Purification

Jingyu was deeply protective of her child. She had asked Qin Sang to bestow a name upon Fat Chicken to keep this bond of goodwill alive. Yet even though Qin Sang was by no means an ordinary figure, she still did not want her child to become someone's mount, stripped of control over its own life. By comparison, the status of a mountain-guarding spirit beast was far more akin to that of a guest elder, bearing far fewer restrictions—it would only need to step forward when the sect faced crisis. She had questioned Fat Chicken thoroughly about Qin Sang's background, learning that he had only recently formed his Nascent Soul and was not yet at his peak, yet he already possessed such immense strength. With his boundless prospects ahead, what fool would dare provoke Qingyang Temple? Such circumstances would likely be exceedingly rare. As long as it did not hinder her own cultivation and she could receive offerings from Qingyang Temple, it was entirely acceptable. Jingyu's words aligned precisely with Qin Sang's own thoughts. Qin Sang had originally worried that Jingyu, having enjoyed carefree freedom for so long, would be unwilling to be tied down. Seeing that she was not averse to it, he nodded inwardly and said, "Serving as a mountain-guarding spirit beast would be an injustice to you, Fellow Daoist. If you are unwilling to return to Wuya Valley, why not establish your Dao field in the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea? As a human, I previously concealed my identity with secret arts, but now that it has been exposed, it will be inconvenient for me to meddle there in the future. Once I establish Qingyang Temple, I shall invite you to take the seat of guest elder. How does that sound?" Next, Qin Sang briefly explained Yunyouzi's background and the history between them to Jingyu. Astonishment showed on Jingyu's face. "To think you shared such a bond with Senior Bamboo Demon! I had long heard of the senior's renown—what a tragedy, what a pity! Very well, from now on, I shall watch over the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea for you!" Jingyu agreed readily, yet under no circumstances would she agree to become the master of the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea; in the future, the demons of the Bamboo Sea would still revere Qin Sang as their lord. The relationships involved were a tangled mess, but fortunately, everything was settled properly. Having successfully persuaded Jingyu to stay, Qin Sang was also quite pleased. To fulfill Yunyouzi's dying wish, Qin Sang was to found Qingyang Temple, yet he had to travel far and wide to seek Killing Sword fragments. A newly founded sect with shallow foundations could easily perish in its infancy; having Jingyu watch over it put his mind at ease. Seeing the matter resolved so well without burdening his mother, Fat Chicken was overjoyed. Having followed Qin Sang for many years, he had long been thoroughly devoted to him and did not consider acknowledging him as master an imposition. But since his mother had made the decision, he could only obey. "Chilei, go to the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea and send word to Sandie Pass. Order the four demons—the white crane, White Cat, Old Macaque, and the willow demon—to return to the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea at once and wait there. I have instructions for them," Qin Sang said, recalling something and bluntly directing Fat Chicken in Jingyu's presence. Seeing his mother only looking at him with a smile, Fat Chicken immediately accepted the order and departed. ... The cave dwelling's restrictions were stirred once again. This time, it was Elder Xun of the Yuanshen Sect. "Greetings, Senior Qin!" Seeing Qin Sang emerge, Elder Xun hurriedly bowed deeply. Upon returning from Wuya Valley, Qingjun had assembled the sect's disciples and publicly announced Qin Sang's true identity. The entire Yuanshen Sect had been shaken to its core. Only then did they learn that the mysterious Elder Qin was already a Nascent Soul Patriarch. Even though Qingjun explained that Qin Sang was only staying temporarily at the Yuanshen Sect, they were still overjoyed. "Senior Qin, these are the spiritual materials you requested. I have gathered them all personally." Elder Xun presented a mustard seed bag. Qin Sang swept it with his divine consciousness; indeed, all the spiritual materials required for the formation were complete. With the materials in hand, Qin Sang called upon Jingyu and passed through the Yuanshen Sect's restricted grounds to reach the core of the mountain's spirit vein, which was also the heart of the sect's mountain-protecting grand formation. He had obtained the jade plaque controlling the grand formation from Qingjun. Unlocking the formation, they stepped into the cavern, met