The group conversed as they flew.
Perfected Bai Lu led the cultivators of the Landou Sect alongside them, while the spiritual bird followed obediently behind.
Still marveling, Perfected Bai Lu remarked, "Fellow Daoist Qin's breath-concealing divine ability is truly profound. May I ask what sect and master you hail from?"
Bao Zhengnan glanced at Qin Sang. Seeing that he seemed deep in thought with no apparent intention of concealing his identity, Bao Zhengnan sent a voice transmission to caution Perfected Bai Lu.
He had good relations with Perfected Bai Lu and did not wish to see him speak out of turn through ignorance and offend a True Monarch. In any case, Qin Sang would have to reveal himself once they reached Tianxing Island.
That simple sentence struck Perfected Bai Lu's ears like a thunderclap.
Perfected Bai Lu blanched in terror.
The other Landou Sect disciples were both startled and bewildered to see their usually composed sect master wear such an expression.
"Junior pays respects to..."
As the leader of a sect, Perfected Bai Lu managed to steady his mind somewhat and hurried to salute.
Qin Sang waved his hand to prevent Perfected Bai Lu from bowing low, then turned to Bao Zhengnan and the other two. "This poor daoist has recalled an urgent matter and must depart for a few days. It will be inconvenient to continue travelling with you all."
Bao Xi asked in surprise, "What important matter does Fellow Daoist Qin have? You might as well let the disciples of the Four Sages Palace handle it on your behalf."
Qin Sang shook his head. "This is my personal affair, not suitable to entrust to others. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, I will go and return quickly; it will not delay our major business."
Seeing that Qin Sang was set on leaving, Bao Zhengnan and the others said no more. Considering Qin Sang's cultivation, he could come and go as he pleased anywhere in the Canglang Ocean.
Bao Zhengnan cast a glance at Perfected Bai Lu, recalling Qin Sang's unusually cordial reaction upon seeing him earlier, and faintly guessed a thing or two.
Sure enough, Qin Sang then addressed Perfected Bai Lu: "Sect Master Bai Lu, I wish to visit Chief Yang. Would you be willing to introduce me?"
How could Perfected Bai Lu possibly refuse?
Qin Sang offered a general salute to all, then rode the wind away alongside Perfected Bai Lu.
***
Having parted with the others, Qin Sang and his companion flew northwest.
Without needing Perfected Bai Lu to point the way, Qin Sang still remembered the direction of Landou Island.
Noticing Perfected Bai Lu's nervous expression, Qin Sang took the initiative to strike up a conversation, learning about the changes on Landou Island over the years.
When the demon race of the Demon Sea invaded the Canglang Ocean, they threw the entire realm into turmoil. The allied forces of humans and the Witch Clan stationed themselves at Tianxing Island, clashing fiercely with the demons and resisting the invaders at all costs.
Most of the large islands in the eastern sea were overrun by the demons, altered beyond recognition, leaving cultivators displaced.
With the Landou Sect presiding over it, Landou Island retained the strength to resist demon harassment. Its terrain had not changed from when Qin Sang last saw it, but several centuries had passed, and the landscape of powers had shifted drastically.
Back then, when Qin Sang used the Spirit Seed Fiend Embryo technique to refine an avatar, he had nearly joined a sect called Yanmiao Pavilion, which no longer existed.
It was said that Yanmiao Pavilion suffered catastrophic casualties during a demon turmoil, to the point of being unable to maintain its sect gates. The Landou Sect stepped in to merge Yanmiao Pavilion with another heavily damaged sect, renaming the combined entity Yanyun Lake.
Through this, he also learned the whereabouts of an old acquaintance.
When his avatar joined the Landou Sect, he had befriended a female cultivator named Fang Ting. She was exceptionally gifted and lived up to expectations, having already attained the Nascent Soul realm. Under her leadership, Yanyun Lake was flourishing, though it had not changed its name back to Yanmiao Pavilion.
Qin Sang did not fly straight to Landou Island, making a detour first to Dongming Island nearby.
That half of the Star Platform had originally been stored in the lightning pool on Dongming Island. Back then, cultivators from Black Snake Mountain wreaked havoc on Dongming Island, and Qin Sang took advantage of the chaos to seize the Star Platform.
