Gateway of Immortality

Yi Tianye had failed in his ambush. The reason he had not immediately fled, and had instead dared to stay and use the Purple Cloud Fruit to threaten Qin Sang, was because he believed Qin Sang's corpse core was the same as the one within the flying yaksha he controlled.

Having long since taken over the flying yaksha, he believed he understood Qin Sang's background thoroughly. He assumed the two were at least equally matched. With his speed, escaping would have been easy. He was certain Qin Sang could not stop him.

But what he never expected was that this corpse core was not the same as that one.

Qin Sang had formed his core by charging it with Celestial Gale Qi and Malevolent Yin Qi, his strength no less than that of a true Core Formation cultivator. In contrast, the yaksha under Yi Tianye's control was an artificially refined corpse.

"You could have become a true power if you had endured a few more years."

The sea of fire split open. Qin Sang emerged from the demonic flames, his gaze piercing cold as it locked onto Yi Tianye. "This place is quite scenic. A perfect place to bury you."

Swish!

The Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions trembled violently, emitting wave after wave of demonic sound.

The yin wind surged, becoming more urgent, its cries haunting and unbearable.

The stone hall had fallen into utter darkness. Not even the eye could make out shapes. Qin Sang stood beside the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions, grasping its shaft, his figure surrounded by whirling demonic flames. He looked like a devil reborn through fire.

The Demonic Flames of Nine Hells carried no heat; instead, they brought an icy chill that seeped into the bones, making one tremble uncontrollably.

The flames burned pitch-black, as if drawn from the depths of hell, devouring all light and pressing down with suffocating weight. Yi Tianye, encircled at the center, felt a cold unease settle in his heart.

The surrounding stones groaned and cracked under pressure, but faint glimmers of light ran through their veins. They remained steadfast, able to endure the demonic flames'' assault.

With the blood seal of the demon king guarding the hall, even if Qin Sang and Yi Tianye used every ounce of strength, they could not break the stone walls. It was the perfect place for a decisive battle.

Yi Tianye's expression froze, dark and sullen.

Back when Founder Kuiyin passed away and left behind the Yan Luo Banner, he had begun refining it himself. He knew this astra inside and out.

If Qin Sang had formed a standard corpse core, there would have been nothing to fear but now, things were different.

The demonic flames soared skyward.

A flash of green light flickered across Yi Tianye's chest. His body vanished in an instant.

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes. He knew this wasn't invisibility; it was simply that Yi Tianye's speed was too fast, creating an illusion.

Flying yakshas specialized in evasion, ghost-like and unpredictable. Yi Tianye had clearly employed some ghost path secret technique to further enhance his already terrifying speed and agility.

Qin Sang had spread the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells in advance precisely to guard against this tactic.

The moment Yi Tianye moved, he inevitably brushed against the flames, allowing Qin Sang to easily track his trajectory. With a flick of his finger, the surrounding flames surged toward Yi Tianye's path, cutting him off.

Instantly, the stone hall descended into chaos.

Loud crashes rang out repeatedly as Yi Tianye's figure flickered like a ghost, now to the left, now to the right, trying every method to break through the wall of fire.

The flames would gather tightly one moment and scatter in all directions the next.

Their changes were endless yet perfectly ordered, responding fluidly to Qin Sang's will.

Even when struck by Yi Tianye's heavy blows, the flames reformed rapidly, blocking his escape at every turn, pushing him back without giving even the smallest gap.

Though a gap in strength still existed between them, killing Yi Tianye would not be easy or quick.

If he became impatient, Qin Sang might reveal a flaw and allow Yi Tianye to escape.

However, Qin Sang had never intended to kill him directly. Not yet. In fact, he wasn't even aiming to injure him. His full focus was on manipulating the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions, sealing every exit and trapping Yi Tianye tightly.

Because of this measured strategy, no matter how hard Yi Tianye tried, he could not find a way out.

