Chapter 2256: Omen

Over the past decade, Qin Sang primarily focused on refining the Azure Heaven Thunder and cultivating the Water-Fire Confluence scripture. As for the 'Heavenly Demon Transformation,' he only needed to practice it for a few days at carefully chosen intervals to avoid making his cultivation speed seem too shocking. However, Qin Sang always felt a sense of urgency, ultimately choosing to advance his cultivation to the Nascent Soul Mid-stage during this decade. Throughout this time, the mysterious Azure Luan also remained absent, devoting itself to deciphering the 'Luan Star Radiance' divine ability.

What surprised Qin Sang most was that during the process of refining the Azure Heaven Thunder, he actually acquired his own true Azure Luan Demonic Thunder! Qin Sang was certain this was indeed genuine Azure Luan Demonic Thunder, indistinguishable from that of the Azure Luan clan. He could continue to refine it just like an Azure Luan cultivator, until he possessed his own true Azure Luan Thunder!

"What is this?" Qin Sang wondered. "Am I human or demon?"

Qin Sang was bewildered. Ever since entering the illusion, the 'Heavenly Demon Transformation' had exhibited various unusual phenomena. This situation was unprecedented, and Qin Sang didn't know if it was good or bad. He could only proceed cautiously, one step at a time.

"Senior, you're finally awake."

One day, as Qin Sang was cultivating as usual, he suddenly heard the mysterious Azure Luan's call. Qin Sang noticed that the mysterious Azure Luan's voice was even clearer. As his cultivation steadily improved, the communication between them became smoother.

The mysterious Azure Luan proactively asked about Qin Sang's current cultivation stage. Upon receiving the answer, it was greatly astonished, exclaiming, "You... broke through again?"

For a powerful being like the mysterious Azure Luan, ten years was but a fleeting moment. However, due to its difficult circumstances and constant threat from powerful enemies, every day felt like a year.

"The Azure Heaven Thunder truly suits me well!" Qin Sang said. "Thanks to Senior for guiding me here, giving me the opportunity to refine the Azure Heaven Thunder. I am immensely grateful."

Qin Sang's tone was filled with gratitude, attributing all credit to the mysterious Azure Luan and the Azure Heaven Thunder.

The mysterious Azure Luan fell silent for a moment. Due to Qin Sang's previous performance, it had gradually kindled a glimmer of hope from its initial despair, but unexpectedly, it had still underestimated Qin Sang's potential.

Qin Sang didn't want to dwell on the topic for too long, and asked with anticipation, "Senior, has there been any progress in deciphering the divine ability?"

"Yes..." replied the mysterious Azure Luan.

Qin Sang eagerly asked, "What can I do for you, Senior?"

"If successful, I can... send you inside..." The mysterious Azure Luan explained in halting words to Qin Sang.

Upon learning the details, Qin Sang's spirits were lifted. Over the past decade, the mysterious Azure Luan had been both fending off powerful enemy attacks and deciphering, continuously refining the 'Luan Star Radiance' divine ability. It had indeed achieved some success.

Originally, it could only transmit its thoughts, but now it could attempt to transmit a magic spell or divine ability to Qin Sang, allowing him to cast it through his own hands! Furthermore, this was only possible between itself and Qin Sang, as it was created based on the 'bridge' existing between them.

However, problems still remained. After all, only ten years had passed, and the mysterious Azure Luan was constantly under enemy attack, preventing it from concentrating fully.

There were three main issues.

First, the mysterious Azure Luan could not guarantee success, as the transmission required extreme caution. If any leak occurred, its enemies would detect it. Should the enemies sever their connection or discover Qin Sang's existence and send their minions to hunt him down, all hope would be utterly lost and irrecoverable. For this reason, once the mysterious Azure Luan transmitted the magic spell or divine ability, it would be unable to do more. From then on, Qin Sang would be on his own.

Second, the transmitted magic spell or divine ability would undoubtedly be weakened layer by layer, and it was uncertain how much power would remain by the time it reached Qin Sang.

Third, regardless of its power, it originated from this mighty being. Since it was to be cast through Qin Sang's hands and he needed to unleash it successfully, Qin Sang would inevitably bear extraordinary pressure, which would be an immense trial for him.

Now that Qin Sang had broken through again and his endurance had grown stronger, the mysterious Azure Luan decided to attempt the transmission. If the experiment succeeded, it could send Qin Sang deep into the Azure Heaven's Azure Void, to the source of the Azure Heaven Thunder. That was the birthplace of the Azure Heaven Thunder, or more precisely, where the Azure Luan clan created it. Besides intricate arrays and restrictions, there was also a crucial item.

"I wonder what this item is that Senior wants me to retrieve?" Qin Sang asked curiously.

The mysterious Azure Luan did not conceal it, saying, "A... part of my clan's sacred artifact..."

"Sacred artifact?" Qin Sang secretly marveled, no wonder the Azure Heaven Thunder was so profound; it was actually related to the Azure Luan clan's sacred artifact. It could be said that without this sacred artifact, the Azure Heaven Thunder would not have been born into the world.

