Sparring

Qin Sang understood. Over all these years, Yunyouzi had vetted many candidates. Among them, there must have been geniuses of both the human and demon races, each possessing greater talent than he, each holding greater promise of journeying further along the path. Yet in the end, Yunyouzi had entrusted the charred wood to him. It was not merely trust, but also Yunyouzi's recognition of him, along with boundless expectations. "Nurture an artifact spirit... can Senior truly return?" Qin Sang clenched his hands tightly. Inside the jade slip, after hearing Yunyouzi's words, Qin Sang had agreed without the slightest hesitation. If there was any chance to bring Yunyouzi back to life, who else would bear that burden if not him! Suddenly, Qin Sang felt a heavy weight upon his shoulders. Along his path to immortality, he now carried something called responsibility. "Martial Uncle." Seeing Qin Sang standing there dazed and silent, Li Yufu could not help calling out softly. "Yufu, from now on, it's just the two of us depending on one another." Qin Sang gathered his thoughts, patted Li Yufu's shoulder, and sighed softly. He silently put away the charred wood and the Calamity Crossing Pill; he had no heart to inspect treasures right now. "Let us return." Qin Sang looked around, gazing in the direction of the Great Sui, and said in a grave voice, "The departed is gone; there is no need to drown in sorrow. As juniors, our only course is to forge ahead and live up to Senior's expectations." Though Yunyouzi had left a contingency plan, both Qin Sang and Li Yufu understood that the hope was slender. Li Yufu vowed, "This disciple will surely bring great glory to Qingyang Temple." They cleared away all traces and returned to the cave abode. Inside the cave abode, Tan Yi'en and Bai Hanqiu both knew that Yunyouzi had been undergoing his tribulation. If he succeeded, they would have a Nascent Soul Patriarch watching over them. Aside from having somewhat shallower heritage than the top sects, they would be in no way inferior to disciples of great sects. Neither martial brother nor sister had any heart for cultivation; they sat in the hall, anxiously awaiting the outcome. The grand formation outside the mountain was touched, spiritual light shimmering. "They're back!" Tan Yi'en's face lit up with joy. The two hurried out of the cave abode to greet them, but only Qin Sang and Li Yufu had returned. Seeing their expressions, the brother and sister sensed something was amiss. "Great-Grandmaster..." Qin Sang said in a low, heavy voice, "Senior failed the tribulation. Keep this in your hearts, and do not speak of it to outsiders." Hearing this, the two stood stunned, unable to believe it. Tan Yi'en murmured, "The Nascent Soul Tribulation is truly that terrifying..." Qin Sang and Li Yufu went to the mountain's restricted area. An altar table was set up here, bearing the spirit tablets of three individuals: Daoist Priest Jixin, Mingyue, and Li Yufu's disciple, Jingtian. Jingtian had been a mortal. Even though Li Yufu had never forgotten his disciple and often brought spirit pills to nourish his constitution, mortality had remained beyond cure. However, Jingtian had accepted disciples far and wide, revitalizing Qingyang Temple's secular lineage. The present Qingyang Temple on Mount Cuiming was now a grand Taoist temple flourishing with burning incense and pilgrims. Meticulous in every movement, Li Yufu placed Yunyouzi's spirit tablet at the very top and bowed respectfully, knocking his head against the ground. Qin Sang gazed at the familiar names inscribed upon the spirit tablets. Back then, when he had returned from the Ancient Immortal Battlefield and seen Yunyouzi's spirit tablet at Qingyang Temple, he had even shared a laugh with Li Yufu about it. Now, it had become a harsh reality. "If an artifact spirit is nurtured into a sword spirit, is it possible for Senior to be reborn through the vessel of the sword spirit by virtue of that trace of primordial true spirit?" Qin Sang conferred with Bai in secret. On the way back, Qin Sang had already recounted the whole affair to Bai, seeking his counsel. Without a doubt, if the charred wood were to be integrated into a magic treasure, the ebony sword was the best choice. Qin Sang still possessed a half-segment of Soul-Nurturing Wood, so upgrading the ebony sword into a top-grade magic treasure would not be difficult. Moreover, as Qin Sang's lifebound magic treasure, it would be far easier to control during the fusion process, preventing any harm to Yunyouzi's primordial true spirit. Previously, Qin Sang had constantly sought ways to elevate a magic treasure into a spirit treasure. Now he knew the method. Yet he would