Gateway of Immortality

To the south of the Wuchen Kingdom, there stretched a range of desolate mountains, uninhabited and forlorn.

Unbeknownst to mortals, in the midst of these mountains lay several enormous ranges of utter desolation. The peaks were devoid of any vegetation, and no birds or beasts could be seen. The stones and soil were an eerie black, and black smoke continuously emanated from the fissures in the ground, corroding the surrounding forests.

A chill pervaded the area, not only affecting Qin Sang’s body but also seeping into his heart.

Qin Sang arrived by flying through the air and landed his Sky Shuttle. As he gazed at the boundless black mountains, he mused that the name Sunken Cave was misleading—it was even larger than the Yin Malevolent Abyss!

The entrance to the Sunken Cave resembled a crater created by a meteorite impact, with a diameter of several hundred zhang. The dark, gaping mouth faced the sky, and streams of malevolent yin qi surged against the cave’s barrier, trapped inside and moving like fish. The cave’s floor was shrouded in darkness, resembling an entrance to the netherworld.

Fortunately, the Sunken Cave was located deep in the mountains and forests; if it were closer to the neighboring small kingdom, the potential disaster would be unimaginable.

Qin Sang jumped into the cave, immediately feeling a shiver. His expression changed slightly. Though he had the Yang Warming Pill and the Malevolence-Avoiding Pouch—artifacts specifically designed to counter malevolent yin qi—he could still feel the chilling cold of the yin qi in the Sunken Cave.

Descending further into the cave, Qin Sang found that it expanded into a vast abyss, rivaling the Yin Malevolent Abyss. Countless fissures lined the sides of the abyss, stretching like branches into even more distant areas, affecting all living beings within hundreds of miles.

Finding his cave dwelling on the rock walls, Qin Sang entered and activated the barrier, which restored a bit of warmth to his body.

The cave dwelling was as simple and crude as ever. Qin Sang took a jade slip from within, pressed it to his forehead, and discovered a complete layout of the Sunken Cave, focusing on the various barriers set up by Shaohua Mountain.

Given the vast area, fully sealing it with barriers would be too costly. Shaohua Mountain had instead used a simple illusory array to obscure the Sunken Cave and blocked the larger entrances and fissures to slow the spread of the malevolent yin qi.

Due to the constantly changing terrain, new large fissures could appear, and sometimes these barriers could be damaged by intrusions.

Thus, Qin Sang’s task was to inspect the entire Sunken Cave every two days, record any changes, and report back to the sect to prevent unexpected anomalies.

After some quick thinking, Qin Sang decided to go for an inspection first.

Reflecting on his recent experiences and inspired by a senior uncle’s lectures on breaking through bottlenecks during the Qi Refining Realm, Qin Sang felt a surge of inspiration. He hurried to the Sunken Cave, hoping to address the ninth stage bottleneck he was experiencing.

The inspection took most of the day. Upon returning, Qin Sang felt as though he had been exposed to the glaciers. He sat in meditation for a long time, using his cultivation methods to dispel the chill from his body.

He recorded the cave's changes on the Sound Transmission Talisman given by the sect, sent the message, and then sealed his cave dwelling. He set up the Bewitching Mirror at the entrance and began his seclusion.

…

A month later.

Peak Cloud Mountain.

Qin Sang, Sun De, and several rogue cultivators gathered at the mountain's summit, enjoying drinks and merriment. Sun De had grown numerous spiritual fruits in his herb garden, each sweet and delicious. However, Sun De lamented that they were still far inferior to the Red Jade Peaches of Shaohua Mountain.

The other rogue cultivators nodded in agreement.

Qin Sang, having recently broken through to the ninth stage, was in high spirits and joined in the conversation, promising to return to the sect to savor the Red Jade Peaches once they ripened.

Sun De raised his cup in a toast to Qin Sang, saying, "Congratulations to Junior Brother Qin for breaking through to the ninth stage. I offer this humble drink, far inferior to the celestial wine brewed from our sect's spiritual fruits. I hope Junior Brother Qin won't be disappointed."

Qin Sang graciously accepted, clinking glasses with Sun De and the other cultivators.

The distance between Peak Cloud Mountain and the Sunken Cave was considerable, with a large river and natural barriers in between. However, these posed no problem for immortal cultivators. Since Qin Sang arrived at the Sunken Cave, he had consistently declined Sun De’s invitations, citing his seclusion and breakthrough as reasons.

This time, with Sun De visiting in person and Qin Sang having recently achieved a breakthrough, he did not refuse.

Upon arriving at Peak Cloud Mountain, Qin Sang discovered why Sun De had earned his reputation as a "timely rain"—his excellent reputation extended beyond Shaohua Mountain to the surrounding rogue cultivators.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Sun De frequently invited local cultivators to gatherings on Peak Cloud Mountain. He did not exhibit any airs of a sect disciple and welcomed even the lowest-ranked cultivators with a warm and friendly demeanor, making everyone feel at ease.

During the gathering, Sun De offered guidance to anyone who asked for it, showing no reluctance to share his knowledge.

Qin Sang listened attentively, feeling the visit was well worth it. He admired Sun De and resolved to visit more often in the future.

After bidding farewell to Sun De and returning to the Sunken Cave, Qin Sang proceeded with his routine inspection. As he passed by a fissure, he suddenly sensed something unusual. Feeling a chill, he immediately retreated and took out the Emerald Wave Sword from his Mustard Seed Pouch. Activating the Heavenly Star Tear for protection, he called out sternly, "Who’s there! Show yourself!"

Moments later, a dark figure emerged from the fissure, repeatedly saying, "Daoist Qin, please don’t be hasty. It’s me, it’s me…"

As the figure revealed himself, Qin Sang was surprised to see, "Daoist Hong?"

Daoist Hong was a scattered cultivator Qin Sang had met during the Peak Cloud Mountain gathering, named Hong Shan. They had parted ways only recently.

Though their acquaintance was limited to a nodding acquaintance, Qin Sang remained cautious and questioned, "Daoist Hong, why did you not return to your cave dwelling after the gathering and instead trespass into the Sunken Cave?"

Hong Shan chuckled awkwardly. "Daoist Qin, you may not know, but my self-forged protective artifact requires refinement with malevolent yin qi. Therefore, I often need to go to the depths of the Sunken Cave. The previous guard, Daoist Wang, and Daoist Sun from Peak Cloud Mountain were aware of this. I intended to inform you during the gathering, but was too engrossed in the festivities to remember. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Daoist Sun. He can vouch for me."

Although Shaohua Mountain had sealed the Sunken Cave, it did not prohibit others from entering to collect malevolent yin qi. The various fissures allowed free access.

Many scattered cultivators, unable to afford artifacts, crafted their own with varied and unconventional methods. The malevolent yin qi, being extremely cold, could enhance the potency of these self-made artifacts.

Qin Sang, possessing several top-grade artifacts, had no need to forge his own.

For safety, Qin Sang verified Hong Shan's claims with Sun De. Receiving confirmation through a Sound Transmission Talisman, Qin Sang no longer obstructed him. He nodded and warned, "Daoist Hong, be sure not to disturb the restricted areas. If the malevolent yin qi erupts and causes harm, we’ll both face severe consequences."

"Understood, understood," Hong Shan replied, patting his chest. "Rest assured, Daoist Qin. I only need to find a fissure and collect a small amount of malevolent yin qi. I won’t venture into the core areas."

However, at the next gathering, Qin Sang did not see Hong Shan.