Chapter 2308: 司巫

"Eat sparingly; this is the last South Cundan."

Qin Sang fed the elixir from the jade bottle to the Heavenly Eyed Butterfly. Sensing the butterfly's insistent whine, he smiled.

He looked up, gazing beyond the mountain.

Ever since he followed Nine Extinctions here, the matter Nine Extinctions had promised remained unresolved. It was indeed of great importance, requiring careful consideration from the Shaman Elder of the Dongyang Clan.

Nine Extinctions had returned twice, explaining to Qin Sang that the Shaman Elder was tied up with urgent matters and couldn't spare time. Each time, Nine Extinctions seemed hurried and cautious, as if afraid Qin Sang might angrily depart.

Little did he know, Qin Sang was in no hurry at all. He had ample patience; with abundant spiritual energy for cultivation and sword comprehension, what was there to rush?

After taking the elixir, the Heavenly Eyed Butterfly circled Qin Sang joyfully before landing on his shoulder. Its wings opened and closed like breathing, its aura gradually settling as it eagerly began refining the medicinal power.

Under the Heavenly Eyed Butterfly's diligent cultivation, the medicinal power of the Thunder-Struck Moon Orchid had been fully refined, the South Cundan given by Wu Yan was consumed, and the Nine Descent Flying Dew from Nine Extinctions probably wouldn't last much longer.

Qin Sang could sense the Heavenly Eyed Butterfly's conviction and persistence—to catch up with her master's footsteps!

Though the Heavenly Eyed Butterfly hadn't transformed into human form, her intelligence was no less than anyone's. She simply chose to silently remain by his side, meticulously executing all his commands.

"Our lives are intertwined, our bloodlines connected. We came here together from the Storm Realm; how could I ever cast you aside..." Qin Sang murmured silently to himself.

He stretched out a finger and stroked the butterfly's wing. The Heavenly Eyed Butterfly seemed to sense his thoughts, its wings gently trembling.

In the moonlight, man and butterfly formed a warm and harmonious scene.

Qin Sang glanced up at the moon, composed himself, and once again immersed himself in the sword formation.

In an instant, the bright moon dimmed slightly, then brightened again; however, the moon above this mountain was no longer the same moon.

Starlight flickered, and the stars seemed to draw closer.

The sea of stars, evolving from the Four Symbols Sword Formation, appeared more ethereal than before.

Guided by Qin Sang's will, four massive silhouettes emerged from the starlight, and many changes appeared on the Four Spirit Star Fiends.

The Four Spirits were star fiends born from sword intent, inherently possessing a fierce murderous aura. Enemies with weaker willpower would be terrified even before the sword light reached them, their guts turning to water from the mere impact of this killing intent.

Yet, at this moment, the Four Spirit Star Fiends seemed more balanced and peaceful. They lay motionless in the sea of stars, as if in slumber, or like the rulers of their respective star domains surveying their territories.

At this point, moonlight cascaded over the four great star domains.

The Four Spirits moved in unison, facing the Lunar Star, as if meeting a monarch.

Qin Sang's eyes were tightly closed, his mind fully submerged in the sword formation. The gathering and dispersal of star currents, the shifting of constellations—all were at his command.

Meanwhile, he split off some of his consciousness to recall the sea of stars he had once gazed upon in the firmament, and most importantly, what he had seen and heard when he intruded into the Divine Court back then.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but the starlight within the sea of stars began to dim. The light grew fainter and fainter until even the stars were indistinguishable. The dim starlight transformed into a blurry mass, regressing instead of advancing, reverting to a chaotic nebula.

Strangely, the Four Spirit Star Fiends did not disappear; instead, they became even clearer and brighter, gathering countless stars upon themselves, dazzling brilliantly.

Their bodies, formed from starlight, were lifelike and full of divine charm, as if the true Four Sacred Beasts were about to emerge from the sea of stars.

The moonlight remained ever so gentle.

Bathed in moonlight, the Four Spirits slowly manifested, floating in the four cardinal directions around the Lunar Star.

