Gateway of Immortality

The Shadow-Devouring Panther struck again.

This time, under the radiance of the demon king's blood seal, Qin Sang could faintly make out a shadowy figure lunging at Wandering Man with astonishing speed.

The panther's concealment abilities had completely failed here.

Not only that, but its speed had also dropped significantly, as if burdened by an invisible mountain.

"Attack its abdomen, it's been severely wounded!"

Wandering Man pushed the Flawless Orb to its limits and shouted loudly.

Qin Sang understood immediately. The Shadow-Devouring Panther must have been injured back when the Sin Abyss shattered the Small Polaris Array. That wound hadn't healed, and its abdomen was now the weak spot.

Qin Sang darted behind Wandering Man and unleashed the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells, commanding the flying yaksha to charge as well.

The flames transformed into a fire dragon and shot forward, blocking the panther's path.

Sensing the aura of the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells, the panther's eyes narrowed. It felt the strangeness and menace in this fire that could very well pose a real threat.

What a cursed day this is.

Two cultivators not even at the Golden Core Realm wielded astras that could threaten him and could even manipulate the demon king's blood seal.

The panther began to feel regret. Had it known, it should have eliminated the two of them silently while hidden in the shadows.

Whoosh! Whoosh...

Though regret filled its heart, its actions remained unshaken.

With a furious roar, a thousand phantom claws exploded out, carrying a terrifying might that seemed capable of shredding all things. Yet, when those claws clashed with the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells, the expected one-sided suppression did not happen.

The flames were torn apart but rapidly converged again, refusing to be extinguished.

At that moment, the flying yaksha burst from the flames without warning. From an unexpected angle, it swung its fist directly at the panther's abdomen.

The panther roared furiously, twisting its body mid-air to avoid the blow, clearly unwilling to take it head-on.

That area really was wounded.

After dodging the ambush, it countered with a strike, sending the yaksha flying back.

Boom!

The yaksha was blasted backward, bearing several deep claw marks. It looked seriously wounded, though its origin had not been damaged.

And yet, the two of them working together had barely managed to hold the Shadow-Devouring Panther at bay.

Witnessing this, Qin Sang was stunned. The Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions was only a low-grade astra. Neither the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells nor the yaksha should have been a match for the panther.

There was only one explanation for this: the panther's strength had been severely restricted by the demon king's blood seal.

Qin Sang glanced at Wandering Man, only to see his hands moving faster and faster, forming countless seals. The light on the walls of the stone chamber grew ever brighter, layer upon layer pressing down on the Shadow-Devouring Panther.

He recalled the voice transmission from Wandering Man and immediately ordered the flames and the yaksha to continue their assault, focusing entirely on the panther's injury. At the same time, he secretly readied the ebony sword, eyes fixed on the beast with complete concentration.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

The panther repeatedly tore through the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells and knocked back the yaksha, but it could never reach Wandering Man. Even when it tried to charge toward the Purple Cloud Fruit, it was forced back again. The pressure on its body only grew heavier.

Then, it shot a cold glare at Wandering Man, turned sharply, and began retreating without hesitation.

Qin Sang instantly realized its intent.

The demon king's blood seal only functioned within the stone chamber. Once outside its range, the two of them would lose the power they were relying on and be left at the beast's mercy.

The panther clearly understood the might of the blood seal. It had been left by a great demon of the Transformation Realm and was overwhelmingly dangerous. If Wandering Man were to unleash its full power, killing the panther would be effortless.

Not knowing Wandering Man's full capabilities, it no longer dared to take risks. If it could block the entrance by the waterfall, it could trap them like turtles in a jar. Then, Qin Sang and Wandering Man would have no escape.

Qin Sang had not expected the Shadow-Devouring Panther to be so decisive. Faced with danger, it was even willing to abandon the Purple Cloud Fruit.

They absolutely could not let it escape.

But the panther moved with clean precision and terrifying speed. It was too late to stop it.

"Brother Qin!" Wandering Man suddenly roared.

Qin Sang had never forgotten Wandering Man's instructions. At the shout, he reacted without thinking, instinctively releasing the ebony sword. In an instant, his body transformed into a streak of sword light, bursting forth at full speed.

Thunder roared through the stone chamber, deafening and fierce.

The flying sword shot out like a startled rainbow, swift and unstoppable.

Wandering Man did not disappoint Qin Sang. He pointed a finger at the Flawless Orb.

The chamber suddenly dimmed.

Because Wandering Man had detonated the full force of the blood seal, all its light converged on the Shadow-Devouring Panther, increasing the crushing pressure on its body.

The Flawless Orb trembled, then fired a strange beam of light. The light arrow flew even faster than Qin Sang's sword, overtaking the panther and enveloping it in its glow.

The moment the light arrow covered it, the Shadow-Devouring Panther's body froze mid-motion, locked in a twisted, unnatural pose as if nailed to the spot.

Wandering Man had not been bluffing. His Flawless Orb truly could suppress demonic beasts. Even a formidable opponent at the middle stage of the Demonic Core Realm like this panther was pinned down completely.

A flash of sword light followed immediately behind.

From within the sword light flew out a small grey orb, no larger than a longan fruit.

The orb was grey-white in color, and faint streaks of silvery light occasionally flickered across its surface. It drifted out from the sword light, slowly floating toward the Shadow-Devouring Panther. Though it appeared sluggish, its true speed was terrifying.

It spun gently, creating the illusion of slow motion, but the silver glow on its surface grew denser and brighter.

Though it looked small, it now radiated a savage power—one that grew more and more intense, enough to make the entire body tremble instinctively.

From afar, Wandering Man narrowed his eyes.

The ebony sword halted abruptly, then retreated at high speed.

Even Qin Sang, the one who wielded it, feared the Xutian Thunder, worried he might be caught in its blast.

Roar!

The Shadow-Devouring Panther finally broke free from the Flawless Orb's restraints, but in the next instant, it faced the terrible force of the Xutian Thunder, and let out a furious, panicked roar.

A blinding, dazzling, silver light erupted.

Within the stone chamber, it was as though a miniature sun had been born.

However, the silver light was tightly confined, covering less than one zhang in radius.

From the moment the light burst to when it vanished took less than a breath. Not a single sound was heard throughout the process. Then, the glow faded entirely.

Other than a deep, semicircular crater on the floor and the stone nearby that had been ground to powder by the aftershock, there were no other traces left behind. It was as if nothing had ever existed.

The Shadow-Devouring Panther was gone, seemingly swallowed by the silver light.

But in the next breath, a sudden change occurred.

The air twisted violently, and the panther's figure reappeared.

It looked utterly devastated. From its neck downward, the entire left foreleg had vanished. Bloody organs were exposed to the open air, and its breathing was faint to the extreme.

Yet it still lived. Its body sprang up with sudden force, fleeing down the passage and leaving behind a trail of blood.

Qin Sang watched coldly as the Shadow-Devouring Panther fled. He had already been prepared for such a scenario.

He had never unsealed his corpse core, partly because Wandering Man's plan didn't require his full strength, but also because he had been waiting for a chance like this to catch the enemy off guard.

Now, Qin Sang refocused his mind and enveloped the corpse core with his consciousness.

Just as he was about to break the seal, a powerful sense of danger surged through his heart.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a black figure lunging toward him.

It was the flying yaksha!