"Anything I comprehend on my own in the future shouldn't fall within these restrictions, correct?" Qin Sang asked.
Bing Han nodded. "Of course. I cannot impose too many restraints on you, Fellow Daoist, and I trust you know where to draw the line. Our sect's archives contain not only ancient texts on artifact refinement collected over generations, but also the lifelong insights of our ancestral masters. Every single one is invaluable and impossible to find in the outside world. Offering them in exchange for your assistance should be more than sufficient."
This was no exaggeration; these were precisely what Qin Sang valued most.
Obtaining the Xuling Sect's texts would certainly allow his artifact refinement skills to advance by leaps and bounds.
However, Qin Sang was in no hurry to agree.
Bing Han's eager attitude aroused a bit of suspicion in him.
"Fellow Daoist Bing Han might as well speak plainly. What difficulty have you encountered? While I do wish to study artifact refinement, it hardly seems worth risking my life."
Hearing this, Bing Han smiled and said calmly, "Such a concern is reasonable, but you overthink it, Fellow Daoist Qin. I can guarantee that neither of us will be in mortal danger. The greatest price is merely what happened to Fellow Daoist Xiang—fire poison invading the body and damaging one's vitality, requiring a few years of quiet recuperation to purge it. If you find this acceptable, swear an oath first, and I will reveal everything."
Bing Han was even more cautious than Qin Sang.
Qin Sang knew this matter had to be of paramount importance, perhaps even tied to the destiny of the Xuling Sect.
Fire poison entering the body and damaging his vitality were bearable costs.
Exchanging a few years of quiet cultivation for a sect's treasured heritage was well worth it.
He believed Bing Han wouldn't lie about something like this, or the inner demon oath would unravel on its own. Confirming there were no traps, Qin Sang swore a solemn inner demon oath according to Bing Han's requirements.
Once Qin Sang finished the oath, Bing Han's expression softened, noticeably warmer, and she finally explained the reason. "I wish to invite the two of you to help me refine a magic treasure!"
"Refine a magic treasure?"
Qin Sang was taken aback.
He had assumed the subterranean fire vein in the forbidden grounds had grown volatile and the Xuling Sect was facing some sort of crisis; he hadn't expected such a request.
This was far beyond his expectations.
"You helm the Xuling Sect, and your mastery of artifact refinement is matched by very few. Even for a top-grade magic treasure, as long as you have sufficiently precious spiritual materials, surely you could refine it on your own?"
Bing Han turned toward the volcanic crater, her gaze seemingly piercing through the mountain rock, and said in a low voice, "A magic treasure capable of becoming a spirit treasure!"
"A spirit treasure!"
A flash of shock appeared in Qin Sang's eyes.
One reason he had sought guidance in artifact refinement from Bing Han was precisely to prepare for smelting the charred wood, lest he inadvertently harm Yunyouzi's true spirit.
After that, the ebony sword would have a chance of ascending to a spirit treasure.
He had never anticipated that Bing Han was directly attempting to refine one!
This was the first time he had ever heard of anyone refining a spirit treasure.
The great war among the three domains had lasted for years, entangling all the Nascent Soul cultivators, yet not once had a spirit treasure appeared. Even Old Demon Ye lacked one; his Blood Moon Wheel was only at the level of a top-grade magic treasure.
Only now did Qin Sang realize just how rare spirit treasures were, and how precious the relic left behind by Yunyouzi truly was.
Qin Sang's mind stirred violently. Regardless of whether he could help Bing Han successfully forge a spirit treasure this time, having this experience would make him far more confident when smelting the charred wood in the future.
He had to agree!
Even if Bing Han hadn't promised any benefits, he would still want to take part.
Bing Han shook her head slightly. "You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Qin. It is not refining a spirit treasure, but rather an item with the potential to transform into one, and one that can serve as an ancestral heritage treasure for the sect!"
