The window of opportunity was fleeting; he could delay no longer!
Qin Sang withdrew the protective grand formation and darted out of the cave abode.
Glancing back at the cave abode where he had stayed for merely a month, Qin Sang waved his sleeve to erase all traces of his presence, parted the waves, and flew straight toward the surface.
It was broad daylight. The water was serene and calm. As far as the eye could see, only scattered, desolate islets dotted the expanse, with not a soul in sight.
Revealing his figure midair, on a sudden impulse and with a subtle stir of his mind, the ebony sword flew out from his origin soul.
The exceptionally pure wood spirit sword embryo floated before him, appearing all the more mesmerizing under the sunlight.
The ebony sword trembled slightly, releasing a faint hum of sword resonance, seemingly brimming with joy.
"Go!"
Qin Sang flicked a casual finger.
The ebony sword blazed with light and vanished in a flash.
Qin Sang then barked softly, "Return!"
The ebony sword wheeled back and hovered steadily before him. By then, its aura had transformed completely, carrying earth-shattering killing intent.
Qin Sang gazed at his life spirit sword. Across the pristine sword embryo, four killing talismans were neatly aligned, each of them fully complete.
The moment he broke through to the False Core stage, the fourth killing talisman had been engraved to completion.
He could sense that the killing talismans granted him immense benefits, particularly in his cultivation.
Had he not been constrained by the Core Formation bottleneck, his cultivation unable to advance further, the four killing talismans together would have allowed his cultivation speed to firmly surpass that of three-spiritual-root cultivators!
From now on, his spiritual root would no longer be the greatest shackle limiting his cultivation.
Such "talent" was by no means low in the cultivation world.
Although he did not know whether the killing talismans would undergo further changes once the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter reached the Core Formation stage, Qin Sang was already well pleased.
However, after engraving the fourth talisman, he had encountered a dilemma.
Originally, upon finishing each killing talisman, stepping into the next realm had been a matter of course. Ever since entering Foundation Establishment, Qin Sang had never known what a bottleneck felt like.
Perhaps comprehending the killing talismans and his life spirit sword was the bottleneck of the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter.
Yet even though Qin Sang already possessed a life spirit sword on the level of a magic treasure, this time it was still not enough. For the fifth killing talisman, he could not even inscribe a single stroke. Facing the fifth layer of the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter, Qin Sang was utterly at a loss, without a clue how to proceed.
Qin Sang understood in his heart that he would likely have to rely on his own strength to cross this threshold.
After all, ordinary advancements across minor realms bore no comparison to a major realm breakthrough that completely transformed body and soul.
Fortunately, he had not pinned all his hopes on the cultivation method alone.
Qin Sang extended a hand and stroked the ebony sword gently. The sword reined in its killing intent and turned utterly docile.
A soothing chill flowed through his fingertips, and from the ebony sword came a sense of intimacy akin to flesh-and-blood kinship.
Having cultivated to the False Core stage, not only had his cultivation and spiritual sense undergone an all-around elevation, but Qin Sang also clearly felt that his mastery over the ebony sword had climbed to another level.
Previously, Qin Sang had tried several times to employ the Sword Qi Thunderclap divine ability while merging man and sword to perform the sword evasion technique, but all had ended in failure precisely due to insufficient mastery.
Now, it should be possible!
Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. He formed a sword incantation with his fingers, and the ebony sword let out a crisp hum.
Sword light wrapped around his body!
Qin Sang's figure vanished as man and spirit sword fused into one.
The ebony sword erupted with a dazzling radiance rivaling the blazing sun, then suddenly transformed into a startling rainbow streak, shooting toward the Luandao Waters at breakneck speed.
Under the clear sky.
A brilliant beam of sword light pierced the firmament and soared toward the horizon, startling the swimming fish in the water to dive into the depths.
Suddenly, a crash of thunder sounded in the broad daylight.
Amid the rumbling thunder, the sword light's speed surged explosively.
Though it was a cloudless, sunlit day stretching for myriad li, a thick bolt of lightning manifested out of nowhere, slicing across the horizon in an instant.
Rumble...
As the thunder pealed, a deep dragon's roar suddenly joined it.
