Chapter 1131: Ancient Treasure
Ever since he had obtained the Star Platform, Qin Sang had relied on its assistance to cultivate the Lightning Control Technique and the Heavenly Demon Body Refinement. He had remained in constant contact with the Star Platform, and he had tried more than once to uncover its secrets, but he had achieved nothing.
On the surface, the Star Platform seemed to be nothing more than an object capable of connecting with the stars and assisting the cultivation of the Lightning Control Technique.
Yet Qin Sang did not believe it was that simple.
The grandmaster of Black Snake Mountain had coveted the Star Platform and had schemed carefully, even dispatching disciples to Landou Sect to steal it. That alone suggested the Star Platform was likely tied to some secret of the witch race.
Back in Canglang Sea, Qin Sang had made several discreet inquiries, but he had uncovered no information related to the Star Platform. Most of his energy had been devoted to cultivation and Seven-Kill Hall, and he had found it difficult to divide his focus, so he had not pursued the matter further.
But at Zhitian Peak, the Star Platform had undergone an unprecedented transformation.
Could it be that the previous environments lacked sufficiently dense star essence? Qin Sang stared at the Star Platform and pondered in silence.
This had been the first time he brought the Star Platform to a place like Zhitian Peak.
While he had focused on his breakthrough, the Star Platform had absorbed an unknown amount of star essence. What had once appeared to be an ordinary stone now seemed faintly translucent.
Starlight passed through it, and its material gradually shifted toward a jade-like texture.
Before, the Star Platform had been riddled with pits and scars. Now, those scars seemed to have transformed into mysterious runes, lending the platform a strange and profound aura.
After Qin Sang dispersed his art, the Star Platform became the core of the phenomenon.
Star essence continued to stream toward it without interruption. Inside, it seemed like a bottomless abyss. Not only did it show no sign of slowing, the rate of absorption actually increased.
Gradually, the commotion surpassed even that of Qin Sang’s cultivation. The star essence at Zhitian Peak was extremely dense, and the open ground he had chosen was not small. Yet the star essence within that area was nearly drained by the stone.
"If this continues, will it affect the ancient barrier and the stability of the space?" Qin Sang retreated to the side, concern rising in his heart.
If Zhitian Peak were destroyed by the stone, he would offend not just one or two people, but all the immortal cultivators of the Small Cold Domain and the Tianxing Alliance.
Whoosh! Star essence formed a massive vortex, vast enough to inspire awe, with the Star Platform at its center.
Qin Sang had no choice but to retreat further. He kept his gaze fixed on the celestial barrier surrounding the clearing. He noticed that the clusters of light entangled with the barrier, which were close to condensing into Elemental Star Stones, remained stable and were not disturbed by the anomaly.
Seeing this, his expression eased slightly. His gaze returned to the Star Platform.
Shock rose in his heart. The amount of star essence it absorbed was staggering. The accumulation of star essence in this mountainside space, gathered over countless years, had been nearly drained. He could hardly imagine what grade of ancient treasure it might be.
At last, a sudden hum echoed from within the vortex. In an instant, the star essence dispersed, revealing the radiant Star Platform.
Yet in the next moment, the light abruptly receded, and it reverted to its former ancient and unremarkable appearance.
When the disturbance caused by the stone finally subsided, Qin Sang approached cautiously. Despite absorbing so much star essence, it showed no obvious change. He raised his hand, drew the stone into his palm, and channeled his true essence into the Star Platform.
It was exactly the same as before. He was certain the stone had undergone some hidden transformation.
Is my cultivation too low for me to wield it for now? Or is it because it is a treasure of the witch race, requiring witch race bloodline? The Mute Girl has not awakened, and there are no descendants of the witch race in Small Cold Domain. It seems like I may have to return to Canglang Sea to find out... Qin Sang pondered for a while before storing the stone away.
A rough calculation told him he had spent no short amount of time inside. The Spiritual Infant cultivators outside were likely growing impatient.
