Spirit Embryo

Deep within the Mountain within the Mountain. The nature of the subterranean fire power underwent a mutation here. The stone mountain was nearly transparent, allowing one to clearly see the flickering flames at its core. Peculiarly, these tongues of flame were blue. It felt as though they were walking through a sea of fire. The Cold Ice Pendant could no longer ward off the fire poison, so Qin Sang activated the fire lotus seed, manifesting a layer of fire armor around his body. As the aura of demonic fire spread outward, the blue flames cringed and shrank back. Seeing this, Bing Han rejoiced inwardly; the demonic fire's deterrent effect on the subterranean flames was even stronger than she had anticipated. Soon, Qin Sang caught sight of the fire jade. This was the core of the Mountain within the Mountain, an enclosed space of modest size where the energy of the fire vein was as thick as paste, pooling like a clear blue spring—a truly bizarre sight. Yet the water of this clear spring was incomparably pure fire power. At the center of the fire spring floated a human-head-sized blue jade stone—the very fire jade Bing Han had spoken of. The fire jade was oblate, floating on the surface of the fire spring, tempered year after year by the subterranean fire. Its surface rose and fell rhythmically. The fluctuations Qin Sang had sensed outside originated precisely from it, and by all appearances, its texture was remarkably soft. Qin Sang noticed the illusory projection of a square cauldron encircling the fire jade, perfectly enclosing it within. The square cauldron was clearly not a natural occurrence. Qin Sang swept his gaze across the surroundings and indeed discovered a spirit formation; the square cauldron was the physical manifestation of the formation's power. "This Spirit Nurturing Grand Formation was personally laid down by our founding ancestor," Bing Han said as she walked forward. "One purpose is to absorb the power of the subterranean fire vein to accelerate the gestation of the fire spirit, while the second is to suppress and subdue it. However, this fire spirit is too unique to be suppressed by the spirit formation alone..." Her jade-white finger tapped gently against empty air, and the square cauldron trembled slightly. The fire spirit reacted at once. Waves abruptly stirred across the fire spring, and the subterranean fire vein surged. A pulse of energy swept over them, and the Mountain within the Mountain shook as if the fire spirit were roaring. This was the very fluctuation Qin Sang had felt from outside, only far more intense here, with fiery power buffeting them from all directions. Bing Han pulled her hand back immediately, and the fire spirit returned to calm. Qin Sang scrutinized the fire jade and asked, "How confident are you, Fellow Daoist? If we were to find a similar fire spirit outside, could we also use this method to refine a spirit treasure?" Bing Han did not conceal the truth and explained in detail, "Until the day the spirit treasure fully takes shape, even we cannot be certain! And even if you found a fire spirit, Fellow Daoist, replicating this would be exceedingly difficult. It required the miraculous geography of the Mountain within the Mountain combined with our founder's various arrangements to nurture such a unique fire spirit." Qin Sang nodded in disappointment. The Xuling Sect had begun preparing this since their founding ancestor; over such an immense span of time, it was impossible for him to wait that long. Rather than pinning his hopes on such a method, he would do better to dedicate himself to the Dao of artifact refinement, ensuring Yunyouzi's true spirit safely integrated into the ebony sword and looking forward to its metamorphosis. "Once Fellow Daoist Xiang recovers, we will begin. In the meantime, Fellow Daoist Qin, please thoroughly comprehend the secret artifact refinement techniques in this jade slip. Should any mishap occur during the refinement, I will still need the assistance of you two." Bing Han produced a jade slip. Taking the jade slip, Qin Sang smiled faintly. "So even if I hadn't asked, I would still have been taught these artifact refinement arts. It seems I got a bit of a raw deal this time." Bing Han replied solemnly, "These secret artifact refinement techniques are merely a fraction of our sect's collection. Once the matter is accomplished, I will open all of our records to you, Fellow Daoist. When that time comes, you will certainly feel that this trip was not in vain." Having inspected the fire jade, the two flew out of the volcanic crater. Qin Sang returned to Yanhuo Pavilion to contemplate the contents of the jade slip. Upon skimming through it the first time, Qin Sang felt an immediate sense of sudden clarity, as though clouds had parted to reveal the sky. He