Sharp Gold Art

Qin Sang left the Heavenly Corpse Sect's branch altar, took Fat Rooster along, and flew out of the Heavenly Scar. Reaching a secluded spot, Qin Sang unfurled the cartographic map Senior Sister Qingjun had given him and made a final confirmation of the coordinates revealed when the altar's black qi had manifested. "So it's here!" The marked location—the place Qin Sang suspected was the Heavenly Corpse Sect's grand altar—lay in the deepest depths of the Heavenly Scar, an area nearly impossible for ordinary cultivators to reach. Moreover, a Sin Abyss forbidden ground lay nearby. That place was known as the Abyss Ruins, and the entrance to the Sin God Palace was located right there. Both the Xiaohan Realm and the Celestial Alliance had limited knowledge of the Abyss Ruins. Qin Sang only knew that the Abyss Ruins contained more than just the Sin God Palace secret realm, yet the entire Abyss Ruins had only a single entrance. The Sin God Palace had been discovered later in the Abyss Ruins by Sin Abyss cultivators. It was undoubtedly the most important secret realm there, and perhaps even the core of the entire Abyss Ruins. To enter the Sin God Palace, one first had to enter the Abyss Ruins! Of course, there was still a considerable distance between the Heavenly Corpse Sect's grand altar and the entrance to the Abyss Ruins. Otherwise, Qin Sang would have had to weigh carefully whether it was worth the risk. Studying the map, Qin Sang mused that the Heavenly Corpse Sect was truly bold. The major factions of the Sin Abyss certainly kept a constant eye on the entrance to the Abyss Ruins. If the Heavenly Corpse Sect made the slightest slip and exposed the location of its grand altar, disaster would inevitably follow. Qin Sang calculated inwardly, *Senior Sister Qingjun once attempted to spy on the Abyss Ruins and the Sin God Palace, so she mapped out the defensive forces around the Sin God Palace. The grand altar isn't within their alert perimeter. Still, for the Heavenly Corpse Sect to conceal its grand altar so close to a forbidden ground suggests that its important branch altars with sacrifice altars are all hidden deep within the Heavenly Scar as well. Kept so secret, no wonder barely any information about them can be found outside.* Continuing south from the Nanyin Mountains would eventually lead to the southernmost tip of the Heavenly Scar, the most desolate and barren expanse of all. However, the marked location lay north of Near Scar Mountain. Qin Sang had to retrace his path, and since he could not fly recklessly once he crossed Near Scar Mountain, the journey would likely take another full day. Qin Sang put away the map and quietly flew northward, bypassing Near Scar Mountain until he reached his destination. Here, the Heavenly Scar stretched a thousand li across. Qin Sang had returned to its eastern rim. Standing at the edge and gazing westward, he could not see the opposite bank even with the vision of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. He glanced to the north. The entrance to the Abyss Ruins lay further in that direction. Security was tight there, but the area where Qin Sang stood was far more loosely guarded. The patrols were barely stronger than those around Near Scar Mountain, making it easy to slip in unnoticed. After a brief pause, Qin Sang leaped into the Heavenly Scar. The scenery in the upper layers of the Heavenly Scar was largely identical; the only difference lay in the degree of danger. Naturally, that level of peril posed no threat to Qin Sang. He strode leisurely through the Heavenly Scar, descending rapidly and slipping past fragments of ancient restrictions without causing the slightest disturbance. The dim chasm felt exceptionally mysterious. Before he knew it, Qin Sang had covered more than half the distance. Danger lurked everywhere the further down he went, prompting his expression to grow slightly more solemn. His escape light turned phantom-like and ethereal, moving without a sound. "Here it is!" Qin Sang emerged in a grove of trees. These plants were still alive, yet pitch-black all over, exuding an air of rot. His gaze swept around, finally settling on a clearing at the edge of the grove. A few unremarkable stones lay scattered across the clearing, yet this was precisely the marked location. Although Qin Sang had learned the method of opening it from the altar's black mist, he did not act rashly. Instead, he channeled the heavenly eye to inspect it first, easily detecting an anomaly. *Even with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, it shouldn't be this easy to notice. Could someone have been here recently?