Gateway of Immortality

Every trial in the outer palace teemed with danger. In places like the Immortal Tomb, even Dongyang Bo and Chenyan had to slow down and proceed with utmost caution.

Yet the aura around Wandering Man hadn't changed much from before. He still appeared to be in the Fake Core Realm!

Qin Sang fixed a deep gaze on Wandering Man.

There had always been mysteries surrounding him, but nothing too outrageous. Besides, Qin Sang had secrets of his own, so he had never pried too deeply.

Everyone had their own hidden matters and taboos. Probing too carelessly could easily turn friends into enemies.

Wandering Man had never harmed him. In fact, he had helped many times. Qin Sang was ruthless, yes, but only toward his enemies.

Now, though, Qin Sang found it harder and harder to see through Wandering Man.

To have passed through the outer palace so swiftly and entered the inner palace... There was no way an ordinary Fake Core cultivator could have accomplished that. Even someone at the Golden Core Realm would likely have struggled!

Has Wandering Man been concealing his strength?

Is it possible that his cultivation rivals even that of a Spiritual Infant cultivator?

Qin Sang was startled by the thought, then immediately mocked himself for being ridiculous.

He knew Wandering Man's background well. In the mortal world of the Great Sui Era, his history had been confirmed by Daoist Master Jixin. After joining the Taiyi Core Sect, his cultivation path had only become clearer.

He had advanced step by step, from the Qi Refining Realm to the Foundation Building Realm, and finally to the Fake Core Realm.

It had been a bitter and arduous journey, widely known to all.

Qin Sang himself had been involved in many of those events.

If Wandering Man had truly hidden his cultivation, there would have been no point in maintaining the facade for so long.

Perhaps he had merely found a shortcut into the inner palace.

"I rushed here with all my strength and only just arrived. Thankfully, I didn't delay your business," Wandering Man said with visible relief. Then he added, "Let's head straight to pick the Purple Cloud Fruit. Since we arrived early, we might just beat the other competitors."

With that, Wandering Man activated his movement art and sped off toward the ancient herb garden.

Qin Sang had words on the tip of his tongue, intending to probe indirectly. But after a moment's thought, he decided not to meddle. Whatever secrets Wandering Man held, as long as they posed no threat to him, it wasn't his concern.

Suppressing his stray thoughts, he silently followed.

Noticing that Qin Sang's gaze lingered on the ruins of the immortal city, Wandering Man took the initiative and said, "Brother Qin, you find that palm print strange as well?"

Qin Sang nodded with a sigh. "That terrifying imprint, who could have left it? Could the legends of giant spirits or titans that could tear dragons and phoenixes apart actually be true?"

That imprint did not appear to have been formed by spiritual power.

The finger grooves and palm lines were clearly defined. It looked more like the mark left by a real hand of flesh.

That was what had truly shocked Qin Sang.

Just how powerful must one's physical body be to annihilate an entire celestial city with a single palm?

To temper the body to such an extent was beyond comprehension.

Qin Sang suspected that even if he struck with all his might, he would not be able to pierce that being's skin. It would feel more like a tickle.

The world of immortal cultivation did contain body-refining methods, but most required vast amounts of resources. These included rare spiritual herbs and natural treasures.

Those unorthodox secret arts often came with severe limitations and were equally difficult to cultivate.

In today's cultivation world, where resources were scarce, pursuing the path of body refinement was immensely difficult. It was far harder than the orthodox path of spiritual cultivation.

Even those who dabbled in body refinement usually did so only after attaining a solid foundation in cultivation. With the power to back them, gathering resources became easier.

While dual cultivation could lead to a dramatic boost in combat power in the short term, over the long run, dividing one's focus would only drain a cultivator's energy. Most who attempted it did not end well.

"It might not have been a giant spirit. In the ancient era of immortal cultivation, there were grand supernatural abilities like World Manifestation[1]. Those who mastered them could embody the heavens and earth, and overturn mountains and seas. Leaving behind such a palm imprint would not be strange at all."

World Manifestation, huh?

Qin Sang fell silent. The more he witnessed, the more he realized how ignorant and insignificant he truly was.

This world had revealed another layer of its mysteries to him through Ziwei Palace.

The mysterious barrier at the edge of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, the Immortal Tomb in the outer palace of Ziwei Palace, and now the palm print in the inner palace—each one shattered everything he thought he knew.

Who had left behind these sacred traces, still unextinguished to this day, enough to shake all who beheld them?

A cultivator of the Mahayana[2] Realm?

Or perhaps... an immortal?

"This palm strike utterly destroyed the celestial city. A Spiritual Infant cultivator once overturned the entire ruins and did uncover a few surviving astras, but without exception, every single one had lost its power. It's said that this wasn't due to the passage of time, but rather some terrifying force that directly obliterated the origin of the astras. Most likely, that force came from the palm imprint itself."

Even Wandering Man's voice carried awe and yearning.

The two of them fell silent, their thoughts swept away by wonder.

After a while, it was Wandering Man who broke the silence.

"Brother Qin, these matters lie far beyond our reach. What we should be focused on now is healing the hidden wounds we carry. Though the chances of encountering other competitors are low, we must still be prepared."

"My Flawless Orb, when fully activated, can seal a demon at the Demonic Core Realm for a time. The duration depends on the target's strength."

"I also have some knowledge of ancient barriers. If we run into enemies, we might use these ancient barriers to trap them, buying you time."

Qin Sang gave Wandering Man a surprised glance.For the Flawless Orb to seal even a Demonic Core Realm creature... Has it already metamorphosed into an astra?

Wandering Man spoke with great confidence. He was not one to boast idly, so his words were likely credible.

Since this trip was about harvesting rare herbs for himself, and Wandering Man had taken the initiative to share his cards, Qin Sang decided to reveal part of his own hand in return. "Senior, I have a Xutian Thunder in hand. If absolutely necessary, I'm willing to exchange it for the Purple Cloud Fruit. I also control a flying yaksha. It can break through the barriers ahead of us, and that will certainly speed things up."

After this journey, he would be ready to form his core.

As long as he did not commit atrocities or slaughter mortals and fellow cultivators, cultivating the corpse path would not be a serious issue for someone at the Core Formation Realm. His sect would likely turn a blind eye.

There was no longer any need to keep it hidden.

"Xutian Thunder? Flying yaksha?"

Wandering Man was stunned, staring at Qin Sang in amazement. "I've met many cultivators, but never someone like you, who hides his strength this deeply. Even Core Formation cultivators who underestimate you would surely pay dearly. Did you obtain the secret art you used to refine that flying yaksha in the ice cavern?"

Qin Sang knew he could not conceal it any longer, so he replied vaguely, "Something like that. I owe it to your guidance, Senior."

Wandering Man chuckled softly.

"I had long since seen that you practiced corpse refinement, and that your flying yaksha came from the same origin.

"You must be wondering why I never questioned you about it?

"To me, there is no such thing as righteous or evil arts, only how they are used.

"Do not blame me for having investigated you. I know you are not some treacherous or wicked man.

"To strike with thunderous methods, to kill those who must be killed, yet remain true to one's heart and uphold one's bottom line—this is what a cultivator should be."

1. This is a supernatural ability that appeared in the Chinese classic "Journey to the West"; it allowed the user to gigantify their body, to be as tall as the heavens and as wide as the earth. ☜

2. Using Mahayana here, directly translating from the Chinese raw, to be more accurate. Mahayana is a branch of Buddhism. ☜