Gateway of Immortality

Seeing this, both of their expressions turned grim.

Qin Sang took a step forward, and the young man in tight clothes immediately retreated gracefully. Then, he drew his bow and shot another arrow, forcing Qin Sang to raise his sword once more to defend.

Above the ravine, streaks of rainbow light flashed continuously, while the Chi Dragon that had been formed by the cold qi of the sword dissipated and reformed again and again. Neither could gain the upper hand.

Qin Sang had also attempted to cast two yin thunderbolts and some ice spikes, but the young man easily dodged them. So far, Qin Sang had been unable to close the gap between them.

The spirit arrows came one after another, and the young man’s archery was superb. Qin Sang couldn’t even find an opportunity to escape. Moreover, at this distance, his Purple Soul Bell was of no use.

Qin Sang could feel his spiritual power depleting at an alarming rate, but he didn’t have the chance to absorb spirit stones to replenish his energy.

However, Qin Sang had already noticed that the bow was taking longer to condense the spirit arrows.

Although the young man’s cultivation was one stage higher, the bow required frequent condensation of spiritual power to form arrows, which drained far more energy than the Chi Dragon Sword.

If this deadlock continued, the advantage would eventually shift in his favor.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qin Sang’s eyes sharpened. He saw the young man smirk after firing another arrow, then swiftly pulled out a jade bottle from his Mustard Seed Pouch. Inside were two pills that Qin Sang didn’t recognize.

Without hesitation, the young man swallowed one. His face, previously pale from the overuse of spiritual power, gradually regained its color, and he looked at Qin Sang with mocking disdain.

A pill to restore spiritual power!

Seeing this, Qin Sang couldn’t help but curse silently. This man’s resources were too profound.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The bow was undoubtedly a top-grade artifact among top-grade artifacts, and the rare spirit pills—he had two of them and consumed one without hesitation, not showing the slightest sign of reluctance.

Is this even a rogue cultivator?

The young man fired arrow after arrow without pause, forcing Qin Sang into a tight spot. Knowing that continuing like this would only put him at a disadvantage, Qin Sang’s gaze began to flicker uncertainly.

The young man suddenly let out a sharp cry, and an overwhelming surge of spiritual power poured from his hands into the bow.

The bow flared brightly as the young man lifted it high, his eyes glaring fiercely at Qin Sang. His arm muscles bulged with effort as he pulled the bowstring taut, instantly forming three enormous spirit arrows.

"Kill!"

With a thunderous roar, the three arrows shot forth together, merging into one in mid-air.

The whirlwind created by the spirit arrow blasted toward Qin Sang, its sharp whistle carrying a trace of thunderous might that shook the heavens. The power behind it far surpassed any of the previous arrows, and it was upon him in an instant.

Qin Sang’s instincts screamed in alarm, and every hair on his body stood on end. The arrow was too fast—there was no time to dodge.

Gripping the Chi Dragon Sword with both hands, Qin Sang focused entirely on the sword, pushing all distractions aside. He poured all his strength into one desperate strike.

The cold qi of the Chi Dragon Sword was completely drained, leaving both the sword and Qin Sang’s face unnaturally pale.

The Chi Dragon’s body doubled in size, resembling a true Jiao dragon[1], rising proudly to face the challenge without fear.

The Chi dragon opened its maw wide and roared, swallowing the spirit arrow whole.

Suddenly, a streak of rainbow light appeared within the Chi dragon’s body, churning violently as it struggled against the cold qi but failed to break free.

Astonishingly, it seemed the Chi dragon had the upper hand.

This scene greatly exceeded the young man’s expectations, causing his brows to furrow.

On the other side, Qin Sang’s expression changed drastically. He hurriedly raised the Chi Dragon Sword in front of his face to shield himself.

The next moment, with a thunderous explosion, the Chi dragon burst apart. The cold qi that had formed its body shattered into countless fragments, unleashing a violent gust of cold wind in all directions. The ravine on either side seemed to instantly plunge into winter, as frost coated the surrounding plants with a layer of ice.

Although the spirit arrow had dimmed significantly compared to before, it still had some power left. In a flash, it appeared right in front of Qin Sang’s face, striking the Chi Dragon Sword dead center.

Luckily, Qin Sang reacted quickly. Feeling fortunate, he sensed an immense force hit him, causing his arms to tremble. The Chi Dragon Sword emitted a crisp ringing sound, and the tone seemed somewhat off.

Qin Sang had no time to dwell on this. Using the force of the impact, he took the opportunity to retreat swiftly. Then, without hesitation, he summoned the Empty Wind and turned to flee.

The young man wasn’t about to let him off easily. He raised his bow again, aiming at Qin Sang. The first arrow missed, and as he was preparing to fire a second, the spirit arrow dissipated before it could even form. Alarmed, he flipped his bow around to inspect it, finding that most of the gems embedded in it had lost their luster, with some even showing faint cracks.

With an angry snort, the young man swung his arm in frustration, glaring hatefully at the fleeing Qin Sang. After a moment’s thought, he stowed the bow in his Mustard Seed Pouch and drew a pair of slender swords. He then summoned a green leaf.

The leaf resembled a bamboo leaf, vibrant and jade-like. It grew larger as it caught the wind. The young man leaped onto it, holding his swords, and gave chase relentlessly. His speed was no slower than that of Qin Sang’s Empty Wind.

The mirror array was not far from the mouth of the ravine. Riding the wind, Qin Sang quickly reached it after a few swift moves.

The young man, unsuspecting, followed closely behind. Seeing Qin Sang’s speed slow down, he assumed that Qin Sang’s spiritual power had been exhausted and that he could no longer control his artifacts. A hint of delight appeared on his face. But just as that smile emerged, the ground beneath him shifted, revealing copper mirrors that unleashed plumes of black qi. The young man’s expression turned to shock and fury as he fell into the trap of the mirror array.

The misty barriers of the mirror array reverberated with loud bangs, and the copper mirrors trembled continuously, emitting crisp vibrations. Clearly, the young man inside was fighting back wildly.

Qin Sang clutched the Bewitching Mirror, his expression tense. When the mirror array was finally completed, the copper mirrors rose to cover the top of the array, stabilizing it.

Qin Sang exhaled deeply, wiping the sweat from his brow. Thankfully, he had been prepared; otherwise, facing such a formidable opponent, his only option would have been to flee for his life.

Letting the young man struggle inside the mirror array, Qin Sang suddenly recalled something and hurriedly took out the Chi Dragon Sword to inspect it. What he saw made his face darken instantly.

A noticeable crack had appeared along the rain-guard of the Chi Dragon Sword!

Whether by coincidence or due to the sword’s inherent fragility, this top-grade artifact had been damaged so easily.

Qin Sang’s expression flickered. The Chi Dragon Sword didn’t seem to be completely broken, but until it was repaired, he didn’t dare use it again. A damaged sword was a minor issue, but if it broke mid-battle, his life could be at risk.

Stowing the Chi Dragon Sword back into his Mustard Seed Pouch, Qin Sang glared at the mirror array. The thought of such a fine top-grade artifact being ruined by this person filled him with frustration. He promptly sat down cross-legged, grasping a spirit stone and summoning the ebony sword.

1. Jiaolong or Jiao is a dragon in Chinese mythology, often defined as a "scaled dragon"; it is hornless according to certain scholars and said to be aquatic or river-dwelling. ☜