Chapter 537: Starting Over

High above, the Fire Gourd and the Ten Directions Yama Banner bobbed in a sea of flames, appearing and disappearing. Each time the magic treasures struck, countless streaks of fiery essence shot out, affecting the forests below. They were like meteors falling from the sky, leaving startling, deep craters in the ground.

Demonic flames incinerated the sky. The mountains trembled. This scene was like a natural disaster, terrifying the creatures in the mountains.

Qin Sang controlled his fire to counterattack, his gaze swiftly scanning for advantageous terrain. Just then, Qin Sang suddenly noticed a sparrow-sized green bird flying from the distant horizon. It appeared inconspicuous, yet its speed was astonishing, heading directly for Wu Youdao.

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He intentionally reined in the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, slowing his offensive, and allowed the green bird to fly close to Wu Youdao.

'Puff!'

Wu Youdao reached out and grabbed it; the green bird burst into fire, returning to its origin. Holding the stream of fire, Wu Youdao concentrated on sensing it.

After a moment, Qin Sang called out repeatedly, "How is it, Fellow Daoist Wu? I didn't deceive you with empty words, did I? I only took the Qiantian Gang Qi, and I absolutely did not touch your sect's forbidden ground."

Wu Youdao looked up at Qin Sang, his eyes flickering.

Seeing this, Qin Sang felt a surge of joy. He said in a deep voice, "If Fellow Daoist continues to press me, I will have no other choice but to detonate this Void Heaven Thunder. I believe Fellow Daoist currently has the ability to avoid the explosion, but how confident will you be when you and I are both exhausted and severely wounded?" Then, he added sincerely, "This matter was indeed my fault from the start, and it would be a laughingstock if it got out. I will absolutely not reveal a single detail to outsiders."

"Should there be a next time, I, Wu, will surely take your life!" Wu Youdao gave Qin Sang a cold warning, then suddenly waved his hand to retrieve the Fire Gourd. A ball of flames erupted beneath his feet, and he departed swiftly.

"Thank you for your understanding, Fellow Daoist!" Qin Sang cupped his hands from a distance.

He dared not linger. As soon as Wu Youdao disappeared from sight, he immediately put away the Ten Directions Yama Banner and fled at full speed into the depths of the mountains. He remained vigilant as he traveled, and only after confirming he wasn't being followed did he find a hidden mountain cave and slip inside.

'Phew!'

He set up a restriction and sealed the cave. Qin Sang sank to the ground, exhaling a long, turbid breath. Although this battle wasn't a life-or-death struggle, Qin Sang found it more thrilling and terrifying than any previous fight, leaving him with a feeling of walking on thin ice.

After all, this was his first true encounter with a Core Formation cultivator. He was very unfamiliar with both the use of true essence and the activation of magic treasures. Although he gradually improved during the battle, achieving smoother operation, there was still a significant gap between him and Wu Youdao. Fortunately, he wasn't afraid of the Azure Sun Demonic Fire, while Wu Youdao had to constantly guard against the Nine Nether Demonic Fire getting close. This interplay of advantages and disadvantages prevented Qin Sang from rapidly losing.

Presumably, Wu Youdao also saw this point and felt he had a chance to keep him. Without the deterrent of the Void Heaven Thunder, the outcome would have been hard to predict.

Having finally escaped danger, Qin Sang rested briefly, then immediately sat cross-legged and began to examine his internal state.

"The recovery rate of this true essence is really slow!" Qin Sang sensed his Corpse Core and smiled bitterly to himself. He calculated that when the Corpse Core's true essence was depleted, it would take nearly half a day to recover. This meant he would have to plan every future battle meticulously. Qin Sang allowed the Corpse Core to recover on its own and began to meticulously inspect his body.

The mountain cave was silent. Qin Sang sat motionless for a day and a night. On the evening of the second day, he withdrew his divine sense from his body, his expression solemn, and he lowered his head, falling into contemplation.

