Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 309: Comprehending the Dao of Slaughter

Wandering Man accepted the Smoke Grass and examined it closely. Then, gathering what little spiritual power remained within him, he used his palm as a furnace and his spiritual power as fire, directly refining the Smoke Grass.

The vibrant green spiritual herb transformed into a drop of green spiritual liquid at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A rich fragrance instantly filled the entire cave dwelling.

Seeing that Wandering Man could still steadily refine spiritual herbs in his weakened state without any loss of medicinal potency, Qin Sang couldn't help but admire him. He resolved to request Wandering Man to refine a batch of Dark Patterned Heyun Pills once he recovered.

There was no need to seek the aid of a Core Formation Realm cultivator.

When Qin Sang mentioned this matter again to Shangguan Lifeng, the latter modestly declined, claiming his contribution was insignificant. He refused to accept any spiritual herbs and only took two of Ge Yuan's artifacts, both of modest value.

Shangguan Lifeng hesitated before speaking. "Daoist Master, I have an impertinent request. When we fought Luo Xingnan, I noticed the Daoist Master's spiritual sword. The killing intent within its sword qi was unusually pure, so much so that it momentarily intimidated Luo Xingnan, even in conjunction with the array. Such killing intent is truly unique, unlike anything I've ever encountered. Would the Daoist Master be willing to offer me some guidance?"

Hearing this unexpected request, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation.

Shangguan Lifeng’s observation was accurate. Back then, Luo Xingnan’s primordial spirit was already in turmoil after being scorched by the Ghostly Threads. The killing intent released by the killing symbol compounded this chaos, momentarily paralyzing Luo Xingnan.

This brief opening had allowed them to land the fatal blow.

If Shangguan Lifeng was drawn to the killing intent of the killing symbol, could it be that his path also aligned with the Dao of Slaughter?

Qin Sang recalled their first meeting in Xihuang Town. At the time, Shangguan Lifeng had left him with the impression of a sabermaster—his demeanor and blade both radiated sharpness and aggression.

When Qin Sang inquired further, Shangguan Lifeng did not hold back. He explained candidly, "After my master was murdered, I was consumed by hatred and killing intent. Ironically, this emotional upheaval became an opportunity for me to break through the bottleneck of the Foundation Building Realm. Since then, I have dedicated myself to this path. I have collected numerous related arts and methods, integrating killing intent into my blade techniques. It has yielded some success, and I have resolved to continue down this road."

"The killing intent within the Daoist Master's sword qi is the purest I have ever encountered. If the Daoist Master would offer me guidance, it would be far more valuable than any spiritual herb. I am even willing to present my Spirit Jade Tree as an offering to the Daoist Master."

So that was the reason.

Qin Sang, however, slowly shook his head.

"I have no need for your Spirit Jade Tree," Qin Sang replied, his expression slightly sheepish, "To be honest, I am not particularly gifted. The killing intent in my sword qi originates from the art itself. Despite my hard work and dedication, I have only grasped the surface of its mysteries and cannot claim to offer any meaningful guidance."

The killing intent came from the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment's killing symbol.

Qin Sang was not lying. Although he had used the art to improve his cultivation, he had indeed struggled to comprehend its deeper truths. Whether it was due to a lack of talent or the constraints of his chosen path, he had always been limited to what the art explicitly outlined, never achieving true personal insight.

Originally, Qin Sang had harbored the ambition of deciphering the incomplete second half of the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment after reaching Core Formation. That dream, however, had been ruthlessly crushed by reality.

Shangguan Lifeng lowered his head, visibly disappointed.

"But..."

Qin Sang’s tone shifted. "If you trust me, there is another way."

Shangguan Lifeng’s head shot up, his eyes alight with anticipation. "Daoist Master, please share!"

After a moment of hesitation, Qin Sang explained, "I can release my sword qi and allow you to experience its killing intent directly. However, you would need to use your spiritual consciousness to connect with it, focusing all your attention. That being said..."