The aftermath of that turmoil persisted to this day. The lightning slurry had erupted from the pool, nearly destroying Dongming Island.
Afterward, the island's spirit vein was severely damaged, leaving it suitable only as a herb field to cultivate mediocre spiritual herbs. Nowadays, only a tiny handful of Landou Sect disciples had heard of the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly from their elders, learning that this unremarkable islet had once been a secret island jointly held by various sects with immense significance.
Arriving at Dongming Island, Qin Sang easily found a massive crater of bottomless depth. Anyone unaware of the past would have assumed it had been blasted out by a subterranean fire vein.
All traces had been wiped away by that explosion. Qin Sang swept his divine sense through the area several times but uncovered no valuable clues.
Perplexed, Perfected Bai Lu spoke cautiously, "What is True Monarch searching for?"
"There was once a lightning pool on this island, and within it rested a stone platform. Your sect should have obtained a secret art from it called the *Thunder Command Art*..."
Qin Sang recounted secrets from six hundred years ago as if he had witnessed them in person.
Though his tone was nonchalant, Perfected Bai Lu's expression changed repeatedly in suspicion and alarm. "Why does True Monarch know our sect's confidential secrets so clearly?"
"That stone platform is currently in my possession."
Qin Sang admitted this frankly without explaining the platform's origin, then asked, "Besides that *Thunder Command Art*, did your sect obtain anything else from the lightning pool?"
All kinds of speculations flashed through Perfected Bai Lu's mind before he shook his head in reply. "Only that single secret art, which brought disaster upon our sect. Since True Monarch knows of the *Thunder Command Art*, you must also know of the turmoil at Douniu Peak back then. To this day, the *Thunder Command Art* remains shelved in our sect. If True Monarch is interested, I will present it to you once we return to the mountain..."
As they spoke, they entered Landou Island and flew straight toward the Landou Sect's main gate.
Familiar sights met his eyes, evoking memories of the past.
Perfected Bai Lu invited Qin Sang to take a seat in the Sect Master's hall, ordered disciples to serve tea, and went personally to summon Junior Brother Yang.
Qin Sang lifted his cup of spiritual tea and took a sip, soon sensing two auras approaching. Shortly after, Perfected Bai Lu and a gaunt daoist entered.
*It really is him!*
Qin Sang recognized him at first glance. The gaunt daoist was precisely the daoist boy who had accompanied Old Daoist Huayang back then. With the passage of time, he had become a Nascent Soul cultivator. Though his bearing and physique had altered drastically, his facial features remained faintly recognizable.
Chief Yang had clearly been forewarned by Perfected Bai Lu. His conduct was deferential as he hastened forward to bow.
"True Monarch Qin knows this junior?"
Looking at Qin Sang, Chief Yang was full of bewilderment, certain he had never met this man before.
Qin Sang stood up, stroked a hand across his face, and transformed into a youthful, green countenance, letting out a soft sigh. "Uncle-Master Yang, do you still remember your disciple Zhang Yue?"
Chief Yang's eyes went wide, frozen on the spot.
"You... you... you..."
In a rare loss of composure, he pointed at Qin Sang, utterly dumbfounded.
Over the centuries, countless disciples had entered the Yin-Yang lineage, but Chief Yang had always remembered this person.
That lad Zhang Yue was born with four spiritual roots, possessing a hopeless future in the eyes of other cultivators, yet he displayed extraordinary talent in practicing the *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art*, earning an exceptional acceptance as a true disciple. Chief Yang had personally presided over the ordination ceremony, and Zhang Yue was the very first true disciple he had ever inducted into the sect.
After that great turmoil, the boy had vanished, leaving him with immense regret. The sect had suspected the youth and conducted a thorough investigation, which ultimately led nowhere.
With a flash of light, Qin Sang returned to his true appearance. Turning to the dazed Perfected Bai Lu, he said, "I have some matters to consult Chief Yang about."
Only then did Perfected Bai Lu recover his wits. Tactfully taking his leave, he handed Qin Sang a jade slip before departing.
Sweeping his divine sense through it, Qin Sang found that it was indeed the *Thunder Command Art*, no different from the one he had previously obtained. That once immensely potent lightning technique had gradually fallen behind the pace of his growth.
It seemed the Landou Sect truly knew nothing more; to investigate the origin of the Star Platform, his only option was to visit the Witch God Continent.
