Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 362: Insights on Astras

So, they are uncle and nephew. Qin Sang had thought that Song Yi was Song Chengxian’s son.

"How are they doing now?"

Song Yi replied, "Grandmother is being taken care of by my mother and a few elders; she’s still in good health. As for Uncle... he passed away many years ago."

Song Chengxian is dead?

The last time Qin Sang had seen him, he had been a newborn baby. Now, hearing news of him again, he had already been gone for years.

Shopkeeper Wu had also grown old.

Having endured the trials of his journey through the Great Sui, Qin Sang merely sighed at the news. His heart, tempered by years of experience, no longer stirred as easily.

"Uncle was ambushed in the vast Yuncang Marshlands and suffered severe injuries. He barely made it home before his condition worsened. At that time, I was still very young. Despite his grave injuries, he held on just long enough to guide me onto the path of cultivation, and then..."

Song Yi's voice choked with emotion.

Qin Sang sighed lightly. Song Chengxian had not been particularly gifted. Though Qin Sang had left him a Foundation Building Pill along with some cultivation resources, the road of solitary cultivation must have been unbearably difficult.

The path of immortality was merciless—not only for Song Chengxian, but for countless others.

With that thought, Qin Sang asked, "Did you find the one who ambushed him?"

Song Yi wiped his tears and nodded. "Uncle killed the culprit on the spot. He was just a rogue cultivator with no powerful backers, so there was no one to seek revenge. I was not affected."

Qin Sang nodded and signaled for Song Yi to leave. Then, he turned to Shopkeeper Wu. "What do you have in mind?"

By now, he had a rough idea of why the shopkeeper had called him here.

Shopkeeper Wu stood up, took out a jade slip, and handed it to Qin Sang.

Frowning, Qin Sang glanced at the jade slip but did not reach for it. Instead, he locked eyes with Shopkeeper Wu, displeasure evident in his gaze. "Daoist Wu, what is the meaning of this?"

Shopkeeper Wu did not withdraw the jade slip.

"When Song Yi first came to my shop, I recognized his resemblance to the Song family—he looked too much like those two children from back then.

"This child is intelligent and has a steady temperament. Though his talent is not at the highest level, he possesses three spiritual roots, making him a true spiritual root cultivator. He has a chance at reaching the Foundation Building Realm. Otherwise, I would not have troubled you, Daoist Qin."

"I have no heirs, and I feel a strong affinity with this child. The least I can do is pass down my lifelong knowledge to him and do my best to support him. That way, our master-disciple bond will not be in vain."

"Daoist Qin, this jade slip is a family heirloom of mine. It contains the accumulated insights of several generations of my ancestors on the art of artifact refining. It may not be worthy of your esteemed attention."

"However, there is an entry from an unknown senior within it. This individual was once a disciple of a Golden Core cultivator from the Xuling Sect. He served as an attendant and personally observed the entire process of that Golden Core cultivator refining an astra.

"Later, this senior recorded everything he witnessed."

"My ancestors happened upon this jade slip by chance, and it became the foundation of their journey into artifact refinement."

"I have noticed that you have an interest in refining. I wonder if the contents of this jade slip might be of any use to you?"

Under Shopkeeper Wu’s expectant gaze, Qin Sang pondered for a moment before finally accepting the jade slip. He infused it with his spiritual consciousness and began to examine its contents.

The first entries he saw were the insights left behind by Shopkeeper Wu’s ancestors. Their cultivation levels had not been high, and they had dedicated their entire lives to studying artifact refinement, forsaking their pursuit of immortality.

Qin Sang skimmed through these records until he reached the entry left by that unknown senior.

Reading carefully, he fell into deep thought.

Although this account was not written by the Golden Core cultivator himself, it provided an extraordinarily detailed description of the astra refining process. More importantly, the Golden Core master had often provided guidance to his disciple during the process, and these instructions had been recorded word for word.

The Xuling Sect had unique insights into artifact refinement that set them apart from other sects.

