Thunder Jade Manor

The spiritual armor enveloped his body. With a shift in thought, Qin Sang activated the spiritual armor and raised his left arm, his right hand silently forming the Demon-Smashing Seal. *Boom!* The instant the Demon-Smashing Seal struck the vambrace, the armor's patterns vanished, transforming into faint ripples of water. Naturally, Qin Sang had no intention of actually harming himself, nor had he deployed his spirit wood body, yet he had still used fifty to sixty percent of his strength. The Wind-Returning Armor brought him a great, pleasant surprise. The leisurely green ripples were like a bottomless deep pool. The power of the Demon-Smashing Seal was almost entirely blocked and absorbed by the true treasure fragment, leaving his left arm completely unscathed. "How is it? As this poor Daoist said, when this true treasure was intact, it must have been a supreme defensive treasure!" Master Qi stroked his messy beard, a complacent smile spreading across his face. In the end, he sighed in wonder, "I truly wonder what realm of expert could shatter such a supreme treasure!" The Wind-Returning Armor was actually not a complete success, falling short of their original expectations. Yet Master Qi, who had once crafted a pseudo-spirit treasure, still considered this the proudest creation of his life! Most importantly, it was his sudden enlightenment at the final moment. Once he digested the gains from this experience, he would surely advance to an even higher realm in the art of artifact refining. Qin Sang nodded in agreement. Just now was not yet the limit of the Wind-Returning Armor, but Qin Sang had no intention of testing it further in front of Master Qi. He was certain this armor could protect him during battles against experts of the Deity Transformation Realm. Its sole drawback was that the area shielded by the true treasure fragment was not large enough. If he were to face a cataclysmic great divine power, the true treasure fragment might remain undamaged, but the main body of the spiritual armor would be unable to withstand it. Seeing the reluctance in Master Qi's eyes, Qin Sang smiled and handed the Wind-Returning Armor back to him, while he himself remained at Master Qi's residence. Observing Master Qi refine the artifact had also yielded him bountiful gains, and he urgently needed to enter seclusion to comprehend them. Every improvement Qin Sang made in the art of artifact refining was beneficial to the nurturing of the spirit embryo within the Wandering Sword. *** Not far from Sword Heart Island, over the water's surface, Qin Sang flew leisurely, fiery threads coiled around his fingers. Upon closer inspection, one would see it was a centipede crawling across his hand. After completing his register altar, Qin Sang had continued to visualize the internal true spirit. Now that the altar-protecting internal true spirit could barely shield the Fire Jade Centipede, Qin Sang had awakened it. The Fire Jade Centipede's realm remained at the middle stage of the fourth transformation. However, Qin Sang could feel that its aura was stirring restlessly; had it not been affected by the ancient qi of the six heavens, it likely would have broken through already. Spirit insects at the late stage of the fourth transformation were not weak. Each possessed life-preserving divine powers, though their abilities were not as versatile as those of human cultivators. If he encountered opportunities in the future, he could rest assured letting the Fire Jade Centipede hunt for treasures on its own in most places. There was still fire spirit left from what he had captured from the Flowing Fire Illusory True Pool of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, and plenty of elixir pills leftover from the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's feeding. Supplemented by the insect-controlling secret arts passed down by the Ghost Mother, it would not be difficult to push the Fire Jade Centipede to the peak of the fourth transformation. According to what the Ghost Mother had said, the Fire Jade Centipede's potential could support it up to the peak of the fourth transformation; if it were fortunate enough to break through to the fifth transformation, that would be its absolute limit. The Fire Jade Centipede curled into a carefree ball in his palm. Qin Sang had yet to find a method to induce a mutation in the Fire Jade Centipede, so he could only focus on helping it break through first. "The Qingshuang Pill..." Qin Sang recalled this medicine. Unfortunately, he had searched for a long time across the Star Island Immortal Lake without finding any news of the hundred-joint ground bamboo. Master Lingxu had promised to keep an eye out for him as well, and Qin Sang intended to write him a letter when he had time. With these thoughts revolving in his mind, Sword Heart Island came into view. Qin Sang stowed the Fire Jade Centipede and released his aura. The island's restrictions immediately flickered, and Real Person Zhijian flew before Qin