Chapter 921: Mark

He continued to employ the secret technique, dissolving the heart devils within his external incarnation.

After a while, Qin Sang opened his palm. Streaks of radiance wrapped around jade slips, one after another, which he laid before him.

These were the corpse refinement techniques he had collected during this period. He had only skimmed through them before. Now he intended to study them carefully.

A month later, Qin Sang slowly opened his eyes. He gazed at the row of jade slips before him, his expression faintly puzzled.

"In all these years, I have gathered no small number of corpse refinement techniques, spanning many sects. Yet not a single one shares a connection with the

Heavenly Yin Corpse Art

. Is the

Heavenly Yin Corpse Art

truly so unique, carving out a path with neither predecessors nor successors? Or have I been seeking in the wrong direction all along? Could it be that the

Heavenly Yin Corpse Art

is not merely a legacy of the corpse path..."

He tapped a jade slip with his finger, contemplated for a moment, then rose to his feet. He cast his gaze around the cave dwelling. This place where he had secluded himself for over thirty years felt intimately familiar.

In these years, not only had his strength visibly advanced, but this undisturbed time of single-minded cultivation had also become a rare and precious memory. Now, it was time to leave.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Sang swept all the items in the cave dwelling into his Thousand-Jin Ring.

His external incarnation also awakened from meditation. After Qin Sang’s continual efforts to dissolve its heart devils, its devilish soul had temporarily settled and returned to normal.

The incarnation raised a finger and pointed at the black coffin. A series of cracking sounds followed. The coffin split into several pieces, then shifted and reassembled in mid-air into a perfectly seamless set of black armor, which fitted itself onto the incarnation.

A flash of protective light concealed the armor beneath its robe. Its eyes swiveled to Qin Sang’s body.

Qin Sang’s lips curved into a faint smile, but before he could speak, a sudden ripple stirred within him. He looked down toward the Spirit Beast Pouch at his waist. The fat silkworm had awakened.

"This fellow has digested yet another Purple Crystal. Ever since breaking through to the middle stage of the third metamorphosis, its appetite has grown far too fast. My supply of Purple Crystals is nearly exhausted. When I go to Seven-Kill Hall, I’ll need to gather several more. I wonder if that place has changed owners by now..." he muttered to himself.

Both the fat silkworm and the Sky-Eyed Butterfly had advanced to the middle stage of the third metamorphosis. Yet compared to the silkworm, the butterfly’s cultivation speed was much slower.

No one knew the true origin of the Purple Crystals. The silkworm devoured them relentlessly, and its cultivation surged faster than Qin Sang had expected. Still, aside from perhaps stronger supernatural abilities, the two little creatures had changed little from before.

After feeding the silkworm a small shard of Purple Crystal, Qin Sang left the cave dwelling. With a touch of spiritual thought, he stirred the barriers and summoned Bai Zhongqiu and his family.

"Senior, what instructions do you have for us?" Bai Zhongqiu and his wife hurried out of their dwelling.

At the same time, the miasma outside rippled. Bai Ying’er returned with the Two-Headed Hou by her side. She seemed to have sensed something. Clinging close to the beast, her eyebrows knitted and her lips pressed tight as she stared tensely at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang turned his palm, producing a jade bottle, and tossed it to Bai Zhongqiu. Inside were two oddly colored pills. The instant he saw them, Bai Zhongqiu’s eyes could not look away, excitement flashing uncontrollably across his face.

"These past years, you two have indeed been diligent. I once promised to grant you a pair of Malevolent Demonic Pills. I would not go back on my word. I obtained these two by chance. The Malevolent Demonic Qi within them has already been meticulously refined. They can be counted among the higher grade of such pills," Qin Sang said calmly.

"Thank you so much for your generosity. We are endlessly grateful!" Overjoyed, Bai Zhongqiu and his wife bowed deeply.

Though they had their own savings, acquiring such top-grade pills was almost impossible. With their purer medicinal energy and far fewer remnants of Demonic Malevolent Qi, their chances of forming cores had increased noticeably.

When their joy subsided, Bai Zhongqiu suddenly realized something and asked softly, "Senior, are you now going to..."

Qin Sang nodded slightly. "Since you already know that I obtained the Seven-Kill Hall jade talisman, you should have guessed. This Poison Island was merely a temporary dwelling. Seven-Kill Hall will open in a few years. It is time to depart and make preparations. Ying’er has managed this place for me all these years. Though I have no intention of taking disciples, there is still some bond between us. This place I shall leave to her. From now on, act with restraint, and no one will discover the island’s secrets. This jade slip contains the methods for controlling the island’s illusion array and barriers."

With a flick of his sleeve, the jade slip floated into Bai Ying’er’s hands.

She clutched it tightly, tears welling in her eyes. Kneeling, she said, "Senior, though you do not acknowledge me as a disciple, I have received your guidance countless times. In my heart, I have always regarded you as my teacher..."

Her parents looked at her, emotions tangled within them. In the past, facing Qin Sang filled them with fear. After so many years, they had long understood that meeting this man might have been the greatest fortune of their family’s lives.

"Senior, will you return here again? Allow me to guard your cave dwelling until then..." There was genuine sincerity in Bai Zhongqiu’s voice.

Qin Sang chuckled and shook his head slowly. "You must have heard of Seven-Kill Hall’s reputation. My path ahead is uncertain. Whether I return alive is unknown. To speak of the future is too early. Besides, the spirit vein of this island is hardly sufficient for me, and it is far too remote."

His meaning was clear: They were unlikely to meet again. Accustomed as he was to partings, Qin Sang’s expression remained steady. He beckoned to the Two-Headed Hou, preparing to leave.

The beast trotted to his side, but then turned its head back toward Bai Ying’er. Her face brimmed with reluctance, tears spilling freely as sobs shook her body.

Confined to Poison Island, she had never seen outsiders in all these years. The Two-Headed Hou was her only friend. Now it was leaving, and who knew when they might meet again.

Qin Sang nodded once to Bai Zhongqiu and his wife, then turned to depart. But just then, the Two-Headed Hou leapt before Bai Ying’er. Its body erupted in dazzling azure light, and an azure phantom burst from its form.

The phantom rapidly shrank until it was no larger than a fingernail. It landed upon the back of her hand. The light faded, and the Azure Shadow vanished, leaving behind a tattoo-like mark on her skin.

When it finished, the Two-Headed Hou’s aura weakened drastically. It returned to Qin Sang’s side, drowsy and languid.

Qin Sang’s eyes flickered with surprise. He glanced at the beast, then explained to the bewildered Bai Ying’er and her family, "It has weakened itself to leave you a protective mark. If you meet a formidable foe, channel your spiritual consciousness into the mark. It will shield you once. Even a middle-Stage Core Formation cultivator, caught unprepared, would suffer a heavy blow."

Hearing this, Bai Zhongqiu and his wife were overjoyed. They urged, "Ying’er, quickly thank Lord Divine Hou!"

Before she could, their surroundings blurred. The poisonous miasma rolled, and Qin Sang and the Two-Headed Hou were gone.