Gateway of Immortality

Within the void hovered countless mighty sword wills, each carrying a terrifying pressure.

As Qin Sang walked forward, he did not disturb them. This was likely due to the presence of the ebony sword and the killing symbol.

This ancient hall only allowed disciples who cultivatedPrimordial Spirit Sword Nourishmentto enter. If anyone else intruded, they would be instantly torn apart by a myriad of sword wills.

With every step Qin Sang took, a stone sword would be stirred, unleashing its sword will.

He raised his sword to counter the attack while attempting to comprehend the inner essence within.

Sometimes, he saw a lone figure practicing swordplay, performing exquisite techniques.

Other times, there appeared scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with a lone man standing with sword in hand, exuding a murderous aura that shook the heavens.

There were also moments when a mysterious sword light flashed across the void, with no clear origin or destination.

...

Each manifestation was different. All of them felt like fleeting glimpses of something profound. The background remained hazy, and only the sword will could be sensed with any clarity. How much one could comprehend depended entirely on their own abilities.

Qin Sang focused with all his strength, trying to commit each one to memory.

As expected, the further he advanced, the stronger the sword wills became.

If he had relied solely on his own strength, he would have had to move cautiously and slowly. He would not have been able to progress with such ease.

When the ebony sword clashed with a sword will and showed signs of faltering, Qin Sang would immediately withdraw the sword, allowing the sword will to pierce into his primordial spirit. Inside, it would be dispersed effortlessly by the Jade Buddha.

Along the way, he memorized many insights. They were profound and obscure, most of them impossible to understand immediately, yet he engraved them firmly into his heart.

Qin Sang could not help but sigh. This was the benefit of a true inheritance.

Often, what obstructed a cultivator was merely a thin veil that could be broken with a single touch.

Some had the guidance of sects or mentors and could easily break through.

Others could only stumble about like headless flies, and might never find the right path in a lifetime.

Clearly, these stone swords had not been left behind by the same person. Not a single sword will was the same. Although they all cultivated the same art, each one had taken a different path.

There was too little information, like traces of a swan on snow. Even with Qin Sang's sharp perception, he could not tell what level of cultivation these sword wielders had reached, though it was certain they had all been extremely powerful.

With so many experts and such a mighty sect, how had they fallen?

Time passed swiftly, and the world changed drastically.

Even they had failed to attain eternity.

All that remained of their legacy was a single incomplete manual.

Not even a single record survived in ancient texts.

They had all vanished, buried in the river of time. Only within these stone swords remained a pitiful trace of their sword will, the final remnant of their existence.

Through this alone, one could catch a faint glimpse of the brilliance of the ancient sages.

***

The path of swords was long.

Qin Sang continued through the forest of swords, step by step. Darkness peeled away before his eyes, yet he still did not see the end of the path.

Then, his footsteps paused. He finally saw something different.

At the end of the path stood a stone door.

It had been opened by someone in the past and now hung half ajar, revealing darkness within.

Qin Sang's gaze swept sharply across the scene, examining even the gaps between the stone swords, but found nothing unusual.

Senior Qingzhu's remains were likely still ahead.

Qin Sang's expression darkened slightly.Generally speaking, a great sect would not have just one trial ground. Each area typically tests a specific aspect. Are there more trials ahead?

This unexpected variable has not been mentioned by Granny Jing.

This place is likely intended for Core Formation cultivators. The Jade Buddha can only protect my primordial spirit. I have been able to traverse the path with ease, but there is no guarantee that I can pass the next trial.

With that thought, a sense of heaviness settled in his heart. He quickened his pace toward the stone door.

Creak...

Qin Sang pushed the stone door open with effort. When he saw the scene inside, his expression eased at once.

Within was a small square-shaped ancient hall. It was much smaller than the path outside and contained no further trials. The hall was silent, with no signs of danger.

It had been a false alarm. Standing at the doorway, Qin Sang carefully examined the ancient hall.

Although dim, the room was not large and could be taken in at a glance.

The walls and floor were paved with greenish stone bricks, identical to those outside. However, no stone swords could be seen here, making the space appear rather empty.

The only object present was an altar about the height of a man, located at the center of the hall. Strange runes were etched along the edge of the altar, resembling a spiritual array.

There were no signs of Senior Qingzhu's remains inside.

Qin Sang frowned deeply. This outcome was entirely beyond his expectations.

Back then, Senior Qingzhu had appeared briefly in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield before vanishing without a trace. Judging by the timeline, his disappearance almost perfectly coincided with the last activation of the Ziwei Palace.

Granny Jing had spoken with great certainty that Senior Qingzhu had gone missing inside this very ancient hall. The information she had provided should be reliable, and everything Qin Sang had encountered before entering the hall aligned with what Granny Jing had described.

So where had things gone wrong?

Qin Sang felt unwilling to accept this outcome. He quickly examined the walls of the ancient hall, hoping to find a hidden door, but unfortunately found nothing.

At last, his gaze landed on the altar at the center of the stone hall. He cautiously took a step forward. Seeing no change, he headed directly toward it.

The altar was square-shaped, with steps descending on all four sides.

Qin Sang ascended the altar in a few quick strides. Once he saw the entire array atop the altar clearly, he was instantly struck by a sense of familiarity.

"This... Is it an ancient teleportation array?" Qin Sang murmured.

The array on the altar formed the shape of an Eight Trigrams. Its eight corners aligned perfectly with the positions of the trigrams, filled with dense, mysterious runes and symbols. All eight corners were currently empty, but each held a clearly defined socket, evidently meant for embedding spirit stones.

The moment he saw this array, Qin Sang immediately recalled the ancient teleportation array at Shangyuan Tranquility Palace.

He had ridden it twice before, and the experience had left a deep impression.

The two arrays shared the exact same shape. Over ninety percent of the ancient barriers and runes etched within were also identical.

The only difference was that the array before him was much smaller than the one at Shangyuan Tranquility Palace. The central space could accommodate only one or two people.

In addition, this array contained even more ancient runes than the one in Shangyuan Tranquility Palace. Within such a confined area, the dense cluster of runes made the space feel packed to the brim.

Just by looking, Qin Sang could already confirm that this was indeed an ancient teleportation array.

At the end of the sword path stood a teleportation array. Was the sword forest outside intended as protection for the array rather than a trial?

Then where does this teleportation array lead?

Could it be that Senior Qingzhu had not perished back then, but had instead used this array to leave the Small Cold Domain?

Qin Sang could not help but let his thoughts wander. He stared at the teleportation array and eventually confirmed that the array was intact. As long as the corresponding array on the other end was still functional, placing spirit stones in the eight sockets would be enough to activate it.

"Hmm?"

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something unusual—scratches carved by human hands on one of the altar's stone pillars.

Qin Sang's expression shifted. He quickly darted to the pillar and saw a line of crude characters inscribed there.

The handwriting was extremely messy, barely legible, and clearly written in haste.

Next to the writing were two highly intricate symbols that immediately seized Qin Sang's full attention.

Two killing symbols.