Doing so would require Shangguan Lifeng to let down all his defenses against Qin Sang. If Qin Sang harbored any ill intentions, he could easily take Shangguan Lifeng’s life in an instant.

To his surprise, Shangguan Lifeng agreed without hesitation. "Thank you for your generosity, Daoist Master!"

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"Are you certain?"

Qin Sang asked sternly, his expression serious as he sought Shangguan Lifeng’s confirmation once more. Only after receiving his unwavering response did he proceed.

The two stood and faced each other, maintaining a distance of about one zhang between them.

Shangguan Lifeng set down his long saber and fully retracted his spiritual power into his Qihai, leaving himself completely defenseless. He stood there with his spiritual consciousness fully extended, softly saying, "Daoist Master, please begin."

Qin Sang nodded slightly. A flicker appeared between his brows, and the ebony sword shot out, darting toward Shangguan Lifeng in the blink of an eye. The killing symbol engraved on the sword's blade suddenly activated, unleashing an overwhelming wave of killing intent.

Allowing Shangguan Lifeng to comprehend the killing intent from the killing symbol required no great effort from Qin Sang and caused him no loss.

The sword qi made contact with Shangguan Lifeng’s spiritual consciousness.

Under Qin Sang’s careful control, the sword qi did not harm Shangguan Lifeng.

However, exposing one’s spiritual consciousness directly to the killing symbol was inherently perilous. Shangguan Lifeng’s face instantly turned pale, and cold sweat streamed down his face, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered.

When Shangguan Lifeng seemed to be nearing his limit, Qin Sang recalled the ebony sword to prevent any irreversible damage.

Shangguan Lifeng immediately sat cross-legged, entering meditation to recover. Once his condition stabilized, he repeated the process several times.

By the time Shangguan Lifeng had finished his comprehension, Wandering Man had already consumed the Smoke Grass’s spiritual liquid, refining part of it. He awakened from his meditative state and opened his eyes.

The potency of a thousand-year-old spiritual herb was undeniable. In such a short time, Wandering Man’s complexion had noticeably improved, and his Qihai had recovered partially—enough for him to travel on his own.

"I’ve refined about thirty percent of the medicinal energy. The effects are even better than I anticipated. Thousand-year-old spiritual herbs are volatile, so there’s no rush. I can refine the remaining medicinal energy gradually. This place isn’t safe for prolonged stays; we should return to a secure location," Wandering Man said with a long exhale, rising to his feet.

The three took a long detour, avoiding Xihuang Town as they made their way back to the outer region.

Shangguan Lifeng bid them farewell, deciding to return to his cave dwelling for secluded cultivation.

Qin Sang and Wandering Man watched him leave.

"This boy has commendable talent, and even rarer, an excellent temperament. He knows gratitude and repays kindness. If you keep him around, he could make a reliable ally," Wandering Man remarked casually.

Qin Sang made no comment.

The principle of not passing on secrets to a third party weighed heavily on him.

Qin Sang carried too many secrets. The only reason Shangguan Lifeng was allowed to learn of the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions was that Qin Sang had been using his fabricated identity as Daoist Master Qingfeng.

Unless necessary, it was better to part ways and remain strangers in the martial world.

"Let’s go, Senior," Qin Sang said as he turned, walking side by side with Wandering Man. They crossed the endless yellow sands, heading back toward Xuanlu Stronghold.

The Taiyi Core Sect had its own cave dwelling, and Wandering Man chose one close to Qin Sang’s. Once fully recovered, he planned to begin refining the Dark Patterned Heyun Pill.

Meanwhile, Wandering Man had ordered the Taiyi Core Pavilion’s stewards to gather supplementary herbs. These were much less valuable than the primary ingredient and relatively easy to find. Qin Sang only needed to pay in spirit stones and wouldn’t need to exert himself.

When Qin Sang landed outside his cave dwelling in his evasion light, he carefully inspected the barriers surrounding it. Confirming that they had not been disturbed, he pushed the door open and entered.