Chapter 542: Imprisonment

Secondly, even if someone were to simultaneously find these two rare items, who would dare to integrate them into their body?

Both Earth Fiend Qi and Heaven Gang Qi are incredibly violent and unruly substances, posing extreme danger to cultivators, who typically avoid them like the plague. Without the unique secret techniques and restrictions of the 'Heavenly Yin Corpse Art' to subdue the Earth Fiend Qi, Qin Sang's Dantian would have been instantly destroyed by it the moment he attempted to draw it into his body. The Azure Sun Demonic Sect considers Azure Sun Divine Gang as its foundational essence, yet they only use it to temper the nascent Azure Sun Demonic Fire within their bodies, never daring to let it directly contact their physical forms. Furthermore, allowing both Gang and Fiend Qi to enter the Sea of Qi simultaneously and refine spiritual energy through their chaotic collision is utterly unheard of and terrifying. Should these two forces meet within the body and cause an explosion, the cultivator would undoubtedly be annihilated, leaving no trace.

Moreover, Qin Sang noticed no immediate change in his spiritual power during the Gang-Fiend Pill refinement process, suggesting that this method of condensing fiend and refining gang might not offer instant effects like the Snow Spirit Lotus or Iris Flower. It likely requires sustained refinement, continuously honing the spiritual energy within the body until it's completely transformed, for the ultimate effect to manifest. Even if someone were to attempt such a mad endeavor, they would almost certainly fail to persevere until the very end.

Reflecting on his entire corpse refinement journey, Qin Sang proceeded with extreme caution, as if walking on thin ice, at every single step. His success was due to several factors. First, he used Five-Element Yin objects to establish a foundation and strengthen his Sea of Qi. Then, relying on the Heavenly Corpse Talisman and the 'Heavenly Yin Corpse Art' to pacify the Earth Fiend Qi, he refined an external Golden Core into his body. Only after these preparations did he dare to attempt the Gang-Fiend Pill refinement. During the Gang-Fiend Pill refinement, the Golden Core absorbed the vast majority of the impact from the Gang and Fiend Qi, which enabled Qin Sang to emerge unscathed. However, even this Golden Core was nearly overwhelmed in the end. Had he used a Golden Core or demon core that was over ten years old and significantly diminished in spirituality, the attempt would have undoubtedly failed.

Of course, the Jade Buddha played the most pivotal role! The Jade Buddha served as the very foundation for Qin Sang's willingness to undertake these dangerous experiments. It was only with the Jade Buddha's protection that he dared to embed the Heavenly Corpse Talisman into his Primordial Spirit. Otherwise, even if he were to attempt this out of desperation in the future, after successfully completing the Gang-Fiend Pill refinement, he would still likely succumb to the corrosive influence of corpse transformation. He would simply end up like Wu Shang, transforming into a mindless Flying Yaksha, eternally trapped in a cold ice cave, never finding release.

It was a serendipitous confluence of numerous, exceptionally harsh conditions that led to Qin Sang's current success. This path is impossible for anyone else to replicate. Even with knowledge of the Heaven Gang and Earth Fiend's effects, finding alternative methods to utilize them would be a vague and remote prospect, likely more challenging than gathering auxiliary spirit materials for Golden Core formation. After all, other cultivators in the False Core stage typically possess talents far superior to Qin Sang's, thus they wouldn't need to take such a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble to achieve success.

Qin Sang secretly marveled, realizing that Wu Shang's legacy, though not directly applicable to the Corpse Dao, had unexpectedly illuminated an entirely new and unprecedented path for his Golden Core formation. The Great Dao has fifty, Heavenly Dao evolves forty-nine; the Heavenly Dao is ruthless yet benevolent!

Yet, reflecting on the journey, how many trials of his mental fortitude and determination had he not endured? What if he had become disheartened after failing to form a Golden Core with the aid of the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower, lacking the unwavering perseverance to seek a glimmer of hope from seemingly impossible situations? What if he had hesitated and been timid in the face of the myriad difficulties and dangers presented by the secret corpse refining technique, lacking the resolve to go all-in? What if, after successfully refining the Corpse Pill, he had become enamored with its formidable power, content with it, unwilling to unlock the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, thus veering onto a misguided path and failing to uphold his Dao Heart's pursuit of the Great Dao? A single misstep would have caused him to lose this invaluable opportunity. This was not merely a transformation of his cultivation; it was also a profound baptism for his Dao Heart!

