Reincarnation

The astral qi in the lower layers was mottled and impure, but it was easy to refine, making it more suitable for disciples of lower cultivation to absorb. Ultimately, Qin Sang's gaze settled upon the phantom figure atop the mountain—a towering silhouette like a god of fire—and he stared at it for a long time. "So this is the Ancestral Holy Fire they speak of..." Qin Sang murmured to himself, his face filled with shock. The flames of that god of fire rose higher than the highest heavens, seeming poised to burn straight through the sky! Although he had long heard of how frenzied and terrifying the Ancestral Holy Fire atop Divine Astral Peak was, now that he was finally seeing it with his own eyes, Qin Sang was still thoroughly shaken. He had thought that the Nine Nether Demonic Fire inside the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner was not only bizarre but also immensely powerful, yet compared to the aura radiated by the Ancestral Holy Fire, it was truly insignificant by comparison. Qin Sang had once sensed the aura released during the battle between Nascent Soul cultivators in Wuya Valley; comparing that to the Ancestral Holy Fire now, it actually seemed somewhat inferior. As for just how wide the gap between the two was, Qin Sang could not say for sure. For one thing, both instances had been from a great distance, so his perception was unclear. For another, both kinds of power exceeded Qin Sang's comprehension; he lacked the ability to probe their true depths. He could only vaguely sense that the Ancestral Holy Fire was extraordinarily terrifying, and exceptionally violent! Rumor had it that the Ancestral Holy Fire had not existed originally, but was connected to the founding patriarch of the Qingyang Demonic Sect—the senior who had discovered the Qingyang astral essence and established the sect on this mountain. Precisely because of this, it was given the name Ancestral Holy Fire. Qin Sang watched the Ancestral Holy Fire for a while before looking past Divine Astral Peak toward the farther reaches. Not far behind Divine Astral Peak lay the forbidden grounds of the Qingyang Demonic Sect. There, clouds hung like a vast canopy blanketing the land, clearly sealed off by a grand formation. Within lay the sect's vital treasury and the cave dwellings of past masters. This grand formation was no ordinary array; it was even more enigmatic than the sect's mountain-protecting formation. Peculiarly, however, this array did not encompass Divine Astral Peak, which was the most critical location for the Qingyang Demonic Sect. Could it have something to do with the Ancestral Holy Fire? Qin Sang narrowed his eyes slightly. The Ancestral Holy Fire was so turbulent that if the cloud canopy covered it and the Qingyang Demonic Sect lacked a means to suppress it, the fire could easily destroy the grand formation. Qin Sang suddenly wondered: back when the two Nascent Soul cultivators invaded the Qingyang Demonic Sect and then abruptly withdrew, keeping strictly tight-lipped about the course of that great battle, could it have been related to the Ancestral Holy Fire? If the Qingyang Demonic Sect had been driven into a corner and detonated the Ancestral Holy Fire, even figures as formidable as Nascent Soul cultivators would find it hard to escape unscathed, wouldn't they? Of the Qingyang Demonic Sect's four Golden Core cultivators, only one should remain in the sect now, but he had no idea where that cultivator's cave dwelling was. Qin Sang looked at the forbidden grounds, then back at Divine Astral Peak. He had been unable to discover where that Golden Core cultivator usually cultivated, so he would have to act with extreme caution in the future. After two full shichen had passed and Qin Sang had thoroughly observed most of the Qingyang Demonic Sect's inner sect, he suddenly caught sight of a figure piercing through the azure mist on Divine Astral Peak. It was Shi Ying. Qin Sang swiftly restored the restrictions and lay back down inside the black coffin. Whoosh! Shi Ying flashed into the cave dwelling. Hurriedly sealing the restrictions, she sat down cross-legged beside the corpse coffin. An unmistakable weariness showed on her face; it seemed the recent trip to Divine Astral Peak had drained a great deal of her energy. After regulating her breath for a brief moment, Shi Ying gathered her spirits, held out both hands, and placed them flat in front of her dantian. Immediately afterward, spiritual power swirled in her palms. Strangely, a cyan light shone within her spiritual power, tinting the interior of the cave dwelling in cyan as well. Whoosh! Suddenly, a tiny seed fire appeared amid the spiritual power. It rapidly devoured the spiritual power and swelled with alarming speed, quickly transforming into a ball of cyan fire. This was the Qingyang Demonic Fire! Unlike ordinary flames, the Qingyang Demonic Fire possessed no scorching heat; instead, it emitted a cool, tepid breath. It appeared harmless to humans and beasts alike, but in reality, it was exceedingly