Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 1005: White Crane

Qin Sang had been traveling south, keeping an extremely low profile. Along the way, he refrained from taking any action, worried that the demon race might find traces of him and track him down.

Thus, his journey took several months. When he finally arrived in an unfamiliar stretch of sea, he felt it should be safe.

He found a deserted island to rest on, recovered, and then began wandering about, searching for opponents. But after flying aimlessly for several days, he still hadn’t found a target.

Just then, his ears twitched slightly. He turned his head toward a distant direction, and in the next instant, his figure vanished.

At the edge of a cliff that faced the sea, there was a cave. Two figures stood entwined affectionately at the cave’s entrance.

The sight was astonishing. One was a colorful kite bird, whose gorgeous feathers made it look like a small phoenix from afar, while the other was a white crane with snow-like plumage.

The white crane was majestic and spotless. It stood on one leg, taller than the kite, lowering its head to gently preen the other’s feathers with its sharp beak, while its other claw affectionately caressed the kite's wings, slowly urging it deeper into the cave.

The kite leaned close to the crane, relaxed and intoxicated. Though they were not of the same species, the closeness between the two demonic beasts was surprisingly touching.

Just then, a jarring sound shattered the harmony. A piercing shriek rang out, startling the amorous pair.

A streak of azure shadow descended from the sky like lightning and shot toward the cave. It was another kite, but larger than the first, its feathers gleaming with emerald light. Though equally splendid, it was still inferior in grace to the white crane.

When the azure kite saw the scene within the cave, its cries grew sharper and more mournful, filled with blazing fury. The two demonic birds inside were startled, chaos ensuing immediately.

The white crane, sensing the power of the newcomer, showed panic in its eyes. With a flap of its wings, it mercilessly kicked the dazed kite bird aside, turned tail, and bolted without hesitation.

Because the cave entrance was narrow, the crane stumbled clumsily and nearly fell. At that moment, the azure kite reached the entrance, shrieking in rage as its sharp claws lashed toward the crane’s eyes.

Though flustered, the white crane reacted quickly. It retracted its long neck and folded its wings, barely dodging the attack.

Bang! A shower of white feathers scattered through the air.

A portion of the crane’s wing feathers was torn out by the strike. It let out a cry of pain and, like a white ball, slammed hard into the cliff before bouncing away.

Fortunately, its feathers were quite tough. Though its wings were ragged, its body remained mostly unharmed.

The crane flapped its broken wings, trying to stabilize itself, but the azure kite, consumed by rage over its mate’s betrayal, refused to let it go.

Whoosh! A streak of azure light shot forward. The white crane had no choice but to flee again, covering its head with its wings.

Its defenses were surprisingly strong; using its pair of wings as shields, it blocked the azure kite bird’s fierce attacks repeatedly, protecting its Demonic Sea with practiced skill.

Despite being beaten for so long, the crane had only suffered superficial wounds. However, its once-smooth snowy feathers were now in complete disarray—torn, missing in patches, especially on its wings, which were nearly bald.

Finally, the white crane seized an opportunity to fight back. Its fleshy wings swung like blades, blocking the kite's talons. Then, without hesitation, it twisted its body and fled again.

The azure kite pursued furiously, but to its frustration, the white crane turned out to be exceptionally skilled at evasion techniques. Its bare wings flapped rapidly, and the distance between the two widened until the pursuer could no longer keep up.

After escaping a good distance, the white crane, certain of its safety, suddenly stopped, turned around, and began to dance mid-air, letting out a triumphant cry toward the azure kite, its demeanor full of smugness.

Seeing its enraged pursuer charging again, the white crane shrank its neck and fled once more.

"Too shameless," Qin Sang muttered under his breath, having observed the entire scene from afar. He had followed the two beasts in secret and couldn’t help but sigh at the crane’s repeated taunts.

He never expected to witness such a ridiculous drama even in the Demonic Sea. It was truly a spectacle worth seeing.

The azure kite, unable to catch its enemy, eventually gave up and flew back. It was a great demon at the Demonic Core Realm.

Qin Sang hesitated briefly, feeling a bit sorry for it, and chose not to attack. Instead, he followed the celestial crane that had fled.

After shaking off the kite, the white crane flapped its short, bare wings for a while before landing on a rocky shoal. Qin Sang, trailing behind, saw it lower its head toward the water.

The crane began to carefully groom its feathers, not missing even the smallest tuft. It meticulously arranged what few long feathers remained on its wings.

Then, standing on one leg, it twirled around, admiring its reflection in the water with an air of vanity. But in truth, its current state could hardly be called elegant or handsome.

A moment later, the white crane spread its wings and took off again. Watching it go, Qin Sang’s curiosity grew. Just what is this creature up to?

It clearly hadn’t consumed any Imperial Elixir, yet from its earlier behavior, its spiritual intelligence didn’t seem low, and its cultivation appeared to be at the middle stage of the Demonic Core Realm.

Since he had nothing pressing to do, Qin Sang decided not to reveal himself and continued to follow. The white crane had no idea a cultivator was tailing it.

It flew straight for several days, unwavering in direction, until it arrived at a vast island. Sneaking toward a mountain, it poked its head around suspiciously, glancing left and right for a while, then let out a series of cooing calls toward the forest.

After a short wait, a beautiful little demonic bird that was only half its size, flew out and landed gracefully on a branch, looking demure and reserved.

The white crane spread its pitiful, tattered wings and began dancing gracefully before the beautiful demonic bird, letting out a series of flattering cries.

Though its appearance was hideous, its movements carried surprising grace and rhythm. Its dance was, in fact, quite impressive.

The beautiful bird showed no sign of disgust. Instead, it was charmed, joining the crane in its dance. The white crane took the chance to move closer, about to replay the previous scene.

"Another one! Huh, that bird seems to carry phoenix blood too, just like the kite before. How many lovers does this fellow have?"

Hidden in the shadows, Qin Sang was speechless. But then a thought struck him. "Could this one also be..."

Before he could finish the thought, a piercing sound of air being split came from afar. The pair of wild lovers separated like startled birds. The beautiful one hastily returned to its nest.

Even after having its fun spoiled again, the white crane showed no frustration. With expert familiarity, it immediately took off and fled along the ground.

"Late stage of the Demonic Core Realm," Qin Sang murmured, looking up at the approaching demonic beast, his expression turning grave.

This island was clearly no ordinary place. Having such powerful beasts even along its perimeter meant it was a dangerous land indeed. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

After escaping, the white crane began wandering around the outskirts of the island, harassing every demonic beast it could find, even those at the Demonic Spirit Realm weren’t spared.

Qin Sang soon realized that while the crane was flamboyant, it was also extremely picky.

Cultivation level didn’t matter but phoenix bloodline was a must. When an ordinary bird, charmed by its dance, tried to approach, the crane had kicked it away without hesitation.

Unfortunately for it, its carefree days were over. When the white crane finally left the island, Qin Sang revealed himself and blocked its path.