Within the secret technique known as the Fire Seed Golden Lotus, there was no method for purifying spiritual fire prior to assimilating it. Instead, it was straightforward and crude, directly absorbing the true body of the spiritual fire to forge the fire seed.
If one possessed only one or two kinds of spiritual fire, it would not be an issue.
Yet if a cultivator wished to advance further in this secret technique, they would inevitably have to continually absorb and assimilate all manner of spiritual fires, fusing them together into a single fire seed lotus seed.
Different spiritual fires were inherently prone to conflicting with one another. As chaotic auras accumulated, the foundation would become unstable, making subsequent attempts at purification even more difficult.
Could this cause the fire seed to suddenly break free of control one day?
The fire seed took root within the essence soul; one could not fail to guard against such a danger.
It was unclear whether the ancient sage who created the Fire Seed Golden Lotus had overlooked this matter, or if they had long verified that no such latent peril existed, allowing one to cultivate it with peace of mind.
In truth, Qin Sang had considered this before, as the principles of the Great Dao were universally linked.
The Nine Nether Demonic Fire was cultivated through human artifice, and it too required purification to yield the pure essence of demonic fire.
However, not only was there no relevant record in the secret technique, but assimilating the Nine Nether Demonic Fire had already taxed him to his limits, leaving him utterly incapable of purifying it.
This secret technique from the Qingyang Demon Sect aligned perfectly with his thoughts!
Qin Sang said nothing, completely engrossed in studying the secret technique.
Derived from the cultivation methods and Qingyang Demonic Fire of the Qingyang Demon Sect, this technique could not be applied verbatim to the Nine Nether Demonic Fire. However, it provided Qin Sang with an approach to draw upon.
*Do I choose to trust the Fire Seed Golden Lotus, or do I follow my own intuition?*
Qin Sang fell into contemplation, weighing the pros and cons.
If he trusted the secret technique and its creator, directly absorbing the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, he would possess an overwhelmingly powerful capability in the future—the temptation was immense.
Judging from the past performance of the Nine Nether Demonic Fire, once all the demonic fire sealed within the nineteen demonic banners was assimilated, he would be invincible among Nascent Soul cultivators, dominating an entire era.
Perhaps he would even have the strength to contend with a Soul Formation powerhouse.
If he purified the Nine Nether Demonic Fire before assimilating it, he would sacrifice a portion of its might, but he would lay a solid foundation for the future.
In this realm, Soul Formation cultivators had vanished without a trace, leaving Nascent Soul Patriarchs as the pinnacle of existence. The first choice seemed entirely sound on the surface.
Yet that was not what Qin Sang sought.
He pursued eternal life, free from decay and calamity!
Once he settled matters behind him and reached a certain realm in his cultivation, he was bound to leave the Beichen Realm and travel the world, seeking opportunities for Soul Formation or a way to pass through the storm belt, exploring the true secrets of this realm.
His gaze was forever fixed beyond the Nascent Soul, beyond the storms!
He would never halt his steps here.
Otherwise, wouldn't the grand vow he had once made before Princess Dongyang become a laughingstock?
Qin Sang did not need to deliberate any longer; he chose the future.
"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Xiang for bestowing this secret technique."
Qin Sang offered sincere thanks, cast a glance at the Ancestral Holy Fire, and withdrew his gaze. "Before attempting further, I wish to enter seclusion for a while to comprehend the secret technique."
Xiang Qing naturally had no objection and promptly escorted Qin Sang down the mountain.
Bing Han smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Mingyue appears to be fully confident now. It would be of no use for me to remain, so I will not disturb you two any longer. I wish you both a swift victory."
"Why not stay for a few more days, Fellow Daoist?" Xiang Qing urged.
Bing Han insisted on departing. "My sect has a few mundane matters that require my attention. Meeting Fellow Daoist Mingyue today has made this trip well worthwhile. Fellow Daoist Mingyue truly lives up to his reputation. Should you have free time, I hope you will come visit the Xuling Sect. I, too, would like to seek your guidance regarding fire manipulation."
She exchanged a glance with Xiang Qing, seemingly hinting at something.
"Most certainly! Most certainly!" Qin Sang readily agreed.
The Xuling Sect was not only renowned in the Xiaohan Realm, but also held considerable fame across the entire Beichen Realm, precisely because of the artifact-crafting arts in which it specialized.