The mysterious Azure Luan's goal was also simple: since Qin Sang could achieve such rapid cultivation speed by refining the Azure Heaven Thunder, it indicated his innate compatibility with the Azure Heaven Thunder and even the sacred artifact itself. If Qin Sang could directly refine that sacred artifact, his cultivation speed would undoubtedly reach another level. This sounded incredible. It had never happened in the Azure Luan clan before, but that didn't mean it wouldn't in the future. With the advent of a great era, there would always be beings favored by destiny, bearing a Heavenly Mandate. Why couldn't it be Qin Sang? Qin Sang being able to hear its call was proof enough of his extraordinary nature. Moreover, the mysterious Azure Luan had no other choice; it had to try, no matter what.

The mysterious Azure Luan told Qin Sang to prepare. The next time there was a lull in enemy attacks, the transmission would begin!

Qin Sang immediately left his cave dwelling, moving stealthily and discreetly, and headed north. He arrived at a misty, water-shrouded area. Familiar with the route, he easily slipped inside. It was a marsh. The water was crystal clear to the bottom, devoid of fish. Only a few spiritual trees were scattered here and there. These trees had peculiar shapes, with each tree bearing only one large, lotus-like flower at its crown, and in the center of the flower grew the Blue Lotus Fruit. Another batch of Blue Lotus Fruits was about to ripen. Qin Sang harvested them and returned to his cave dwelling to wait.

This time, it only took ten days for the mysterious Azure Luan to communicate with Qin Sang again.

"Summon... your Dharma Idol... calm your mind..."

Qin Sang sat cross-legged in his cave dwelling, facing deep into the Azure Heaven's Azure Void, and slowly closed his eyes. The Azure Luan Dharma Idol appeared behind him, gently flapping its wings, and finally merged into Qin Sang's body. In an instant, azure lightning illuminated the cave dwelling, and Qin Sang's entire body was enveloped in crackling electricity.

Qin Sang's mind became completely serene, and he perceived an empty stillness. There was nothing, not even the voice of the mysterious Azure Luan. He waited patiently. After an unknown period, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sensation. A ball of light seemed to appear within the emptiness, like azure light, yet also like ethereal starlight. The light appeared from nowhere, descending in an instant!

Inside the cave dwelling.

Qin Sang's eyes remained tightly shut, but his body suddenly stood up, facing deep into the Azure Heaven's Azure Void. He raised his right arm, extended his index finger, and drew a line from top to bottom. In that instant, Qin Sang seemed to suffer a heavy blow. His aura became extremely weak, a look of pain flashed across his face, and blood flowed from his seven orifices, a shocking sight.

"Is this the power of a mighty being?" Qin Sang was secretly alarmed. One must know that the mysterious Azure Luan had deliberately controlled the power, considering Qin Sang's cultivation level, and it had been weakened layer by layer. Furthermore, Qin Sang possessed the insight and control of a Void Refinement cultivator, yet it was still so difficult. At the peak of the pressure, Qin Sang almost thought he would explode and die.

Success! Both Qin Sang and the mysterious Azure Luan collectively sighed in relief and were greatly exhilarated. This success was extraordinary, meaning the mysterious Azure Luan could directly assist Qin Sang from now on, and Qin Sang's safety was finally secured. The same applied to Qin Sang; he was one step closer to finding Liuli!

However, they had only seen a glimmer of hope so far. Qin Sang could only endure one transmission, and the mysterious Azure Luan, fearing detection by enemies, dared not perform continuous transmissions. When the crucial moment arrived, a single magic spell or divine ability would not be enough to solve the problem. They still needed to keep refining their methods.

Qin Sang suffered a backlash and entered a state of weakness, but he didn't hesitate. He swallowed a handful of pills and stepped forward. Before him, where his finger had traced, an azure glow shimmered like a bolt of azure lightning. Upon closer inspection, it was a fissure piercing through the void, a breach in the Azure Heaven's Azure Void Grand Array! Although its power was weakened layer by layer, the mysterious Azure Luan had complete knowledge of this array. This time, it was as if it had personally acted, achieving the effect of 'four taels moving a thousand pounds,' directly sending Qin Sang into the core of the mystic realm.

The azure glow parted to both sides, revealing a portal. Qin Sang stepped through it. The next moment, Qin Sang found himself above a clear spring. All around him, above and below, left and right, was empty. Only this clear spring floated there. The spring water was extremely pure, and as Qin Sang looked at the calm surface, he felt his mind settle.

"Take it out," said the mysterious Azure Luan.

Qin Sang sensed that there was indeed something in the clear spring. Following the secret art transmitted by the mysterious Azure Luan, he carefully drew the item out. Gradually, clear ripples spread across the water's surface, and an object, accompanied by a faint azure glow, slowly floated to the surface. The object was ethereal like smoke, gentle as water, and pure as unadulterated azure light. It seemed not to truly exist in the mortal world, possessing immense sanctity that inspired reverence and discouraged defilement. It also resembled a heart, beating continuously.