The White Tiger was in the west, the Vermillion Bird in the south, the Azure Dragon in the east, and the Black Tortoise in the north. Moonlight, like silk threads, connected them to one another!

Qin Sang suddenly opened his eyes, his deep pupils reflecting a tableau of the Four Spirits honoring the Moon. Boundless nebulae formed the background of this picture, creating a constantly rotating totem that spun ceaselessly.

"Roar!"

At that moment, Qin Sang faintly heard four distinct roars, distant and desolate.

He raised his right hand, and the bright moon quivered, transforming into a stream of light that vanished into Qin Sang's palm.

Without the bright moon, the Four Spirits maintained their previous forms and did not dissipate. The nebula behind them began to restore itself, with sword stars flickering one after another, their starlight passing through the bodies of the Four Spirits to form a vast sea of stars.

The Four Spirits returned to their positions, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions became distinct.

Boundless and unified!

Qin Sang exhaled slowly, a satisfied smile on his face.

The Four Symbols Sword Formation was finally complete!

Recalling his original intention to follow the path of sword formations, creating the Circumstellar Sword Formation, and only achieving mastery of the Four Symbols Sword Formation in the late Void Refinement stage, it was merely the completion of the first step.

"Truly a formidable task," Qin Sang sighed with a smile, comprehending for a moment, then raised the fragment of the Lunar Divine Sword in his hand.

After the Four Symbols, he would need to manifest the Nine Luminaries. Qin Sang, without hesitation, chose the Lunar Star first.

The bright moon slowly ascended.

Looking at it now, the feeling was completely different from before.

Qin Sang could clearly feel that the power within the Lunar Divine Sword fragment, which resonated with the sword formation, was precisely the so-called Lunar True Intent.

The Lunar True Intent was sealed by a powerful sword intent, making it impossible for Qin Sang to forcibly extract and claim it. However, he could use the connection between the sword formation and the Lunar True Intent to comprehend this power.

Once he comprehended the Lunar True Intent, he would be able to feed it back into the sword formation, creating his own Lunar Star within it.

With a clear path ahead, Qin Sang acted without hesitation.

He carefully avoided the sword intent within the Lunar Divine Sword, comprehending the fluctuations of the Lunar True Intent, pondering and thinking.

Cultivation knew no day or night.

During this time, Nine Extinctions returned once more. Learning that Qin Sang was in secluded cultivation, which suited his intentions, he quietly retreated.

After a long while, Qin Sang slowly woke up, raising his hand to catch the falling fragment of the Lunar Divine Sword.

The position of the Lunar Star was empty.

He stared intently at that position; though there was no moon before his eyes, there was one in his heart. A new sword art emerged in his mind. After a moment's hesitation, he circulated this sword art, and suddenly, winds surged and starlight rioted in the sea of stars.

Qin Sang's brows sometimes furrowed, sometimes relaxed. The sword formation teetered on the verge of collapse several times, but he pulled it back each time, until the storm subsided.

In the position of the Lunar Star, a faint moon shadow actually appeared.

The moon shadow was very faint, and merely a crescent.

"It's not that simple after all!" Qin Sang shook his head. "I should focus on comprehending the Sword Domain first."

Even with the Lunar Divine Sword as a reference, creating the Lunar Star was not something that could be achieved overnight. Only after creating the Lunar Star could he continue to comprehend the Lunar Divine Sword fragment, and then possibly integrate it into the Grey Oriole Sword to forge a new Lunar Divine Sword.

This was a lengthy process, whereas comprehending the Sword Domain would immediately enhance his strength. The choice was not difficult.

Putting away the Lunar Divine Sword fragment, Qin Sang briefly adjusted his breathing and immersed his mind in the sword light given to him by Celestial Sovereign Tianyue.

During the Soul Transformation stage, he saw this sword light as merely a sword light.

Upon breaking through to the Void Refinement stage, he recognized the hidden mysteries within the sword light.

