Legacy

Arriving at an open expanse, Qin Sang spared no effort in driving his divine consciousness, sensing the changes within it. In the process of subduing the spiritual fire, he had felt each strand merge with his divine consciousness, acting like a tiny flame clone of himself to temper and strengthen it. He had never engaged in a battle of pure divine consciousness with other Nascent Soul cultivators, so he could not be certain of its exact strength, but it would definitely surpass that of cultivators at the same stage. "This past year and more of bitter cultivation was not in vain; my divine consciousness has made immense progress. Once the fire lotus seed sprouts and I truly step into the second tier, it will undergo another leap. Old Devil Mou probably couldn't bear to purify the Dongming cold flame and simply assimilated it in its entirety, which should have helped him break through to the second tier. His divine consciousness must have been at least on par with the Demon Lord and the others, perhaps even superior. That was how he escaped the siege of both the righteous and demonic factions, and later feigned death on Yitian Peak, concealing himself from everyone's perception." Qin Sang pondered for a moment, withdrew his divine consciousness, and held out his hands to summon the eighteen demonic banners. This was the true priority. Whoosh! Whoosh! Twelve demonic banners flew straight into the air, assuming formation and unleashing demonic fire. Qin Sang had long been able to manipulate twelve demonic banners. Without pausing, the fire lotus seed flashed from between his eyebrows, flying into the center of the banner array to merge with the demonic fire. Then he raised his hand to conjure another three banners. As the three demonic banners merged into the formation, they wavered slightly before stabilizing. From within them, Nine Nether Demonic Fire poured forth, swirling around the fire lotus seed with exceptional docility. Qin Sang was delighted by the sight. Manipulating fifteen demonic banners simultaneously did not feel beyond his control, so without hesitation, he tossed the remaining three up as well. As for the final banner, a portion of the demonic fire within it had already been refined by Qin Sang, meaning it no longer matched the banner array; forcing it into the array would disrupt the balance of the formation, bringing harm rather than benefit. The other demonic banners parted to open a gap, allowing these three to join. Unexpectedly, the moment the grand formation took shape, an anomaly suddenly occurred—all eighteen demonic banners began to shudder. The banner faces danced wildly, flapping loudly. The banner poles trembled, and some even began to tilt. The Nine Nether Demonic Fire surged like torrential waves, violently churning the worldly spiritual qi of the area into chaos. Strands of demonic fire collided with one another, on the verge of breaking through the bounds of the array and slipping beyond his control. Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. He circulated his cultivation with all his might, his fingers blurring like wheels as countless restrictions descended like scattered blossoms into the formation. Gritting his teeth, he focused all his strength on steadying the demonic banners, barely managing to calm the turmoil. Once he returned, he would still need to spend some time refining them before he could wield them freely. Both the demonic banners and the demonic fire regained stability. Eighteen demonic banners stood tall in the void, forming a circle above Qin Sang's head. At the center of the formation, with the fire lotus seed as its core, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire coalesced into a black flame dragon. It looked awe-inspiring and majestic, exuding truly towering demonic flames! With a tug of Qin Sang's divine consciousness, the demonic fire brandished its claws and bared its fangs, lunging toward the mountain peak on the left. Boom! The pristine white snow melted in an instant. Dust and smoke billowed, the earth quaked, and the peak collapsed. At this sight, Qin Sang's eyes shone with brilliant splendor. He repeatedly praised the result, laughed heartily, and then stowed the demonic banners before returning to Sandie Pass to continue his quiet seclusion. *** Sandie Pass had become a training ground for the demons of the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea, Li Yufu, and the others. Qin Sang had already revealed his identity and had long since transferred Meigu and the other Demon Flame Sect disciples over from Mount Shiqu. When Meigu learned that her master was actually a Demon King, she was stunned for a long while. However, humans and demons had always coexisted in the Xiaohan Realm under an ancient covenant, so the hatred and estrangement between them were not as severe as in the Canglang Ocean; it was not hard to accept. Meigu had been very apprehensive at first, but later, seeing that her master did