Gateway of Immortality

This development granted him a much-needed fallback.

The battle for the Purple Cloud Fruit was tied to his path to immortality; there had never been a route for retreat.

His opponent was a powerful demonic beast at the Demonic Core Realm, very likely not just early-stage. Qin Sang had already prepared to stake everything; unless forced into utter desperation, unless his trump cards were exhausted and escape was the only choice, he would never back down.

But now, with the promise of rewards from Spiritual Infant cultivators to fall back on, he could retreat if the situation became untenable.

A heavy weight lifted from Qin Sang's heart, and his whole body felt noticeably lighter.

While Qin Sang's thoughts wandered...

Dongyang Bo and Chenyan were quietly speaking with one another.

"Immortal Dongyun didn't recognize your true identity. Back when your master disappeared, I had no dealings with him. Unless someone is intimately familiar with you or your master, no one will link you to that little Qi Refining girl from over two hundred years ago. After all, forming a Spiritual Infant in just two centuries is far too extraordinary."

Chenyan replied, "My master came all the way to the Small Cold Domain in pursuit of Ziwei Palace. He originally intended to return to our sect after exploring it and wanted to avoid entanglements with local powers. That's why he rarely introduced me to others. At most, people saw me once in passing."

Dongyang Bo nodded. "Good. As long as your identity remains concealed before the treasure hunt at the heavenly mountain, we still have a solid chance. That said... there's something I've hesitated to say. You see, before your master, others have also been trapped in the heavenly mountain. And without exception, they all vanished without a trace. There must be dangers deep within Tianshan that we know nothing about. Even with your master's formidable cultivation, to be trapped for two hundred years..."

"My master is a late-stage cultivator. He'll be fine!" Chenyan's tone suddenly grew forceful and emotional.

Dongyang Bo quickly soothed her. "I'm not saying he has no chance of survival. But you must plan for all possibilities.

"I never asked about your sect before. When you came to the Small Cold Domain, you were still very young. You've spent over two centuries at Shaohua Mountain, more than two-thirds of your life. That creates bonds.

"If your master can't be saved, what will you do? Will you stay at Shaohua Mountain, or return to your sect?"

Before Chenyan could answer, Dongyang Bo added, "You've already stepped into the Spiritual Infant Realm at such a young age. You may one day reach the late stage of the realm, or even, dare I say it, the legendary Divine Transformation Realm. No matter where you go, you will be treated with respect."

"If you're willing to remain at Shaohua Mountain, I will welcome you with open arms. I'll even hand over the entire foundation of Shaohua Mountain to you. Among the current generation, there is no one truly worthy. From that point on, you would be the grandmaster of Shaohua Mountain."

"If nothing comes of this expedition, I only have a ten percent chance of surviving the next heavenly tribulation. I may not live to see the next opening of Ziwei Palace.

"Don't be fooled by the looming chaos. Within the crisis lies opportunity.

"However, what worries me is that someone from your sect may still be searching for you both. Judging from your master's demeanor, your sect must be far stronger than we can imagine. If they come knocking, I would not be able to stop them."

Chenyan fell silent for a moment, then said calmly, "You need not worry. Neither my master nor I had many close ties within the sect, but we also made no bitter enemies. If anything, our disappearance would have come as a relief. Why would they search for us? That said, I will have to return eventually but not now."

...

The exit of the stone hall led directly to a sheer cliff.

It was as if the entire mountain had been sliced clean through by a massive blade, the cut smooth as a mirror.

Ahead, both sky and ground were filled with drifting gray-white mist. Visibility was limited to only a few zhang at most. Within the deeper fog, faint strands of dark aura flickered in and out of sight.

Qin Sang recognized that aura immediately. It was malevolent yin qi.

In places tainted by such yin qi, the mist turned dark gray and black. But the scene remained utterly obscured—only chaos and shadow.

This gray-white fog was clearly more than just malevolent yin qi. Within it howled yin wind, sharp and mournful like ghostly wails. Silhouettes seemed to flicker within the mist, ghostly shapes haunting the depths. The atmosphere was unnervingly eerie.

"Those shadows... could they be ghostly creatures trapped here?" Qin Sang's heart tensed with caution.

Ghostly creatures were infamous for their strange and elusive methods, difficult to defend against or kill.

The place where he had seen the most ghostly creatures before was Endless Valley.

But those were born from blood and qi and were more akin to malevolent spirits, fundamentally different from true ghostly creatures. Yet here, in what was supposedly a celestial palace, such a large region was shrouded in ghostly mist. Whatever was inside must be terrifying.

Qin Sang noticed that even Dongyang Bo, who had appeared so calm until now, was looking noticeably more serious. In one hand he gripped his sword, and with the other, he summoned an astra shaped like a Vajra Bangle[1].

The aura between Dongyang Bo and the Vajra Bangle was visibly deeper and more in tune than with his sword. Clearly, this was his true life-bound astra.

"Go!"

Dongyang Bo flicked his fingers, and the Vajra Bangle flew overhead, glowing brilliantly as it hovered above Qin Sang and the others, shielding them within its protective radiance.

Then, pointing to the chains anchored to the cliff wall, Dongyang Bo said, "Follow the chains downward. You'll enter an area known as the Immortal Tomb. Within, the mist is thick with ghost fog, and it is teeming with evil spirits and vengeful souls. They were already dangerous to begin with, but after devouring many cultivators who entered Ziwei Palace, they've grown even more formidable. Some are so powerful that even Spiritual Infant cultivators may not be a match. Do not take them lightly. These spirits are skilled in sowing confusion and corrupting the heart. You must remain steadfast. Follow my astra closely, and if needed, seal your five senses."

"Yes, Master!"

...

On the sheer cliff wall, dozens of iron chains hung down into the depths of the ghostly mist, their ends lost from sight.

Each chain was as thick as a grown man's thigh. Whenever the yin wind blew, they swayed and knocked against the cliff face with loud metallic thuds.

Gripping the icy chains and climbing downward, even with the Vajra Bangle shielding them, Qin Sang still felt a bone-deep chill seeping into his heart. No wonder people said the outer halls of Ziwei Palace were perilous beyond measure. Foundation Building cultivators entering here were almost certainly doomed.

Without Dongyang Bo and Chenyan, he wouldn't have made it past even the first challenge of the Corpse Vultures.

That thought made Qin Sang even more worried for Wandering Man.

He had ventured in alone, heading for the inner palace. Hopefully, his preparations were thorough enough.

Qin Sang channeled his spiritual power at full force to repel the cold. Even so, when he finally stepped onto solid ground, his body nearly froze stiff.

He quickly took out a spirit pill to ward off the cold and swallowed it, then turned to peer into the depths of the ghostly mist.

Before him lay a stretch of barren earth, completely devoid of grass or vegetation. The ground itself was a dark, murky brown, making one instinctively suspect whether it had been soaked in blood.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's gaze sharpened. He had spotted a grave!

It was very low, resembling a simple earthen mound. In front of it stood a broken stele, its surface scratched beyond recognition by countless claw marks, the words completely obliterated.

A lone stele and a single grave, standing in solitude within this ghostly realm... How many tens of thousands of years have they endured here?

No, this isn't the only grave!

Qin Sang took a cautious step forward. As his field of vision widened slightly, he saw three more graves neatly aligned behind the first.

And beyond those... more still!

1. This is an astra that appeared in the Chinese classic, Journey to the West. ☜