Corpse Core Secret Art

The cave abode was compact, but it had been arranged very cozily, resembling the boudoir of a wealthy mortal lady. Even the furniture and furnishings were identical in style to those of humans. Deep within the cave abode lay a small jade-masonry pool. Above the jade pool, spiritual mist gathered, while below it was a tiny spring eye. Half the pool was already filled with spring water. Clear as a pool of pure spring water, this was a sign that the spirit eye was on the verge of transforming into a spring. The quality of this spirit eye was even higher than Qin Sang had imagined. Even on Shaohua Mountain, few cave abodes could rival it; it was unquestionably a top-tier dwelling. Qin Sang nodded inwardly. Having acquired this cave abode, his future cultivation speed would increase by a full ten percent out of thin air. One should not look down upon this modest boost; accumulated little by little, it might well prove to be the critical difference in breaking through to Foundation Establishment. Seeing that it truly was a spirit eye, Qin Sang tossed the jade slip containing the Spirit Concealment Art to the white cat. After examining it, the white cat closed her eyes and sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly waved her front paws, sending out several strands of spiritual power that condensed into mysterious runes in midair. *Whoosh!* The runes sank into the white cat's body. In that instant, the spiritual power within her suddenly drew inward, and the demon qi on her person also weakened significantly. Once she mastered the Spirit Concealment Art, she would be able to mask her demon qi completely. Seeing that it really worked, the white cat was overjoyed. She stood up on her hind legs and bowed to Qin Sang. "Thank you, Young Master Qin, for gifting me this technique. I will give you the incantation to open the cave abode's array right away." With that, the white cat retrieved a jade slip, presented it to Qin Sang with both paws, and then took a wistful look around her cave abode. She put away all her personal belongings to keep as mementos and promptly bade Qin Sang farewell. Not expecting the white cat to depart so decisively, Qin Sang saw her out of the cave abode. The setting sun cast its lingering glow across the boundless mist. Qin Sang watched as the white cat trod across the water toward the west, her petite silhouette disappearing at the edge of the marshes. He thought silently, *May you reach the Heavenly Demon Mound safely and achieve your heart's desire.* After returning to the cave abode, Qin Sang began to consider how to arrange his new dwelling. He cared nothing for luxury; a place to settle down and cultivate was enough. The cave abode's current size was just right—spacious enough to accommodate the water-heart bamboo futon and a few necessities, with no need for further expansion. The only issue was that the cave abode's array possessed weak defensive capabilities. The array left behind by the bamboo demon could only seal the spirit eye's spiritual energy so that it would not leak out, and provide concealment once closed. Qin Sang paced around the cave abode for a few turns, then flew out and circled the island for a long time. Finally, he thoroughly inspected the surrounding area within a hundred li. He found that spiritual power was very thin around this island, and the neighboring islets were all similarly desolate—overgrown with weeds and devoid of any spiritual grace. Even if immortal cultivators flew overhead, they would never imagine that a spirit eye could exist in such a bleak place, and would hardly bother to spare it a second glance. Coupled with the array's concealment, the cave abode would not be easily discovered unless a powerful grand cultivator conducted a meticulous sweep with their spiritual sense. In the end, Qin Sang still decided that once he had the chance in the future, he would find a powerful protective array to set up around the cave abode. This place was already within the Yuncang Great Marsh—a murky mix of dragons and snakes, outside Shaohua Mountain's jurisdiction—and there was no guaranteeing that accidents would not happen. Wielding his blood saber, he trimmed and tidied the cave abode, then cleaned it thoroughly. Since this cave abode would likely accompany him for a very long time, Qin Sang laid out the items he was accustomed to using. Looking around, he found it surprisingly cozy, and a sense of "home" welled up within him. Once everything was in order, Qin Sang revived the unconscious Gu Yuan. Gu Yuan was not made of stern stuff; after Qin Sang taught him a few lessons, he answered whatever was asked. Having learned everything he wanted to know, Qin Sang granted Gu Yuan a quick death. He then sat cross-legged on the futon, browsing through the jade slip in his hand as he fell into contemplation. Combining the contents of the jade slip with Gu Yuan's confession, Qin Sang essentially grasped the true nature of the Corpse Core Secret Art. The Corpse Core Secret Art was divided into two parts. The first part was the method for refining a corpse core, which was the Blood Heart Pill, while the second part was how to refine and absorb the Blood Heart Pill to nourish oneself. First, one would have a person cultivate the first part of the technique, having them devour mortals to refine corpse fiend qi. In this process, influenced by the corpse fiend qi, both their physical body and origin soul would undergo mutations. This evil art used that person's fleshly body as a cauldron and the corpse fiend qi as the flame, refining the person along with the living souls and blood food they had devoured into a Blood Heart Pill. Even if the practitioner of this evil art started with good intentions and could resist the temptation not to harm innocent mortals, their mind would eventually be corrupted by the evil art, driven mad by irresistible cravings. Once they fell into madness, instinct would compel them to devour flesh and living souls, leaving them utterly unable to control themselves. Had the white cat demon not been watching over him, no matter how strong Hei Wa's willpower was, he could not have restrained himself, and those mortals in the cave would have long become food in his belly. When practitioners of the Corpse Core Secret Art consumed the Blood Heart Pill, it could be used to nourish their vital qi and blood, enhancing their strength and extending their lifespan by strengthening the physical body. Of course, consuming the Blood Heart Pill was not without a price. Once someone began taking the Blood Heart Pill, they could never stop; there had to be a continuous supply of Blood Heart Pills. Moreover, residual corpse fiend qi remained within the Blood Heart Pill. Even as the consumer's body grew stronger, the accumulating corpse fiend qi within them would cause irreversible, bizarre transformations to their body, cutting off all possibility of breaking through major cultivation realms. If they lacked Blood Heart Pills or were powerless to suppress the corpse fiend qi inside them, they would immediately undergo corpse transformation into a monster, losing their sanity—which was precisely what Gu Tiannan had turned into in the end. Only after beginning their cultivation did the master and disciple realize they could no longer live without the Blood Heart Pill. Falling deeper and deeper into the trap, they devised a venomous scheme using bait to avoid discovery by Shaohua Mountain. Guyuan Country was not the only country they had harmed. However, first, their acting was superb and they kept a low profile, stopping while ahead every time; second, backed by Shaohua Mountain, they possessed the status of disciples from the Eight Righteous Sects, so they had never aroused suspicion. Having learned the truth about the Corpse Core Secret Art, Qin Sang completely gave up on this secret technique. The jade Buddha could only protect his origin soul and keep his mind from being affected; it could not prevent corpse fiend qi from corroding his fleshly body—unless he could find another jade Buddha capable of protecting the physical body. The consequence of being unable to achieve Foundation Establishment was even more unacceptable. Tossing the Corpse Core Secret Art aside, Qin Sang practiced the Spirit Concealment Art in passing. The Spirit Concealment Art drew one's aura inward, but it did not truly conceal one's cultivation level. If an opponent's cultivation far exceeded his, they could still see through it. It was of little use to him for now, but might prove wondrously effective in the future. Sitting on the water-heart bamboo futon, he circulated his cultivation method and trained for a while. As expected, his cultivation speed was noticeably faster than before. Qin Sang could not suppress a smile. He sorted through the master and disciple's belongings, thought over how to report the matter to Martial Uncle Wen, and then sealed the cave abode, carrying Gu Yuan's corpse back to Shaohua Mountain. On the way, he made up his mind: after reporting back to the sect, he would first go to Pagoda Peak to ascertain the effects and value of the mysterious orchid, then resign from his chore duties at Dichen Cave and return to the cave abode for secluded cultivation.