Gateway of Immortality

Aside from Qin Sang, the other four were equally stunned.

Ziwei Palace had always felt like a distant matter. Its stage belonged to Core Formation and Spiritual Infant experts. Unless one had compelling reasons, like Qin Sang or Wandering Man, even those at the Fake Core Realm wouldn't dare risk entering so easily.

In Ziwei Palace, they were nothing more than the lowest tier, where death could strike at any moment.

They had originally been stationed at Xuanlu Stronghold, waiting for the Spirit Tide to end so they could venture into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield in search of opportunity. None of them had expected to get involved in something like this.

The five of them looked at one another in silence.

Qin Sang felt even heavier than the rest. If he continued following Dongyang Bo, who knew what dangers awaited? And what about his own matters?

The Purple Cloud Fruit and the subsequent sections of thePrimordial Spirit Sword Nourishmentcould only be obtained inside Ziwei Palace. If he missed this chance, there was no telling how long he'd have to wait for the next.

Yet what excuse could he use to refuse?

He racked his brain. Pretending to be injured or afraid of death wouldn't work.

Once they neared Ziwei Palace, such lies would fall apart. And if Dongyang Bo discovered that one of his disciples had dared deceive a grandmaster, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Xuanwu Seal floated toward him. Qin Sang had no choice but to reach out and grab it.

The moment his fingers touched the seal, a thread of azure light suddenly shot out. Alarmed, Qin Sang instinctively tried to fling it away, but the thread was too fast.

A sharp pain shot through his fingertip as it was sliced open by the thread. Blood dripped onto the seal.

Immediately afterward, the thread wrapped up Qin Sang's palm, quickly coiling around his wrist to form a slender mark resembling a bracelet.

It all happened in a flash. Even with Qin Sang's cultivation, he had no time to react—he could only watch as the mark embedded itself within his body.

Roar!

As the blood struck the seal, an enraged roar suddenly erupted from within.

It was as if an ancient ferocious beast had been sealed inside, An overwhelming, savage aura burst forth from the seal and directly assaulted the primordial spirit of its bearer.

It was like facing a beast from the wilderness, one that gazed down on the world and crushed all before it.

What kind of beast soul has been sealed inside?

Qin Sang frowned in suspicion but remained motionless. With the protection of the Jade Buddha, he had no fear of this kind of assault on his primordial spirit

Then he heard a muffled groan beside him. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Qiu Mubai's face had flushed red. Spiritual power inside him churned wildly as he struggled to resist the beast soul within the seal.

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He, too, pretended to be struggling, slowly pushing down the beast soul's resistance.

Though the soul was helpless against him, Qin Sang deliberately wore it down bit by bit. With one rising and the other falling, the beast soul finally gave up its struggle and began to quiet down.

To truly tame it and make it his own would still take some time. But compared to Qiu Mubai and the others, Qin Sang had a much easier time, and it would take him far less time.

Not that it was any consolation. Qin Sang's thoughts were elsewhere.

Before long, Qiu Mubai and the rest also managed to suppress their beast souls, albeit barely.

Among them, Qiu Mubai and Ji Qing were the fastest.

Seeing the timing was right, Qin Sang voluntarily halted, deliberately showing a slower pace, and frowned at the mark on his wrist.

The imprint had fused into his flesh and blood, but no matter how many times he swept his spiritual consciousness over it, he couldn't sense a thing, as if it didn't exist at all.

Once they had all subdued the beast souls, Che Yutao said, "Over the next half-year, stay in this residence and pick a room to enter secluded cultivation. Set all else aside. Your top priority is to tame the beast soul!"

Qin Sang opened his mouth to speak.

But Qiu Mubai, standing beside him, spoke up instead. "Senior Uncle Che, I heard that for Foundation Building cultivators like us, even with a grandmaster's protection, we still can't withstand the pressure from the outer array of Ziwei Palace. Only under the protection of the Ziwei Secret Talisman can we enter safely."

Che Yutao nodded. "I've already asked the grandmaster and Ms. Chenyan about this. You all just focus on refining the beast seals. Don't worry about the rest. Even without the Ziwei Secret Talisman, the grandmaster has other means of bringing you in safely."

The last one selected was named Yu Wansen, a disciple of a Core Formation cultivator known by the Dharma name Shoushanzi.

Ever since he heard they were being taken to Ziwei Palace, he had appeared distracted. Just moments ago, while taming the beast soul, his unstable focus had nearly caused a mishap.

Yu Wansen's throat moved, and he stammered, "Senior Uncle Che, I heard Ziwei Palace is full of dangers. Even powerful Spiritual Infant experts have perished inside. If something unexpected happens... will we..."

"Outrageous! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!"

Che Yutao glared at him viciously, his face darkening. With a mocking sneer, he said, "The likes of you? You think you're qualified to scout Ziwei Palace? Don't flatter yourselves! The grandmaster merely wants you to control the seals and use them to break a certain barrier. The seals have already recognized their masters, so there's nothing I can do now. If anyone is too cowardly to go, feel free to explain yourself to the grandmaster!"

Yu Wansen was thoroughly scolded. He didn't dare say another word and quickly bowed, saying, "I understand my mistake."

Che Yutao snorted, his expression softening slightly, then pointed at Qin Sang and the others, scolding them with bitter disappointment. "Think carefully! After this journey, if you manage to catch the grandmaster's attention, do you think he'll treat you poorly when you return from Ziwei Palace? Others would give anything for an opportunity like this, yet here you are hesitating and making excuses!"

After a thorough lecture, Che Yutao finally continued, "You've probably heard this already: Ziwei Palace is divided into an outer and inner palace. While in the outer palace, you only need to follow the grandmaster and Ms. Chenyan closely. However, once you enter the inner palace, there's a chance you'll be randomly teleported to an unknown location. Don't run around aimlessly. Just find a safe spot and stay put. The grandmaster and Ms. Chenyan will locate you through the mark on your wrist. After the barrier is broken, follow the grandmaster's instructions. As long as you don't wander into dangerous areas on your own, you'll come out unscathed."

...

Qin Sang picked a room at random in Che Yutao's residence.

Once inside, he shut the door, activated the barrier, and his expression immediately darkened.

He sat in a chair for a long while, completely at a loss.

From what Che Yutao had said, once their part in the inner palace was done, Dongyang Bo likely wouldn't need them anymore. There might be a chance to slip away.

But Qin Sang also understood that this was unlikely. They would be venturing deep into the hidden realm under Dongyang Bo's lead. Without him, they had no ability to survive on their own.

Moreover, in the outer palace of Ziwei Palace, Dongyang Bo and Chenyan's constant protection had greatly reassured Yu Wansen and the others but for Qin Sang, it was a major problem.

The continuation of thePrimordial Spirit Sword Nourishmentand the Purple Cloud Fruit were equally crucial. If he were forced to switch cultivation art, it would be nearly impossible to find another art so perfectly suited to him.

Yet, if he failed to uphold his promise of killing Leng Yuntian for Granny Jing, how could he convince her to reveal the place where Senior Qingzhu had fallen?

Qin Sang began pacing back and forth inside the room.

Wandering Man likely didn't have a good solution either. The best course of action would be to contact Granny Jing first. Perhaps she could help him escape Ziwei Palace.

Unfortunately, back at Zhitian Peak, Granny Jing had only told him to wait at Xuanlu Stronghold. She hadn't left any way to reach her, and he had no idea when or if she would arrive.