Chapter 500: Suddenly Like a Dream

A day in the cave, a thousand years on earth. Qin Sang, being only at the Foundation Establishment stage, was still far from reaching such an immortal realm. However, for cultivators, time indeed passed extremely quickly when meditating in seclusion. Unbeknownst to him, another month had passed in the blink of an eye.

The last lingering trace of his previous failed attempt with the Kanli Golden Core had long been erased from his mind, his Dao heart now clear. Qin Sang had once again brought his condition to its peak.

The Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flower—one white, one red; one Yin, one Yang—were placed side by side before Qin Sang.

The two spirit herbs emanated a gentle aura. Even when their energies converged in the air, they would not erupt in violent conflict like the potent effects of the Kanli Golden Core. At this moment, other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Small Cold Domain were undoubtedly envying Qin Sang's good fortune. Unlike the Kanli Golden Core, these herbs could not have their main ingredients cultivated artificially and then refined into a pill. These two spirit herbs were, in fact, interdependent and could not survive alone. The Snow Spirit Lotus thrived in icy cold environments, while the Iris Flower required heat. Therefore, they had to grow in a place where cold and heat converged, and crucially, where both elements were perfectly balanced—a highly demanding condition. Such spirit herbs were incredibly rare and sought after.

However, auxiliary items were, after all, merely aids. Recalling the consumption method that Granny Snake had instructed when he selected the spirit herbs, Qin Sang took out several recovery and healing elixirs, placing them in his mouth. Then, he held one spirit herb in each hand, raising them before him. Spiritual energy surged into Qin Sang's palms, transforming them into a furnace to refine the spirit herbs. Starting from their roots, both spirit herbs were refined almost simultaneously. One was transformed into a clear, crystalline liquid, like ice. The other was refined into a red spiritual liquid, appearing as if a layer of flames danced on its surface. Qin Sang was extremely cautious, taking a long time to slowly purify the two spirit herbs of their impurities, leaving only the most pristine parts of their medicinal essence. The two masses of spiritual liquid were of equal size, neither more nor less.

He then swallowed the recovery elixirs he had held in his mouth. A moment later, his depleted spiritual energy had recovered to its peak. Qin Sang's gaze sharpened, and he gently exhaled, swallowing both masses of spiritual liquid at once. Miraculously, upon entering Qin Sang's meridians, the two masses of spiritual liquid entwined into a single stream, flowing together into his Qi Sea.

*Boom!* The familiar storm raged again, though it was not as fierce as the last time. Moreover, the medicinal power of these two spirit herbs was not only gentler but also much more enduring than that of the Kanli Golden Core. Once Qin Sang confirmed that his Qi Sea was unaffected, he settled into deep meditation to comprehend his cultivation.

The spiritual eye constantly emitted rich spiritual energy. The Nine Illusory Heavenly Orchid in the jade pond remained perfectly still and tranquil. A solitary immortal cultivator meditated in seclusion. It was a scene of perfect tranquility.

Unfortunately, this tranquil scene persisted for more than ten days, and it seemed it would continue indefinitely. From beginning to end, the legendary phenomena of converging winds and clouds, or the contention of heaven and earth, never materialized.

Twenty days was enough. Qin Sang opened his eyes, and endless disappointment welled up from their depths. He had given up, as there was no longer any need to persist.

The medicinal effects of the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower were indeed potent, far surpassing the Kanli Golden Core. They truly lived up to their reputation as the finest spirit herbs for assisting in Core Formation. Yet, they had not brought Qin Sang good fortune. Qin Sang had indeed gained some understanding and made several discoveries, but the most crucial aspect—the condensation of spiritual energy—had only shown the slightest signs before the medicinal power quickly dissipated. The twenty days felt like a dream.

With both the Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flower proving unsuccessful, Qin Sang wondered what other spirit herbs could possibly aid him. It was almost impossible to achieve it by simply accumulating more spirit herbs. Beyond the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower, lower-grade spirit herbs would have even less effect. For instance, pills of the next tier down from the Kanli Golden Core would be entirely useless to him. Even if he spent all his wealth, how many such herbs could he acquire? Furthermore, the efficacy of such Core Formation-assisting pills significantly diminished upon a second consumption.