vicious and insidious—a sight that struck terror into outside cultivators. When facing an enemy from the Qingyang Demonic Sect, one had to beware not only of their magic tools, but also remain vigilant against the Qingyang Demonic Fire at all times, making sure never to let it touch them. Fortunately, manipulating the Qingyang Demonic Fire placed a massive drain on a Qingyang Demonic Sect cultivator, making prolonged use impossible. In particular, disciples below the tenth level of the Qi Refinement stage could only use the demonic fire to sustain their cultivation, lacking the ability to wield it against foes. In Shi Ying's hands, this ball of Qingyang Demonic Fire was exceptionally docile, flickering quietly. Yet Shi Ying's gaze was somewhat tense. Her eyes were wide as she stared into the depths of the Qingyang Demonic Fire. Looking closely, one would notice that deep within the heart of the demonic fire, there was a strand of cyan light, thin as a hair, yet far more concentrated than the surrounding flames. Like a swimming fish, this cyan light darted continuously within the core of the fire. It tried to break out, but was held firmly contained inside the Qingyang Demonic Fire. Summoning the demonic fire had turned Shi Ying's face slightly pale. Her usual cultivation involved absorbing a trace of Qingyang Divine Astral Qi on Divine Astral Peak, refining it into her demonic fire, and then returning to her cave dwelling to temper it slowly. Only after thoroughly refining the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi would she return to Divine Astral Peak, repeating the cycle. This was her first time attempting to bring Qingyang Divine Astral Qi down from the mountain. The Qingyang Demonic Fire originated from the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi; the two shared the same source. After several attempts, Shi Ying had successfully sealed a trace of the astral qi. She had not expected the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi to be so unstable, however. On her first try, before she could even leave the mountain, it had dissipated completely. To keep this wisp of Qingyang Divine Astral Qi from dispersing, Shi Ying had gathered and dispersed it again and again. It took her over a shichen of practice before she became proficient enough to successfully bring a strand out. "Congeal!" Shi Ying stared at the heart of the flame and let out a low cry. The demonic fire flared, pressing inward. The strand of Qingyang Divine Astral Qi shuddered violently before compressing from both ends toward the middle, ultimately turning into a tiny droplet, lush green like congealed dew. Having stabilized the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi, Shi Ying waved her sleeve, throwing open the black coffin, and ordered the refined corpse to sit cross-legged in front of her. The next step was to attempt the astral-fiend core clash. The secret art in the jade slip detailed the process of the astral-fiend core clash. It sounded very plausible and explicitly stated that as long as one suppressed the three sacred substances through the power of the refined corpse and acted with sufficient care and precision, there would be no danger. Yet drums were still beating in Shi Ying's heart. She was no novice newly arrived in the cultivation world. Even if she had not personally experienced certain things, she had heard of them. Qiantian astral qi, earth fiend qi, and a golden core—every single one of them was far beyond her ability to control. If anything went awry, she would barely be able to keep her life. When she left the cave dwelling earlier, she had also taken the opportunity to check the sect's records, but found no mention of the "Ancient Corpse Sect" described in the jade slip. When she subtly inquired with the martial uncle guarding the archives, he had never heard of it either. Therefore, Shi Ying decided to suppress her urgency and take things one step at a time, testing whether the secret art in the jade slip was feasible before deciding whether to stake everything on a single gamble. With a thought, a stream separated from the Qingyang Demonic Fire, shaping itself into a fiery blade. It probed into the core of the flame and gingerly sliced off an even more minuscule wisp of the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi. Enveloped in demonic fire, the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi drifted slowly toward the refined corpse. At the same time, Shi Ying divided her attention to manipulate the refined corpse, preparing to receive the impact of the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi. At that moment, Shi Ying felt that the refined corpse responded even more smoothly than before. It was as docile as could be, aligning perfectly with her intent, which bolstered her confidence considerably. "Brother Corpse, you must succeed! Once my great vengeance is avenged, I swear I will grant you your freedom and find a way to let your soul rest in peace, so that you may enter reincarnation."