Sang. "Is Fellow Daoist ready?" Qin Sang gave a Daoist salute. "I must trouble Fellow Daoist to accompany this poor Daoist to visit Real Person Zhangui." "I have been waiting for your word, Fellow Daoist," Real Person Zhijian said with a faint smile. Asking him to wait a moment, he flew back down to Sword Heart Island, returning to the sky shortly after to fly northward alongside Qin Sang. First, they arrived at a spiritual island equipped with a teleportation array, teleporting to the northern part of the Star Island Immortal Lake. Islands in the northern part of the lake were as numerous as elsewhere, but as they continued flying north, Qin Sang noticed the presence of cultivators growing increasingly sparse. Later, he even saw vast swathes of abandoned spiritual islands. Qin Sang knew that upon reaching the northern shore of the Star Island Immortal Lake, they would arrive at the edge of the Jushan Diocese. Continuing further north would lead deep into Nieyuan, a place whose very name struck fear into hearts. Vicious beasts ran rampant deep within Nieyuan, far more savage than the demons of Guifang Country—bloodthirsty and frenzied. Near the two dioceses directly under the Dao Court, celestial guards and earth deities would be stationed to clear them out, but Jushan Diocese was a loose sheet of sand, unable to organize such forces. The alliance of sects in the Star Island Immortal Lake merely dispatched personnel to patrol the vicinity, guarding against vicious beasts surging into the heart of the lake. Incidents of vicious beasts intruding into the lake occurred from time to time. Thus, the closer one was to the northern shore, the less safe it became; few cultivators dared establish their cave dwellings here. And this was merely the obvious danger. It was said that the deeper one ventured into Nieyuan, the denser the ancient qi of the six heavens became. Register altars could not protect cultivators indefinitely; no small number of cultivators who ventured too deep or lingered too long had become hopelessly lost within. Cultivators of Jushan Diocese who went out to hunt vicious beasts would always set a predetermined boundary and duration. Once the time elapsed, they were required to return, whether they had achieved any gains or not. "We have arrived." Real Person Zhijian raised a hand, pointing ahead. Qin Sang focused his gaze and saw only a precipitous cliff ten thousand feet high. The cliff was not very wide; it was a spiritual island. A little over a hundred li further north lay the northern shore of the Star Island Immortal Lake. No other cultivators could be seen nearby, making it exceptionally tranquil. The two leaped into the sky and soon landed atop the cliff. Before them lay a verdant expanse. Veiled beneath faint mist, shadows of trees danced gently amid dense spiritual plants. Qin Sang cast a casual glance, and his gaze narrowed slightly. Just then, an indifferent voice came from the woods: "Guests from afar are welcome. Please enter, fellow Daoists." No sooner had the words fallen than the ancient trees before them suddenly shuddered and pulled themselves from the earth. *Boom! Boom! Boom!* One ancient tree after another shifted its roots and stepped to either side, clearing a path through the forest. "The flora in this grove are the spirit soldiers under Real Person Zhangui's command," Real Person Zhijian explained via voice transmission. Qin Sang nodded and walked alongside Real Person Zhijian into the woods, where several quaint wooden halls came into view. A Daoist wearing a tall crown stood before the hall. It was indeed Real Person Zhangui. Looking at them with a smile, he bowed with hands clasped. "We have not met for many years, yet Real Person Zhijian's demeanor remains as magnificent as ever. Please forgive this poor Daoist for failing to welcome you properly from afar... And who might this fellow Daoist be?" "Greetings, Real Person," Real Person Zhijian returned the courtesy and introduced the two to each other. As they spoke, they entered the reception hall and took their seats as host and guests. Upon learning that Qin Sang had come seeking to advance his register, Real Person Zhangui looked him over and nodded in admiration. "Indeed, Real Person Zhijian's friends are all paragons among men!" Qin Sang replied modestly, and just as he was about to speak, Real Person Zhijian suddenly rose and said, "This poor Daoist was merely a guide. Now that the two of you must discuss official business, it is best I excuse myself." With that, Real Person Zhijian stepped out of the hall, leaving only the two of them inside. Real Person Zhangui got straight to the point: "May I ask what register Real Person Qingfeng practices?" "The Supreme Shenxiao Register!" Qin Sang did not conceal it, nor could he. A look of surprise crossed Real Person Zhangui's face. "Is Real Person not a true disciple of the Thunder Manor?" Among cultivators, it was customary to collectively refer to the Thunder Left and Right Manors as the Thunder Manor. Qin Sang