, stating they would wait for their Master to return and make the final decision.

They waited until the following morning when Venerable Tong Shen finally managed to extricate himself.

Upon learning of Qin Sang and the others' ordeal, Venerable Tong Shen was naturally greatly surprised and filled with lingering apprehension.

Venerable Tong Shen was not as easily misled as Qingyan and the others. Qin Sang provided more details but still largely credited the grand formation's power and the poisonous pills his Master had refined.

"The poisonous pills I refined were not potent enough to kill a Golden Eagle clan expert. This time was truly a stroke of luck, and fortunately, it ended well for everyone."

Venerable Tong Shen first instructed Qin Sang to release the Stone Foetus Fire, then examined Qin Sang's spoils.

"I'm not sure if there's anything useful for you, Master," Qin Sang said.

Venerable Tong Shen chuckled. "In the past, you always took things from me; now you know to show filial respect. I won't be formal with you. Some treasures you can't use yet, so I'll keep them for you. And these few items might have come from the cave dwelling; they could potentially reveal clues about the *Great Treatise on Yin and Yang Correspondence*."

Since they had decided to pursue the path of complementary water and fire, this classic was crucial to them, and Venerable Tong Shen was very dedicated to it.

Venerable Tong Shen made the final decision, and the five master and disciples divided the spoils. Naturally, the largest share, including the demonic corpse, went to Qin Sang.

"Master, once we return, may I join the Immortal Guard like Senior Brother?" Qin Sang asked, seizing the opportunity.

"Why do you want to join the Immortal Guard?" Venerable Tong Shen frowned.

Qin Sang replied, "Because just now, I realized I lack too much combat experience, which led to perilous situations. Otherwise, I could have killed that Golden Eagle much faster."

Qingyan and the other two were speechless upon hearing this. Killing a Golden Eagle in the Transformation Realm wasn't satisfying enough for him?

"This... let me think about it," Venerable Tong Shen said. He was about to refuse, but then he considered the increasingly chaotic situation and how difficult it would be to continuously protect them. It was indeed time to let them gain some experience.

Next, Qin Sang and the others bid farewell to Venerable Tong Shen and headed back to Yongtu Immortal City first.

Upon returning to the Immortal City, Venerable Tong Shen resumed his busy efforts to change the sect's cultivation path.

He went to great lengths to acquire a fire-element cultivation method. Though not a top-tier technique, it was compatible with the sect's inherited practices.

Qinghong would subsequently cultivate both water and fire techniques simultaneously. Miss Shuang, whose original practice was ice magic, was also willing to pursue the path of complementary water and fire.

Cultivating both water and fire simultaneously was by no means easy, so they would require Qin Sang to guide them with the Stone Foetus Fire. However, this was a matter for the future.

As for Qingyan, he preferred lightning spells and wanted to find a fire-element lightning technique, so he wouldn't be changing his path for now.

During this time, Venerable Tong Shen secured a position for Qin Sang within the Immortal City. His daily duties involved patrolling an area near the city, never venturing too far, so the danger was minimal.

Qin Sang, whose sole desire was the freedom to leave the Immortal City whenever he wished, gladly accepted. That very night, he donned his uniform and joined his colleagues.

The moonlight was like water.

Bright moonlight illuminated everyone, casting distinct shadows on the ground.

"The stars are all obscured by the moonlight," someone remarked.

"It's better that way," a companion grumbled. "Otherwise, it feels like being stared at by countless eyes, which makes one uncomfortable."

This group was Qin Sang's patrol squad, currently on their way. They were tasked with overseeing an area inhabited by mortals, which included several mortal kingdoms. Their role was not to interfere with mundane affairs, but primarily to prevent evil creatures from causing mischief.

As this was human territory, the squad was primarily composed of human cultivators.

"What's so scary about stars?" asked someone nearby, perplexed.

"Don't you know? Stars are all transformed by demons!"

Listening to them discuss the legends of demon stars, Qin Sang couldn't help but gaze up at the sky. He pondered: In future generations, there were no demon stars, and his cultivation of *Heavenly Demon Body Forging* yielded no unusual sensations. Yet, demon stars existed in this era. Would cultivating *Heavenly Demon Body Forging* here lead to him being targeted by powerful demons?

While he believed the illusion shouldn't be able to conjure Integration-stage grand cultivators, his experiences within the illusion felt incredibly real, and Qin Sang couldn't help but entertain the thought.

However, in the eyes of such powerful beings, he was like an ant. Even if demon stars existed, they likely wouldn't specifically focus on him.

"Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, we're almost at our destination. Which kingdom would you like to go to?" The leader turned to him.

As Qin Sang was a newcomer and Venerable Tong Shen had made prior arrangements, everyone was quite cordial to him.

"I'll go to Yue Kingdom," Qin Sang said. "As I'm new here, I may have some oversights, so I ask for your patience, fellow Daoists."