Seeing Qin Sang's puzzled expression, Bing Han asked in return, "Have you ever wondered why spirit treasures are so rare in the cultivation world? Past generations have never lacked heaven-sent geniuses, and there are prestigious sects that have endured for ages, like the Shangyuan Qingjing Palace. Could it be that not a single person could forge a spirit treasure? Yet throughout this great war, not a single spirit treasure ever appeared!"
This was precisely what puzzled Qin Sang the most.
Unless those people feared the trouble a great treasure would bring and dared not bring it out. Yet if one had a spirit treasure for protection, there was hardly any reason to fear someone taking it away.
A magic treasure advancing into a spirit treasure was a true metamorphosis; a spirit treasure's might couldn't possibly fall short of the Eighteen Demon Banners.
Much of the renown Qin Sang had earned was credited to the Eighteen Demon Banners. An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator wielding a spirit treasure would instantly leap to the ranks of top experts.
"Please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist," Qin Sang said solemnly.
"In this impoverished mortal world, breaking through to Soul Formation is as difficult as ascending to heaven for cultivators, let alone obtaining a spirit treasure. The most crucial and difficult hurdle for a spirit treasure is that wisp of spirituality. The profound mysteries within are difficult to put into words,"
Bing Han sighed. "I only know that, by comparison, the magic treasures most likely to birth spirituality are the natal magic treasures cultivated in tandem with a cultivator's very life. Late Nascent Soul great cultivators, after countless years of nurturing, might elevate their natal magic treasures into spirit treasures, though the chances are said to be low even then. If the cultivator falls, a natal spirit treasure doesn't merely suffer a loss in power; its spirituality was born from its master, and it will perish alongside its master, dropping back to the rank of a magic treasure and unable to be passed down to descendants!"
"So that's how it is!"
Qin Sang had an epiphany.
With his previous cultivation experience, he had actually faintly guessed part of it.
Natal magic treasures were the most unique, existing as something cultivated in tandem with a cultivator's life.
Almost all cultivators prioritized refining their natal magic treasures, which was easier than doing so with ordinary magic treasures, unless one possessed special supreme treasures like the Eighteen Demon Banners.
This advantage similarly manifested when advancing to a spirit treasure.
The drawback was that once a cultivator perished, their natal magic treasure suffered immense damage to its might.
He had not expected natal spirit treasures to be even crueler, with their spirituality directly perishing.
Qin Sang pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Is this only true for low-grade natal spirit treasures, or for all natal spirit treasures? For those with extremely high spirituality on the verge of birthing an artifact spirit, or those that have already birthed one, do they also live and die with their master, perishing together?"
This question stumped Bing Han.
She pondered for a good while, then smiled wryly and shook her head. "I cannot answer this question of yours, Fellow Daoist Qin. As far as I know, at the level of spirit treasures and beyond, it is difficult to distinguish clear tiers, unlike magic tools and magic treasures which are categorized into low, mid, high, and top grades. The degree of a spirit treasure's spirituality, the quality of its spiritual materials, and the sophistication of the refinement methods all profoundly affect its might. Moreover, the mutual reinforcement and counteraction between spirit treasures are far more pronounced than with magic treasures or magic tools. As for artifact spirits, they exist only in legends; I know nothing of them."
"So spirit treasures have no distinct grades; I was trapped by my own preconceptions," Qin Sang said, feeling chagrined.
When he thought about it, this made sense, as it was already evident in magic treasures.
Each of the Eighteen Demon Banners was only at the level of a low-grade magic treasure, yet when arranged into a formation, their power surpassed that of a top-grade magic treasure. At the level of spirit treasures and above, divine abilities were unfathomable, and such instances were bound to be even more frequent.
Qin Sang thought of the Killing Sword's sword spirit.
He did not know the origin of the Killing Sword, but though its original body had shattered, its sword spirit had survived independently to this day.
Bing Han swallowed several pills to restore her true essence, and her aura gradually stabilized.
As Qin Sang consulted her on matters concerning spirit treasures, he walked toward the summit. Before long, they reached the volcanic crater at the peak, where he sensed an intensely scorching aura.
Chapter 1319