Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 906: Dark Cloud

Because the passage had lost its source of black smoke, it could no longer hold and was shrinking rapidly. Once it closed completely, those inside would not escape even with wings. Even if they did not die within the array, Landou Sect would certainly capture them.

A dilemma lay before Daoist Fang. He still knew nothing about what had happened during this time. He did not understand why that man had appeared here to sabotage the banner array, nor what else he had done. All his junior brothers were trapped. If the treasure was inside... 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

After all, his second senior brother’s strength and judgment were beyond doubt. With him personally stealing the treasure, trouble should not have come so easily.

Daoist Fang finally cursed, flashed to the mouth of the passage, and, as the blood Jiao beside him let out a roar, drove them into the passage without fear of death, leaving only the back halves of their bodies outside.

Poof! A witch cultivator was flung out, dizzy and disoriented, and Daoist Fang seized him by the collar.

"Where is the stone platform?" Daoist Fang asked.

"Eldest Senior Brother! " Saved from the jaws of death, the man first brightened, then paled, wailing. "Second Senior Brother was ambushed and fell on the spot. His belongings were... were taken..."

Before he could finish, Daoist Fang, already in a rage, slapped him hard across the face and sent him flying dozens of zhang.

"Useless! " Daoist Fang shook all over with fury.

He had braved the tiger’s den, only to return empty-handed.

His second senior brother had led so many people and wielded the Beast King Banner, yet had been cut down right under their noses and the treasure snatched away. How could Daoist Fang not be enraged?

Just then, the blood Jiao together hauled out another man. The passage kept narrowing, and even the Jiao could no longer support it. They were forced to withdraw.

Upon the empty sea drifted three figures, unspeakably desolate.

With the passage severed, those trapped inside could no longer be saved.

Only the three of them and the two Blood Corpse Insects remained. Worst of all, the stone platform had been lost, intercepted by another, and the task entrusted by their master lay in ruins.

The three traded looks, every face etched with bleakness.

"Chase! "

"We will not rest until that man is slain! "

Daoist Fang's eyes went blood-red. Close to losing reason, he urged the blood Jiao toward the direction where Qin Sang had vanished, heedless of whether he could catch up.

The two junior brothers exchanged a glance, dared not utter a word, and, seeing Abbot Lu about to arrive, grabbed onto the Jiao's tails in panic.

At the same time...

Inside Dongming Island, cultivators of all factions broke through the banner array. Some followed the Black Snake Mountain disciples who had already fled into the passage, while others besieged those left behind.

Isolated Black Snake Mountain disciples clutched their Beast King Banners, resisting feebly with despair written across their faces. Still, the goal of the various cultivators was to capture alive; they surrounded rather than killed.

As chaos reigned, a streak of black-and-white evasion light sped in. It was Daoist Huayang.

Hemmed in by the blood Jiao for so long, his Daoist robe was in tatters, blotched with blood. His aura was in disarray, and his expression was urgently grim.

Upon reaching the Dark Lightning Wood grove, a bad feeling gripped him. When he saw the exposed stone steps and sensed a violent force surging from within, his face drained. He rushed forward shouting, "The lightning slurry is about to erupt. Run! "

At his words everyone froze, and seeing Daoist Huayang’s state, they nearly laughed outright.

"What lightning slurry? Daoist Huayang, your Landou Sect hid things well. Dongming Island housed a secret treasure while we knew nothing. If you had not kept it to yourselves, would matters have come to this..."

Having failed to seize any treasure, some grumbled and questioned Daoist Huayang.

But Daoist Huayang paid them no heed. He tossed out the warning and sprinted away as if something truly terrifying lurked in the grove. His expression did not look feigned.

Startled, the others released their spiritual consciousness and finally sensed the anomaly.

"Such a violent force. Is there really a lightning slurry buried underground?"

"Run! "

They scrambled to flee.

Just as they rushed out, a sun-bright radiance bloomed within the Dark Lightning Wood grove. Under their horrified gazes, it detonated with a thunderous roar.

The grove vanished completely. In its place yawned a deep crater as a terrifying shockwave swept everything clean.

Those who had escaped were still struck by the aftershock. Now they looked much like Daoist Huayang—ragged as beggars, eyes blank, faces full of lingering fear.

Dongming Island shook violently without end, waves soaring to the heavens.

Out at sea, Abbot Lu staggered as if struck by the blast. He grunted, nearly losing balance, then snapped his gaze toward Dongming Island, his face changing drastically.

Though Qin Sang had already fled far away, the explosion still jolted him. He turned to see, from the direction of Dongming Island, a mass of dark cloud rising into the sky, threaded with arcs of lightning. It stood out starkly against the clear sky and blue sea, lingering without dispersing.

"What is happening?" Qin Sang paused, momentarily dazed. He had no idea what it meant.

Back in the Dark Lightning Wood grove, he had feared hidden dangers beneath the stone steps. If the Sky-Eyed Butterfly went in, it might be exposed, so he had refrained. As long as he confirmed who had taken the treasure, he could kill and seize it directly. There had been no need to act needlessly and shoulder extra risk. Thus Qin Sang knew nothing about the lightning pool on Dongming Island.

"What in the world did those people do?" Murmuring to himself, he stared, genuinely startled by the sight.

"They not only stole the treasure, they wrecked this blessed land. Even if I was not the culprit, Landou Sect will likely pin it on me. Offending two sects of both human race and witch race at once, with three Spiritual Infant grandmasters between them... Luckily I stayed cautious and never revealed the Two-Headed Hou or the devilish banner before others. Only the star turban and Sword Light Division were exposed..." His expression turned complicated.

He did not yet know that another of Landou Sect’s Spiritual Infant cultivators had already fallen.

Even so, facing two Spiritual Infant enemies, and being wanted by both the witch race and human race together, would be trouble enough.

"Black Snake Mountain slaughtered the abandoned disciples of Douniu Peak, so the peak’s handed-down art should have fallen into their hands. The first one I killed seemed to hold a high position, second only to the youth surnamed Fang. His Mustard Seed Pouch should have it. I hope that art is useful. If it can resolve Star Essence Infusion, I will find a place to go into seclusion for a few decades and only emerge when Seven-Kill Hall opens. I would like to see where you think you can find me..." Qin Sang steeled himself and spoke coldly.

He still had one important matter to attend to and had no time to search the two pouches. Seeing that his pursuers had been shaken off, he immediately concealed his aura, circled widely, and snuck back to retrieve his incarnation.

Soon, the Qingfu Coin in his hand stirred. Before parting, he had given his incarnation a child coin to crush after escaping, so he could rendezvous.

Qin Sang reached a desolate island, sensed his incarnation’s position, and relaxed. The incarnation had gotten out safely. With chaos engulfing Dongming Island, no one had spared a glance for a mere Qi Refining disciple.

He flicked his finger, revealing a black coffin artifact, ordered the incarnation inside, then slung the coffin over his back and departed that troubled sea.

As for how great the consequences of this upheaval would be, that was no longer his concern.