Chapter 787: Trial

The emergence of this sword light was undoubtedly linked to the cultivation method itself, hinting at a profound secret.

Soul Nurturing Sword. Sword Soul Fusion. Regrettably, they only possessed incomplete scrolls, with no continuation.

Qingzhu called this sword light the "Sword Soul" because it had genuinely merged with his own soul. Strangely, he felt no abnormality himself, and the sword light's power was no greater than any other; outsiders couldn't perceive any difference at all.

Qingzhu believed that if he could fully comprehend the Sword Soul, he might uncover the greatest secret of this cultivation method, but unfortunately, he failed.

After acquiring the "Demon Fetus of Primordial Seeding," Qingzhu felt a sudden insight. He began comprehending this demonic art, using the Sword Soul to create a similar secret technique, attempting to nurture a demonic seed with it. To his surprise, he succeeded.

Furthermore, thanks to the Sword Soul, the demonic seed was remarkably stable. It didn't necessitate harming living beings; it merely required the corpse of a recently deceased low-level cultivator to nurture a primordial fetus and refine it into an external incarnation. Nevertheless, the inherent risks of an external incarnation still persisted.

Qin Sang had long heard of the demonic sect's secret external incarnation techniques, all notorious for their extreme evil and danger. He had never expected Senior Qingzhu to forge a new path based on a demonic art.

The Ebony Sword trembled, splitting into a streak of sword light. The Sword Soul perplexed him; he summoned the sword light before him and gazed at it for a long time, but he couldn't accurately perceive the difference Senior Qingzhu had spoken of.

He also couldn't fathom the purpose of the Sword Soul; since reaching the Core Formation stage, he had only ever used it as an unexpected tactic.

This comprised all the content within the jade slip. However, the teleportation array location and the Nascent Soul section of the cultivation method, which Qin Sang most desired, were entirely missing.

"Senior Qingzhu had successfully teleported here back then, assuming the alias 'Island Master Linggui' outside and frequently visiting the Seven Kills Palace... Given his cultivation, he must have uncovered more information than I have." Qin Sang regained his spirits, resolving to investigate Linggui Island once he was outside. Perhaps Senior Qingzhu was still alive.

Qin Sang put away the jade slip, not currently in the mood to comprehend the "Demon Fetus of Primordial Seeding." He bowed towards the place where the slip had been stored, then stood up and gazed into the depths of the passage.

Hope rekindled in his heart. Senior Qingzhu guiding his descendants here might hold other profound meanings. Could something be hidden at the end of the passage?

Qin Sang looked around, finding nothing unusual. Recalling the various puppets he had encountered on lower levels, he cautiously activated the Ten Directions Yama Banner and summoned the Two-Headed Ferocious Beast.

This was the seventh level; if there were puppets here, their strength would be extraordinary, and he didn't feel very confident.

After preparing, Qin Sang summoned a Fierce Corpse and stepped into the passage.

After walking merely a zhang, an anomaly indeed occurred. The passage suddenly lit up with dazzling light. A large mass of green light had converged at the ceiling and, without warning, smashed down towards him from mid-air.

The invisible green light possessed terrifying power; like a collapsing mountain, the Fierce Corpse in front of him instantly evaporated, and Qin Sang's expression changed dramatically.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, the green light seemed to sense something. It suddenly dissipated silently, leaving only a few streaks that shot towards Qin Sang with a 'whoosh.'

The light mass appeared abruptly, then vanished just as suddenly. Qin Sang was bewildered, but seeing those streaks of green light rushing directly at him, he dared not let them touch him. He turned to flee, intending to study them later.

Immediately, a jolt went through his heart. The shock was profound; Qin Sang was horrified to discover his path of retreat had been cut off!

There was nothing behind him, yet an inexplicable barrier had appeared. No matter how much force he exerted, he couldn't move an inch.

