After waiting a short while, the female cultivator returned with the spirit herbs Qin Sang required, along with a piece of good news.
"South of Pingbo Port lies a place called Black Gold Mountain. Rumor has it that deep within the mountain range is a rift valley where earth fiend qi gathers. However, Black Gold Mountain is extremely chaotic and perilous. Senior must by no means let down your guard..."
Handing the spirit herbs and a detailed topographical map to Qin Sang, the female cultivator offered her well-meaning warning.
Qin Sang took the map and found that Black Gold Mountain was not very far from Pingbo Port, sitting essentially on the outer fringes of the port's sphere of influence. Traveling at full tilt, he could reach it in seven or eight days.
A round trip, along with the time needed for corpse refining, would not make him miss the departure date of the Qiongyu Guild.
Black Gold Mountain spanned a vast territory and was an ownerless wilderness. Though a few Witch Clan factions surrounded it, none possessed formidable strength. So long as he remained vigilant, he would not have to worry about being besieged.
"Many thanks for your trouble, Fellow Daoist."
Qin Sang carefully put away the topographical map and inspected the spirit herbs.
A moment later, he noticed that while she had brought quite a number of herbs, not a single one of the highest-value items on his list—including soul-attracting grass—was among them.
*Have spirit herbs in the Canglang Ocean truly become this scarce? A guild this massive can offer magic treasures, yet cannot produce even one stalk of soul-attracting grass?*
Qin Sang muttered internally, then said with displeasure, "Does Fellow Daoist fear this poor Daoist cannot afford the spirit stones? The absence of Ten Thousand Generations Camphor is understandable enough, but you do not even have a single stalk of soul-attracting grass?"
Sensing the faint anger in Qin Sang's tone, the female cultivator started and hastily explained.
"Senior, please hear this junior out.
"In the Canglang Sea, the rarest spirit herbs are precisely those that aid cultivation, and soul-attracting grass happens to assist demonic cultivators in their practice. Years beyond count ago, all the soul-attracting grass in the outside world was thoroughly swept up by demonic factions.
"Not only does our guild have none, but even if Senior were to visit the top guilds under the Eastern Pole Alliance, you would still need sheer luck to come across a single stalk.
"Although pills that assist cultivation can now be refined from demon beasts, their efficacy pales before that of herbs nurtured by heaven and earth, which also come without latent troubles. To this day, demonic sects still spare no effort in gathering such herbs, and the top guilds are bound to them by countless ties. Whenever such a spirit herb is discovered, it is bought up before word can even leak out..."
Hearing this, Qin Sang inwardly frowned, feeling the situation grow thorny.
Demon cores were not so rare in the Canglang Ocean. Given sufficient soul-attracting grass, he would be able to refine several more Flying Yakshas. Though constraints on his spiritual sense prevented him from commanding too many Flying Yakshas at once against an enemy, they still made excellent cannon fodder in times of danger.
Without soul-attracting grass, there would be no Heavenly Corpse Talismans, making it impossible to refine living corpses.
Without living corpses, there could be no Flying Yakshas.
Although this did not hinder him from refining baleful corpses, at his current stage of cultivation, even a baleful corpse refined from a False Core stage cultivator was far from adequate, lacking the qualification to serve even as cannon fodder.
To make matters worse, he possessed only the first half of the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art.
*Until I find new soul-attracting grass, I must be frugal with the three Heavenly Corpse Talismans on hand. I need to keep at least one as a reserve,*
Qin Sang told himself.
What had happened with Yagu made him realize that a Heavenly Corpse Talisman could at least preserve a sliver of hope. If such a calamity ever arose again, he would not be left utterly helpless, watching a companion or relative die before his eyes.
The female cultivator stole a glance at Qin Sang and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his expression soften slightly.
She secretly wondered whether his urgent search for soul-attracting grass meant he was a demonic cultivator.
Word had it that soul-attracting grass was most effective for Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators, but she could not tell whether this man was procuring it for a junior or practicing some demonic technique that required it.
Apart from soul-attracting grass, the most troublesome item was a spirit herb known as the six-petaled butterfly violet.
In the recipe for nurturing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, it was needed in small amounts, yet was the single most vital ingredient.
