Gateway of Immortality

Between the fragments of land, the void was far from calm, as chaotic currents surged throughout.

Across the entire inner palace, these land fragments were countless.

They were remnants of a shattered continent, and most contained no treasures of value. Qin Sang had been fortunate. The fragment where he landed happened to have an ancient hall.

However, the true treasures were hidden in the core region, on the largest of all the landmasses. That was the true inner palace.

Most who entered through the jade disc were transmitted to the outskirts, onto the peripheral fragments. Only a few would land directly on the core continent.

Even with an ancient hall beside him, Qin Sang did not want to waste time here. He was alone and had little chance of breaking through the ancient barriers by himself. So he did not even bother to climb the mountain for a look.

He recalled the map given by Granny Jing and Wandering Man, and after comparing it with his surroundings, he easily confirmed his position. He was not far from the core continent. Without hesitation, he concealed his presence and activated his movement art, rushing toward the edge of the fragment.

The moment he left the land, an immense pressure closed in on his body. He let out a muffled groan as two streams of chaotic current struck him from both sides, sandwiching him in between. It was an unpleasant experience.

These currents carried overwhelming force, difficult to resist. Intruders could only go along with the flow, waiting for an opportunity to find a gap in the current and make their way forward slowly.

Fortunately, the currents were not violently aggressive. As long as one avoided the largest and fastest streams and did not get swept into the depths of the void and lost within, there was no risk to one's life.

Qin Sang summoned the ebony sword. He had grown far more adept at wielding it than before.

Once inside the current, his figure vanished into the sea of clouds. He kept the positions of two nearby fragments firmly in mind and rode the sword with agility, weaving through the currents in a winding path, gradually approaching the larger fragment.

Before long, he once again felt solid ground beneath his feet. He exhaled deeply, then glanced back with lingering dread.

It had sounded simple, but doing it had been anything but easy.

Some currents moved at astonishing speed and crashed through everything in their path. If one failed to dodge in time, they would be swept deep into the void, and returning would become nearly impossible.

Now that he had learned to distinguish these dangerous currents, the road ahead would be somewhat easier.

After a brief rest, Qin Sang resumed his journey toward the next fragment.

Fragment after fragment, he pressed on until he landed on a slab of green stone no more than a few dozen zhang across. Looking down, he finally saw the outline of the core landmass.

It resembled a slumbering giant kun, floating silently amid the sea of clouds, casting an enormous shadow. It was clear that the surrounding fragments had been torn from this very landmass.

Mountains rippled across the continent, stretching far into the distance. From time to time, columns of radiant light shot into the sky, glimmering like rainbows.

Even from afar, those columns emanated a powerful aura. Despite the distance, they were enough to make one's heart tremble.

In the deepest part of the continent stood a mountain that pierced the clouds, towering and majestic like a divine peak. Its presence was vast and imposing, although still incredibly far away.

After a brief observation, Qin Sang pressed off with the tip of his foot and leapt downward.

Swoosh!

Wind swept through the forest as leaves trembled. A figure dropped into the woods and sprang up like a panther, darting through the trees with remarkable agility and quickly vanishing from the area.

Silence returned to the forest.

Moments later, a shadow emerged quietly from another patch of trees.

Qin Sang looked around cautiously. Just like the land fragments, there was no sign of anyone, not even a single living creature.

He flashed up to a mountaintop and gazed at the celestial mountain in the center. After comparing it with the map, he finally confirmed his location.

According to Wandering Man, the mystical realm where the Purple Cloud Fruit grew had once been part of an ancient herb garden. Although only a corner of it remained, the area was still vast. There were still spiritual herbs within, but gathering them would not be easy.

The herb garden lay between Qin Sang and the celestial mountain, roughly on the edge of the continent.

The meeting place he had arranged with Wandering Man was in the ruins of a city near that herb garden.

Following their plan, Qin Sang intended to go to the meeting point first. If Wandering Man had not yet arrived, he would leave a message and begin scouting the terrain alone.

If he could get there first and break the barrier to obtain the Purple Cloud Fruit, that would be ideal.

Afterward, he would help Wandering Man acquire the healing method he needed, then proceed to the ancient hall where Senior Qingzhu had disappeared, in hopes of retrieving his relics. Since no one else was competing for those two targets, a slight delay would not matter.

But everything had to be done quickly. If he delayed too long and ended up messing up Dongyang Bo's and Chenyan's matter, no excuse could save him.

With that in mind, Qin Sang pushed himself to the limit, flying swiftly atop his sword.

After confirming the direction, he summoned the ebony sword once more and darted through the forest.

Mountains rolled on without end, and rivers flowed like silver chains through the land.

Along the way, he passed many places glowing with strange light, hidden caves, and even underwater palaces. Qin Sang ignored them all. His goal was clear, and he knew exactly what to prioritize.

Rustle...

The mountain wind stirred the ancient trees, and the sound of rustling leaves echoed through the forest.

Qin Sang suppressed the sword light and landed atop a mountain peak. Looking down at the city ruins below, a trace of shock emerged deep in his eyes.

At the foot of the mountain lay an unimaginably vast ancient city, stretching so far that he could not see its end. Compared to this place, none of the cities Qin Sang had seen before were even worth mentioning.

This had once been a celestial city.

Now, however, it no longer existed. It had become a desolate ruin, filled with bleak emptiness. The houses had crumbled into rubble and were overgrown with wild grass. Only a few stretches of city wall, as tall as mountains, remained standing, though they too were covered in thick vines.

Yet none of this was what shocked Qin Sang the most. What truly stunned him was the massive palm print imprinted in the heart of the city.

The palm print spanned the entire city, deeply embedded into the ground. Not only were the fingers and palm clearly visible, but even the ridges and valleys of mountain ranges in the center resembled palm lines.

The shockwave from the palm had devastated the surrounding houses and walls.

Aside from this enormous palm print, there were no other signs of battle. The ruins held no sword marks or blade scars—nothing at all.

It could only mean one thing: this ancient city had been destroyed by a single palm strike.

"Who's there?"

While Qin Sang's gaze was still fixed on the ruins below, he suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation nearby. His expression changed as he swiftly summoned the ebony sword. Sword qi surged and roared forth, pointing directly at the shadow beneath an ancient tree not far away.

The shadow trembled slightly, then revealed a human figure.

"Brother Qin. You've finally arrived."

It was Wandering Man.

"Senior?"

Qin Sang quickly withdrew the ebony sword, looking genuinely surprised.

He had been escorted all the way to the inner palace by two Spiritual Infant experts without stopping. Even when separated midway by the spiritual array, he had protective spirit talismans and artifacts gifted by Dongyang Bo, which had kept him from being delayed for long.

Including the time he spent leaping across the land fragments, he was certain he was among the fastest to arrive.

Yet Wandering Man, who had come alone, had somehow arrived even earlier and was already waiting here.