"Work together and make thorough preparations during this period," Qin Sang said with a smile. "The day of the grand ceremony will be held right after we return from Ziwei Palace. When the time comes, I shall invite fellow daoists far and wide to attend and observe. We must not let the prestige of Qingyang Temple be diminished."
Silently, he reflected that Qingyang Temple had only just been founded, and its foundation remained far too thin. In terms of both numbers and cultivation, its disciples could not compare to those of established sects.
Qin Sang was determined to prioritize quality over sheer quantity.
Trading on his fame, Li Yufu had accepted a good number of new disciples—including unaffiliated Core Formation cultivators—but they were still under evaluation, and matters of importance could not yet be entrusted to them.
Upon hearing Qin Sang's words, everyone broke into smiles, yet also felt the weight of their responsibility.
Qin Sang's fame had spread across the entire Beichen Realm.
When the time came, most of the Nascent Soul cultivators throughout the realm would likely attend to watch, so there was no room for any embarrassment.
Qin Sang then produced a jade slip.
"Yufu, arrange for people to prioritize the mining of these spirit ores."
Qin Sang intended to study artifact refinement deeply, which required an immense quantity of spiritual materials for practice. He had no need to trouble himself with such minor tasks; the juniors could take care of them.
Afterward, Li Yufu and the others took their leave, but Shangguan Lifeng stayed behind.
"Daoist Master, I have made up my mind. The path I wish to tread is the Dao of Slaughter! From this day forth, I forsake the saber for the sword!"
Shangguan Lifeng unstrapped the long saber from his back, his expression resolute.
Qin Sang said nothing, merely meeting Shangguan Lifeng's gaze.
Unafraid, Shangguan Lifeng met Qin Sang's eyes without flinching, devoid of even a sliver of doubt or hesitation.
Qin Sang gave a slight nod.
"Very well! I shall now impart the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture* to you!"
***
In Peach Blossom Valley.
Qin Sang brought Shangguan Lifeng before Qingzhu's grave.
"Senior Qingzhu showed me great kindness, a debt I can never repay. The sword scripture was his final work. Regrettably, I was only able to grasp its sword intent and could not cultivate the scripture itself, making me at best half a successor. From this day on, I shall transmit the teachings on Master's behalf and pass the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture* to you."
Before Qingzhu's tomb, curls of fragrant smoke rose from burning incense.
Qin Sang bowed three times toward Qingzhu's grave. Turning his back to Shangguan Lifeng, he spoke in a solemn voice.
Shangguan Lifeng wore a grave expression as he stepped forward and kowtowed respectfully before Qingzhu's tomb.
"Disciple Shangguan Lifeng pays respect to Master! Thank you, Daoist Master, for imparting the legacy!"
Qin Sang said softly, "By cultivating the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture*, you are Senior Qingzhu's true successor. You and I are old friends to begin with; from now on, treat me as an equal and call me Senior Brother."
"This..."
Shangguan Lifeng was taken aback, feeling somewhat hesitant to overstep. After a pause, he said, "Junior Brother greets Senior Brother Qin!"
Qin Sang patted Shangguan Lifeng on the shoulder.
He had never cared to determine seniority based solely on cultivation, and the rules of Qingyang Temple would certainly not mirror those of Shaohua Mountain.
"This sword scripture embodies Senior Qingzhu's lifeblood. The senior was endowed with peerless talent, yet his fate was fraught with misfortune, and his untimely demise is a tragedy. Otherwise, the Beichen Realm would have soon gained another great cultivator."
Qin Sang sighed wistfully. He held immense admiration for Senior Qingzhu, and whenever he thought of that peach tree in Nether Valley, he could not help but lament with regret.
"You are the first person to cultivate the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture*, and you will also be the head of Qingyang Temple's sword cultivator lineage in the future. I hope you will never forget your original aspiration, nor fail to live up to Senior's life work!"
With solemn reverence, Qin Sang handed the sword scripture to Shangguan Lifeng.
Shangguan Lifeng dropped to both knees, raised both hands above his head to receive the sword scripture, and bowed again before Qingzhu's tomb, swearing an oath to devote his entire life to the way of the sword.
