Forbidden Ground

On the surface of the demon seed origin soul nurtured by the sword soul, faint ripples of yellow light flickered—remnants of the jade Buddha's power. As the yin and yang qi slipped into the purple mansion, it paused briefly before drifting over to the origin soul, slowly swimming around it in plain sight. "It really works!" The incarnation opened his eyes, his expression shifting slightly. Ever since reading through the incantation, he had sensed that the Yin-Yang Armor was no ordinary technique, and listening to the Daoist boy's exposition had brought further clarity. Given his breadth of experience, drawing connections and deducing advanced applications from such a foundational incantation was hardly difficult. With only a brief attempt, he had successfully brought the Yin-Yang Armor into his purple mansion without it dispersing. This proved that the Yin-Yang Armor was not merely an outer armor, but could also serve as a mantle protecting the origin soul. His true body possessed the jade Buddha and had no urgent need for techniques that shielded the origin soul or fended off spiritual attacks; no armor, however formidable, could compare to the jade Buddha. Moreover, he suspected that the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art was incomplete. A cultivation method patched together by later generations could never develop the subsequent variations of the Yin-Yang Armor, making it impossible to unleash its true might. Even so, having the armor around the origin soul could conceal the golden radiance of the jade Buddha, providing an extra layer of cover. Although even a Nascent Soul Patriarch would not dare let their Nascent Soul leave the physical body lightly, meaning the risk of the jade Buddha being exposed was minuscule, nothing in the cultivation world was absolute. As his cultivation advanced, the opponents he faced possessed ever more formidable and bizarre means, and their knowledge grew broader as well. Being able to obscure the jade Buddha's existence was always advantageous. That treasure was his greatest secret. If someone with keen eyes caught sight of it, calamity would surely follow. Once his true body cultivated a layer of Yin-Yang Armor to drape over the origin soul, the golden light would be shielded from view. The ripples of golden radiance released by the jade Buddha were far too distinct to be hidden by ordinary means; only a wondrous armor formed of yin and yang qi could conceal it completely. Compared to the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art itself, this most rudimentary incantation had brought him even greater delight. The incarnation reined in his joy, stood up, and walked out of the stone chamber. Standing outside, Gao Yi peered in and asked in confusion, "Junior Brother Zhang, you finished refining the circular pendants long ago—why didn't you call me?" "I was worried about interrupting your important affairs, Senior Brother. Cultivating here was just the same, so I refrained from disturbing you," the incarnation replied candidly. "What important affairs could I possibly have? Come, I'll take you to your cave dwelling right now." Gao Yi chuckled, finding the incarnation considerably more agreeable. The two left the stone hall together and urged their magic tools into the air, flying toward the mountain where the cave dwellings were situated. Whenever they encountered fellow disciples along the way, Gao Yi made sure to introduce him. Gao Yi had just turned thirty, but having spent his years studying artifact crafting by Jin Yan's side, his temperament was straightforward and unpretentious. After a few subtle compliments from the incarnation, he already considered him a kindred spirit and took great care in arranging his cave dwelling. By the time all the trivial matters were settled, night had already fallen. The incarnation's cave dwelling sat near the mountain peak, commanding an exceptional view. He looked up at the bright moon and scattering of stars, then swept his gaze over Landou Sect. A faint smile touched his lips, and he turned to shut the door. Over the next few days, the incarnation settled peacefully into Landou Sect, condensing the Yin-Yang Armor while doing his best to make acquaintances. Finding an opportunity, he slipped out of the sect to meet with his true body. Along with delivering news, he passed the incantation for the Yin-Yang Armor to him. *** Outside Landou Sect. Qin Sang found a desolate mountain, carved out a stone cave, sat cross-legged within, and formed hand seals. With his level of cultivation, mastering such an incantation was effortless. In less than two hours, two clusters of qi—one black and one white—had coalesced beside him. At that moment, Qin Sang opened his eyes, swept his gaze over them, and barked softly, "Condense!" *Puff!