Inside the fire chamber.
A cluster of demonic fire leaped above Qin Sang's palm.
Before Qin Sang, the violent demonic fire was as docile as water, its aura confined to a mere square inch. Even if someone stood right in front of him at this moment, they would not feel the slightest threat.
Inside the demonic fire, an immortal terrace rotated slowly.
Every rotation brought forth a ring of ripples, but under Qin Sang's consummate, exquisite control, the ripples quickly settled, making the refinement process extraordinarily smooth.
This terrace was none other than the core of the tribulation transcendence array—the Taiji Immortal Terrace.
Compared to the one seen back in Bingyi Palace, this immortal terrace was taking on a complete form. Along its outer rim, forty-nine grooves meant for inserting Ice-Fire Tokens were fully prepared; only the positions of the yin and yang poles were not yet fully formed, their runes flashing as the glow of restrictive seals wavered.
The Bingyi Divine Plate and Fire Rhinoceros Pendant floated to the left and right of the demonic fire.
A strand of cold fiend energy extended from the Bingyi Divine Plate, connecting to the yin pole, while a slender scarlet cord connected the yang pole to the Fire Rhinoceros Pendant.
The energy of the two treasures was injected gradually.
Qin Sang gazed intently at the immortal terrace in the center of the demonic fire, his hand seals shifting continuously as he meticulously cast restriction after restriction, guiding the two completely different energies to circulate through the spiritual veins inside the immortal terrace.
If one regarded the immortal terrace as a human body, the spiritual channels within were its meridians; as the spiritual energy circulated and the qi mechanisms linked together, fusing into the restrictive runes, the treasure would reach ultimate completion!
Ten years ago.
It had not taken Qin Sang long to finish crafting the Ice-Fire Tokens. The Taiji Immortal Terrace, however, was considerably more troublesome. Once Qin Sang shaped the terrace, he handed it over to his incarnation to comb through its internal veins, taking a full decade to complete.
As time passed, intricate blue and red patterns could be seen forming with the naked eye on the surface of the terrace, centered on the yin and yang poles respectively.
The patterns gradually spread across every part of the terrace and met in the middle. Under Qin Sang's delicate control, no conflict occurred; they each crept into the other's domain until the blue and red radiances across the entire terrace blended together inextricably, before finally dissipating in unison.
The terrace's spiritual glow withdrew. In the positions of the yin and yang poles, indentations shaped like the divine plate and jade pendant appeared out of nowhere; were the two treasures placed upon them, they would fit seamlessly without the slightest gap.
"Whew..."
Retracting his spiritual fire, Qin Sang gently exhaled a breath of turbid air and looked over the Taiji Immortal Terrace before him.
Then, recalling something, he turned his hand and cast forty-nine consecutive streaks of light. All of them were Ice-Fire Tokens, each slotting into the grooves around the terrace's outer rim, while the Bingyi Divine Plate and Fire Rhinoceros Pendant returned to their respective positions on their own.
Buzz!
The Taiji Immortal Terrace trembled faintly.
Two brilliant rays of radiance shot forth from the yin and yang poles, one blue and one red. Immediately following was a muffled vibration from the forty-nine Ice-Fire Tokens, as though they were eager to break free from the terrace.
Qin Sang did not continue urging it forward. Otherwise, the yin and yang poles would manifest pillars of ice and fire, and the tribulation transcendence array would be activated.
A peculiar glint flickered in his eyes as he gazed for a long while, sensing the shifts in its qi mechanisms, his face full of gratification.
The tribulation transcendence array was complete!
In truth, Bingyi Palace had possessed not only the tribulation transcendence array, but also restrictions capable of recording the scenes of their ancestors transcending tribulations for posterity to study. Regrettably, Qin Sang had not obtained that method.
Next, he needed only to set down the tribulation transcendence array in an appropriate location and await the moment to cross the tribulation and break through the bottleneck!
Stowing away his various treasures, Qin Sang stepped out of the fire chamber.
It was noon.
The bright sun hung high in the sky.
Blazing sunlight poured into Luye.
Pausing briefly before the door of the fire chamber, Qin Sang looked around the entire dao sanctuary and slowly closed his eyes. Without employing his divine sense, he felt an extraordinary sensation of merging with heaven and earth, forgetting himself entirely.
With five spiritual roots, divine sense on par with the Deity Transformation stage, and all manner of favorable conditions gathered in his single person, he had grasped the critical crux after passing the initial confusion when seeking the resonance between heaven and man.
