Rest in Peace

Mount Shiqu. Having received the transmission, Qin Sang rushed over without pausing to rest. "I'm not sure what ancient cultivators used to bear the spiritual formation. I crafted several formation apparatuses and a formation diagram, barely managing to restore a part of it..." Qingjun stepped outside, brought out several items, and handed them to Qin Sang. Among them was a formation diagram crafted from the pelt of an unknown beast. Square-shaped, the diagram was only palm-sized when unactivated. Cinnabar lines were etched across it, identical to the pattern Qin Sang had previously rubbed. A strange power flowed faintly through the design, its ripples resonating with the Demon Binding Rope in Qingjun's hand. The other formation apparatuses were also meant to be used alongside the diagram to draw out as much of the Demon Binding Rope's power as possible. "You mentioned before that I should consult that friend of yours who walks the corpse dao. I made a special trip back to the Yuanshen Sect to meet him. He really did offer a lot of advice, much of which hadn't crossed my mind... Do you know his background?" Remembering something, Qingjun asked with a touch of curiosity. Before handing the Demon Binding Rope to Qingjun, Qin Sang had planned to wait until Bai broke through and ask him to restore it. Thus, he had mentioned to Qingjun that if the two worked together to decipher it, their chances of success would be greater. He did not know when Qingjun had gone back, as Bai had not mentioned it to him the last time they spoke. Hearing this, Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. Bai and Qingjun had no prior connection; even with him acting as an intermediary, neither could possibly trust the other. When Bai had emerged from Peach Blossom Valley to pay his respects to Qingjun, he had used a disguised identity. Qingjun had no idea of Bai's true origins. Since Bai was unwilling to expose himself, Qin Sang could not reveal his secret either. He replied vaguely, "When it comes to these ancient secrets, Brother Bai wouldn't speak without purpose." Qingjun nodded thoughtfully and pressed no further. Examining the formation diagram in his hands, Qin Sang could not judge its quality. He walked out of the room, produced a demonic banner, and said, "Let's test it..." A streak of demonic fire flew from the banner. Understanding, Qingjun tossed the Demon Binding Rope into the air, then formed an incantation gesture with her jade-like hand. The formation diagram flew from Qin Sang's palm and instantly expanded, growing to roughly an acre in size, while the formation apparatuses melded into the diagram one after another. The diagram spun rapidly and positioned itself beneath the Demon Binding Rope. The originally rigid Demon Binding Rope instantly came alive, writhing and clattering noisily. Smoke and mist rose within the courtyard. The physical form of the formation diagram vanished, turning into a domain of rolling clouds and mist. Qingjun shifted her hand seal again. Dozens of identical phantom images of the Demon Binding Rope surged out from the clouds and mist. Like black pythons, they sprang up violently and pounced on the demonic fire without hesitation. *Crack! Crack!* *Clatter!* In the blink of an eye, the demonic fire was tightly bound by the Demon Binding Rope, shrinking into a ball. With a wave of Qingjun's hand, she recalled the Demon Binding Rope and the formation diagram. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "The Demon Binding Rope indeed has the power to restrain demonic fire, but this is definitely not its full might; it still needs improvement. Furthermore, laying down the diagram and then activating the rope takes time—long enough for an enemy to react, flee, or disrupt it. Unless arranged beforehand, it will be hard to employ in combat, so that needs refinement as well." "Thank you for your hard work, Senior Sister." Seeing Qingjun lay out every flaw so clearly, Qin Sang offered a few ideas of his own. He had attained some insight into artifact crafting and had browsed through the Yuanshen Sect's collection, so he could likely provide her with some inspiration. The two discussed at length, not only about the Demon Binding Rope, but also about the upcoming journey to the Blood Lake. That evening, Qin Sang returned to Sandie Pass. In the period that followed, Qin Sang hardly stepped foot outside Sandie Pass, cultivating day and night. He temporarily halted his body refinement, redirecting that time toward refining demonic fire to nurture the fire lotus seed. The *Essence Cultivation