25. Forging the God-Slaying Needles

Yao Qian admired the brainwashing policies of the Wuji Sect from the bottom of her heart. Having lived two lifetimes, her worldview was already firmly set, yet even she found it impossible to remain unaffected—not to mention these young Daoist disciples whose worldviews were still in the formative stages. Things were fine now during the land reclamation phase, but in the future, if they were ordered to kill or set fires, would they even care?

It wasn't that Yao Qian was overthinking things; it was simply common in the cultivation world for one sect to encroach upon another. The Wuji Sect, being one of the ten great demonic sects, maintained a facade of dignity and usually wouldn't dirty its own hands. However, they could easily dispatch a Nascent Soul or Golden Core disciple to establish a new branch or a minor sect, allowing them to annex other sects under a legitimate pretext.

Yao Qian only hoped that when she faced such choices in the future, she would have the freedom to decide. Whether it was a demonic sect or not didn't matter to her, but her actions could not violate her own nature. While pondering this, she cut some mid-tier spirit beast meat into small pieces for Da Hei.

It wasn't out of stinginess; the meat was rich in spiritual energy, and Da Hei couldn't handle too much. She poured it a bowl of beast milk and said, "I have to go out for a few days—at least three. Will you be alright here alone?"

She had reached the final stage of refining her God-Slaying Needles and needed to condense the internal talismans. Having never done this inside a magical tool before, she wasn't sure how long it would take for all twenty-seven needles, so she estimated three days.

Da Hei meowed at her a few times. It didn't care whether she was home or not; it was only staying here temporarily anyway.

Yao Qian handed a storage bag to Da Hei. It was a common one that even ordinary people could use; one simply had to drip a drop of blood on it to claim ownership. These bags could be accessed using either spiritual sense or blood essence. Da Hei had abundant blood essence, so opening it would be effortless.

The bag contained half a month’s worth of food and three days of beast milk. Since the milk spoiled easily, she didn't prepare more, knowing the cave dwelling had spiritual water. "My door will be left open," she instructed. "If I don't return, go find your own food."

Jin Xiu'er shook her head as she watched. "If you're so worried about it, why don't you make it your spirit pet and keep it with you?"

"It's not a domesticated pet," Yao Qian replied. "How could I keep it by my side?" Unless she broke its limbs, Da Hei would definitely run away. Even if she were to keep a pet, she wouldn't consider Da Hei.

"Then you should buy a spirit beast bag," Jin Xiu'er suggested. "During this land reclamation, we might find some cubs. If you raise one from a young age, wouldn't that make it a 'domesticated' pet?"

Yao Qian felt a twinge of interest. "I'll buy one just in case." Before Da Hei appeared, she had been firm about not keeping pets, but the companionship of Da Hei and the kitten over the past few days had gradually eroded her resolve. She couldn't keep Da Hei, but she could certainly raise an orphaned cub.

A pet raised from a young age wouldn't need to be kept in a spirit beast bag all the time; she could let it out to keep her company while she cultivated. She didn't care about the beast's rank or abilities; she had her innate purple aura, after all. Little did she know that when she returned from the market, Da Hei would give her a "big surprise."

"You should have bought one long ago," Jin Xiu'er said. She had noticed how much Yao Qian loved small animals and had suggested it before, only to be rebuffed with excuses about inadequate conditions. Jin Xiu'er didn't understand; if Yao Qian’s conditions weren't good enough, whose were? Those of Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators?

After settling Da Hei, Yao Qian hurried to the Duobao Pavilion. Its refining rooms were underground to utilize geothermal fires. The Golden Core cultivator refining her needles had been at his craft for three hundred years and was highly sought after.

Had it not been for the ten soul crystals she offered as a private fee, he wouldn't have bothered with such a simple task, working on her needles only in the gaps between other projects. Even so, the quality was far superior to what most Foundation Establishment cultivators could produce.

Yao Qian didn't care whether he was attentive or not, as long as the needles were good. She had condensed the God-Slaying Talisman with her consciousness countless times over the past three years, but this was her first time inscribing one onto an object.