rather have never known! Bai remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking in return, "If I say there is no hope, will you stop trying?" Qin Sang shook his head in silence. He knew he would never give up. After a pause, Bai continued, "The immortal path sought through cultivation is just as ethereal and illusory. Among all living beings and countless practitioners, who can say with absolute certainty whether they will attain immortality? The vast world holds endless wonders. In the cultivation world, anything is possible!" How could Qin Sang not understand this truth? Where did the immortal path lie? Was there still a chance for Yagu to awaken? Could Yunyouzi be reborn? Or were these all merely wishful yearnings? Qin Sang did not know how it would all end. His only choice was to hold fast to his resolve and walk forward with unwavering steps, one pace at a time. After pondering for a moment, Bai gave a word of caution. "I never expected his true origin to be the Pure Fortune Ortho-Bamboo. "If he were an ordinary vegetation spirit, even if you captured a living one and refined it into a magic treasure, it would hardly advance to a spirit treasure so easily. "Natural treasures of this caliber are born from absorbing the essence of Heaven and Earth; they cannot be equated with ordinary flora. To fall beneath the heavenly tribulation and still have the capacity to preserve a primordial true spirit... "Not only is awakening sapience for such natural treasures unimaginably difficult, but they also have countless natural predators. Among millions upon millions of natural treasures, who knows if even one has the fortune to become a spirit. "Integrating this piece of charred wood will at least nurture spirituality within the magic treasure—that much is beyond doubt. As for whether an artifact spirit can truly be born, it is hard to say. It will depend on your cultivation and karmic opportunity. "However, you must take care. If you do not wish to harm that fragile trace of primordial true spirit, you must proceed with extreme delicacy. You cannot simply smelt it the way you did with the Soul-Nurturing Wood. It would be best to wait until after you achieve Nascent Soul before undertaking this. "Truly fusing this piece of charred wood into the ebony sword and becoming one with the primordial true spirit will likely take a very long time. "During this process, it is best not to wield the ebony sword in battle against enemies..." Qin Sang nodded upon hearing this. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. I know what must be done." Protecting Yunyouzi's primordial true spirit was of paramount importance; at most, he would sacrifice some of his combat prowess. He possessed other magic treasures, so he had little to fear. Furthermore, after achieving Nascent Soul, the *Essence Cultivating Sword Chapter* would no longer require inscribing new killing talismans. Cultivation would primarily concern the seven sword souls, so being unable to deploy his lifebound spirit sword would not impede his cultivation. After paying their respects, Qin Sang lingered for some time. "Before I achieve Nascent Soul, none of you need to concern yourselves with founding a sect. Remember to focus on your cultivation. In the cultivation world, cultivation base is the foundation of all things!" Before departing, Qin Sang admonished the three. He glanced at Li Yufu, somewhat worried about his state of mind. "Yufu, you possess exceptional natural gifts and have inherited all of your Great-Grandmaster's true teachings. You ought to go far on the immortal path. Revitalizing Qingyang Temple was indeed your Great-Grandmaster's wish, but compared to your own cultivation, it is merely a minor matter. If you form an obsession over this and bind yourself to Qingyang Temple, that is not what your Great-Grandmaster would wish to see..." Li Yufu fell silent for a moment, then bowed respectfully. "This disciple will strictly heed your teachings." Qin Sang could not tell whether Li Yufu had truly taken the advice to heart. Such a mental barrier was something one had to realize and overcome on one's own. Qin Sang sighed inwardly. He looked toward the cave abode, almost feeling as though Yunyouzi were still cultivating within. The events of this recent period felt like a fleeting dream. Qin Sang turned and departed, flying back to Peach Blossom Valley. Mists billowed. The spiritual formation parted. Just as Qin Sang was about to enter the valley, Bai suddenly emerged from the corpse puppet bag, looked at Qin Sang, and asked, "Care for a spar?" Qin Sang was silent for a brief moment. "Very well!" Streaks of light flashed. Together, the two flew into the Yuncang Great Marsh.