Gateway of Immortality

This man had disheveled hair, an unkempt appearance, and his Daoist robe was filthy, giving him the look of a scruffy Daoist. Judging by his appearance, no one would have guessed he was under thirty.

Swish...

The scruffy Daoist tapped his toes on the tips of the grass, covering several zhang in the blink of an eye. There was no spiritual power fluctuation from his body; it seemed like he was using a mortal-world qinggong movement art. This wasn’t unusual. Many rogue cultivators lacked spells and had to rely on martial arts, which could sometimes produce remarkable effects.

Such speed!

It was too late to prepare the ebony sword now, unless the scruffy Daoist lingered at the summit after surveying the terrain. Otherwise, activating the ebony sword would only waste a spirit stone.

Qin Sang frowned, thinking carefully. He had the upper hand, and it was a sneak attack, so there was no need to resort to the ebony sword.

As the scruffy Daoist neared the summit, Qin Sang held his breath, his heart pounding. The moment the Daoist stepped onto the peak, Qin Sang suddenly activated the Purple Soul Bell.

Jingle…

Under Qin Sang’s full control, the crisp sound of the bell echoed across the mountain peak like an enchanting melody.

The scruffy Daoist, shocked to find someone lying in wait on the seemingly empty summit, paled and hurriedly reached for his waist. But he was too late. The Purple Soul Bell captured his mind, freezing his body in place. His eyes grew dull, reflecting pain and confusion.

Seeing that the Purple Soul Bell had worked, Qin Sang was delighted but did not relax. He quickly began silently chanting the Guishui Yin Thunder Spell, and in a moment, a dark yin thunderbolt appeared in his palm.

The yin thunderbolts resembled flowing water, writhing in his hand, with occasional flickers of blinding lightning surging within, displaying its fierce power.

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At the same time, Qin Sang noticed that the confusion in the Daoist’s eyes was gradually being replaced by a look of ferocity and desperation. His body had begun to tremble.

Seeing this, Qin Sang’s heart sank. In just three breaths’ time, the Daoist was already beginning to break free.

He's an immortal cultivator after all!

Qin Sang sighed inwardly, knowing he couldn't afford to wait any longer. He hastily stopped his chanting and hurled the yin thunderbolt toward the Daoist.

Boom!

The yin thunderbolt shot forward with incredible speed. Almost as soon as it left Qin Sang’s palm, it struck the scruffy Daoist. A blinding bolt of lightning stretched between them.

But in that moment, Qin Sang’s expression did not show relief. Instead, his face darkened.

He had aimed to kill with one blow, targeting the Daoist’s heart. But just as the yin thunderbolt was about to strike, a black shield appeared out of thin air on the Daoist’s chest!

The shield was only the size of a palm, slender in shape, entirely black. Three sword-shaped grooves converged at the sharp tip of the shield, exuding a murderous aura.

The yin thunderbolt struck the shield directly. Lightning flickered across the surface, but the shield absorbed the impact, leaving the Daoist completely unharmed.

An automatically defending artifact!

Qin Sang cursed inwardly. Though the black shield was only a middle-grade artifact, it possessed the rare ability to defend its owner automatically.

Such artifacts required no activation from their owner. As long as danger was sensed, they would appear on their own to provide protection. Their value couldn’t be measured by grade alone. Even disciples of major immortal sects would dream of having such an artifact.

Qin Sang hadn’t expected his first opponent to be so troublesome. Despite his ragged appearance, the Daoist possessed such a rare artifact.

For safety, Qin Sang had even avoided using the more familiar but slightly weaker Thousand Li Ice Seal, only for something unexpected to occur anyway.

Had he known, he might have gambled and summoned the ebony sword directly. After all, the black shield was only a middle-grade artifact and couldn’t possibly withstand the power of the ebony sword.

Bang!

The power of the yin thunderbolt dissipated, and an unexpected scene unfolded. The black shield, having lost its spiritual qi, dropped to the ground as if its connection had been severed. It shattered into three pieces and rolled into a crevice between the rocks.

After all, it was only a middle-grade artifact. Being able to block the Guishui Yin Thunder Spell was already its limit. Qin Sang hadn't expected it to be destroyed outright, which was a pleasant surprise.

Feeling emboldened, Qin Sang abandoned the idea of retreating. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, and suddenly, cold winds howled across the mountaintop, and the temperature plummeted.

Before the scruffy Daoist, strands of blue-white cold qi emerged, carrying countless shards of ice, which quickly began to condense.

But at that moment, the scruffy Daoist let out a sudden shout, his eyes widened, and he unexpectedly broke free from the sound of the bell.

Huff! Huff!

The scruffy Daoist gasped for breath, still shaken. As soon as his mind cleared, he noticed the cold qi in front of him and the shattered remains of his Wishing Shield at his feet. His expression changed drastically, filled with terror.

The Wishing Shield was something he had specifically prepared for this ascension conference. He had competed fiercely for it at an auction, nearly exhausting all his wealth. Yet, he hadn’t expected to use it so soon after entering the forbidden ground.

His eyes darted around frantically until he finally spotted Qin Sang standing at the edge of the mountain peak.

Qin Sang had to focus his spiritual consciousness on casting the spell, so he couldn’t maintain the Falling Cloud Wings to hide his figure. His form naturally became visible.

"You despicable coward!"

The scruffy Daoist gritted his teeth, glaring at Qin Sang with hatred as he cursed him viciously. Without waiting for a response, he turned and fled, not even daring to retrieve the shattered Wishing Shield.

This move greatly surprised Qin Sang. He frowned. If he let the scruffy Daoist escape, all his efforts would have been for nothing. More importantly, he still had a chance to seize a jade token. He couldn’t give up so easily.

Qin Sang quickly made up his mind. Calmly watching as the Daoist fled, he waited until the man stepped onto the edge of a boulder, ready to leap down the mountain. At that moment, a thin layer of ice silently spread over the edge of the stone.

With a startled cry, the Daoist slipped, losing control of his body, and fell down the mountain.

The terrain was steep, and the direction the Daoist had chosen to flee led directly to a high cliff. At the base of the cliff were ancient trees, their trunks as thick as several people. As the Daoist tumbled, the cold qi finally solidified into several long, sharp ice spikes, their tips gleaming coldly and lethally.

"Go!"

Qin Sang flicked his finger, and the ice spikes shot out like lightning, tracing an arc through the air. They caught up to the Daoist just as he was about to fall into the dense ancient forest below.

The Daoist, suspended in mid-air, had no chance to dodge. He could only muster a bit of spiritual power to defend himself, but how could that withstand the ice spikes Qin Sang had meticulously prepared?

A scream echoed through the air as the ice spikes drew a spray of blood, and the scruffy Daoist, along with the spikes, crashed into the forest below.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

Countless branches snapped, and leaves scattered in all directions. After the chaos subsided, the forest fell silent.

Is he dead?

Qin Sang stood at the edge, peering down, but his view was obstructed by the leaves. He couldn’t see where the scruffy Daoist had fallen or whether he was dead.

All that stood out was the vivid blood staining the trees.

The timing of his attack had been perfect, and even if the Daoist wasn’t dead, he was at least incapacitated. Feeling a bit pleased with himself, Qin Sang allowed himself a small smile.