Ever since obtaining the Astral Platform, Qin Sang had used it to cultivate first the Thunder Command Art and then the Heavenly Demon Transformation. Having kept it by his side day and night, he had attempted to probe its secrets, but to no avail.
To all appearances, the Astral Platform was merely an item capable of connecting with the stars and assisting in the cultivation of the Thunder Command Art.
Yet Qin Sang felt it could not be so simple.
The Old Ancestor of Black Snake Mountain had coveted the Astral Platform and schemed relentlessly, dispatching his disciples to steal it from the Landou Sect. This alone suggested that it was very likely tied to some secret of the Witch Clan.
During his time in the Canglang Ocean, Qin Sang had secretly made inquiries many times, but found no information regarding the Astral Platform. Because most of his energy had to be devoted to cultivation and the Hall of Seven Kills, he could not afford further distraction, and thus had not pursued the matter deeply.
Here at Pointing Sky Peak, an unprecedented transformation had finally occurred within the Astral Platform.
*Could it be because there was never a sufficiently dense concentration of astral essence power before?*
Qin Sang stared at the Astral Platform, pondering in silence.
This was the first time he had ever brought the Astral Platform to a place like Pointing Sky Peak.
During the time he had spent concentrating on his breakthrough, the Astral Platform had absorbed an unknown amount of astral essence power. Originally nothing more than an ordinary piece of stone, it had now turned somewhat translucent.
As starlight shone through the Astral Platform, its material was gradually transforming into jade.
Previously, the surface had been pitted and riddled with scars.
At this moment, those scars seemed to have turned into mysterious runes, imbuing the Astral Platform with a bizarre, wondrous charm.
Once Qin Sang ceased his technique, the Astral Platform became the sole focal point.
Astral essence power was drawn continuously toward it. As if a bottomless pit lay within, not only did the absorption show no sign of stopping, but it grew steadily faster.
Gradually, the commotion grew even greater than when Qin Sang had been cultivating.
The astral essence power on Pointing Sky Peak was exceptionally dense, and the clearing he had chosen was quite vast, yet the astral essence power within the clearing was now on the verge of being drained dry by the astral stone.
*If this continues, won't it destabilize the ancient restrictions and the surrounding space?*
Qin Sang stepped aside, feeling a flicker of apprehension.
If Pointing Sky Peak were ruined because of the astral stone, he would offend not just one or two individuals, but every cultivator in both the Xiaohan Realm and the Tianxing Alliance.
*Whoosh...*
The astral essence power formed a massive, terrifying vortex, with the Astral Platform resting at its very center.
Qin Sang had no choice but to retreat further.
He fixed his gaze on the immortal restrictions surrounding the clearing, noticing that the clusters of light intertwined with the restrictions—which were on the verge of condensing into astral essence stones—remained stable and had not been agitated by the disturbance.
At this sight, Qin Sang's expression relaxed slightly.
He returned his gaze to the Astral Platform.
He could not help feeling shocked. The amount of astral essence power absorbed by the Astral Platform was staggering. The astral essence that had accumulated in this slope's space over countless years had been nearly drained dry. It was unimaginable what grade of ancient treasure this could be.
Finally, a sudden hum resonated from deep within the astral essence vortex.
In an instant, the astral essence power collapsed and scattered, revealing the glittering Astral Platform.
Yet in the very next moment, the platform's radiance suddenly drew inward, returning once more to its former archaic, ordinary appearance.
Once the turmoil caused by the astral stone had subsided, Qin Sang cautiously approached. He discovered that despite absorbing so much astral essence power, it displayed no obvious external change. Raising his hand, he drew the astral stone into his palm and channeled true essence into it.
It was completely identical to before.
One thing was certain: an unknown transformation had indeed taken place within the stone.
*Could my cultivation be too low to wield it for now? Or is it a Witch Clan treasure that requires Witch Clan bloodline? Yagu hasn't awakened, and there are no Witch Clan descendants in the Xiaohan Realm. I'm afraid I won't know for sure until I return to the Canglang Ocean...*
Lost in thought, Qin Sang had no choice but to put the astral stone away for the time being.
By a rough calculation, he had already spent quite a while inside. The Nascent Soul cultivators outside were likely growing impatient.
