Qilin

At this moment, Qin Sang was covered from head to toe in azure hair—including his face. The dense coat stretched over his entire body, over an inch long and growing luxuriantly, making him look like nothing less than an azure-furred monster. Any onlooker would probably suspect they had run into a green-furred demon ape. A closer look, however, revealed that these were not real hairs, but blades of grass resembling dense, slender waterweeds. This was one of the consequences of cultivating his poison art—the manifestation of flower dew poison accumulating in his body. When he had first entered the poison lake, Qin Sang had experienced something similar, but back then the poisonous grass had merely clung to the surface of his skin, doing him no harm. These poisonous grasses, however, sprouted directly from his flesh and blood, rooting into his meridians. If an alchemy grandmaster saw this, they would proclaim the poison had seeped to the marrow, beyond all hope. Once the poisonous grass bloomed, it would signify impending doom that even immortals could not avert. Even a predecessor cultivating the *Canon of the Poison God* would be left dumbstruck at the sight, unable to imagine anyone daring to be so reckless. The *Canon of the Poison God* trod an unorthodox path, demanding that its practitioners exercise extreme caution. Even with an abundant supply of poisons, one had to proceed step by step, never daring to absorb too much at once lest the massive buildup of toxins spiral out of control. Yet Qin Sang seemed completely reckless; some of the poisonous grasses had even begun to form the budding shapes of blossoms. Only through trial after trial had he determined the limit of the poison pearl, after which he plunged into frantic cultivation. The bead obtained from slaying the flower fairy had already been fully refined without wasting a trace, and now the flower dew was being consumed. At this rate, the vast fields of flower dew produced across this enormous space might soon fall short of demand. The forebear who created this poison art certainly could never have imagined having a successor so mad in later generations. Cultivating in this manner yielded astonishing results; Qin Sang's cultivation and strength were advancing by leaps and bounds at an unimaginable speed with every passing moment. He had a premonition that breaking through to the mid-fifth transformation of the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* was only a few years away. Bottlenecks aside, as long as poisons were plentiful, within a single kalpa he would not only cultivate the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* to the peak of the fifth level, but might even have a chance of touching the threshold of the Void Refining stage. In a mere three hundred years, most Deity Transformation cultivators dared only hope to break through to the mid Deity Transformation stage. Throughout the ages, how many could ever dream of assaulting Void Refining within a single kalpa? What was more, Qin Sang cultivated both dharma and body! However, compared to the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form*, progress in the *Essence Cultivation and Sword Nurturing Chapter* was somewhat inferior. With such rapid cultivation speed, there was no need to obsess over which was primary and which was secondary; Qin Sang prioritized elevating his overall strength. After all, the *Essence Cultivation and Sword Nurturing Chapter* demanded comprehension of the slaughter dao. Secluded alone with little outside contact, he lacked opportunities for mortal combat. On the other hand, cultivation of the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* went quite smoothly, with a breakthrough on the horizon. Qin Sang silently channeled the poison pearl to reveal his face, looking toward one of the divine birds perched on the Sun God Tree. The young Vermilion Bird spirit had possessed the divine bird, wearing an expression of distaste. "I thought you would need to sleep for centuries to recover," Qin Sang said in surprise upon seeing the young Vermilion Bird spirit controlling the divine bird. It was only a young spirit to begin with, and using the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather by itself to break through world boundaries had surely taken an immense toll. The young Vermilion Bird spirit snorted angrily, glaring at Qin Sang with deep displeasure. "I was supposed to sleep for a long time, but your surroundings are so chaotic that I couldn't rest in peace! I am still weak, so don't even think about making me do anything for you." Qin Sang understood. It appeared that although the young Vermilion Bird spirit had been asleep, it could still sense the