259: Chapter 258 Lightning Chains

"Go get a basin of water and a bottle of Realgar!" Shen Bing did not send Wang Cheng and the others away.

In Shen Bing's view, Wang Cheng and the others had already taken the secret medicine and were bound to be loyal to the Yao Race.

The grey-clothed Cultivator quickly withdrew, and after a short while, he brought back a basin of fresh water and a bottle of Realgar.

Shen Bing slowly pulled out the letter inside.

This letter was just like the secret message in Qin Changsheng's hands; the paper was pure white all over, without any handwriting on it, smooth and flat, as if it were just an ordinary piece of white paper.

Shen Bing carefully laid the letter flat in the water basin and then poured Realgar into the water.

The moment the letter touched the fresh water, rows of ink-black handwriting slowly emerged. The writing darkened from faint to deep, gradually becoming clear and legible.

The moment she saw the writing on the letter, Shen Bing's expression changed. She then waved her hand at Wang Cheng and the others: "You all, withdraw first!"

"As you command!" Wang Cheng and the others quickly withdrew.

...

The Heavenly Sword Sect Outer Sect courtyard.

Qin Changsheng's eyes were filled with joy.

He hadn't expected that he would obtain the method to crack the Yao Race's secret message so easily.

Without any hesitation, Qin Changsheng first went to the market to buy a bottle of Realgar.

Then he drew a basin of fresh water from the water vat.

Qin Changsheng slowly pulled out the letter inside.

The letter was still pure white all over, smooth and flat, without any handwriting, as if it were just an ordinary piece of white paper.

Qin Changsheng carefully laid the letter flat in the water basin and sprinkled Realgar into the water.

Before long, the well water in the basin began to glow with a faint light, and rows of ink-black handwriting began to slowly emerge on the letter paper.

On the paper, there were a total of eight lines of poetry. The handwriting was neat, the ink was rich, and the lines were arranged tidily on the paper, clearly visible:

A feminine face is hidden among the azure clouds, imperial majesty lies deep and unspoken.

Reincarnated through tribulations to shed mortal ties, every generation yearns for the old mountains and rivers.

In the mountains, in the waters, in the mortal world; if Heaven had feelings, Heaven too would pity.

Swords point to the firmament to fulfill long-held wishes; deep within the Sect, a fairy face is hidden.

Qin Changsheng read word by word and line by line. At first, he only felt the poem's Concept was distant and profound, but halfway through, his pupils suddenly constricted, and his heart jolted.

He subconsciously linked the first character of each line and read it out softly: "The Demon Empress's Reincarnation is in the Heavenly Sword Sect!"

It turned out to be an acrostic poem! Eight characters, each worth a thousand pieces of gold, instantly revealed the core secret of the Demon Empress's Reincarnation.

After her Reincarnation, the Demon Empress was actually within the Heavenly Sword Sect!

Qin Changsheng's eyes were full of unbelievable shock.

He never expected that the traces of the Demon Empress's Reincarnation he had been searching for so hard were actually right beside him, in this Heavenly Sword Sect where he lived day and night!

Qin Changsheng's brow furrowed tightly as he began to carefully consider the identity of the Demon Empress's Reincarnation.

He closed his eyes, and the figures of all the female Cultivators in the Heavenly Sword Sect flashed through his mind. The first to appear was Fairy Qingling.

Fairy Qingling's cultivation was profound; she was one of the top high-level female Cultivators in the Heavenly Sword Sect. Her temperament was cold and ethereal, and her aura was hidden and unpredictable. She usually lived in seclusion, and this mysterious manner inevitably made him suspicious.

Next, Jiang Lijuan's figure also entered his mind.

Jiang Lijuan was clever and quick-witted. Although her cultivation was not as high as Fairy Qingling's, she was meticulous and had excellent relationships within the Sect. She seemed ordinary but could always show extraordinary ability at critical moments. This trait of hiding one's light under a bushel also faintly matched the secret identity of the Demon Empress's Reincarnation.

There was also Lin Yao from Beihai Prefecture.

Since a few years ago, Lin Yao had not attended any gatherings of fellow townsfolk from Beihai Prefecture.

Besides them, he thought of many other high-level female Cultivators in the Heavenly Sword Sect. Among them, there was no lack of those with deep cultivation and steady Heart-Nature. Some were hidden deep in the Sect, focused on their cultivation, while others managed Sect affairs. Each had a side unknown to others, and every single one seemed like they could be the Demon Empress's Reincarnation.

But after thinking for only a moment, Qin Changsheng slowly shook his head, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face.

