The Origin Sacrificing Technique

The heavenly tribulation hung suspended overhead. Tribulation lightning could strike at any moment. The first bolt had been the weakest. Having been blunted in succession by the ancient restriction and Yin Changsheng, its aftershocks had not completely destroyed the Luyin Blood Pool. However, the second bolt was bound to raze the blood pool to the ground, and Tong Lingyu would not be spared either. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Her face filled with anxiety, Tong Lingyu slammed frantically against the blood pool. Sealed inside the blood pool with her five senses shut off, she had not witnessed the subsequent battle, nor could she see the outside clearly now, leaving her ignorant of the situation. Yet even through the blood pool, the oppressive majesty of the heavenly tribulation was unmistakable, terrifying her to the core. Although the blood pool had cracked and its sealing power was drastically weakened, Tong Lingyu was gravely wounded, and most of the restrictions upon her had yet to be dispelled. She had recovered only a fraction of her strength. A barrier she could once have shattered with ease was now an impenetrable wall of iron. Seeing this, Qin Sang's eyes flickered. As he sped toward the lip of the sinkhole, he pointed with the Jinchen Sword, unleashing a streak of sword Qi from afar toward the edge of the blood pool. There were reasons for doing this. First, Qin Sang knew Tong Lingyu's condition; rescuing her posed no threat to him. His true body still had strength left and was currently refining medicinal pills to restore his true essence. By the time Tong Lingyu emerged, broke her restrictions, and stabilized her injuries, he too would have recovered some of his strength—and besides, the Fourfold Tengshe Seal was in his hands. Second, after Yin Changsheng's death, Tong Lingyu would be needed to handle the aftermath. All traces within the sinkhole would be wiped clean by the tribulation lightning. If Tong Lingyu and Yin Changsheng both died here and only he and Liuli walked out alive, what would the cultivators of Xuantian Palace think? He could come and go as he pleased, untroubled by any grudge Xuantian Palace might hold, but outside lurked his enemy, Old Man Hunmo, along with Great Sage Tianpeng and numerous demons. He still needed to remain in the Sacred Ground to seek the Killing Sword fragments, so he could not afford to let Xuantian Palace become an obstacle. Furthermore, Xuantian Palace had occupied the Sacred Ground for years and was well acquainted with its secrets; he might be able to glean something useful from Tong Lingyu. Tong Lingyu had to be saved! *Whoosh!* The sword Qi arrived in an instant, striking true upon a fracture. *Crack!* As the sword Qi pierced in, light flared brilliantly. The crack burst open with a loud pop, and blood water surged out in torrents. Inside the blood pool, Tong Lingyu had already begun to despair when she suddenly felt a sharp intent approaching. The sealing force upon her abruptly plunged, and through the bloody fluid, she caught a blurry glimpse of the outside. Overjoyed, she rallied every ounce of her remaining strength and burst out of the blood pool! Before she could take in the situation, Qin Sang's voice transmission reached her ears: "The tribulation lightning is upon us! Fellow Daoist Tong, get up here at once!" Tong Lingyu dared not delay. At the very last moment, she remembered to reach back and scoop out Luo Yun, who was sealed in a block of ice, before hurriedly flying up after Qin Sang. At last, Qin Sang made his escape from the sinkhole. Above the sinkhole lay an open clearing, surrounded by swirling black mist. No other figures were in sight. Qin Sang's expression eased slightly. Flying right up to the edge of the black mist, he came to a stop once he felt safe, gently set Liuli down, and turned to gaze back at the sinkhole and the tribulation clouds. "Thank you for saving my life, Fellow Daoist Qin." Tong Lingyu had escaped right behind him. Her face was pale, and two long, narrow gashes still bled across her delicate features, adding a touch of tragic beauty to her appearance. Her aura was in utter disarray. She did not know that the lightning had been summoned by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly; she assumed Qin Sang had followed her plan, stalling until Yin Changsheng succumbed to his inner demons and brought down the heavenly tribulation. Qin Sang's aura also proved that his true essence was heavily depleted, showing he had undeniably endured an arduous battle. "This is a bottle of