He steadied his breathing, erased the traces of what had happened, gathered enough Elemental Star Stones, and returned to the teleportation array to send the treasures back to the immortal residence on the other side.
A figure broke through the water with a splash. Qin Sang flew out of Zhitian Peak and saw that the three Spiritual Infant grandmasters were still waiting.
"Reporting to the three seniors, I have completed the secret technique."
Jiugu and the devilish path Spiritual Infant examined him carefully. After confirming the seal they had left showed no sign of tampering, their expressions softened slightly, and they removed it. The three then used talismanic seals to reseal Zhitian Peak.
"Sect Leader Leng, your request has been fulfilled. I will take my leave! Signs of unrest in the Sin Abyss are becoming increasingly obvious. The major strongholds cannot afford any mishap. I hope the two of you will not delay too long," Jiugu said.
Jiugu headed south, returning to Cangheng Island. The devilish path Spiritual Infant cultivator flew northeast toward the Tianduan Mountains, the stronghold of the devilish sect.
Qingjun brought Qin Sang back toward Yuanshen Sect.
After distancing themselves from the other two, they changed direction and flew for some time before arriving among a cluster of reefs. Qingjun took out a treasured seal. After infusing it with true essence, a sword-like beam of green light shot upward.
The void rippled, and the gate of the immortal residence appeared out of thin air amid various phenomena.
With a resounding rumble, the immortal residence opened. The two suppressed their cultivation and flashed inside.
It resembled a true residence meant for living, with interiors like a garden estate, though the damage was even more severe than at Zhitian Peak. They had to suppress themselves to the Qi Refining Realm.
Inside the immortal residence, the ancient barrier's radiance surrounded the teleportation array, identical to that at Zhitian Peak.
Qin Sang had heard from Qingjun that this immortal residence was the source of Qingzhu’s tragedy.
Qingjun’s aunt, who was also Qingzhu’s senior sister, had obtained the seal when the immortal residence first appeared. Leng Yuntian discovered the teleportation array and, in order to seize the immortal residence, murdered Qingzhu’s senior sister. From that day on, a deep enmity had formed.
Ironically, Yuanshen Sect gained little benefit. In the end, it fell because of this immortal residence, and the entire sect came into Qingjun’s hands.
Qin Sang retrieved the Star Platform and the other treasures. Qingjun counted the Elemental Star Stones and nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. That is enough! How is your body-refining art progressing? I did not observe much change in you. Did the breakthrough fail?"
"Senior Sister, you truly have sharp eyes," Qin Sang replied gloomily. "I had already sensed that the true intent within the Azure Luan puppet would not be sufficient for me to comprehend the Heavenly Demon Dharma Lakshana. However, my physical body advanced by one stage. I hope it will aid my formation of the Spiritual Infant."
"Visualizing a heavenly demon for body refinement? What a strange cultivation art..." Qingjun shook her head. It was the first time she had heard of such a method.
Qin Sang did not tell her he cultivated a demon race art.
As they spoke, the two left the immortal residence and flew toward the Yuanshen Sect.
"Senior Sister, think carefully. How much do you still remember about the mysterious stone tablet and Demon King Qianji? At this point, in the immortal cultivation world, I'm afraid that only that stone tablet will allow me to observe a true heavenly demon." Qin Sang was unwilling to give up.
The Heavenly Demon Body Refinement clearly had extraordinary origins. Even more valuable was that the Jade Buddha shielded him from stellar malevolence, allowing him to cultivate this art at remarkable speed. With his current aptitude, he could support simultaneous cultivation of both arts.
Bai had speculated that the Southern Sun Fire might contain a True Vermillion Bird Feather, but no one knew when Ziwei Palace would open again, and collecting the Southern Sun Fire remained a distant hope. Even if there were a True Vermillion Bird Feather, who could say whether it would only be a fragment? Who knew whether any trace of a Vermillion Bird's aura still remained?
If an opportunity arose to approach the mysterious stone tablet, he would certainly do everything in his power to seize it.
