It was difficult for Qin Sang to accurately describe his current state.
It was not that the outside temperature had truly dropped, but rather a change in his state of mind.
A mighty being was drawing close to him—or rather, guided by the scripture, he was taking the initiative to draw close to that mighty being. The so-called "mighty being" was naturally an extramundane heavenly demon. During this process of "drawing close," even before he had truly made contact with the heavenly demon's demonic will, the suppression of cultivation hierarchy had already instilled an instinctive fear in him.
Furthermore, because of the ritual, his consciousness had formed an inexplicable link with the boundless void, bringing with it a chilling stillness and dread.
This indicated that the summoning incantation of the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture had taken effect.
That Qin Sang could still contemplate these things now was entirely thanks to the jade Buddha.
Without a doubt, anyone else cultivating the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture would experience something completely different.
At this point, another cultivator would never dare harbor the slightest stray thought; the initial terror would have them trembling with fear, guarding their minds with vigilance, ready to interrupt the incantation at any moment.
Qin Sang's expression remained calm as he silently channeled the scripture.
Barring any mishaps, the next step was to wait in readiness for the descent of the heavenly demon's demonic will.
To his surprise, what Qin Sang awaited was not the demonic will.
Without warning, that "chill" abruptly vanished, as if the connection between him and the extramundane heavenly demon had severed. The scripture contained no record of such an occurrence. Qin Sang was slightly taken aback, and immediately following that, he "heard" a...
screech!
Like the chill, this sound did not truly enter through his ears. Around him, the wind blew, and the vegetation rustled; there was no unusual noise.
The Dark Moon Guards standing guard outside the mountains sensed nothing amiss either.
Yet Qin Sang had genuinely "heard" it.
It sounded like two rusted iron plates scraping against one another—shrill, piercing to the extreme, making one doubt whether it could possibly have been produced by a living creature.
The instant he "heard" the bizarre noise, Qin Sang's expression changed abruptly. His heart gave a heavy thump, his entire body tightened involuntarily, and his scalp prickled with dread.
It was not that the strange sound exerted any direct influence on him, but rather as if he had sensed the emotions it radiated, empathizing with them and reacting instinctively.
Rage, suspicion, fear, despair...
What else?
Qin Sang could neither put it into words nor fathom it clearly.
The strange sound seemed laden with emotion, yet it also seemed like Qin Sang's own illusion.
For instance, given his wariness toward extramundane heavenly demons and fear of the unknown, any unusual sound could set his imagination racing, automatically matching it with corresponding images and triggering deeper terror.
This, too, was a possible explanation.
For Qin Sang's perception of the strange sound was actually vague; it might have originated from an infinite distance, or perhaps an unknown barrier separated them.
Moreover, the screech was extremely fleeting, gone in a flash, like a shriek just before death.
Qin Sang even wondered if he was hallucinating. Had he not possessed full confidence in the jade Buddha, he would have already begun examining himself for signs of inner demons.
Why had the ritual encountered an anomaly?
Could Sacred King Qinghu have intentionally erased critical content, or was the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture incomplete to begin with?
Qin Sang had encountered far too many incomplete secret manuals in this realm, so his thoughts naturally drifted in that direction. Yet he believed he had thoroughly grasped the scripture, having pondered and scrutinized it countless times without detecting any sign of damage or covert tampering.
What was this?
Had the secret art failed?
The "chill" had vanished, and the screech had ceased abruptly.
Just as he believed something had gone wrong with the ritual and this attempt to summon the heavenly demon's demonic will had failed...
Suddenly, Qin Sang felt that "chill" once again—and it was far more violent than before! At the same time, he sensed an inexplicable power arriving from the unknown, descending upon the altar!
The heavenly demon's demonic will!
Whoosh!
Rich, concentrated black radiance erupted from the seven elevated platforms.
When the Dipper's handle points north, all under heaven is winter!
The spot where Qin Sang sat was precisely the northern tip of the dipper's handle, and what he felt at this moment was an endless, chilling frost.