Casually stowing the jade slip, Qin Sang gestured for Chief Yang to sit, taking charge as though he were the host. "Zhang Yue was me, yet I am not Zhang Yue. Still, Chief Yang did me the favor of transmitting the Dharma."
Chief Yang sat down as instructed, his gaze fixed on Qin Sang. He could vaguely guess a portion of what had occurred back then, but it was simply too difficult to accept that an old acquaintance had transformed into a Deity Transformation True Monarch!
Regardless of what Chief Yang was thinking, Qin Sang took out an object on his own initiative. "Chief Yang, please inspect this jade."
What he produced was the unadorned jade he had obtained in the Langhuan Jade Pavilion.
The moment the unadorned jade appeared, Chief Yang felt a resonance, his expression shifting to one of astonishment.
"I acquired this jade by chance. Had I not condensed the Yin-Yang Armor back then, I would have overlooked it. Unfortunately, it exhibits no wondrous properties in my hands. Can Chief Yang discern anything different?"
With that, he handed the unadorned jade straight to Chief Yang.
Chief Yang hesitated briefly before reaching out to accept it. After inspecting it in his hands, he begged pardon, closed his eyes, and silently circulated his arcane art.
The next instant, Chief Yang's aura shifted abruptly as the yin and yang qi within his body began to circulate and transform.
In Qin Sang's eyes, his entire being, along with the ten-foot radius influenced by his aura, seemed to divide into yin and yang in a marvelous display.
Yin and yang qi converged in his palms, starkly separated into black and white, cradling the unadorned jade and seeping into it in fine wisps.
Disappointingly, no matter how much yin and yang qi he channeled, it was like a stone sinking into the sea; the unadorned jade showed no reaction whatsoever.
After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Chief Yang ceased his art and said with a wry smile, "I can sense that this jade shares a profound connection with our sect's cultivation method, yet despite exhausting my means, I cannot fathom its mysteries. True Monarch might recall that the *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art* originally had only its first layer. It was only after our ancestor, Daoist Yin-Yang, comprehended the Dao of Yin and Yang and supplemented the method that our Yin-Yang lineage came into being. However, what later generations added, while not completely divergent, must differ substantially from the original."
Qin Sang nodded in silence.
Chief Yang cast a reluctant glance at the unadorned jade. "In my perception, things are only slightly clearer than for True Monarch. Its secret should lie at the center of the unadorned jade. If one practiced the authentic *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art*, one might be able to start from there and comprehend this jade's divine ability."
Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then said, "Could Chief Yang allow me to inspect the cultivation method?"
Requesting to view another lineage's true legacy was somewhat presumptuous.
Unexpectedly, Chief Yang agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Qin Sang paused in surprise.
Chief Yang flicked his fingers to release a streak of flowing light, looking at Qin Sang with a trace of anticipation. "Our founder, Daoist Yin-Yang, was a transcendent genius. He deduced the remaining method from the incomplete scroll and cultivated to the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage, yet he came to a halt there, unable to achieve a breakthrough for the rest of his life. His unworthy descendants lacked such talent, and none ever matched his accomplishment. The subsequent realms remain entirely blank, and furthermore..."
Chief Yang wore a look of shame. "Our aptitude falls short of the founder's. After forming our Nascent Souls, we found our cultivation beset with bottlenecks. Even advancing to the mid-stage is exceptionally arduous, presumably due to flaws in the method. But deducing and extending a technique is no easy task. I know I lack the ability, and other Nascent Soul cultivators could never accomplish it either. True Monarch's magic power is unfathomable; perhaps you could..."
As he spoke, he looked at Qin Sang with unconcealed hope. Deity Transformation cultivators were rarely encountered, and it was exceptional that Qin Sang took an interest in this technique.
Qin Sang projected his divine sense into the light, and the complete *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art* unfolded in his mind.
Chief Yang continuously offered explanations to help him comprehend it.
Even with Qin Sang's cultivation, fully mastering it in such a short time was difficult. Yet Qin Sang's path of cultivation differed markedly from others, allowing him to discern something. He let out a soft exclamation. "This shouldn't be an exclusive spell cultivator technique, should it?"
Chief Yang's eyes lit up, and he could not help but bow slightly in deep admiration. "True Monarch possesses piercing insight! The founder felt the same way back then, but unfortunately lacked the capacity to pursue it."
