Gateway of Immortality

Qin Sang darted out of the cave. He had barely traveled any distance when dozens of Cloud Beasts swooped down upon him.

The sharp screeches filled the air, relentless and piercing, assaulting his eardrums like a demonic sound drilling into his mind, inciting an unbearable sense of agitation.

These Cloud Beasts beat their wings furiously, stirring up waves of spiritual qi that rained down upon the ground like a storm. Though they couldn’t yet see Qin Sang’s figure, the proximity of his life force was clear enough to drive them into a frenzy. They were determined to claw him out, even if it meant tearing through the earth to a depth of three chi.

The overwhelming spiritual power storm sealed off all of Qin Sang’s escape routes, surrounding him completely. The scene was chaotic, as if a torrential rain of spiritual qi had enveloped the area.

At this critical moment, a blood-red sword light suddenly shot up from the ground without warning. The dazzling light pierced through the air, streaking into the sky and stabbing straight into the cluster of Cloud Beasts.

Swish!

The spiritual sword’s sword qi expanded rapidly, stretching dozens of feet in an instant. With a flicker, the sword qi split, producing another blood-red streak, which in turn split again.

In mere moments, the spiritual sword had created thirty-two strands of sword qi, spreading out to form a circular sword array. These streams of qi revolved slowly around the core of the spiritual sword.

Over the years, Qin Sang had not neglected his cultivation of the Thousand-Mechanism Sword Array. He had now mastered the ability to generate thirty-two strands of sword qi, reaching a level of expertise comparable to that of Wu Yuesheng in his prime.

"Kill!"

Hidden amidst the scattered rocks, Qin Sang remotely commanded the ebony sword. Once the sword array was fully formed, a cold gleam of killing intent flashed in his eyes as he let out a fierce shout.

Boom!

The ebony sword trembled, and the sword qi erupted violently. Centered around the sword, a blood-colored lake seemed to emerge, with the sword qi resembling splashing waves.

The killing intent was overwhelming, and the sharpness was unparalleled!

The sword array transformed into a spinning blood-colored millstone, whirling rapidly with the intent to grind all its trapped enemies into dust.

The Cloud Beasts within the sword array were shredded to pieces. Only two Cloud Beasts comparable to the Foundation Building Realm survived but were flung out of the array, grievously injured and shrieking in rage.

Although Qin Sang had temporarily escaped danger, the commotion of the battle had attracted even more Cloud Beasts from above. Hundreds, if not thousands, of them descended in a frenzied swarm.

At that moment, a dark figure burst out from the rocky debris, charging fearlessly into the Cloud Beasts. With a single punch, it sent a weaker Cloud Beast flying, then swiftly turned and fled into the distance.

This act was nothing short of provocation, and the Cloud Beasts immediately descended into a state of uncontrollable fury. The massive swarm shifted direction in an instant, chasing after the dark figure and swallowing it whole within moments. The terrifying scene sent chills down anyone's spine.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang seized the opportunity to fly in the opposite direction, covering a significant distance in his escape.

The dark figure was none other than a zombie he had thrown out as a decoy. Over the years, most of the corpse puppets he refined had been destroyed in this manner.

However, a single zombie could only draw away a limited number of Cloud Beasts and provide Qin Sang with a brief respite. The vast sea of Cloud Beasts in the sky seemed endless. Before long, Qin Sang was spotted again and had no choice but to repeat his strategy.

After sacrificing three zombies in succession, Qin Sang finally broke free from the mountainous region and saw the plains stretching ahead.

At the same time, he was nearing the edge of the Cloud Beast swarm.

Yet, rather than relief, his expression grew even darker. The edge of the swarm was composed entirely of Cloud Beasts at the Foundation Building Realm. In the higher skies, there might even be Cloud Beasts at the Core Formation Realm lying in wait.

At the limits of his vision, the Cloud Beasts formed a dense, churning mass.

Every movement of these Cloud Beasts caused intense fluctuations in the surrounding spiritual qi. The sheer number of such powerful creatures gathered in one place made Qin Sang’s scalp tingle with unease.

"This celestial phenomenon isn’t going to be simple," Qin Sang muttered with a heavy sigh.

Over the years, Qin Sang had gained a deep understanding of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. The more terrifying the celestial phenomena, the more active the powerful Cloud Beasts became. Often, their behavior could indicate the intensity of the celestial phenomena, helping him decide whether to seek shelter.

In situations like this, staying exposed in the wilderness was unwise. He had to escape quickly and find refuge.

Qin Sang was thoroughly familiar with the refuges surrounding the Tianjing Hidden Realm. He knew that there was a sturdy refuge nearby that could undoubtedly withstand the erosion of the celestial phenomena—provided he could shake off the Cloud Beasts pursuing him.

"Looks like I’ll have to sacrifice another malevolent corpse." A pained expression flickered across his face. After all, he only had three left, and losing one would significantly weaken his combat strength.

Still, compared to his own life, what was a malevolent corpse worth?

As Qin Sang resolved to summon a malevolent corpse as bait, an unusual sound suddenly reached his ears. His expression shifted as he paused, continuing to command the ebony sword to slay the advancing Cloud Beasts. He turned his head toward the west.

There, the Cloud Beast swarm had inexplicably fallen into chaos. A massive sphere formed by countless Cloud Beasts was slowly moving in his direction. Amidst the screeches and roars of the beasts, the faint sounds of artifact clashes and spiritual power fluctuations could be heard.

Someone else is caught in the Cloud Beast swarm?

Qin Sang’s eyes glinted as he considered whether to invite this person to collaborate and spare himself the loss of a malevolent corpse. Just then, a loud shout came from within the sphere.

"Fellow Daoist ahead! The Cloud Beasts here are overwhelming. Would you be willing to join forces with me to escape this peril?"

Hearing the voice, Qin Sang let out a soft hmm, his expression betraying surprise.

On the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, it was common for individuals to team up when faced with Cloud Beasts or celestial phenomena. Cooperation often proved crucial in navigating crises. Whether they turned against each other afterward was a matter to be settled once they escaped danger.

The invitation to work together wasn’t unusual, but what startled Qin Sang was the familiarity of the voice.

"Senior Wandering Man, is that you?" Qin Sang called out loudly.

There was a brief silence from within the sphere, followed by hearty laughter. "Brother Qin! We truly share a remarkable fate. To think, after so long, we’d meet again in a place like this. This isn’t the place for conversation—let’s first shake off these Cloud Beasts and find somewhere safe to talk!"

"Agreed!" Qin Sang responded without hesitation.

Encountering Wandering Man in the vast wilderness was an unexpected surprise.

Half a year ago, Wandering Man had headed west, saying he was seeking a way to resolve a hidden sickness. Could it be that he had only just returned? Qin Sang wondered if he had succeeded.

With these thoughts in mind, Qin Sang changed direction and aimed his sword toward the west, swiftly closing the distance between himself and Wandering Man. Along the way, his hand quietly reached into his Mustard Seed Pouch, palming a Profound Yin Thunderbolt.

The two Essence-Devouring Spikes he had asked Shopkeeper Wu to refine were already used up, but this Profound Yin Thunderbolt had remained intact until now.

It wasn’t that Qin Sang intended to harm Wandering Man—but one could never be too cautious.