by a wave of spirit qi so refreshing it gladdened the heart. In such an environment, the cave did not feel gloomy in the least. Before long, they came upon a spirit lake formed by the spirit vein—the true destination of their trip. In the entire Yuanshen Sect, only he and Qingjun could enter this place. It was even less possible for outsiders to break in, so there was no need to worry about the corpse flower blood amber being stolen. "Fellow Daoist, what do you think of this place?" Without harming the spirit vein, Qin Sang carefully used the Jinchen Sword to carve out a platform at the bottom of the lake, then turned and asked. Jingyu surveyed the surroundings, sensed the area for a moment, and shook her head. "The quality of this spirit vein cannot be considered top-tier. Purifying the corpse flower blood amber here will likely take more than ten years—perhaps twenty at the latest." "Ten more years is acceptable." Sheathing his sword, Qin Sang sighed. "Spirit qi is sparse in this era; no spirit vein can rival those of antiquity. The Yuanshen Sect is a top sect in the Xiaohan Realm, and across the entire Beichen Realm, spirit veins superior to this one can be counted on one hand." Even if those prominent sects did not covet the corpse flower blood amber, they certainly would not damage their own spirit veins to help someone else purify pills. The Heavenly Demon Mound was considered a remote region. Yunyouzi had held a high status among the demons, yet the spirit vein of the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea was still inferior to that of the Yuanshen Sect. This was the greatest dilemma Qin Sang would face. The top-tier spirit veins in the Beichen Realm were almost all claimed. If a sect wished to endure and flourish, a top-tier spirit vein was an indispensable prerequisite. Where, then, should the mountain gate of the Qingyang Sect be established? Having chosen the spot, Qin Sang opened the mustard seed bag and took out the spiritual materials. The two acted in unison, casting the materials one by one into the spirit lake. Soon, the outline of a spirit formation took shape. "Fellow Daoist Qin, place the corpse flower blood amber inside," Jingyu said. With a flash from the Qianjun Ring, three jade boxes flew out. As agreed, Qin Sang had received three. These three pieces of corpse flower blood amber varied in shape and size, but all possessed the texture of amber. The spiritual flowers within were lifelike and radiant, captured at the height of full bloom, frozen at their most breathtaking moment. Framed against the blood essence, they took on an added touch of bewitching allure. Whoosh! The corpse flower blood ambers flew into the spirit lake. Jingyu's hand seals shifted rapidly as she swiftly cast out the final few spiritual materials, merging them into the spirit formation to complete the secret art. Swish! A beam of light swept across the lake bed. The spirit formation vanished into thin air, replaced by an emerald-green spirit plant. Its supple, snow-white roots clung tightly to the platform, and its slender, straight stem grew at a speed visible to the eye. It branched out and unfurled leaves, turning into a small tree until three flowers blossomed upon its canopy—the very pieces of corpse flower blood amber Qin Sang had just cast inside. The corpse flower blood ambers seemed to have truly grown upon the spirit plant, natural and flawless. The spirit plant swayed within the spirit lake, the very manifestation of the formation's power. Qin Sang stared intently at the spirit plant. After a long wait, he finally saw a faint tinge of blood red appear on the snow-white roots. Though invisible to the naked eye, the bloody hue gradually seeped into the spirit lake and quickly dispersed. This was the purpose of the spirit plant: drawing upon the power of the spirit vein, it peeled away layer by layer, slowly washing away the blood poison within the corpse flower blood amber without damaging its medicinal potency. As the blood poison dispersed into the spirit lake, the vein's potent self-cleansing ability ensured that once purification was complete, it would soon return to normal. Confirming that the secret art was effective, both Qin Sang and Jingyu breathed a sigh of relief. Corpse flower blood amber was exceedingly rare, and this was Jingyu's first time using the art. Fortunately, there were no flaws in her clan's heritage. "Go!" Qin Sang produced several small triangular banners and planted them around the spirit plant. This was a protective formation he had prepared. Water rippled as the triangular banners blazed with light, casting a barrier of illumination that enveloped the entire platform, vanishing from view along with the spirit plant. They returned by the way they had come, intending to retrieve the medicine twenty years later.