Chapter 949: Re-Entry

Deep mountains and secluded valleys.

Qin Sang was stunned, wondering if he had come to the wrong place.

The Tyrant Blood Fruit grew in the cracks of the sheer cliffs, and the Red-tailed Cranes also nested there.

The scenery here didn't match his memories.

A waterfall now flowed down the middle of the sheer cliff. The rock faces on both sides of the waterfall were severely damaged and riddled with cracks, not appearing naturally formed. They resembled claw marks from several demonic beasts or damage left by a powerful collision.

Had a major battle occurred here after he left?

Qin Sang had a vague guess.

The Seven Kills Hall was inherently chaotic, and the Tyrant Blood Fruit held immense allure for fierce beasts. The group of Red-tailed Cranes wasn't strong enough to monopolize the fruit, so a fierce battle was inevitable once other fierce beasts discovered it.

"Judging by the scene here, that battle must have been brutal. The Red-tailed Cranes were probably driven away. I wonder if the spiritual plant that bore the Tyrant Blood Fruit is still there?"

Qin Sang thought to himself, but he felt there wasn't much hope left.

Hiding amidst the waist-high wild grass, he summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to observe the waterfall. Sure enough, he discovered something unusual: there were dozens of holes of various sizes inside the waterfall, densely packed together.

They didn't look like Red-tailed Crane nests.

Qin Sang summoned a Corpse Puppet and directed it towards the pool at the base of the waterfall. The Corpse Puppet broke through the grass, and just as it approached the pool, a hostile cry suddenly echoed from above.

'Splash, splash...'

Splashes erupted from the waterfall, and a flock of fierce, eagle-like birds, entirely pure white, burst out from the water. Their speed was astonishing, leaving streaks of afterimages in the air as they charged towards the Corpse Puppet.

These adult white fierce birds possessed strength comparable to Core Formation cultivators. The Corpse Puppet was utterly defenseless; it hadn't run far after turning before the fierce birds caught up and instantly tore it apart.

If not for the Corpse Puppet's peculiar scent, it would have been entirely consumed by the fierce birds by now.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang seized the opportunity to approach the waterfall and examine the demonic nests. Finally, in one of the nests, he saw what appeared to be the remnant root of a spiritual plant. The ancient vine of the Tyrant Blood Fruit, originally lush green and dripping with vitality, adorned with a string of green fruits, now only consisted of a shriveled, dried root.

The remnant root had sprouted tender shoots with two delicate green leaves, indicating it was still alive. However, it seemed an indefinitely long time before it would bear new spiritual fruits again.

Qin Sang felt a pang of regret.

The Tyrant Blood Fruit was extremely rare. One had grown in the Seven Kills Hall, only to be destroyed in a battle of fierce beasts.

The fierce birds sensed the presence of a stranger and erupted into a furious rage, screaming as they charged. A flash of escape light erupted from Qin Sang, displaying a speed that left the fierce birds far behind. In a few blinks, he vanished into the depths of the mountains.

Along the way, Qin Sang barely paused, heading directly for the Heavenly Tower.

The Heavenly Tower pierced straight into the sea of clouds, extremely conspicuous.

Qin Sang stood on a distant hilltop, observing the activity around the Heavenly Tower.

Unlike last time, the area outside the Heavenly Tower was very quiet, with no one in sight.

With no Nascent Soul grandmasters blocking the entrance, it seemed everyone could freely enter and exit.

But Qin Sang was not in a hurry to move.

This time, not only the Grand Shaman but also the infamous Old Devil Fang had arrived. If chaos erupted, it would be no small matter, and he didn't want to get involved.

The sensation of being caught in the battle between the Grand Shaman and the Demonic Lord last time was still fresh in his memory.

Bai also emerged from the Corpse Puppet Bag, standing beside Qin Sang and gazing up at the Heavenly Tower.

"Does it feel familiar, fellow Daoist?"

Qin Sang asked.

Bai frowned deeply and remained silent for a while. "I don't remember. Perhaps that part of my memory is lost, and I can't recall anything. Instead, the contents of the jade slips you gave me have been somewhat helpful."

Qin Sang was somewhat disappointed. "Those jade slips only contain common knowledge of the current world, along with information about spiritual herbs and materials. They shouldn't be much help to you, should they?"