Qin Sang nodded in secret approval. "Rise. We have a senior martial sister who is Senior Qingzhu's daughter; I will introduce you to her when an opportunity arises. Having suddenly abandoned the saber for the sword, you will inevitably feel ill at ease in many respects. Do not rush into secluded cultivation. First seek out Yufu and find yourself a spirit sword that suits you, and along the way, take in a few promising fledglings suited for sword cultivation. Travel and temper yourself in the outside world; only then will you reap greater insights when you return to comprehend the sword scripture."
"Understood!"
***
A few days after Shangguan Lifeng departed, Qingjun returned.
During those days, Qin Sang had been inscribing puppet seals onto the Nascent Soul talisman puppet and happened to run into difficulties, so he promptly emerged from seclusion to consult Qingjun.
Inside a stone pavilion, the two sat facing each other. The Azure Luan puppet had shrunk in size and perched on Qin Sang's shoulder, acting quite affectionate toward him; anyone unaware might have assumed Qin Sang was its master.
At that moment, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew out of its own accord.
A phoenix and a butterfly frolicked playfully together.
The Nascent Soul talisman puppet stood nearby as Qingjun raised a hand and pressed down toward the void.
In the next instant, radiant light flared across the Nascent Soul talisman puppet. Talisman seals and puppet seals appeared simultaneously within its body, the two forces colliding and tangling as though trying to devour each other, chaotic in the extreme.
The look of struggle on its face intensified, its eyes turning crimson.
"It is no big issue. I previously overlooked a few crucial junctures; a slight adjustment will suffice."
Qingjun easily saw through the problem. Tapping repeatedly with her jade fingers, streams of light sank one after another into the puppet's body.
Soon enough, the puppet seals settled down, and the talisman seals ceased their aggressive resistance, allowing the two forces to coexist in harmony. As one talisman seal after another was transformed into a puppet seal, Qingjun worked far faster than Qin Sang.
Relieved at the sight, Qin Sang leaned back against the wooden chair, leisurely sipping a cup of peach blossom wine brewed by his senior sister's own hands. Glancing at the Azure Luan and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly playing together, he felt a sense of comfort unlike anything he had known before.
"Senior Sister, what was it that came up earlier? Do you require any hands? In a few days, I plan to visit Bing Han at the Xuling Sect to consult her on the art of artifact refinement, and I will likely remain there for some time."
Qingjun replied, "No matter. I still need to verify a few things; simply attend to your own affairs. Bing Han is deeply calculating, and getting her to part with the Xuling Sect's heritage will not be easy. Be on your guard, and do not fall into her traps."
Just then, the sound of tearing wind resonated across the valley.
Bai had also emerged from seclusion. Flitting forward in several flashes, his voice called out before his figure even arrived: "My boundary has stabilized. Next, I need to cultivate with the aid of earth fiend qi and strive to advance my cultivation as much as possible before Ziwei Palace emerges. Brother Qin, where is that Dichen Cave you mentioned earlier?"
Bai flashed up to the stone pavilion. Seeing Qingjun, he appeared somewhat wary of her, straightening his posture and cupping his hands. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qingjun."
Then Bai shifted his gaze, catching sight of the Nascent Soul talisman puppet before Qingjun.
"Dichen Cave is near Shaohua Mountain, guarded only by Qi Refining disciples. As long as you do not cause a commotion, Brother Bai, there is no need to worry about Count Dongyang noticing..."
Qin Sang said as he sipped his peach blossom wine, when he suddenly noticed something amiss with Bai's aura.
Glancing sideways, he saw Bai staring blankly at the Nascent Soul talisman puppet with wide, rigid eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief.
Startled, Qin Sang called out, "Brother Bai..."
"This thing..."
Bai's eyes remained fixed, and his voice trembled as he pointed at the Nascent Soul talisman puppet. "Where did you get this?"
Only then did Qin Sang recall that this was Bai's first time seeing the puppet. Judging by his expression, could there be some secret behind it?
Qin Sang sat upright, his expression turning solemn.
Qingjun was equally surprised and withdrew her secret technique.
Qin Sang and Qingjun exchanged a glance, and Qin Sang said, "This is the Nascent Soul talisman puppet handed down by the Shangyuan Qingjing Palace. Not long ago at Blood Lake, Count Dongyang plotted against Gongliang Yu, and I happened to snatch it away on the spot. I never mentioned it to you before... Brother Bai, do you recognize this object?"
Chapter 1314