Xuantian Palace's Feixue Pills, which can rapidly replenish true essence. I hope you will not turn it down, Fellow Daoist Qin." There was no longer any need for him to hide behind the identity of Daoist Qingfeng. Tong Lingyu produced a bottle of pills and handed it to Qin Sang. Immediately afterward, unable to hold herself up any longer, she sat down on the spot, closed her eyes, and swallowed medicine to heal her wounds while attempting to break through the restrictions inside her body. Feixue Pills were among the finest elixirs of Xuantian Palace, and Qin Sang had long heard of them. Qin Sang uncorked the jade bottle, checked that there was no foul play, poured out two pills, and swallowed them. Instantly, a refreshing chill seeped into his chest, noticeably quickening the recovery of his true essence. The quality was indeed far superior to the pills he had prepared himself. He glanced at Luo Yun beside Tong Lingyu. Luo Yun was no different from an ice sculpture. His aura had grown even fainter, barely perceptible. It was impossible to tell how much strength he would retain once unsealed, but he would certainly require a prolonged period of quiet recuperation to recover. *Rumble...* Inside the tribulation clouds, turbulent waves churned. Azure lightning bolts writhed like thick thunder pythons, radiating a terrifying aura of world-ending devastation. Deep within the Sacred Ground. Figures wove through the darkness and chaotic turbulence, their speed waxing and waning. Occasionally forced off course by the turbulence, they adjusted their direction, but their destination was clear, and they quickly turned back on track. Before long, they sensed that the turbulence was slowing noticeably. Speeding up at once, they finally caught sight of an actual, solid object. A stone stele! Its pedestal was intact and shaped like a lotus, a thirteen-tiered lotus platform supporting the stele. There were no words or runes upon the stele; its surface was smooth and flawless. It rested fixed in the void, completely motionless. Whenever the surrounding chaotic forces, such as ancient restrictions, surged toward it, they mysteriously skirted around the area, steering clear of the stone stele. In the boundless darkness, only this solitary stone stele stood, which alone was proof enough of its extraordinary nature. "This is the place!" Leading the way, Old Man Hunmo rushed to the stele, delight written across his face. Great Sage Tianpeng and the others followed close behind. Upon seeing the stone stele, their eyes glittered with brilliant light, expressions of eager anticipation surfacing one after another. "We've found the stele. Xuantian Palace won't be able to pursue us here anytime soon, so you can unseal the ruyi now, Fellow Daoist!" Great Sage Tianpeng stared at Old Man Hunmo. Old Man Hunmo maintained a calm facade, but inwardly he felt some regret. He had invited Great Sage Tianpeng and the other demons intending to use them against Xuantian Palace's palace master and Grand Elder. Unbeknownst to him, Xuantian Palace had paid them no heed whatsoever, making no attempt to stop them, and so they had reached the stele with consummate ease. With the demons entirely unscathed, he found himself in an awkward bind. Had he known this would happen, he certainly would have brought fewer companions. Since things had come to this, Old Man Hunmo could not play any tricks, or he would become everyone's target. However, the Lingzhi Ruyi remained in his possession, meaning his chances of reaping the benefits were greatest. Old Man Hunmo nodded slowly and brought out the Lingzhi Ruyi. Just as he was about to break its seal, his expression froze, and he turned to look toward the entrance of the Sacred Ground. The others felt the sensation as well. At this moment, they were deep within the Sacred Ground, far from the floating mountain where the tribulation clouds hung, with darkness and turbulent currents separating them, so their perception of the heavenly tribulation was not as distinct. "Could that be your human race's heavenly tribulation? Is someone undergoing tribulation here?" one demon king asked in astonishment. "Could Xuantian Palace's Sacred Ground also be a sanctuary for surviving tribulations? No wonder Yin Changsheng has lived for so long!" Light danced in Primordial Lady Yuyi's eyes as countless thoughts flashed through her mind, her breath growing slightly heavier. Even if one could find life-extending spirit medicine, a heavenly tribulation was not so easily survived; each strike was far more formidable than the last, like a death warrant from the heavens. The others also wore looks of shock and avarice. Old Man Hunmo gave a soft chuckle. "I spent many years investigating previously and never heard of any sanctuary for tribulations. Perhaps my intelligence was simply inadequate. If any of you are interested, feel free to head over and investigate. I, however, cannot wait any longer. I shall unseal the Lingzhi Ruyi right now." With that, Old Man Hunmo raised his hand and patted the Lingzhi Ruyi lightly. *Boom!