Chapter 339: 思索

Under Tan Hao's expectant gaze, Qin Sang carefully examined Tan Jie. Unfortunately, he knew very little about alchemy and couldn't think of any way to cure Tan Jie.

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Sang suddenly recalled something, his eyes lighting up. He quickly rummaged through his mustard seed pouch and finally took out a crystal coffin. This crystal coffin was an item left behind by Senior Sister Qingteng and Senior Brother Jiang after their deaths. Qin Sang later discovered that the crystal coffin was actually a peculiar magical artifact. Senior Brother Jiang had relied on it to maintain his body's vitality without elixirs, and the rate at which his primordial spirit dissipated was significantly slowed. Qin Sang didn't know where Senior Sister Qingteng had obtained the crystal coffin, but it must have been difficult to acquire. The crystal coffin wasn't particularly useful to Qin Sang, but seeing its unique abilities, he kept it. He never expected it to come in handy now.

Placing Tan Jie inside the crystal coffin would eliminate worries about his physical body, slow down the dissipation of his primordial spirit, and significantly lighten Tan Hao's burden. Upon hearing Qin Sang explain the crystal coffin's abilities, Tan Hao was overjoyed, yet still somewhat skeptical. Full of confidence, Qin Sang had Tan Hao lift Tan Jie's body from the spiritual liquid and place it into the crystal coffin. Tan Hao's eyes widened. He watched Tan Jie with great anticipation, and after a short wait, he indeed saw a strange power surge from the crystal coffin, transforming into a layer of clear mist that enveloped Tan Jie, nourishing his physical body. While it still couldn't completely prevent his primordial spirit from dissipating, its speed was noticeably slowed, allowing the Tranquil Spirit Pill's effects to last much longer. Though this extended time wasn't lengthy, it was exceptionally valuable to Tan Hao!

"I know a friend who has experience treating soul injuries," Qin Sang said. "You wait here in the cave dwelling. I'll return to Yinshan Pass now and send him a letter to see if he can think of a solution." The person Qin Sang referred to was Yun Youzi. As the saying goes, "a long illness makes a good doctor." Among those Qin Sang knew, if anyone could devise a way to cure Tan Jie, it would only be Yun Youzi. Yun Youzi was currently refining medicinal power and cultivating in his cave dwelling, so he wouldn't mind being disturbed. However, Tan Jie's soul was not simply injured; it was on the verge of dissipating. Qin Sang feared even Yun Youzi might be powerless to help, but he was moved by Tan Hao's words and resolved to try regardless. Tan Jie's injuries were extremely severe, and even a single day's delay could bring new complications.

Without further delay, Qin Sang documented Tan Jie's condition in a letter, immediately bid farewell to Tan Hao, activated his Netherworld Cloud, and arrived at the Spirit Elixir Pavilion in Yinshan Pass. When he intended to ask the Spirit Elixir Pavilion to use the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion's channels to send the letter back to Hanging Skull Pass, he unexpectedly learned that Yun Youzi had already emerged from seclusion and was currently traveling towards Yinshan Pass, expected to arrive within a few days. Why was Yun Youzi coming to Yinshan Pass now? Qin Sang was also very surprised by this. After some thought, he returned to Tan Hao's cave dwelling and informed him of the situation, though he concealed Yun Youzi's identity.

"…It would be best if my friend could examine him in person. But you must be careful with your words; do not mention past experiences. Act as if they never happened." He and Yun Youzi had cooperated several times and could be considered close friends despite their age difference. He trusted Yun Youzi would not harm him without reason, but it was better to avoid unnecessary complications. Tan Hao asked no further questions, nodding without hesitation. "Don't worry, I understand." His voice held undisguised excitement and anticipation, along with a faint trace of worry.

Immediately, they brought the long-slumbering Tan Jie close to Yinshan Pass. Qin Sang spent spirit stones to rent two rather secluded cave dwellings, where they awaited Yun Youzi. After settling the Tan Hao brothers, Qin Sang returned to his own cave dwelling. The cave dwelling was located in the swamp outside Yinshan Pass, inside an ancient hollowed-out tree. It was Qin Sang's first time staying in such a dwelling, and he found it quite novel. The spiritual vein must have been deep within the swamp, as the spiritual energy inside this cave dwelling was very rich, justifying the price.

However, Qin Sang was not in a hurry to meditate. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, reflecting on his experiences and changes in mindset during the short period since encountering Tan Hao. He had helped Tan Hao and Shi Hong without hesitation. On one hand, it stemmed from the timely and righteous warning he received from Tan Hao when purchasing the "Netherworld Scripture" at Ghost Mountain Market; Qin Sang had always remembered that favor. On the other hand, it was also inseparable from his experiences at the Kuiyin Sect. Of the few who had entered the sect together that year, only four of them remained, and Tan Jie had become a living dead. The experiences of Shi Hong and Tan Hao were also extraordinarily convoluted, stirring a sense of empathy in Qin Sang, like the sorrow of a fox at the death of a rabbit. He had initially thought they had perished in the great turmoil, but now knowing they were alive, Qin Sang naturally wouldn't hesitate to offer help, especially since it was merely a small effort.

The change in his mindset came later. Witnessing the familial bond between the Tan brothers, recalling the love between Senior Sister Qingteng and Senior Brother Jiang, and even remembering Yu Daiyue, who had gone mad in his pursuit of immortality, Qin Sang seemed to gain clarity on certain matters: about himself, about emotions, about the Dao…

"Family affection, romantic love…" Qin Sang murmured to himself, his gaze distant, as if piercing through time and space. As for romantic love, Qin Sang had already cast it aside in this life. But family affection still resided deep in his heart, though he had deliberately ignored it. If he hadn't arrived in a new world, completely severing any possibility of reunion… If, before embarking on the path of cultivation, his parents had suddenly appeared before him… Would he still have had the resolve to sever his mortal ties? His Dao Heart seemed to have become clearer, but Qin Sang was unsure of what impact this change would have or how much it would aid his future cultivation.

"Hoo…" Qin Sang came back to his senses, exhaling a breath of murky air. He took out a jade box containing Soul Guiding Grass from his mustard seed pouch, then also retrieved the "Heavenly Yin Corpse Art." Yun Youzi was still a few days away, so Qin Sang decided to use this time to research how to refine Heavenly Corpse Talismans.

Out of caution, Qin Sang reread the "Heavenly Yin Corpse Art" from beginning to end, meticulously studying every word of the chapters on refining living corpses. Refining Heavenly Corpse Talismans was extremely difficult and demanded exceptional skill from the refiner, particularly in controlling spiritual power and divine sense. Qin Sang couldn't guarantee success every time. The first step was to refine the Soul Guiding Grass using the secret arts of the "Heavenly Yin Corpse Art" to create a 'talisman paper.' This step didn't seem too difficult. Qin Sang committed the entire process to memory and, after rehearsing it mentally over a dozen times, began his attempt.

He removed the restrictive seals from the wooden box, gently took out the Soul Guiding Grass, and extended his divine sense into it to observe and analyze each vein within the grass. These veins were like the meridians of the Soul Guiding Grass, crucial for the success rate of the Heavenly Corpse Talisman. It was absolutely essential not to damage them when separating the leaves. Before long, Qin Sang had fully understood the Soul Guiding Grass. After a brief pause, his divine sense suddenly transformed into an invisible blade, lightly grazing the stem of the Soul Guiding Grass. This cut was made with effortless precision. The Soul Guiding Grass suddenly dispersed, and a single leaf drifted down. Success! Qin Sang's expression brightened with joy as he caught the leaf.