Gateway of Immortality

Che Yutao's residence wasn't luxurious; the courtyard had only a modest scattering of flowers and plants. Nearly all the Shaohua Mountain disciples stationed at Xuanlu Stronghold who were at the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm or above had arrived.

Qin Sang noticed a few unfamiliar faces, likely disciples who had trickled in from the sect during this period.

The group stood neatly assembled in the courtyard, silent and solemn.

Beside Che Yutao stood a burly man, with a face like a ripe jujube and a composed, grounded presence. Strapped across his back was an enormous black iron greatsword[2], thick and weighty, bound in cloth strips like something out of a knight's tale.

Qin Sang hadn't met him before, but the sight of the greatsword was enough for him to deduce the man's identity.

Ji Qing!

Che Yutao's senior disciple.

Though Zhan Yi was clearly favored by Che Yutao, the most renowned of his direct disciples had long been Ji Qing, the former number one expert of Shaohua Mountain.

Unlike Qin Sang, Ji Qing had earned his title through battles during the Eight Major Sects' grand competition.

At the time of that competition, Qin Sang had still been cultivating in seclusion at Qingyang Market and had only recently broken through to the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm. Even had he participated, without employing refined corpses or his astras, he would have stood little chance of placing well.

That said, Qiu Mubai hadn't entered the competition either, so Ji Qing had never crossed swords with him. It was hard to say which of the two was stronger.

After the tournament, Ji Qing had vanished following his reward. Even during the turmoil in the Small Cold Domain, he remained absent, either away on a trial or secluded in preparation for Core Formation.

Judging by his current state, it seemed his breakthrough had failed. He was still only at the Fake Core Realm.

On the main seat sat a veiled woman, her features hidden beneath a thick traveling cowl.

For Che Yutao to personally attend her, this woman's status has to be significant. Is she a Golden Core cultivator from the sect who lived in seclusion?

He couldn't recall any senior aunt who preferred to wear a cloak.

That thought flickered through Qin Sang's mind. Unable to help himself, he glanced at her again and suddenly froze. Despite the layers of concealment, an inexplicable sense of familiarity rose within him.

A twinge of shock and doubt gripped his heart.

"Mubai, come forward!"

Seeing them enter, Che Yutao called out warmly and beckoned Qiu Mubai over. His gaze then landed on Qin Sang.

"Eh? Qin Sang is at Xuanlu Stronghold too? Come forward."

Qin Sang exchanged a glance with Qiu Mubai.

Qiu Mubai looked equally puzzled. Qin Sang felt more at ease. Though unclear why Che Yutao had summoned them, it seemed Qiu Mubai and Ji Qing were also involved. It shouldn't be anything dangerous.

"Greetings, Senior Uncle Che."

The two stepped forward and saluted together.

Che Yutao gestured for them to forgo formalities and turned to Qin Sang. "If I recall, your main spiritual attribute is water-based?"

"Yes, that's correct," Qin Sang answered promptly.

Che Yutao nodded and turned toward the woman.

"Ms. Chenyan, Mubai's strength needs no affirmation. Having him bear the White Tiger Seal will ensure no mistakes. This also reflects the grandmaster's will of him accompanying you on this training expedition."

"This is Junior Nephew Qin Sang. You may not have met him, Ms. Chenyan, since you've been in seclusion."

"He's known by the title 'Shadowless Sword.' During the conflict at Yuncang Marshlands against the Tianxing Alliance, he performed with brilliance. Among the younger generation, his strength ranks among the top. Apart from Mubai and Ji Qing, no one here should be able to match him. Let him carry the Xuanwu Seal."

"With Ji Qing holding the Gouchen[1] Seal, we only need to select two more candidates."

The moment Che Yutao uttered the name "Ms. Chenyan," Qin Sang's entire body stiffened on the spot.

It's her.

The only woman with whom he had ever shared intimacy. It was a bond forged under circumstances far too shameful to voice. How could Qin Sang ever forget her?

She was the very person responsible for the damage to his foundation, the one who had left him reluctant to attempt Core Formation for so long.

Of course, Qin Sang bore her no resentment.