The next moment, the green light arrived. It didn't harm Qin Sang directly but went straight for the magic treasures on him, arriving swiftly. Neither the Golden Jade Lock nor the Ten Directions Yama Banner were spared.

Then Qin Sang discovered his connection with the Ten Directions Yama Banner was severed. Looking down, after the demonic banner in his hand was touched by the green light, the Nine Nether Demonic Flames were directly repelled, and the Golden Jade Lock also fell to the ground with a 'clang,' bouncing a few times.

The Two-Headed Ferocious Beast whined and suddenly disappeared, and the Primordial Concentric Ring also dropped to the ground.

Still shaken, Qin Sang stared blankly at everything. Only after realizing the green light had not harmed him did he let out a long breath and hurriedly picked up his magic treasures to inspect them.

He examined himself and found that his magic treasures were not destroyed but merely sealed by a peculiar restriction. The Two-Headed Ferocious Beast was sound asleep within the Concentric Ring, and even the Fat Silkworm and Heavenly Eye Butterfly had inexplicably fallen into slumber.

"Huh? Why isn't the Ebony Sword..." Qin Sang's heart stirred, and he summoned the Ebony Sword. A sword gleam flashed, and the Ebony Sword moved flexibly, showing no abnormality whatsoever.

"The Ebony Sword is my natal spirit sword, and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly is my natal insect-gu. Logically, their connection to me should be equally close, yet only the Heavenly Eye Butterfly is restricted..." Qin Sang pondered this, then put away the Ebony Sword and surveyed his surroundings.

The green light dissipated, and the passage showed no change, but Qin Sang knew that this place was already different. The barrier behind him remained; approaching it caused a soft pushing force that prevented him from retreating.

Just then, a nearby green brick suddenly glowed, and two ethereal figures leaped out from it.

"They're here!" Qin Sang's eyes flashed; he was surprised to find that what leaped out were not puppets, but two "people" wielding swords!

The two figures looked identical, with blank expressions. Their hands clasped swords, appearing to be sword cultivators equally devoted to the blade. Both their appearance and posture were very human-like, unlike the bizarre puppets on the lower levels.

The two sword cultivator phantoms appeared, bowed to Qin Sang while holding their swords, then without a word, drew their swords and thrust.

"Trial! Sword Path!" These two terms flashed in Qin Sang's mind, and he roughly guessed the purpose of this setup.

Cultivators entering the passage would have all external forces sealed by restrictions. They could only rely on the sword in their hand, one person and one sword, to defeat all the swordsmen emerging from the walls.

No retreat, only forward!

This was a true Sword Path, perfectly aligned with the Way of the Sword, and clearly prepared for cultivators practicing the "Soul Nurturing Sword Chapter." Recalling the power of the light mass, other cultivators would likely have been crushed into paste.

From this point, it could be confirmed that the "Soul Nurturing Sword Chapter" originated from the Seven Kills Palace!

Immortal cultivators rely on external power; with their magic treasures sealed, their strength would inevitably be greatly diminished.

Qin Sang was self-aware: although he cultivated murderous sword arts, he had always treated cultivation methods as mere tools for enhancing his cultivation. Compared to those cultivators who dedicated their lives to the Way of the Sword, he couldn't be considered a true sword cultivator.

His attainments in the Way of the Sword were also inferior to those true sword dao geniuses; he had not yet comprehended Sword Light Division.

He could consistently overpower cultivators of the same realm by relying on his magic treasures.

Now, relying solely on an Ebony Sword, how far could he go here? And how strong were the swordsmen at the end of the passage?

Qin Sang had no time to ponder these questions, because the two figures had already attacked.

Swish! Swish!

The two figures vanished, and only dazzling sword gleams remained in his vision.

Two streaks of sword light attacked, crisscrossing each other, exceptionally sharp.

Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly, stung by the sword gleams, and he reached out, forming a fist in the air.

In a flash, the Ebony Sword transformed into a three-foot-long azure blade and settled into Qin Sang's palm.