Before that, Qin Sang still intended to attempt a forceful breakthrough to the late stage of the third transformation of the Heavenly Demon Form Refining with the help of the Tyrant Blood Fruit.
Inside the perilous Hall of Seven Kills, every bit of added strength meant another chance at survival.
In a quiet chamber within his cave dwelling, Qin Sang sat cross-legged atop the star platform, steadying his condition. Beside him lay a jade box containing the Tyrant Blood Fruit. With his current physical strength, he was far less afraid of the fruit's violent medicinal power.
When breaking through the third layer earlier, Qin Sang had consumed the Green Overgrowth Root and the Tyrant Blood Fruit in quick succession to force the breakthrough.
Back then, his physical body had not been strong enough, and forcefully refining all the leftover medicinal power would have risked tearing his body apart. Unable to endure most of it, he had been forced to activate the Heavenly Demon Transformation and channel the excess into his phoenix wings.
Even so, refining the remaining medicinal power had benefited him immensely; otherwise, he would never have broken through so quickly.
Taking a Tyrant Blood Fruit now would still noticeably temper his body, even if the breakthrough failed.
Before long, Qin Sang reached his peak condition.
Eyes shut, he opened his mouth wide and swallowed a Tyrant Blood Fruit whole.
The medicinal power dissolved in his stomach. Already experienced in dealing with it, Qin Sang's expression twisted slightly, but his body remained motionless as he endured the first wave of impact, methodically channeling and sorting the power.
Raging like a tidal bore, the medicinal force rampaged through his body. Qin Sang's face paled and a low grunt escaped his lips, but he did not manifest the phoenix wings. Instead, he gritted his teeth against the agony, determined to let his flesh and blood refine the fruit's full potency.
His skin turned translucent as crystal, offering a clear view of his churning flesh and blood within.
Qin Sang felt as though his body was being torn apart. A wave of itching and stabbing pain reached deep into his marrow—torment an ordinary person could never endure. Sweat poured off him like thick broth, carrying a bizarre odor.
More impurities seemed to be purged, though the effect was far less pronounced than when breaking through a realm.
Wave after wave of medicinal surges crashed through him, and Qin Sang endured them all through sheer force of will.
He exhaled a long breath, finding himself drenched in sweat. Slowly clenching his fist, he felt a clear improvement in his physical body, though a breakthrough was still some distance away.
After all, he had not been cultivating this art for very long.
Qin Sang used his inner vision to inspect his state, muttering to himself, "Most of the medicinal power is lying dormant in my body. I must thoroughly refine it before taking another Tyrant Blood Fruit. Unlike the Green Overgrowth Root, taking two of these fruits together risks collapsing my body, which would force me to channel the excess into my phoenix wings again—a waste of the fruit. There is no need for me to keep strengthening the phoenix wings to boost my speed right now. Besides, the physical body must be tempered step-by-step to lay a solid foundation; relying entirely on spirit medicine will only invite hidden dangers."
With that thought, Qin Sang cleared his mind, circulated his cultivation art, and began refining the remaining medicinal power.
Several months later.
A figure flew out of the cave dwelling and vanished into the azure Demon Sea after a few flickers.
Carrying the Heavenly Corpse Coffin on his back, Qin Sang flew toward Dahuang Island.
His incarnation was currently sealed inside the coffin. After refining the blood pearl, its cultivation had reached the peak of the Core Formation stage.
The hidden peril of this shortcut method also revealed itself completely at this moment.
The gap in cultivation between Qin Sang and the incarnation was too vast. The lingering power of the jade Buddha within the sword soul, combined with the secret art of the Origin-Seeding Demonic Embryo, could no longer fully suppress the demonic soul of the external incarnation.
Unable to dissolve the slaughterous demonic will, the external incarnation had become a genuine demon. If released, the very first person it would target was Qin Sang.
Only by activating the Heavenly Demon Transformation could Qin Sang forcefully suppress the backlash and command the external incarnation in battle.
At ordinary times, he could only seal it in slumber inside the Heavenly Corpse Coffin.
A dozen days later, Qin Sang withdrew his escape light, touched down on Dahuang Island, and took the teleportation formation back to the Inner Sea.
He had agreed to meet Old Zou on Tianxing Island before the opening of the Hall of Seven Kills, though he wondered whether the old man had the patience to wait for him until now.
Upon returning to Tianxing City, Qin Sang headed straight for the Qiongyu Guild shop.
"Daoist Qingfeng, you're finally here! You always come and go without a trace, vanished for years without a word. I almost thought..."
Old Zou hurried into the shop, his eyes darting around. Spotting Qin Sang, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Did you think this poor Daoist had perished, Old Zou?"
Qin Sang's lips curved into a faint smile as he teased back, before turning serious. "I've been preparing for the Hall of Seven Kills and was delayed by a few days. Fortunately, I didn't miss our time. Have you settled on moving together with the fellow Daoists from the East Polar Alliance?"
Old Zou nodded. "Indeed. I moved a bit late, and the jade talismans out there were long since carved up. Even when one appeared, it fetched an exorbitant price. Just like you last time, Daoist, I must carry out a task for the Business Alliance first. Fortunately, two of the fellow Daoists traveling with me have some past acquaintance with me and can watch my back."
Hearing Old Zou's explanation, Qin Sang nodded and pressed no further, having no desire to be dragged into the friction among merchant alliances.
Pausing slightly, Old Zou continued, "Over these past years, I've run all over gathering information and ultimately confirmed three places I must visit. I have some confidence regarding the first two, but the last secret ground is said to hide ancient restrictions and is fraught with perils; I'll need help. I have already persuaded two fellow Daoists to lend a hand when the time comes. If you manage to secure your desired treasure early, Daoist, you might as well join us there. Once inside, we can split all the treasures equally, save for the single spirit herb I need."
With that, Old Zou produced a map and pointed it out to Qin Sang.
The map was exceedingly detailed, marking several secret grounds Qin Sang had never even heard of. It was clear how much effort Old Zou had poured into this expedition.
His lifespan was nearing its end; this was his final gamble.
"Flower Immortal Lake?"
Qin Sang looked at the spot Old Zou indicated, surprise crossing his face. It was the entrance to Flower Immortal Lake—the very place where he and Madam Liu had ambushed Cui Ji.
Sensing the strange tone in Qin Sang's voice, Old Zou asked, "Have you been there, Daoist?"
Sweeping his gaze over Old Zou from beneath his cloak, Qin Sang shook his head. "I only passed by and did not dare venture inside. Old Zou, you aren't actually planning to enter Flower Immortal Lake, are you? That is one of the three great toxic grounds of the Hall of Seven Kills..."
"Rest assured, Daoist," Old Zou chuckled, cutting Qin Sang off. "We will only operate in the outermost perimeter of Flower Immortal Lake. The toxins there are not as virulent as in the depths, and with our cultivation, we can hold out for a while. Besides, I have prepared some detoxification pills, which will be enough to sustain us until we leave. Take this token, Daoist. If you crush it at the entrance, I will sense it."
"Since you have thought everything through, Old Zou, I will consider coming if I manage to resolve my own matters smoothly."
Qin Sang took the token.
At the same time, he weighed the prospect in his mind. Even without Old Zou's invitation, he had wanted to visit Flower Immortal Lake if an opportunity arose to see if he could use the fat silkworm's abilities to reap some benefit.
If he could help Old Zou along the way, Qin Sang was more than willing.
He was quite familiar with Old Zou and knew his character well. If he could truly aid him in forming a Nascent Soul, he would gain a powerful ally.
Naturally, Qin Sang understood very well that reaching the Nascent Soul stage was far from easy.
Chapter 926