Qin Sang had managed to purchase most of the required herbs from the Four Seas Guild. Without the six-petaled butterfly violet, however, the recipe's efficacy would be greatly diminished, stalling the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's growth.
Fortunately, after inquiring with the female cultivator, Qin Sang learned that the six-petaled butterfly violet was unlike cultivation-assisting herbs such as soul-attracting grass. Factions did not fiercely contest it, so with a diligent search, it could still be found.
After paying his spirit stones, Qin Sang left the Four Seas Guild. He did not rush to the Qiongyu Guild, but instead found an ordinary inn and rented a small courtyard.
Sealing the defensive restrictions, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the floor, turned his palm over, and took out a fiend demon pill.
The fiend demon pill bore the five colors of the five elements, yet because it had been refined from demon beasts, any fiend demon pill was overlaid with a faint crimson hue. Opening the jade vial, a foul, reeking stench assaulted his nostrils, far more revolting than that of a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Enduring the stench, Qin Sang poured it out to observe it for a moment, then tilted his head back and swallowed it.
This was a fiend demon pill of the lowest grade, laden with heavy fiend demon qi, which suited his purposes perfectly.
Upon entering his body, the fiend demon pill transformed into an extremely violent medicinal power that rampaged wildly toward his dantian. Unfortunately for it, the spiritual power within Qin Sang had already transformed into true essence, exceptionally dense and firm; the pill's medicinal power failed to shake it in the slightest, stirring only the faintest ripples.
Qin Sang focused his attention on his purple palace. An ethereal yet intensely ferocious malevolent aura surged toward his origin soul the instant the pill entered his body, with ferocity that even his cultivation could not halt.
No wonder so many cultivators of the Canglang Sea suffered deeply from fiend demon qi.
Just as expected, right before it could touch his origin soul, the fiend demon qi was instantly repelled by the Buddha light. It hovered in the purple palace before reluctantly retreating, accumulating within his physical body.
Perhaps mixed with the dying resentment of the demon beast, the fiend demon qi proved exceedingly stubborn, brimming with venomous malice and baleful fury.
Qin Sang tested it and found that so long as it did not invade his origin soul, purging the fiend demon qi from his flesh was not difficult and would not cause significant harm.
Now, a faint trace of demon qi lingered on Qin Sang's person, which could serve to mislead any opponent's eyes.
...
The storefront of the Qiongyu Guild was similarly unassuming. Qin Sang sat idle in the main hall for a short while before a female cultivator of comparable cultivation—likewise in the early Core Formation stage—hurried inside.
Though high in cultivation, she differed from other female cultivators who prized their appearance; her features and attire were plain and unremarkable. Yet between every gesture and movement, she carried the distinct demeanor belonging to a high-ranking cultivator, making her impossible to overlook.
"Forgive me for keeping you waiting, Fellow Daoist. This one is Ran Luo. May I ask your esteemed surname?"
Facing a cultivator of equal cultivation who also held high status within the guild, Qin Sang naturally did not slight her. He rose and clasped his hands. "This poor Daoist is Qingfeng. Pardon the intrusion, Fellow Daoist Ran."
Ran Luo smiled faintly and discreetly sized up Qin Sang without asking him to remove his cloak. Maintaining an unruffled expression, she said, "It was merely a minor incident aboard the ship. That Daoist Master Qingfeng has graced us with his presence is more than I could hope for. With so many eyes and ears here, why do we not head upstairs to a quiet room to speak at length?"
"I would not dare refuse!"
After giving a few instructions, Ran Luo led Qin Sang upstairs.
"Are you the grand manager of your esteemed guild, Fellow Daoist Ran?" Qin Sang asked curiously.
Ran Luo shook her head. "What virtue or ability do I possess to presume to usurp the post of grand manager? The grand manager dispatched by the guild to Pingbo Port this time is Elder Zou. At present, Elder Zou is not in Pingbo Port, as he is paying a visit to the Houtu Sect. I can make decisions regarding certain guild affairs myself, but if Daoist Master Qingfeng insists on seeing Elder Zou, you will likely have to wait half a month."
Chapter 666