Gateway of Immortality

Yu Dayue remained quite open as he recounted how he and Senior Sister Qingting had purchased the clue about the ancient cultivators' relic at Tianhen House. He did not hide anything.

"If Junior Brother Qin agrees to join forces with us to break through the array and enter the ancient ruins, as per the usual customs in the immortal cultivation world, any treasures you find on your own will belong to you. As for anything we discover together, regardless of what it may be, we will distribute it based on its value. Senior Sister Qingting and I will have the right to select one item first, but no matter what, you will still receive a share. Since we are from the same sect, it’s best to lay out the rules early to avoid any misunderstandings."

After hearing this, Qin Sang remained silent, deep in thought.

Senior Sister Qingting and Yu Dayue were clearly recruiting help from within the sect, and the ancient relic was likely real. Moreover, the terms they offered were quite sincere. They had spent spirit stones to buy the clue, invested time in finding the location, and invited assistance. It was only reasonable that they should get the first pick of the treasures.

However, Qin Sang knew that his strength was inferior to theirs, and in the face of danger, even protecting himself could prove challenging.

The Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions was indeed powerful, and after his breakthrough to the Foundation Building Realm, its power had reached a new level. It was currently his strongest method of defense before he mastered the supernatural ability from the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment.

However, the array required some preparation time. Judging by the strange barriers and arrays surrounding the ancient relic, it was clear that this site was no simple matter. Who knew what unknown dangers lurked within? If danger struck suddenly, he might not have time to set up the array.

Until his strength improved, it would be wise not to recklessly venture into peril. The treasures within the relic were tempting, but surviving to claim them was paramount.

Since he was not familiar with Yu Dayue, Qin Sang had already decided against going. He prepared to decline the offer politely after making a token gesture of consideration.

…

After leaving Yu Dayue's cave dwelling, Qin Sang pondered for a while and muttered to himself, "There’s still some time before we go. By then, I may have broken through the second stage of my art. I’ll assess the true power of that supernatural ability before making a decision."

The Yuncang Marshlands had birthed many ancient relics over the years. What one could gain from them was entirely a matter of luck.

It could very well be that the relics were completely empty, or there might be treasures from ancient cultivators—secret arts, astras, or rare spiritual materials, all of which were extremely enticing.

As he advanced further in the Primordial Spirit Sword Nourishment, he would inevitably have to venture into dangerous places to find the spiritual wood needed to refine the ebony sword.

If his strength truly fell short, he would refuse outright. But if his supernatural ability proved powerful enough, perhaps he could take the risk. He would wait and see.

His light flew swiftly, and in no time, he arrived at Sect Leader Peak.

Qin Sang quietly landed in front of the sect leader's hall and took a quick glance around before stepping inside. Almost immediately, a young disciple approached to greet him.

"Greetings, Senior Uncle. The sect leader has gone out on business and will not return until tomorrow. If Senior Uncle has any urgent matters, you may leave a Sound Transmission Talisman, and I will relay it to the sect leader when he returns."

Qin Sang was not here to see the sect leader. Since Sect Leader Yu was away, that saved him the trouble. He instructed, "Go bring me the recent accumulated affairs from Sect Leader Peak. I want reports on any sightings of Demonic Spirit Realm demonic beasts, as well as information on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Bring it all to me."

"Understood, Senior Uncle!"

The disciple quickly followed orders and soon returned with several jade slips.

Qin Sang carefully examined them one by one. Finally, he found reports on two early-stage Demonic Spirit Realm demonic beasts, but both appeared to be difficult to deal with and were located deep within the Yuncang Marshlands. Even flying on his sword, it would take him more than half a month to reach them.

Besides, he couldn't recklessly fly through the Yuncang Marshlands, and there was no guarantee that those demonic beasts were still in the area.

Early-stage Demonic Spirit Realm demonic beasts made for excellent crafting materials, and killing them would even earn rewards from the sect. Although Foundation Building cultivators wouldn’t be too envious of such prey, they would likely slay them without much hesitation if given the chance.

Qin Sang made note of the information in the jade slip, then picked up the final one. It contained information on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.

In the Kuiyin Sect, Qin Sang had long heard of the renowned Ancient Immortal Battlefield. After arriving at Shaohua Mountain, driven by curiosity, he had looked into it, though not in much detail.

It was said that this world once overflowed with spiritual power, with natural treasures scattered everywhere, making cultivation far easier than it was now. Cultivators in the Divine Transformation Realm were common, and there were even legends of mighty experts in the Tribulation Realm transcending to become a true immortal. This stood in stark contrast to the present day, where reaching the Spiritual Infant Realm marked the pinnacle of cultivation, and the path forward was severed.

For reasons unknown, the ancient immortals suddenly engaged in a massive war.

The legends varied. Some claimed it was a battle between the great immortal sects over control of the Dao. Others said the emergence of an unparalleled treasure caused widespread chaos. Yet others spoke of a demonic invasion, with the ancient immortals sacrificing themselves to protect the living beings of this world from an external threat.

Despite the differing accounts, all the legends used words like "mountains shattered," "heavens collapsed," and "all life annihilated," painting a vivid picture of the battle’s devastation.

It was said that after that war, the once vast and boundless world was left in ruins. Over time, life gradually returned, but countless lineages were severed, texts were lost, and spiritual power became scarce. This was the reason why cultivation had become so difficult in the present day.

Immortal cultivators in the Small Cold Domain suspected that the Ancient Immortal Battlefield was one of the remnants of that war.

Deep within the battlefield, countless spatial rifts still lingered, and only a war between ancient immortals could have caused such terrifying destruction. Though countless years had passed, the damage had yet to heal.

These spatial rifts were incredibly dangerous. Even Core Formation Realm cultivators could easily be swallowed if they were not careful, leading to inevitable death. What made them even more terrifying was that some rifts could be seen with the naked eye, while others were extremely well-hidden, invisible and intangible, even beyond the detection of spiritual consciousness. Even Spiritual Infant Realm cultivators had to exercise extreme caution.

As such, though the Ancient Immortal Battlefield was said to contain numerous relics from ancient times, no one dared to explore it.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Given Qin Sang’s strength, he certainly wouldn’t dare venture deep into the battlefield, but even its outskirts were far from peaceful.

Legends spoke of the countless ancient immortals who had perished there. In the depths of the battlefield lay the corpses of many powerful beings, their bodies remaining uncorrupted even after all this time. These mighty figures, even in death, still retained a remnant of their fighting spirit, which over the years had transformed into a malevolent-qi-like presence. This qi took form, evolving into a strange type of creature within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, which the cultivators of the Small Cold Domain called Cloud Beasts.

These Cloud Beasts had no intelligence and came in all sorts of bizarre shapes. They harbored an intense hatred for living beings, knowing only slaughter and destruction. Some were incredibly powerful, able to contend with Golden Core Realm experts, while others were weaker than Qi Refining Realm cultivators. However, they were vast in number, and it seemed as though no matter how many were killed, more would always take their place.

Should these creatures ever break into the Small Cold Domain, it would spell disaster. Not only would mortal life be exterminated, but even cultivators would find themselves with nowhere to survive.