sighed inwardly: stumbling forward on one's own truly paled in comparison to the accumulated wisdom of generations. He had first entered the craft through the artifact refinement insights of a Xuling Sect Golden Core cultivator. After reaching the Canglang Sea, though he had deliberately collected books related to artifact refinement, they were unsystematic, and obtaining the core secret techniques treasured by other sects was exceedingly difficult. When encountering problems, Qin Sang could only puzzle them out himself. Relying on his cultivation and formidable demonic fire, he had achieved some measure of success. Yet upon seeing what was recorded in the jade slip, he realized just how vast a gulf remained between himself and a true grandmaster of artifact refinement. Bing Han had given strict orders, so no one came to disturb him. Over the next several days, Qin Sang devoted himself entirely to the jade slip. The jade slip opened a vastly broader world for Qin Sang. Many difficult conundrums were unraveled effortlessly, leaving him utterly captivated. In just a few days, Qin Sang discovered several unreasonable flaws in his earlier concepts for subduing the Nanming Primordial Fire. When he finished, his thirst for knowledge was far from sated, and he wished he could charge straight into the Xuling Sect's scripture repository that very moment. One month later. Qin Sang, still immersed in the Dao of artifact refinement, was roused by a disturbance in the restriction. Bing Han and Xiang Qing were waiting outside. Qin Sang stepped out of Yanhuo Pavilion. The three exchanged a few words and flew side by side toward the mountain summit. They returned to the Mountain within the Mountain. Qin Sang and Xiang Qing took positions on either side of the fire spring, left and right, while Bing Han drifted through the air above the square cauldron. The three exchanged glances, sat cross-legged, and closed their eyes tightly. None of them made the slightest movement. The fire spring lay completely tranquil, save for the gentle pulsing of the fire jade. After an unknown span of time, Bing Han abruptly opened her eyes. Gazing at the fire jade, her fingers blurred like spinning wheels as incantation seals flew toward the square cauldron like flowing water. Qin Sang and Xiang Qing sprang into action at the same moment. Having long since formulated their plan, they needed no communication and each attended to his duty. The fire lotus seed flew out from between Qin Sang's brows. Shifting his gaze, Qin Sang stared at the spirit formation, and a stream of demonic fire split off from the fire lotus seed. This demonic fire had already been tamed by Fire Seed Golden Lotus. In Qin Sang's presence, it was incomparably docile, drifting down onto the spirit formation like a bolt of black silk. Soundlessly, the demonic fire melded into the spirit formation, spreading along its runes toward the square cauldron. This process required exceedingly precise control; otherwise, should the demonic fire clash with the spirit formation, all previous efforts would be ruined. At the same time, Xiang Qing held out both hands, hovering them over the spirit formation. Qingyang Demonic Fire erupted from all over his body and flowed gradually toward his palms, employing the exact same method as Qin Sang. If a disciple of the Qingyang Demonic Sect had been standing by, they would have seen that Xiang Qing's Qingyang Demonic Fire differed from their own, having undergone a change after fusing with the Ancestral Holy Fire. The two spiritual fires each claimed half of the spirit formation. The instant the spiritual fires were about to touch the square cauldron, they stopped in unison and looked up toward Bing Han. The next moment, Bing Han completed the final incantation seal. Bringing her jade-like palm against the square cauldron, she gave it a light pat. Smack! It was a faint sound, yet it marked the onset of an upheaval. Sensing instinctive unease, the fire spirit counterattacked without hesitation. Whoosh! The surrounding power of the fire vein was provoked by the fire spirit, surging wildly. The tremors returned, and the earth shook! Bing Han's figure shuddered slightly, but she was hardly affected, for the brunt of the impact was intercepted by Qin Sang and Xiang Qing. Turning a deaf ear to everything outside, she kept her palm pressed tightly against the square cauldron, using it as a furnace to refine the fire jade! Dividing their attention, Qin Sang and Xiang Qing fended off the subterranean fire power with one mind while driving their spiritual fires with all their might with the other. The two spiritual fires converged beneath the square cauldron, blazing fiercely and releasing their auras without holding back. At that moment, the square cauldron became a blazing furnace!