Now, having entered the late Void Refinement stage, with the Four Symbols Sword Formation perfected and his sword dao greatly advanced, looking at the sword light again, it seemed to have reverted to being a pure sword light!

It was as if he saw Celestial Sovereign Tianyue once more, casually wielding this sword at him.

Qin Sang tightly closed his eyes, and the cave abode regained its tranquility.

"Senior, Senior Nine Extinctions requests an audience."

Qin Sang, in meditation, sensed the cave abode's restrictions being triggered. Seeing that it was Shiliu making the announcement outside, he swept his divine sense and saw Nine Extinctions on another mountaintop.

"I understand..."

Qin Sang reined in his aura, not immediately exiting seclusion, but sitting quietly for a while.

He wore a pensive expression, recalling his gains from comprehending the sword light during this period. His understanding of the Sword Domain had deepened, and when applied to the sword formation, its power naturally increased.

However, comprehending a true Sword Domain could not be achieved overnight; it required gradual effort.

He rose and exited the abode. Nine Extinctions, sensing his presence, turned his gaze and bowed from afar.

"Greetings, True One."

"Greetings, fellow Daoist."

Qin Sang descended before Nine Extinctions, bowed in return, and noticing Nine Extinctions' expression, his heart stirred, and he smiled, "It seems fellow Daoist brings good news."

Nine Extinctions looked very relaxed, as if he had just solved a difficult problem.

"Haha..." Nine Extinctions laughed heartily, "True One's discerning eye is sharp. Not long ago, I finally had the opportunity to meet with the Great Shaman Elder and convey the True One's intentions. I have come this time precisely on the Great Shaman Elder's command..."

Nine Extinctions' expression became serious as he bowed solemnly, "I invite the True One to descend the mountain and lend a hand to my clan. There will certainly be a generous reward!"

"Your clan?" Qin Sang's eyes flickered. Nine Extinctions was asking him to help the Dongyang Clan, not Nine Extinctions or the Shaman Elder themselves.

This probably involved conflicts between the various Witch clans, far more dangerous than the last mission.

This was precisely what Qin Sang sought, but he did not hastily agree. He calmly said, "May I ask, what exactly is the matter? Please elaborate, fellow Daoist."

"Indeed!" Nine Extinctions waved his sleeve, and a stone table, stone stools, and a pot of spiritual tea appeared between them.

Pouring a cup for Qin Sang himself, Nine Extinctions said, "This is our Dongyang Clan's unique spiritual tea, the Nine-Turn Pill Pine. Please, True One."

Qin Sang sipped the spiritual tea, listening as Nine Extinctions slowly explained the situation. The hand holding the jade cup paused slightly, and he said in surprise, "You want me to escort someone?"

"Precisely. This witch maiden also needs to go to the Taihao Clan, so she can journey with the True One," Nine Extinctions nodded.

During this time, Nine Extinctions had collected some ancient texts related to the Gaobo Clan. None of them contained clear records of the Gaobo Clan's heritage, so the only way to find the whereabouts of the Gaobo descendants was to go to the Taihao Clan.

"Escort a witch maiden..." Qin Sang pondered in silence.

In the past, when he was invited by others, it was mostly for artifact refining, assassinations, or exploring hidden mysteries. Such a request to escort and protect someone was quite rare.

Nine Extinctions did not hide anything, having already informed him of the full story.

The origin of this matter was the Witch Tribe's Grand Heaven and Earth Sacrifice.

The Grand Heaven and Earth Sacrifice was held at the Taihao Clan. The various major Witch clans held this sacrifice not only to worship the gods but also to seize the opportunity to mediate grievances, distribute resources, and so on. One important item on the agenda was to select the High Priestess from among the witch maidens sent by the various clans.

This had become a customary practice for the Witch Tribe.

In ancient times, people believed that pure maidens were more likely to be favored by the gods.

The witch maidens of the major clans held a status similar to the Saintesses of some human factions. They were chosen by their clans from a young age, carefully nurtured, and bore significant missions.

