The miscellaneous items inside the cave dwelling were piled up in the corner of the Prison Within the Abdomen, most of them already weathered, all belonging to disciples' personal possessions.
Ren Qing carefully searched through them inside.
He discovered that the disciples who cultivated Heavenly Dao methods of the yang attribute were indeed related to the Fire Refining Palace, and from the letters, it could be seen that their disposition was extremely paranoid.
Ren Qing very quickly found what he wanted.
Among the personal belongings of the core disciples there was no shortage of artifact refining methods, involving all kinds of strange materials, and the content was incomparably bloody.
More or less, they were able to come into contact with methods of refining artifacts with living humans, and some had even already secretly attempted it.
Ren Qing suddenly understood why the Restraint Officers' Hall did not directly copy the artifact refining methods of the Wuwei Monastery.
Firstly, Restraint Officer methods did not overly rely on magic artifacts, and as the realm improved, even the body would, under the effect of aberration, become immortal and indestructible.
Secondly, artifact refining could not avoid using flesh, blood, and bones as materials, and when developed to a certain extent, it was very likely to retrace the old path of the Wuwei Monastery.
Ren Qing felt that as long as the Ghost Market was opened, artifact refining methods would still develop, but Heavenly Dao artifact refining methods were not suitable for the Restraint Officers' Hall.
By that time, what materials would Restraint Officer artifact refining use?
The various aberrant materials produced by Restraint Officers were all rather ordinary; it seemed only a resource such as Supernatural Remnant was sufficiently unique.
Using Supernatural Remnant to refine artifacts...
Ren Qing shook his head, forcefully suppressing his stray thoughts.
With his current cultivation, it was difficult to involve himself in this, and thinking about it now was meaningless.
It was better to complete the refining of the sand boat magic artifact as soon as possible.
After looking through the artifact refining methods, Ren Qing properly stored them away.
Although there was no refining method of the Tombstone Furnace, there was a means of nurturing a magic artifact with a corpse, which was enough for refining the keel of the ship.
However, the method was rather sinister, requiring the forcible vivification and blood sacrifice of the corpse.
Such an artifact refining method could not be considered very advanced, but for Ren Qing it was already enough, since the sand boat magic artifact did not need overly strong power.
Ren Qing's requirements were not many.
As long as it could autonomously travel in the desert, and resist wind and sand, that was enough.
He pondered carefully for a long time, then went toward the Great Dream Pavilion of the Ghost Market.
Ren Qing had long since decided on the material for the keel: he intended to use the rib of Ksitigarbha, and for the planks he chose a material called "Bonewood," which could be refined separately.
Ren Qing naturally could not go steal the rib from the borderlands, and in fact there was no need, because within the Great Dream Pavilion they were sold.
This was the advantage of the Restraint Officers' Hall having complete control of Avici Hell, even the corpses of the Yang God realm were placed on the counter for sale.
Moreover, the bones of Ksitigarbha would naturally repair themselves, considered a renewable resource.
It was just that the price was somewhat expensive.
However, Ren Qing, after all, possessed the money tree of Great Dream Artifact Refining; the blood crystals he obtained daily came continuously, so he did not feel distressed in the slightest.
After his assets shrank by half, Ren Qing easily purchased a rib of Ksitigarbha.
He turned his attention to the giant corpse inside the Prison Within the Abdomen.
Ever since leaving the pond of the Wuwei Daoist Altar, the corpse of the giant had rotted at an extremely fast speed, and in a short time had already begun to emit a foul odor.
The husky could not endure staying on the top of the sand dune mountain, constantly letting out howls.
Ren Qing glanced at the husky that was his reserve food; it obediently lay prone on the ground, watching the giant's spine being pulled out bit by bit.
The spine was not wasted; if absorbed by the Dragon-Snake Spine it could still nourish the magic artifact.
It was only a pity that the other corpses in the pond could not all be fished out, since the Heavenly Dao Worm larvae in the water were not to be trifled with.
Ren Qing then placed the rib at the location of the corpse's original spine.