She had to control the flow of the liquefied materials with her consciousness to form the talisman inside the needle, while simultaneously managing the flow of spiritual energy so it could enter the talisman and create an internal circulation.

After hearing the detailed instructions from the master, she practiced with a few spare needles. Since each needle held only one talisman, and she had already mastered the God-Slaying Needle technique, the talisman did not evolve further.

This was likely because it had been perfected by the Heavenly Derivation Stele to its optimal state; it wouldn't advance until her cultivation level increased and she learned more profound techniques.

After carefully refining two spare needles, she felt confident and proceeded to imprint the rest. Then, she used her consciousness to nurture them. Unlike other tools, these required spiritual sense rather than true essence for maintenance.

This explained why soul-attack weapons were so rare; most cultivators lacked the consciousness strength to nurture them. It also explained why most such weapons were needles or spikes—their small size made them manageable.

The Wuji Sect’s Asura Spikes were not true soul-attack weapons; they were nurtured and driven by true essence, making them less effective against the soul. Unlike them, Yao Qian’s needles would eventually transition from physical to non-physical forms, allowing them to kill without leaving a trace.

Once the talisman was set, she felt an intimate connection with the needles. She could sense everything they "felt" and control them with her mind to perform any attack she desired.

Flying, piercing, somersaulting—she marveled at her new weapons. Her offensive power would at least double! She didn't know how long she had spent in the geothermal room, but once she was comfortable with the needles, she stepped out.

The shop assistant greeted her with a smile, handing over the hunger-suppressing pills and storage gourd she had pre-ordered. "Junior Sister, here are your items."

"Thank you, Senior Brother," she replied.

"Would you like to buy a spirit beast bag?" he asked. "You might find cubs during the reclamation. Raising one is great for passing the time."

Most cultivators caught their own, though some bought them when they appeared. Since she was already interested, she agreed. "Get me a large one." Even if it had to be kept in a bag, she wanted it to have plenty of space.

The assistant happily provided a massive bag, large enough to hold a great wasteland beast.

Yao Qian also bought several spirit stone lamps. She learned from the assistant that she had been in the chamber for over half a month, which worried her slightly about Da Hei. She stopped by the market to collect her pre-ordered clothing and tents—low-level magical items that offered basic protection against the elements.

She had been frugal, resisting the urge to spend so she could save for a personal spatial artifact. She hurried back to her cave, anxious about Da Hei, only to find the door standing wide open.

She paused, a realization dawning: that wretched cat must have left again. She stepped inside and found Luo Ming sitting cross-legged in her room. "Why are you here?" she asked in surprise.

Luo Ming opened his eyes. "I've sold your talismans."

Yao Qian was delighted. She had just spent a fortune, and while her talismans weren't worth a massive amount individually, they provided a steady, reliable income. She praised him sincerely, "You really are talented."

Luo Ming remained expressionless, not taking it as a compliment. "The spirit pearls were too many, so I exchanged them for spirit stones. There are eight hundred in total. Keep them safe."

Yao Qian was stunned. "That much?"

"Talisman prices rise before a major battle," he explained. "Especially the Three-Yang Talismans. We aren't just doing reclamation; we're heading to the Dragon Burial Cliff next. That place is filled with yin energy, and people need these talismans to balance it."

Yao Qian felt a headache coming on. She didn't know how long Pei Changqing intended to keep them there. If she stayed in an environment without yang energy, she wasn't sure when she would reach Foundation Establishment. She hoped the Three-Yang Talisman would give her a surprise once she condensed the talisman seed.

Luo Ming gestured toward the door. "Why did you leave the door open?" He had assumed something was wrong, only to find the room completely empty of both people and valuables.

Yao Qian sighed as she went to the inner room to tidy up her bedding. "I went to the market and was worried about Da Hei's food, so I left it open."

"It's gone now?" Luo Ming asked. She had fed that leopard cat for days, and it hadn't even left a cub behind?

"Gone," she said, lifting the bedding to shake it out. Suddenly, a small ball of black fur fell out, landing with a soft thud and flattening out like a tiny black rug.