Gateway of Immortality

Outside the stronghold.

Qin Sang turned toward the sound and immediately spotted Chenyan, cloaked in a hooded mantle.

She stood alone at the edge of a protective barrier, silently gazing at the surging Spirit Tide beyond. Her presence radiated an aloof and unapproachable aura, and with her face hidden beneath the hood, no one dared venture near.

To Chenyan's left, a man in embroidered robes was conversing with a long-bearded Daoist Master.

Neither of the two emitted the slightest fluctuation of energy, and it would have been easy to mistake them for mere mortals.

But with Qin Sang's current cultivation, he could detect even the faintest ripple of true essence from Core Formation cultivators, so long as they weren't deliberately concealing it.

The absence of such a ripple here could only mean one thing: their cultivation far exceeded his own.

The moment he laid eyes on them, a subtle pressure gripped Qin Sang's heart.

They stood right before the barrier, where the terrifying Spirit Tide battered against it relentlessly, threatening to burst through at any moment. Yet both men remained calm and unbothered, as if completely unmindful of the chaos outside.

The man in embroidered robes was the one who spoke.

It was Dongyang Bo.

Qin Sang's heart stirred with emotion. After nearly a century since entering the sect, he was finally seeing their grandmaster in person.

And the Daoist Master standing as his equal had to be another Spiritual Infant powerhouse—perhaps Daoist Master Chongyi, the sect leader of the Taiyi Core Sect, or Palace Master Iron Crown of the Shangyuan Tranquility Palace.

Once Dongyang Bo spoke, the Liu-surnamed Golden Core cultivator dared not stir up any more trouble. He promptly obeyed and cleared the path.

Qin Sang and the others followed behind Senior Uncle Fengming, quickly stepping forward and offering a deep bow to Dongyang Bo. "Greetings, Grandmaster!"

"You may rise," Dongyang Bo said with a slight nod, "Fengming, take them to wait on the side."

"是!"

"Yes, sir!"

Qin Sang obediently retreated with the others, quietly surveying the cultivators present.

Wandering Man had yet to arrive. Aside from Dongyang Bo, Chenyan, and the mysterious Daoist master, the rest were all Core Formation cultivators.

Some were familiar faces from the Chaotic Island Waters. A few hailed from the Taiyi Core Sect, while more came from other sects stationed at Xuanlu Stronghold.

Surprisingly, Qin Sang noted that only Senior Uncle Fengming was representing Shaohua Mountain—there was not a single person from Shangyuan Tranquility Palace, which puzzled him.

Qi Yuanshou has only recently formed his core, so it made sense that he wouldn't be entering Ziwei Palace. But what of the other senior uncles? They are all veteran Golden Core cultivators. Are none of them coming?

While Qin Sang was quietly observing the cultivators, the Daoist Master also cast a glance in their direction, his expression briefly showing a trace of doubt. However, instead of directly questioning Dongyang Bo's intentions, he took a more circuitous approach. "Daoist Dongyang, you've brought so many Fake Core Realm disciples along. Will you still have the strength to shield others? Won't the disciples of Shangyuan Tranquility Palace and the sects under you also need your personal protection? Have they all obtained the Ziwei Secret Talisman already?"

Dongyang Bo smiled faintly.

"Did you not see, Daoist Chongyi, that I've only brought two disciples with me?"

"To ensure fairness, powerful sects like ours must not involve ourselves too heavily in the scramble for the Ziwei Secret Talisman. Why would I willingly make myself a target?"

"As for Daoist Iron Crown, he wished to allow his sect time to recuperate. This time, he's entering Ziwei Palace alone. With his strength, he has no need of my assistance."

"As for my group, these five can combine their strength in a way that surpasses their cultivation levels."

"As for the juniors of other sects, there shouldn't be too many. I'll do everything in my power to keep them safe."

Daoist Master Chongyi nodded, then seemed to recall something and said in surprise, "So Daoist Iron Crown really did leave Shangyuan Tranquility Palace on his own... then the time must be near..."

