Even after countless millennia, the sword qi still lingered. Since entering Ziwei Palace, Qin Sang had witnessed far too many wonders beyond imagination, each more shocking than the last. By now, he had become almost numb. And yet, this sword mark that cleaved an entire mountain in half and shattered countless ancient halls still stood silently, warning future intruders not to trespass upon this mountain. Qin Sang stared blankly at the sword scar when a faint crack reached his ears. He hastily raised his wrist, only to see a slender fissure appear on one of the dragon scales of his wooden dragon bracelet. His expression changed drastically. The bracelet was nearing its limit and could no longer suppress the imprint. He had long promised to help Wandering Man heal his injuries. For this, Wandering Man had braved great danger to secure the Purple Cloud Fruit. Qin Sang had already reaped the benefits; there was no way he could go back on his word. Thankfully, there was only a single crack. The bracelet should still hold out a while longer. Originally, because the flying yaksha’s metamorphosis had yet to conclude, Qin Sang and Wandering Man had agreed to conserve the corpse core’s true essence in case of emergencies. But now, there was no time left to wait. He immediately unsealed his corpse core and said solemnly, "Senior, lead the way." Wasting no time, the two of them began ascending the mountain. Once they entered the mists enshrouding the mountain, the visible peaks and ancient halls disappeared entirely. There was a vast illusion array set within the mountain. Wandering Man took out a luopan-like artifact and tossed one to Qin Sang as well, explaining how to use it. These artifacts appeared to be specially crafted for navigating the illusion array here. Once spiritual power was infused, a golden needle emerged at the center of the luopan to guide their path. The needle pointed to a narrow mountain trail, winding and treacherous. Fortunately, they encountered no danger along the way and soon arrived at the summit. There, they stood before a dried-up lake. On the far side lay stretches of ruins, and further beyond, endless mist. The entire mountain remained cloaked within the illusion array. Wandering Man stepped forward, adjusted his luopan, then pointed to the far side of the lake and said gravely, "There." Qin Sang led the way, stepping into the dry lakebed and heading straight forward. They crossed several collapsed ancient halls, and along the way, Qin Sang frequently swept his spiritual consciousness through the rubble but found nothing of value. Still, he noticed the layout of these halls was not ordinary. They seemed to serve a particular function. "From what I know, these halls were likely ancient pill chambers," Wandering Man explained, verifying their direction with the luopan as he pointed to the channels etched into the ground. "These trenches are probably fire ducts. Combined with spiritual arrays, they channeled flames from other locations to assist in alchemy." Qin Sang had long found those channels peculiar. So they were fire ducts. He asked in doubt, "Ziwei Palace is such a mysterious place. Even if its residents weren’t all great experts, their cultivation levels must have been high. A Core Formation cultivator can already produce pill fire using their true essence for alchemy and artifact refinement, which is stronger than natural earth fire. What kind of flame would they need to channel here, distributing it among so many, and still have it be stronger than their own spiritual fire?" Qin Sang had a fair understanding of artifact refinement, which shared many principles with pill refining. The mountain was filled with ancient halls. If all of them were pill chambers, just how powerful would the celestial flame need to be to support so many alchemists refining pills at once? Wandering Man replied, "Pill fire isn’t necessarily superior to all forms of earth fire. Do you remember the mountain within Xuling Sect? It housed a mutated earth fire, far superior to ordinary ones, and served as the foundation of the sect. "In the cultivation world, there are countless rare and wondrous spiritual flames. Some can truly be called celestial flames, far stronger than the infant fire of a Spiritual Infant cultivator. Immortal cultivators who refine such flames can use them in alchemy and artifact crafting, doubling their efficiency and greatly increasing their chances of success. "Moreover, these ancient halls were likely equipped with powerful barriers to contain and regulate the flames, eliminating the need for the user to divide their attention controlling them. "As for what kind of flame it is, you’ll see soon enough..." Qin Sang had heard of these things before. The Devilish Flames of Nine Hells sealed within the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions were one such extraordinary flame. He had long wanted to use the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells for artifact refinement. With just one Yan Luo Banner, the aid provided by the devilish flames was limited. However, now that he knew how to deploy an array with three banners, the flames’ power would rise significantly. Whether it would truly be useful remained to be seen. Only after he formed his core and could manipulate the Yan Luo Banner freely would he know for sure. Now, hearing that the divine flame within this celestial palace still burned, Qin Sang couldn’t help feeling a surge of anticipation. That fire is surely no ordinary thing. Could it be the legendary Lunar Essence Flame or Solar Essence Flame? If it really is one of the world’s rare celestial flames, can I, in the future, emulate Founder Kuiyin’s method for refining the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions and attempt to subdue it once my cultivation is strong enough? With that thought, Qin Sang’s drive intensified, and he surged forward at speed. The farther they advanced, the more thoroughly the ancient halls had been destroyed. Qin Sang quietly gauged their direction and realized that Wandering Man was actually leading him straight toward the sword mark. No wonder they had begun to feel that dreadful pressure up ahead. Oppressed by the sword qi, their pace was forced to slow, and they dared not fly anymore. Step by step, they trudged along the ground, drawing ever closer to the sword mark. Sweat streamed down Qin Sang’s body. Not only did he have to endure the crushing pressure of the sword qi, he also had to support Wandering Man. The true essence within his corpse core was being consumed at a terrifying rate. But now, he could no longer afford any distractions. On the way up the mountain, a second crack had appeared on the wooden bracelet. Qin Sang had no energy left to pay it any mind. He focused all his strength on activating his corpse core to protect his body. At last, he heard Wandering Man speak. Qin Sang opened his eyes wide and looked ahead. There, before them, was a sheer cliff face, and built into it stood a massive stone hall. Its architectural style resembled the ones below, but it was far grander and more imposing. What surprised him was that this stone hall had not collapsed. However, it wasn’t entirely intact either. The sword mark cut straight through the center of the hall, splitting it cleanly in two. The break was smooth and sharp, leaving both sides undamaged. Follow current novels on novｅlfire.net Through the passage of time and erosion by wind and sand, the stone hall had lost its former luster. Its surface was pitted and worn, exuding an ancient and desolate aura. The main doors stood wide open, offering a clear view of the interior. It was completely empty. Bracing against the pressure, the two of them slowly stepped into the hall. Qin Sang looked around curiously but saw no signs of any spiritual flame, nor could he sense any unusual fluctuations. Wandering Man scanned the area, fell into brief contemplation, then walked toward the interior of the stone hall. He located a particular stone tile, crouched down, and pressed his hand against it. A strange glow flickered across the surface, and a deep rumbling sound suddenly echoed from beneath the ground. Wandering Man turned to Qin Sang and explained, "The fire duct where the spiritual flame is sealed lies underground. Just like the celestial platform beneath the Spirit-Gathering Hall, it's deeply hidden, completely imperceptible from the outside. I only discovered it by accident..." Before he could finish his sentence, the ground of the stone hall suddenly split open, revealing a hidden passage that led straight underground. As the tunnel opened, a wave of searing heat surged forth. The temperature inside the stone hall spiked instantly, and a deep red glow began to shine from within the depths of the tunnel. Wandering Man visibly relaxed, letting out a breath of relief. "Good! The spiritual flame is still here. It hasn’t been discovered by anyone else!"