fluctuations of chaotic qi between heaven and earth. Even though he had enveloped the Sun God Tree within the talisman altar's domain, it had still been awakened. "And I should be asking you: where on earth did you bring me?" Qin Sang briefly described this world. The young Vermilion Bird spirit raised its head proudly. "Mere chaotic qi! As long as I slumber within my natal true feather, even tens of thousands of years couldn't affect me!" Qin Sang did not know whether it was boasting or if the Vermilion Bird True Feather truly possessed such miraculous power. Not bothering to argue, Qin Sang urged it to search its memories carefully for any clues regarding this realm. The young Vermilion Bird spirit put away its arrogance, dropped its head, and pondered for a long time, confusion welling in its eyes. "Sin Plains... Sin Sea... Sin... Sin..." Finally, as if remembering something, it said in an uncertain tone, "I... remember a terrifying place. It seemed to be called Sin... Sin... Sin..." The young Vermilion Bird spirit stammered "Sin" for ages, yet no matter how hard it tried, it could not recall what followed, growing thoroughly exasperated. Qin Sang's expression grew solemn. That unknown place had to be extraordinarily perilous to leave such a deep imprint on the young Vermilion Bird spirit's mind. The young Vermilion Bird spirit and the Immortal Hall hailed from the same world; that place was very likely located in the Great Thousand Worlds! If the Sin Plains were connected to the place the young Vermilion Bird spirit spoke of, could this realm be the Great Thousand Worlds, with everyone trapped in the Sin Plains, unable to reach the outside? Then there was Mo Xingdao's remark that the Imperial Censors of the Nine Heavens Golden Palace showed little interest in the path of ascension. Perhaps it was not that no one could reach the outside world! The Daoist True Monarchs would never be content staying in a secluded corner, yet for some reason, they huddled here. Ordinary people could not make it out of the Sin Plains or the Sin Sea, so there was no need for them to know the truth. At this thought, Qin Sang hesitated once more. If this realm was the Great Thousand Worlds, where did the beacon gate in the Storm Realm lead? Could it be another exit within the Great Thousand Worlds? The young Vermilion Bird spirit remembered only that much, muttering curses incessantly at the culprit who had harmed it. Unable to find an answer despite racking his brains, Qin Sang stopped wasting his energy. Once his cultivation reached sufficient heights, the truth would naturally reveal itself. "It is good that you have awakened. There is a matter I would like to consult you on," Qin Sang shifted the topic and said. Hearing this, the young Vermilion Bird spirit immediately cast its displeasure aside. Tilting its head even higher, it looked down upon Qin Sang with an arrogant air, though its voice remained nonchalant. "Speak." Qin Sang wondered how someone with the young Vermilion Bird spirit's temperament had managed to restrain itself and lurk beside him for so long. Shaking his head, he said, "Not long ago, I encountered an issue while refining the Qilin Origin Seed, and I am uncertain how to proceed." With that, a flash appeared between his brows, and a fire lotus drifted out slowly. Flames blazed brilliantly around the Qilin Origin Seed resting in the center of the lotus. With a slight thought from Qin Sang, the Qilin Origin Seed floated gently out of the lotus core, appearing unchanged from its original state. He slowly explained the dilemma he faced. Although nearly a century had passed, he was still far from completely refining it. However, during the refinement process, Qin Sang had vaguely sensed strange fluctuations within the Qilin Origin Seed. He surmised that these fluctuations likely stemmed from what the young Vermilion Bird spirit had described: the latent consciousness of the Qilin's true spirit. It was also then that Qin Sang discovered a problem. As he continuously drew out and refined the essence qi from the origin seed, the fluctuations of the Qilin's consciousness were also weakening—and at a pace far faster than anticipated. Long before the origin seed could be fully refined, the Qilin's consciousness would be completely extinguished. What he worried about most was that the Qilin had left some contingency within the origin seed that would obliterate its consciousness outright, burying the secrets of the Qilin source forever. Qin Sang had no desire to end up with nothing after all his effort. The young Vermilion Bird spirit understood that Qin Sang's concern was justified. A divine beast like the Qilin must have possessed supreme divine abilities in life; it