Gateway of Immortality

After Granny Jing left, Qin Sang still made an outing, heading straight for the major business associations. After circling around and even meeting the Wandering Man once again, he finally returned to Che Yutao's residence at daybreak.

Qin Sang was coordinating with various business associations, sending out word that he possessed a Ziwei Secret Talisman and was preparing to put it up for exchange.

With Dongyang Bo accompanying him, that Ziwei Secret Talisman would be rendered useless.

He now held two Ziwei Secret Talismans, yet neither was being used; with Ziwei Palace set to open in less than six months, the earlier the news was spread, the greater the chance to exchange them for a coveted prize.

The contenders for the Ziwei Secret Talisman were generally Core Formation experts. Qin Sang had roughly gauged the auction prices from several sessions during this period.

He had fixed his exchange terms: a chunk of Heavenrock and a Perpetual Camphor tree.

At the Yinshan Stronghold auction years ago, when the first Ziwei Secret Talisman had debuted, that mysterious Golden Core cultivator had demanded a price equivalent to an astra-level treasure, merely an outrageous figure meant to catch the eye. In the end, the transaction price was much lower than the asking price.

For the sect cultivators who already had a Spiritual Infant guarding them, a Ziwei Secret Talisman was unnecessary.

Meanwhile, the smaller sects and rogue cultivators might not be willing to pay such a steep price for such an elusive hope, especially in a perilous region where one's life would be at risk.

The thought of acquiring those two types of spiritual materials made Qin Sang's heart pound with uncertainty, and he wasn't sure whether he could actually secure them.

Once the news was out, Qin Sang resolved to settle down for secluded cultivation at Che Yutao's residence.

He planned first to subdue the savage soul within the Xuanwu Seal, and then devote his full effort to healing the yaksha.

Time flew by, and before long more than four months had passed.

Since Qin Sang had released the news about the Ziwei Secret Talisman, he had met with a few individuals, yet none of the deals had come to fruition. What disappointed him most was that, up until now, there had been no word on Heavenrock or Perpetual Camphor.

Otherwise, he would surely have found a way to purchase them.

High above, the moon hung full in the sky.

Within the residence, silence reigned. Moonlight streamed like liquid into the central courtyard.

With time running short, Qiu Mubai and the others were exerting all their energy to tame their savage souls.

While Qin Sang was contemplating the artifact refinement insights taught by Shopkeeper Wu, he suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. Glancing down at the jade pendant fastened at his waist, he noticed it flickering with a faint, mysterious azure glow.

This transmission jade pendant had been given to him by the Taiyi Core Pavilion. Its effective range was limited, usable only within the city at best.

Seeing this unusual sign from the pendant, Qin Sang's face lit up. He promptly rose, left Che Yutao's residence, and found a secluded spot where he changed into a mask before hurrying toward the Taiyi Core Pavilion.

"Daoist Master Qingfeng is here!"

At the entrance of the Taiyi Core Pavilion, a servant had already been waiting.

When the servant saw Qin Sang enter, he immediately led him into a quiet chamber and whispered, "Daoist Master, about fifteen minutes ago an elder came looking for you. He claimed to have news concerning both Heavenrock and Perpetual Camphor, and he wished to exchange them for the Ziwei Secret Talisman. He asked to see you in person."

"Was it merely news? Not the actual items?"

Qin Sang paused in his step and frowned as he inquired.

The servant shook his head. "He didn't explain clearly at all. That elder was adamant about seeing you and the Ziwei Secret Talisman face-to-face. Furthermore, he did not hide his identity. It was the Eight-Sword Elder, the sect leader of the Fengjian Sect, who is unlikely to deceive us."

"Both items are available?"

"They said both are available," the servant replied.

...

Qin Sang nodded slightly, recalling what he knew about the Fengjian Sect.

Fengjian Sect's ancestors had once been a powerful force on par with the Eight Major Sects of the righteous path. But after the passing of their Spiritual Infant grandmaster, the succeeding generations failed to live up to the legacy, and the sect gradually declined.

