Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 1104: Mei Gu

After collecting the Devil-Binding Chain, Qin Sang did not linger long in the ancient cultivator’s estate.Upon leaving the hidden realm, he decided to head east and enter through Yinshan Stronghold.

Yinshan Stronghold had once been occupied by a Spiritual Infant cultivator and served as the buffer zone between the righteous and devilish paths. Compared to Xuanlu Stronghold, it was the safer route, so long as the seven strongholds had not changed hands.

During his journey east, Qin Sang occasionally fed the Fire Jade Centipede a bit of Crimson Fire Gilded Gold. After spending days together, the centipede gradually became less hostile toward him.

He kept only a small portion of the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold for emergencies and gave the rest to the centipede. Whether it could undergo metamorphosis would depend on fate.

The Spirit Tide weakened day by day. By the time Qin Sang reached the vicinity of Yinshan Stronghold, the tide had almost completely faded.

He finally encountered other cultivators, and from them he learned why Ancient Immortal Battlefield had seemed so deserted. He also gained a clearer understanding of the current state of the cultivation world.

As expected, after the closure of Ziwei Palace, Sin Abyss had immediately launched an invasion against Tianxing Alliance.

Fortunately, the ambush from Sin Abyss through the celestial array had not crippled Small Cold Domain or Tianxing Alliance. Instead, it drove the two regions to set aside their differences and unite against their common enemy.

What followed was a hundred-year-long war that had yet to yield a decisive outcome.

Sin Abyss proved immensely powerful. Even with both regions combined, they were initially overwhelmed, suffering defeat after defeat and abandoning more than half of Tianxing Alliance’s territory before they managed to stabilize their defenses.

Though Sin Abyss failed to conquer the two regions, it never relented, frequently launching raids to harass them. All major powers were consumed by the ongoing conflict.

It was only about twenty years before Ziwei Palace’s reappearance and the Spirit Tide's emergence, that the situation began to ease slightly.

No one had expected the war to drag on for so long. Over time, the cultivators of the three regions had grown accustomed to this prolonged state of warfare.

Small Cold Domain and Tianxing Alliance, once bitter rivals, had forged an alliance and were now fighting side by side. Their relationship even showed signs of merging, as restrictions were lifted, allowing Tianxing Alliance's cultivators to enter Ancient Immortal Battlefield freely.

The two regions now faced each other across the border, each side maintaining heavy defenses.

Because of this, many cultivators stationed at the seven strongholds had been redeployed, and for various reasons, most of the strongholds were sealed off entirely. Unless in exceptional circumstances, no one was allowed to pass.

Since Yinshan Stronghold sat between the righteous and devilish factions, it was the only passage left open. Aside from Wanyao City, which was under the control of the demon race, Yinshan Stronghold had become the sole route cultivators could take to enter Ancient Immortal Battlefield. This had been a decision agreed upon by all major powers.

As Qin Sang drew closer to Yinshan Stronghold, he began to encounter more and more cultivators from both the Small Cold Domain and the Tianxing Alliance. Yet their cultivation levels were mostly low. There were not even many who reached the late stage of the Foundation Building Realm.

It was said that before Ziwei Palace reopened, the alliance had deployed heavy troops along the border to guard against Sin Abyss.

This was far better than Qin Sang had expected. He had even prepared himself for the possibility that Small Cold Domain had been crushed entirely.

From what he learned, the war had made the alliance extremely vigilant toward anyone above the Foundation Building Realm. Every such cultivator was required to register their name and remain ready for conscription.

Anyone entering or leaving Yinshan Stronghold would be inspected and must carry a command token issued by the alliance.

During the height of the conflict, Qin Sang would have faced considerable trouble sneaking through under a false identity. Fortunately, with tensions easing, the inspections were no longer as strict.

Still, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator would stand out too much among these low-level cultivators.

Even a rogue cultivator of that cultivation could not have remained unknown. Such attention would be dangerous.