Qin Sang had obtained the refining method for the Primordial Unity Ring, but he still needed to figure out the finer details on his own. Studying this jade slip in depth would undoubtedly be of great benefit to him in the future.

Once he advanced to the Core Formation Realm, he would likely receive secret inheritance rewards from Shaohua Mountain—but that was a matter for later.

What excited him the most was that the knowledge in the jade slip seemed to be applicable to the ebony sword as well—especially the instructions that came directly from the Golden Core master.

Though he could only comprehend a small portion of it for now, he had already gained some insights. If he could fully grasp these teachings, the ebony sword’s ability to absorb spiritwood would undoubtedly improve significantly.

Having come to a decision, Qin Sang opened his eyes.

He still had an unused recommendation slot for new disciples.

Song Yi’s three spiritual roots, combined with Qin Sang’s recommendation, would make his acceptance into Shaohua Mountain almost certain.

Moreover, Song Yi was of the Song Family.

Shopkeeper Wu had likely learned about Qin Sang’s connection to the Song Family and had taken a chance, hoping for this exact outcome.

"After joining Shaohua Mountain, Song Yi will become a disciple of the sect. If he is later chosen by a senior to be a personal disciple, he will have to change his direct master accordingly."

Qin Sang reminded Shopkeeper Wu.

Shopkeeper Wu responded calmly, "As long as it benefits him."

Since Shopkeeper Wu had already considered things thoroughly, Qin Sang said no more. He called Song Yi inside, took out a jade pendant, and handed it to him. "The next time Shaohua Mountain holds its disciple recruitment, take this token and go there. When you encounter the disciples from Dao Peak responsible for the selection, just answer their questions truthfully."

Song Yi hesitated, not daring to accept it right away. He turned to Shopkeeper Wu and asked, "Master..."

Shopkeeper Wu urged him anxiously, "Hurry and thank Senior Qin!"

Only then did Song Yi take the jade pendant and bow deeply to Qin Sang.

"No need for such formalities."

Qin Sang smiled and helped Song Yi up. "Your master and I are of the same seniority, so in the future, you should call me Senior Uncle Qin. Shaohua Mountain does not have overly strict rules, but once you join, some chores will be inevitable. The person in charge of Dao Peak is on good terms with me, and for my sake, he should be able to take care of you somewhat. However, that is just a small matter, you will still need to cultivate diligently on your own. Once your cultivation improves, returning to the ancestral home of the Song Family will not be difficult."

When Song Ying left Wenyue Market, she voluntarily relinquished all of the Song Family's assets in the market and signed official documents to that effect.

At the time when Qin Sang had just broken through to the Foundation Building Realm, his foundation was still shallow, and Song Chengxian was still young and had yet to embark on the path of immortality. There was no suitable excuse to intervene, nor was it appropriate to break the rules of Wenyue Market.

Now, it was up to Song Yi to resolve things himself, serving as a form of motivation.

Receiving Qin Sang's promise, Shopkeeper Wu and his disciple were overjoyed.

After chatting with Shopkeeper Wu for a while, Qin Sang left him with a few spiritual materials to refine artifacts. Just as he was about to visit Granny Jing, he received unexpected news from Shopkeeper Wu.

"More than twenty years ago, Granny Jing closed her shop and left Wenyue Market. She has not been seen for a long time. Without Granny Jing in charge, the members of the secret shop gathered privately a few times, but gradually, our contact dwindled. However, her shop is still here. If Daoist Qin wishes, you can leave a Sound Transmission Talisman. When Granny Jing returns, she will see it."

Qin Sang was surprised. "Daoist Wu, do you know where Granny Jing went?"

Shopkeeper Wu shook his head. "She left without leaving any message, so I have no idea."

Bidding farewell to Shopkeeper Wu, Qin Sang arrived at the secret shop. As expected, the doors were tightly shut, and there was no sign of Granny Jing.

A barrier was placed outside the shop as a protective measure.

Qin Sang took out a Sound Transmission Talisman, clearly explaining his purpose before embedding it into the barrier, then departed from the market.