"Alas..." A soft sigh echoed in the dim cave dwelling. Qin Sang sat motionless at the edge of the pond, gazing at the Nine Illusory Heavenly Orchid. He remained there, unmoving and lost in thought, for an entire day.

The next day, Qin Sang's expression was as usual. He seemed to have forgotten yesterday's frustrations, leaving his magic artifacts, the iron ring, and other items from his mustard seed pouch in the cave dwelling. He then rode the clouds towards Mount Shaohua. It appeared that Granny Snake's words were true: the tension between the Small Cold Domain and the Heaven-Traveling Alliance had indeed lessened. Mount Shaohua's protective formation had been deactivated, and the patrolling disciples had been called back. Unimpeded, Qin Sang flew through the mountain gate and headed directly for Qi Yuanshou's cave dwelling. Qi Yuanshou had returned the Sect Leader Peak to the current sect leader, instead occupying a peak on Mount Shaohua for himself. His disciple, Gao Yang, also resided there, cultivating under his guidance. The peak was not tall, yet it possessed a remarkable spiritual beauty. This mountain was ideally situated on one of the main veins of the sect's spiritual ley line, and the spiritual energy within it surpassed even that of Qin Sang's spirit spring cave dwelling. Before long, the green peak came into view, shrouded in a thin mist. Qin Sang slowed his escape art, gently descending to the foot of the mountain. As the cloud qi dissipated from beneath his feet, he straightened his robes, then bowed respectfully towards the mountaintop and spoke in a clear voice.

"Disciple Qin Sang pays his respects to Senior Uncle Qi."

*Whoosh!* No sooner had Qin Sang's voice faded than the mist above him swirled and parted, revealing a small path within. Immediately after, a figure descended swiftly on a sword, landing lightly before Qin Sang. The sword light briefly enveloped the figure, then vanished.

"Junior Brother Gao, your sword art has become even more exquisite," Qin Sang complimented.

"Thanks to the treasured sword Senior Brother gifted me!" Gao Yang, who often cultivated under Qi Yuanshou, showed little change in his appearance or demeanor. Upon seeing Qin Sang, he greeted him warmly and said directly, "Senior Brother Qin, Master is in seclusion. Before he entered seclusion, he explicitly stated that he shouldn't be disturbed easily. If Senior Brother doesn't have an urgent matter, perhaps you could wait a while. Once Master emerges from seclusion, I will report to him immediately..." Qin Sang opened his mouth, about to speak. Just then, a strange expression suddenly appeared on Gao Yang's face. With a solemn look, he tilted his head, listening intently. A moment later, he bowed towards the mountaintop and said, "This disciple obeys." He then turned around and eagerly urged Qin Sang, "Senior Brother, go quickly! Master wants to see you; he just sent a sound transmission telling you to go over yourself!" Qin Sang cupped his hands towards Gao Yang, then activated his movement technique, swiftly heading alone towards Qi Yuanshou's cave dwelling.

He hastened all the way. Before long, Qin Sang arrived before the cave dwelling, only to find its entrance tightly shut and no sign of Qi Yuanshou. Just as Qin Sang felt perplexed, Qi Yuanshou's voice emerged from within the dwelling.

"Have you already consumed the Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flower?"

Qin Sang stood steady before the cave dwelling and quickly bowed, saying, "This disciple greets Senior Uncle Qi. Reporting to Senior Uncle Qi, this disciple has already refined the two spirit herbs."

From within the cave dwelling, Qi Yuanshou hummed softly, pondered for a moment, then calmly said, "That's good. It will also serve as an explanation to several Senior Brothers..." Qin Sang's heart secretly tensed. As expected, even the Golden Core Venerables within the sect had been keeping an eye on the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower in his possession. These two spirit herbs were incredibly rare. Even powerful Golden Core cultivators found them difficult to acquire. While they might not need them personally, they could be used by their direct disciples or close relatives.