Learning that Shaohua Mountain and Dongyang Bo were still thriving, and were even more renowned than before, Qin Sang knew he had to stay cautious. After some thought, he decided to lose his power.

He erased the killing symbol created by Senior Qingzhu, causing his cultivation to drop back to the early stage of the Core Formation Realm.

By inscribing the sixth killing symbol again, he could instantly return to the middle stage, but for now, he held back.

He put on his mask and continued toward Yinshan Stronghold.

Unexpectedly, celestial phenomena began to stir in the skies ahead. Qin Sang flew swiftly for a while until he found a place of refuge.

The shelter was built deep at the bottom of a canyon between two barren mountains. The hollowed ground beneath formed a wide circular space. Layer upon layer of barriers suggested it had existed for many years and had sheltered countless cultivators before him.

When Qin Sang entered, dozens of cultivators were already gathered inside.

He suppressed his aura, disguising himself as a Foundation Building cultivator, and mingled among the crowd, quietly gathering information.

As the celestial phenomena grew stronger, more cultivators arrived in waves. Then, three men and a woman entered the shelter.

The female cultivator was strikingly beautiful, her eyes carrying a seductive charm, clearly adept in seduction techniques.

Of the three men with her, two appeared middle-aged, while the third looked young. All four of them were Foundation Building experts!

"The Four Devilish Wanderers!" someone whispered.

The crowd stirred in alarm, for the group had quite the fearsome reputation. Yet the four walked in calmly, unbothered by the wary stares. The crowd quickly opened a space for them.

Listening to the surrounding whispers about their deeds, Qin Sang lifted his gaze and a flicker of surprise flashed across his eyes. One of the young men’s auras felt oddly familiar.

Removing his Thousand-Jin Ring, Qin Sang suddenly rose to his feet and walked straight toward the Four Devilish Wanderers.

His movement drew the attention of everyone around. Expressions shifted.

The four also noticed him. The alluring woman smiled brightly and quietly released her seduction technique, while the three men fixed their gazes on Qin Sang, eyes fierce and dangerous.

Qin Sang’s expression remained calm as he stepped closer. Then, they noticed something was wrong. The young man among them had begun trembling uncontrollably. Sweat poured down his face, and his eyes were filled with terror, as though he had seen a ghost.

The other three, knowing their companion’s strength, were instantly alarmed by the sight.

"Sit!" Qin Sang said softly as he stopped before the young man.

The young man fell heavily to the ground, the crushing pressure on his body finally lifting. He gasped for air, utterly drained, sweat streaming down his face yet not daring to lift a hand to wipe it. He tried to kneel in a formal bow, but Qin Sang stopped him.

The other three were still in shock. Although they had no idea what had just happened to their companion, they dared not act recklessly. They sat cross-legged beside him, remaining utterly silent.

"You’re Fire Devil? Who taught you the Seven Yang Art?" Qin Sang set up a sound-proofing barrier and spoke calmly.

The Seven Yang Art was a Golden Core Realm cultivation art once belonging to Kuiyin Sect. After Daoist Jiupao founded Devilish Flame Sect, it became the sect’s core handed-down teaching.

This art required harnessing the power of earth fire, and those who cultivated it carried a distinctive aura. Qin Sang had met disciples of Devilish Flame Sect before and recognized it at a glance.

The young man quickly replied, "Senior, I am from Devilish Flame Sect. The Seven Yang Art was personally passed down to me by my sect leader."

Seeing Qin Sang identify his cultivation method so effortlessly, the young man’s heart tightened with anxiety. He feared there might be past enmity between this mysterious senior and his sect but dared not hide anything.

So Devilish Flame Sect still exists! Qin Sang recalled that after he had eradicated the remnants of Kuiyin Sect, he had left Devilish Flame Sect in the care of a disciple named Mei Gu, appointing her as acting sect leader. Since then, he had never returned.

At that time, Mei Gu’s cultivation had only reached the early stage of the Foundation Building Realm, yet she had already been the strongest cultivator in the sect.