Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 918: Night Shadow Insects

Three days later...

Two streaks of evasion light shot out from Poison Island and, after speeding for a while, descended on a deserted island in the distance. They were none other than Bai Zhongqiu and his wife.

The couple turned back toward Poison Island, their eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

"Senior brother, Ying'er..." Bai Hong could not hold back her tears at the thought that her daughter might have to offer herself to feed a devil.

"Junior Sister, rest assured. The art that the senior gave Ying'er was a righteous water-based cultivation art, perfectly suited for her to cultivate, not one of those devilish furnace cauldron techniques. Although that senior acts with ruthless decisiveness, he does not resemble a devilish monster who slaughters the innocent. Otherwise, after occupying Poison Island for so long, he would not have remained without the slightest ill reputation, with nearby cultivators even unaware of his existence. He should be one of those bitter solitary cultivators. Ying'er may even turn misfortune into blessing..."

Bai Zhongqiu could only use these words to comfort his wife as well as himself. In the end he sighed. "It is a pity. I had hoped to ask Senior to accept Ying'er as a disciple, but he firmly refused."

Bai Hong wiped away her tears and spoke softly, "Senior Brother, your judgment has always been sound. Since you say he is a bitter solitary cultivator, how could he easily take on disciples? That cultivation art was most likely nothing more than a form of recompense for us. As for the Malevolent Demonic Pill that Senior promised, I dare not even dream of such a thing."

Qin Sang had cultivated for many years and clashed with countless formidable enemies, seizing numerous cultivation arts, most of them belonging to the five elements. Any one of them he casually passed down was far superior to what Bai Zhongqiu and his wife had managed to gather for their daughter.

Bai Zhongqiu nodded and flipped his palm, revealing several items. "Even without the Malevolent Demonic Pill, Senior has not treated us poorly. He not only helped us re-refine our flying shuttle, but also gave us these Essence-Devouring Spikes. As long as we do not provoke middle-stage Core Formation enemies, they will grant us some means of self-preservation."

Resting in his palm were over a dozen Essence-Devouring Spikes, the very ones Qin Sang had once forged for his external incarnation.

Aside from that, there was their old flying shuttle, originally just a mid-tier among top-grade artifacts. Qin Sang had taken it, spending two days applying insights from the black iron column on artifact refinement, supplementing it with precious spiritual materials.

After his re-refinement, the shuttle’s speed under the couple’s combined control could rival that of an early-stage Core Formation cultivator. If not for the fact that the two of them were only Foundation Building cultivators, upgrading the shuttle into an astra would not have been difficult.

Bai Hong also nodded gently. "I had not expected Senior to be so skilled in artifact refinement. With this treasure, we are much safer, especially since Windy Archipelago is hardly a peaceful place. Besides, Senior is not asking us to take reckless risks, merely to gather useful spiritual items and news. The danger is greatly reduced..."

"Indeed." Bai Zhongqiu nodded, dividing half of the Essence-Devouring Spikes to Bai Hong. "Spiritual items can always be bought from the various merchant guilds and shops. What puzzles me is that Senior wants us to find out where jade pendants granting entry to Seven-Kill Hall will be auctioned. That place is said to be incomparably perilous, with countless mighty cultivators perishing inside. Is Senior planning to go there as well?"

Clearly, Bai Zhongqiu had also heard of Seven-Kill Hall’s infamous reputation. To enter, one needed a jade pendant capable of resisting the celestial array. Having endured his last experience, Qin Sang had no wish to mix with the Dongji Alliance again.

He had long heard that Windy Archipelago attracted many mysterious and powerful cultivators. Before the last opening of Seven-Kill Hall, jade pendants had surfaced and been auctioned.

Since he had no idea when the next auction might take place, he instructed the couple to keep watch and report back.

"And Senior even asked us to investigate the devilish cultivators in the archipelago most skilled in corpse refinement, that..." Bai Hong’s brow furrowed. Most of their unease stemmed from this.

"Enough. Overthinking is useless. Let us not presumptuously speculate on Senior’s motives. He only asks us to report back at intervals, which lets us see Ying'er as well. As long as she remains safe, whatever his purpose is has nothing to do with us. All we must do is our utmost."

Bai Zhongqiu clasped his wife’s hand, and together they lifted into the sky on their evasion light, soon vanishing into the boundless sea.

On Poison Island...

Bai Ying'er watched her parents leave, then returned anxiously to the cave dwelling. Finding that no one paid her any attention, her fear slowly lessened. Thinking back to the years of wandering with her parents, living each day in constant fear, she realized that now, able to cultivate in peace without disturbance, life was not so bad.

Poison Island could hardly be called picturesque. Shrouded in poisonous miasma, filled with foul-smelling beasts, it was a dangerous land. She was only allowed to move about in the cave dwelling and the valley before it.

She dared not disturb Qin Sang, but she often saw the Two-Headed Hou. At first she was terrified of it. Later she found that it was not vicious, and its intelligence far surpassed any demonic beast she had seen before. She eventually tried greeting it. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The Two-Headed Hou only thought of breaking through and regaining freedom. The more anxious it was, the less progress it made, and each day it howled at the sun and moon in frustration.

Knowing now how rare true opportunities were, it grew increasingly restless. At first it ignored the girl, but perhaps out of boredom, it gradually became familiar with her. After all, she would stroke its fur, unlike that other fellow who only used it as a shield.

That was a tale for later.

Qin Sang sat cross-legged in his cave dwelling, reviewing the spoils from eradicating the Devil-Worshipping Cave. He then pulled out a pouch, the Spirit Beast Pouch of the Devil-Worshipping Cave's master.

That man had specialized in insect-controlling techniques, and inside the pouch were seven or eight types of spiritual insects.

"The insect he released to transmit messages was called the Night Shadow Insect. The rest were much the same, mere auxiliaries. None were rare spiritual insects, let alone supernatural insects. No wonder he did not employ them in combat. He clearly knew that raising supernatural insects consumed tremendous resources and energy. Without the Crimson Fire Gilded Gold, I too would never have dared to bind the Sky-Eyed Butterfly as my life-bound gu..."

Qin Sang withdrew his spiritual consciousness from the pouch.

These spiritual insects had been carefully selected and bred for countless years. In certain special situations, they might prove effective. Of course, none could rival the fat silkworm, which could suppress any poison.

Keeping these spiritual insects will do no harm. The old devil’s insect control strategy was not bad. They cost little to maintain and might one day be of use. His technique differs somewhat from that of the Yuling Sect, allowing him to leave marks within the insects and forcefully control them. But this method harms their potential and requires superior cultivation to impose. Qin Sang thought as he found the Spirit Beast Pouch to be of finer quality than his insect basket, and he transferred the fat silkworm inside.

In the days that followed, he kept watch over Poison Island, and seeing that the matter with the Devil-Worshipping Cave stirred no greater waves, he once again sealed his cave dwelling and immersed himself in cultivation.

From then on, every few months or a year, Bai Zhongqiu and his wife would return to the island, sometimes bringing news, sometimes spiritual items Qin Sang required.

Seeing that their daughter remained well, her cultivation advancing steadily, and that she had even befriended the island master’s spirit beast, they were finally completely reassured. In this way, more than ten years passed swiftly.