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Repeated attempts at the astral-fiend core clash had shown signs consistent with his previous experience refining the Flying Yaksha and the descriptions left in Wu Shang's writings. Although the astral-fiend core clash had not yet succeeded, Qin Sang was now certain that this secret technique was viable! The reason it kept failing was that the amount of Qingyang Divine Astral Qi was simply too small! Even if Shi Ying handed over every bit of Qingyang Divine Astral Qi she brought out each time, it still would not be enough for the astral-fiend core clash. Besides, Shi Ying did not dare enter the mountain too frequently, and Qin Sang could not afford to wait indefinitely. First, the corpse qi could not be suppressed forever. Second, Qin Sang had discovered that the fusion of astral and fiend qi was extremely unstable; he suspected that once the secret technique truly began, it could not be interrupted midway. It seemed he would have to infiltrate Divine Astral Peak in person. The restriction he had placed within Shi Ying's body would automatically unravel once he was a certain distance away from the Qingyang Demonic Sect, at which point she would wake up. For the remainder of Qin Sang's time in the Qingyang Demonic Sect, Shi Ying would remain asleep in her cave dwelling. She had no friends, and Qin Sang would seal the cave dwelling's restrictions to indicate that its occupant was in secluded cultivation, leaving no worry that anyone would discover anything amiss with her. Shi Ying lay on the bed, the gray shadow between her brows faded away, sleeping as soundly as an infant, oblivious to everything around her. With a wave of his hand, Qin Sang opened Shi Ying's mustard seed bag and retrieved the Qingfu coin, the Xutian Thunder, and the Shaoyin Magnetic Bottles. As for the rest of her belongings, he left them untouched, considering them payment to Shi Ying. Moreover, those magic tools could not be brought onto Divine Astral Peak anyway. He would need to focus entirely on completing the secret technique and would have no leeway to protect magic tools; only the Xutian Thunder, possessing the quality of a magic treasure, could withstand the chaotic primordial qi atop Divine Astral Peak. Crack! Exerting a gentle force, Qin Sang crushed the Qingfu coin. The Qingfu coin shattered at his touch, followed by a sudden flash of light. It began to flow like liquid, transforming into a droplet of insect blood in Qin Sang's palm, above which hovered the phantom of a Qingfu larva. The phantom let out a barely audible hiss, and with a soft pop, shattered completely along with the coin itself, turning into flecks of stardust that dispersed into the void. By now, Yunyouzi was already in possession of the Qingfu mother coin and had entered Wuya Valley. Qin Sang was signaling Yunyouzi that it was time to act. The disciples of the Qingyang Demonic Sect almost all cultivated the Qingyang Demonic Fire technique. Unlike Shi Ying and other low-level disciples, Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed a degree of resistance against the peak's chaotic primordial qi. Powerful cultivators would choose to cultivate directly atop Divine Astral Peak so they could absorb Qingyang Divine Astral Qi at any time. In particular, the False Core experts of the Qingyang Demonic Sect could stay on Divine Astral Peak indefinitely without being affected. At present, there were quite a few experts stationed on Divine Astral Peak. Qin Sang wanted Yunyouzi to stir up some chaos—the bigger the disturbance, the better. It would be ideal if he could lure the sect's late Foundation Establishment and False Core experts away to Wuya Valley. That way, he could slip into the mountain amidst the turmoil, minimizing the chances of his presence being discovered. As for that elusive Core Formation expert, Qin Sang did not expect to lure him away. Yunyouzi had been right: anyone who could cultivate to the Core Formation stage was a wily old fox. With many of the sect's experts away right now and the sect's defenses hollow, this person would not easily leave the sect grounds. If they pushed too far and aroused his suspicion, it would only backfire. Qin Sang trusted Yunyouzi to handle things with discretion. He had already prepared himself to steal the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi right under the nose of a Core Formation cultivator. This demanded that he execute the secret technique with absolute precision, without a