Chapter 1192: Progress

To sever delusions and temper the Dao Heart was something no cultivator on the path of cultivation dared to take lightly.

Qin Sang had experienced the arising and fading of desires and the fluctuations of thought, yet his true heart had never lost its way. No heart devils had taken root within him. Even during the heavenly tribulations of the Spiritual Infant Realm, he had bypassed the heart devil tribulation altogether.

At present, this was naturally a good thing.

Compared with other cultivators, Qin Sang had skipped the step of resisting heart devils and did not need to exhaust himself searching for treasures meant to suppress them. His speed in cultivation and breakthroughs would certainly be much faster.

Yet Qin Sang did not know how long the Jade Buddha could continue to protect him.

If one day the Jade Buddha was gone, would a Dao Heart that had never been tempered by heart devils still be able to endure?

For this reason, he did not dare to act recklessly. Even without heart devils, he could not relax his vigilance. Still, tempering his Dao Heart would be far easier, and he would not need to tread as cautiously as other cultivators, who cultivated as though walking on thin ice.

Qin Sang had never imagined that the Jade Buddha, which suppressed heart devils, might one day become an obstacle.

He attempted to follow the secret technique of the Lifeless Devilish Seal, stirring the desires within his heart in hopes of provoking heart devils.

But his mind was like a silent lake, its surface perfectly still. If heart devils would not arise, how could there be a devilish seal?

The Lifeless Devilish Seal... The Lifeless Devilish Seal. When used on me, it truly becomes lifeless... Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

He gently stroked the jade slip. For now he had no clues, so he could only set this evil technique aside.

Still, the secret technique had not been obtained for nothing. Since Qingjun had once cultivated it and it indeed possessed the effect of breaking through bottlenecks, he could study it carefully when he had time. Perhaps he would grasp a fragment of its true meaning.

After all, the purpose of traveling the world for cultivators was to broaden their knowledge and draw insights from many sources.

After sitting in meditation for a long time, Qin Sang rose and left the side hall. He exited the city lord’s residence, concealed his aura, and quietly arrived at an abandoned courtyard in the city.

A figure slipped inside. It was Mei Gu.

"Greetings, Master!" she greeted Qin Sang.

After receiving the message, Mei Gu had hurried over immediately.

With Qin Sang’s personal guidance, she had clarified the mistakes in her previous cultivation, and her cultivation had clearly advanced.

Qin Sang motioned for Mei Gu to rise. Seeing her significant progress, he nodded inwardly and said in a deep voice, "During the great battle not long ago, how many casualties did the disciples suffer?"

"Reporting to Master, after I delivered the letter to Senior Leng as instructed, that senior secretly watched over me the whole time. During this battle, only a few disciples were accidentally injured..." Mei Gu reported in detail.

She felt somewhat curious. During this period she had secretly gathered information about the Spiritual Infant cultivators of the two domains, yet she still could not determine her master’s true identity.

Since he had such a close relationship with Sect Leader Leng of Yuanshen Sect, he was most likely a senior of the righteous path. She simply did not know which grandmaster he was.

After listening to Mei Gu’s report, Qin Sang nodded slightly and asked, "Has there been any progress regarding the matter I instructed you to investigate?"

Mei Gu’s expression turned solemn. She knew this was the real reason her master had summoned her. Fortunately, she had always treated the task as her highest priority and had never relaxed her efforts.

"After arriving at Shiqu Mountain, I found ways to befriend some Daoists from Devilish Qingyang Sect and gathered some information about Divine Gale Peak. After the sect leader of Devilish Qingyang Sect advanced to the Spiritual Infant Realm, he secluded himself on Divine Gale Peak for an entire year. When he emerged, azure mist surged across the peak, covering the entire summit in dense fog. Even the phantom of the Ancestral Sacred Flame was enveloped within the mist, and the previously violent and restless aura completely disappeared..." Mei Gu said.

Qin Sang’s heart sank slightly. Did the sect leader of Devilish Qingyang Sect subdue the Ancestral Sacred Flame immediately after forming his Spiritual Infant?

The aura of the Ancestral Sacred Flame on Divine Gale Peak was not inferior in the slightest to the Dongming Cold Flame. Qin Sang had originally believed that one would need a cultivation at least the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm to accomplish such a feat.

