Chapter 265: Primordial Unity Ring

The more Jiao spirits bound to the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, the faster a cultivator could travel with it. Once all nine Jiao spirits were collected, the talisman’s full power would be unleashed, triggering a metamorphosis.

Daoist Master Xuanyu had only managed to collect six Jiao spirits, but all of them were peak Demonic Spirit Realm great demons, equivalent to Fake Core Realm cultivators. As a result, the talisman’s speed was extraordinary.

Now, only one Jiao spirit remained. If the talisman hadn’t been damaged, Qin Sang could have wielded it at a speed rivaling that of a late-stage Foundation Building cultivator once the spirit fully recovered.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

What a pity!

Qin Sang sighed regretfully. He was about to withdraw his spiritual consciousness when he suddenly sensed plaintive cries of pleading from the Jiao spirit.

Moments later, a hint of delight appeared on his face.

The other half of the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman hadn’t been destroyed after all! The remaining half of the Jiao spirit’s body was trapped in that piece of the talisman, struggling desperately against the lava’s engulfing force.

The Jiao spirit could sense its missing half. If Qin Sang could retrieve it from the lava and nurture it for a while, the talisman would be restored to its complete form!

Qin Sang’s heart stirred at the thought. He looked down at the surging river of molten lava, his expression tinged with hesitation.

The other half of the talisman had been carried far away by the current. It wouldn’t be long before the Jiao spirit’s strength would be exhausted, and the connection between its two halves severed due to the distance.

The lava was perilous and brimming with hidden dangers.

Furthermore, he couldn’t be sure he would find the talisman before his spiritual power was depleted.

Delaying too long could also result in unexpected changes at the volcano’s crater.

After a brief pause, Qin Sang made up his mind. Clutching the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman in one hand, he activated his spiritual power to shield himself and leapt into the molten river.

Before leaving, he used his spiritual power to sweep the lava through every corner of the space, erasing all traces and lingering energy.

...

The roaring of the lava filled his ears, and his vision was dominated by its fiery, rolling currents.

The molten river was vast and majestic, with countless tributaries crisscrossing to form a dense network, dotted with lakes even larger than the one beneath the cavern.

Without the guidance of the Jiao spirit, it would have been impossible for Qin Sang to locate the other half of the talisman in such a complex terrain.

After leaving the volcano’s crater, the circular barrier above him restored itself completely. Qin Sang skimmed along the surface of the lava, flying at high speed with the barrier looming overhead.

The turbulent flow of the lava was comparable to the Ninefold Canyon of the Wuling River. The undulating currents left him with only a narrow space to maneuver, forcing him to stay vigilant to avoid the towering waves.

The intense heat and occasional submersion in the lava caused his spiritual power to drain rapidly. The Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, carried by the current, showed no signs of stopping. Qin Sang had to patiently chase after it, gradually closing the distance.

Fortunately, there were no Fire Spirit Beasts in the lava, confirming Qin Sang’s earlier theory that their birth was related to the totem barrier he had seen earlier.

Holding the talisman in one hand to sense its direction, Qin Sang used his other hand to retrieve Di Que’s Mustard Seed Pouch, working to break the barrier on it with all his might.

He had a few bottles of spirit pills that could replenish his spiritual power, though he wasn’t sure if they would last. If he could unlock the pouch, he wouldn’t have to worry about running out of pills.

It was because Di Que had forced him to use the power of the Thousand-Transformation Divine Sound to break barriers and climb the mountain that Qin Sang had become so familiar with the technique. He had gained considerable insight into barriers as a result.

Otherwise, it might have taken him a long time to hope for success in breaking the Mustard Seed Pouch’s seal.

It was an ironic twist of fate.

Qin Sang swallowed three Azure Spirit Pills to replenish his spiritual power. His gaze sharpened as he locked onto a specific spot on the Mustard Seed Pouch. Spiritual power surged in his palm, manifesting into a flying needle that he drove fiercely into the barrier.

Hum!

A ripple emerged on the Mustard Seed Pouch, accompanied by a sound like a bee’s hum.

Moments later, the hum escalated into a deafening roar, and an incredibly potent soundwave shot out from the barrier without warning.

Prepared for this, Qin Sang dodged nimbly, easily evading the soundwave.

Splash!

The soundwave plunged into the molten river, exploding into a spray spanning dozens of zhang in diameter. The sheer force of the blast left Qin Sang inwardly alarmed.

With the soundwave discharged, the barrier was now on its last legs. Qin Sang pressed his attack, giving the barrier no chance to recover, and finally succeeded in breaking it.

When the barrier’s fluctuations faded, Qin Sang immediately sent his spiritual consciousness into the pouch. Before long, he discovered several bottles of spiritual pills resembling the Green Spirit Pills and held them in his hand before patiently continuing his search.

The mundane items within failed to pique his interest. There were numerous healing pills, just as he had anticipated, so they didn’t surprise him.

Artifacts and talismans, however, were completely absent—Qin Sang suspected Di Que had likely used them all in a desperate bid to resist the Heavenly Blade Talisman before his death.

To his disappointment, the Mustard Seed Pouch contained only around ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.

While this would be considered a fortune for a Foundation Building cultivator, for a renowned Golden Core cultivator like Di Que, it was nothing short of pathetic.

However, Qin Sang quickly discovered something intriguing—several rare and precious spiritual materials within the pouch.

Among them were Dark Yin Cold Iron, the Three-Colored Nether Lotus, and Wind-Thunder Crystals, along with three materials Qin Sang didn’t recognize.

Each of these materials was no less valuable than the Qianyang Crystal, all of them rare treasures for crafting astras.

Was Di Que preparing to forge an astra?

Qin Sang mused as his gaze fell on a peculiar item placed alongside the materials—a white, rounded golden ring about the size of a bracelet. The golden ring emitted no spiritual light and was covered in numerous cracks. Its surface bore mysterious patterns, but they were heavily worn and damaged, making them difficult to discern.

Fortunately, the ring itself had not broken.

Qin Sang focused his thoughts and retrieved the golden ring, holding it in his hand. However, he couldn’t activate it, which confirmed his suspicion—it was indeed an astra.

He speculated whether Di Que had intended to repair the ring or craft a new one entirely.

Returning his spiritual consciousness to the pouch, Qin Sang found one remaining section. There lay several jade slips, a black iron fragment, and a jade bottle containing Crimson Fire Gilded Gold, placed snugly beside one of the jade slips.

Perhaps these are the real treasures here.

Qin Sang thought as he retrieved the jade slip and began to examine it.

Before long, he opened his eyes, his expression contemplative.

The jade slip contained the cultivation insights of a Golden Core cultivator from the Yuling Sect, including many of the sect’s unique inheritances.

No wonder Di Que was adept at beast taming and raising exotic insects—this knowledge came directly from the jade slip.

This revelation meant that Di Que had once slain a Golden Core cultivator of the Yuling Sect. Not only had he dared to linger at the Xuanlu Stronghold afterward, but he also attempted to ambush Daoist Master Xuanyu. His audacity was boundless.

From this jade slip, Qin Sang learned the name of the golden ring—Primordial Unity Ring.

The term "Unity" implied its dual nature; the Primordial Unity Ring was a yin-yang dual ring and had once been the astra of that Yuling Sect's Golden Core cultivator. Now, only the yin ring remained, and it was severely damaged.