Qin Sang felt Yue Rou's emotions gradually calm down. Nodding to Yue Xing, he said, "Don't worry. Your sister touched the sword mark directly with her spiritual sense, and the killing intent lingering within it battered her mind, leaving her temporarily unable to break free. Fortunately, she wasn't injured. She'll be fine once she wakes up."
Hearing Qin Sang say this, Yue Xing barely managed to suppress the worry in her heart. Holding the still trembling Yue Rou tightly in her arms, she gazed toward the sword mark in dismay and dread.
What kind of person could have left such a perilous sword mark that even spiritual sense could not touch it?
She guarded her origin soul space closely with her spiritual sense, not daring to let a single shred of it slip out.
Qin Sang turned and looked up. As expected, there was also a rift in the domed ceiling of the cave dwelling, barely discernible to the naked eye.
One could easily imagine someone holding a sword above the cave dwelling—perhaps standing right on the surface of the water—casually swinging a sword downward into the depths. The sword qi pierced through the lake water, disregarded the illusion array and the restrictions, plunged straight through the cave dwelling, and flawlessly gouged a sword mark into the stone bed.
Presumably, Real Master Cangli had not been inside the cave dwelling at the time, luckily escaping being cleaved in two by that single strike. In the end, however, he had still been dragged out, unable to escape his grim fate.
Now, Qin Sang was certain that the one who left this sword mark had to be Senior Qingzhu!
Only someone who had practiced the cultivation method could sense just how extraordinary the residual sword qi on that mark was. The murderous intent within the sword qi and the killing talismans of the method shared the exact same origin!
Within Shaohua Mountain, as far as Qin Sang knew, Senior Qingzhu was the only person who had truly practiced the cultivation method, avoided being corrupted by the killing intent and losing his mind, managed to continue cultivating successfully, and broken through to the Golden Core stage.
This was a sword mark left behind by a Golden Core Master!
Had it not been for the fact that the sword mark had existed for so long that over ninety percent of its sword qi and killing intent had already dissipated, then with Yue Rou's cultivation, the instant her spiritual sense touched the sword mark, the killing intent would have completely shattered her soul, causing her origin soul to wither and die.
Yet what surprised and astounded Qin Sang was not merely this, but that the killing intent within this sword mark was far too pure—even purer and more extreme than the fifth killing talisman!
Qin Sang had initially thought that Senior Qingzhu had switched to cultivating another technique, but now it appeared that he had continued down the path of slaughter the entire time. Could he have found the layers after the fifth layer of the cultivation method?
Why wasn't it stored in Pagoda Peak?
Qin Sang sat down cross-legged before the stone bed and extended his spiritual sense to make contact with the sword mark.
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would not be incapable of withstanding a sword mark left behind several centuries ago. Moreover, he also practiced the cultivation method, so there was no need to fear.
Qin Sang sat as still as withered wood, utterly motionless.
Yue Xing did not dare disturb Qin Sang. She worried about Yue Rou's condition and feared that the cave dwelling they had worked so hard to find had been ruined by this sword mark, wondering whether it could still be used.
"Ugh..."
After a while, Yue Rou suddenly stirred and slowly came to. Yue Xing was overjoyed and asked in a hushed, anxious voice, "How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"My head hurts so much..."
Clutching her head, Yue Rou's eyes were somewhat dazed, not yet understanding the situation. When her gaze landed upon the stone bed, sheer terror abruptly welled up in her eyes. Shrinking violently into Yue Xing's embrace, she said in a trembling voice, "That crack... it was terrifying inside..."
"What did you see?" Yue Xing asked curiously.
"I... felt like I fell into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood..."
...
"Phew..."
Several hours passed before Qin Sang opened his eyes. After carefully sensing and comprehending the mark, his earlier speculation was confirmed: Senior Qingzhu had already reached a higher level in the Dao of slaughter. Even if he hadn't found the layers after the fifth layer of the cultivation method, he must have obtained a new secret technique of the killing Dao.
Pondering for a moment, Qin Sang summoned his ebony sword, visualized the killing talisman, and unleashed a burst of sword qi that landed squarely on the sword mark.
A faint flicker of sword light flashed and died, and the lingering sword qi on the sword mark was neutralized.
"I have wiped away the sword qi remaining on the sword mark. You need not fear it from now on."
Qin Sang took back the ebony sword. Before the Yue sisters could show their joy, he said in a solemn voice, "Shouldn't the two of you fulfill your promise now?"
Yue Xing suppressed her excitement. "We shall accompany Senior back to Wenyue Cultivation Market right away and hand over the spirit spring object to Senior."
The restriction had been broken, but the naturally formed illusion array remained intact. As long as the Yue sisters were sufficiently cautious, they did not have to worry about someone seizing the cave dwelling from them.
The three quickly returned to Wenyue Cultivation Market. After the Yue sisters confirmed the completion of their agreement, Qin Sang obtained the tree root from Granny Jing. As the witness, Granny Jing's only fee was that Qin Sang and the Yue sisters each purchase a carved item from her shop.
Qin Sang picked out a peach wood sword, hurriedly bade farewell to Granny Jing, and headed straight for Tianhen Tower.
At Tianhen Tower, he looked up records concerning that old cause célèbre. Afterward, he returned to Shaohua Mountain, sought out Senior Brother Wen and several other familiar fellow disciples to ask about the matter, and then went to Pagoda Peak to carefully comb through various records.
After returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang recalled the information he had gathered over the past few days and fell into deep contemplation.
Qin Sang was virtually certain that Senior Qingzhu was the Sword Demon.
From the time Senior Qingzhu defected from Shaohua Mountain to when the Sword Demon stormed Yuanshen Sect, more than ten years had elapsed. That so-called cause célèbre was only brought to light after the Sword Demon stormed Yuanshen Sect, as bodies were discovered one after another and confirmed to be people who had emerged from the immortal's abode.
Due to the timing, some had drawn a connection and suspected that the Sword Demon was Senior Qingzhu, but it was never verified.
During that period, Senior Qingzhu had likely been investigating in secret, hunting down and slaying his enemies one by one.
Among his senior brothers in the sect, some had indeed heard of the matter. However, Shaohua Mountain had erased traces of Senior Qingzhu, and the two great sects seemed to have deliberately suppressed the affair. With so much time having passed, no one was willing to waste time investigating it thoroughly outside; it was treated merely as a legend and a topic of idle gossip.
After storming Yuanshen Sect, the Sword Demon vanished without a trace. Some said he had been besieged and killed by Yuanshen Sect, while others claimed he had retreated unscathed and departed from the Lesser Cold Domain.
Opinions varied, but all were mere speculation.
There was, however, one piece of news regarding Senior Qingzhu. It was said that a disciple of Shaohua Mountain had once encountered Senior Qingzhu in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield and had been saved by him. But that was all, and that disciple had long since passed away.
It was unknown whether Senior Qingzhu was still alive. If he had failed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, his lifespan would have already reached its limit.
The reason Qin Sang cared so much about Senior Qingzhu was entirely for the sake of the cultivation method. Pagoda Peak held only an incomplete remnant; Senior Qingzhu might have already found the follow-up method.
If possible, Qin Sang did not want to switch to another cultivation method. This method was one of the most suitable for him; it not only helped increase his cultivation speed, but would also grant him an additional life magic treasure after breaking through to the Golden Core stage, giving him every advantage in magical combat.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Qin Sang could form a core.
To him, speaking of these things now was still far too distant, and there was no need to rush.
Once he entered the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, he could investigate at his own pace. Even if Senior Qingzhu had perished there, finding his remains or relics would suffice.
Chapter 187