shook his head. "I am an external disciple who had the fortune of receiving the Supreme Shenxiao Register." Real Person Zhangui nodded in realization. The Thunder Manor enjoyed immense renown in the Star Island Immortal Lake and possessed deep roots with the Dao Court. If Qin Sang had hailed from the Thunder Manor, Zhangui would have heard of him long ago, and Qin Sang would not have needed to visit him in person; he could simply have contacted the Dao Court through his sect master. "The third-rank register of the Supreme Shenxiao Register is the Five Thunders Secret Register. Both courts of the Dao Court can confer this register..." Real Person Zhangui spoke of various registers as if enumerating his family treasures. Hearing this, Qin Sang felt slightly relieved. The greatest fear in cultivating a register was running into an incomplete lineage, forcing one to switch halfway and destabilizing the foundation of one's register altar. "However," Real Person Zhangui's tone took a sudden turn, "while the Dao Court can confer the register upon Real Person, it is unknown which heavenly deity of the Thunder Department in the Guide to the Immortals of the Ten Thousand Gods Thunder Division you should visualize, or whether you will succeed. At that time, Real Person will need to explore it on your own." The altar-protecting divine general was the most crucial link of a talismanic register. Without guidance from predecessors, a cultivator could only test them one by one according to the Guide to the Immortals of the Ten Thousand Gods Thunder Division. Qin Sang frowned. "What if I fail to visualize an altar-protecting divine general?" "Real Person may choose to advance to another register instead. As far as I know, the Lingfei Jiuguang Register should be able to substitute for the Five Thunders Secret Register. Of course, if Real Person does not wish to change registers, you may also visualize your internal true spirit as an expedient measure, gradually attempting to visualize a Thunder Department heavenly deity." Real Person Zhangui paused. "If, when signs of unease appear in Real Person's nascent spirit, you still have not succeeded in deity visualization, you may return to the Dao Court to append the Lingfei Jiuguang Register." "How long can the internal true spirit hold out? And what are the conditions for appending a register?" Qin Sang appeared deeply concerned about this, inquiring after every detail. "Before breaking through to the late stage of the Dongxuan Dharma rank, you need not worry overly much. As for appending a register, though the Dao Court will not bestow it for nothing, they will not make things difficult for Real Person," Real Person Zhangui said in an easygoing tone. According to Real Person Zhangui, using an internal true spirit to protect the altar could at most sustain a cultivator up to the late stage of Deity Transformation. No wonder cultivators in this realm all chose to visualize heavenly deities. Demon registers visualized internal true spirits yet could stand on equal footing with the Dao Court, likely owing to the empowerment of demonic bloodline power. Lost in thought, Qin Sang pondered and asked, "Does the Thunder Manor possess relevant records?" Cultivators of the Thunder Manor all practiced the Supreme Shenxiao Register, and there was no lack of Deity Transformation Realm experts among them; they were bound to have experience. Real Person Zhangui shook his head. "Real Person might as well consult the Thunder Manor in person." Hearing this, Qin Sang pressed no further. In truth, whether he could visualize a heavenly deity had no effect on him; at least until he learned the true nature of these heavenly deities, he had no intention of inviting a deity into his body. Pressing for these details was merely putting on a show to avoid raising Real Person Zhangui's suspicions. "This poor Daoist chooses the Five Thunders Secret Register!" Qin Sang said resolutely. Real Person Zhangui nodded, pondering before saying, "Since the two of you share a close bond, Real Person Zhijian should have explained the rules to you..." Qin Sang nodded, indicating he understood the rules. "What choice does Real Person intend to make?" Real Person Zhangui gazed at Qin Sang, speaking in a solemn voice. Qin Sang cupped his hands and said gravely, "I wish to request an imperial writ from the Dao Court!" Requesting an imperial writ, rather than entering service for the Dao Court. A look of regret flickered in Real Person Zhangui's eyes. Qin Sang had not concealed his aura, and Zhangui had already discerned his cultivation. Those who broke through before advancing their registers were all individuals of extraordinary talent. The Dao Court was keen on recruiting prodigies, but such people were invariably proud and aloof—who among them would willingly subject themselves to the control of others? Since high-rank registers were controlled by the Dao Court, why not use them to force their submission instead of intentionally leaving them an opening? Real