Gateway of Immortality

This meant he only had a maximum of two months of peace.

Fortunately, his practice of the Song Family Sword Art had been uninterrupted, and a breakthrough was imminent. Once he comprehended the sword qi, it would become his most powerful asset.

After standing for a while, Qin Sang suddenly took out the Emerald Wave Sword from his Mustard Seed Pouch, flew out to survey Huiyang Valley, and eventually arrived at the riverbank at the valley’s bottom. He leapt into the river and began hacking at a hidden stone wall on the riverbed with his sword.

Qin Sang planned to build a refuge at the river’s bottom to escape the fiercest battle that would ensue after the array was broken.

He didn’t understand the various arrays used by immortal cultivators, but he could use mundane mechanisms, combined with the river’s concealment, to hide the refuge.

While in the Blood-Clad Tower, he had studied countless manuals and learned several practical mechanisms. As long as a high-level cultivator didn’t use their spiritual consciousness to search inch by inch, discovering the mechanisms would be quite difficult.

Over the past two months, Qin Sang had repeatedly revised his plans and refined various details. Finally, he completed the construction of the refuge.

When the array at the valley’s entrance was suddenly triggered, Qin Sang flew out of his cave dwelling, his face contemplative. He didn’t immediately open the array but instead returned to his cave dwelling to set up the Bewitching Mirror, in case Zhao Yan was plotting against him.

After setting up the Bewitching Mirror, Qin Sang casually opened the valley’s array, only to find Yu Hua, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time. A chill ran down his spine; if Yu Hua wanted to kill him, he had no means to resist!

"Qin Sang greets Senior Uncle Yu."

Suppressing his unease, Qin Sang bowed to Yu Hua.

Yu Hua nodded slightly and asked impatiently, "Have you completed it?"

Qin Sang nodded. "I have fulfilled the task."

As soon as he summoned the demonic eye, Yu Hua immediately grabbed it and, after probing with his spiritual consciousness, exclaimed with immense joy, "Haha… Junior Nephew Qin, you truly lived up to expectations!"

At that moment, Qin Sang felt the connection between the demonic eye and himself severed. While he was suddenly anxious, he also felt a sense of relief.

Yu Hua put away the demonic eye and said to Qin Sang, "Leave a Sound Transmission Talisman to mislead others. You don’t need to stay in Huiyang Valley any longer."

Qin Sang was astonished. He was relieved that Yu Hua didn’t turn hostile, but he had no intention of returning to the Kuiyin Sect.

Though he didn’t have deeply ingrained notions of good and evil, the Kuiyin Sect’s threat had hung over him like a sword for the past year. His life had otherwise been quite peaceful.

What he sought was simply to find a sect for immortal cultivation where he could practice peacefully, rather than living in constant anxiety.

For his own safety, he would rather be a rogue cultivator than return to the Kuiyin Sect.

As this thought crossed his mind, Qin Sang worried. "If we leave now, if Senior Brother Meng and the others come, it might not be long before they find out—" Ȑ

Yu Hua sneered. "The Yuanzhao Sect is about to fall apart. What is there to hide?"

Qin Sang’s heart grew cold. Following Yu Hua’s instructions, he returned to his cave dwelling to put away the Bewitching Mirror. Before leaving, he glanced back at the carefully constructed refuge, his expression tinged with a hint of self-mockery.

Yu Hua’s cave dwelling was on the Muyang Peak. As Qin Sang followed him inside, he discovered three other people present. One of them was Ruan Nanfeng, who had entered the Yuanzhao Sect with him. The other two, a man and a woman, were unfamiliar faces, both wearing the attire of servant disciples.

These two might have been secretly stationed there before him.

The Kuiyin Sect must have more operatives within the Yuanzhao Sect; why are there only three people?

While Qin Sang was quietly pondering, he suddenly had a thought and discreetly used the Qi Perception Technique. He discovered that the three people’s cultivation levels were the same as his own—eighth stage of Qi Refining Realm!

Yu Hua nodded to the anxious Zhao Yan, whose gaze swept over Qin Sang and the others. He said in a deep voice, "Wu Liuyue and the others have already been secretly sent out of the Yuanzhao Sect. The reason for keeping you here is because of your high cultivation levels. There is one more task that requires your assistance to help Junior Nephew Zhao. If you can complete this task, you will achieve remarkable merit and not only receive a Foundation Building Pill as a reward, but the sect leader has also promised to personally accept you as disciples."

The four of them exchanged glances, clearly perplexed.

Qin Sang was particularly stunned. He had worked so hard to cultivate, aiming to gain an edge in his escape, only to find himself ensnared in an even more dangerous vortex.

The prospect of receiving a Foundation Building Pill and becoming a disciple of a Golden Core master was indeed tempting, but he needed to survive first.

The Kuiyin Sect had already grasped all the changes in the Yuanzhao Sect’s protective array; they only needed to launch a full-scale attack. A Golden Core master could obliterate him with a mere thought, so what could he possibly do?

Yu Hua, however, made no attempt to explain and instructed them to meditate in silence.

The night passed without incident.

The following night, Yu Hua suddenly departed. Zhao Yan threw a jade waist token to each of them, his tone icy. "Follow me closely. If anyone dares to speak or act out of line without my command, I will kill them on the spot. Understood?"

Qin Sang and the others exchanged uneasy looks but dared not object.

Zhao Yan gave a contemptuous smile, his lips moving slightly.

Then, a series of horrific screams erupted from within the cave dwelling. Including Qin Sang, all four of them clutched their heads, rolling on the ground and wailing.

This action was something Qin Sang had practiced countless times in private. Even though it was not as severe as it could be, it was still a convincing performance.

The four stood up, their faces drained of color, swaying as they tried to compose themselves, their eyes filled with intense fear.

Zhao Yan said coolly, "I just want you to understand that with a mere thought, I can control your lives. We are all from the same sect; do not force me to resort to violence. As long as you obey my orders, you will be rewarded."

"Yes!"

…

The four of them put on the waist tokens and obediently followed Zhao Yan, flying towards the Yuanzhao Peak.

This was the first time Qin Sang had been so close to Yuanzhao Peak.

Nervous and apprehensive, Qin Sang followed behind. He had been confined to Huiyang Valley and had been blocked by Zhao Yan during his previous attempts to explore. This was his first time being so near Yuanzhao Peak.

The sky was overcast, with no stars or moon, and it was pitch black.Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

The peak appeared as a massive shadow in the darkness, obscuring the summit. A few places on the mountain were lit with faint lights. Qin Sang recalled that the summit was where the supreme leader of the sect resided, while other areas were also restricted.

At the foot of Yuanzhao Peak was a large lake, surrounded by three peaks in a protective formation. The sect leader’s hall was situated atop one of these peaks, known as the Sect Leader Peak.

As they approached the Sect Leader Peak, two streaks of light flew towards them, accompanied by a stern shout, "Who\'s there?"

Zhao Yan immediately signaled for them to stop.

The two streaks of light approached, revealing the figures of two young men.