This scene was precisely what was recorded in the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture when the ritual took effect, beginning the process of drawing the extramundane heavenly demon's demonic will into one's body.
Qin Sang was startled.
With unexpected developments unfolding one after another in a split second, he had no time to formulate a response, nor time to ponder the sequence of events, before he felt that unknown power surge into the altar and pour into his body.
Boom!
The seven elevated platforms shook violently.
Black light soared straight into the firmament.
Fortunately, Qin Sang had set up an isolating formation nearby in advance. Otherwise, this phenomenon would have been visible even from ten thousand li away, attracting those with ulterior motives.
"Something is wrong!"
Qin Sang's expression changed drastically.
This power he had summoned was indeed identical to the scripture's description—it was unquestionably the heavenly demon's demonic will.
However, according to another section of the scripture, the descent of the demonic will during the summoning process was supposed to be gradual. The altar was designed to conceal the practitioner's aura while guiding the demonic will into their body, thus stealthily pilfering it before severing the connection before the extramundane heavenly demon took notice.
Yet the demonic will he had drawn was unimaginably swift and overpowering.
In an instant, the intensity of the demonic will Qin Sang had summoned reached a level that the scripture warned required extreme caution—a point where the ritual had to be broken off immediately.
With the demonic will raging like a torrent, anyone else would surely have had their mind shaken, and those with weaker resolve would have succumbed to a swarm of inner demons.
The jade Buddha had never disappointed Qin Sang.
Even amid such an anomaly, his mind remained crystal clear, and he could clearly sense that the demonic will was still descending, expanding at a shocking rate.
All signs indicated that this was still not the limit of the jade Buddha.
Yet Qin Sang did not dare allow the ritual to continue!
The world knew far too little about extramundane heavenly demons.
One theory held that extramundane heavenly demons were formless and shapeless. Those corrupted by a heavenly demon would either sink into inner demons and perish, or hone and elevate their state of mind through the ordeal, transcending illusion to sever their inner demons—and striking down the extramundane heavenly demon in the process.
Very few people had truly seen an extramundane heavenly demon, and records concerning them in ancient texts were equally scarce.
According to the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture, extramundane heavenly demons varied in strength, with some even capable of threatening Mahayana-stage cultivators. Qin Sang had not even broken through to the Deity Transformation stage, so it should have been virtually impossible for him to summon an overly powerful extramundane heavenly demon.
Yet this demonic will had clearly exceeded normal boundaries.
"Did I inadvertently summon a demon lord among the extramundane heavenly demons? Or did the anomaly in the ritual alert that heavenly demon, causing it to gaze down upon me...?"
Alarm bells clanged fiercely in Qin Sang's heart.
Being watched by an extramundane heavenly demon could lead to unpredictable consequences. Even with the protection of the jade Buddha, Qin Sang dared not test his luck.
Without hesitation, Qin Sang's fingers blurred like turning wheels as he swiftly completed a hand seal, forcefully aborting the ritual and severing his connection to the altar. A burst of power erupted from within him, scattering the black qi coiling around his body, and he pulled back in retreat.
With the ritual broken, the seven platforms dimmed simultaneously for a brief moment.
Then came a scene that shocked Qin Sang.
Boom!
At the position of Tianshu, the black light surged wildly on the elevated platform, thickening to an absolute peak before the entire platform abruptly exploded.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous explosions reverberated endlessly.
The seven elevated platforms detonated one after another, debris scattering across the sky like scattered flower petals.
The altar Qin Sang had meticulously arranged had seemingly been unable to bear the demonic will and burst apart!
The basin was left in utter ruins. After the blast, seven bottomless craters remained gouged into the earth.
By the time the dust and smoke dispersed, Qin Sang and his entourage were long gone.
Qin Sang did not know what the altar's destruction signified, but it was certainly no good omen.