* The yin and yang qi collided violently, yet the resulting shockwave was utterly suppressed by Qin Sang. The two plumes of qi blended together, seemingly devouring each other. Before long, a grey suit of armor materialized over Qin Sang with a soft swish. It appeared entirely ordinary, save for a taiji yin-yang emblem on the chest that rotated gently, just like Old Daoist Huayang's Yin-Yang Plate. "Retract!" With another low command from Qin Sang, the Yin-Yang Armor sank into his body. Simultaneously, a layer of Yin-Yang Armor manifested over the origin soul in his purple mansion. The faint yellow radiance previously radiating from the surface of his origin soul, cast by the jade Buddha, was now completely veiled by the armor. "This armor's power is modest, offering limited utility in battles between high-stage cultivators, but it is more than sufficient to conceal the jade Buddha. A small harvest after all." Qin Sang murmured to himself. After refining it a bit further, he devoted no more energy to it. "Even true-legacy disciples of the Yin-Yang branch have no idea Douniu Peak exists. It seems quite a few secrets lie hidden there. I'll let the incarnation continue investigating while I proceed with my plan to establish contact with fellow Core Formation cultivators." Having weighed his thoughts and reached a decision, Qin Sang slipped away quietly, heading straight for the Landou Sect cultivation market. *** Inside Landou Sect. All the disciples in the stone hall had gathered in the largest stone chamber, where Martial Uncle Jin Yan sat on the raised platform, lecturing in a measured voice. Today was the quarterly sermon. The disciples were consulting Jin Yan on matters of cultivation and artifact crafting, which served as a reward for their days of hard labor. The incarnation sat among them. Though Jin Yan appeared rough-hewn, he possessed an even temper, answering the disciples' questions with untiring patience. After the solemn lecture concluded, the atmosphere gradually relaxed. The incarnation was pondering something when he suddenly sensed an odd presence. Turning his head, he saw a stocky, round-faced youth glare at him before raising a hand. Seeing this, the incarnation's expression shifted slightly, and he chuckled inward. "Xiong Biao, what other question do you have?" Jin Yan called on him. Xiong Biao stood up and said, "Martial Uncle Jin, aside from our Five Elements branch and the Yin-Yang branch, does our sect have any other true legacies?" Jin Yan frowned and scolded, "What kind of question is that! How does that benefit your cultivation?" "I made a wager with Junior Brother Zhang! Junior Brother Zhang insisted that our sect has another true-legacy lineage called Douniu Peak. None of us have ever heard of it, so he must be tricking me!" Xiong Biao said with an aggrieved look. "Douniu Peak!" Jin Yan's expression changed slightly, his gaze sharpening as it locked onto the incarnation. "Who told you about Douniu Peak?!" At the sight, the incarnation thought to himself that Jin Yan indeed knew something. This man had reached late Foundation Establishment and was a master of artifact crafting. Able to occupy the stone hall alone, his standing in Landou Sect was clearly quite high, so he undoubtedly knew far more secrets than the Daoist boy. Intending to pry information from Jin Yan, the incarnation had singled out this simpleminded youth and deliberately provoked him with a wager. Sure enough, he had taken the bait. With thoughts turning rapidly, the incarnation rose to his feet with an air of fearful deference. "When this disciple was at Yanmiao Pavilion, I heard Grandmaster Huayang mention that Douniu Peak was one of the true legacies. After joining the sect, I couldn't find Douniu Peak anywhere, which was why I asked Senior Brother Xiong..." The matter of Old Daoist Huayang snatching him away from Yanmiao Pavilion had already spread throughout Landou Sect, so Jin Yan naturally knew all about it. "Martial Uncle Huayang..." Jin Yan's expression softened slightly. After a moment of silence, he said, "Whether it was a true legacy or not, even this old man cannot say for sure. However, that place has long since become forbidden ground, so it is only natural that none of you have heard of it... From this day forward, no one is permitted to mention the words 'Douniu Peak' again. Otherwise, do not blame me for showing no mercy!" With a cold snort, Jin Yan swept his sleeves and strode away.