Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 1109: Old Acquaintance

Cuiming Mountain.He still remembered the time when he had first arrived here.

At Qingyang Temple on Cuiming Mountain, Qin Sang had, for the first time, felt a true sense of belonging in this world. Those days remained unforgettable to this day.

Who could have imagined that a small temple like Qingyang Temple would produce so many immortal cultivators?

When Qin Sang arrived before the mountain, he found that a new temple had been built. There were mortal Daoists there, while the old site was hidden within a concealed spiritual array, likely left behind by Wandering Man or Li Yufu.

After Wu Chuanzong’s death, he was buried here on Cuiming Mountain.

Qin Sang located the grave and paid his respects before walking to the spiritual array. Just as he was about to break through it by force, a sudden thought flashed across his mind. His expression softened into a faint smile, and he merely sent a wisp of true essence into the array.

Then he clasped his hands behind his back and stood motionless, as though waiting for someone.

Not long after, a streak of light suddenly appeared at the horizon, racing toward him like a shooting star.

In an instant, it arrived. Before it even landed, a voice filled with astonishment came from within. "Senior Uncle!"

Whoosh! The light descended before Qin Sang, revealing the figure of Li Yufu!

"Senior Uncle! You’re alive!" Li Yufu’s face brimmed with disbelief, joy, and excitement.

It had been more than a hundred years since Qin Sang’s disappearance, without the slightest news. They had long assumed he had perished.

"Yufu, it’s been many years. You’ve already formed your core, and your cultivation is nearly catching up to me." Qin Sang studied Li Yufu carefully. The joy of reuniting with an old acquaintance showed openly on his face.

Li Yufu possessed dual spiritual roots and had been carefully guided by Wandering Man, so it was no surprise to Qin Sang that he had reached the Core Formation Realm.

"Senior Uncle, Great Grandmaster and I have been searching for you for so long! Where have you been all these years?" Li Yufu’s voice trembled with emotion.

So there are still people in the Small Cold Domain who remember me. Qin Sang felt a wave of nostalgia. "It’s a long story. Open the array, we can talk inside."

The two entered Qingyang Temple together.

"I went to Taiyi Core Sect first, but none of you were there. Where have you been cultivating? Is your great grandmaster still with you?" Qin Sang asked eagerly.

"We discovered a fine spirit vein at the lower reaches of the Wuling River and established a cave dwelling there. I sensed the opportunity to form my core, so I stayed to cultivate. Luckily, I succeeded and have remained in seclusion ever since. As for Great Grandmaster, he’s not in the cave dwelling. He went to the demonic domain a few years ago. Unfortunately, I have no way to contact him. If he learns that you’ve returned safely, he’ll surely be overjoyed." Li Yufu answered each question truthfully.

"He went to the demonic domain again?" Qin Sang was taken aback. "Why is he so fond of that place?"

"Great Grandmaster never mentioned his reasons to me," Li Yufu replied, shaking his head.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment but found no clue. He could only wait until he met Wandering Man to understand.

"Back then, I was threatened by Dongyang Bo and forced to flee. I feared bringing disaster to you all, so I dared not contact your great grandmaster. Unexpectedly, the journey back was perilous, and only recently did I finally find an opportunity to return..." Qin Sang spoke lightly, as though recounting something trivial.

"No wonder! After we returned from Ziwei Palace, Shaohua Mountain became extremely secretive about your affairs. So it was Dongyang Bo who plotted against you! Great Grandmaster infiltrated the area around Shaohua Mountain and investigated for a long time but found nothing about your whereabouts. He even nearly set up an ambush to capture Dongyang Bo’s disciple Qiu Mubai for questioning!" said Li Yufu angrily.

Qin Sang froze for a moment, never expecting that Wandering Man had gone so far as to nearly kidnap Qiu Mubai for his sake.

Qiu Mubai was Dongyang Bo’s most prized disciple, so such a move would have been exceedingly dangerous.

"It must have troubled him deeply. He didn’t actually take action, did he?" asked Qin Sang.

Li Yufu shook his head. "Later, Great Grandmaster happened to meet a fellow disciple of yours named Mu Yifeng and seemed to learn something, so he dropped the idea."