There could be only one explanation. The Ancestral Sacred Flame was actually the Devilish Qingyang Fire left behind by the founder of Devilish Qingyang Sect. Since the later generations cultivated the same art, they could refine it easily.

Qin Sang remembered that the cultivation art of Devilish Qingyang Sect was extremely unusual. When disciples failed in cultivation and perished, they would leave behind seeds of devilish fire that others could refine. These were considered great supplements.

This was also one of the reasons why the righteous path refused to recognize Devilish Qingyang Sect.

That made things somewhat troublesome.

If the sect leader of Devilish Qingyang Sect had not yet resolved the hidden danger of the Ancestral Sacred Flame, negotiation might still be possible. But if he had already subdued it, why would he hand it over to someone else?

Moreover, that person’s strength was likely greater than the rumors suggested. Unless Qin Sang possessed a treasure the man could not refuse, other methods would probably not work.

Should I search for another spiritual flame instead? Qin Sang frowned inwardly.

He had originally intended to meet the sect leader of the devilish sect this time, but the man had gone out on patrol and the opportunity had been missed.

Unaware of Qin Sang’s thoughts, Mei Gu continued reporting the information she had gathered. "There is another strange matter. After the sect leader descended the mountain, he strictly ordered that no disciples above the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm were allowed to ascend the mountain to absorb Gale Jade. Instead, the sect distributes it periodically for their cultivation."

"Hmm?" Qin Sang’s gaze flickered.

That was indeed strange. Gale Jade was the purest form of Divine Qingyang Gale.

When he had infiltrated Devilish Qingyang Sect in the past, the Ancestral Sacred Flame had already been extremely violent and its energy chaotic, yet disciples had still been allowed to enter the mountain and absorb it themselves.

They had only been forbidden from absorbing energy too close to the summit, as doing so might trigger a flare of the flame. Now they were not even allowed to go up the mountain at all.

No matter how one looked at it, that did not resemble a situation where the Ancestral Sacred Flame had already been subdued.

"Some time ago, I became acquainted with a Daoist who is a true disciple of the sect leader of Devilish Qingyang Sect. She is highly valued and certainly knows many secrets. However, she is suspicious by nature. I was worried she might suspect me, so for now I did not dare ask too many questions. I will need more time to become familiar with her..." After finishing her report, Mei Gu felt somewhat uneasy, worried that her master might blame her for not accomplishing enough.

"You have done well." Qin Sang nodded. He knew such matters could not be rushed. For Mei Gu to have achieved this much was already no small feat. "These pills were recently obtained by me. They can help increase the cultivation of Golden Core cultivators. Your task is only to gather information. Do nothing beyond that. There is no need to rush. Remember that your own safety comes first."

Even an emperor did not send hungry soldiers to battle. He took out a jade bottle. The pills had come from the belongings left behind by Old Devil Pei.

"Thank you, Master!" she replied.

Seeing that her master had not only refrained from punishing her but had also shown concern for her, Mei Gu felt some of her fear fade. Her gratitude now carried a greater measure of sincerity.

After sending Mei Gu away, Qin Sang once again assumed the identity of a demon king and returned to Sandi'e Stronghold with the lesser demons from Thousand-Mountain Bamboo Sea.

Jinglin and Si Di were both perceptive. Without Qin Sang needing to say anything, they arranged accommodations for the demons, while the old macaque used the opportunity to quickly return to the mountain and deliver orders.

The war still continued in other places, with occasional clashes at various passes. Only Sandi'e Mountain remained remarkably calm.

Sin Abyss seemed to think this place was too difficult to attack and had abandoned any plan to break through here.

Jinglin and Si Di did the opposite. They took the initiative to launch several attacks and discovered that Chanling had established a large camp a hundred li from Sandi'e Stronghold, personally guarding it. Breaking them would be extremely difficult.

After several rounds of probing and skirmishing, both sides gradually quieted down.

During this time, Qin Sang honored the agreement and presided over the Cold Bell Array, rarely leaving the high tower and never delaying his cultivation.

The seven sword souls were finally close to completely merging with the seven yin souls.

He had also been paying close attention to Shaohua Mountain. Not long ago he finally received confirmed news. Since the war had begun, Mu Yifeng, Che Yutao, Qiu Mubai, and the others had remained in secluded cultivation within their sect and had never appeared on the battlefield.

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