* Just then, Fat Rooster hopped out. Eager to earn merit, he offered to scout the way inside first. Fat Rooster had wanted to do the same last time, but Qin Sang had refused out of caution regarding the Witch Clan restrictions. "Very well. I will set up a grand array outside to back you up. If you notice anything unusual, come out immediately." After a brief hesitation, Qin Sang agreed. He first activated the Heavenly Demon Transformation and brought out the twelve demonic banners, standing on guard. He then flicked a stream of light into the center of the clearing, and Fat Rooster vanished into thin air. Moments later, Fat Rooster flew back out, completely unharmed. "Master, there isn't a soul inside." As expected! Qin Sang nodded, swept up the demonic banners, and stepped into the secret realm. The next instant, his footing gave way. Qin Sang found himself suspended in midair, and beneath him stretched a vast expanse of water! Fat Rooster followed close behind. "I just flew a circle around the place. There's only this grand hall floating in the middle; everywhere else is completely empty. Below the water, there's only an altar directly beneath the hall." Following Fat Rooster's gesture, Qin Sang spotted a black hall built upon the water's surface. His figure plummeted, landing right before the hall's entrance. The doors stood wide open. Stepping inside, Qin Sang found several shelves and desks, all completely bare without exception. Clearly, someone had beaten them to it. After circling the interior, he found nothing of value. Just as Qin Sang was about to dive into the water to search for the altar Fat Rooster had mentioned, he abruptly halted and stared fixedly at the water's surface. "Master, is something wrong?" Fat Rooster felt a sudden chill. He hadn't sensed a thing and had even dived in moments earlier. "This isn't water—or rather, it isn't just water. A peculiar restriction has blended into it. If not for the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, I might have overlooked it as well..." Qin Sang reached down and scooped up a handful. Through the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he immediately noticed the power receding like an ebbing tide. "How strange..." Qin Sang furrowed his brows. The restriction had fused into the water, seemingly present yet elusive, without hindering anyone within it. This was the first time he had encountered such an oddity. After a moment's thought, Qin Sang tentatively slipped into the water. Beneath the surface lay a circular altar, quite similar to the previous one, but on a vastly larger scale, etched with far more intricate runes. *Indeed, this is very likely the Heavenly Corpse Sect's grand altar!* Qin Sang nodded inwardly. Parting the water, he floated above the altar. Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly. He snatched toward the water, catching a strand of golden thread thinner than a needle's tip in his hand. Sensing the aura radiating from the thread, Qin Sang felt a surge of joy. *Sharp gold qi! It's the Sharp Gold Art!* The *Sharp Gold Art* was precisely Tan Hao's primary cultivation method after forming his Core! Reaching out several more times in rapid succession, Qin Sang captured a few more strands of sharp gold qi from elsewhere in the water. *Most of my previous speculations are confirmed here. Tan Hao really was here, and he fought underwater. The lingering aura hasn't dissipated to this day, still locked in place by the restriction in the water.* Qin Sang looked toward the altar. Knowing little about the Heavenly Corpse Sect, he could only forcefully pour his divine sense into the altar to activate it. Yet the altar did not react at all. No matter what Qin Sang did, it was like a stone dropped into the sea. A moment later, Qin Sang flew out of the water. He had formed a few theories, but they still required verification. Qin Sang ordered Fat Rooster to keep watch at the entrance to ensure they wouldn't be trapped inside unawares. He then sat cross-legged before the hall, merging his mind with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, gazing down at the water's surface to concentrate entirely on analyzing the restriction within. The restriction was exceedingly vast. Starting from the spot where he had found the sharp gold qi, Qin Sang gradually began to make out some clues. *This is a kind of seal, but water has no fixed form. Where is that mysterious person sealed? The altar might just be the channel the Heavenly Corpse Sect used to communicate with them...*