"How is Mu Yifeng now?" Qin Sang asked with sudden interest.

The ones he most wished to see upon returning were Wandering Man and Mu Yifeng.

That day, Mu Yifeng had let him go. Although they later staged a scene together, it would have been hard to fool a Spiritual Infant grandmaster's eyes. Qin Sang had long worried that Mu Yifeng might have suffered Dong Yangbo's wrath.

Li Yufu thought for a moment before replying, "I recall Great Grandmaster mentioning that Mu Yifeng had already formed his core back then. But after that, he rarely appeared, and we haven’t heard any news about him."

Qin Sang frowned slightly but felt a measure of relief. Senior Qingzhu had once said that Dongyang Bo valued the sect deeply.

Since he had not blamed Mu Yifeng at Ziwei Palace and Mu Yifeng had even successfully broken through to become a Core Formation cultivator, there was no reason for Dongyang Bo to settle old scores.

"Taiyi Core Sect gained enormous wealth during the war and has grown stronger than ever. The spirit veins there must far surpass the one you found. Why did you remain in this remote wilderness instead of returning to your sect? Did you fall out with them?" Qin Sang changed his tone and asked curiously.

Li Yufu shook his head. "Great Grandmaster deliberately kept his distance from Taiyi Core Sect. I was ever only on the disciple name list, and has never formally entered the sect. After Sin Abyss invaded, Great Grandmaster entered the battlefield voluntarily and earned great merit in service to the sect. Afterward, he brought me here and seldom returned. He once told me to devote myself fully to cultivation so that once my strength matured, I could continue the Dao Lineage of Qingyang Temple."

Qin Sang was a little surprised. Wandering Man too had intended to establish his own sect. Their thoughts had coincidentally aligned.

"What cultivation realm is your great grandmaster now?" asked Qin Sang.

Li Yufu’s eyes shone with admiration. "Great Grandmaster formed his core at Ziwei Palace, and after returning, his progress soared. He reached the peak of the Core Formation Realm many years ago and has spent these years refining his foundation. I believe reaching the Spiritual Infant Realm should not be difficult for him."

"Uhh..." Qin Sang didn’t know what to say. Wandering Man had indeed lived up to his expectations.

He had thought that his own cultivation speed was not slow, yet to his surprise, Wandering Man’s progress was even more astonishing. In just over a hundred years, he was already only a step away from reaching the Spiritual Infant Realm.

That was good. The sooner Wandering Man reached the Spiritual Infant Realm, the sooner he could help refine the Du’e Pill for him.

While they were talking, an evasion light descended upon Cuiming Mountain.

Li Yufu was about to rebuke the intruders when Qin Sang stopped him. "These two are the descendants of my old acquaintances. They serve by my side. Since I haven’t yet settled down, let them stay with you to cultivate for now."

"Yes!" Li Yufu agreed happily.

"Senior Uncle!"

"Master!"

Tan Yi'en and Bai Hanqiu entered the temple.

Qin Sang introduced them to each other, finding the situation somewhat amusing.

Among the three at his side, one was at the Core Formation Realm, one at the Foundation Building Realm, and one still at the Qi Refining Realm. Their cultivation realms differed drastically. According to the rules of some sects, seniority was determined by cultivation realm, yet because of their relationship with him, they could only address one another as equals.

"Senior Uncle, the situation in the Great Sui has stabilized. The current emperor has voluntarily abdicated in favor of the Qin Family. Those rogue cultivators have also chosen to remain in the imperial capital to assist the new ruler. Unfortunately, after investigating the direct descendants of the Qin and other families one by one, I found no younger members possessing spiritual roots." Tan Yi'en reported carefully and precisely.

Bai Hanqiu glanced sideways at Tan Yi'en, wanting to speak yet holding her tongue.

Qin Sang made no comment. "Alright. Now that you have stepped upon the immortal path, do not involve yourselves too deeply with the mortal world, especially you, Hanqiu. I still have important matters to attend to. Stay here for now. Yufu’s guidance will be more than sufficient for you both."