Qin Sang's introduction to artifact crafting had begun with the crafting notes left by a Golden Core cultivator from the Xuling Sect.
However, he had never obtained an exceptional legacy afterward and had been left to grope in the dark on his own.
Learning alchemy from scratch would be difficult, as he lacked the spirit herbs to practice, but he could not abandon the craft of artifact refining. Furthermore, forging a magic treasure capable of subduing the Nanming Primordial Fire would require him to seek guidance from Bing Han, a grandmaster of the craft.
Making Bing Han's acquaintance was what truly made this trip worthwhile for Qin Sang.
Together with Xiang Qing, he saw Bing Han off outside the mountain, then returned to the cave dwelling Xiang Qing had arranged for him, dedicating himself to comprehending the secret technique.
Until the alliance conference came to an end, Sect Master Dong never managed to see Qin Sang. He could only return to his sect with a heart full of unease, tormented by worries for a long time. The only thing he could do was make amends as best he could and curry favor with the Demon Flame Sect.
The obscure ancestor of the Demon Flame Sect had suddenly advanced to the Nascent Soul stage!
The news swept through every corner of the Xiaohan Realm like a hurricane.
For a time, the Demon Flame Sect was sought after by all, its threshold worn smooth by visitors.
There were even Nascent Soul cultivators who sent transmissions to Xiang Qing to verify the claim.
Upon learning that this newly ascended Nascent Soul cultivator was Demon King Mingyue, they all laughed it off.
In the past, they certainly would have driven the Demon Flame Sect into the Heavenly Demon Mound. Now, it was unwise to sour relations with the demon race, so they tolerated it for the time being.
Zhao Shanran, who had remained behind to watch over the Demon Flame Sect, was baffled at first. When the news reached him, he stood stunned for a long time, unable to believe it. It was only when Meigu sent word back that he dared accept the truth.
Shocked and overjoyed, seeing once-haughty Golden Core cultivators conversing with him as equals and addressing him as "Fellow Daoist," he felt as though he were dreaming.
Yet after waiting for a long time, the ancestor still did not return.
Once his excitement subsided, Zhao Shanran recalled the ancestor's instructions before departing and hurriedly focused on managing sect affairs.
Countless factions extended goodwill toward the Demon Flame Sect, and countless cultivators came to call, wishing to enter the tutelage of a Nascent Soul expert. Matter after matter, the sect's business was immensely complicated, yet he took tireless delight in it.
He knew in his heart that the rise of the Demon Flame Sect was imminent!
At this moment, Qin Sang was still within the Qingyang Demon Sect. Having thoroughly deciphered the secret technique and gained several insights, he decided to adapt it and apply it to the Nine Nether Demonic Fire.
The essence of this secret technique was to combine divine consciousness with spiritual power to form a series of unique restrictions, washing away the "impurities" within the spiritual fire like flowing water, leaving behind only the purest essence of the fire.
He summoned the fire seed and, without hesitation, dispersed the Nine Nether Demonic Fire he had painstakingly assimilated before.
Then, drawing forth a wisp of the Nine Nether Demonic Fire from the demonic banner, he failed countless times before finally purging the impurities and refining the purest demonic fire.
Having reformed the rudimentary fire seed, Qin Sang contacted Xiang Qing and returned to Shengang Peak.
This time, Qin Sang guided a wisp of the Ancestral Holy Fire into the fire seed, first purifying it with the secret technique before assimilating it. Sure enough, it succeeded.
In this manner, like Cook Ding carving an ox, Qin Sang assimilated the Ancestral Holy Fire bit by bit.
What Qin Sang had not anticipated was that assimilating the Ancestral Holy Fire and cultivating the Fire Seed Golden Lotus proved far smoother than expected.
After pondering for a while, Qin Sang could only attribute the credit to the Soul-Nurturing Wood.
The ebony sword, which incorporated the Soul-Nurturing Wood, constantly emanated soul light, nurturing his divine soul and tempering his divine consciousness.
While others struggled to find even a sliver of Soul-Nurturing Wood to craft a simple wooden plaque, he had pried away a massive chunk from Bai, using the vast majority of it to forge his sword.
After decades of gentle nurturing, the effects were finally coming to the fore.
Perhaps this was the benefit of tempered divine consciousness!
With his divine consciousness so refined, cultivating methods and secret techniques tied to divine consciousness became vastly easier and faster.
Chapter 1226