It had taken him merely twenty years to achieve minor success, and his progress over the last decade had been even more rapid.
For anyone else, such speed would be unimaginable.
Naturally, attaining a certain degree of mastery in the resonance between heaven and man was not enough to propel Qin Sang directly into the Deity Transformation stage. It still required a great deal of time to comprehend the Great Dao, reflect upon oneself, and seek the opportunity for a breakthrough.
The crucial key lay in the Lifeless Demon Seal.
Now, the Lifeless Demon Seal was close to grand completion. It lacked only the single step of condensing the seal to bring it into being.
After years of careful contemplation, Qin Sang was certain it was no illusion of his: this Lifeless Demon Seal he was coalescing truly possessed extraordinary power!
In addition, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had been cultivating by Qin Sang's side all along. After completely refining the peculiar energy of the Dragon-Nigh Saliva, supported by the Spirit Nurturing Method and various spirit herbs, it had also reached the peak of the late stage.
Since there was still no lead on the main ingredients for the Green Frost Pill, and Qin Sang had discovered the secret of the Lifeless Demon Seal, he no longer focused on helping the Heavenly Eye Butterfly break through, choosing instead to concentrate his energy on himself.
A natal insect gu at the peak of the fourth transformation also possessed the ability to aid in crossing bottlenecks.
With the completion of the tribulation transcendence array, the various conditions for breaking through to Deity Transformation were fundamentally in place.
As his thoughts drifted, the entire dao sanctuary was brought within Qin Sang's scope of perception; every blade of grass and tree was as clear as if it were right before his eyes.
Having accomplished its task, his incarnation was quietly resting in the cave dwelling.
The bamboo grove outside the cave dwelling was a forbidden area. None in Qingyang Temple, including Shen Chen, dared to approach it without permission.
A light breeze blew past, rustling the leaves in a wonderfully serene manner.
Qingyang Temple was built on the other side of Luye, referred to by its disciples as the Inner Temple.
In Qin Sang's perception, several people were cultivating in a few cave dwellings of the Inner Temple. Golden Core disciples had already appeared in Qingyang Temple, and several others at the False Core realm were preparing to attempt their breakthroughs.
Before these disciples entered Luye, Shen Chen would always lead them to pay homage to the Patriarch, so Qin Sang had some impression of them.
Yet that was all.
Unless someone possessed exceptional talent and cultivated at a speed far outstripping their peers, they could not draw special regard from Qin Sang.
Deep within the Inner Temple, the heavy stone doors of a chamber were tightly shut; that was Shen Chen's cave dwelling.
Over these years, a few other noteworthy events had occurred.
Following Shen Chen's advancement to the Nascent Soul stage, Qin Sang had handed over the position of temple master of Zhongzhou's Qingyang Temple to him.
Shen Chen's natural talent had already been decent. While traveling abroad, Qin Sang's incarnation had by chance obtained an elixir that aided in breaking through realms, which he sent back to Luye to assist Shen Chen's breakthrough.
Even so, Shen Chen's success on his very first attempt at breaking through the bottleneck came as quite a surprise to Qin Sang. Back when he took in this convenient disciple, he had merely valued his aptitude for artifact refinement, never expecting him to show such promise.
A second Nascent Soul patriarch had arisen in Zhongzhou's Qingyang Temple!
With Shen Chen present, the continuation of Qingyang Temple's legacy was secure, allowing Qin Sang to be a hands-off master from now on.
The Wandering Sword had also undergone significant changes.
Through continuous refinement with the Essence Sacrificing Technique, Qin Sang could clearly sense that the scorched wood true spirit was more stable than before, currently in the process of gestating.
Another matter concerned the Fire Jade Centipede.
After devouring the fire spirits from the Flowing Fire Illusory True Pool on Fire Rhinoceros Island, the Fire Jade Centipede had slept for many years, awakening with cultivation at the mid-stage of the fourth transformation.
Qin Sang then successively fed the fire spirits sealed by his incarnation to the Fire Jade Centipede and sent it back into slumber, uncertain whether these fire spirits could propel it to the late stage of the fourth transformation.
Everything was progressing in a favorable direction.
His thoughts returning to the present, Qin Sang smiled faintly and walked down the mountain along the stone steps. After taking only a few paces, he heard rustling from within the bamboo grove, and more than a dozen green threads suddenly shot out, lunging toward him.
