Chilei

If there were soul phantoms at the mid or even late Nascent Soul stage, wouldn't he also be able to commune with them and comprehend the mental states of higher realms? Communing with the soul phantoms left behind by cultivators of his own stage would surely benefit him greatly as well! Back at the Blood Lake, there had been no time for a close inspection; Qin Sang had only noticed the countless soul phantoms within the talisman puppet, utterly chaotic and maddened, like a night parade of a hundred demons. To think there would be such an unexpected harvest! Inside the cave dwelling. Qin Sang sat cross-legged, holding the talisman puppet in his hand. A cyan glow clung to the puppet's exterior; Qingjun had placed several layers of restrictions on it to prevent it from spiraling out of control. Qin Sang did not know how the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace had managed it. However, protected by the jade Buddha, he had no fear whatsoever of the puppet devouring his soul. Without the slightest hesitation, he plunged his divine sense inside to conduct a thorough search. In truth, Qin Sang was not the first to have had such an idea. Generations of patriarchs from the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace had tried it. There truly were soul phantoms of the mid Nascent Soul stage within the Nascent Soul talisman puppet, but none from any higher realm—whether because no great cultivator had ever used the talisman puppet or for some other reason, he could not say. Yet the strongest soul phantoms were hidden deep within the talisman puppet. When cultivators from the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace sought to commune with the soul phantoms, they had dared to select only two or three from the outer layers. Now that the inside of the puppet had grown increasingly chaotic, even the phantoms on the periphery had become perilous. To seek out a mid Nascent Soul phantom, one had to delve deep into the puppet. Exposing one's divine soul defenseless before these phantoms and enduring the agony of soul-devouring while trying to experience their insights was something even a great cultivator could not bear. Unless one had a way to keep their soul completely safe, the gains would not be worth the cost. Qin Sang harbored no such worries. With dazzling golden light enveloping his divine soul, the soul phantoms shrank away one after another, unable to harm him in the slightest. The deeper he went, the stronger the phantoms became, until at last he indeed found mid Nascent Soul soul phantoms—and there were three of them! "I wonder which generation of patriarch from the Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace crafted this talisman puppet. It seems an immense span of time has passed, and three mid Nascent Soul patriarchs came after," Qin Sang thought to himself, elated. With ferocious expressions, the soul phantoms pounced together, yet could do nothing against him. Qin Sang gave it some thought and did not rush to commune with the soul phantoms, choosing instead to withdraw. He had only recently formed his Nascent Soul and was still far from the mid Nascent Soul stage. He could start with the outer phantoms and gradually deepen his comprehension as his cultivation progressed. "Just what spirit materials were used to refine this talisman puppet to give it such a heaven-defying effect? A pity there are no late Nascent Soul or Deity Transformation phantoms, or breaking through later on would be much easier..." Qin Sang turned the Nascent Soul talisman puppet over in his hands, unable to put it down. It was warm and smooth to the touch like jade, its materials indiscernible. "Fortunately, Dongyang Bo didn't get his hands on it, or Shaohua Mountain might have seen another new Nascent Soul. Given the opportunity, I could let Mu Yifeng and Li Yufu give it a try—the rise of Qingyang Temple would be just around the corner! But without a jade Buddha, how could they commune with the soul phantoms?" Faced with this conundrum, Qin Sang pondered for a moment before suddenly recalling something. "The Neijing Origin Talisman! So that's how it is! The Neijing Origin Talisman was likely a treasure created to help Shangyuan Pure Tranquility Palace disciples commune with the soul phantoms, while also diverting attention from the outside world so no one would associate it with the talisman puppet. However, several generations of disciples from the palace failed to form a Nascent Soul—was that purely due to a lack of aptitude?" Qin Sang suspected that as a secret talisman at the Golden Core level, the Neijing Origin Talisman might no longer be enough to protect them. The interior of the puppet was utter chaos; without the jade Buddha, even he would not have dared attempt it lightly. For the moment, Qin Sang could not think of a good solution. Just then, sensing a ripple