Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 219: Jiang Ying

A distortion rippled through the void, gradually solidifying into the form of an old man cloaked in black.

Before he could fully emerge, a sudden wave surged through the poisonous mist. In an instant, a blood-red sword light sliced through the air with a whoosh its sword qi effortlessly piercing the venomous haze, dazzling and fierce.

This venomous mist, potent enough to harm cultivators and corrode artifacts, had no effect whatsoever on this spiritual sword.

The sword qi, as crimson as blood, exuded a terrifying killing intent that directly assaulted one's spirit, seizing and overwhelming the mind!

Both the burly man and the scholar were petrified, driven by only one thought: escape!

The black-robed elder, who had just arrived, turned pale and urgently shouted out, "Retreat!"

The burly man and the scholar, having heard their big brother's warning and feeling the urge to flee, now realized they had misjudged—they had mistaken a fearsome tiger for an easy prey!

Unfortunately, the gap between them and Qin Sang was far too vast. The killing intent radiating from the ebony sword demolished their defenses like a crashing wave, leaving them with no power to resist.

An intense dread filled their minds, yet their bodies refused to respond. All they felt was a chill in their chests as the spiritual sword pierced through them.

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Thud! Thud!

Their lifeless bodies hit the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Everything had happened so swiftly. The black-robed elder, just stepping out from the void, witnessed his two comrades being slaughtered with ease, unable to intervene in time.

The miasma, now ownerless, fluctuated violently before nearly dissipating. Then, at its center, a powerful suction emerged, revealing a figure wearing an evil spirit mask who drew all the poison into his palm.

This figure was none other than Qin Sang. He no longer concealed his true cultivation level—Foundation Building Realm!

Whoosh!

As Qin Sang appeared, several black lights shot out around him, swiftly surrounding the black-robed elder. Taking advantage of the concealment offered by the toxic haze, he had already set up the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions.

Ghostly banners fluttered, emanating sinister demonic qi.

Seeing the imposing array, the black-robed elder’s pupils contracted, and he said in a steady voice, "My two subordinates were foolish and offended you, a crime worthy of death. Thankfully, you suffered no loss. I apologize sincerely and propose a truce. I swear never to step into Changyang Market again. Let us go our separate ways. What do you say?"

Qin Sang replied coolly, "Why waste time with naive words? If you surrender, open your mind, and let me plant a barrier in your spirit, I may consider sparing you."

Having already deployed the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions, Qin Sang had no intention of letting him escape.

The black-robed elder’s face contorted with rage. "Arrogant fool! Do you really think you’ve trapped me?"

The elder could never accept the idea of a barrier in his spirit, with his life under someone else’s control. Furious, he roared, and a striking blade light suddenly cleaved through the demonic qi.

A deafening crackle followed, as countless bolts of lightning, pure and radiant, erupted from the blade, flashing like frenzied silver serpents.

...

"Capturing a Foundation Building cultivator alive is no simple task," Qin Sang said with a sigh. He had intended to gradually wear down the black-robed elder’s primordial spirit with Ghostly Threads, aiming for a live capture. But his opponent quickly grasped Qin Sang’s plan and, in desperation, chose a destructive secret art, intending to drag Qin Sang down with him.

Sensing the power of this secret art, Qin Sang wasted no time, unleashing his full strength and slaying the black-robed elder with the ebony sword. Fortunately, the corpse remained largely intact, suitable for refining into a malevolent corpse.

Qin Sang wrapped the three bodies in spiritual power, collected their Mustard Seed Pouches, and carefully surveyed his surroundings before taking to the sky on his sword light.

A Foundation Building corpse could be refined into a malevolent corpse, while those in the Qi Refining Realm could become zombies—both were useful corpse puppets. Currently, for Qin Sang, their primary value lay in luring Cloud Beasts, sparing him from engaging them directly and risking entrapment.

The malevolent corpse refined by Hermit Baiyun had been destroyed over a decade ago. At that time, Qin Sang had fallen into a Cloud Beast horde and, unable to escape in time, was forced to sacrifice the corpse to hold them off, ultimately having it torn apart by the beasts.

Ever since then, Qin Sang had been considering a more strategic approach.

Using the Spirit Evasion Art, Qin Sang concealed his true cultivation level. Unless someone possessed a much higher cultivation level or had a particular secret art, it was difficult for them to discern his real strength.

Every year or so, he would emerge from hiding, going to various markets to sell large quantities of Fire Elemental Stones, intentionally leaving traces to attract those with ulterior motives.

For those who dared to target Qin Sang as an easy mark, he would, in turn, treat them as prey. This had become second nature to him.

The bandits who engaged in such schemes were usually cautious, and Qin Sang wasn’t successful every time.

If he happened to attract someone too powerful, he would either use the Falling Cloud Wings to vanish, or engage in a direct confrontation, forcing his opponent to retreat. However, over time, both his Falling Cloud Wings and the Heavenly Star Tear had shattered in these conflicts.

Fortunately, he had since become familiar with Cloud Beasts’ habits, minimizing the loss of his corpse puppets, allowing him to maintain a steady supply.

Regrettably, despite his efforts, Qin Sang had yet to capture a single Foundation Building cultivator alive. He had managed to capture a few Qi Refining Realm bandits, but they couldn’t be refined into living corpses, as only Foundation Building cultivators qualified.

...

In the Tianjing Hidden Realm.

"Senior Uncle Qin!"

The two guards stationed at the hidden realm’s entrance activated the portal, and upon seeing Qin Sang enter, they greeted him warmly, their faces lighting up with anticipation. Qin Sang smiled and nodded, then retrieved two bottles of spirit wine purchased from the Taiyi Core Pavilion from his Mustard Seed Pouch and tossed them over.

"Azure Rainbow Wine! Thank you, Senior Uncle Qin!"

Seeing the wine, their eyes sparkled with excitement. Without hesitation, they popped the lids and took hearty swigs, expressions of delight spreading across their faces.

The enticing aroma filled the air.

Azure Rainbow Wine was one of the Taiyi Core Pavilion’s finest, crafted from various spiritual fruits. It not only tasted excellent but also subtly enhanced one’s spiritual power after consumption.

Its price was considerable, and as Qi Refining Realm cultivators, the hidden realm guards wouldn’t splurge on it. For Qin Sang, though, it wasn’t a heavy expense. Every time he visited the markets, he brought back a batch to share with them, building goodwill.

Whenever Qin Sang needed an extra pair of hands, they were always willing to help.

"Take it easy. You each get one bottle, no more."

Qin Sang tossed them another Mustard Seed Pouch, laughing as he teased, "These are for the others. If you two drunkards dare to keep any for yourselves, I’ll skin you alive!"

They opened the pouch and counted, finding two extra bottles than necessary, and grinned even more broadly. With a fawning expression, one said, "Rest assured, Senior Uncle Qin. We’ll take care of everything!"

Qin Sang shook his head with a helpless smile. He was about to head back to his cave dwelling when something occurred to him. Turning around, he asked, "Where is Jiang Ying now?"

The two exchanged a glance, unsure why Qin Sang suddenly asked about her but knew better than to pry. "Reporting to Senior Uncle Qin, Senior Sister Jiang is currently in her cave dwelling. She mentioned entering secluded cultivation, likely because she gained new insights into her practice. If it’s urgent, you can go directly to her cave dwelling."

"I’ll wait until she finishes her cultivation."Qin Sang said with a nod and rode his sword light toward his own cave dwelling.