Pouncing before Qin Sang, the threads let out chirping cries and prostrated themselves at his feet.
These were the Earth-Binding Dragons reared by Su Zinan. Qin Sang had stripped away their ferocity, keeping them as mountain-guarding spirit beasts.
The Earth-Binding Dragons were extremely fond of Qin Sang's aura. Rolling onto their backs on the ground with their bellies exposed, their cries were filled with urgency. Qin Sang smiled and flicked out several medicinal pills.
After snatching up and devouring the pills, the Earth-Binding Dragons trailed behind Qin Sang, either lining up in a row or scattering about, flitting and frolicking playfully through the bamboo grove until Qin Sang stepped into the bamboo lodge, at which point they returned to their den.
Inside the bamboo lodge.
Qin Sang sat upright with a solemn countenance.
Turning his divine thought inward, he silently circulated the Lifeless Demon Seal, sensing the seal that was on the verge of taking form, and continued his contemplation.
He remained in seclusion like this for ten years.
One day.
The spiritual energy around the bamboo lodge suddenly grew turbulent.
A bizarre change came over Qin Sang's complexion: at times, all color drained away, leaving his face deathly pale; at other times, a layer of grey-black qi surged over him, as though he were seized by demonic energy and hopelessly ill.
His aura fluctuated erratically, impacting the surrounding environment.
Clatter, clatter...
The bamboo lodge shook, and a violent gale swept through the bamboo grove, scattering torn leaves everywhere.
Sensing the aura radiating from Qin Sang, the Earth-Binding Dragons trembled in terror within their den.
Qin Sang was entirely oblivious to the external changes, his mind and spirit wholly tethered to the demon seal within his body. The time had come—he intended to condense the seal today!
Though his obsession remained unfulfilled, Qin Sang disregarded it completely, forcing the seal to take shape.
By this point, the heavenly demon's intent had grown extremely thin. The demon seal was no longer an embryonic form; its structure was complete, lacking only the final step. With the obsession unresolved, numerous discords naturally arose during the circulation of the mental technique, pushing the demon seal repeatedly to the brink of losing control, making the process extraordinarily grueling.
The greatest danger was triggering inner demons and losing control of his mind, yet Qin Sang's spirit terrace remained clear and lucid, forgetting himself entirely as he steadfastly propelled the secret technique forward.
"Condense!"
He suddenly uttered a low shout.
As though a thunderous roar erupted within him, black and white alternately flashed across Qin Sang's face. The demonic energy nearly burst forth, but Qin Sang immediately suppressed it, pressing onward until he completed the final incantation.
In an instant, the demonic energy receded.
Within Qin Sang's perception, a square seal rotated slowly inside his body. The demon seal was pitch-black and sinister, seemingly capable of sucking in everything, including the consciousness of the practitioner himself.
"It's finally done!"
Without time for sentiment, Qin Sang instantly circulated his mental technique to fathom the demon seal.
Just as he had perceived before, the demon seal was intimately connected to him. A gentle touch upon the seal caused the true essence within him to vibrate in resonance. In the depths of his being, Qin Sang sensed that the demon seal's power was even stronger than anticipated!
The stronger the demon seal's might, the more it proved just how terrifying the hidden dangers had been when drawing in the demonic intent, leaving him with lingering dread.
It was too late to dwell on that now.
His mind returning to his senses, Qin Sang pondered for a moment, summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and brought out a jade box.
As if knowing her master was contemplating a momentous matter, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly perched upon Qin Sang's shoulder, utterly still.
Opening the jade box gently, inside lay a crystal-clear spirit fruit: the Consonance Immortal Fruit.
Catching the medicinal fragrance of the immortal fruit while his mind fused with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he probed the Lifeless Demon Seal once more, and that stirring grew increasingly distinct, virtually ready to burst forth!
Everything was prepared.
Only his physical body lacked a bit of seasoning.
Yet he had seized the opportune moment; there was no need to wait any longer!
Whoosh!
Qin Sang rose to his feet.
Inside Qingyang Temple, Shen Chen was cultivating when he suddenly received a voice transmission from his master. A look of surprise crossed his face, followed by realization, turning into a mix of shock and delight. He immediately dashed out of his cave dwelling, roused the other disciples, and led them back down to the Lower Academy.
When Shen Chen returned, bringing up the Dark Moon Guards as well, they saw Qin Sang's external incarnation and stood behind him.
