Chapter 740: Chapter 740

Qin Sang had begun cultivating the art created by Senior Qingzhu.

At first, the process of comprehension went smoothly. After all, it followed the same lineage as his original cultivation method.

However, when he truly started to cultivate it and attempted to inscribe the sixth killing symbol onto his life-bound spiritual sword, he ran into problems.

First, the new killing symbol provided less assistance to his cultivation compared to a genuine killing symbol.

If it had been a real killing symbol, Qin Sang’s cultivation speed might have surpassed that of dual-spiritual-root cultivators. He would have truly stepped into the ranks of a gifted prodigy.

But there remained a gap.

Second, the killing symbol invented by Senior Qingzhu was not flawless. Although Qin Sang could cultivate with it, it did not completely suit him. A single moment of carelessness risked collapse. Because of that, it placed extremely high demands on both the cultivator and the life-bound spiritual sword.

In this situation, if the ebony sword was not further improved, it would be unable to bear the full might of the killing symbol.

That meant, during the middle stage of the Core Formation Realm, he would already find himself stuck halfway, facing the awkward predicament of his life-bound sword collapsing. The bottleneck would arrive earlier than expected, catching him completely off guard.

The situation was even more severe than Qin Sang had anticipated.

"A bottleneck! A bottleneck! I only have a few decades left, and I haven’t even gotten any leads. I’m searching blindly. Can I really find one of the Ten Divine Woods? Must I wait until I return to the Small Cold Domain and search for the Infinite Blood Mulberry Wood in Endless Valley?" Updates are released by ⓝovelFire.net

Qin Sang awoke from meditation, gazing blankly at the dome of the cave dwelling.

The Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment was far too unique. If he were to switch to another art, his cultivation speed would revert to that of a five-spiritual-root cultivator.

Not only would his cultivation slow down, but he would also face one bottleneck after another, each more difficult than the last.

If he returned to the Small Cold Domain, he could then search for the Infinite Blood Mulberry Wood and continue cultivating.

All things considered, switching to another art might be even slower. At the very least, he should wait until he had confirmed the situation with Seven-Kill Hall before making any decisions.

"The good news is that the art created by Senior Qingzhu isn’t too profound. There are traces to follow. Within certain limits, even if I can’t yet inscribe the killing symbol, I can still comprehend most of its true essence. Once I find a suitable spiritual wood to enhance the ebony sword, inscribing the symbol will be much easier and quicker. But the time gained this way is limited. Sooner or later, I’ll still have to face the problem directly."

"There’s another method. I can try supplementing the process of inscribing the killing symbol with artifact refinement techniques. If I continue refining my skills in that path, I might be able to inscribe a few more strokes. Thankfully, I had this idea before. It counts as some early preparation. I’ve already made some progress, and the prospects look promising."

In the end, Qin Sang sighed. "All of these are just temporary measures."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Qin Sang resumed his meditation.

While cultivating, he also continued thinking about how to approach this issue from the perspective of artifact refinement, seeking ways to help the ebony sword bear more killing symbols.

Before he knew it, more than two years had passed.

During that time, Qin Sang had barely stepped out of the cave dwelling.

He devoted himself entirely to cultivation, while also delving into artifact refinement and the path of barriers. After countless trials and failures, he finally sorted out a crude system of refining artifacts and barriers that could help stabilize the ebony sword.

It was only a prototype, and a lot still needed improvement.

"I didn’t expect that, because of this cultivation method, I would end up in seclusion here for so long. This wasn’t part of the plan. Less than three years remain before Seven-Kill Hall opens. If I travel through the entire Demonic Sea and still plan to visit the Inner Sea, time will be too tight. I can’t just rush through everything. It would be better to spend the rest of my time here in the Demonic Sea. After I leave Seven-Kill Hall, I can stay in the Inner Sea for a while."

Qin Sang stepped out of the cave dwelling, having made up his mind. He summoned the Two-Headed Hou, oriented himself, and disappeared into the vast blue sea.

The gateway through which human cultivators entered the Demonic Sea.

Like Tianwu Island, this island was heavily guarded and vast, resembling a small continent. It was one of the rare large islands in the Demonic Sea. Not only cultivators came and went, but mortals also farmed the land.

More than fifty years had passed since he last teleported here. This was Qin Sang’s first time setting foot on Desolate Island.

Legend said Desolate Island was the first island ever occupied by immortal cultivators when they ventured into the Demonic Sea. It held extraordinary significance. Back then, the Demonic Sea had been a true wilderness.

To be honest, it had not improved much. The areas occupied by the two races were still insignificant compared to the vastness of the Demonic Sea.

He stood before the city gates, gazing up at the massive city.

After nearly three years of travel, Qin Sang had visited almost every island in the Demonic Sea, experiencing both rewards and disappointments.

At each place he visited, the first thing he did was inquire whether any of the Ten Divine Woods had recently emerged. To do that, he actively reached out to many people, including trusted confidants of island masters and powerful, solitary rogue cultivators.

The Demonic Sea was a treasure trove. It was not only home to demonic beasts, but with some luck, one might stumble upon rare spiritual herbs on untouched islands.

For example, the Six-Petaled Butterfly Pansy found on Redleaf Island.

Searching for the Ten Divine Woods in the Demonic Sea was a long shot, but not entirely impossible.

Qin Sang's evasion technique was uniquely his own. No matter how perilous the place, he dared to venture in. But to his dismay, not only had he found no information, there had not even been a single rumor.

He could only place his hopes in the Inner Sea.

The Inner Sea had been occupied by cultivators since ancient times. With its long-standing legacies and ancient traditions, there might be some hidden clues within the many legends. Perhaps some top-tier sects even possessed one of the Ten Divine Woods, yet kept it a well-guarded secret.

Qin Sang stepped into the city without entering any shops. After confirming his bearings, he headed straight toward a small courtyard with a clear goal in mind.

Qin Sang raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The courtyard looked no different from the ones beside it, and the gate was just an ordinary wooden door.

However, the information Qin Sang had received from Elder Zhou had pointed him here, instructing him to meet up with other cultivators from the Dongji Alliance and enter Seven-Kill Hall together.

Qin Sang held deep respect for such a powerful organization as the Dongji Alliance. Although he sensed no presence of barriers around the courtyard, he refrained from casually using his spiritual consciousness to investigate.

Not long after, the wooden door was pushed open from within. An elderly man with kind eyes and gentle features stepped out.

"I wonder what brings you here, Senior?"

Though the old man was only at the Foundation Building Realm, he spoke to Qin Sang with composure and without arrogance or fear.

Qin Sang replied in a calm and respectful tone, "I purchased a token some time ago and was told to retrieve it here. This token is my proof of identity. May I trouble you to inform your master?"

As he spoke, Qin Sang handed over the token issued by the Qiongyu Merchant Guild.

A sharp glint flashed in the old man’s eyes. After examining the token carefully, his face lit up with a smile. "So it is Daoist Master Qingfeng. My master has been expecting you for some time. Please follow me."

Qin Sang followed the elder into the courtyard and discovered that the interior held hidden depth. Several elegant wooden buildings stood within, with barrier light flickering faintly around them, revealing formidable power.

The elder led Qin Sang to one of the buildings and cupped his hands respectfully. "My master is currently receiving guests elsewhere and will not return until evening. Daoist Master, please rest here for the time being."

Qin Sang nodded and came to a halt in front of the building, glancing toward the other wooden buildings.

From within those buildings, Qin Sang could sense faint, hidden auras. It seemed that others had already arrived.