Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 947: Responsibility

Amidst the mountains, two figures hid in the shadows, gazing toward the desolate plains.

"Must we pass through the plains to leave this place?" From Qin Sang, Bai had learned about the situation within Seven-Kill Hall. His expression grew grave. "If that person remains guarding the plains, would we not be like birds with clipped wings, unable to escape?"

"Unless he has lost his mind!" Qin Sang let out a cold snort. "Among those who entered Seven-Kill Hall this time, aside from the two races’ Spiritual Infant experts, there are also Core Formation Realm cultivators from the great factions. Each one of them is an outstanding figure among peers, of great importance to their factions. Would he truly dare to defy all taboos, offending every faction and searching them one by one? Canglang Sea is not a place where he can cover the skies with one hand. Neither the grand witch priest nor the Heavenly Dao Sect’s master Lingzhuzi would ever allow it."

By now, the plains had already returned to silence, no human figure in sight. Since leaving the Purple Mist End, the two had not once encountered the trace of that Spiritual Infant cultivator, unsure of his whereabouts. Bai suspected he might still be lying in ambush.

By reason, even if that man were mad, he would not dare go so far. It would be far too reckless. For Core Formation cultivators, facing an ambush from a Spiritual Infant cultivator was certain death.

If such a thing became common, then no matter who obtained treasures, it would only be for others to reap the spoils. Who would still dare enter Seven-Kill Hall to seek fortune?

There had never been such a precedent. Surely, all factions had long established tacit agreements, perhaps even set rules. Besides, with Lingzhuzi and the grand witch priest personally present in Seven-Kill Hall, this man had no chance to act with impunity.

But Qin Sang suddenly remembered the scene that had unfolded in Seven-Kill Hall last time. Because of a treasure, the Devil Lord and the grand witch priest had clashed, fighting from within the Sky Tower all the way to Canglang Sea. Spiritual Infant experts of both races had been drawn into the battle, nearly triggering a war between the two races. The shockwaves had struck him, almost costing him his life in the Sky Tower.

If something like that were to happen again, the grand witch priest and Lingzhuzi would surely be occupied by greater concerns, unable to spare a thought for such small matters. At that time, this man might truly get his way.

If he were convinced that a great treasure existed within the ghostly land, it was not impossible that he would resort to madness. Thinking of this, Qin Sang felt uneasy in his heart.

"Daoist, think again. Do you truly not remember his appearance?" Qin Sang pressed Bai.

He had already asked back in the ghostly land, wanting to confirm the enemy’s identity so he could avoid him in the future. Unfortunately, Bai had not seen the man’s face.

Bai shook his head. "The last time he appeared, I had just seized your malevolent corpse. After you left, I was fully absorbed in refining the body. By the time I sensed the disturbance of the devilish flames, sealed the refined corpse, and came out to look, the man had already gone. This time, he deliberately lay in ambush for you, without even revealing his true body. It was only because I was prepared beforehand that I detected the flaw in his array. As for whether he came at other times, I truly do not know. Many cultivators have attempted to break through the barrier, not just one or two. More than once, even groups of Spiritual Infant experts set down top-level arrays, yet they could not shake the barrier in the slightest..."

Qin Sang sighed inwardly and slowly shook his head. "Enough. Since we are here, we may as well settle down. It is not yet time to leave. I still have a matter that must be done. Later, Seven-Kill Hall may fall into chaos, and perhaps then we will have our chance to escape. I have already fulfilled my promise and removed the soul imprint from your refined corpse's primordial spirit. What do you plan to do next?"

Just now, Qin Sang had kept his word, dissolving the soul imprint. The Soul-Nourishing Wood had naturally fallen into his hands as well. Their vow between each other was fulfilled, and from now on they owed nothing to the other.

Bai frowned. "Daoist, do you intend to stop at merely removing the soul imprint? Within the refined corpse's primordial spirit, there exists another strange power, fused into its very essence, inseparable from it. That too, was left by you, was it not?"

"Indeed." Qin Sang nodded. "That power is called the Heavenly Corpse Talisman. It is crucial to this corpse refinement art. Yet I only know how to refine the Heavenly Corpse Talisman. As for breaking it, I have no method."

Bai fixed his gaze on him, clearly doubting his words. Qin Sang met his eyes calmly, without a shred of falsehood. "This corpse refinement art is called the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art. It is of little use to me now, and there is no need to keep it secret. If you do not believe me, see for yourself."

He took out the Heavenly Corpse Token from his Thousand-Jin Ring and tossed it to Bai. After reading the contents, Bai’s expression suddenly turned dark and heavy.

Qin Sang asked curiously, "Why trouble yourself over a single talisman? Without my soul imprint, the Heavenly Corpse Talisman itself is not difficult to destroy. With your strength, you should be able to easily erase the refined corpse's primordial spirit, should you not?"

Bai let out a bitter laugh. "Erasing the primordial spirit is not difficult. But once I do, I will be trapped in the corpse path with no return, never able to recover.

"When I fused with the refined corpse, I discovered that it had not truly died. There was still a faint trace of vitality inside. If I erase the primordial spirit, that spark of vitality will vanish, and it will become a true corpse. If I wish to restore the body to normal, I must work from the root, first refining away the primordial spirit, then slowly restoring it... Unless I can obtain some divine pill or extraordinary treasure, there will be no way back. From what you have said, the immortal cultivation world today is in ruins, with its strongest experts no higher than the late stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm. Where could I ever find such a heaven-defying treasure?"

Hearing this, Qin Sang’s heart stirred. He had once transformed himself into a living corpse, but under the Jade Buddha’s protection it had not counted as true corpse refinement. His experience had not gone as deep as Bai’s.

He had not expected that after all this time, the body of the flying yaksha still retained a trace of vitality. So this was the real reason the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art referred to them as living corpses?

If Bai could find a way to undo the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, perhaps it could be used on Mute Girl as well.

With that thought, Qin Sang quickly asked, "The vitality you speak of... What exactly is it? If the Heavenly Corpse Talisman were undone, could one truly return to being ordinary?"

Bai gave him a meaningful look. "The vitality I speak of is not the superficial life energy granted by medicines, but the original vitality of the body. You guessed correctly. As long as the Heavenly Corpse Talisman can be undone, that woman in your Corpse Puppet Pouch would indeed have a chance to return to normal. I had not expected you to be such a sentimental man, using something so sinister to save another’s life, keeping her always by your side, never abandoning her. I cannot help but admire you."

"You saw her?" Qin Sang sighed softly. "It is not sentiment, but responsibility. If it was you, could you simply watch your benefactor die before your eyes? If I had never seen it happen, then vengeance alone might have sufficed to set my heart at ease. But since there is a way to save her, no matter how faint the hope, I cannot stand idly by. Otherwise, my conscience would never be at peace."

As he spoke, Qin Sang opened the Corpse Puppet Pouch and summoned Mute Girl. Mute Girl resembled a sleeping beauty. Unlike the flying yaksha, her appearance bore no trace of a refined corpse. Her skin was even rosier and more delicate than when she had been alive.

"Daoist, you have been a ghost cultivator for many years. Are you truly helpless before the Heavenly Corpse Talisman?" Qin Sang gazed at Mute Girl for a long time, then looked up and asked.

Bai shook his head solemnly. "I suspect that the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art may not actually belong to corpse cultivation, at least not entirely."