Yue Kingdom was the most remote location. Seeing Qin Sang voluntarily choose it, the others' expressions became even friendlier.

"What nonsense are you talking about, fellow Daoist!"

"Should Fellow Daoist Qingfeng encounter any trouble, simply activate your token, and I, Likong, will immediately rush to your aid."

After exchanging pleasantries, they all went their separate ways. Qin Sang journeyed with one other person, but they also parted ways as they neared Yue Kingdom.

Upon arriving in Yue Kingdom, Qin Sang, having no interest in mortal affairs, found a desolate mountain wilderness and began setting up his formations.

This was a formation designed to attract and gather starlight, for which Qin Sang had already refined the necessary artifacts. Additionally, there was a flag formation to conceal any spiritual fluctuations or unusual phenomena. With the Golden Eagle's relics, Qin Sang finally had the means to work uninhibitedly, refining several spirit formations in one go.

*Swoosh!*

The flag formation fluttered, and as Qin Sang entered it, his figure and the flag shadows slowly faded, restoring the desolate mountain to its original appearance.

Qin Sang sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, four crystal light containers placed beside him. These containers could gather and store astral essence, providing him with a continuous supply.

Settling into meditation, Qin Sang activated the spiritual formation.

In an instant, the moonlight directly above Qin Sang seemed to dim slightly. Then, specks of starlight emerged from within the moonlight, growing progressively brighter, until individual stars became clearly visible.

The stars, drawn by some unseen force, shone exclusively upon this spot. Starlight streamed onto Qin Sang, flowing gently like water.

The four light containers simultaneously shimmered with starlight. Gradually, they grew brighter, as starlight was drawn in, filling the containers, and then transferred into Qin Sang's body through the formation.

*Heavenly Demon Body Forging*!

A deeply familiar cultivation method appeared in Qin Sang's mind. He had never imagined that one day he would have to cultivate it from the very beginning again.

He skillfully began to visualize the Azure Luan, and a vivid, lifelike ethereal image of the Azure Luan materialized in his mind, drawing astral essence into his body.

The stars in the sky seemed to illuminate his very heart, and countless indescribable rays of light fell upon him, then converged within his body.

The starlight brought with it a cool sensation. This energy entered his physical body, coursing through every limb and bone. Then, the familiar astral malevolence arrived, but Qin Sang made no resistance, and the malevolence couldn't disturb him in the slightest. The jade Buddha allowed him to remain conscious within the illusion and also blocked the astral malevolence present in the illusion.

Everything was as it usually was.

Qin Sang activated the technique, absorbing astral essence and tempering his body, clearly feeling his physical form steadily strengthening.

"Hmm?"

A moment later, Qin Sang's expression shifted, showing a flicker of surprise.

Qin Sang realized that his progress in cultivating *Heavenly Demon Body Forging* here was far exceeding his expectations.

He was already at the Golden Core stage, so rapid progress at the outset was normal. But the problem was, it was *too* rapid!

Suddenly, Qin Sang forcefully interrupted his cultivation, looking up at the starry sky with profound uncertainty.

Could it be that the stars of ancient times differed from those of later eras, making this period more suitable for cultivating such techniques?

Unfortunately, Qin Sang's cultivation was too low to perceive any anomaly in the starry sky.

He hesitated for a moment, then resumed cultivating *Heavenly Demon Body Forging*. His realm ascended at an astonishing pace. He even had a feeling that if he willed it and his physical body could endure it, he could progress even faster!

A night passed.

The moon set, stars grew sparse, and a faint white glow of dawn appeared on the horizon.

Qin Sang finally halted his intense cultivation. Upon assessing himself, he found that *Heavenly Demon Body Forging* had astonishingly reached its second layer, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage!

To enter the Foundation Establishment stage overnight was utterly astonishing.

This was clearly a positive development, yet Qin Sang, unsure of the underlying reason, felt a touch of fear instead.

"The Azure Luan belongs to the Phoenix clan, one of the most powerful great clans in ancient times. There must be a demon star in the sky that was formed by a powerful Azure Luan being. Could this be why I'm receiving the favor of the Azure Luan demon star?"

Qin Sang considered this idea, but it felt somewhat absurd.

If demon stars possessed such capabilities, demon cultivators would advance at an astonishing pace, making it impossible for humanity to contend with the demon race. They would likely have been wiped out long ago.

"The issue must either lie with me or with the *Heavenly Demon Body Forging* technique itself..."

Qin Sang once again scrutinized the cultivation method he had long mastered.

Suddenly, something occurred to Qin Sang. He focused his mind on visualizing the Azure Luan, carefully examining it for a moment. He had a faint feeling that the Azure Luan he was visualizing was subtly different, as if it had gained a touch of spiritual vibrancy.

It was important to remember that the Azure Luan he visualized was his own Azure Luan Dharma Aspect, which was almost indistinguishable from the real thing!