Gateway of Immortality

"Senior Brother Sun, fellow Daoists, I might not be able to attend the next gathering, so I’m apologizing in advance."

Qin Sang raised a cup of wine, offering a toast to the group.

A swordsman in a green robe stirred slightly and leaned forward, asking, "Daoist Qin, are you on the verge of a breakthrough?"

Qin Sang smiled and nodded, instantly drawing a round of congratulations and envy.

Since joining Shaohua Mountain, he had never slacked off. Just a few days ago, he sensed the signs of breaking through to the tenth stage. He had paused his cultivation these last two days to adjust his state of mind and was planning to return tonight for secluded cultivation to break through.

With this breakthrough, he would be able to return to Shaohua Mountain and receive a Foundation Building Pill. However, Qin Sang had no intention of taking it immediately. Given his talent, using the pill too early would be a waste. He had been cultivating for so long, so he had the patience to wait until he reached the thirteenth stage.

It was unfortunate that the Kuiyin Sect had acted too soon. If he had a few more years, he could have obtained two Foundation Building Pills.

Sun De was also particularly delighted. Raising his cup toward the bright moon, he called out, "Then let’s wish Brother Qin an early breakthrough, so we can all celebrate your success!"

…

Returning to his cave dwelling, Qin Sang patrolled the Sunken Cave, sent a Sound Transmission Talisman to report to the sect, and, as usual, set up the Bewitching Mirror in his cave dwelling. He then sat on a Waterheart Bamboo cushion, silently reciting the Scripture of Tranquility several times. Once he reached a state of complete calm, he began to meditate and circulate his cultivation art.

The bottleneck at the tenth stage was as difficult to break through as the ninth stage, but it was a known challenge, requiring only diligent effort. In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days passed, and Qin Sang successfully broke through the tenth stage. Though he was overjoyed, he didn’t stop. He continued his meditation, stabilizing his newly achieved realm.

Days passed, and Qin Sang remained in seclusion. Outside his cave dwelling, however, more than a dozen Sound Transmission Talismans had accumulated.

The Sunken Cave remained deathly still and desolate, with waves of malevolent yin qi continuously surging from the depths, attempting to break through the barriers. The escaping yin qi endlessly eroded the surrounding forests and plants.

One day, a shadow silently entered the area, standing at the edge of the Sunken Cave’s entrance. The figure stared into the deep, dark cave below, their expression uncertain.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The person was dressed in Shaohua Mountain's clean dust robes—it was Sun De!

Sun De stared at the Sunken Cave for a while, a thoughtful look appearing on his face as he muttered, "One month should be enough. Junior Brother Qin, I hope you live up to my expectations."

After saying that, Sun De looked around, then swiftly darted into a crevice near the Sunken Cave. It seemed he was very familiar with the layout, effortlessly navigating the winding cracks and tunnels. Before long, he arrived at the entrance of Qin Sang’s cave dwelling.

Seeing the Sound Transmission Talismans hovering outside the barrier, Sun De counted them. Not a single one was missing. A strange smile appeared on his face as he waved his hand, collecting all the talismans.

Knock, knock...

Sun De stood before the cave entrance and knocked twice on the stone door. When there was no response, he eagerly pressed his hand against the door. Spiritual power surged from his palm, and the barrier around the cave dwelling immediately began to dissolve.

Inside the cave dwelling, Qin Sang was both shocked and furious. The knocking had startled him awake. He had just calmed his qi and blood and was wondering who would be seeking him at this time when he realized that someone outside was trying to break through his barrier.

The barrier protecting the cave dwellings granted by the sect wasn’t weak, and most rogue cultivators would find it difficult to break in. To ensure absolute safety, Qin Sang had also set up the Bewitching Mirror as a safeguard.

Yet the intruder was easily dismantling the barrier. Who could it be?

