"Since that's the case, then who will go?" A long-bearded elder stood up and looked toward the other elders.
Falling Cloud City was far off in the borderlands, and the journey there was anything but safe. Given the significance of the Foundation Establishment Pill, it was far more secure for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to undertake the task.
Without hesitation, Song Luyao stood up and met everyone's gaze directly. "Twenty-First Uncle is in charge of clan affairs, and Fifth Brother needs to oversee the Hundred Arts Hall neither of them can be spared. Since I'm the one who brought this up, I should be the one to go."
"Very well. When do you plan to depart?" Song Xianyun agreed immediately there truly was no one more suitable than her.
"The sooner, the better."
"I'll gather the spirit stones as quickly as I can," said Song Luzhou helplessly. When it came to serious matters, he was never one to delay.
After the meeting ended, Song Luyao met privately with Song Xianyun. No one knew what was said between them only that, for the next few days, Song Xianyun's expression was especially grim...
.....
In the secluded chamber carved out by Song Changsheng near Mirror Lake on Little Azure Mountain, he sat cross-legged before a large bronze cauldron, his expression solemn. From time to time, he added powdered ores into the vessel.
It had been twenty-one days since he'd entered seclusion to refine his treasured gourd. The Jellyfish Steel and Molten Core Flame Iron had already fused with the gourd, making the red and blue hues more distinct than ever.
The cauldron glowed red-hot, frequently emitting brilliant rays of multicolored light. The refining process had reached its most crucial stage the outer shell was complete. What came next was shaping the interior.
The original formation arrays had been completely erased by Song Changsheng. What he was now attempting to cultivate within the gourd was a "Soul-Slaying Blade" the true essence of the Soul-Slaying Gourd.
Of course, the "Soul-Slaying Blade" wasn't a literal sword being placed inside. Instead, he had to split off a portion of his divine soul and embed it within the gourd to nurture it. The day the artifact was completed would be the day the blade was fully formed.
This was the secret behind the Soul-Slaying Gourd it didn't cut flesh, only soul. Only a blade formed from a soul could slay another soul.
Before attempting the soul-splitting, Song Changsheng had deliberately taken a good rest. Once his energy was fully restored, he opened the lid of the cauldron, calmed his mind, and began to focus. A unique "momentum" was brewing in his sea of consciousness.
Roughly half an hour later, a gleam flashed in his eyes. In a flat tone, he said, "Cut!"
A sharp twinge passed through his head as he severed a sliver of his soul and cast it into the gourd.
His seated body swayed slightly, and his face turned pale instantly drenched in cold sweat.
"Good thing my soul is strong. If this were any other late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, they'd probably cripple themselves doing this," Song Changsheng murmured, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The soul was the most vital part of any cultivator extremely delicate. Even though he'd only severed a tiny fragment, it had still damaged his vitality. He'd need several days to recover.
"Once the Soul-Slaying Blade is fully nurtured, the Soul-Slaying Gourd will finally be complete. My combat strength will rise significantly. It's just a pity that I haven't broken through to Foundation Establishment yet, so I can't begin spirit nurturing."
He replaced the lid of the cauldron, a trace of regret appearing on his pale face. The evolution of a second-tier magic artifact into a spiritual artifact required an immense investment of time and resources to nurture a spirit an incredibly long process.
Song Changsheng's cultivation hadn't yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so he couldn't store the artifact in his dantian to begin spirit nurturing. That would cost him valuable time.
He knew that some great sects possessed secret techniques to accelerate the process, but such methods were exceedingly rare. The Song Clan certainly didn't have them not even the ancestral lineage of the old Gold Core-tier Song family had such secrets. All he could do was watch and sigh.
"Maybe… I could try using that wisp of Primordial Qi in my dantian?"
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration lit up in Song Changsheng's mind. He thought of the wisp of Primordial Qi he had long stored in his dantian. This energy, formed from the fusion of solar essence and lunar radiance, was incredibly versatile. He had previously used half a wisp of it to refine a gu worm, and there was still a little more than one wisp left.
He had a bold idea what if he infused this Primordial Qi into the Soul-Slaying Gourd? Could it bring about an unexpected boon?
Once the idea appeared, it spread like wild grass in spring uncontrollably and relentlessly.
After all, Primordial Qi was fundamentally a form of Yin-Yang energy. Refining it into the gourd, even if the result wasn't exactly as he hoped, would only bring benefits, not harm.
"If I use it up, I can always accumulate more. It's just sitting there anyway," Song Changsheng muttered, gritting his teeth as he finally decided to give it a try.
He reached out to open the cauldron lid and guided the wisp of Primordial Qi out from his dantian. To the naked eye, it looked like an ordinary gray mist.
Under his control, the mist slowly drifted into the mouth of the gourd.
In that instant, the treasure gourd erupted with dazzling radiance, sending waves of rainbow-colored light through the chamber, lighting the secluded room as bright as day.
Song Changsheng's expression froze, a wave of panic rising in his heart. Was the gourd about to explode?
Thankfully, what he feared didn't happen. However, the gourd did begin to undergo some subtle changes due to the infusion of Primordial Qi.
What those changes would ultimately result in, Song Changsheng had no way of knowing. But with such a good thing added in, surely it couldn't lead to anything bad… right?
"Hopefully not…" he muttered with a twinge of guilt. Was he about to mess everything up?
Speculation was meaningless. Whether it would be good or bad, only once the gourd was fully refined would he know for sure...
...
Liuyun Mountain Range, Huoding Mountain, Inner Hall of the Earthfire Sect
Chang Wudao reclined lazily on a cushioned lounge, staring coldly at Li Tiancheng standing below. "The information you got is reliable?"
"It should be," Li Tiancheng replied. "Back then, Song Xianming forcefully came out of seclusion and damaged his foundation. He's spent most of these years in closed-door recovery. Although he narrowly beat you last time, he likely paid a steep price for it."
"We were all fooled by the strong front he put on and thought his injuries had healed. But think about it if that were the case, why would Song Xianyun rush to the treasury afterward? And why hasn't Song Xianming shown his face again since?"
"All of this points to one thing Song Xianming was badly injured," Li Tiancheng said with a sneer.
A flicker of hatred passed through Chang Wudao's eyes. He clenched his fists unconsciously, then stood up with a cold expression. "Whether it's true or not, we'll find out soon enough."
Li Tiancheng blinked in surprise. "You mean…?"
"That girl Song Luyao is heading out to bid on a Foundation Establishment Pill for that brat, isn't she? Leak this information to him. Then we just sit back and watch how things unfold."
"Master, if the Song Clan is a wounded lone wolf, he is a vicious tiger. Are we going to work with someone like that?" Li Tiancheng's eyes widened in disbelief. This was practically bargaining with a tiger!
Chang Wudao gave him a cold glance and said sharply, "What, are you questioning my decision?"
A trace of helplessness flickered in Li Tiancheng's eyes. He cupped his hands and said, "I wouldn't dare."
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