Chang Wudao held absolute authority within the Earthfire Sect no one could defy him. Even though Li Tiancheng believed this decision was unwise, he had no power to change it. All he could do was hope things wouldn't unfold as badly as he feared.
That very day, Li Tiancheng concealed his presence and quietly left the Liuyun Mountains. No one knew where he went...
In the blink of an eye, another month slipped through his fingers. The refinement of the Soul-Slaying Gourd was finally reaching its conclusion.
"Open the cauldron."
With a sudden slap on the bronze cauldron, Song Changsheng lifted the heavy lid.
In that instant radiance burst forth!
When the glow faded, what lay inside was a gourd of black and white, faintly resembling a Taiji diagram. Though forged from metal, it had no metallic feel its surface was smooth and flawless, as if naturally formed.
Looking at the dramatically transformed gourd, Song Changsheng couldn't help but mutter, "Why did the color change?"
As he picked up the gourd, the moment it touched his hand, he felt a subtle stirring from the Dao Foundation in his dantian, as though something was tugging at it.
The next moment, the gourd emitted a hazy glow. Yin and Yang's energies began to ripple from it, resonating faintly with the Yin-Yang Dao Foundation in his dantian.
A sense of clarity rose within Song Changsheng.
The Primordial Qi had transformed the originally water-fire attributed Soul-Slaying Gourd into one aligned with Yin and Yang, perfectly matching his Dao Foundation.
Once he advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage and fully comprehended the True Meaning of Yin and Yang, the gourd's power in his hands would be greatly amplified. For that alone, using the Primordial Qi was worth it.
But the surprises didn't stop there. Song Changsheng could feel a trace of spiritual brilliance being nurtured within the gourd a sign that it was beginning to evolve from a magic tool into a spiritual artifact.
Though it was only a trace, it was still remarkable. Normally, cultivating such spiritual brilliance would require a Foundation Establishment cultivator to nurture the item in their dantian for years.
And this was just the beginning. For a full transformation into a spiritual artifact, it would need to absorb a massive amount of elemental essence. Although elemental essence wasn't particularly rare, the sheer volume required made it costly. Most people simply couldn't afford it.
That's why spiritual artifacts were so rare and precious. Many Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't even own one. This was especially true among rogue cultivators of the dozen or so independent cultivators in Lingzhou, fewer than five had spiritual artifacts.
And even among those, none had nurtured their own. Their artifacts were either inherited from ancestors or acquired through sheer luck.
For example, the Lu Wu Bell in Song Changsheng's possession had been obtained by breaking through a formation laid down by He Yunxuan.
Compared to the struggling lives of rogue cultivators, those backed by powerful clans or sects fared far better. Take the Song Clan, for example after hundreds of years rooted in Lingzhou, they had produced two Purple Mansion cultivators and dozens of Foundation Establishment experts. These elders left behind a rich legacy.
At its peak, the Song Clan had over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators almost each one with a spiritual artifact. This was the result of generations of accumulation, a testament to the clan's deep foundation.
In all of Lingzhou, only the Earthfire Sect could rival the Song Clan in this regard. The other factions were far behind having just two or three spiritual artifacts was already considered impressive.
"This wisp of Primordial Qi didn't disappoint. It saved me years of effort," Song Changsheng said with great satisfaction.
Looking at the black-and-white gourd in his hand, he thought for a moment and said, "From now on, you'll be called Yin-Yang Soul-Slaying Gourd."
As soon as he named it, the gourd trembled ever so slightly, as if expressing joy at its new identity.
Hanging the gourd at his waist, Song Changsheng stretched lazily, finally ending his seclusion.
As he pushed open the door, the sight of a clear blue sky and a few drifting clouds greeted him, instantly lifting his spirits.
"Little Uncle, you're out!" Song Qingxi called out with delight, skipping over to him and looking up with a bright face.
"Yes, I am. Have you been practicing diligently these days?" Song Changsheng asked, smiling as he ruffled the little girl's hair.
"Of course! I even drank the tea leaves too!"
"Good girl. Keep drinking that tea regularly, alright?"
With the little girl in tow, Song Changsheng walked to the front of the thatched hut and saw Song Qingxing earnestly practicing a sword technique, sharp sword qi swirling around him.
"To think you've already mastered the Clear Wind Sword Art this quickly… you truly are a natural-born swordsman," Song Changsheng said with a note of admiration.
Hearing this, Song Qingxing sheathed his sword and replied flatly, "How do I compare to you?"
That question again. Song Changsheng rubbed his chin and said with a grin, "When it comes to swordsmanship, I'm not as good as you. But I do have a slight edge in other areas, like spellcasting."
"Sorcery is but a minor path. I have one sword that can cut through all techniques," Song Qingxing replied coldly.
"Brag all you want you couldn't even beat that big crow!" Song Qingxi mercilessly exposed him.
Song Qingxing's face froze for a moment, but he didn't argue back.
Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow and asked with a chuckle, "What big crow?"
"It showed up a while ago," Song Qingxi explained. "It keeps trying to sneak in and eat the fresh shoots of the Mistveil Tea. Cold Log fought it a few times, but every time it managed to get away."
"It's stealing tea leaves? Could it be a top-tier first-rank beast?"
The tender shoots of Mistveil Tea were highly attractive to spirit beasts about to break through to second-rank low grade. That Iron-Clawed Eagle from before had been the same.
Song Qingxi shook her head. "No, it's high-grade first-rank."
That surprised Song Changsheng. He glanced at Song Qingxing he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, yet he had been able to repel a high-grade first-rank beast. That was about on par with how strong he had been at that stage.
"Where is the crow now?"
Leaving a creature like that unchecked could spell trouble later. Best to deal with it early and it would be a good chance to test the power of the Soul-Slaying Gourd.
"Once I take one more step forward," Song Qingxing cut in abruptly, "killing it will be effortless."
"And how long will that take?" Song Qingxi pouted. "That crow's too annoying!"
She didn't care about that and immediately pulled Song Changsheng by the hand to go find the crow, leaving Song Qingxing standing there awkwardly in the breeze...
The crow hadn't gone far. It had built a nest by the side of Mirror Lake, lying in wait for the right moment but its opportunity would never come.
"So it's a Three-Eyed Crow, and it's almost at top-tier first-rank already. Can't let this one live," Song Changsheng said coldly as he looked at the black crow with three eyes.
He had originally thought that if its cultivation wasn't high, he could leave it for Song Qingxing to practice on. But seeing it so close to breaking through, he immediately changed his mind.
Sensing someone near its territory, the Three-Eyed Crow flew into a rage. Its wings flared, shooting out a barrage of black feathers like sharp blades.
Song Changsheng calmly drew a circle with one hand in front of him, forming a shield of spiritual energy. The feathers struck the shield without even causing a ripple.
Realizing it was outmatched, the crow immediately kicked up a fierce demonic wind, trying to flee.
But Song Changsheng lifted the gourd at his waist and said calmly, "Gourd, slay the spirit."
The gourd gave a subtle twist, and an invisible Soul-Slaying Blade sliced through the air. Mid-flight, the Three-Eyed Crow suddenly froze its eyes dimmed in an instant, and it plummeted lifelessly to the ground.
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