Trial

The emergence of this sword ray had to be tied to the cultivation method itself; it concerned secrets and held profound meaning. Nurturing the sword with the origin soul. The sword and the soul blending as one. Unfortunately, what they had obtained was an incomplete fragment with no follow-up. Qingzhu had named this sword ray the "sword soul" because it genuinely integrated with his own soul. Strangely, he himself could not feel anything unusual at all, nor was this sword ray any more powerful than the others. Outsiders could not perceive any difference whatsoever. Qingzhu believed that if he could fully comprehend the sword soul, he might catch a glimpse of the art's greatest mystery, but he had failed. After obtaining *Origin-Seeding Demonic Embryo*, inspiration struck Qingzhu. He studied this demonic art and used the sword soul to devise a similar secret art, attempting to nurture a demon seed with the sword soul. In the end, he actually succeeded. Moreover, thanks to the sword soul, the demon seed was extremely stable. There was no need to harm others; one only had to find the fresh corpse of a low-tier cultivator to nurture the primordial embryo and refine an external incarnation. Even so, the hidden hazards of an external incarnation remained. Qin Sang had long heard of external incarnation arts from demonic sects, and all of them were exceptionally sinister and hazardous. He had never imagined Senior Qingzhu could blaze a new trail through a demonic technique. The ebony sword shuddered, separating out a sword ray. The sword soul left him perplexed. He summoned the sword ray before him and stared at it for a long while, yet he could not perceive the exact difference Senior Qingzhu had spoken of. Nor could he fathom what purpose the sword soul served. Ever since reaching Core Formation, he had merely used it as a surprise trump card. This was everything recorded in the jade slip. The location of the teleportation formation and the Nascent Soul portion of the technique—the things Qin Sang wanted most—were entirely absent. "Senior Qingzhu successfully teleported here back then, took the alias 'Master of Spirit Tortoise Island,' and ventured in and out of the Hall of Seven Kills... With his cultivation, he must have uncovered far more than I have..." Qin Sang rallied his spirits, deciding that after leaving this place, he must investigate Spirit Tortoise Island. Perhaps Senior Qingzhu was still alive. Qin Sang put away the jade slip. He was in no mood to study *Origin-Seeding Demonic Embryo* right now. Bowing respectfully toward the spot where the jade slip had rested, he stood up and looked into the depths of the corridor. Hope flared anew in his chest. Senior Qingzhu guiding later generations here might carry another layer of meaning. Could something be hidden at the end of the corridor? Qin Sang glanced around and found nothing unusual inside. Remembering the various puppets he had encountered on the lower floors, he prudently raised the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner and summoned the two-headed hou. This was the seventh floor. If any puppets appeared, their strength would be formidable; he had little confidence of an easy victory. Once prepared, Qin Sang summoned a baleful corpse and stepped into the corridor. After walking merely a rod forward, a sudden change occurred, just as expected. A dazzling light abruptly flared inside the corridor. A massive cluster of azure light had gathered at the ceiling at an unknown moment, hurtling down toward him without explanation. Though intangible, the azure light packed terrifying might, descending like a collapsing mountain. The baleful corpse ahead evaporated instantly, and Qin Sang's expression changed drastically. Yet right at that moment, the azure light seemed to sense something and abruptly dissolved in silence, leaving behind only several streaks that shot toward Qin Sang with a whoosh. The sphere of light had appeared in a flash, only to vanish just as suddenly. Qin Sang was baffled, but seeing those streaks of azure light darting straight for him, he dared not let them touch him. He spun around to retreat and study the situation at leisure. Immediately after, shock gripped his heart. It was no small fright—Qin Sang discovered with dread that his retreat had been cut off! Nothing was behind him, yet an inexplicable barrier had formed. No matter how much force he exerted, he could not budge it in the slightest. The next instant, the azure light struck. The streaks of azure light did not harm Qin Sang. Instead, they darted straight for the magic treasures on his person, sweeping in effortlessly. Neither the Jinyao Lock nor the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner was spared. Then Qin Sang found his connection to the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner severed. Looking down, the moment the azure light grazed the demonic banner in his hand, the Nine Nether Demonic Fire was forced straight back into it. The Jinyao Lock also fell to the ground with a clang, bouncing a few times. The two-headed hou let out a whimper and vanished into thin air, and the Primordial Concentric Rings dropped to the floor as well. Still shaken, Qin Sang stared dumbly at it all. Realizing the azure light had caused him no physical harm, he finally let out a long breath of relief and hurriedly scooped up his magic treasures to inspect them. Checking himself, he found the magic treasures were not destroyed, only sealed by a peculiar restriction. The two-headed hou was snoring soundly inside the concentric rings, and even the fat silkworm and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had inexplicably fallen into deep slumber. *Wait, what about the ebony sword...?* Qin Sang's mind stirred, and he summoned the ebony sword. A sword glint swept across, and the ebony sword swam about with nimble agility, entirely unimpeded. *The ebony sword is my life spirit sword, and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly is my natal insect gu. By all logic, my bond with both should be equally close, yet only the butterfly is restricted...* Lost in thought, Qin Sang recalled the ebony sword and surveyed his surroundings. The azure light had vanished, and the corridor looked no different, yet Qin Sang knew this place had changed. The barrier behind him remained. Drawing near it brought a soft repulsive force, preventing him from stepping back. Just then, the green bricks nearby suddenly lit up, and two phantoms leaped out from within. "Here they come!" Qin Sang's eyes flashed. To his surprise, what sprang out were not puppets, but two sword-wielding "men"! The pair looked identical, their expressions wooden, each clasping a sword with both hands like swordsmen devoted entirely to the blade. Whether in appearance or bearing, they closely resembled living humans, distinct from the grotesque puppets of the lower floors. Upon appearing, the two phantom sword cultivators clasped their swords in a salute toward Qin Sang. Then, without a word, they drew their blades and thrust forward. *A trial! The Sword Path!* The two phrases surfaced in Qin Sang's mind, and he grasped the general intent behind this arrangement. Any cultivator who entered the corridor had all external assistance sealed by restrictions. They could rely only on the single sword in their hand, one man and one blade, to defeat every swordsman emerging from the walls. Advance without retreat; press forward with unyielding resolve! This was the true Sword Path, aligned with the Dao of the sword, and clearly prepared specifically for cultivators practicing the *Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter*. Recalling the terrifying might of that light sphere, any other cultivator would likely have been pulverized into mincemeat. From this alone, it was certain that the *Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter* originated from the Hall of Seven Kills! Cultivators relied heavily on external power. With magic treasures sealed, their combat strength would inevitably plummet. Qin Sang knew his own limits. Although he cultivated a killing Dao sword art, he had always treated the technique as a vehicle to advance his cultivation realm. Compared to cultivators who dedicated their entire lives to the blade, he could hardly be considered a true sword cultivator. Nor did his attainments in the sword match those of genuine geniuses of the sword, as he had yet to master sword light differentiation. His ability to consistently overpower peers in the same realm had depended on his magic treasures. Now, relying solely on an ebony sword, how far could he walk here? How formidable would the swordsmen at the end of the corridor be? Qin Sang had no time to ponder these questions, for the two figures had already struck. *Swish! Swish!* The pair vanished, leaving only dazzling sword radiance filling his vision. Two sword beams crossed in a ferocious, razor-sharp pincer attack. Qin Sang narrowed his eyes against the stinging glare and reached out, fingers curling into an open grip. In the blink of an eye, the ebony sword transformed into a three-foot azure blade, settling firmly into Qin Sang's palm.