Astral Platform

All that remained was some miscellaneous junk. Qin Sang stared at the cluttered ground before his gaze finally settled on the stone platform. It was the only item here that could draw his attention. Though it appeared thoroughly dilapidated, it exuded an unusual aura—plainly an ancient relic. Could this be what Black Snake Mountain had gone through such great pains to steal? The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had been watching closely the entire time; the black-robed man could not possibly have transferred it to someone else unless he had failed to obtain it. Out of caution, Qin Sang first picked up the other items one by one, probing them with his divine consciousness and true essence to confirm they were merely ordinary things, until only the stone platform remained. He lifted the platform in his palm and channeled true essence into it, which the stone fully absorbed. The stone platform was like a bottomless pit, taking in all that came. As he steadily poured true essence into it, a faint shimmer lit up on the platform, illuminating Qin Sang's astonished face. "This is the power of the celestial stars…" Qin Sang looked thoroughly surprised. "This thing can actually connect to the stars on its own!" Then, suddenly realizing something, his eyes flashed. He abruptly increased the output of his true essence, pouring an endless stream into the platform. Yet the faint glow merely brightened a fraction, and the stone platform's body underwent no other changes, though the power of the celestial stars grew steadily richer. *Clack!* With his true essence nearly spent, Qin Sang ceased the flow and set the platform on the ground. He gazed at it, his face filled with pleasant surprise. Perhaps this object could resolve the biggest trouble he currently faced. Next, Qin Sang didn't even bother resting. Leaving no corner unexamined, he inspected it closely countless times. Later, he even tested it by attacking the stone platform with Daoist arts and magic treasures, but to no avail. He found no runes within the stone. It seemed to be nothing more than pure rock, showing no abnormalities other than its ability to resonate with the celestial stars. Having exhausted his repertoire of methods, Qin Sang had no choice but to stop, lost in thought. "The Landou Sect kept this stone platform in the subterranean cavern of Dongming Island. Either it was too important and moving it would trigger a cataclysmic explosion like yesterday's, or they were simply unaware of its true value and merely treated it as a supplementary aid for practicing the *Thunder Command Art*. "On the other hand, the Old Ancestor of Black Snake Mountain dispatched all his disciples, so he certainly knew its secrets. His elaborate scheming to obtain this stone platform could never be as simple as it looks on the surface. "Could it be some kind of ancient Witch Clan treasure that refuses to respond to a human? "It seems the Witch Clan possessed similar secret arts as well! In the primordial era, not only was spiritual energy exceptionally dense and heavenly materials and earthly treasures everywhere for the taking, but extraordinary talents also emerged in endless succession, giving rise to countless peerless figures across every clan. How could it compare to today, where cultivation realms everywhere are trapped in tiny corners like cages?" Qin Sang shook his head and looked down at the stone platform. He then summoned the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, but after various attempts, there was still no result. Beyond their natal insect gu and bloodline, Witch Clan cultivators possessed one thing humans did not: divine glyphs. "If only Yagu were awake to give it a try…" Qin Sang murmured to himself. Suddenly reminded of Yagu, he couldn't help but sigh, the joy of discovering the platform's utility dampened somewhat. "I'll find another chance in the future. In any case, the Dao of Witch Clan divine glyphs has virtually vanished, so any low-level Witch Clan cultivator I grab will do. To other human cultivators, unless they cultivate astral power, this platform isn't worth much, but to me, it's of immense value. From now on, I'll call it the Astral Platform!" Qin Sang reined in his thoughts, his eyes glittering with excitement. He had discovered that the more true essence he poured into it, the richer the power of the celestial stars it drew down became. As long as the true essence was abundant enough, it might just meet the requirements for the astral essence infusion. "With myself, the two-headed hou, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and the fat silkworm, that makes four beings equivalent to Core Formation cultivators. If we all act together, we should barely be able to meet the requirement. It's a pity the Flying Yaksha was lost in the Hall of Seven Kills. Still, if it really doesn't work, I can just find a way to refine a few more Flying Yakshas—soul-attracting grass is easier to find than Scorpion Poison Grass anyway…" Qin Sang weighed his options. After all, this was only needed to break through the third layer of the *Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis*; the requirements shouldn't be excessively harsh. The stone platform was tied to momentous matters. First came the Old Ancestor of Black Snake Mountain, and now the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Landou Sect surely knew its value as well. Any leak would bring fatal disaster, so asking outsiders for help was out of the question. Fortunately, during his journey of cultivation, he had picked up a wide variety of unorthodox arts, allowing him to assemble so many helpers entirely on his own. "To think that the solution I failed to find in cultivation methods was found in a piece of stone instead." Qin Sang examined the Astral Platform closely, finding even the mottled scars across its surface far more pleasing to the eye. The corners of his lips curved slightly into an involuntary smile. From this point forward, there were no more obstacles to his cultivation. A great weight finally fell from Qin Sang's mind. He quickly regained his composure, however, and pondered his current circumstances. "This is no place to linger. I should hurry and meditate to recover, then find a secluded place to lie low. "Now that I have a direction to solve the astral essence infusion, there is no need to run all over the place. "With both the Landou Sect and Black Snake Mountain eyeing me, major cities like Tianxing City are strictly off-limits. I must choose a remote or chaotic place where it isn't easy to be exposed. It also needs to be a small island rich in spiritual energy that isn't occupied by any sect. "In the Demon Sea, such a place wouldn't be hard to find. "In the Inner Sea, almost all the spots with superior spirit veins already have masters. Seizing one by force would only expose me faster. That leaves only the North Sea's Rain Desert and the Liefeng Archipelago as the most suitable choices. "The Rain Desert lies at the northernmost edge of the North Sea, far too distant, and the journey would take a long time. Moreover, it is utterly desolate. If I ran into trouble along the way and needed to purchase spiritual materials or spirit herbs, or find someone for help, it would be extremely difficult. It seems the Liefeng Archipelago is the only viable option. "The Liefeng Archipelago is extraordinarily chaotic, with slaughter everywhere, and neither the righteous nor demonic factions can extend their reach there. "If no one offends me, I will not offend them. With my strength, claiming a foothold won't be difficult. After a few decades, once the storm blows over, I can come back out into the open. "Besides, Senior Qingzhu's cave dwelling is also located there; perhaps I can uncover things I never knew before." Thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and he swiftly settled on his destination. At the same time, Qin Sang sighed with emotion. Senior Qingzhu must have found himself in a similar predicament back then, forcing him to flee to the Liefeng Archipelago and live incognito for two hundred years. Through a bizarre stroke of fate, he had ended up treading a path akin to Senior Qingzhu's. Two people who had never met had somehow become intertwined in countless ways. Qin Sang put away the stone platform, consigned the rest of the worthless junk to flames, and destroyed the two mustard seed bags. Then, taking out spirit stones, he circulated his cultivation technique and entered deep meditation to regulate his breath. Two hours later, Qin Sang's condition had returned to its peak. Beneath the moonlight, he embarked on his westward journey. Along the way, he and the two-headed hou pressed on day and night, taking turns traveling. Apart from cultivating the *Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis*, he dedicated his full efforts to improving his external incarnation. By the time he reached the waters where the Liefeng Archipelago lay, his *Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis* had stepped into the late second layer, significantly enhancing his physical body's strength once more. His external incarnation had also successfully broken through to the mid Foundation Establishment stage, with Core Formation just around the corner.