From the black tiger’s mangled corpse, Shopkeeper Wu had unexpectedly crafted two Essence-Devouring Spikes—a stroke of good fortune indeed. Shopkeeper Wu himself admitted that without his recent rapid advances in artifact refinement, it would have been impossible to forge even one Essence-Devouring Spike, let alone two.

These two Essence-Devouring Spikes were nearly as powerful as the previous one; however, without the venomous fangs of the demon serpent, they lacked that extra layer of insidious poison that was so difficult to guard against.

Still, Qin Sang was more than pleased.

Following this, Qin Sang lingered at Wenyue Market for a few more days and attended a private gathering of the secret shop's members. Not every member attended these meetings regularly, so counting Qin Sang, there were only eleven people this time. Among them were three Foundation Building cultivators: one rogue cultivator, two members of other immortal sects, and the rest were mostly Qi Refining Realm cultivators like Shopkeeper Wu, each possessing a unique, reputable skill.

Qin Sang familiarized himself with the group. After a conversation with Shopkeeper Wu, he found that every attendee had a good reputation and no history of misconduct. It was surprising to Qin Sang that Granny Jing had allowed him into this circle so readily.

Shopkeeper Wu explained, "Among the various sects around the Yuncang Marshlands, Shaohua Mountain is one of the Eight Major Sects of the righteous path and is widely respected. Granny Jing might feel that, being bound by a respectable sect, you wouldn’t dare act recklessly, Daoist Qin."

Qin Sang reflected on this and found it reasonable. His background was clear and could be verified easily.

Shaohua Mountain prided itself on its righteous reputation; while it might overlook certain transgressions if they were well-hidden, it would never tolerate a disciple openly disgracing the sect. In such a case, Shaohua Mountain itself would deal with the offender even before Granny Jing had a chance.

At the gathering, some members sought assistance in hunting demons or treasure-hunting, while others were buying rare items and artifacts. A Foundation Building cultivator invited Qin Sang to join him on a hunt deep within the Yuncang Marshlands, but Qin Sang politely declined.

Eventually, Qin Sang enlisted the help of several members to locate spiritual spring objects from depleted springs, promising a reward in return. Afterward, he departed from Wenyue Market and returned briefly to his sect. Finally, he managed to meet Senior Brother Wen and, just as before, asked him to make some inquiries among their peers about any related information, assuring him the price could be negotiated.

…

The Sunken Cave.

The ceaseless malevolent yin qi surged against the barriers at every turn, yet within the Sunken Cave lay an atmosphere steeped in deathly silence and desolation.

Qin Sang navigated familiar paths, skillfully avoiding the barriers. Slipping through an inconspicuous fissure, he sent a sweep of his spiritual consciousness and discovered that the cave dwelling’s barrier had been activated, indicating that someone was inside, likely cultivating.

He had come to gather Earth Malevolent Qi for corpse refinement, so avoiding disturbance was preferable. Silently, he concealed himself, then darted toward the most hidden corner he remembered.

Before long, he reached a stone wall marked by tiny, almost imperceptible cracks. Pressing his hand against it, Qin Sang verified the location and then activated an evading method, causing his figure to blur momentarily before he squeezed through the narrow crevice.

Unexpectedly, the crack widened as he moved deeper, eventually becoming large enough for two or three people to pass through side by side. The fissure led straight down to the cave’s depths, and without pausing, Qin Sang descended rapidly. The further he went, the thicker the malevolent yin qi grew, and the more chilling the air became. However, as a Foundation Building cultivator, he could endure the cold without trouble.

At last, he emerged from the malevolent yin qi into a blank space where the malevolent yin qi and Earth Malevolent Qi coexisted in separate streams, distinct yet unmixed.

The malevolent yin qi, after all, was merely an accumulation of deathly energy, resentful qi, and yin qi, which, over countless years, had transformed into a more sinister form of yin qi. Earth Malevolent Qi, however, was an innate force of ultimate yin and malice, created by the world. The two were worlds apart. When malevolent yin qi encountered Earth Malevolent Qi, it would be easily devoured.

Qin Sang scanned the area, spotting a stone platform on which he landed. Activating the Yang Warming Pill and several warming artifacts, he felt warmth return to his body. Then, he retrieved over a dozen long-necked silver bottles from his Mustard Seed Pouch.

These silver bottles, known as Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottles, were unique artifacts that defied typical grading. Within, a magnetic essence allowed them to gather and pacify the wild Earth Malevolent Qi without bursting from the force.

Of course, the Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottle wasn’t limited to storing Earth Malevolent Qi; it had various other remarkable uses as well.

The method for refining the Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottle was something Qin Sang had discovered on Treasure Tower Peak. Although most of the required spiritual materials were not especially valuable, a particular type of magnetic stone was somewhat rare. He had bought out the stock from Tianhen House and commissioned Shopkeeper Wu to craft more than a dozen bottles, all with the intention of gathering as much Earth Malevolent Qi as possible.

After returning from the cavern, Qin Sang delved into ancient texts to thoroughly understand the nature of Earth Malevolent Qi, discovering that this qi was exceedingly rare and only born under unique conditions, even more elusive than five-elemental yin items. Without preparing an ample supply of Earth Malevolent Qi in advance, he’d risk being distracted by its search in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, with no certainty of finding any.

Arranging the Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottles in a row before him, Qin Sang reached out to grip one. Opening the bottle, he extended a hand of spiritual power downward, reaching into the dark, churning haze below. РἈΝꝋΒƐȿ

A strand of Earth Malevolent Qi was captured by the spiritual power hand, struggling fiercely like a living creature as it pushed against the grasp. Almost immediately, an intense, chilling energy surged through Qin Sang, penetrating his body along the connection with the spiritual power hand.

His expression shifted slightly—only now did he feel the true terror of Earth Malevolent Qi. Hastily, he summoned the warmth of the Yang Warming Pill and other artifacts and, without delay, layered one barrier after another over the Earth Malevolent Qi. With each layer of suppression, the Earth Malevolent Qi finally grew subdued, transforming into a dense mass of black qi.

Even so, Qin Sang dared not touch the Earth Malevolent Qi with his bare hands. With a wave, he activated the Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottle, positioning its mouth over the mass of qi and drawing it inside.

A faint silver-white magnetic glow flickered within the bottle as the Earth Malevolent Qi settled inside. The bottle quivered briefly before it stabilized and fell silent.

Patiently, Qin Sang waited, confirming that the Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottle could indeed contain the Earth Malevolent Qi. Satisfied, he repeated the process, gradually collecting the qi bit by bit.

Time flowed on, and Qin Sang sat motionless on the stone platform like a statue. After many hours had passed, he abruptly opened his eyes, reaching to retrieve the Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottle in his hand.

Peering inside, he saw a faint silver glow, and deep within, a subtle wisp of black qi. Although the bottle wasn’t completely full, Qin Sang decided not to push his luck, as overfilling could lead to unforeseen issues.

At this point, his face had taken on a slight pallor. Quickly, he flew up to the surface, dispelling the cold qi from his body before returning to continue the collection of Earth Malevolent Qi.

Ten days later.

A faint figure suddenly flashed out of a crevice in the Sunken Cave, escaping without alerting the disciple who guarded the cave dwelling and was still deep in secluded cultivation.

Qin Sang had filled all of his Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottles. As his corpse refinement technique became more proficient, each attempt proved successful, with a single bottle of Earth Malevolent Qi yielding two to three malevolent corpses. Unless he intended to refine living corpses, this amount would support his needs for quite some time.

After all, even Foundation Building cultivator corpses weren’t easy to obtain.