At the same time, Qin Sang was channeling part of his consciousness to the soul imprint embedded within the flying yaksha, attempting to bypass Yi Tianye's blockade and reawaken it.

Yi Tianye, reduced to a remnant soul, still relied on the flying yaksha as a vessel. Until his soul fully recovered, he had to possess the yaksha to maintain strength.

If Qin Sang succeeded in reclaiming the flying yaksha, it would be as if he had removed the firewood from under the pot. Yi Tianye would become a rootless drifter, nothing but a ghost awaiting slaughter.

Even if he could not fully regain control, creating chaos within the flying yaksha would still weaken Yi Tianye significantly.

Yi Tianye soon sensed Qin Sang's plan and sank into despair. Enraged, he roared repeatedly and launched himself recklessly into the flames.

But it was all futile. He had missed his only chance to escape, cut off his own retreat, and was now no more than a beast trapped in a cage.

Yi Tianye had no hope of escaping. Attempting to attack Qin Sang, who held the banner, was nothing more than a futile gesture.

In contrast, Qin Sang appeared increasingly composed. He could already sense the soul imprint growing clearer and clearer, while Yi Tianye's speed was gradually slowing, clearly under the effect of the imprint's reawakening.

At last, Qin Sang succeeded in reawakening the soul imprint.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to seize control of the flying yaksha's body, Yi Tianye abruptly ceased all resistance. The flying yaksha froze in place, completely still.

It was as if Yi Tianye had vanished.

A flicker of doubt arose in Qin Sang's mind. With a thought, he urged all of the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells forward, engulfing the flying yaksha.

At that very moment, a blinding azure light flared from the flying yaksha's chest, erupting with an immense wave of pressure. It shot out violently from the front of the yaksha's torso.

The beam of azure light forcibly tore through layer after layer of flame, but still failed to open an escape path. Lacking follow-through, the light quickly faded, leaving nothing behind.

Qin Sang's expression shifted. Just as he was about to investigate, a strange sensation struck him. He abruptly looked down to the bottom of the lake, and sure enough, something was amiss.

The very next instant, a crisp sword hum echoed from between his brows.

The ebony sword appeared at the bottom of the lake ahead.

With a surge of sword qi, the ebony sword thrust swiftly toward the lakebed.

With a crisp clang, the seemingly empty lakebed revealed a hidden object—an arc-shaped jade artifact that was dislodged from the void by the ebony sword.

And within the jade lay none other than Yi Tianye's soul, staring at Qin Sang with eyes full of venomous hatred.

Cornered, Yi Tianye had still managed to pull off a feint in the dark, detonating all his soul essence to hide within the jade, trying to slip past unnoticed.

What an unrelenting will to survive!

Qin Sang couldn't help but marvel inwardly but he showed no mercy in action.

Sword qi shrouded the jade mid-air. Yi Tianye no longer had the strength to resist.

But just as the sword qi enveloped the jade, a crack abruptly formed across Yi Tianye's soul. His presence began to dissipate at an alarming rate.

Seeing this, Qin Sang instantly flashed forward and seized the jade.

Yi Tianye wanted to commit suicide but Qin Sang couldn't let him off that easily. He still had to ask Yi Tianye about the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances.

Just as Qin Sang was about to invoke the Spirit Seizing Spell, a voice transmission suddenly sounded in his ear. It was Wandering Man. "His soul is about to dissipate. Use the Soul Search Technique!"

Immediately afterward, an intricate Soul Search Technique surfaced in Qin Sang's mind.

It was a remarkably refined method. Qin Sang had acquired a few Soul Search Techniques before from enemies he'd slain, but none came close to this one in sophistication.

Knowing every second counted, and that theSpirit Seizing Spellwas no match for this Soul Search Technique, Qin Sang decisively changed his plan. He swiftly completed the incantation. Black mist curled from his fingertips as he reached forward to seize what remained of Yi Tianye's fragmented soul.