was only natural for it to have backup plans. No longer putting on airs, it tilted its head and fell into deep thought. After a long while, the young Vermilion Bird spirit's eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you want a divine beast as a mount?" Qin Sang was taken aback and looked toward the Qilin Origin Seed. "You mean..." "Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm!" The young Vermilion Bird spirit nodded repeatedly. "Since you're worried its consciousness will perish and take the secrets with it, just let it hatch! Leave a bit of its essence qi. When it awakens, it will definitely be very weak and incapable of making waves. I'll help you place an imprint on it as it hatches. Once hatched, it'll obediently follow your orders, and you'll be its master." A Qilin! Who wouldn't be tempted? Parading around riding atop a Qilin—what majestic splendor! It was common practice for cultivators to rear spirit beasts, which served as great boons to their strength. Qin Sang lacked spirit beasts and mounts, partly because the right opportunity had never arrived—his previous spirit beasts having departed for various reasons—and partly because raising spirit beasts, much like spirit insects, consumed vast amounts of energy and resources. Frowning, he hesitated. "What if it proves unyielding and intractable once awakened..." How could an ancient divine beast willingly submit to a mortal? Even if he could suppress such an entity while it was weak, Qin Sang had no confidence in keeping it suppressed forever. Keeping a Qilin at his side while constantly guarding against betrayal gave Qin Sang a headache just thinking about it. "This sort of Qilin Origin Seed can only seal a speck of the true spirit; it couldn't possibly carry all of its past memories, especially after being worn down by time for so long. At most, crucial secrets are engraved within. Its true memories are certainly sealed within the Qilin source. When the time comes, it will lead us to the Qilin source, and we simply won't let it merge with those memories—I have ways! Rest assured, once the Qilin awakens, it will only view you as its closest kin," the Vermilion Bird explained breezily. Qin Sang was stirred, yet scrutiny flashed in his eyes as he remarked pointedly, "I never expected you to help me so sincerely." Back during their escape, the young Vermilion Bird spirit had driven the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather heedless of the cost only because its own life was in jeopardy. The young Vermilion Bird spirit fumed, "I was dragged down by you! Everything came to naught, and my vengeance is nowhere in sight. The Qilin source is my only hope, and this is the only surefire way! Besides, you have to give me half of the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather!" "Fine!" Qin Sang agreed with a nod. Seeing him comply so readily, the young Vermilion Bird spirit was somewhat taken aback. Qin Sang smiled faintly. The young Vermilion Bird spirit had effectively saved his life, so handing over the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather was no issue, let alone merely half. As matters stood, they were grasshoppers tied to the same string; if the young Vermilion Bird spirit recovered, it could help him even more. After a brief silence, the young Vermilion Bird spirit said, "Get ready. Hatching and taming the Qilin requires utmost precision at every step and will take a long time." This meant that Qin Sang would be unable to exert his divine consciousness to the fullest for an extended period, nor could he refine any spiritual fire during this time. Still, that was no matter. The *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* was advancing at breakneck speed, so it would have little impact on his strength. Thereafter, the cave dwelling was filled with the constant chirping of the young Vermilion Bird spirit, punctuated at times by exasperated sighs, seizing every opportunity to scold him and satisfy its urge to talk down. Qin Sang did not stoop to its level. Pouring his mind into the Qilin Origin Seed at the lotus core, he altered his previous strategy, making every gesture exquisitely gentle, as though soothing an anxious soul. After a long time, firelight flared brilliantly within the cave dwelling before rapidly receding. The fire lotus swallowed the Qilin Origin Seed, returned to normal, and flew back into his purple palace. Qin Sang quietly experienced the changes for a moment, nodded to himself, retrieved his mind, and looked toward the Sun God Tree. Striking a hand seal into the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather within the divine tree, he undid a restriction. From now on, the young Vermilion Bird