After entering the Dongyang King's manor, Qin Sang was settled into a small courtyard where meals were delivered three times a day. However, he was forbidden from wandering outside.

For several days, Qin Sang did not see the Dongyang Lady or receive a summons from the Dongyang King. The only visitor was Bai Jianglan, who came by once.

As he was here in search of immortality, Qin Sang patiently waited.

This environment was quite suitable for cultivation, and Qin Sang devoted himself entirely to studying the

Netherworld Scripture.

With the aid of Soul Pills, Qin Sang felt that his cultivation speed was even faster than when he first started. If the supply of Soul Pills remained steady, he estimated he could break through to the third stage of the

Netherworld Scripture

within a year.

Of course, this was the ideal scenario.

In his intense training, each Soul Pill lasted no more than half a month. After consuming two Soul Pills, he was about to take a third when King Yan's form had become faint, like a flickering candle in the wind.

At this rate, taking another Soul Pill would likely cause King Yan to collapse completely.

Qin Sang was uncertain whether King Yan could recover after being depleted and was unwilling to exhaust him further. His primary concern was how to continuously obtain Soul Pills.

Understanding malevolent yin qi was challenging for Qin Sang in such a short time.

Human souls were seemingly inexhaustible, but he would have to slaughter village after village to meet his cultivation needs.

Massacring innocents was not only a moral dilemma but also a practical risk. With little improvement in his own strength, he could easily become a target for other immortal masters. He still vividly remembered the grisly fate of the black-robed demon who had been cut in half.

Feeling a slight pain in his meridians, Qin Sang stopped his cultivation. Opening his eyes, he saw that the sky was beginning to brighten. Despite practicing all night, he felt invigorated but was used to resting briefly or sometimes sleeping an entire day, considering it true rest.

Just as he was about to lie down fully clothed, a knock sounded at the courtyard door.

"Brother Bai, you’ve come."

Qin Sang opened the door to find Bai Jianglan standing outside. Light rain was falling, and Bai Jianglan was wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat, carrying a treasured sword, looking like a wandering hero from the martial world.

Bai Jianglan entered the room, removed his raincoat, and took out several books from his robe, handing them to Qin Sang. "Brother Qin, these are some excellent martial arts manuals the Dongyang Lady has ordered me to select from the royal library. Much has happened outside in the past month. I have been traveling with the Dongyang Lady, and only now have I returned."

No wonder he hadn’t been disturbed for so long.

Qin Sang had secluded himself in the courtyard for over a month, not leaving even a step, and had seen no one but the servant who brought his meals. He was almost completely cut off from the outside world.

What major events have transpired outside?

Qin Sang thought to himself as he took the books and began to examine them. There were three manuals in total.

The first,

Soul Snatching Spear

, was quite suitable for him. Although

Tiger Subduing Long Fist

could be used with sticks, it was a basic art and not purely a spear art.

Learning

Soul Snatching Spear

would make it easier to conceal his movements when using the Yan Luo Banner in the future.

The second was

Wisdom King Art

, an internal martial arts manual. Qin Sang couldn’t discern much from it at a glance and planned to study it carefully later to understand its differences from the

Netherworld Scripture.

Upon reaching the third manual, Qin Sang’s eyes lit up. It was a qinggong[1] manual named

Shadowless Steps.

Light as a swallow, scaling walls, leaving no trace on snow, crossing rivers on a reed...

He had long been coveting such legendary qinggong, but the martial schools and escort agencies in the City of Three Witches didn’t teach any, offering at most a few practical stepping techniques.

Seeing Qin Sang’s delighted expression, Bai Jianglan also smiled. "I noticed you’re adept with spears and sticks, so I chose Soul Snatching Spear for you. This spear art was created by a renowned martial artist, and its mastery is truly exquisite. Wisdom King Art is a top-tier internal martial arts manual in the martial world. However, internal martial arts take time to show results. Don’t be impatient; cultivate diligently with a calm mind. If you can cultivate a thread of true qi in your dantian, your martial skills will surely improve. As for Shadowless Steps, since you lack internal force, I selected it for you. It not only excels in lightness but also in breath concealment and shadow evasion, making it a unique skill. In-depth practice will make it comparable to top-tier qinggong. Are you satisfied with these?"

Qin Sang clasped his hands in thanks. "I’m deeply grateful for Dongyang Lady’s kindness and Brother Bai’s efforts. I am truly thankful."

The two sat opposite each other, sipping fragrant tea as Bai Jianglan explained the key points of the three manuals. Qin Sang listened carefully, knowing he would need further practice to fully comprehend them.

Regarding Water Monkey’s condition, Bai Jianglan’s tone was less sorrowful. "Zhou Ning is a naturally optimistic person and is recovering well. He can now get out of bed and practice swordplay, showing much more diligence than before. After this disaster, he has improved his previous laziness, and his martial skills may well rise to a higher level."

Qin Sang nodded in agreement but remained skeptical. For martial artists, losing an arm had a significant impact on their skills.

Bai Jianglan took a sip of tea and looked at Qin Sang, asking, "Brother Qin, do you still hold onto your previous aspirations?"

Qin Sang set down his teacup, sitting up straight with a serious expression, and replied, "Brother Bai, I have admired the path of immortality since my youth. This heart of mine has never changed!"

A month ago, Bai Jianglan had visited Qin Sang in the small courtyard, subtly probing into Qin Sang's future plans.

Qin Sang knew that Bai Jianglan was sent by the Dongyang Lady to test him.

Dongyang King, being second only to the emperor in Great Sui, was one of the people with the greatest opportunity to meet an immortal master.

Having received life-saving favors from Dongyang Lady twice, Qin Sang could also clearly sense her high regard for him during their journey back to Dongyang Commandery. Qin Sang, ever perceptive, had decided to be upfront about his desire to seek immortality.

He was unsure what answer Bai Jianglan would bring, and he felt a quiet anxiety.

In fact, Bai Jianglan had seen through Qin Sang’s thoughts last year while they were on the ship, but he hadn’t expected Qin Sang to be so determined. After a moment of contemplation, Bai Jianglan said, "According to the ancient customs of the Great Sui, when a new emperor ascends the throne, a grand coronation ceremony must be held at the Holy Mountain Zhao in the capital. This ceremony involves celestial phenomena and divine music, and a crane from heaven is supposed to bring the imperial seal to symbolize that the emperor’s authority is divinely granted."

Qin Sang was familiar with these customs. This world had many differences from his previous one, but some things were similar, such as the methods used to deceive the common people.

However, since martial arts and immortals genuinely existed, the methods were more convincing than those in his past life.

"However..."

Bai Jianglan paused, then continued, "I only recently learned that the so-called divine mandate is merely an illusion, but the crane delivering the seal is real. The imperial seal does not come from heaven but from an immortal master."

Qin Sang was taken aback, his heart racing with surprise. "Brother Bai, does that mean that to become emperor, one needs the recognition of an immortal master?"

Bai Jianglan nodded.

Qin Sang frowned. "Then does this mean the appointment of the emperor is determined by the immortal master? What is there left to fight for?"

1. Qinggong (ching-kung) is a training technique for jumping off vertical surfaces from the Chinese martial arts. One way of training is to run up a slightly inclined ramp, gradually increasing the steepness of the incline until it is vertical. The use of qinggong has been exaggerated in wuxia fiction, in which martial artists have the ability to move swiftly and lightly at superhuman speed, and perform gravity-defying moves such as running on water surfaces, traversing across rooftops, and even balancing on a stalk of grass. ☜