Bai said gravely, "And those few Corpse Refinement Arts... I've forgotten even my past cultivation techniques. After occupying this body, I've had to grope my way towards improvement, encountering a bottleneck. Furthermore, the problem with the Heavenly Corpse Talisman cannot be resolved, leaving me very lost. These Corpse Refinement Arts have given me inspiration; perhaps I can use external forces to help me forcefully break through."

"Are you trying to continue breaking through and advance to a Corpse King?"

Qin Sang's expression turned serious. "How confident are you, fellow Daoist? After advancing to a Corpse King, what if you lose control and your primal vitality is dispersed by the dense corpse qi?"

Corpse Kings are top-tier refined corpses with strength comparable to Nascent Soul cultivators. Naturally formed Corpse Kings are bloodthirsty, cruel, and radiate immense malevolent power. Their physical bodies are tougher than gold and iron, making them extremely difficult for even Nascent Soul cultivators to handle. Each appearance brings a calamity.

Records of Corpse Kings appearing are extremely rare in both the Minor Cold Region and the Canglang Sea cultivation worlds. Even for those Corpse Refinement sects with long histories, refining a Corpse King is not an easy feat.

Bai spent several decades refining the body of the Flying Yaksha, reaching the brink of breakthrough, but then encountered a bottleneck.

Qin Sang was pleased with Bai's potential breakthrough, as it would be like having an additional Nascent Soul-level helper by his side.

However, if the advancement led to the complete exhaustion of his vitality, Bai would have no choice but to accept his fate as a ghost cultivator, rendering any need to find the Heavenly Corpse Sect unnecessary and voiding their previous agreement.

Bai pondered for a moment. "Therefore, caution is necessary. If I want to return to a normal human state, I absolutely cannot destroy my remaining primal vitality. I need to meticulously study various spiritual herbs and try many different approaches; perhaps I can find a method. Having been a wandering spirit for so many years, I also have considerable experience in ghost cultivation. After advancing to a Corpse King, I'm twenty percent confident I can suppress the corpse qi and protect my vitality. If I were to go a step further and become an Yin-Yang Heavenly Ape, then it would truly be beyond hope."

"An Yin-Yang Heavenly Ape? In the current world, it only exists in legends. However, if you weren't trying to recover your human form, fellow Daoist, it's truly possible you could advance to an Yin-Yang Heavenly Ape..."

Qin Sang remarked with emotion.

An Yin-Yang Heavenly Ape is a God Transformation-level refined corpse, said to possess extraordinary Yin-Yang escape techniques, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

Bai glanced at the Heavenly Tower again, clearly uninterested. "I should return to the Corpse Puppet Bag to avoid being seen by someone with ill intentions and causing trouble. Also, please, fellow Daoist, when you have time, write down all the spiritual herbs and materials that can be found in the current world..."

Qin Sang waited a while longer in place. Seeing no abnormalities near the Heavenly Tower, he quietly approached it, lingered for a bit longer, and then with a flash, rushed into the Heavenly Tower.

A familiar scene greeted his eyes; everything inside the Heavenly Tower was normal.

Qin Sang secretly sighed in relief. He immediately unfurled his wings without hesitation, but wasn't in a hurry to release the Two-Headed Gou or his outer body incarnation.

The puppets on the various levels of the Heavenly Tower no longer posed much threat to him; he could easily deal with them alone. What he needed to be wary of were the Nascent Soul cultivators who might appear at any moment, as neither his outer body incarnation nor the Two-Headed Gou were as fast as him.

Returning to the Heavenly Tower, Qin Sang moved with familiarity and soon found the ancient hall containing the first-level teleportation array.

His swordsmanship had improved, and his senses were clearer. The sword intent contained within the ancient hall likely originated from the same source as the "Soul Nurturing Sword Chapter."

"This time, I will pass through the Sword Path and see what secrets are truly hidden within the Heavenly Tower!"

Qin Sang silently observed the ancient hall for a moment, then unleashed his sword wheel to slay all the obstructing puppets before entering the teleportation array.

It didn't take long for Qin Sang to ascend the tower layer by layer, reaching the fifth level of the Heavenly Tower. His journey was smooth and unhindered.