* Finally freed from its bonds, the Lingzhi Ruyi trembled violently, unleashing a surge of dense, blinding white light. The brilliance was piercing. Like a blazing white sun, it illuminated the cosmos. The demons reflexively narrowed their eyes, startled. Old Man Hunmo had anticipated that releasing the Lingzhi Ruyi would cause quite a stir, but he had not expected such a dramatic display. Fortunately, he had been cautious enough to wait until they found the stele before unsealing it. Immediately after, everyone sensed an unprecedented, peculiar pulsation emanate from the Lingzhi Ruyi. Before they could react, it shot toward the stone stele at startling speed. They had no time to intervene, nor would they have tried to stop it. *Clack!* The Lingzhi Ruyi embedded itself deeply into the lotus platform, fitting seamlessly. The next moment, the stone stele ground and clattered as it slowly sank, retracting into the lotus platform. Then, mist billowed outward, parting the darkness to reveal a vast expanse cloaked in white fog, shrouded in ethereal, celestial aura like a wonderland of immortals. *Shua!* The blinding light abruptly vanished. Everyone stared fixedly at the space behind the stele, never having imagined that another world truly lay hidden here. The Sacred Ground had been plundered countless times by Xuantian Palace, while the Lingzhi Ruyi had been brought in by Old Man Hunmo; this stele space appeared to be opening for the very first time. A secret realm where no one had ever set foot! At this thought, everyone's breathing turned ragged. Treasures from the floating mountains alone had sustained Xuantian Palace's enduring prosperity, and this stele space was clearly far more mysterious. A feeling known as greed began brewing in their hearts. Yet Old Man Hunmo's expression darkened as he shifted his gaze from the stele space to the lotus platform. Having embedded itself inside, the Lingzhi Ruyi had become a motif on the lotus platform, fitting so perfectly that it seemed as though it had always belonged there. Old Man Hunmo tried every method he could think of, yet he could not pry the Lingzhi Ruyi loose; the treasure was no longer under his control. This outcome was completely unexpected. The Lingzhi Ruyi seemed to be nothing more than a key, and he had no idea whether it could only be retrieved once the stele space closed again. Old Man Hunmo also had no idea how to close the stele. With the loss of the Lingzhi Ruyi, his advantage was wiped out. Great Sage Tianpeng soon noticed this and burst into hearty laughter. "Fellow Daoist Hunmo, it seems whether we obtain treasures here will depend on each of our own fortunes! Haha..." Before his voice finished echoing, Great Sage Tianpeng transformed into a streak of golden light and charged into the mist. Old Man Hunmo snorted coldly and dashed in after him, with the others filing in one by one right behind. ... The anomaly caused by the Lingzhi Ruyi was visible even from the floating mountain. Those including Shanglu, Hall Master Jiang, and others also noticed the white light that suddenly flared and abruptly died deep within the Sacred Ground. However, blocked by the darkness and chaotic currents, they could not see the stele space opening, nor did they have the leisure to be distracted, as the tribulation clouds were about to unleash the next bolt of lightning. They wished nothing more than to pierce through the ancient restriction and witness with their own eyes the palace master undergoing his tribulation. Tribulation lightning surged. Azure light dispelled the darkness. Thunder pythons converged frenziedly toward the center of the clouds. Right at that moment, a figure shot out from the ground. Yin Changsheng was battered beyond recognition, completely consumed by madness. *Crack!