Qingluan

The Heavenly Demon Dharma Idol required the fourth tier of the technique, equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage, which was still far too distant for him. Qin Sang focused on the first three tiers, carefully pondering whether he could cultivate it. He went without sleep or rest for several days on end. On this day, he suddenly left Tianxing Island. Flying far away from the island chain, he sped through the air for an entire day until he reached an uninhabited, desolate island, preparing to attempt cultivating Heavenly Demon Form Refining here. This technique drew upon the astral energy of the heavenly circuit. Qin Sang was uncertain how much of a commotion it would cause during cultivation, so he decided to test it out in the open first. He casually laid down a grand formation. Because of the nature of the technique, he needed to face the starry sky directly, so he did not even need a cave dwelling. Qin Sang sat cross-legged on a boulder, waiting for nightfall. During the day, the blazing sun filled the world with solar energy. While it could also draw upon the astral energy of the heavenly circuit, it was not an ideal time to cultivate. At this time, solar energy was at its peak—scorching and violent. One could easily suffer severe burns during cultivation, and a momentary lapse could even lead to being incinerated by the blistering sun, imperiling one's life. Only when one's cultivation reached a certain level could they withstand it. Only when the night was cool as water could one connect with the stars. The setting sun sank in the west. Twilight gathered from all directions. A thin veil seemed to drape over heaven and earth as the light gradually dimmed. Finally, utter darkness enveloped the surroundings. The moon in the sky mirrored the moon in the sea, while two rivers of stars—one above, one in the waters—sparkled across Qin Sang's vision, showering starlight all around. It was ethereal, serene, and breathtakingly beautiful. After taking in the magnificent sight, Qin Sang retrieved the bone flute, rested it across his knees, and slowly closed his eyes. “Sever stray thoughts, guard the original mind, visualize the Heavenly Demon... like a bright lamp hanging high, parting the clouds and mists to illuminate the road ahead...” Qin Sang silently recalled the scriptures as he understood them. Heavenly Demon Form Refining contained profound truths within its concise words; every sentence and phrase had to be carefully weighed and scrutinized. Fortunately, Qin Sang could be considered as hailing from an orthodox sect and possessed a solid foundation. Visualization methods were mostly found in Buddhist scriptures, something Qin Sang had never encountered before. Yet whether Buddhist, Daoist, or demonic, all shared the principles of guarding one's original mind and casting aside stray thoughts, so taking the first step was not difficult. Cool, crisp moonlight draped over Qin Sang. The bone flute lay across his knees. Qin Sang remained motionless. At this moment, even the wind seemed to have ceased, leaving the sea's surface calm and rippleless. Qin Sang seemed to have transformed into an ancient pine, taking root upon this desolate island. His mind was at work, attempting to visualize. Visualization was the most confounding part of this technique for Qin Sang. Demonic cultivators had no need to agonize over this; they only needed to stimulate their bloodline and visualize their ancestors, whose imprints were deeply embedded within their veins. Under their ancestors' guidance, they followed the Great Dao of their forebears, undergoing transformation after transformation until they ultimately became Heavenly Demons. As a human, Qin Sang did not know whom he should visualize. This was a lost world. Qin Sang did not even know the true names of Mahayana stage cultivators, let alone how to visualize them. In the end, he decided upon a target—the jade Buddha. He was unsure whether this choice was right or wrong; only by trying would he know. Within his purple mansion, a faint yellow Buddhist light covered the surface of his origin soul. The image of the broken-armed jade Buddha had long been etched into his heart. “Jade Buddha...” Qin Sang murmured silently. He raised his head, opened his eyes, and gazed up at the celestial vault. Myriad stars filled the night sky with endless mysteries. After who knew how long, Qin Sang held the image of the star-filled sky firmly in his mind. Then, closing his eyes, he envisioned starlight gathering and constellations shifting until, within the starry sky of his consciousness, the image of a golden Buddha gradually materialized. Everything was born