"Do you think so too, Daoist Bai?"
Qin Sang's eyes narrowed. Bai's thoughts actually coincided with his own.
Ever since entering the cultivation world, especially after arriving in the Boundless Ocean, Qin Sang's horizons had broadened far beyond what they once were.
After obtaining the Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis, the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art, and the Thunder Command Art, he had realized that these top-tier ancient cultivation methods and secret arts were without exception incomplete.
When later generations obtained them, they could only patch them up or do everything possible to resolve hidden flaws before they could cultivate them.
The Heavenly Yin Corpse Art was unique and differed greatly from other corpse refining arts.
Refining living corpses was only one aspect.
By drawing upon earth fiend qi and simply gathering various spiritual materials, one could refine a corpse of formidable power without spending vast amounts of time and energy.
Yet in other corpse refining arts, the step of nurturing the corpse was indispensable.
If Qin Sang had obtained that kind of corpse refining art, with his abysmal aptitude, focusing solely on cultivation left him short on time, so he would never have had the energy to distract himself with the corpse dao.
The origin of this bizarre secret art was certainly extraordinary—it might not be inferior to the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter and the like.
After exchanging insights with numerous fellow corpse dao cultivators, Qin Sang had surmised that the ancestral founder of the Heavenly Corpse Sect might have obtained some ancient secret art and incorporated it into corpse refining arts, thereby creating the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art.
Or perhaps the secret art itself was peculiar from the start, encompassing both the corpse dao and other Great Daos.
Bai's thinking coincided with Qin Sang's.
"From which sect did you obtain the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art, Daoist Qin? If we can examine the records and texts of that sect, we might uncover some clues," Bai asked next.
Qin Sang hesitated for a moment before saying, "To tell you the truth, the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art did not come from the Boundless Ocean. I obtained it by chance in another place. The sect was called the Heavenly Corpse Sect and had declined and vanished many years ago. Some fellow Daoists and I stumbled into the ruins of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, but aside from the Heavenly Corpse Token, we saw no other records. If we wish to uncover the origins of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, I would have to return there first, and whether anything can be found remains another question entirely..."
"I see..." Bai lowered his head, lost in thought.
"Do you have a way to temporarily suppress the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, Daoist Bai?" Qin Sang pressed.
Bai looked up, glanced at Yagu, and said, "Are you worried about her? All you need to do comes down to two things: preserving the vitality of her physical body, and ensuring her consciousness is not lost. The vitality within her body is exceptionally rich, suppressing the corpse qi to the bare minimum. Only some supreme-grade medicinal pill could achieve this, right? Were it not for the fact that my own body can no longer be salvaged through external aid, I would have asked you for one as well."
Qin Sang looked at Bai.
Aside from the portion reserved for the Nine Illusions Heavenly Orchid, the remaining Three Lights Jade Liquid could only serve as a spiritual medicine to recover true essence.
Although he hadn't used it during the previous perilous encounters, that didn't mean the Three Lights Jade Liquid wasn't important.
After executing the Thunder Sacrificial Art, his true essence would be practically depleted, and consuming the Three Lights Jade Liquid would allow him to rapidly recover his combat power. This was his greatest trump card at present.
Of course, if Bai had been willing to part with more Soul-Nurturing Wood in exchange for Three Lights Jade Liquid, it wouldn't have been out of the question either.
"Nurtured by this vitality, this woman's physical body will remain unharmed. As for her origin soul, you already possess the Soul-Nurturing Wood, so what is there to worry about? You only need to carve a wooden plaque and have her wear it. A solution can always be found in the future," Bai said indifferently.
Qin Sang was lost in thought; it seemed he could only take his time to plan.
After a brief silence, Bai sighed softly. "Without obtaining the complete secret art, I can only find another way to resolve this dilemma. If we truly cannot undo the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, I ask that you take me along to search for the Heavenly Corpse Sect. Helping me is also helping yourself. What do you think?"
Qin Sang's heart stirred. "You mean..."
Bai nodded. "In my body of a refined corpse, it would likely be difficult to integrate into the mortal world. Furthermore, I know nothing of the outside realm. Temporarily remaining by your side to find ways to recover my strength while familiarizing myself with the current world is not a bad choice. However, we would need to establish another vow."
Qin Sang smiled faintly. "You had this planned all along, didn't you? What a clever scheme. Back in the ghost land, you even tried to use this request as a bargaining chip."
"I simply didn't expect you to be so shrewd, forcing me to part with the Soul-Nurturing Wood before you would relent," Bai retorted. Then his tone shifted. "Since you spared no expense to save this woman, it seems you are not someone utterly vile and evil. Otherwise, I would never have entertained this thought again. We must state our terms upfront: while accompanying you, I will take action at my discretion when encountering danger to help you weather crises together. However, if you actively wade into danger or ask me to lure enemies away, I must decline. In addition, you must promise to search for the Heavenly Corpse Sect as soon as possible..."
Qin Sang gave an "Mm" and said, "There is no need to rush me, Daoist Bai. In fact, I wish to return even more than you do. What I intend to do next is precisely related to this matter."
With Bai willing to stay by his side, Qin Sang naturally welcomed it.
Bai's strength was secondary; his mysterious origins and lost memories were what Qin Sang valued most.
"That is good!" Bai's expression relaxed. "I will enter the corpse puppet bag to cultivate in seclusion first. You had best think carefully about how to leave the Hall of Seven Kills safely..."
"Wait," Qin Sang stopped Bai's movement, asking in surprise, "Do you not plan to walk around the Hall of Seven Kills? It might jog your memories. There must be a reason why you and so many departed souls were trapped here. In life, you might have had deep ties to the Hall of Seven Kills."
Bai looked around and said, "It is plain to see that the Hall of Seven Kills is not peaceful; danger lurks everywhere. My strength has yet to recover, so wandering around might prove perilous. As long as you do not seal the corpse puppet bag, I can actually perceive the outside world... Let us talk about that after I recover my strength."
"Very well!" Qin Sang considered it and nodded in agreement.
After taking Yagu and Bai into the corpse puppet bag, Qin Sang took one last glance toward the wasteland before turning around and heading into the deep mountains.
He was going to return to the Heaven Tower and brave the Sword Path once more.
To see what kind of place lay on the other side of the Sword Path, and whether the ancient teleportation formation was truly there!
Along the way, Qin Sang took out a geomantic map. After walking through the deep mountains for a while and confirming his position, he deliberately deviated from his course, intending to detour toward the rock fissure where the Tyrant Blood Fruits grew to take a look.
The Tyrant Blood Fruit was an exquisite body-refining spiritual medicine; one could never have too much of it.
Once he left this place, it wouldn't be long before both his cultivation and physical body broke through. By then, wielding top-tier magic treasures and secret arts, he should be able to hold his own even against early Nascent Soul cultivators, right?
At this thought, heat surged through Qin Sang's heart.
Last time, he hadn't drained the pond to catch the fish, harvesting only the five fruits that were close to ripening, while leaving a cluster of small green fruits on the vine. Decades had passed; he wondered if any new fruits had matured.
The beasts guarding the Tyrant Blood Fruits were a flock of red-tailed cranes. Last time, Qin Sang had already tested their strength.
As long as no beast king had emerged among the flock of red-tailed cranes, snatching the spiritual fruit would be effortless.
Qin Sang moved through the deep mountains.
Though his strength far surpassed what it had been back then, he remained exceptionally cautious, proactively steering clear whenever he sensed anything unusual.
Chapter 948