Sword Chapter* was never interrupted. No matter how greatly these secret techniques enhanced his strength, they were merely on the surface; raising his cultivation realm was the foundation of everything. A tranquil year passed just like that. Reports continuously arrived from Wuya Valley. The seal on the Blood Lake was oscillating continuously, though it showed no sign of loosening yet. The war had entered a prolonged stalemate. Qin Sang could not help but admire the patience of the Sin Abyss cultivators. Clearly lacking any real battle gains, they stubbornly refused to withdraw from the Tianxing Plateau, launching occasional harassment raids and treating the battlefield as a trial ground. Who knew whether they were doing this to pin down the cultivators of both realms here. Unable to guess Sin Abyss's intentions, Qin Sang simply did not waste thought on it. His venture into the Blood Lake this time was primarily to search for the Thunder-Devouring Falcon and see if any Boundless Blood Mulberry fragments had fallen into the lake; thwarting Old Devil Ye's conspiracy was only secondary. If matters proved impossible, Qin Sang certainly would not sacrifice himself. With the eighteen demonic banners protecting him, as long as he wanted to leave, not even Old Devil Ye could stop him. The Old Macaque and the others had already found dwelling caves overseas; at worst, he could relocate their juniors and rule over an island as a king. Yet if it came to that, entering Ziwei Palace again would become troublesome. Therefore, unless left with no alternative, Qin Sang was unwilling to leave the Xiaohan Realm. Several more months passed before the cultivators stationed at Wuya Valley finally sent back definitive word: the seal on the Blood Lake had loosened and would soon be broken. After conferring, Demon Monarch Tongyou and the others decided to make their move, lest Old Devil Ye possess some trick to deceive heaven and cross the sea, sneaking in before the seal was broken. Having received a transmission from Senior Sister, Qin Sang did not head to the Ice Crystal Palace to rendezvous with them. Instead, he summoned Fat Chick and set out ahead of time into Wuya Valley. To prepare, Qin Sang had used several precious spirit materials to re-refine the Primordial Concentric Rings so they could accommodate Fat Chick. The blood miasma on the outer perimeter of Wuya Valley was no longer something Qin Sang took to heart. There was plenty of time. Remembering that the exotic Ghost-Headed Bees haunted the blood miasma, Qin Sang searched through it for a bit. Qin Sang owed much of where he was today to three spirit insects—the fat silkworm, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and the Fire Jade Centipede—so he paid particular attention to any insects on the Exotic Insect Registry. Unfortunately, not even a Blood-Winged Ghost-Headed Bee was to be found, let alone the native Ghost-Headed Bees. Having searched in vain, Qin Sang lingered no longer and flew straight toward Wuya Valley's inner valley. This time, he took the old route he had once traveled with Yunyouzi. As he passed through the inner valley barrier, Qin Sang remembered how he and Yunyouzi had discovered traces of the sect master of the Wuji Sect here, which had triggered all the events that followed. All kinds of memories surfaced in his mind. Traveling at an unhurried pace, Qin Sang soon found the ice plain. That ice fissure still existed. Qin Sang dived beneath the ice layer and moved swiftly through it; before long, an ice palace appeared before his eyes. No sooner had Qin Sang appeared in the ice palace than a dark figure lunged toward him. Corpse qi rushed at his face. The incoming creature had a green face, fangs, and a ferocious demeanor—it was none other than the Flying Yaksha that Wu Shang had become. In his pursuit of the Dao, he had refined himself into a living corpse and come here seeking the Night Orchid Lily, only for the corpse poison to flare up. He had wandered here day and night for countless years, muddle-headed and unable to attain release. Without Qin Sang making any visible movement, Wu Shang was frozen in place, unable to move a muscle. "May Senior rest in peace and return to the cycle of reincarnation." Qin Sang bowed, meticulously performing a deep formal salute to express his gratitude to Wu Shang for guiding his path in the Dao. Solemn in expression, he reached out a finger and gently touched the center of Wu Shang's brow. Wu Shang's aura rapidly ebbed away. In the final moment, within those lifeless pupils, a trace of serenity seemed to flicker...