The first layer of the *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art* was complete.
Based on it, Daoist Yin-Yang had deduced a spell cultivator method centered on absorbing yin and yang qi to refine qi and plumb the mysterious.
Yet one could not overlook that the very first step of the *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art* was condensing the Yin-Yang Armor within the origin soul.
Qin Sang could loosely be considered a cultivator of essence, qi, and spirit alike. Sensing its nuances, he realized the original technique was by no means a pure spell cultivator path; it was likely a path of dual cultivation of spirit and Dharma, a mutual verification of yin and yang, or perhaps something even more intricate.
Ghost Mother had once said that cultivators in this world could broadly be divided into essence, qi, and spirit, but there were also those who did not belong to these three paths or who integrated them all.
Qin Sang dared not make arbitrary judgments regarding the original version, but as for the pure qi-refining path deduced by Daoist Yin-Yang, he could still make out some underlying logic.
An hour later, Qin Sang withdrew his focus and pointed out an area that required improvement, delighting Chief Yang beyond measure.
Looking at the overjoyed Chief Yang, Qin Sang suddenly asked, "When Daoist Yin-Yang obtained the technique, was there anything else beside it?"
Chief Yang's pupils contracted, his smile fading.
Daoist Yin-Yang had never explicitly explained how he obtained the *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art*, but he had left behind a treasure connected to it, mentioning that he relied heavily on this treasure when deducing the subsequent technique. Regrettably, he could never fully fathom its wonders; it had only served as a guide prior to the Core Formation stage. The method after the Nascent Soul realm was deduced entirely through Daoist Yin-Yang's own talent.
That treasure was a white chess piece.
Chief Yang was secretly astonished. Though he knew Deity Transformation cultivators possessed vast divine abilities, he had not expected Qin Sang to deduce this solely from the cultivation method.
After a moment's hesitation, Chief Yang dared not conceal the truth. "There was! But like the unadorned jade, its divinity remains hidden. The patriarchs of past generations could never uncover its wonders, and Founder Daoist Yin-Yang only skimmed the surface."
He produced the white chess piece.
The piece was pure white with a warm luster, looking no different from an ordinary chess piece.
Qin Sang took it in hand, feeling a cool sensation at his fingertips. Following Chief Yang's instructions, he probed the white chess piece with his divine sense, evoking a faint white glow, but nothing more; in Qin Sang's grasp, it exhibited no further miraculous signs.
Chief Yang gritted his teeth. "If True Monarch can help my Yin-Yang lineage complete the cultivation method, I am willing to present this treasure to True Monarch!"
Qin Sang glanced at him and shook his head slightly. "I can help you perfect the existing parts, but supplementing and completing the subsequent method is exceptionally difficult. Unless I switch to cultivating the *Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art*, it would demand immense effort, and success would still not be guaranteed."
He had too many matters of his own to attend to and could not afford the distraction.
Chief Yang looked thoroughly disappointed.
Unexpectedly, Qin Sang shifted his tone. "You can comprehend it yourselves. Senior Daoist Yin-Yang's choice was too extreme; practicing it exerts an adverse influence on one's origin soul, which is one of the reasons you feel beset with bottlenecks. I shall help you perfect the method and gift you an item; you should then stand a chance of breaking through further..."
With that, Qin Sang produced a stick of Spirit Calming Incense and handed over its recipe as well.
Even if he offered the recipe for superior Spirit Calming Incense, the Yin-Yang lineage would lack the capacity to concoct it, making this one far more suitable.
Naturally, he intended to take the white chess piece.
Qin Sang held the white chess piece in his right hand, and the Spirit Calming Incense and recipe in his left.
Catching the scent of the Spirit Calming Incense, Chief Yang immediately felt his mind turn crystal clear, filling him with astonishment. He looked back and forth between them, weighed the matter for a long time, and ultimately decided to accept the incense and recipe.
With this recipe, even if he could not accomplish it, future generations would have great hope.
"Comprehending the method will still require some time. Why doesn't Chief Yang accompany me to Tianxing Island so we can exchange insights?" Qin Sang suggested.
Chief Yang naturally had no reason to refuse.
Before long, the three flew out of Landou Island.
Chapter 1734