Qin Sang racked his brain. Since joining Shaohua Mountain, he had always been cautious and never engaged in conflicts with others. He didn’t believe he had offended anyone. Could it be a rogue cultivator who had stumbled upon the Sunken Cave and discovered an immortal cultivator’s cave dwelling inside, sparking greedy intentions?

Regardless of the intruder’s identity, entering his cave dwelling without permission was undoubtedly malicious. With the enemy right outside, sending a distress talisman to the sect would likely be intercepted.

Qin Sang’s mind raced. Seeing the mirror array in front of him, he felt a slight sense of relief. The array was right by the entrance. As soon as it was triggered, the intruder would be caught off guard. If the enemy proved formidable, Qin Sang could use the distraction to escape and send a distress signal.

His body was equipped with top-grade artifacts. Even if he couldn’t win, it shouldn’t be hard to hold out until the sect came to his aid, especially with that black bead in hand.

If the intruder was weak, he could kill them with a single strike, and no one could accuse him of wrongdoing. After all, the Sunken Cave was an ideal place to dispose of bodies without leaving any traces. Ｒ𝐚𝐍Օ𝐁ËS

With that thought, Qin Sang quickly calmed down. He glanced at the barrier in front of the cave door, which was flickering unsteadily. He created a clone to sit on the cushion, while his true body hid in a corner. Then, he summoned his ebony sword.

Having broken through to the tenth stage, his spiritual power was deep and abundant. He could control his sword to kill enemies without needing to replenish with spirit stones. However, using sword qi consumed a lot of energy, so if he didn’t prepare in advance, he wouldn’t last long.

To be safe, Qin Sang took out a middle-grade spirit stone and quietly accumulated his spiritual power.

Moments later, the main door of the cave dwelling emitted a soft click. The light of the barrier flickered for a moment, then vanished, and the door was pushed open from the outside.

As soon as Sun De opened the cave dwelling, everything before him went dark. He had fallen into the mirror array trap, his entire body enshrouded in a dense black mist. Yet, his face showed no sign of panic. Instead, as he examined the swirling black mist, a smile tugged at his lips. "A malevolent artifact personally crafted by Old Ghost Yi... Junior Brother Qin, you really are cautious. No wonder you’ve managed to survive until now. But it’s a shame—you’re destined to become a sacrificial offering."

As he spoke, Sun De waved his hand, tracing a mysterious rune in the air and sending it into the black mist. Immediately, the mist began to show signs of dispersing.

From the outside, Qin Sang could see everything clearly. Just after Sun De entered the mirror array, the main body of the Bewitching Mirror began to tremble violently, emitting faint cracking sounds. Tiny fissures began to appear on its surface, and it looked as though it would be destroyed. The black mist at the center was dissipating at an alarming rate.

Qin Sang was extremely surprised when he realized the intruder was Sun De, wondering if there might be some misunderstanding.

Of course, Qin Sang didn’t intend to stop his actions. Sun De had forcibly entered his cave dwelling—whether it was a misunderstanding or not could be determined after he subdued him. Otherwise, he would be the one in danger.

Seeing that Sun De had easily dismantled the Bewitching Mirror, Qin Sang was alarmed and didn’t dare hesitate any longer. He silently recited an incantation, causing the sword qi on his ebony sword to surge dramatically, instantly piercing into the black mist.

"Ah!"

A miserable scream echoed from within the black mist. Sun De, now in a sorry state, flew out of the mirror array. His left arm had been severed at the root, blood gushing out, and the smug smile on his face had vanished. His face was now as pale as paper.

Sun De clutched his wound with one hand, locking eyes with Qin Sang’s cold gaze. His eyes suddenly bulged in shock, and he cried out in disbelief, "The tenth stage! You’re still alive?"

Qin Sang furrowed his brows, inwardly thinking it was a pity. He raised his hand and sent out a yin thunderbolt, and with a thought, his ebony sword reversed its course and shot straight toward Sun De’s vital spot.