Gateway of Immortality

The dark red-bodied creatures, though appearing petite, concealed explosive power within.

The Fire Jade Centipede trembled uncontrollably in Qin Sang's palm, clearly sensing the terrifying aura exuded by the monkeys.

The monkeys here were not only different in body color but far stronger than those in the trial grounds. The two were simply on entirely different levels.

Qin Sang suspected that even a Core Formation Realm cultivator would struggle to survive if they ventured onto the lava lake.

Fortunately, these monkeys seemed bound by some mysterious force, restricted to the lake area, showing no signs of breaking out.

To Qin Sang, the lava lake was akin to a bomb, ready to detonate at any moment. If these monkeys ever escaped and rampaged freely, most of the cultivators entering the ancient estate would likely meet their doom.

Suppressing his aura completely, Qin Sang dared not reveal the slightest trace of his presence, stealthily eyeing the vine at the lake’s center.

He had never encountered such a vine before. Among the ancient texts he had studied at Treasure Tower Peak, there were descriptions of various fire-born celestial vines, but none matched this one.

What made this vine particularly unusual was its golden fruit. It glimmered like a bodhi seed, its surface speckled with star-like spots that appeared faintly translucent. Gazing closely, Qin Sang could discern something flowing within the golden fruit—not fruit flesh, but a mysterious golden liquid, though its exact nature was hard to pinpoint.

Qin Sang couldn't even determine if it was truly a spiritual fruit.

Despite racking his brain, he could not recall anything similar in his knowledge. However, the fact that it grew in such a perilous environment, protected by the courtyard’s master with meticulous care, meant it was anything but ordinary.

Unfortunately, with the vine so heavily guarded by the monkeys, Qin Sang lacked the strength to retrieve the golden fruit.

Perhaps after reaching the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm, he might stand a chance. If not, he would have to wait until he reached the Core Formation Realm.

Still, there might be other ways to evade the monkeys' senses and steal the fruit, but such plans required careful preparation and were currently out of reach.

With a heavy sigh, Qin Sang chose to retreat for now.

He resolved not to attempt anything drastic, like trying to conceal the courtyard or disrupt its surroundings.

Since the ancient estate had already fallen under the control of Xuanlu Stronghold, wave after wave of cultivators would inevitably arrive to explore and search for treasures. Any unusual action on his part could arouse suspicion and expose the courtyard’s secrets. Instead, it was better to leave the abandoned courtyard in plain sight.

As for whether to seek assistance from others?

After some thought, Qin Sang silently shook his head. Casting a deep, lingering gaze at the fruit, he imprinted its image firmly in his memory. Once he returned, he planned to consult ancient texts to uncover the golden fruit’s origins and uses before making any decisions.

Considering the well’s hidden existence had remained undiscovered for so long, Qin Sang figured it was unlikely someone would uncover the courtyard’s secrets anytime soon.

The Fire Jade Centipede, with its ability to directly sense spiritual artifacts, had allowed him to bypass the illusion array’s concealment and stumble upon the array’s weak point.

Such an extraordinary insect was exceedingly rare, making it unlikely another would appear.

Reflecting on this, Qin Sang tucked his head slightly and cautiously retreated up the stone steps.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, an overwhelming sense of unease surged in his heart. He furrowed his brow, gazing back at the lava lake. The monkeys remained undisturbed, their activities normal...

Suddenly, Qin Sang’s expression changed drastically. Spinning around, he fixed his eyes on a specific point along the stone staircase behind him.

Someone's there!

And their power was overwhelming, entirely eluding Qin Sang’s senses!

He had no idea how long they had been following him, but he hadn’t noticed the slightest trace until now. The realization struck him hard—this discovery wasn’t an accident. The individual likely wanted him to notice.

His hand swiftly reached for the Mustard Seed Pouch, retrieving a Profound Yin Thunderbolt, but he suddenly found himself unable to move.

Starting from his palm, the paralysis spread to his arm, torso, and legs...

Before the figure even revealed themselves, Qin Sang’s entire body was immobilized, transformed into a living statue. Only his head remained free. Though his physical body was restrained, his primordial spirit was unharmed, and the ebony sword was unaffected. Yet, Qin Sang chose not to reveal the ebony sword.

His heart sank to rock bottom.

The air was oppressively hot, but Qin Sang’s body felt icy cold.

A figure slowly emerged from where Qin Sang’s gaze was fixed. Upon seeing the person’s missing leg, Qin Sang felt an unbearable bitterness in his mouth.

No wonder they could so effortlessly elude my senses.

No wonder I am utterly powerless to resist.

It's him!

This person was none other than Di Que, one of the five Core Formation Realm cultivators who had entered the ancient ruin estate!

"Qin Sang greets Senior…"

Qin Sang’s lips twitched as he forced out a hoarse response, "My body is constrained and unable to bow. I beg for Senior’s forgiveness…"

Qin Sang could never have imagined that Di Que hadn’t gone to explore the four peaks but had instead shown up here.

It was perhaps a stroke of fortune amidst misfortune. Di Que was still better than the unknown entities lurking within the estate.

However, what made Qin Sang uneasy was that he had no idea why Di Que had followed him, nor when he had been marked.

Qin Sang had only seen Di Que for the first time outside the ancient estate. Over the past twenty years, aside from a few missions, he had rarely left the Tianjing Hidden Realm, so he couldn’t have offended him.

Nor had he ever killed any of Di Que’s disciples.

Racking his brain, Qin Sang could come up with nothing.

Unexpectedly, Di Que paid no attention to Qin Sang’s greeting. His gaze shifted to Qin Sang’s other hand, and with a slight motion, the Fire Jade Centipede broke free from Qin Sang’s grasp and flew into Di Que’s palm.

To Qin Sang’s astonishment, Di Que also held a centipede in his hand. Like the Fire Jade Centipede, its body was crimson, but it bore a dark golden stripe along its back and was larger than Qin Sang’s by a significant margin, exuding a commanding presence.

The two centipedes immediately intertwined upon meeting. Before long, the gold-backed centipede effortlessly subdued the Fire Jade Centipede.

Qin Sang’s eyes widened in realization, finally understanding why Di Que had sought him out.

He had previously learned that Fire Jade Centipedes had distinct male and female forms with notable physical differences. The most apparent distinction lay on their backs—female Fire Jade Centipedes bore a dark golden stripe, a clear identifying feature.

Qin Sang’s centipede was male, while the one in Di Que’s hand was female.

Just as Fire Jade Centipedes could sense spiritual artifacts, males and females could also detect each other’s presence. However, Qin Sang hadn’t noticed anything unusual about his centipede, likely because Di Que had severed their connection.

Such a coincidence!

Were both centipedes his all along?

As Qin Sang’s mind raced, desperately seeking a way to escape, Di Que affectionately stroked the two centipedes. He then looked up, smiling warmly at Qin Sang. "Many thanks to you, Little Brother, for your help. I have finally recovered my little one. I had thought it was killed by some clueless Cloud Beast. The thought of it brought me no end of grief."

"Please forgive me, Senior," Qin Sang said, his voice unnaturally dry, "I had picked up the centipede by chance and did not realize it was left by Senior in the mine…"