Calming his breathing, he erased his traces, gathered enough astral essence stones, and returned to the teleportation formation, sending all the treasures back to the immortal estate on the other side.
*Splash...*
A figure broke through the surging waves.
Qin Sang flew out from Pointing Sky Peak and saw the three Nascent Soul Patriarchs waiting in place.
"Reporting to the three seniors, junior has completed the cultivation of the secret technique," Qin Sang said, bowing respectfully.
Jiugu and the demonic Nascent Soul cultivator stared at Qin Sang, scanning him several times. Confirming that the seals they had left behind had not been tampered with, their expressions eased slightly, and they undid the seals.
Afterward, the three used their talismans to reseal Pointing Sky Peak.
"Sect Master Leng, your request has been fulfilled. I shall take my leave! The signs of unusual movement from the Sin Abyss are growing increasingly evident, and our major passes must not fall. I hope you two will not delay for too long."
Jiugu traveled south, returning to Cangheng Island, while the demonic Nascent Soul flew northeast toward Tianduan Mountain, the stronghold of the demonic sects.
Qingjun then escorted Qin Sang back toward the Yuanshen Sect.
Once far away from the other two, they altered their course. After flying for a while, they arrived among a cluster of reefs. Qingjun produced a treasure seal, and upon infusing it with true essence, the seal cast a sword-like beam of azure light straight into the sky.
Immediately, the void rippled, and the gates of the immortal estate materialized out of thin air, accompanied by all manner of wondrous phenomena.
With a resounding crash, the estate opened wide.
The two suppressed their cultivation and slipped inside.
The place resembled an authentic residential manor, its interior laid out like an ornamental garden. However, it was even more severely damaged than Pointing Sky Peak, forcing them to suppress their cultivation to the Qi Refinement stage.
Upon reaching the depths of the estate, they found the teleportation formation surrounded by the glowing mist of ancient restrictions, completely identical to those at Pointing Sky Peak.
Qin Sang had heard Senior Sister Qingjun mention this before.
This immortal estate was the very source of Senior Qingzhu's tragedy.
Qingjun's maternal aunt—who was also Qingzhu's senior sister—had obtained the immortal estate seal when the estate first appeared. Leng Yuntian discovered the teleportation formation, and in order to seize the estate, murdered Qingzhu's senior sister, forging an irreconcilable blood feud.
Ironically, the Yuanshen Sect had never reaped much benefit from it, ultimately falling to ruin because of this very estate, with the entire sect ending up in Qingjun's hands.
Qin Sang retrieved the Astral Platform and his other treasures.
Qingjun counted the astral essence stones and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, more than enough! How did your body refining technique go? I don't see any obvious changes in you. Did the breakthrough fail?"
"Senior Sister has keen eyes," Qin Sang said ruefully. "Actually, I already had a premonition that the true intent of the azure phoenix puppet wouldn't be enough for me to comprehend the Heavenly Demon Dharma Idol. Still, my physical body advanced by a layer, which will hopefully be of help when forming my Nascent Soul."
"Visualizing a heavenly demon to refine the body—what a strange cultivation method..." Qingjun shook her head repeatedly, having never heard of such a thing.
Qin Sang did not reveal to her that he was practicing a demon race technique.
As they spoke, the two departed the immortal estate and flew toward the Yuanshen Sect.
"Senior Sister, think carefully: how much do you remember about the mysterious stone slab and the Qianji Demon King? As it stands, I'm afraid that stone slab might be the only place in the cultivation world where one can observe a true heavenly demon."
Qin Sang was unwilling to give up.
The Heavenly Demon Transformation possessed an extraordinary background. More importantly, with the jade Buddha shielding him from the astral fiends, he could advance through this technique at astonishing speed.
With his current aptitude, he could support cultivating both methods simultaneously, walking the path of dual cultivation of dharma and body.
Bai suspected that the Nanming Primordial Fire might contain a true feather of the Vermilion Bird, but there was no telling when Ziwei Palace would open next, and collecting the Nanming Primordial Fire was a distant, uncertain prospect. Even if there were a Vermilion Bird feather, who knew whether it was only a damaged remnant, or if any Vermilion Bird aura truly lingered upon it?
If there was any opportunity to approach the mysterious stone slab, he would certainly strive for it with all his might.
Chapter 1131