* The lightning struck with such dense fury that it resembled a river bursting its banks, bathing the sky in azure light. The thunderous roar shook heaven and earth. Startled awake, Tong Lingyu looked toward Yin Changsheng struggling against the heavenly tribulation, her eyes filled with mixed emotions. He had once been the pillar of Xuantian Palace, an incomparable genius renowned across the North Sea as the person most likely to break through to the Deity Transformation stage. Possessing peerless divine abilities, he had cowed the entire world, making demons from the Boundless Sea keep far away from the Hidden Sun Realm, and keeping the Nine-Headed Great Sage from daring to step out of the Demon Realm to this day. Tong Lingyu, Luo Yun, Bingyao, and the others had grown up hearing legends of Yin Changsheng and revered him deeply. Yet at some point, Yin Changsheng had changed... As her thoughts churned, Tong Lingyu suddenly noticed the Suspended Sword Tower above Yin Changsheng's head, and her stray thoughts instantly vanished, replaced by utter shock. The Suspended Sword Tower possessed the might of a spirit treasure! That was not the only thing that astounded her. How had Qin Sang and Liuli survived before the Suspended Sword Tower? Liuli's condition was somewhat strange and unnatural, but Qin Sang appeared completely unharmed, merely depleted of his true essence. This man's strength was... bottomless! Tong Lingyu could scarcely imagine it. *Boom!* Like a torrential storm, the tribulation lightning crashed toward that recalcitrant figure. Yin Changsheng threw out his arms, roaring wildly amid the lightning with towering demonic might, showing an impetus that seemed ready to charge right into the tribulation clouds. *Bang!* The Suspended Sword Tower finally shattered. The crisp ringing came to an abrupt halt. Its remnants transformed into brilliant glowing clouds, blocking one final bolt of tribulation lightning for its master. With his life-bound magic treasure destroyed, Yin Changsheng inevitably suffered severe injuries. Shivering all over, his aura severely diminished, he was already at his end. Perhaps it was a final burst of lucidity before death. The madness faded from Yin Changsheng's face, clarity returned to his eyes, and his entire demeanor underwent a radical shift, reverting to the person Tong Lingyu remembered. Amid the sea of thunder, Yin Changsheng did not look at the storm clouds in the sky. Visions of the past flashed through his mind. Whether born of his own true heart or influenced by evil arts, those deeds were done and could never be undone; he had no regrets. All that lingered in his eyes was a touch of melancholy. He gazed blankly toward the entrance of the Sacred Ground, as if wishing to catch one last glimpse of this vibrant world. Then, without turning his head, he flicked his wrist and shot a streak of light toward Tong Lingyu. *Boom!* Tribulation lightning engulfed him. Tong Lingyu reached out and caught the light, finding it to be a medallion inscribed with the characters "Xuantian"—the Xuantian Token belonging to the Palace Master of Xuantian Palace. Scanning the token with her divine sense, a look of surprise crossed her face, followed by a hint of realization. At that moment, sensing Qin Sang's gaze, she hurriedly handed the Xuantian Token over to him. Probing inside with his divine sense, Qin Sang saw that the token recorded a secret technique called the *Origin Sacrificing Technique*. To be precise, it was more like an artifact-refining technique. Through the Origin Sacrificing Technique, by using one's own divine sense for nurturing, one could refine a top-grade magic treasure, artificially cultivating its spirituality until it advanced into a spirit treasure. During this process, the treasure's power would surpass that of top-grade magic treasures while remaining short of a true spirit treasure; it was known as a pseudo-spirit treasure. The power of a pseudo-spirit treasure varied, depending entirely on the treasure's materials and the degree of refinement through the Origin Sacrificing Technique. However, the requirements and difficulty of executing the Origin Sacrificing Technique were exceedingly high. First, it could only be used on a life-bound magic treasure, which was one of the unique aspects of such treasures. Second, a cultivator had to at least attain the realm of materialized divine sense to have any hope of success; generally, only late Nascent Soul cultivators dared attempt it. Third, refining a life-bound magic treasure into a true spirit treasure was an immensely protracted process; even Yin Changsheng had still been far from completing it. Seeing what kind of secret technique it was, Qin Sang was initially somewhat disappointed, but then a thought struck him. If he used the *Origin Sacrificing Technique* on his ebony sword, could it help stabilize Yunyouzi's true spirit and accelerate the nurturing of its spirituality?