The ghost shadow then merged with the corpse, using materials of vivified flesh as medicinal guidance.
Under the guidance of the Heavenly Dao Worm larvae, the corpse began to gradually revive, the flesh healing, even the eyelids twitching slightly.
Ren Qing's expression became doubtful; in the Heavenly Dao artifact refining methods it was indeed recorded that corpses had a state called "Sleeping Death."
Simply put, it meant that the corpse's instinct felt it had not died, and only corpses that had just recently died would manifest it.
Just as he was about to go forward to examine, the giant suddenly opened its eyes, its expression incomparably terrified.
The corpse actually intermittently spoke: "Mas...ter Ancestor, save...me..."
Bang!!!
Its head exploded into fragments.
Fortunately, since it was being used to refine a magic artifact with the body, losing a head did not matter.
Ren Qing handed it entirely to the ghost shadow, no longer paying attention to the corpse nurturing the keel, while he collected outside Ze Sand and simultaneously used the Tombstone Furnace to refine the planks that would make up the hull.
Because Ren Qing was preparing to refine a medium-small ship, it should not take too long.
He was also always paying attention to the movements of Li Tiangang.
The few of them had not returned to Avici Hell, seeming to have already stationed themselves in the marshlands, evidently intending to establish a foothold camp.
But what puzzled Ren Qing was that Li Tiangang circled around some place again and again, clearly with some unknown misgivings.
From the state of Yan Feng's body, it could be seen they should not have encountered any threat.
It could also be that the Shuize Desert was too vast, and they could not make out the direction at all.
Ren Qing became even more resolute in the importance of refining the sand boat magic artifact.
Going to the marshlands was not a matter of just a few months; it might well take years. Having a sand boat as transport would also allow him to conveniently cultivate by visualization at any time.
Ren Qing focused on refining the magic artifact, and time passed in the blink of an eye.
But the progress of the sand boat was not as fast as imagined, since he needed to consult information on ship structures, thus wasting not a little effort.
Fortunately, the sand boat now already had the outline of its prototype, its external contours mostly completed, only the keel still needing several more days to nurture.
The sand boat overall appeared like white bones; even though not yet completed, faint ghostly flames already drifted about it, appearing incomparably eerie.
Ren Qing installed the refined planks on the sand boat, and just as he was about to finish joining the deck, he suddenly became filled with suspicion.
On Li Tiangang's side there seemed to be an anomaly.
Ren Qing could feel Yan Feng's heartbeat like the beating of drums, his emotions in a state of fear.
But his body had not suffered any injuries, his Daoist robe showing no damage, even his location not having changed.
Ren Qing involuntarily closed his eyes; the ghost shadow temporarily halted the nurturing of the keel, thereby communicating with a trace of ghost shadow within the Daoist robe magic artifact.
It was as if he could sense Yan Feng's actions across thousands of li.
Yan Feng stayed unmoving inside a house built of piled stones, his breathing extremely heavy, just like being pressed by a ghost while sleeping.
Sweat seeped from the pores all over his body, seemingly dripping onto the ground.
Thump thump thump...
The beating heart suddenly stopped, the Daoist robe for some reason was instantly destroyed, and the ghost shadow hidden within naturally disappeared.
Ren Qing opened his eyes, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
If he had not sensed wrongly, at the moment he lost contact, another person had appeared around Yan Feng, very likely Li Tiangang.
Ren Qing no longer had the mind to continue joining the sand boat magic artifact; after letting the ghost shadow continue to nurture the keel, he rushed ahead of time to Avici Hell to wait.
He stayed atop the Dream Tree, which had the best view.
After a long time, Li Tiangang appeared within Avici Hell.
Li Tiangang was carrying an unconscious Yan Feng, and after seeing that the environment was stable, he fed the latter some Eerie Dust, his state very quickly stabilizing.
Ren Qing hurriedly rushed toward the two, and at the same time Zun was also alarmed.
