Gateway of Immortality

Yu Dayue opened his mouth slightly, as if he intended to persuade further.

Suddenly, a black vortex suddenly appeared on the stone stele, and a figure stepped out from within. It was a middle-aged Daoist, his hair tied in a topknot. His Daoist robe was only slightly wrinkled, and while his aura seemed a bit disordered, he appeared largely unperturbed.

His expression was calm and relaxed, suggesting that the trials of the ancient estate had not caused him much trouble.

Seeing two people standing before the stone tablet, the middle-aged Daoist froze momentarily, his eyes immediately alert as his aura shifted. However, upon recognizing Qin Sang and Yu Dayue’s faces, he relaxed again, smiling as he clasped his hands in greeting.

"So, it’s the two junior brothers from Shaohua Mountain. Greetings from Wen."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Wen!"

Qin Sang and Yu Dayue returned the courtesy together. This person was a disciple of the Shangyuan Tranquility Palace, which had a good relationship with Shaohua Mountain. They had exchanged pleasantries outside the Tianjing Hidden Realm, making them casual acquaintances.

This man was in the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm and one of the strongest individuals entering the estate this time. It was no wonder he passed the trials with such ease.

After some brief small talk, the middle-aged Daoist picked a direction and departed on his own.

The interruption from the Daoist, combined with Qin Sang’s resolute attitude, finally led Yu Dayue to give up further persuasion. He casually chose a direction and flew off.

As Yu Dayue’s silhouette disappeared into the dense forest, Qin Sang took out his jade ruyi talisman astra, his expression contemplative.

Since entering the Tianjing Hidden Realm, he had already been forced to use the talisman once to escape danger. Now, after using it again during the trial, the cracks on its surface had deepened further.

Earlier, during the trial, Qin Sang had been surrounded by humanoid spirits. Seeing that Yu Dayue remained inactive, he had no choice but to summon the jade ruyi talisman astra. Its power was undeniable—it transformed into countless jade ruyi shadows, clearing a large area of spirits in an instant and carving a path to safety.

Qin Sang was convinced that Yu Dayue must have his own trump card but had chosen to keep it hidden.

However, he also understood that Yu Dayue’s caution didn’t necessarily stem from malice.

Thinking from Yu Dayue’s perspective, such behavior was perfectly reasonable.

When passing the second trial, Yu Dayue had been covered in injuries, barely surviving by sacrificing an arm. In stark contrast, Qin Sang had emerged unscathed, making their difference in capability glaringly obvious.

Even if Qin Sang attributed his survival to a self-detonating top-grade artifact, it was unverifiable and unlikely to convince anyone.

From Yu Dayue’s perspective, Qin Sang seemed to be shrouded in mystery, his true strength far exceeding what his cultivation realm suggested. Unless Yu Dayue could force Qin Sang to reveal more of his cards, he would remain uneasy.

In the world of immortal cultivation, cooperation was never built on so-called camaraderie.

Understanding Yu Dayue’s mindset, Qin Sang decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he decisively used the jade ruyi talisman astra. After all, it wasn’t his true trump card.

If he hesitated further, Yu Dayue might become even more convinced that Qin Sang harbored ill intentions, opting for mutual destruction rather than giving Qin Sang any advantage.

No one was a fool.

Qin Sang ran his fingers over the cracks on the talisman astra and sighed softly before storing it in his Mustard Seed Pouch. He then chose a spot near the stone stele, set up a barrier, and began absorbing spiritual qi to recover.

Before long, Qin Sang had restored himself to peak condition. Rising to his feet, he leaped onto the crown of a tree to survey his surroundings.

After glancing briefly in the direction where Yu Dayue had disappeared, Qin Sang shifted his gaze. He was certain that Yu Dayue’s real path was elsewhere; there was no way he’d risk acting as a guide.

The senior brothers with greater strength had entered the ancient ruins far earlier than they had. Yet, after carefully scanning the area, Qin Sang saw no signs of combat.

Are the deeper parts of the ancient ruins just as tranquil?

After observing for a long time and failing to discern anything significant, Qin Sang lightly tapped the tree trunk beneath him, picked a direction at random, and flew north on his spiritual sword.

Initially, he traveled using his sword, but upon reaching the edge of the mountain range, he stowed away his spiritual sword and proceeded silently on foot.

The mountain, like the land below it, was barren, with withered vegetation and a deathly stillness.

Midway up the mountain stood an old, seven-story wooden tower, its structure dilapidated and overgrown with dry, yellow vines. The doors and windows were missing, leaving dark, gaping holes where the vines crept inside, likely creating chaos within.

Qin Sang’s figure appeared before the wooden tower. He was well aware that it probably contained nothing of value, but it wouldn’t hurt to go inside and investigate the situation.

A cold wind howled toward the tower, carrying icy blades that effortlessly carved a path through the overgrowth, slicing the vines cleanly at their roots and leaving the exterior clear and pristine.

The tower appeared renewed.

Ascending the steps, Qin Sang stopped at the entrance and examined the structure meticulously, inch by inch. As expected, he found traces of arrays that had been forcibly destroyed.

"Just as I thought!"

He muttered to himself. The tower had once been protected by arrays, but it had clearly been ransacked by the demonic sect.

Entering the first floor, Qin Sang was greeted by a scene of dried vines, yellow leaves, and a thick layer of dust covering the ground. Against the wall opposite the entrance stood seven wooden stakes, still intact.

To his surprise, one of the stakes was encased in a circular light barrier.

This discovery caught him off guard. It was unexpected to see even a fragment of an intact barrier. The stakes likely once held treasures, all of which had long been taken. The space within the light barrier was also empty.

Approaching the stake, Qin Sang assessed the barrier’s strength and realized that breaking it would require significant effort.

He climbed through all seven stories of the tower. The higher he went, the fewer stakes remained. By the time he reached the topmost floor, only one stake was left. The treasure that had once been stored there was undoubtedly precious.

However, like the rest, it was completely empty.

"Those thieves…"

Qin Sang cursed under his breath before leaping out of the window and continuing northward.

Along the way, he encountered other structures similar to the wooden tower, but he didn’t linger. On the seventh floor of the previous tower, he had discovered a fresh footprint, indicating that others had already explored this direction. Only by rushing deeper into the ruins could he hope to secure an advantage.

The estate was far larger than he had anticipated. Even after flying for a long time, he didn’t reach the boundaries. Several sites he searched along the way yielded no results. Finally, he stumbled upon what seemed to be the remnants of an herb garden. The protective array surrounding the garden was nearly intact, but the interior was overrun with weeds, and all the spiritual herbs had long been harvested.

Emerging from the herb garden, Qin Sang shook his head in disappointment as he walked. He eventually stopped outside the garden and let out a long sigh. By now, he held little hope for this estate.

After pondering briefly, Qin Sang brushed his hand over his Spirit Beast Pouch, summoning the Fire Jade Centipede to his palm.

He replaced its Qianyang Quartz with a Fire Elemental Stone.

After over twenty years of care, the Fire Jade Centipede had not changed in the slightest, remaining the same size it had been two decades ago. Qin Sang had yet to succeed in establishing a bond with it.

Releasing its spiritual power, the Fire Jade Centipede sniffed left and right but seemed to find nothing of interest, wandering aimlessly across Qin Sang’s palm.