Chapter 1202: Sharp Metal Art

Qin Sang left the branch altar of Heavenly Corpse Sect, brought the fat chicken along, and flew out of Heavenly Scar.

After arriving at a secluded place, Qin Sang spread open the geomantic map that Qingjun had given him and finally confirmed the marked location where the black qi from the altar had manifested.

"So it was here!" Qin Sang exclaimed.

The marked spot, which Qin Sang suspected to be the headquarters of Heavenly Corpse Sect, had been located deep within Heavenly Scar, a place difficult for ordinary people to reach.

Nearby, there was also a forbidden ground of Sin Abyss! That place was known as Abyssal Ruin, where the entrance to Sin God Palace lay.

Small Cold Domain and Tianxing Alliance had only limited knowledge of Abyssal Ruin. Qin Sang only knew that Abyssal Ruin contained more than just Sin God Palace as a hidden realm, yet there was only a single entrance to the entire area.

Sin God Palace had been discovered later by cultivators of Sin Abyss, and it was undoubtedly the most important hidden realm there, possibly even the core of the entire Abyssal Ruin.

To enter Sin God Palace, one had to first enter Abyssal Ruin.

Of course, there was still a considerable distance between Heavenly Corpse Sect’s headquarters and the entrance to Abyssal Ruin. Otherwise, Qin Sang would have had to carefully reconsider whether to proceed.

Looking at the geomantic map, Qin Sang thought to himself that Heavenly Corpse Sect was truly bold.

The major factions of Sin Abyss must have been constantly monitoring the entrance to Abyssal Ruin. If Heavenly Corpse Sect made even the slightest mistake and exposed the location of its headquarters, disaster would surely follow.

Qin Sang calculated inwardly. Senior Sister Qingjun once attempted to spy on Abyssal Ruin and Sin God Palace and had already determined the defensive forces near the palace. The headquarters is not within the area that will cause an alert. Still, Heavenly Corpse Sect actually built its headquarters so close to a forbidden ground, and even established such an important branch altar deep within Heavenly Scar. No wonder it has been nearly impossible to find any information about them from the outside.

Continuing south from Nanyin Mountain Range would lead to the southernmost end of Heavenly Scar, the most desolate and barren region.

However, the marked location lay north of Jinhen Mountain. Qin Sang had to retrace his path. After crossing Jinhen Mountain, since he could not freely use his evasion technique, it would likely take another day of travel.

Qin Sang put away the geomantic map and quietly moved north. After passing Jinhen Mountain, he arrived at his destination.

Here, Heavenly Scar stretched a thousand li wide. Qin Sang had returned to the eastern side of Heavenly Scar and stood at its edge, looking west. Even with the vision of the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, he could not see the opposite shore.

He glanced north again. The entrance to Abyssal Ruin lay further in that direction.

That area was heavily guarded, while Qin Sang’s current position was far more relaxed. The patrol forces were no stronger than those around Jinhen Mountain, allowing him to slip in easily.

After a brief pause, Qin Sang leaped into Heavenly Scar. The upper layers of the Heavenly Scar all looked similar, differing only in the level of danger.

Naturally, such danger posed little threat to Qin Sang. He strolled within Heavenly Scar as if walking through a garden, descending rapidly, brushing past fragments of ancient barriers without causing any disturbance.

The dim Heavenly Scar appeared extraordinarily mysterious. Before he knew it, Qin Sang had traversed more than half the distance. The deeper he went, the more danger lurked everywhere. His expression grew slightly more serious, his evasion light flickering like a phantom, silent and elusive.

"I'm here!" Qin Sang appeared within a patch of forest. The vegetation here was still alive, yet entirely black, carrying a decaying aura. His gaze swept across the area before settling on an open space at the edge of the forest.

There were only a few stones in the clearing, utterly unremarkable. Yet this was the marked location. Although Qin Sang already knew the method to activate it from the black mist of the altar, he did not act rashly. Instead, he first activated the Sky-Eyed Butterfly and quickly detected something unusual.