in the cave dwelling's restrictions, Qin Sang looked up. A sweep of his divine sense revealed Jingyu and Fat Chicken, and he stood up to head outside. "Has Fellow Daoist's cultivation recovered?" Qin Sang assessed Jingyu. Her cultivation was higher than his own, likely already at the peak of the early Transformation stage. If Jingyu could break through to the mid stage and agree to shelter Qingyang Temple, he could roam the world in the future without worry. Jingyu nodded. "Thanks to the medicinal pills Fellow Daoist provided, I need only rest quietly a while longer before attempting the breakthrough. However, before entering seclusion, I shall first help you place the corpse flower blood amber into the spirit vein. Have you gathered the spirit materials required for the formation in the secret technique?" "I've already ordered people to search for them. Though uncommon, those materials shouldn't be too hard to find. I wonder how many years of bitter cultivation these three pieces of corpse flower blood amber will save me!" An expectant look appeared on Qin Sang's face. Once the corpse flower blood amber was purified, he could commune with the soul phantoms while refining the spiritual medicine, and his cultivation would surely advance by leaps and bounds! Jingyu hesitated. "I cannot say for certain. Whenever ancestors of my clan were fortunate enough to obtain corpse flower blood amber, they treasured it deeply and used it to aid breakthroughs. No one has ever directly refined and absorbed it! Would Fellow Daoist not consider using the corpse flower blood amber to trade for treasures with other demon kings?" Qin Sang thought about it and shook his head decisively. At this realm, saving even ten years of arduous cultivation was immensely precious, representing far greater possibilities. Since he had a use for it himself, there was no need to trade it away. He might not get anything better in return anyway, unless it was a treasure that aided breakthroughs. And now, with the talisman puppet in hand, if he could reach the mid Nascent Soul stage sooner, he could venture out into the world to seek opportunities for Deity Transformation and find the remaining Killing Sword fragments. Even if he traded for some external items, how could they compare to elevating his own strength? He was not lacking in magic treasures. Seeing Qin Sang's resolve, Jingyu pressed no further. She hesitated, looking somewhat troubled. Curious, Qin Sang watched quietly. She called Fat Chicken over and said, "When I left, he was still young and had only been given a pet name. To this day, he lacks a formal Dao name, which invites ridicule. Fellow Daoist Qin's kindness to him is tantamount to giving him a new lease on life. Might I trouble Fellow Daoist to bestow a name upon him personally?" "How could that be appropriate?" Qin Sang was taken aback and waved his hands in refusal, feeling rather odd about it. Yet Jingyu insisted, and Fat Chicken bowed respectfully to Qin Sang as well. Unable to decline, Qin Sang pondered briefly. "The Thunder-Devouring Falcon is born with divine abilities to command thunder. How about the Dao name Chilei?" Fat Chicken was overjoyed and kowtowed in gratitude. "Chilei thanks Senior for the name!" Relief and joy washed over Jingyu's face. She added, "Fellow Daoist Qin, I just heard Chilei mention that he once swore an oath that if you could rescue me, he would acknowledge you as his master..." Before Jingyu could finish, Qin Sang cut in with a smile. "Merely a jest. I never agreed to it, so you need not take it to heart, Fellow Daoist." "Please do not misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Qin!" Jingyu hurried to say, "You gifted Chilei the thunder power of the divine beast Azure Luan, vastly boosting his potential, and you rescued me from the dark dungeon. Neither my son nor I are ungrateful wretches. I have heard that you intend to establish a sect and command the demons of the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea. If I fail to break through, of course nothing more need be said—I shall have Chilei attend upon you. But if I succeed in my breakthrough, might I take Chilei's place and remain as your mountain-guarding spirit beast?" Qin Sang started slightly. It was Jingyu he had had his eye on in the first place, yet he had not expected her to offer it herself—and volunteer to serve as a mountain-guarding spirit beast, no less. "Are you serious?" Jingyu said solemnly, "I can swear a blood oath." Fat Chicken panicked and tried to object, but Jingyu tapped him with a jade-like finger, rendering him unable to speak. Qin Sang fell into deep thought. This outcome was even better than he had anticipated. Even so, towards a dignified Transformation stage great demon, one could hardly treat her like an ordinary spirit beast, nor would it be possible to bind her to the sect forever.