Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 1008: Emergence

Bai was only weakened, without any visible injuries. After briefly asking about his experiences, Qin Sang inquired, "Daoist, how many places have you visited? Did anything come to mind?"

Bai’s tone was not optimistic. "I stayed far too long in the North Sea's Rain Desert, but my search yielded nothing. I then hurried to the Witch God Continent of the witch race. Those two places are the most likely to stir my memories. Other than that, I merely glanced through several hidden realms rumored to date back to ancient times, but found nothing familiar. My earlier guess was probably right. Seven-Kill Hall and Canglang Sea likely had no connection in ancient times. Only after the great upheaval of heaven and earth did they somehow end up here."

"In that case, come with me back to the Small Cold Domain. Ziwei Palace is deeply connected to Seven-Kill Hall. Perhaps it may help you remember something. Also, there’s news about the inner hall of Seven-Kill Hall..." Qin Sang repeated the message Ning Wuhui had sent. "Seven-Kill Hall will emerge within two years. You should focus on restoring your strength and refrain from leaving for now."

"Two years? That’s indeed too short to venture out again. I’ll go into seclusion right away and won’t disturb you." Bai agreed readily and returned to his cave dwelling.

After seeing him off, Qin Sang did not rush to cultivate. He first went through everything in his Thousand-Jin Ring to make sure nothing was missing, then summoned his devilish banners.

This time, he summoned nine at once. When the nine devilish banners formed an array, their power ranked among the strongest of all high-grade astras. However, controlling them was even harder than wielding an actual high-grade astra.

A Core Formation cultivator who obtained such an astra could, even without it being life-bound, at least manage to activate it. Yet the devilish banners were different. Without sufficient strength, one could not suppress the backlash of the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells; they could not be forced.

Since breaking through both in cultivation and physique, Qin Sang had been testing the nine-banner array and discovered that what limited him most was his spiritual consciousness.

After merging the ebony sword with the Soul-Nourishing Wood, it had a subtle effect of nurturing his soul and refining his spiritual consciousness. Over time, Qin Sang’s spiritual consciousness had gradually undergone a faint transformation. Though the improvement was not dramatic, he could sense the change growing steadier with time.

"As my spiritual consciousness refines, I can control my astras with greater ease. It’s worth testing again." He looked at the nine floating banners before him, pondering, "For these two years, I’ll focus entirely on mastering the nine-banner array. Even if I can unleash only a few strikes, it’ll serve as a powerful trump card."

He then sighed softly. "However, many of those entering the inner hall of Seven-Kill Hall will be Spiritual Infant grandmasters. Before such people, I’d better not reveal the devilish banners to avoid another calamity. Speaking of which, I wonder where Old Devil Mou is hiding. Will he enter Seven-Kill Hall this time?"

***

Time in cultivation passed without a sense of seasons. Two years slipped by as Qin Sang and Bai immersed themselves in arduous cultivation.

One day, as Qin Sang was in seclusion, he suddenly felt his barrier being triggered. With a flick of his hand, a Sound Transmission Talisman flew into his palm. Sensing the message within, Qin Sang immediately rose to his feet. "It’s finally here!"

He swiftly packed away all his belongings, stepped out of his cave dwelling, and woke Bai, who was still in seclusion.

"Seven-Kill Hall is about to emerge?" At those words, Bai’s eyes lit up with joy. He glanced around curiously. "Where’s Ning Wuhui?"

"Ning Daoist sent word that, as a disciple of Heavenly Dao Sect, he must travel there together with his sect. We’ll go on ahead and meet inside Seven-Kill Hall," Qin Sang explained.

Bai nodded and asked no more. His figure then vanished into the Corpse Puppet Pouch. Qin Sang left the city at once and, activating his evasion light, sped toward Dongmen Island.

Soon, he returned to Dongmen Island and found that a number of cultivators had already gathered there. He found an inn and quietly waited for further news.

Over the next few days, more and more cultivators arrived on the island. Unlike the previous times, this gathering included many Spiritual Infant cultivators, even grandmasters from top sects. The rogue cultivators among them were also clearly far stronger than before.

Since Seven-Kill Hall would emerge on its own, no one needed to expend vast amounts of rare materials to set up a top-level array. Yet the requirements for entering it were now much stricter.

Without jade talismans to guide them, cultivators risked getting lost in the storms and, more dangerously, would have to face the hall’s great array directly.

The outer celestial array of Seven-Kill Hall would not open completely and still held terrifying power. Only Spiritual Infant grandmasters, or those with strength near their level, could withstand it. The weak would die within the array.

Fortunately, with Qin Sang’s current power, he had little to fear from the outer array. Still, the presence of so many grandmasters on this small Dongmen Island was suffocating.

Every Core Formation cultivator behaved with utmost restraint, remaining in inns or temporary cave dwellings, terrified of causing offense and inviting disaster.

Days went by, the air on the island growing more oppressive. Ten days later, all the Spiritual Infant grandmasters seemed to have reached a silent agreement. They emerged from seclusion at once.

In that instant, countless streaks of evasion light illuminated the night sky above Dongmen Island, each radiating an unmistakable aura of immense power.

"Old Ghost Mu, you dare enter Seven-Kill Hall too? Aren’t you afraid of dying in there? I heard Old Devil Duan already wiped out your family's village!" a mocking voice echoed through the air.

A gray light curved sharply toward a nearby azure streak.

Within the azure light were two figures, a portly old man and a young maiden. The old man was not angered but smiled faintly. "Since I gravely wounded that old devil in my last scheme, he hasn’t shown his face for over a hundred years. Fifty years ago, his heavenly tribulation should have arrived. Knowing him, unless he stumbled upon some heaven-defying fortune, his chance of survival was less than ten percent. What is there to fear?"

"Old Ghost Mu, your heavenly tribulation isn’t far off either, is it? Even if you don’t die in Seven-Kill Hall, you’ll soon follow Old Devil Duan’s footsteps. I wonder, when the two of you meet in the underworld, will you start another fight?"

The gray light drew closer alongside the azure one. Its occupant noticed the young maiden beside the old man and sneered, "You even brought your precious granddaughter? Don’t tell me..."

The portly old man sighed. "How many years longer can you outlive me? Our immortal paths are already severed, and my heavenly tribulation is near. Birth, aging, sickness, and death, none of us can escape them. If I can gain something from Seven-Kill Hall, I may cling to life a little longer. If not, then at least I’ll pave a path for my descendants before I fall. I heard you have two gifted disciples. Why didn’t you bring them?"

The man in the gray light chuckled darkly. "I’m not like you. Seven-Kill Hall’s celestial array suppresses us Spiritual Infant cultivators in strange ways. Bringing disciples along would only drain my strength. I haven’t lived enough yet, so I must give it my all."

As they spoke, the two figures flew farther into the distance. Only then did Qin Sang and the others dare to move. Streaks of evasion light burst from Dongmen Island one after another, following the grandmasters eastward like a shower of meteors streaking across the sky.