of his intent. According to Heavenly Demon Form Refining, once this visualization succeeded, the bone flute would resonate, aiding the practitioner in taking the first step by guiding them to absorb starlight and begin tempering the body. At the same time, the bone flute was not as simple as Qin Sang had previously assumed, serving merely as a jade slip and an igniting medium. The bone flute had likely been crafted specifically by the great demon who created the technique. Holding the bone flute at all times during cultivation provided assistance. While not strictly necessary, cultivating without it would be far more difficult. Qin Sang forgot everything else, keeping only the jade Buddha in his heart as he waited for a response from the bone flute. In cultivation, time slipped away unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, three days passed. Qin Sang contemplated by day and cultivated by night, never slackening for a moment. Yet to his disappointment, not only did the bone flute give no response, but the technique showed not the slightest progress. “I have never suffered from inner demons, and from the very beginning of my cultivation, I learned how to sever stray thoughts, having long attained a state of mind as tranquil as still water. Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter is in no way inferior to Heavenly Demon Form Refining. If the requirements were truly so demanding that even my mental state couldn't cross the threshold, then those ignorant, muddle-headed demonic beasts would never be able to cultivate it in the first place...” Reviewing what had transpired over the past few days, Qin Sang pinpointed the issue. “Visualizing the jade Buddha doesn't work! In that case, I can only attempt a Heavenly Demon...” Heavenly Demons were mentioned only in passing within ancient texts. Some ancient records contained detailed descriptions of illustrious sacred beasts and great demons like dragons, phoenixes, and qilin. However, Qin Sang had never seen these great demons with his own eyes; visualizing them out of thin air made it difficult to capture their true spirit. The only one he had ever witnessed was the qingluan! Back then in the Luandao Waters, Granny Jing had summoned the qingluan wooden puppet into battle, an image deeply engraved in Qin Sang's mind. He remembered Granny Jing mentioning that she had once been fortunate enough to see the true appearance of a qingluan and personally felt its aura. Although she had not come into contact with the divine beast's true body, the wooden carving she created had captured its full spirit, making it far more vivid than any accounts in ancient books. At the time, he had been unable to spot the slightest flaw, genuinely mistaking it for a living qingluan. Visualizing a qingluan was his best option. However, the wooden carving Granny Jing crafted was ultimately not a true Heavenly Demon; whether it could trigger the bone flute remained unknown. “It's worth a try...” Qin Sang had planned ahead and anticipated this moment. During this recent period, whenever he had free time, he would recall every detail of when he saw the qingluan, letting nothing slip by. The vitality of the qingluan when he first saw it, the divine might of its azure flames when battling Yu Shanting, the tragic grandeur when it perished alongside its foe... The image of the qingluan had long been outlined in his heart, allowing the visualization to proceed smoothly. In his mind's eye, countless stars beamed their brilliant starlight from afar. There, an extraordinarily majestic qingluan roamed through the sea of stars, stretching its form freely. Azure flames clung to its feathers, making it resemble a divine bird bathed in fire. Suddenly, the bone flute in his hands stirred. As if a tremendous pull had arisen within Qin Sang's body, the qingluan soaring through the sea of stars opened its divine eyes and looked toward him. Then, spreading its wings, it came hurtling down. Whoosh! Whoosh! Fierce winds howled across the visualized starry sky, and he himself felt a sensation of suffocation. The qingluan's speed was astonishing. Before Qin Sang could react, the qingluan swooped down from the heavens. His thoughts had slipped beyond his control. In his imagination, the stars in the sky flickered, casting down slender rays of light from high above that fell upon the crown of his head alongside the qingluan, pouring into his body through the Baihui acupoint. In an instant, Qin Sang felt a cool, ethereal power enter his body, followed by an indescribable sensation of comfort. A gentle breeze swirled around him, imparting an intoxicating feeling of drifting like an immortal.