Dongyang Bo sighed softly. "Indeed. You remember well, Daoist Chongyi."

Daoist Master Chongyi sighed as well. "Daoist Iron Crown had no small chance of advancing to the Spiritual Infant Realm. And with the Shangyuan Tranquility Palace's unique secret talisman, he was certainly not inferior to either of us in our youth. But to protect his sect, he severed his path to the Spiritual Infant Realm and willingly sacrificed himself to feed the talisman puppet... Truly admirable. Now he ventures alone into a dragon's lair and tiger's den, I fear he carries the resolve to either succeed or perish trying. But how great are his odds?"

Dongyang Bo shook his head. "From what I know, Daoist Iron Crown already sees death as certain. Before he left, he passed the title of palace master to his junior brother, Gongliang Yu..."

Before the words had even faded, a streak of azure light drifted gently into view.

The Liu-surnamed cultivator stood respectfully before the city gate. Not only did he not attempt to stop the newcomer, he even bowed and said reverently, "Greetings, Palace Master Iron Crown."

As the azure light dispersed, it revealed a thin figure with an abnormally pale face. It was an unusual sight for someone of such high cultivation.

Iron Crown gave Liu a small nod, then walked toward the two Spiritual Infant cultivators and cupped his hands in greeting. "Iron Crown pays respects to both seniors."

Qin Sang quietly observed Iron Crown, his heart filled with curiosity.

From Iron Crown's demeanor, it didn't feel like he was addressing two equals but rather conducting himself as a junior. Could it be that Iron Crown wasn't truly a Spiritual Infant powerhouse?

Whatever secrets lay behind this, they were beyond his ability to fathom.

"Palace Master Iron Crown, there's no need to be so formal," said Daoist Master Chongyi and Dongyang Bo, both returning the salute with equal courtesy.

After Iron Crown's arrival, several more cultivators trickled in, all of them bearing the Ziwei Secret Talisman.

At last, Qin Sang spotted Wandering Man rushing toward them.

Wandering Man seemed to have quite a reputation within the Taiyi Core Sect. His appearance startled not just Liu and his peers, even Daoist Master Chongyi took notice and called him over.

"You're a disciple of our sect? Why are you not cultivating diligently within the sect and preparing to form your core? Why place yourself in such danger?"

Wandering Man gave a respectful bow and replied with calm composure, "Grandmaster, I have come to Ziwei Palace in search of a specific spiritual herb."

Daoist Master Chongyi furrowed his brow slightly, but did not press further. "Stay by your Senior Uncle Liu's side. No need to stand among those rogue cultivators."

...

After Wandering Man arrived, the flow of newcomers noticeably slowed.

Not long after, Granny Jing also appeared, bringing a wave of relief to Qin Sang, who had been anxiously awaiting her arrival.

Granny Jing still looked like an unremarkable old woman, and no one present seemed to recognize her.

She displayed her Ziwei Secret Talisman, glanced briefly at Qin Sang, and then found a quiet corner to herself, where she leaned on her cane and closed her eyes to rest.

An hour passed. The sky darkened as the day got later. Two more Core Formation rogue cultivators arrived, late and flustered.

Dongyang Bo scanned the crowd and said in a deep voice, "The time has come! If any of you still hesitate, now is your last chance. Once we leave Xuanlu Stronghold, there will be no turning back!"

A murmur spread through the crowd, but no one spoke up.

Dongyang Bo nodded toward Daoist Master Chongyi. The latter gently raised a hand, and from his sleeve flew out a jade ruyi. The jade ruyi spiraled upward, growing larger and larger until it reached the size of a flying boat.

Daoist Master Chongyi's figure blurred and vanished into thin air.

A moment later, his voice rang out from above.

"Everyone, board!"

All were astonished by Daoist Master Chongyi's exquisite evasion technique and dared not delay. One by one, they took flight and ascended. The jade ruyi had enough space for everyone and still felt rather spacious.

"Daoist Dongyang, I'll clear the path ahead. How about you guard the rear?" asked Daoist Master Chongyi.