spirit would not need his permission to directly absorb the phoenix true fire from the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather. The young Vermilion Bird spirit yawned and hummed softly, "At least you have some conscience!" "Remember to search your memories carefully..." Midway through his sentence, Qin Sang saw the Sun God Bird's expression go dull. Shaking his head inwardly, he put away the Sun God Tree. After this brief interlude, Qin Sang resumed his meditative cultivation, and the cave dwelling returned to its former serenity. As time went on, the azure hairs across Qin Sang's body gradually shortened, eventually receding back into his flesh, restoring his body to normal. A few days later, Qin Sang harvested fresh flower dew, set aside a bottle, swallowed the rest, and resumed his seclusion. ... Day after day passed in this manner. Another three years went by. Qin Sang ventured out once. After flying out of the poison lake, he did not depart immediately, but darted swiftly among the illusions. "The secret marks are all intact..." Qin Sang murmured. These secret marks were placed ahead of the site of their previous clash; if Guifang Kingdom and the Dao Court returned and disturbed them, he would instantly detect it. Fortunately, the diocesan altar had been peaceful over the years, with virtually no visitors, allowing him to come and go unhindered. As before, he first visited the snake demon, who had already become a demon god, then called upon Real Person Zhijian and Grandmaster Qi in turn to purchase spiritual herbs, before hurriedly making his way back. Following that, he secluded himself for another year. Qin Sang suddenly awakened, roused the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and took out a Yinghua Pill to feed her. Swallowing the Yinghua Pill, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly exuded a rich floral fragrance. Her wings turned translucent as if veiled in mist, transmitting thoughts of excitement and attachment. Qin Sang smiled faintly. Once the Heavenly Eye Butterfly digested the pill, he said softly, "It's time for you to protect me." The Heavenly Eye Butterfly fluttered around Qin Sang before flying toward the entrance. This place was unknown to outsiders. Over more than thirty years, no one had trespassed into the poison lake; standing guard was practically unnecessary. What the Heavenly Eye Butterfly needed to do was keep a close watch on that aperture. Even though there had been no abnormality in the aperture for many years, Qin Sang was cautious by habit. Silence fell over the cave dwelling once more. An unknown amount of time passed before the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's wings suddenly fluttered, followed by the rumble of muffled thunder. The sound came from inside Qin Sang. Qin Sang sat cross-legged, unmoving as a mountain, yet his blood and qi surged like stormy seas, abruptly erupting. The ferocious wave of vitality swept through the cave dwelling in a flash, slamming into the warding array, which trembled violently under the impact. Essence qi circulated within him in a self-sustaining cycle. In a daze, Qin Sang seemed to see the essence qi conjure all manner of wondrous visions inside him—internal organs, flesh, and skin each appearing to form a world of their own, his vitality growing stronger with every transformation. Pushing the cultivation method to its utmost, phoenix wings snapped open, and the faint cry of a phoenix seemed to ring out as the Qingluan idol manifested once more. Though still an ethereal phantom, the Qingluan was visibly more solid than it had been decades ago, already possessing several measures of a divine beast's majestic grace. The dharma idol manifested. Qin Sang let out a muffled grunt and formed hand seals. His skin bulged as if countless dragons and serpents were slithering through his body, his bones cracking loudly, while the roars of dragons and tigers echoed from within his organs. The next instant, his aura skyrocketed! A tempest of blood and qi abruptly erupted around Qin Sang, sweeping outward. Had it not been for the spirit array's protection, the cave dwelling would have been leveled on the spot. The surging blood and qi shot straight up, passing through the Qingluan idol, a portion of it surprisingly absorbed by the phantom. No one saw this strange sight: the Qingluan idol took on a layer of blood-red hue, which then gradually faded away. The dharma idol seemed to have condensed further. Following this outburst, Qin Sang threw his head back and let out a long whistle, filled with profound joy and exhilaration. The mid-fifth transformation of the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form*. A breakthrough!