Yunyouzi took the Mist-Enveloping Grass and examined it for a moment. Gathering what little spiritual power remained in his body, he used his palm as a cauldron and his spiritual power as flame to directly refine the grass.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, the emerald-green spirit grass transformed into a single drop of green spirit liquid.
A rich fragrance instantly filled the cave abode.
Seeing that even in this state, Yunyouzi could still refine spirit herbs so steadily without losing the slightest bit of medicinal potency, Qin Sang was secretly impressed. He made up his mind that once Yunyouzi recovered, he would have him refine the Xuanwen Heyun Pill.
There was no need to seek out a Core Formation cultivator.
When Qin Sang brought the matter up with Shangguan Lifeng again, the man insisted his contribution had been negligible and refused the spirit herbs outright, taking only two of Ge Yuan's magic tools, neither of which was worth much.
With some hesitation, Shangguan Lifeng said, "Daoist, this humble one has an impertinent request. Earlier, when slaying Luo Xingnan, I saw you wield a spirit sword. The killing intent within the sword qi was exceptionally pure, and combined with the great array, it even stunned Luo Xingnan for an instant. That killing intent is truly unique, unlike anything I have ever seen. Might I ask if Daoist could offer some guidance?"
Hearing this unexpected request from Shangguan Lifeng, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
Shangguan Lifeng had seen correctly. Back then, Luo Xingnan's origin soul had been burned by the Yin soul silk, leaving his spiritual sense in chaos. Coupled with the eruption of killing intent from the killing talisman, it had indeed frozen Luo Xingnan for that brief moment.
It was precisely by seizing that fleeting opportunity that they had managed to cut Luo Xingnan down.
Shangguan Lifeng was interested in the killing intent of the killing talisman—could it be that the path he walked was also the killing Dao?
Then Qin Sang recalled when he had first met Shangguan Lifeng in Xihuang Town. His first impression of Shangguan Lifeng had been that of a saber master thoroughly versed in blade arts.
Both the man and his blade were sharp, aggressive, and brimming with unhidden edge.
Seeing Qin Sang inquire, Shangguan Lifeng did not hide anything. He answered frankly, "After my master was murdered, I was stirred by the emotions within me until only hatred and killing intent remained. Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise; I sensed an opportunity to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck. Later, there was no turning back on this path. I collected many related ancient manuals and cultivation methods, integrating killing intent into my saber techniques to some minor success, and decided to continue down this road.
"The killing intent carried in Daoist's sword qi is the purest I have ever seen in my life. If Daoist could offer even a little guidance, it would mean more to me than a thousand-year spirit herb. I would gladly offer the Spirit Jasper Tree to you as well."
So that was it.
Qin Sang, however, slowly shook his head.
He did not want Shangguan Lifeng's Spirit Jasper Tree. With a slightly embarrassed expression, he said, "To be frank with you, Fellow Daoist Shangguan, my aptitude is merely mediocre. The killing intent revealed in my sword qi is inherent to the cultivation method itself. Though I have cultivated diligently, I have only grasped the barest surface of it. I fear I cannot explain the principles behind it."
The killing intent came from the killing talisman of the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter.
Qin Sang was not lying. Although he treated cultivation methods as tools to advance his cultivation, he had indeed studied them earnestly. Whether due to limitations in talent or an issue with the path he chose, he had never comprehended much that was truly his own, remaining trapped within the boundaries defined by the technique.
Originally, Qin Sang had harbored the ambition of deducing the missing latter half of the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter on his own after reaching Core Formation, but reality had ruthlessly shattered that dream.
Shangguan Lifeng lowered his head, his face full of disappointment.
"However..."
Qin Sang shifted his tone. "If Fellow Daoist trusts this poor Daoist, there is another way."
Shangguan Lifeng jerked his head up, eyes lighting up brightly as he pressed urgently, "Please speak, Daoist!"
Qin Sang said somewhat hesitantly, "I can stimulate sword qi and allow you to perceive the killing intent yourself. However, you will need to touch the sword qi with your spiritual sense in full concentration. That way..."