This object was formed from power extracted from the Azure Luan clan's sacred artifact, making it equivalent to a part of the artifact itself. To protect this object, the Azure Luan clan had set up multiple layers of defenses. Unfortunately, an inside job is the hardest to prevent, and in this case, the traitor's status was even higher than the clan leader's.

"Try to... refine it..." The mysterious Azure Luan's tone held anticipation.

"If I refine it, what potential repercussions might there be?" Qin Sang gazed at the sacred artifact, asking with hesitation. Even the Azure Heaven Thunder created by the sacred artifact had hidden dangers during refinement.

The mysterious Azure Luan pondered for a moment, then informed Qin Sang of the potential consequences. Qin Sang's cultivation level was too low. Forcibly refining the sacred artifact might overdraw his potential, causing him to stop at the peak of the Dharma Idol stage. If their plan succeeded and the external demons were driven away, the mysterious Azure Luan promised to fully assist him in resolving the hidden dangers. If the plan failed, all talk would be meaningless, and whether Qin Sang could break through would no longer matter. Of course, these were all the mysterious Azure Luan's conjectures, and might not necessarily occur.

"You should leave now..." the mysterious Azure Luan urged.

Qin Sang also understood that he couldn't stay here for long. Before, he had only stolen Azure Heaven Thunder, but now he had pulled the rug from under them, directly stealing the sacred artifact. If the Azure Luan clan discovered this, the entire clan would undoubtedly be enraged. Before leaving, Qin Sang didn't forget to collect some Azure Heaven Thunder and harvested another batch of Blue Lotus Fruits. From Qin Sang's arrival to his departure, over ten years had passed. The powerful Azure Luan clan member guarding this place had been in a deep slumber, completely unaware, and oblivious that the mystic realm had become an empty shell.

"Senior, where are we going now?" Qin Sang asked. He was full of anticipation, thinking, if he explored a few more such mystic realms and sacred lands, wouldn't he become rich?

"Those sacred lands... are more heavily guarded... you cannot enter them... don't be... too greedy... focus on refining the sacred artifact... you'll benefit immensely..." the mysterious Azure Luan earnestly admonished Qin Sang.

The Azure Luan clan's sacred lands were different from this mystic realm; they concerned the rise and fall of the clan. Even if it acted through Qin Sang, it wasn't confident. As for other mystic realms, it hadn't paid attention to them before, nor did it want Qin Sang to waste his energy on such places. Qin Sang's sole task now was to quickly improve his cultivation. The higher his cultivation, the more powerful divine abilities and spells he could withstand from its transmission, and thus contend with the minions of the external demons.

"...Go to the battlefield... The ultimate treasure is most likely to... emerge in... the battlefield..." The mysterious Azure Luan left these words, then fell silent again. It had expended a great deal of mental effort for this transmission.

"Then let's go back," Qin Sang mused. The gains from this trip far exceeded his expectations. He wondered what surprises this Azure Luan clan's sacred artifact would bring him.

Afterward, Qin Sang headed west. On the way, he wasn't in a hurry to refine the Azure Luan clan's sacred artifact, but instead used various methods to comprehend its characteristics. Since no Azure Luan had ever done this before, the mysterious Azure Luan couldn't guide Qin Sang. Qin Sang traveled continuously, journeying day and night.

One day, as he was flying in the sky, he was still halfway to the battlefield. He applied some disguises, concealing a bolt of Azure Heaven Thunder in his palm, and refined it as he traveled. Late into the night, the sky was clear, and the galaxy shone brightly. Qin Sang's expression suddenly changed. He abruptly halted in mid-air, feeling an inexplicable palpitation. He was certain it wasn't due to himself, but from an external source; in that instant, heaven and earth seemed to tremble.

Even in the dead of night, everything below was perfectly clear to Qin Sang's eyes. The mountains, rivers, plants, and creatures here showed no anomalies. Qin Sang also saw several demon cultivators gathered together, absorbing starlight, none of whom exhibited any unusual behavior.

"It's coming!" Suddenly, Qin Sang heard the mysterious Azure Luan's cry. Evidently, what Qin Sang felt was not an illusion; the mysterious Azure Luan had also sensed it. Could it be that only he and the mysterious Azure Luan could sense this, while other beings could not? A thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind: the mysterious Azure Luan was a mighty being, and its adversaries were external demons. Could it be that...

Qin Sang vaguely guessed a few things, but feigned confusion and ignorance, asking, "What did Senior say? Did the clan discover I stole the sacred artifact and pursue me?" His tone shifted to alarm, showing no flaws.

"Not pursuers... the celestial mechanism trembles... a sign... the sign has appeared!" The mysterious Azure Luan urged repeatedly, "A sign of the ultimate treasure appearing... Quick... quickly go to the battlefield!"

Qin Sang's heart jolted. Indeed, it must be the ultimate treasure about to emerge, to cause such a tremor in the celestial mechanism. It seemed the method deduced by the mighty beings of this realm through sensing the celestial mechanism had worked. During the ten years he spent cultivating in seclusion in the Azure Heaven's Azure Void, the two factions had been fighting relentlessly. The battlefield was already a river of blood, and finally, the ultimate treasure was about to be drawn out!