"Even the Sky-Eyed Butterfly should not have noticed this so easily. Is it because someone has already been here?" Qin Sang asked.

The fat chicken suddenly jumped out, eager to make a contribution, and volunteered to scout ahead.

Last time, the fat chicken had wanted to do the same, but Qin Sang had refused due to the witch race barriers.

"That works. I will set up an array outside to support you. If you encounter anyone, do not engage. Lure them out." After a brief consideration, Qin Sang agreed.

He first activated the Heavenly Demon Transformation and summoned the twelve devilish banners, preparing for any contingency. Then he shot a streak of light into the center of the clearing, and the fat chicken standing there vanished into thin air.

Soon, the fat chicken flew back out unharmed. "Master, there is no one inside."

As expected! Qin Sang nodded, gathered the devil banners, and entered the hidden realm.

The ground beneath him suddenly vanished, and Qin Sang found himself suspended in mid-air. Below him was an endless expanse of ocean.

The fat chicken followed behind him. "I just circled the area. There is only this main hall floating in the center. Everywhere else is empty. Beneath the water, there is only a single altar directly below the hall."

Following his direction, Qin Sang saw a black hall built upon the water. He descended rapidly and landed before its entrance.

The gates stood open. Inside, there were several shelves and tables, all completely empty. Clearly, someone had already arrived before them.

After searching the place and finding nothing, Qin Sang was about to dive into the water to locate the altar mentioned by the fat chicken when his body suddenly froze. His eyes locked onto the water’s surface.

"Master, what's wrong?" The fat chicken felt a chill creep through him. He had sensed nothing and had even dived underwater earlier.

"This is not water. Or rather, it is not only water. A peculiar barrier has been fused into it. Without the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, even I might have overlooked it," Qin Sang replied.

Qin Sang reached out and scooped up a handful. Immediately, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly observed that the strange power receded like a tide.

"How strange..." Qin Sang frowned. The barrier merged seamlessly with the water, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, yet it did not affect those within it.

This was the first time he had encountered such a phenomenon. After some thought, Qin Sang cautiously entered the water.

Beneath the surface lay a circular altar, very similar to the previous one, though much larger, with far more intricate inscriptions carved upon it.

"As expected, this is very likely the headquarters of Heavenly Corpse Sect!" Qin Sang nodded, parted the water, and floated above the altar. Suddenly, his expression changed. He thrust his hand into the water and caught a thread of golden thread, thinner than the tip of a needle.

Sensing the aura emanating from the thread, Qin Sang felt a surge of joy. "Sharp metal qi. It is the Sharp Metal Art."[1]

The Sharp Metal Art was precisely the cultivation art Tan Hao practiced after forming his Golden Core.

Qin Sang made several more moves, gathering additional strands of sharp metal qi from nearby.

"My previous speculation has now been largely confirmed. Tan Hao did come here. He must have fought within the water. The residual aura has yet to dissipate and is still sealed within this barrier," Qin Sang said.

Qin Sang turned his gaze toward the altar.

He knew little about Heavenly Corpse Sect, so he could only forcibly channel his spiritual consciousness into the altar in an attempt to activate it.

Yet the altar showed no response. No matter what he tried, it was like casting a stone into the sea.

After a moment, Qin Sang rose back to the surface. He had formed some hypotheses, but they still required verification.

He then instructed the fat chicken to keep watch at the entrance, to avoid being trapped inside unknowingly. Afterward, he sat cross-legged before the hall, merged his mind with the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, and fixed his gaze upon the water, fully concentrating on analyzing the barrier within.

The barrier was vast. Starting from the place where he had discovered the sharp metal qi, Qin Sang gradually began to discern some clues.

"This is a type of seal. But water has no fixed form. Where exactly was the mysterious figure being sealed? The altar... may be a channel Heavenly Corpse Sect used to communicate with that person."

1. Sharp metal is the metal among the five elements. In xianxia/wuxia, it can refer to a metal-elemental power focused on sharpness. Emphasizes penetration, cutting, and lethality. Often associated with sword qi, blades, or piercing techniques. ☜

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