Before each Grand Heaven and Earth Sacrifice, the major clans would send their witch maidens to participate. After enduring numerous trials, the final victor would become the High Priestess.

The High Priestess held a lofty position within the Witch Tribe, reputed to 'preside over the rituals of divine descent and command the policies of all shamans.'

The 'rituals of divine descent' referred to the Witch Tribe's sacrificial ceremonies, which in ancient times could indeed invoke divine descent. After a High Priestess was selected, she would preside over the Grand Heaven and Earth Sacrifice, and all major sacrificial ceremonies for the next hundred years would be led by her.

To 'command the policies of all shamans' was even more significant. For the next hundred years, matters such as resource allocation among the major clans, their internal disputes, and all minor affairs would be fairly adjudicated by this High Priestess, leading the other witch maidens. All rewards and punishments were to be accepted by all clans.

From this, one can see the vast power of the High Priestess. Although observed by all clans and unable to overtly abuse her power, it was only human nature to slightly favor her own clan in resource distribution.

Once a witch maiden from a clan became the High Priestess, her clan would benefit immensely, essentially securing a hundred years of prosperity.

Precisely because of these significant benefits, no single clan was allowed to dominate. The major clans thus established a rule of century-long rotations.

A hundred years was nothing for a long-established clan; its foundation would not be shaken by a single High Priestess, preventing a clan from experiencing a meteoric rise and sudden fall.

The High Priestess's authority came from the recognition of all clans and the support of the Taihao Clan. It was said that this initiative came from the Taihao Clan, which could not bear to see the major clans engaging in mutual slaughter and internal strife. Since the Witch Tribe was not as unified as the Alien Race and could not be brought under a single rule, this widely accepted rule was established.

"The selection of the High Priestess begins the moment the witch maiden leaves her clan!" Nine Extinctions stated gravely.

For a clan's witch maiden to become the High Priestess, the prerequisite was to reach the Taihao Clan alive.

The clan of the High Priestess would benefit, while their adversaries would naturally be suppressed. Especially those clans with deep-seated grudges would spare no effort to eliminate the witch maiden of their enemy.

Once the Grand Heaven and Earth Sacrifice approached, the entire Witch Tribe territory would become a hunting ground.

"Won't this deepen the animosity even further?" Qin Sang asked.

"A few witch maidens dying is better than clans going to war," Nine Extinctions replied with a cold smile.

Of course, in the most brutal times, it wasn't just the witch maidens who died, but also their escorts.

Qin Sang nodded. As long as there were people, there would be conflicts of interest, grudges, and emotional entanglements.

Once contradictions accumulated to an irreconcilable point, like magma piling up in a volcano, they would erupt completely, bringing destruction.

The Alien Race's method was to provide an outlet for major tribes in their sacred land, while the Witch Tribe confined their enmities to the High Priestess competition.

If Qin Sang agreed to escort the witch maiden, he would be putting himself in danger. Unlike the Alien Race's sacred land competition, there were no treasure rewards, only peril. Of course, there were also rules restricting both escorts and hunters; as long as no Integration stage mighty figures were involved, Qin Sang didn't believe he would be in any real danger.

The challenge was to preserve the witch maiden's life.

"How long until the next Grand Heaven and Earth Sacrifice?" Qin Sang asked.

He was confident the Dongyang Clan valued him, but he hadn't expected to be directly involved in such a major Witch Tribe affair.

"Thirteen years, but we must depart early. To avoid detection and hide our tracks, everyone tries to avoid using teleportation arrays. Especially in the latter half of the journey, no faction is allowed to enter the Taihao Clan via teleportation arrays," Nine Extinctions explained.

"It seems the Dongyang Clan has many enemies," Qin Sang observed meaningfully.

Nine Extinctions smiled without a word.

"This humble Daoist is of human origin," Qin Sang emphasized.

Seeing that Qin Sang hadn't outright refused, Nine Extinctions was overjoyed and repeatedly said, "The Great Shaman Elder will find a way to conceal the True One's human identity."