Person Zhangui had once asked his revered master, and the answer he received was that Guifang Country could also confer certain high-rank Daoist registers! When he first learned of this secret, Real Person Zhangui had been shocked for a long time, gaining a deeper understanding of Guifang Country. Knowing that people of this caliber possessed resolute wills that could not easily be swayed, Real Person Zhangui wasted no more breath. He rose, asked Qin Sang to wait a moment, and turned toward the back hall. Before long, Real Person Zhangui returned holding two jade slips. "Between these two imperial writs, Real Person may choose one." Qin Sang stood and first thanked Real Person Zhangui. Upon arriving here, there was generally no room for bargaining. That the other party allowed him to choose freely was likely out of deference to Real Person Zhijian. Qin Sang extended his divine sense into one jade slip, examined it, pondered for a moment, and then inspected the other. Unsurprisingly, both imperial writs were related to Guifang Country and required infiltrating deep into its heartland. They were sufficiently dangerous without touching upon true secrets. As for the degree of difficulty, it had to be weighed against Qin Sang's divine powers and magic treasures. "I choose this one." After considering for a while, Qin Sang picked up the second slip, then swore a heart vow in accordance with the requirements. Only then did Real Person Zhangui undo the restriction on the jade slip, allowing him to view the full details of the writ, while also handing Qin Sang a porcelain bottle. Qin Sang opened the bottle and found inside a snow-white pill emitting a faint, delicate fragrance—it was precisely a Dingzhen Pill. "Real Person, remember well: you must escape danger before the medicinal efficacy fades. Do not be overconfident. This poor Daoist awaits your good news..." Real Person Zhangui cautioned. Qin Sang put away both items. Refraining from lingering further, he cupped his hands and took his leave. Accepting the writ did not necessarily mean he had to carry it out. Not all predecessors had succeeded in completing theirs; if one failed, one could start over, though there was only this single Dingzhen Pill. Real Person Zhijian should have news on his end by now. Qin Sang would weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. *** After seeing off Qin Sang and his companion, Real Person Zhangui stood still for a moment, then walked toward the back hall. Seated in the back hall was an elderly Daoist, before whom lay a half-played game of Go. Real Person Zhangui sat opposite the Go board, picked up a stone, and pondered where to place it. Looking at the board, the old Daoist remarked, "Another master has emerged in Jushan Diocese?" Real Person Zhangui hummed an affirmation. "This person took an imperial writ, and he cultivates the Supreme Shenxiao Register." "Oh?" The old Daoist looked up in surprise. "Not a successor of the Thunder Manor?" Real Person Zhangui nodded. "Fascinating." The old Daoist clicked his tongue, shaking his head repeatedly. "Not cultivating the scriptures, only cultivating the registers, yet able to enter Dongxuan—definitely out of the ordinary! A pity, what a pity..." *Snap!* Real Person Zhangui placed his stone, feeling it was a brilliant move, then lifted his jade cup and took a sip. "Are you so certain this person cannot succeed? Could it be that the sect master of the Right Manor has also failed at deity visualization?" The old Daoist pointed at Real Person Zhangui. "After all these years, your eye remains as sharp as ever; not a shred of a clue escapes you. Indeed, the sect master of the Right Manor has given up. Generations of Thunder Manor disciples have pressed forward wave upon wave, yet it has all been in vain... Well, perhaps this person possesses profound fortune and might succeed; wouldn't that bring about a turning point?" Real Person Zhangui sighed softly. "Lamentable! Pitiful! In ancient times, the Thunder Jade Manor stood shoulder to shoulder with our Celestial Pivot Court and Northern Pole Exorcism Court, perhaps even surpassing them. How awe-inspiring was the Thunder Capital Department! Renowned for the supreme thunder arts, summoning the Thunder Ancestor by talisman and command, governing all the myriad thunders! Merely reading the records in the ancient texts makes my blood surge, yet today it has fallen so low!" "All that is in the past!" The old Daoist shook his head. "The heavenly deities of the Thunder Department have fallen silent, with few survivors. For the grand Supreme Shenxiao Register, there are no deities left to invite for the third-rank register, and below the third rank, few respond. How could its decline not be predestined?" As he spoke, the old Daoist suddenly picked up a stone and clattered it onto the board, laughing heartily. "That's what you get for being absentminded, boy! Today it is only right that this old Daoist wins a game!" Real Person Zhangui startled, hurriedly looking down at the board.