Gateway of Immortality

…

Amid the endless mountain range, ancient halls were scattered throughout the forested slopes. Though they were in ruins, they still emanated a faint, mysterious aura of antiquity.

The damage to these ancient halls was extensive, leaving no plaques or signs behind.

However, Qin Sang noticed several locations in the mountains that appeared to be remnants of herb gardens.

This place might once have been used for alchemy!

Yet, Qin Sang frowned silently. The Fire Jade Centipede, which had been moving in his palm all along, still failed to sense the presence of any spiritual objects, even here.

Just as Qin Sang prepared to slip into the ruins for a search, a figure suddenly darted out from the rubble.

Those who had entered the estate were familiar with each other by name.

Qin Sang recognized the individual as a disciple of the Taiyi Core Sect, who went by the name Wandering Man. This man was his senior brother, though his cultivation level surpassed that of Wandering Man.

The man’s face was dark with frustration as he cursed under his breath, flying out of the ancient hall and straight out of the mountain range, seemingly intent on giving up the search.

Spotting Qin Sang, the man merely nodded with disinterest. As he brushed past Qin Sang, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "Daoist Qin, out of respect for Senior Brother Wandering Man, let me give you some advice: don’t waste your time here. This wretched place has nothing left. I’ve searched every corner, and there’s not even a single artifact, spiritual pill, or blade of spiritual grass left. Damn it, even a rat would come out of here crying a river of tears!"

Qin Sang was momentarily stunned but quickly cupped his hands in thanks.

The man didn’t care, flying off without a backward glance. His cursing continued to echo in the distance until his figure disappeared entirely from Qin Sang’s view.

Qin Sang smiled faintly but didn’t leave immediately. Lowering his evasion light, he entered the mountains and quickly searched a few ancient halls and herb gardens that seemed especially notable.

Just as the man had said, all he found were broken walls, dead branches, and fallen leaves—nothing else remained.

Even the Fire Jade Centipede showed no reaction.

Returning to the mountain peak, Qin Sang gazed into the distance. The scenery beyond the mountain range grew increasingly desolate.

He glanced to both sides before abruptly changing direction. Instead of continuing northward, he turned west.

After searching so many ruins along the way and finding nothing, Qin Sang's suspicions were confirmed. The outer areas of the ancient ruins—relatively low-risk locations—had already been plundered by demonic sect cultivators, perhaps multiple times over. They might have even dug three chi into the ground in their search.

Looking for ancient treasures in such places was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Hoping to find unclaimed treasures here was simply unrealistic.

If there were any treasures left in the estate, they would only exist in one place.

…

On the way, Qin Sang occasionally spotted evasion lights or sword lights flashing in the distance, heading westward just as he was.

In this direction, human activity was noticeably more frequent. It seemed that everyone had reached the same conclusion, converging toward the four sky-reaching peaks.

As the distance shortened, the outlines of the four peaks grew clearer. Yet their details remained obscured, as though an unknown barrier prevented those at the foot of the mountains from spying upon them.

High above, clouds and mist coiled around the peaks, making it impossible to discern their true height. This mist was unlike natural clouds and bore a resemblance to the fog within the trial space.

As he approached the base of the peaks, the first sight that greeted him was a mysterious flame-shaped rune, floating midair. It resembled an inverted red jade bowl, sealing off an expansive area.

The fiery rune was crimson like flames, massive and overwhelming, stretching endlessly to blot out the sky.

Standing on the ground and looking up, one could easily mistake it for being enveloped in a sea of fire.

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes, gazing intently at the fiery rune, a chill running through his heart.

Even from this distance, he could distinctly sense the terrifyingly violent power within the rune. It felt as if a cataclysmic storm capable of annihilating everything was brewing there.

Before the fiery rune, he seemed so small and powerless. If the storm were to erupt, even a slight touch from its fringes would spell instant death.

This must be the grand protective array.

However, cracks riddled the fiery rune. Through the fissures, glimpses of the area below could be seen—a mere fragment of the concealed secrets.

Beneath the fiery rune rose countless peculiar peaks, each unique in form and scattered like stars.

One could imagine the grandeur of this place during the pinnacle of the ancient immortal's estate—a time when countless cultivators traversed these mountains, painting a spectacular scene.

Among these peaks, most were fully exposed, hosting ruins of ancient halls, altars, and similar structures. These, like other parts of the ruins, were devastated and turned into rubble.

Yet, some peaks had areas shrouded by dense mist or shielded by glowing barriers, impervious to the naked eye.

The dense mist was no ordinary fog; it was the manifestation of formidable barriers. Its continued presence signified that the barriers remained intact, suggesting that whatever lay within might still be untouched.

However, barriers that had withstood the test of time were bound to be anything but simple.

Qin Sang shifted his gaze, peering through a narrow gap at one particular mountain. Several clusters of mist clung to its slopes, unmoving, scattered across various locations.

Before one of these mist clusters, three figures had gathered.

These three were all skilled middle-stage Foundation Building cultivators. They were working together to break through the barrier, though their efforts seemed to be yielding little progress. Repeated attempts to enter the mist were met with rejection, forcing them back out each time.

Whenever their efforts failed, silver-white bolts of lightning would streak out from the mist, pursuing them relentlessly. The three cultivators could barely withstand the strikes by working together.

Ultimately, they were unable to breach the barrier and had no choice but to leave in frustration, heading to another location.

Witnessing this, Qin Sang’s heart sank slightly. To gain anything of value, it seemed cooperation would be unavoidable.

After pondering for a while, Qin Sang set off cautiously. He slipped through a narrow crack in the fiery rune and landed on the edge of a nearby mountain peak.

The moment Qin Sang entered the rune, the Fire Jade Centipede in his palm suddenly became abnormally active.

So, there really is a treasure here!

For now, he hadn’t seen any fellow sect members. After scanning the surroundings, Qin Sang decided to explore alone, relying on the Fire Jade Centipede for guidance.

Unexpectedly, the centipede’s first target turned out to be the very location where the three cultivators had failed.

Helpless, Qin Sang grabbed the Fire Jade Centipede and left the mountain. Once out of its sensing range, he released it again to continue the search.

Thus, Qin Sang wandered aimlessly through the mountain range, searching for sect members while using the Fire Jade Centipede to hunt for treasures. Whenever he sensed others nearby, he would carefully avoid them.

The Fire Jade Centipede could only detect spiritual objects rich in fire-elemental energy, a limitation that proved frustrating. On several occasions, its activity led him to places that were invariably sealed by powerful barriers.

Though his repeated attempts yielded no results, Qin Sang remained undeterred.

Once again, the Fire Jade Centipede grew active, prompting Qin Sang to follow its lead.

When he arrived at the location, a broad smile of delight spread across his face.

This time, the Fire Jade Centipede had led him to a deserted courtyard!