Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 335: Past Experiences

"So you were also at the auction and the secret market..."

Tan Hao smiled wryly in embarrassment and took out the mask to show Qin Sang. "I stumbled upon this by chance. It is said to be refined from the skull of a late-stage Demonic Spirit Realm beast, capable of disguising my aura to cultivators of the Foundation Building Realm."

"As long as I don’t engage in combat, my disguise won’t be exposed."

"Over the years, this mask has allowed me to establish myself in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield."

"However, every time I use it, I have to channel my full spiritual consciousness to sustain it. My physique is quite different from others, making it impossible to conceal myself with ordinary artifacts—it's quite frustrating..."

Compared to their first encounter in Youshan Market, Tan Hao had undergone a complete transformation.

Back then, he had stood up for justice without hesitation, unafraid of making enemies.

Qin Sang had once planned a banquet to express his gratitude, only to be flatly refused by Tan Hao, who had insisted he was simply following his conscience and sought no reward. It was only thanks to Tan Jie’s mediation that the situation had been smoothed over—an example of Tan Hao’s youthful pride and righteousness.

Now, though Tan Hao’s appearance remained rugged, his speech and demeanor had become cautious, without any sign of his former brashness. He had become much more meticulous and tactful.

It was clear he had endured many hardships over the years.

Qin Sang sighed inwardly and asked curiously, "Brother Tan, when Kuiyin Sect fell into chaos, I was lucky to escape. I never expected to see you again. How have you been all these years? Did you join another sect? And... why isn’t Tan Jie with you? Did you two get separated?"

Hearing Qin Sang mention Tan Jie, Tan Hao’s face darkened. He glanced around warily and said, "This isn’t the place to talk. I have a cave dwelling outside Yinshan Stronghold. If you don't mind, please follow me there. We can talk on the way."

Qin Sang had no objections.

The two of them activated their evasion lights and flew toward Yinshan Stronghold.

"As I recall," Tan Hao began, "Brother Qin, you and Senior Sister Shi Hong broke through to the sixth stage together. Senior Sister Shi Hong was taken as a disciple by Yue Wu, but you disappeared. Yue Wu told us you had been assigned to outer sect duties. After the fall of Kuiyin Sect, we never saw you again..."

Qin Sang nodded and admitted frankly, "That’s right. Senior Sister Shi Hong and I were brought before Senior Uncle Yue Wu. Due to her exceptional talent, she was chosen, while the rest of us, being less gifted, were sent away from the sect."

"In truth, Yue Wu was lying. We weren’t assigned to outer sect duties; we were threatened and sent on a dangerous mission by the sect leader."

"Fortunately, this meant I was outside the sect when Yuanzhao Sect launched their counterattack. Realizing something was amiss, I fled immediately and narrowly escaped the clutches of Kuiyin Sect."

"I heard that Yuanzhao Sect launched a full-scale attack and now occupies Kuiyin Sect’s mountain gate. What happened back then? How did you manage to escape?"

Tan Hao glanced at Qin Sang, hesitation written all over his face. Instead of answering, he cautiously asked, "Brother Qin, since you’ve already left Kuiyin Sect and reached the Foundation Building Realm... did you dissolve your cultivation and start over, or did you never cultivate using the Yan Luo Banner?"

"It seems you’ve also realized something is wrong with the Yan Luo Banner," Qin Sang replied with a knowing look, having anticipated this question all along.

Although Tan Hao had not broken through to the Foundation Building Realm, he had surpassed the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. The fact that he had not been refined into an artifact's soul meant that he had discovered the secret of the Yan Luo Banner.

By now, Qin Sang had learned that after leaving Kuiyin Sect, Tan Hao had not joined any other sect. Instead, he had remained a rogue cultivator, struggling to survive alone in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.

If Tan Hao had indeed dissolved his cultivation and started over, reaching the thirteenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm again, his perseverance was truly admirable.

Qin Sang respected his determination.

However, Tan Hao let out a bitter laugh and said something that left Qin Sang astonished.

"It wasn't me who discovered the secret of the Yan Luo Banner, it was my younger brother, Tan Jie."

"When we first entered Kuiyin Sect, Tan Jie was already suspicious of the banner."

"But later, seeing that the entire sect used the Yan Luo Banner for cultivation, Tan Jie thought he might have been overthinking things. Cultivating with it surely posed some risks, but with so many Foundation Building cultivators in Kuiyin Sect, it couldn't possibly be all false."

"Besides, the allure of the Yan Luo Banner was simply too great. As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold—we couldn't bear to give it up."

"After much discussion, we made a decision. Tan Jie, being naturally intelligent and meticulous, was quick to notice anomalies and adapt accordingly. So, he decided to cultivate with the banner while I continued to cultivate as I always had."

"This way, if something went wrong, we would still have a way out. And as long as Tan Jie could reach the Foundation Building Realm, I wouldn't have to worry about my cultivation resources."

"From that point on, fearing that Kuiyin Sect might discover our secret, I rarely left my cave dwelling. Tan Jie took care of everything on my behalf."

"Had I known it would turn out like this, I would have gladly switched places with him!"

Tan Hao's voice trembled with sorrow and regret, his words filled with heart-wrenching grief that stirred deep emotions.

A sudden flash of realization struck Qin Sang as he recalled the past events at Kuiyin Sect.

No wonder he had seldom seen Tan Hao during those years in the sect. Yue Wu’s monthly lectures had never once been attended by him. Qin Sang had assumed it was due to Tan Hao’s dedication to cultivation, but now the truth was far more complicated.

Looking at Tan Hao’s despondent expression, Qin Sang hesitated for a moment before softly asking, "What about Tan Jie now...?"

Since Tan Jie had chosen to cultivate with the Yan Luo Banner, and he was nowhere to be seen now, with only Tan Hao remaining, the implication was clear.

Could it be that Tan Jie had already...?