Though muffled, the dragon's roar was distinct amid the thunderclaps, laden with the mighty pressure of a great demon.
The moment the dragon's roar echoed, all living creatures beneath the waves plunged into terror, throwing the underwater world into immediate chaos. Meanwhile, the sword light in the air—already soaring at the absolute limit of its speed—actually surged another notch higher!
The dragon's roar was exceedingly brief, dissipating almost as soon as it arose, fading away alongside the thunder.
The sword light decelerated sharply, finally coming to a halt above a secluded, silent stretch of water.
Qin Sang withdrew his sword and stood upright, excitement shining in his eyes. After breaking through to the False Core stage, he had indeed succeeded in applying the Sword Qi Thunderclap divine ability to his evasion technique.
Compared to other cultivators of the False Core stage, they would only be left eating his dust.
His current cultivation was still insufficient, preventing him from bringing the magic treasure and divine ability to their utmost potential. He believed that once he successfully achieved Core Formation, his sword evasion technique would firmly surpass that of any cultivator in the same realm, perhaps even holding its own against mid Core Formation cultivators!
What thrilled Qin Sang even more was that the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman truly lived up to its name as a true-inheritance secret talisman of the Shangyuan Qingjing Palace; it could likewise be activated while executing his divine ability, and to great effect.
Qin Sang could not help thinking of that flood dragon in Wuya Valley. With his current strength, he had no fear whatsoever of a great demon at the peak of the Demon Spirit stage. It was time to retrieve that flood dragon's spirit soul!
With Sword Qi Thunderclap combined with the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman, his flight speed would not fall short of an early Core Formation expert.
This was the source of Qin Sang's confidence.
Even if something went awry with Daoist Jiupao, escaping would not be difficult. Moreover, he still had the Xutian Thunder, and...
Qin Sang's eyes flashed. Stowing the ebony sword, he rode the clouds and returned to the Luandao Waters.
Slipping quietly into the grand formation, Qin Sang did not go to see Senior Brother Rong and the others, heading straight for Mist Island instead.
Half a day later, Qin Sang emerged from Mist Island, his expression somewhat somber.
He had inquired and discovered that Ji Wu had not shown up during the major clash several days ago; he had already left the Luandao Waters!
It was possible that Ji Wu had taken a different route.
It was also possible that Ji Wu did not know the secret method of the Heart-Devouring Insect gu.
Ji Wu was not a remnant of the Kuiyin Sect; he had been taken under Daoist Jiupao's wing later on.
When the Kuiyin Sect was destroyed, the remaining insect gu had perished alongside Yi Tiannie. Without the carcasses of the Heart-Devouring Insects, this secret method was virtually useless—a waste of effort. It was only natural that Daoist Jiupao had not passed it on to Ji Wu.
Qin Sang had already anticipated this possibility.
He did not linger long on Mist Island. After meeting with Manager Bao, who wished to purchase living corpses, he once again departed the True Water Thousand Phantasms Formation.
...
Dichen Cave.
Nearly a hundred years had passed; people and affairs had shifted with time, yet the baleful qi remained unchanged.
Qin Sang no longer feared the yin chill of Dichen Cave. Navigating the gaps in the restrictions with practiced ease, his figure quietly arrived before the cave abode within Dichen Cave.
Inside, a disciple was in bitter cultivation. He had prepared numerous magic tools to warm his body, but the yin chill here was not easily dispelled. Even so, he persisted.
It was right here that Qin Sang had turned the tables and slain Sun De, obtaining the first magic treasure of his life, which later proved crucial in turning the tables and killing Yu Hua.
Every bite and sip, predetermined by fate.
Qin Sang cast a brief glance, then continued descending, finally passing through the layer of yin baleful qi to arrive on the stone platform bordering the earth fiend qi.
He laid down a concealing restriction.
Qin Sang opened his corpse puppet pouch. First, those baleful corpses of late Foundation Establishment flew out, taking up defensive watch around the perimeter.
Next, Qin Sang gingerly retrieved two "corpses"—their breath still faintly lingering, yet their consciousnesses wiped away—and laid them out before him.
Yu Hua and the gold-armored cultivator.
Chapter 482