Chapter 518: Straw

Rain on Bluestone

Her name was Shi Ying. Despite her youthful appearance, her true age was considerably greater than it seemed.

Years ago, when Qin Sang was active in the Qingyang Market, he had heard about Shi Ying from many of the disciples there.

Cultivators, before their vital energy begins to wane, naturally possess abundant qi and blood, making them less susceptible to aging than mortals. Furthermore, certain specialized cultivation techniques can have extraordinary effects on preserving one's appearance.

In addition, Shi Ying was a rare ascetic. From childhood, she had dedicated herself to tireless cultivation in her cave dwelling, unburdened by worldly affairs. It was therefore not surprising that she appeared like a simple, innocent young girl.

Her reputation stemmed precisely from these characteristics.

Young people, with their unformed minds, whether male or female, rarely possess the fortitude to withstand loneliness and monotony, remain undisturbed by external influences, and cultivate diligently when they first enter the immortal sects at a young age.

Even those powerful cultivators who achieved great success would first undergo a process of refining their minds, only later awakening to the truth through a specific catalyst, thereby clarifying their Dao Heart and dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the Dao.

Most cultivators, however, might never fully comprehend or achieve this throughout their lives.

If Qin Sang hadn't lived two lives and faced life and death, he likely wouldn't have been able to resist the allure of power and beautiful women back then.

Shi Ying, however, was different. When she joined the Qingyang Demonic Sect as a youth, she displayed astonishing willpower; to her, only cultivation seemed to matter.

She was remarkably beautiful, with an endearing demeanor.

Some fellow disciples were deeply enamored with her, but Shi Ying was reserved and distant with everyone. Aside from fulfilling necessary sect duties, she remained in her cave dwelling, dedicated to cultivation.

This routine persisted year-round, regardless of season or time of day.

Among the disciples who joined the sect at the same time as her, she stood out as exceptionally unusual.

Qin Sang learned about Shi Ying from these very admirers. Though he had never seen her in person, he had seen her portrait through another Qingyang Demonic Sect disciple.

Qin Sang had no interest in investigating a female cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, so his knowledge of Shi Ying was limited to these few details.

"It's actually her?"

Qin Sang mumbled to himself.

Shi Ying rarely descended the mountain. Even when she left the Qingyang Demonic Sect, it was always to train in Boundless Valley.

Boundless Valley was to the east of the Qingyang Demonic Sect, yet this time, Shi Ying was approaching from the due south.

Judging by her appearance, she seemed to have just cried profusely. What could possibly cause such profound grief in a cultivator known for her unyielding will?

Shi Ying's personality was a stark contrast to Yu Batian's, representing two absolute extremes.

Qin Sang had carefully chosen Yu Batian as his target. Now, with the sudden shift to Shi Ying, he was unsure if this change was for better or worse. He could only observe and await Shi Ying's decision.

The corpse coffin was opened.

Shi Ying clutched her defensive magic tool, her eyes wide, fixed on the refined corpse within the coffin, fearing it might retaliate.

The refined corpse remained motionless and silent, showing no signs of reanimation.

After waiting a moment and confirming no anomalies occurred, Shi Ying pursed her lips. Just as she was about to step towards the corpse coffin, she suddenly remembered something and hastily re-immersed her spiritual consciousness into the jade slip.

A moment later, Shi Ying attempted to form a hand seal and cast a soul imprint towards the refined corpse.

The soul imprint penetrated the refined corpse's head without any resistance.

Within Qin Sang's primordial spirit space, he completely relaxed his spirit, allowing Shi Ying's soul imprint to delve deep into it. This was tantamount to surrendering himself to the control of the woman before him.

He only dared to act this boldly because he relied on the Jade Buddha, which could expel the soul imprint at any moment.

For other powerful cultivators, none would dare to be as reckless as Qin Sang, allowing someone else to plant a soul imprint deep within their primordial spirit.

Even if they could break free from the soul imprint's control through their powerful cultivation, it would be extremely difficult to completely erase it without any lingering repercussions.

Should even the slightest trace of the soul imprint remain, it could later become a vulnerability for inner demons, sowing seeds of disaster.

Qin Sang, however, had no such concerns. The Jade Buddha could dispel even the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, let alone a mere soul imprint from a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

Once the soul imprint entered, Qin Sang's mind became quiescent, and he completely relinquished control over his physical body.

Seeing that her soul imprint had successfully controlled the refined corpse, Shi Ying's expression finally relaxed. She swiftly moved to the side of the coffin, her eyes slightly narrowed as she examined the refined corpse's condition.

A moment later, Shi Ying's thoughts stirred.

*Whoosh!*

The refined corpse stood rigidly upright, obeying her commands as if it were an extension of her own arm.

From the jade slip, she learned that this refined corpse was unfinished, missing only the final step: the 'Gangsha Core Imbue'.

Before this final step, the refined corpse could not be used in combat. Otherwise, it would explode and die before even striking, unable to suppress the Golden Core within its Dantian.

This was precisely why the demonic cultivator specializing in corpsecraft had died in battle, yet the refined corpse remained perfectly intact.

"He came here for our sect's Qingyang Gangying, didn't he? But he must have provoked some powerful enemy, failing to acquire the Qingyang Gangying and losing his life instead..."

Shi Ying murmured.

She cultivated the Qingyang Demonic Flame, so she naturally understood how rare the Qiantian Gangying was in the world.

The facts were laid bare before her.

The corpse, the storage pouch, the refined corpse, the Golden Core, the earthly fiend qi...

Everything was real, and her soul imprint had met no resistance, leaving her with no further doubts.

"To think such a corpse refining method exists in this world..."

Shi Ying's heart stirred. She reopened the storage pouch and pulled out a small pile of Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottles, finding them all filled with earthly fiend qi.

"As long as I use the Qingyang Gangying to complete the final step of refining this corpse, I will gain a refined corpse comparable to a Pseudo-Core stage expert!"

Shi Ying's eyes widened. She clutched the Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottles tightly, her voice trembling with excitement.

Suddenly, Shi Ying's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face as she broke into uncontrollable sobs.

"Father, Mother, your daughter can finally avenge you..."

Though his mind was inwardly focused, it did not prevent Qin Sang from hearing the sounds outside.

Hearing this, Qin Sang was secretly surprised. It seemed this woman had always harbored a deeply ingrained hatred.

No wonder...

This kind of personality had certainly not formed without reason.

Given her nature, how could a young person, in their innocent and carefree youth, resist the temptations of the mortal world?

What he heard next astonished Qin Sang even more.

Shi Ying suddenly knelt on the ground, kowtowed nine times towards the south, and declared with intense hatred, "Father, Mother, you must protect your daughter so I can personally slay that villain Wen Yanjie and avenge you!"

The enemy who had killed her parents was none other than Wen Yanjie, her fellow sect uncle.

A few days prior, when he had sold the refined corpse to Wen Yanjie, Qin Sang had found him to be a two-faced individual, so nothing he did would be surprising.

What intricate web of love, hate, and resentment this was, Qin Sang had no way of knowing.

Upon learning of Shi Ying's hatred, Qin Sang immediately realized that she was a far more suitable candidate than Yu Batian!

Shi Ying's talent was acceptable, but Wen Yanjie's was superior.

By the time she reached Foundation Establishment, Wen Yanjie might have already formed his core. Even if Wen Yanjie failed to form a core and remained stuck in the Pseudo-Core stage, Shi Ying would still need decades of arduous cultivation to even approach his level.

More likely, she would never catch up to Wen Yanjie in her lifetime, thus never getting a chance for revenge.

This 'refined corpse' of his was her only lifeline!