There were simply too few clues right now.

He only knew that the Demon Empress's Reincarnation was within the Heavenly Sword Sect; beyond that, he knew nothing.

He had no idea when the Demon Empress had undergone Reincarnation or what she looked like afterward.

Nor did he know if she still retained her past life's memories and cultivation after Reincarnation, or if she had any unique traits or marks that would allow someone to recognize her at a glance.

Moreover, high-level female Cultivators in the Heavenly Sword Sect were countless. Whether it was their profound cultivation, ethereal temperament, or secretive thoughts, it was impossible to determine who the real Demon Empress's Reincarnation was based solely on the words "in the Heavenly Sword Sect."

If he were to make a reckless guess and identify the wrong person, it would not only alert the enemy and give the Yao Race an opportunity but also potentially harm his fellow Sect members by mistake, leading to a grave error.

Qin Changsheng sighed softly.

He knew that to find the Demon Empress's Reincarnation, this single secret letter was far from enough. He had to find more clues as quickly as possible to figure out the timing and traits of the Reincarnation to accurately locate the Demon Empress.

With a wave of Qin Changsheng's hand, a lustrous Jade Slip appeared in his palm.

This Jade Slip was something Qin Changsheng had obtained from Granny Qing.

He took a deep breath, and with a thought, he slowly injected his spiritual power into the Jade Slip. Instantly, countless dense characters and diagrams flooded into his mind like a tide.

Qin Changsheng closed his eyes and carefully sensed the contents within the Jade Slip, unable to help but marvel inwardly.

This Jade Slip recorded things in extreme detail, containing not only the complete Cultivation Technique formulas and spiritual power circulation routes but also listing every difficulty in the cultivation process clearly.

From the condensation of lightning power and the formation of the chain to the precise control of multi-target attacks, every difficult point and precaution had detailed annotations. It even provided solutions for issues like lightning power backlash and spiritual power disorder that could easily occur during cultivation.

Qin Changsheng knew clearly that such detailed annotations for a Cultivation Technique were undoubtedly a massive help for ordinary Cultivators. But even so, this Lightning Chain still possessed considerable difficulty to Cultivate.

Lightning-attribute techniques were inherently domineering and difficult to control. Lightning Chain required condensing scattered lightning power into the form of a chain, ensuring the chain's toughness while simultaneously controlling it to attack multiple targets. This placed extremely high demands on a Cultivator's control over lightning power and spiritual power precision. Even with the Jade Slip's guidance, an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator would need months or even years to barely reach the Beginner stage.

But for Qin Changsheng, all of this was nothing at all.

His body was blessed with the Heavenly Dao trait [Thunder God], giving him a natural control over lightning-attribute power. Whether it was the condensation and circulation of lightning power or precise control, he could do it with ease, far surpassing Cultivators of the same rank and even being more skilled than some Golden Core Cultivators.

Qin Changsheng only gave the technique's content and diagrams in his mind a quick glance and had already fully comprehended them without any hindrance.

Those steps regarded as difficulties by ordinary Cultivators were, in his eyes, nothing more than matters that followed naturally.

The blessing of the Heavenly Dao trait [Thunder God] allowed his perception of lightning power to reach the peak. Without the need for repeated contemplation or deliberate practice, he could perfectly master all the secrets of the Lightning Chain.

A moment later, Qin Changsheng slowly opened his eyes. He lightly raised his hand, and with a thought, the lightning power within his body surged instantly, gathering quickly in his palm along his Meridians. The surrounding air rippled slightly due to this domineering lightning power, and a faint sizzling sound of electric current could be heard.

With a gentle flick of his fingertip, a dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly burst forth, quickly condensing and intertwining in the air. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a lustrous white chain flickering with violent lightning.

The chain was about several dozen feet long. Lightning flickered and sizzled upon it, emitting a powerful lightning Pressure. Every link of the chain was clearly visible, agile, and tough—it was the formed state of the Lightning Chain.

Qin Changsheng gripped the Lightning Chain in his hand, feeling the majestic lightning power coming from it, his heart filled with satisfaction.

He swung the chain lightly. It traversed the air flexibly, the lightning light slicing through the atmosphere and leaving behind afterimages. It could condense into a bundle for a precise attack on a single target or disperse to lock onto and strike from multiple directions simultaneously.

"As expected of a Mysterious Grade High Grade lightning technique." Qin Changsheng's eyes were full of joy.

With this Mysterious Grade High Grade Cultivation Technique, the Lightning Chain, Qin Changsheng's strength would receive another slight boost.