That way, it was equivalent to Shangguan Lifeng leaving himself completely defenseless before Qin Sang. Should Qin Sang harbor any evil intent, he could easily claim Shangguan Lifeng's life.
To Qin Sang's surprise, Shangguan Lifeng agreed without the slightest hesitation. "Thank you for granting my wish, Daoist!"
"Have you thought this through?"
Qin Sang asked again with a solemn expression and received Shangguan Lifeng's firm confirmation.
Then, the two rose to their feet and stood facing each other, separated by a distance of about one zhang.
Shangguan Lifeng laid down his long saber and even withdrew all his spiritual power back into his sea of qi. Standing there completely defenseless, he extended his spiritual sense and murmured, "Daoist, please begin!"
Qin Sang gave a slight nod. A flash appeared at the center of his brow, and the ebony sword shot forth, sweeping before Shangguan Lifeng in the blink of an eye. The killing talisman on the blade was suddenly activated, unleashing boundless killing intent.
It was merely allowing Shangguan Lifeng to comprehend the killing intent released by the killing talisman—a simple gesture that cost Qin Sang nothing.
The sword qi came into contact with Shangguan Lifeng's spiritual sense.
Under Qin Sang's restraint, the sword qi did not harm Shangguan Lifeng.
However, exposing one's bare spiritual sense to the killing talisman was an extremely dangerous act. Shangguan Lifeng's face instantly went deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.
Seeing that Shangguan Lifeng was on the verge of collapsing, Qin Sang recalled the ebony sword; otherwise, it would likely leave irreversible damage on him.
Shangguan Lifeng cupped his hands, immediately sat down cross-legged, and after recovering, repeated the process. This continued several times.
By the time Shangguan Lifeng finished his contemplation, Yunyouzi had also swallowed the spirit liquid of the Mist-Enveloping Grass, refined a portion of it, and awoken from his meditation, opening his eyes.
A thousand-year spirit herb was truly extraordinary. Only a short time had passed, yet Yunyouzi's complexion looked much healthier, and his sea of qi had partially recovered—at least enough for him to travel on his own without issue.
"I've refined roughly thirty percent of its medicinal power, and the results are even better than I imagined. The potency of a thousand-year spirit herb is ferocious, so there's no need to rush. The remaining power can be refined slowly later. This place is not safe to linger in; we should quickly return to a secure location," Yunyouzi let out a long breath, rose to his feet, and said.
The three took a wide detour, avoiding Xihuang Town, and returned to the outer zone.
Shangguan Lifeng bid them farewell, deciding to return to his cave abode for secluded cultivation.
Qin Sang and Yunyouzi watched him depart into the distance.
"This young man possesses fine aptitude, and what is rarer still is his excellent character and sense of gratitude. If you were to keep him by your side, Brother Qin, he would make a fine helper," Yunyouzi remarked mildly.
Qin Sang offered no comment.
Dharma is not passed to six ears—secrets should not be shared carelessly.
He harbored far too many secrets. Allowing Shangguan Lifeng to know of the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner had only been possible because he operated under the false identity of Daoist Qingfeng.
It was better that they simply parted ways and forgot each other in the wider world.
"Senior, let us be on our way."
Qin Sang turned and departed, walking shoulder to shoulder with Yunyouzi across the vast, endless yellow sands as they returned to Xuanlu Pass.
The Taiyi Dan Sect had its own cave abodes, and Yunyouzi selected one not far from Qin Sang's, intending to begin refining the Xuanwen Heyun Pill as soon as he fully recovered.
Meanwhile, Yunyouzi instructed the steward of the Taiyi Elixir Pavilion to gather the auxiliary ingredients. These auxiliary herbs were far less valuable than the primary ingredient and not difficult to find; Qin Sang would only need to pay spirit stones without expending any further effort.
The escaping light touched down in front of his cave abode. Qin Sang inspected the restrictions on the entrance, confirmed that they had not been disturbed, and pushed the door open to step inside.
Chapter 308