By now, it was a third-rate minor sect. The sect leader, Eight-Sword Elder, still carried some reputation. His life-bound flying sword was said to be capable of splitting into eight blades, and his sword arts were exceptional.

However, he was no longer young and only had early-stage Golden Core cultivation, hardly the kind of leader to revive a fallen sect.

Fengjian Sect was also known for its dedication to Sword Dao, but unlike Shaohua Mountain, its disciples were all true sword cultivators. They would rather seek the Dao with dignity than beg for it in humiliation.

The Eight-Sword Elder still had to consider his sect's reputation. Fengjian Sect was currently affiliated with the Yuling Sect, and its disciples were mostly active in Jiuyou Stronghold. For him to travel thousands of li to come here, he certainly wasn't doing it for idle amusement.

With that thought, Qin Sang felt more at ease. He pushed open the door and entered the room. Inside sat a scholar-like man of about fifty, with a neatly trimmed goatee. A steward from Taiyi Core Pavilion was seated beside him as a witness.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior." Qin Sang cupped his hands apologetically.

The Eight-Sword Elder didn't carry the airs of a Golden Core cultivator. He rose at once to greet him, not minding the mask Qin Sang wore, and said with a genial smile, "It is I who've disturbed Daoist Master. Please, sit."

The steward from Taiyi Core Pavilion remained to bear witness.

The two sat opposite each other. After a few polite greetings, they got straight to business.

"Please have a look, Senior."

Qin Sang wasn't worried about the item being stolen. He directly took out the Ziwei Secret Talisman and handed it to the Eight-Sword Elder for inspection.

The authenticity of the talisman was easy to verify. When the projection of Ziwei Palace appeared, the Eight-Sword Elder nodded and returned it to Qin Sang. After a brief silence, he said, "Daoist Master Qingfeng, must this be exchanged for Heavenrock and Perpetual Camphor? No alternatives?"

Here came the crux of the negotiation.

Qin Sang replied in a steady voice, "That's correct. I'm gathering spiritual materials to forge an astra. These two are the rarest and hardest to find."

The Eight-Sword Elder glanced up at Qin Sang, then suddenly changed his tone. "If I'm not mistaken, you haven't reached the Core Formation Realm yet, have you?"

Qin Sang smiled faintly and countered, "Does my cultivation level affect our trade, Senior?"

The Eight-Sword Elder waved his hands. "No, no. To be frank, I only have a single piece of Heavenrock. But I'm willing to offer a spiritual item that assists with Core Formation in place of Perpetual Camphor. It's of mid-tier quality. What do you think, Daoist Master?"

As he spoke, he placed a stone shaped like an inkstone on the table before Qin Sang.

The Heavenrock was pitch-black, its texture exquisitely fine. A faint, unique sheen shimmered on its surface, with cloud-like gray patterns appearing and vanishing—truly rare and extraordinary.

Qin Sang confirmed that the item was genuine Heavenrock. A flicker of joy stirred in his heart; after such a long wait, he had finally found one of the two materials.

However, to trade a Ziwei Secret Talisman for only a single piece of Heavenrock? Qin Sang couldn't help feeling reluctant.

He kept a neutral expression and slowly shook his head. "To be honest, Senior, I have full confidence in forming my core. Items that assist with Core Formation aren't useful to me."

The Eight-Sword Elder gave him a surprised look. He likely had never met someone this bold before. His brow furrowed in thought, and after a moment, he said, "Daoist Master, are you aware? The highest price a Ziwei Secret Talisman has fetched was only three fist-sized pieces of Stardust Steel. If you insist on such steep terms with no flexibility, you may walk away empty-handed. How about this instead..."

The Eight-Sword Elder's tone grew solemn. "I don't possess any Perpetual Camphor, but I once found mention of it in a jade slip from a hidden realm. That document recorded that Perpetual Camphor often grows in places where a certain type of companion demonic beast gathers. I'll give you that jade slip. With it, you can follow the trail and seek it out yourself. Wouldn't that be better than blindly groping in the dark, relying on luck?"