Gateway of Immortality

"I left a concealed barrier at the entrance. It's been triggered," Wandering Man said softly.

"Unlike the immortal cultivation world of humans, most cultivating demons below the Transformation Realm require Imperial Elixir to fully awaken their spiritual intelligence."

"At the Heavenly Demon Hill, all Imperial Elixir is controlled by the demon kings. That means most Demonic Core Realm beasts who've gained intelligence serve directly under those demon kings. It's rare to see rogue cultivators among them, unlike among human cultivators."

"This demon is most likely one of the demon king's trusted followers who entered the inner palace alongside him. That's how it got here so quickly."

"The surprise attack from the Sin Abyss has stirred too much upheaval. The three domains are on the brink of chaos. The Heavenly Demon Hill can no longer remain uninvolved. The demon kings must be rushing to the heavenly mountain, hoping to seize more treasures, and so didn't linger in the outer palace..."

While the ambush by the Sin Abyss had brought them an unexpected opportunity, it also introduced new complications.

Qin Sang looked up toward the cliff top, his eyes turning cold. He reached for a piece of Xutian Thunder from his iron plate, but Wandering Man quickly pressed down on his hand.

Wandering Man shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "We still don't know how strong this demon is, or how many of them have come. This isn't the place to act. I'll leave a hidden mark and gauge its cultivation first, then decide our next move."

With that, Wandering Man glanced around, then suddenly leapt into the dark pool nearby.

The water of the pool parted on its own. Wandering Man moved with great caution, ensuring not a trace of spiritual aura was left behind.

They had been careful this entire journey, anticipating such situations. All residual traces of aura had been thoroughly cleared, leaving nothing for any beast cultivators following behind to detect.

Wandering Man remained submerged for a while before emerging from the water. Whatever hidden move he'd set in place remained unknown.

"Let's break through the barrier. There's no time to delay. We need to move as fast as possible. If this beast is highly cultivated, we still don't know how effective the Xutian Thunder or the yaksha will be. The Xutian Thunder's range is too small, and the yaksha's strength is limited. We may have to rely on ancient barriers to scare it off," Wandering Man said.

Qin Sang agreed. Wandering Man was right.Though the methods I have on hand can indeed pose a threat to Demonic Core Realm demons, they all have significant limitations and require careful planning to be effective.

He had far less knowledge of the herb garden and its ancient barriers than Wandering Man, so he followed the latter's lead without hesitation. The flying yaksha opened a path, and the two of them immediately leapt forward.

Ancient barriers blocked their way ahead, and pursuit pressed from behind.

Qin Sang and Wandering Man moved even faster than before, breaking through layer after layer of ancient barriers with all haste, delving deeper into the herb garden.

They continued heading straight for the Purple Cloud Fruit, making no effort to detour or evade.

There were too many unknown dangers lurking in other areas. More importantly, there was only one Purple Cloud Fruit. To avoid the path now would be to surrender it entirely.

After breaking through four layers of ancient barriers in a row, they arrived at a hillside covered in wildflowers.

Wandering Man came to a stop and suddenly smiled faintly, his expression easing. "It's just a golden eagle demonic beast. I recall it's only early-stage Demonic Core Realm and already injured. Nothing to worry about."

Qin Sang still didn't relax and quickly asked, "Just one golden eagle demon?"

"That's right. The ambush by the Sin Abyss caused total chaos. You weren't in the formation at the time, so you may not have noticed. When theSin Abyss withdrew, they shattered a section of the Small Polaris Array—coincidentally, the very section where the demons from Heavenly Demon Hill were stationed. The casualties among them were heavy, and those who survived were all wounded. I remember that golden eagle. It's weak enough that you won't even need the Xutian Thunder. Once we borrow the power of the ancient barriers, trapping it will be easy," Wandering Man nodded.

With their plan quickly set, the two of them continued forward.

...

The herb garden sprawled far and wide, with numerous expansive areas sealed off by layers of ancient barriers.

Rolling mountains stretched in all directions, lush with verdant vegetation.

It was a scene brimming with vitality.

Suddenly, a sharp eagle cry pierced through the sky, followed by a dazzling streak of golden lightning.

The golden flash swept past several mountain peaks in an instant and landed atop a protruding boulder. Only then did its true form reveal itself—a golden eagle!

The golden eagle folded its wings, majestic and spirited. Its gaze was sharp and fierce, every feather gleaming with a golden sheen, as if coated in molten gold. Yet unlike the typical giant golden eagles whose wingspans reached over ten zhang, this one was much smaller.

When its wings were spread, its size was only about the same as a human's.

Even so, its aura was overwhelmingly powerful. Intelligence shone in its eyes—clear and bright—far beyond what any ordinary demonic beast could possess.

Perched on the rock, the golden eagle stared intently at the ravine ahead.

Moments later, a strange glint flickered in its eyes. It opened its beak and spat out a bolt of lightning.

Thunder echoed through the surrounding mountains.

This was not a simple illusion, but a true lightning bolt. It was condensed from its demonic power, terrifying in force and blinding in speed.

Unexpectedly, the bolt encountered resistance just before striking the ravine.

Boom!

A diagram of the Eight Trigrams suddenly manifested with a thunderous roar. It was clearly a manifestation of ancient barrier power.

The golden lightning struck the center of the Eight Trigrams pattern dead-on, yet even as it vanished, it failed to shake the barrier.

In the next instant, a sudden change erupted!

The Eight Trigrams pattern began to spin rapidly. A glimmer of golden light flashed at its center, and a bolt of lightning identical to the first shot out, hurtling toward the golden eagle.

The ancient barrier had reflected the golden lightning back, and with twice the power!

A trace of disdain flashed in the eagle's eyes. It casually beat its wings, shattering the bolt. Then it gave a violent shake, and countless golden feathers flew off its body like arrows.

In a blink, the golden brilliance drowned out the Eight Trigrams.

A sharp crack rang out. The Eight Trigrams split open with a tiny fissure. At once, a sliver of golden light slipped through.

There was still immense pressure within that narrow gap, and the eagle's bones creaked in agony as it forcibly pushed through the barrier.

But just as its head emerged from the other side of the ancient barrier, a beam of white light suddenly descended from the heavens.

The white light looked gentle and lacked any threatening aura.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the golden eagle sensed a chilling dread from within it.

Half of its body was still stuck inside the ancient barrier. It hadn't expected to be ambushed here.

Letting out a startled cry, the eagle reacted instantly. It spat out another bolt of lightning as its body abruptly swelled. Some sort of seal had been undone.

Its bones groaned and creaked from the sudden expansion.

As its form ballooned, an old wound at the base of its left wing tore open again, spurting blood and filling the air with a strong metallic tang.

This injury had come from being struck by fragments when the Small Polaris Array shattered. It had nearly cost the eagle its life. Even after consuming many spirit pills, the wound refused to heal until the demon king personally intervened. But now, the hidden damage had worsened again under the ancient barrier's pressure.

The eagle screeched in rage, completely losing control.

Ignoring its internal injuries, it forcefully spread its wings, relying on sheer physical strength to widen the crack in the barrier.

In the blink of an eye, it had torn itself free from the ancient barrier.