A large flock of Nether Crow surrounded the area, preventing any Restraint Officer from approaching, but Ren Qing nevertheless very easily drew near to Li Tiangang.
"Senior Li, what happened?"
Li Tiangang looked at Ren Qing in surprise, but did not become suspicious, only thinking it a coincidence.
"It should have been Ze Sand entering the body, Yan Feng was too careless."
Yan Feng's condition indeed appeared very much like being eroded by the aberration of Ze Sand, his flesh slightly shriveled, clearly having lost quite a bit of moisture.
Ren Qing could not help feeling some doubt in his heart.
At the same time Yan Feng had the incident, another person had appeared nearby, but Li Tiangang bringing him into Avici Hell was clearly after a delay.
Perhaps Li Tiangang had checked Yan Feng's condition before taking action?
He casually asked a few questions, but it seemed Yan Feng's aberration had appeared without the slightest sign, not even noticed by Yin Runner realm.
"Leave Yan Feng to Zun later, I still have matters there, I'll be leaving first."
After speaking, Li Tiangang hurriedly left Avici Hell, since the marshlands required Yin Runner realm to sit in town, otherwise chaos would easily arise.
Ren Qing reached out to support the unconscious Yan Feng to a half-sitting position, forcibly poured some clear water into him, and the latter's flesh gradually recovered.
But Yan Feng still remained muddle-headed, muttering continuously: "Water..."
Zun flew toward the two.
Ren Qing let a split soul enter Yan Feng's Niwan Palace to examine, but found the three souls and seven spirits very normal, not showing signs of injury.
Zun folded its wings and landed on the ground, staring at Ren Qing with great interest, feeling more and more unable to see through this kid.
Truly frustrating.
"Unexpected incidents are inevitable. Leave him to me, there's no major problem."
Ren Qing lifted Yan Feng's body, which was then carried away by Zun flying off into the distance.
He suddenly realized the difference in Yan Feng after replenishing water, that was his weight, which had decreased to about the same as an ordinary mortal.
Wait...
The other person in the house before the incident, could it be he was not a Restraint Officer?
Ren Qing opened his mouth, but truly had no way to warn Li Tiangang, after all it was only speculation, and the source was hard to explain.
He could only return to the borderlands, continuing the tedious life of refining artifacts and collecting Ze Sand.
But Ren Qing kept a wary mind, from time to time letting split souls go to the Ghost Market, and from the conversations of various Restraint Officers learned of recent situations.
As for Zun, he occasionally inquired about Yan Feng.
After more than half a month, the sand man finally completed its metamorphosis.
Its whole body had turned ghastly white, and though it shared the same origin as Ze Sand, it was somewhat different.
The sand that composed the Sandman Supernatural Remnant was actually tiny skulls one by one, continuously making the sound of jaws clashing.
After another two days, the sand boat magic artifact was finally completed.
The rib of Ksitigarbha served as the keel, together with several hundred planks of Bonewood, and the sailcloth was refined from materials that could absorb and release violent winds.
Ren Qing had already made all preparations.
Meanwhile, things in the marshlands were not peaceful; another Restraint Officer inexplicably succumbed to the aberration of Ze Sand, resulting in Li Tiangang's manpower becoming insufficient.
They had still not discovered traces of living creatures, and were only barely able to establish a foothold camp, when the Restraint Officers' Hall dispatched a second batch of Restraint Officers.
The second batch of Restraint Officers reached safely after a few days, indicating that the dangers on the journey were few.
The bulletin board also added some missions related to the marshlands, but no Restraint Officer would willingly take them.
Ren Qing was the only exception.
He had already reached the Yin Runner realm, and going to the marshlands together with Restraint Officers would not necessarily be safer, moreover he could return to Avici Hell at any time.
Only alone could he devour Ze Sand without restraint.
Song Zongwu, upon learning of Ren Qing's decision, did not stop him, only giving a few reminders before seeing him off.
Ren Qing left part of the ghost shadows at the borderlands to serve as guidance, and when turning back he could no longer see Xiangxiang, the ferocious sand boat broke free and emerged.