As soon as they boarded Luye, they felt the entire sanctuary shudder before speeding toward the west.
Arriving near the storm belt, in an uninhabited wilderness ravaged by the Nine Disasters, Luye came to a halt. Then, ripples suddenly stirred in the surrounding void.
Wisps of white clouds materialized out of nowhere, blanketing the sky.
Next, waves rolled across the sea of clouds.
At the center of the cloud sea, a dao sanctuary featuring dragon-like mountain ranges and soaring peaks gradually emerged into reality.
This occurred because Luye's grand defensive array had been shut down, leaving only the formations protecting Luye's core body.
Qin Sang's true body now appeared upon Luye's main peak, looking up at the firmament and gazing down at the earth.
The tribulation transcendence array was placed here, connected to the spirit veins. He intended to break through and transcend the tribulation right here in the dao sanctuary!
"Quickly patrol the four quarters and drive away all uninvolved persons!"
A deep, low voice sounded in the ears of the Dark Moon Guards.
The incarnation led the crowd in flying out of Luye, scattering in all directions to carry out the order.
Ten days later.
The incarnation stood atop a mountain peak not far from Luye, while Shen Chen and the Dark Moon Guards guarded their respective directions.
Within the dao sanctuary.
The true body sat cross-legged above the Taiji Immortal Terrace, with the Ice-Fire Tokens, Bingyi Divine Plate, and Fire Rhinoceros Pendant all in place.
The Heavenly Eye Butterfly circled above Qin Sang's head, then suddenly transformed into a streak of light and shot into his glabella.
The next moment, thunderous rumblings erupted inside Qin Sang's body.
A layer of black demonic energy welled up over him from nowhere; the Lifeless Demon Seal within him had already shattered!
Shatter the seal, break through the barrier!
Boom!
The true essence within Qin Sang boiled, his qi sea and meridians feeling as though they were being torn apart as waves of pain washed over him.
Yet he forgot himself entirely, communing in resonance with heaven and man.
This sensation was like taking the initiative to merge oneself into heaven and earth, returning to the origin, yet without fully losing his own Dao; instead, he sought the point of greatest harmony with heaven and earth to receive the feedback of the Heavenly Dao.
Even so, Qin Sang could clearly sense that the moment the Lifeless Demon Seal shattered, the bottleneck loosened!
Snap!
The jade box popped open, and the Consonance Immortal Fruit was sent into his mouth.
The power of the immortal fruit, the natal insect gu, and the Lifeless Demon Seal all erupted at the same time.
In an instant, the Great Dao that had previously remained somewhat vague became incomparably clear—he had finally comprehended the profound truth!
"Haha..."
Qin Sang threw his head back and laughed heartily.
His voice shook the universe!
Dark clouds gathered above Luye with bursts of thunder. The worldly elemental energy turned extraordinarily violent. Inside the howling spiritual tide, the elemental energy churned, giving birth to countless clusters of light of diverse colors that drifted around Qin Sang and the surroundings of Luye, descending from the sky.
A terrifying pressure emanated from Luye's main peak.
Even with Nascent Soul cultivation and situated outside Luye, the Dark Moon Guards could not help but shudder when the pressure descended upon them.
The heavenly omens were not yet over. Clouds of radiant mist filled the sky in brilliant, kaleidoscopic sheets of light, followed by wind and thunder intertwining as this corner of the world fell into utter turmoil. At last, an energy fluctuation familiar to everyone emerged, revealing an invisible flame hovering unstably at the center of the storm.
"The yin fire tribulation! The Master... has succeeded!"
A Dark Moon Guard almost groaned out these words, looking toward Luye with eyes full of both reverence and dread.
Upon Luye's main peak.
Qin Sang forgot both self and surroundings, letting the yin fire burn him.
The tribulation transcendence array had already been activated. The two treasures at the yin and yang poles shone brilliantly, shooting out a pillar of ice and a pillar of fire respectively. The forty-nine Ice-Fire Tokens broke free from their grooves and soared into the air, revolving unceasingly around Qin Sang.
The Ice-Fire Tokens took in the powers of ice and fire. Two mutually incompatible energies passed through the tokens and converged into a single current, circulating ceaselessly around Qin Sang.
Shielded by this energy, the momentum of the yin fire fluttering around Qin Sang showed clear signs of waning, no longer as domineering as when it first began.
Chapter 1710