After an entire day, he had finally sorted out his current situation. Firstly, his strength was, without a doubt, comparable to that of a true Core Formation cultivator. Secondly, and most importantly to Qin Sang, was the question of whether he could cultivate techniques.

The answer was no. Due to the dual restrictions of the Heavenly Corpse Talisman and the prohibition, his true essence could only follow fixed pathways. Qin Sang had tried countless times, just as he had before forming the Corpse Core, but he couldn't budge it. This meant he could no longer cultivate any techniques in the future and would not make any further progress.

Now Qin Sang faced a choice, and with the increasing depth of his corpse transformation, he didn't have much time to think. Should he allow his physical body to complete its corpse transformation and follow the path of a corpse? Or should he undo the Heavenly Corpse Talisman and gamble on whether he could retain his Corpse Core?

Without agonizing for too long, Qin Sang decided to choose the second path. Once he became a corpse, Qin Sang had no idea what path his future would take. Even the corpse-cultivating sects only knew of cultivators refining corpses, not of anyone refining themselves into one. Even the remarkably talented Wushang from back then couldn't find a technique that could break the limitations of the 'Heavenly Yin Corpse Art'.

After the corpse transformation, his physical body would be strengthened, but his nascent soul would remain unchanged. This meant Qin Sang's lifespan would likely be only 250 years, like a Foundation Establishment cultivator, instead of 500 years. Within these 250 years, Qin Sang would not only have to find corpse cultivation secret techniques suitable for himself but also rely on his inferior talent to cultivate to the next realm. Furthermore, with the Heavenly Corpse Talisman in place, would those corpse cultivation secret techniques allow him to break free from limitations and advance? Qin Sang had no confidence at all.

Should he possess Core Formation stage strength and live leisurely for over a hundred years? Or should he rather give up this alluring power and continue pursuing the Grand Dao? In the cultivating world of the Little Cold Domain, Core Formation cultivators were superior beings, revered by thousands, able to get whatever they desired. But for Qin Sang, these were nothing more than fleeting illusions. After a century, he couldn't escape a handful of yellow earth (death). What was the point? He was about to transform into a true refined corpse, and it would be irreversible. If he couldn't find a corpse cultivation secret technique, there would be no other path than to abandon his physical body and reincarnate through possession.

Possession was not without cost; after possession, his lifespan would not increase. Moreover, due to the incompatibility between his physical body and nascent soul, unless he obtained the legendary divine medicine that could merge spirit and flesh, his chances of breakthrough in the future would be extremely slim. The 'Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter' had given Qin Sang hope in pursuing the Grand Dao. It would be one thing if there were no subsequent cultivation techniques, but now there was a clue about Senior Qingzhu's self-created technique. Unless absolutely necessary, Qin Sang didn't want to give it up.

Of course, Qin Sang's decision was not without basis. He could clearly sense that the Corpse Core was highly compatible with him, and this compatibility wasn't solely due to external factors. The connection between them wasn't just a result of the Heavenly Corpse Talisman and the 'Heavenly Yin Corpse Art'; it also stemmed from the fusion of his divine sense and vital essence during the refinement of the Corpse Core. The most obvious sign was during the Gangsha Core Infusion process, when his spiritual power, wrapped around the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha, was injected into the Golden Core.

After careful deliberation, Qin Sang estimated he had at least a 30% chance of retaining the Corpse Core after undoing the Heavenly Corpse Talisman! If the Corpse Core could continue to be used by him, that would naturally be best. He would return to the orthodox path and could still cultivate the 'Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter'. Even if the Corpse Core couldn't become a true Golden Core, it could serve as an external core, allowing him to unleash power comparable to a Core Formation cultivator at any time. In the future, when exploring hidden places and seeking spiritual medicines to aid in Core Formation, it would undoubtedly be much more convenient.

If he failed...

Qin Sang's lips were tightly pressed together. Even if the core shattered, what then? At worst, he would just start over!