Upon returning to Luye, Qin Sang immediately ordered it to set in motion and leave this troubled place. His true body hurried into his cave dwelling and sat cross-legged in meditation.
Inspecting his body, he found no abnormalities.
Qin Sang calmed his mind and silently channeled the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture, sensing the demonic will within him. The demonic will was formless and immaterial; he could not pinpoint exactly where it hid, but he could detect it through the incantations in the scripture. In the future, he could continually cultivate the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture, utilizing this demonic will to temper himself and strengthen his divine consciousness.
"Tempt me..."
This thought suddenly surfaced in Qin Sang's mind.
After careful consideration, he suppressed the urge to test it right now.
He glanced at the external incarnation beside him. After the ritual ended, the incarnation had followed closely behind his true body every step of the way, as Qin Sang felt uneasy and uncertain whether he was truly safe.
If danger arose, he could use the incarnation to avert catastrophe.
Looking pensive, Qin Sang reviewed the entire process of the ritual.
He had built the seven elevated platforms with his own hands, and every talismanic rune and incantation on them had been inscribed stroke by stroke by him. There could not have been an error.
The problem had to have arisen during the summoning process.
Recalling that screech, Qin Sang deduced two possibilities.
If it truly was the screech of a living creature, were the various emotions within the cry genuine, and what had caused that despair and terror?
"Could it be that the timing I chose was wrong, and I happened to encounter extramundane heavenly demons fighting each other, with the first heavenly demon being slaughtered by a formidable enemy?"
Qin Sang was lost in thought. The issue might not have lain with him, but on the other side; the realm of extramundane heavenly demons could hardly be peaceful and tranquil.
This was a variable beyond any cultivator's control. The likelihood of encountering it was minuscule, and if it really had happened, one could only blame fate.
What if the strange sound had not been made by a living creature?
Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured, "The Storm Belt, the barrier..."
All signs indicated that the barrier could not only withstand the onslaught of storms, but also possessed the power to repel fierce beasts. Beasts had once migrated across in packs without a single one charging into the cultivation world of its own accord—that was definitely no coincidence.
Could it be deduced like this?
The barrier protecting the sanctuary could repel external threats, including extramundane heavenly demons. When he took the initiative to summon a heavenly demon, the demon's will passed into this realm through the connection forged by the scripture and the altar, and that screech was caused by the demonic will traversing the barrier.
The extramundane heavenly demon was alerted prematurely because of this, and cast its gaze over.
In this way, all the anomalies could be explained.
When the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture was created, this realm was likely not in its present state.
Channeling this scripture to summon heavenly demons might well differ between the inside and outside of the barrier!
Because Ghost Mother had communicated with the upper realm and ascended as a firefly from within the barrier without being affected, Qin Sang had not given it much thought previously. Now, however, he was suddenly jolted awake to the reality.
This distinction between inside and outside might very well have been a trap meticulously laid by Sacred King Qinghu, who had never abandoned his sinister designs!
In any case, Qin Sang did not plan to try again.
If that extramundane heavenly demon had already been alerted and was watching this place, setting up an altar and chanting incantations again would only invite a formidable enemy.
The process had been fraught with variables, but fortunately the outcome was not bad. He had successfully drawn the heavenly demon's demonic will into his body, and it was even more potent than anticipated—more than enough to condense the Lifeless Demon Seal.
Now, it remained to be seen whether an external demon could substitute for an inner demon to condense the seal.
The Lifeless Demon Seal could not be accomplished overnight; it required continuous watering with obsession.
This was why Qin Sang had been so eager to summon the heavenly demon's demonic will. Otherwise, had he waited until reaching the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage to begin, he would have had to wait much longer.
Previously, one of Qin Sang's greatest obsessions was awakening Liuying, but Liuying had awakened before he obtained the Heavenly Demon Spirit-Illumination Scripture, so that could not be used to water the demon seal.
However, for Qin Sang, no matter what he chose as his obsession, it should not pose a problem—even if he could not fulfill it.
