Gateway of Immortality

The black panther stepped out from the shadows. Its fur was sleek and pitch-black, gleaming with a cold luster, without a single blemish in sight.

Around its neck hung a golden ring, though it didn't resemble an astra.

The panther blocked the entrance of the stone chamber. Its gaze swept over the two figures waiting in tight formation, laced with a mocking amusement.

It carried itself with ease, showing not the slightest regard for Qin Sang, Wandering Man, or the flying yaksha. It looked at them the way one would look at a handful of toys.

For a demonic beast at the middle stage of the Demonic Core Realm, Fake Core Realm cultivators were not worth mentioning. Even the strongest among them, the flying yaksha, could be slain at will.

"Shadow Devouring Panther!"

Wandering Man's eyes turned cold. A grim expression appeared beneath his mask as he warned, "The Shadow Devouring Panthers serve under the Feathered Demon King. This one is the king of its kind. Its skill in hiding breath and concealing movement is top-tier even among the demon race. Brother, you must be careful."

Qin Sang silently nodded.No wonder.

The Shadow Devouring Panther was renowned for its exceptional stealth, with a reputation that extended even among cultivators.

What's more, this one was at the middle stage of the Demonic Core Realm which was two stages above them. It was no surprise that even the hidden marks left by Wandering Man had failed to detect its presence.

Looking at the beast before him, Qin Sang's heart sank like a stone.

He stood still by the lakeside, not daring to move. His body had gone rigid, his blood nearly frozen.

Because he could already sense it. An elusive and indistinct killing intent had locked firmly onto him.

The panther strolled forward at a leisurely pace, exuding a relaxed confidence. It showed no desire to fight, nor did it even glance at the Purple Cloud Fruit across the lake, making no move to seize it.

But Qin Sang understood that if he dared take a single step forward, he would be struck by a thunderous blow.

If it were only an early-stage Demonic Core beast, he could unseal his corpse core, combine it with his astra and the yaksha, and likely defeat it. But against a middle-stage opponent, he stood no chance at all.

His only hope now rested with the Xutian Thunder.

Even with a demonic beast's resilient body, if struck by Xutian Thunder, it would be grievously injured at the very least.

Perhaps the Shadow Devouring Panther hadn't realized he held something that could threaten it. If he struck while it was off guard, he might just have a chance.

With that in mind, Qin Sang clenched his hand tightly, keeping the Xutian Thunder hidden.

Instead of unsealing the corpse core, he raised his right hand, summoning the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions from his fingertips. Ten banners flew out, surrounding him and embedding themselves into the ground.

Since the metamorphosis of his spiritual power, his strength had surged, surpassing the average Fake Core Realm cultivator. His speed at setting up arrays had also skyrocketed. Even without the corpse core, he could now easily complete the array.

He swallowed several spirit pills, then drew a cut across his palm. Blood and essence gushed out and were devoured entirely by the ravenous primary soul, which swelled with power, ready for battle.

At the same time, Qin Sang discreetly hid the astra-grade Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions in his palm.

Most demonic beasts relied on brute strength. Even if they possessed astras, they used them only as support. The Blood Defilement Divine Light of the ebony sword was likely of limited use in such a fight.

In a close-quarters clash, the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions would be far more effective.

No matter how powerful the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions was, it was ultimately just a set of artifacts and could not compare to an astra.

The panther gave the array a glance, but didn't bother reacting. With a hint of amusement in its eyes, it looked to Wandering Man and said, "Old man, it seems you know the demon race quite well. Even my identity isn't a secret to you. If you tell me honestly who dared betray us and expose the location of the Purple Cloud Fruit, I may grant you a quick death."

Having built rapport with the Spiritual Infant experts and learned there would be rewards upon returning, Qin Sang no longer saw the Purple Cloud Fruit as essential.

He had been prepared for failure before coming. If they encountered a powerful foe, giving up the fruit was acceptable. His life mattered more.

He never imagined things would go so smoothly. Even the golden eagle had been dealt with easily. Yet just as success was within reach, they were blocked here by a Shadow Devouring Panther at the middle stage of the Demonic Core Realm.

There was only one entrance to the stone chamber, and the panther stood in their path. No way out.

Now, Qin Sang's priority was no longer whether he could obtain the fruit, but whether they could escape with their lives.

If abandoning the Purple Cloud Fruit meant a chance to live, he would not hesitate.

As he braced himself for battle, about to voice his decision to Wandering Man, he suddenly heard the other's voice via sound transmission. His expression shifted slightly, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.

"You lowly beast, how dare you threaten me?"

Wandering Man sneered, full of disdain, mocking the panther with no hint of fear.

But coming from a Fake Core Realm cultivator, such words felt glaringly out of place. If he were a Spiritual Infant cultivator, maybe it would make more sense.

As expected, the panther was enraged, killing intent flashing in its eyes.

"Seeking death!"

It hunched slightly, then vanished on the spot.

In that instant, both the panther's form and presence completely disappeared from the senses of Qin Sang and Wandering Man. They had no idea where it had gone.

Qin Sang's heart tightened. Without hesitation, he ordered the primary soul to raise the astra.

Whoosh...

A sudden gust of yin wind rose, sending towering waves rippling across the once-still lake.

The Demonic Flames of Nine Hells surged forth silently, taking the form of a fire dragon that enveloped Qin Sang completely, sealing off every last gap.

All of it happened in the blink of an eye. Just as Qin Sang had summoned the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells, he suddenly heard Wandering Man shout in anger, "Get out!"

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, brilliant light erupted from all four walls of the stone chamber. The radiance gathered at the dome's peak and condensed into a pillar of light that shot down from above, slamming into the void before Qin Sang.

The white light was blinding. Qin Sang squinted and saw a black figure blasted out of empty space by the beam, crashing heavily to the ground. It was the Shadow Devouring Panther.

In an instant, cold sweat drenched Qin Sang's back.

The panther moved with terrifying speed. Just moments ago, it had been practically within striking range. But what terrified him more was that he hadn't sensed even the faintest fluctuation.

The panther rebounded from the floor in a swift motion, seemingly uninjured. Its eyes bulged wide as it crouched into a predatory stance, instincts overriding its rational mind. Like a true wild beast, it let out a furious roar. "How can you control the blood seal left behind by our king? Who are you?!"

The one it referred to as "king" could only be the demon king of Heavenly Demon Hill.

Qin Sang turned to look at Wandering Man in astonishment. Just moments ago, he had received a voice transmission from him and had doubted its credibility, yet the truth was now laid bare before his eyes. He had no choice but to believe it.

Wandering Man could actually manipulate the blood seal left behind by a great demon of the Transformation Realm. Even if he had only triggered a portion of the seal's power, his mastery of barriers and seals was nothing short of unfathomable.

Wandering Man paid the panther no heed. His hands shifted rapidly, forming seal after seal and sending them into the Flawless Orb. The orb blazed with radiant light, triggering waves of barriers across the stone chamber's walls. Each one seemed to respond to the orb's power.

The entire chamber grew brighter and brighter. Beams of light began to converge on the Shadow Devouring Panther.

The panther locked its gaze onto the Flawless Orb, a deep sense of foreboding welling up within it.

It had believed it could easily dispose of these two playthings. Yet now, it felt a true threat emanating from them. This was a possibility it had never even considered. It felt absurd, unreal.

But the sense of danger coming from the Flawless Orb was no illusion, and the panther couldn't make sense of it, no matter how hard it tried.