not have only one human disciple under his command, treated both races equally without withholding guidance, and possessed an extremely deep understanding of human cultivation, she was put at ease. Still, Meigu had a lingering doubt. When Master appeared back then, he had clearly been in human form. Could he already have been a Transformation-stage Demon King at that time? Or did he possess an extraordinary bloodline that did not require waiting until the Transformation stage? These were questions she was destined never to solve. As for the other Demon Flame Sect disciples, having been suppressed by major powers for so long, having such a great backer finally allowed them to hold their heads high. All of them were ecstatic—who cared whether he was a Nascent Soul cultivator or a Demon King? In this way, the forces under Qin Sang's command were essentially unified. In the future, as long as he found a blessed land, he would be able to establish a sect and set up the Qingyang Temple lineage! First was the branch from the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea: in the future, he would select several demon cultivators to pass down the Heavenly Demon Transformation, allowing them to support one another with the human juniors. Second was Yunyouzi's legacy, including the cultivation technique and alchemy art he had practiced, which Li Yufu would carry forward. Third was the Demon Flame Sect branch, headed by Meigu; the Seven Yang Art had been meticulously selected by Daoist Jiupao and was a fine legacy in its own right. As for Qin Sang himself, most of the cultivation techniques and secret arts he practiced were not suitable for others. At most, he could leave behind some of his cultivation insights and the techniques he had acquired in the past, such as the Dutian Demonic Sound. In addition, Qin Sang had always entertained an idea: to develop a branch of sword cultivators within Qingyang Temple to inherit the Qingzhu Sword Scripture, serving as Senior Qingzhu's legacy. Senior Qingzhu had dedicated his life to the sword, pouring his life's blood into forging the Qingzhu Sword Scripture. One did not necessarily have to practice the Essence Soul Sword Cultivation Chapter; as long as a sword cultivator was sufficiently gifted, they would be able to comprehend it. Qin Sang merely drew upon it for reference, and keeping it solely in his hands was a waste. He had asked Senior Sister for her opinion. Senior Sister had not minded at all. "You are the successor he chose. I will not interfere; it is entirely up to you to handle." Bai Hanqiu was not suitable and lacked sufficient talent, so someone else would have to be found. The Xiaohan Realm was unlike the Canglang Ocean; the top famous mountains and great rivers all essentially had owners. When the time came, careful planning would be required. However, the world was currently in turmoil, and without destruction there could be no construction; with his strength, he would certainly not lack opportunities. Once Qingyang Temple was established, half of Yunyouzi's wishes would be fulfilled. "Does this arrangement satisfy you, Senior?" Qin Sang murmured softly, cradling the piece of charred wood Yunyouzi had left behind. After reaching the Nascent Soul realm, he could vaguely sense the faint true spirit within the charred wood, which would not perish anytime soon. With the broader situation still uncertain, he did not dare refine the charred wood for now, lest he become unable to use the ebony sword and run into an unexpected mishap. He also needed to carefully consider every single step before daring to act. Since it involved Yunyouzi's final wisp of true spirit, the refinement process certainly could not be as crude as before. Not the slightest mistake could be tolerated, and no amount of caution would be excessive. Qin Sang recalled Bing Han's invitation. For now, he needed to continue refining the demonic fire and familiarize himself with the eighteen demonic banners to prepare for entering the Blood Lake. Once he returned from the Blood Lake, he would visit the Xuling Sect to borrow and read through some ancient texts before making further plans. The charred wood remained dead silent, incapable of answering his question. Qin Sang sighed softly, a trace of melancholy flashing in his eyes, and put away the charred wood. News frequently arrived from Wuya Valley. Yet when the Blood Lake would open remained uncertain. The flames of war on the Tianxing Plateau had never ceased, but Sin Abyss's momentum had clearly weakened considerably, no longer as aggressive as before. This was likely related to Old Devil Ye's schemes regarding the Blood Lake. On this day, while immersed in cultivation, Qin Sang received a transmission from Senior Sister. Upon hearing the message, Qin Sang was overjoyed. Senior Sister had actually deciphered the formation diagram for the Demon Binding Rope, and had sent word inviting Qin Sang to Mount Shiqu to see if he had any suggestions.