single mistake, progressing steadily and without haste. Having crushed the Qingfu coin, all that remained was to await the news. Qin Sang tucked the Xutian Thunder and the Shaoyin Magnetic Bottles into his robes, glanced back at the slumbering Shi Ying, and activated her soul imprint within his origin soul to open the restriction at the cave mouth. Concealing his form, he slipped out of the cave dwelling, restored the restriction, and turned to gaze out over the sprawling inner sect of the Qingyang Demonic Sect. Among the mountain ranges, figures of Qingyang Demonic Sect disciples could occasionally be seen flying on magic tools, most of them Qi Refinement disciples traveling between Divine Astral Peak and their cave dwellings. Qin Sang had a unique breath-concealing technique. Within the Qingyang Demonic Sect, he feared only that Core Formation expert; as for the other False Core cultivators, he was confident he could evade their senses. Unless he had terribly rotten luck, there was virtually no chance of being discovered. With a light tap of his foot, Qin Sang melted into the dark crevices among the rocks and silently departed the cliff, descending all the way into the forest at the foot of the mountain before quietly making his way through the woods. Curiously, he was not heading toward Divine Astral Peak, but in the opposite direction, dashing toward the outer perimeter of the inner sect. After traversing more than a dozen great mountains, Qin Sang emerged along the bank of a river valley. Towering ancient trees flanked both sides of the river valley. Concealing himself beneath the shadow of a tree, Qin Sang looked up toward the end of the valley. At the valley's exit, two perched boulders jutted out from the mountains on either side, standing on the left and right like door gods. At this moment, an old man in gray robes sat cross-legged atop the perched boulder on the left. White-haired and doddering with age, he surprisingly possessed a cultivation at late Foundation Establishment. This man was one of the stewards of the Qingyang Demonic Sect. Advanced in years and with little hope of advancing his cultivation, he stayed in the sect to handle administrative affairs; his current duty was to coordinate his guard squads on patrols throughout the sect. Anyone entering or leaving the Qingyang Demonic Sect's inner sect first had to undergo interrogation by this elder or the patrol squads. Every so often, a squad of patrolling disciples would fly in from the horizon, saluting the elder from a distance before departing. Qin Sang checked the time, glanced at the elder sitting still as a withered pine, and then slipped into the woods to find a secluded hiding spot. Perfectly concealed in the shadows, he waited patiently. A day and night quickly passed. Aside from disciples entering the inner sect and the squads patrolling back and forth, nothing unusual occurred. Qin Sang bided his time and waited another full day. It was still the same. Early in the morning on the third day. A chilly morning wind blew through the mountain forest, stirring Qin Sang from his meditation. Seeing everything as normal as ever in the Qingyang Demonic Sect, Qin Sang frowned inwardly. If this dragged on too long, he risked being unable to suppress the corpse qi. If an accident occurred on Yunyouzi's end, he would have to take the risk of heading straight into Divine Astral Peak. "I can still spare four days..." Using his inner vision, Qin Sang sensed the condition of his physical body, calculating the absolute limit of his time. If the Qingyang Demonic Sect's experts could not be drawn away, he would probably be forced to hide in some corner at the foot of the mountain to surreptitiously absorb the Qingyang Divine Astral Qi—though he had no idea whether the astral qi at the base was pure enough. Just as Qin Sang was quietly deliberating, an urgent whistling sound of something tearing through the air came from the end of the river valley. Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. He sprang to his feet, silently ghosting out from the shadows to peer toward the river valley, where he saw a streak of fiery light hurtling forward at extreme speed. "Halt! Who goes there?!" The old man atop the perched boulder snapped his eyes open, a brilliant glint flaring in his gaze as he barked fiercely. "Senior Brother Chai, it's me!" The escape light swept before the old man in an instant. The fire dispersed to reveal a square-faced middle-aged man, his face painted with sheer panic.