When watering the demon seal with obsession, if one failed to fulfill that obsession before the seal took shape, inner demons would inevitably spiral out of control and overwhelm the mind. Senior Sister Qingjun was plagued deeply precisely because she had been unable to fulfill her obsession with slaying her nemesis with her own hands.
Yet Qin Sang had nothing to fear!
Having summoned the heavenly demon's demonic will, he had accomplished the first step.
The anomaly during the ritual had added some misgivings, so he did not immediately cultivate the Lifeless Demon Seal, choosing instead to wait and observe a while longer.
Thoughts flashed through his mind.
Qin Sang gradually settled his stray thoughts, sitting quietly to regulate his breathing.
Once recovered, he brought out the treasures his incarnation had delivered and examined them one by one, sorting them into categories.
The Ice and Fire Token and the various spiritual materials for the Taiji Immortal Terrace were set aside for now; there was no immediate rush for them.
Next was the Grade-Seven Emerald Spirit Bamboo.
Qin Sang had instructed his incarnation to inspect it thoroughly. This bamboo was more than sufficient to serve as the spiritual medium for the Acquired Wooden Man Stele. However, this secret art was extraordinarily profound and intricate; comprehending it was not something that could be achieved overnight.
He had far too many pressing matters at hand.
Cultivating the Lifeless Demon Seal and advancing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly were both urgent matters; he could spare no energy for anything else for the moment.
Using external objects as a medium to refine a body of spirit wood could be viewed as an alternative form of body refinement.
Once he cultivated to the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, or if he encountered an insurmountable bottleneck along the way, Qin Sang intended to resume the Heavenly Demon Refining Form and gradually elevate his physical body.
At that time, comprehending it while cultivating might provide inspiration.
Thinking up to this point, Qin Sang put away the Grade-Seven Emerald Spirit Bamboo and looked toward the Four Sages statues and the array disk.
With several flicks of his fingers, the Four Sages Spirit Gathering Array was swiftly set up.
Sitting upright within the array, Qin Sang felt wave after wave of pure spiritual energy wash over him. Silently channeling his cultivation art, he completed a circulation with ease. His cultivation speed increased substantially, bringing him immense delight.
However, Qin Sang did not indulge himself in this.
He soon roused from his meditative state and beckoned the remaining jade bottles into his hands.
Inside the jade bottles were spiritual pills of varying sizes and colors. Some bottles were completely full, while others held only a single pill, all of superb appearance.
Qin Sang uncorked the jade bottles one by one, sniffing their fragrances to judge their grades. In the end, he kept only two bottles in hand and stowed the rest away for the time being.
The bottle with more pills contained several dozen of them, named Ziwu Pills.
These were the pills he had prepared the greatest quantity of. Administered at regular intervals to his natal insect Gu during the hours of Zi and Wu respectively, they could stabilize the spirit insect's foundation and mitigate the adverse effects of rapid growth in cultivation.
The other bottle contained only a single pill, deep yellow in color and marked with nine tiny apertures. It was concocted from that section of Seven Star Root: seven stars transformed into apertures, and supplementary medicines added two more, earning it the name Nine Apertures Primordial Pill.
Both were secret medicines recorded in the Panhu True Scripture, usable for spirit insects during their fourth metamorphosis stage.
The Nine Apertures Primordial Pill was especially precious, capable of increasing the odds of breaking through a bottleneck. Before obtaining the Seven Star Root from Sacred King Qinghu, Qin Sang had originally planned to settle for another secret medicine that was easier to concoct.
After switching to the Panhu True Scripture, Qin Sang elevated the Heavenly Eye Butterfly using witchery arts such as blood refinement and divine feeding.
Coupled with the benefits gained from the Near-Dragon Saliva, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's progress had advanced by leaps and bounds. Several years ago, it could already have attempted to charge at the bottleneck of the late fourth metamorphosis; it had merely been waiting for the Nine Apertures Primordial Pill!
Chapter 1706