Sacrificing part of his foundation to reach the Foundation Building Realm had been his own decision. There was no reason to blame another.

Such was the way of the world. When one chose a shortcut in the face of hardship, one often had to pay for it a hundredfold later on.

Had it not been for that furnace cauldron incident, he might never have had the chance to reach the Foundation Building Realm at all.

Foundation Building and Core Formation were leagues apart.

A cultivator at the Fake Core Realm could already be considered a skilled cultivator in the immortal world, more than capable of protecting themselves while seeking fortune beyond. A Qi Refining cultivator, on the other hand, might lose their life for any number of small mishaps while out on a trial.

That year had been a fair trade. After that one night, they went their separate ways.

Both had kept to their promise ever since, tacitly burying the memory of that night deep within.

No matter how dire things became, Qin Sang had never once considered seeking her out for help. In fact, ever since that incident, he had never uttered the name "Chenyan" to anyone.

And Chenyan, likewise, had never extended a helping hand nor ever caused him trouble. She treated him as though he no longer existed.

That incident back then had taken place nearly a century ago. And now, after almost a hundred years, Qin Sang finally saw Chenyan again.

For the past hundred years, Chenyan had remained completely out of sight. So much so that the disciples who had joined the sect in recent decades had no idea someone like her even existed.

Just recently, Qin Sang had recalled her on a whim, wondering whether she had successfully reached the Spiritual Infant Realm. Never had he imagined that he would lay eyes on her again under circumstances like these!

Judging by Che Yutao's tone, even he had been kept in the dark, unaware of the matter between himself and Chenyan. No wonder such elaborate measures were taken back then—going so far as to use Senior Aunt Mawu's name to divert suspicion.

A tide of emotion surged within Qin Sang, yet his expression remained unchanged. He merely cast a seemingly calm glance in Chenyan's direction.

She was seated quietly, listening as Che Yutao spoke, ignoring both him and Qiu Mubai completely.

Just follow precedent.

Let us treat each other as strangers, forgotten figures of the martial world.

Qin Sang said this inwardly.

Still, Qin Sang couldn't help but wonder about why Chenyan had emerged from seclusion to come to Xuanlu Stronghold in secret.Has she advanced to the Spiritual Infant Realm? And why summon people like me here?

When Che Yutao began talking about the White Tiger Seal, the Xuanwu Seal, and the Gouchen Seal, Qin Sang remained puzzled.

He had never heard of them before. He had no idea what these beast seals were or why they were to be entrusted to them.

He stole a sideways glance at Qiu Mubai, silently asking with his eyes.

Qiu Mubai gave a subtle shake of his head.

Left with no choice, Qin Sang could only wait patiently for Che Yutao to explain, choosing not to look at Chenyan again.

When Che Yutao finished speaking, a calm voice came from beneath the cowl. "Approved."

Just like before.

That familiar voice stirred memories within Qin Sang, but only for an instant. He swiftly pressed the thoughts down.

Old acquaintances reunited yet failed to acknowledge each other.

...

Che Yutao, ever deferential to Chenyan, turned to look outside.

Besides Qin Sang, Qiu Mubai, and Ji Qing, the rest of the cultivators stood neatly in the courtyard—this included Zhan Yi, Mu Yifeng, and other experts at the Fake Core Realm.

Che Yutao addressed the group in the courtyard: "Spread out. Show your skills. Ms. Chenyan will personally assess your abilities. Keep this in mind—don't hold anything back. Do everything you can to maintain your stance until you can't anymore."

At these words, the crowd exchanged glances.

Though they didn't fully understand the purpose of this assessment, seeing that Qiu Mubai and the others inside were such prominent figures in the sect, they knew that being ranked among them could only be a good thing.

Without hesitation, everyone complied with Che Yutao's command, fanning out and each claiming a small patch of ground.

1. This is another name for Qilin, a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. ☜

2. 重剑 (zhòng jiàn), literally "heavy sword," is not a historical weapon but a concept popularized by Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. It has since become a common Chinese fantasy term, so we translated it as "greatsword" to better reflect the context. ☜