Thinking of the Jade Buddha, Qin Sang suddenly recalled that Shi Ying's soul mark remained deep within his Primordial Spirit. After incapacitating Shi Ying on Divine Gang Peak, Qin Sang hadn't rushed to remove the soul mark, keeping it as a precaution. Now, it was clearly unnecessary, so he immediately instructed the Jade Buddha to shatter it. As expected, the Jade Buddha effortlessly pulverized it, leaving no trace—a feat even Nascent Soul cultivators would struggle to accomplish.

"The Azure Sun Demonic Sect will undoubtedly investigate how I infiltrated. However, Shi Ying should have awakened around the time I left and battled Wu Youdao. If she's resourceful, escaping the sect amidst the chaos or finding a way to conceal her involvement shouldn't be difficult. Her future, then, will depend entirely on her own fortune."

Qin Sang shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. His karmic connection with Shi Ying concluded here; they were quits, and he saw no reason to revisit the matter.

After the initial excitement, Qin Sang's mind settled. Realizing that success was not yet guaranteed, he quickly composed himself, patiently circulated his cultivation technique, and began strengthening the spiritual energy within his Sea of Qi.

Time flowed by silently. As the spiritual energy in the two medium-grade spirit stones in his hands almost depleted, turning them into pale, inert rocks, Qin Sang suddenly opened his eyes, which gleamed with sharp light. That trace of spiritual energy had grown countless times stronger than when he began. His spiritual energy was now incredibly condensed, a qualitative transformation. Even without forming a Golden Core, his strength had dramatically surpassed its previous level. To quantify it, his power now lay somewhere between that of a False Core cultivator and a Flying Yaksha, assuming his spiritual energy could consistently maintain this transformed state.

Qin Sang was in no rush to attempt Golden Core formation. He paused once his spiritual energy had recovered to about seventy to eighty percent, as he had not yet gained control over the Corpse Pill. The longer he delayed, the more difficult it would become to subdue the Corpse Pill, and the signs of instability were growing increasingly apparent. He could not afford to waste any more time. Even if he successfully formed his own Golden Core, this 'external core' would still be a formidable asset, effectively granting him two 'Golden Cores.' Given the immense effort he had poured into refining it, Qin Sang naturally wished to avoid wasting it. Naturally, his own Golden Core was more important than the Corpse Pill. If the Corpse Pill were to impede his Golden Core formation, he would undoubtedly discard it without a moment's hesitation.

Qin Sang patiently observed for a while. Seeing that his spiritual energy remained remarkably stable, showing no signs of reverting, he felt relieved and shifted his focus to the Corpse Pill's state. He had initially intended to voluntarily dissipate a portion of the Corpse Pill's power to make it easier to control. However, with the transformation of his internal spiritual energy and his surging strength, such a precaution was no longer necessary; he could directly attempt to control the Corpse Pill at its peak.

With a plan already formulated, Qin Sang immediately channeled his spiritual energy with full force, enveloping the Corpse Pill. The Corpse Pill showed no resistance to Qin Sang, alleviating any fear of backlash, allowing him to act without restraint. This 'subjugation' was a meticulous and time-consuming process. It took a full hour before Qin Sang finally emerged from his meditative state, exhaled a long breath, and was overcome with excitement. Through relentless effort, he finally subdued the Corpse Pill. His True Essence no longer felt sluggish and was fully under his control once more.

At this point, Qin Sang's True Essence was entirely contained within the Corpse Pill. The dark greenish-black Corpse Pill slowly rotated within his Sea of Qi, with faint glimmers of restrictive light flickering across its surface. Whenever Qin Sang willed it, he could unseal the Corpse Pill, unleashing formidable power comparable to that of a Golden Core stage cultivator. Upon testing its activation, it functioned as smoothly as before and did not interfere with his use of the divine abilities from the 'Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter.' His current strength now surpassed even that which he possessed during his battle with Wu Youdao!