Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 931: Ghostly Land

Old Devil Mou’s expression stiffened, and he forced a dry laugh. "Old Ghost Blood, when did you become so hesitant? If I didn’t have absolute confidence, why would I trouble you, only to make life harder for myself?"

"Hmph! Among the Spiritual Infant cultivators here, I’m afraid only I can help you. To refine a Blood Soul, the blood qi I consume would take decades to recover. If not for the Big Dipper Ring, you wouldn’t get one from me, no matter how silver-tongued you are!" The blood-robed elder secretly handed Old Devil Mou a fist-sized blood sphere. Inside the sphere was a scarlet figure, its face twisted in agony and ferocity.

"When we reach the place, leave this blood sphere behind. I will take care of the rest." Old Devil Mou’s face lit up with joy. He quickly put away the blood sphere and drew some distance from the blood-robed elder, lest anyone notice something strange.

As he watched Old Devil Mou’s back, the blood-robed elder’s eyes flickered with suspicion. What treasure has this old devil discovered in Seven-Kill Hall that made it worth trading away the chance to borrow the Big Dipper Ring? Is he not afraid of heavenly tribulations? Word is that the old devil has raided Saint Dongming’s cave dwelling in the Demonic Sea. Has he truly obtained something that greatly boosted his strength?

***

Purple Mist End.

Following the Purple River upstream, Qin Sang soon saw the sky filled with Purple Mist. Along the way, he kept the Sky-Eyed Butterfly on alert, lest he run into members of the two major alliances. Yet he hadn’t seen a single person. Perhaps the Dongji Alliance had shifted its target and not sent anyone here.

When he reached the Purple Mist, Qin Sang noticed its edge had shrunk back compared to his last visit. He wasn’t sure if this was normal.

He opened his Spirit Beast Pouch and released the fat silkworm. The silkworm, knowing it would finally get to eat again, showed no complaint despite its long hunger.

Without Qin Sang needing to command it, it happily hopped onto his shoulder, opened its mouth, and spat out Poison-Warding Armor. Its beady eyes stared intently at the depths of Purple Mist End, its head swaying from side to side.

The Sky-Eyed Butterfly still remained within Qin Sang’s Qihai, secretly using its supernatural ability to assist him. Qin Sang wanted to drag out the ghostly creature that had stolen the flying yaksha, but he could not expose the butterfly too soon.

With the Poison-Warding Armor shielding him, Qin Sang flickered into the Purple Mist and vanished. He flew straight toward the Purple Star Eagle’s nest he had passed last time, catching a few Purple Mustelids along the way. The gorge here was the easiest pass to cross. Other routes were either too far or far more dangerous.

To his surprise, when he arrived at the gorge, there wasn’t a single Purple Star Eagle in sight. Last time, they had swarmed the gorge, with hundreds of adults circling the skies at all times. Their numbers had been staggering.

Few ferocious beasts could survive the poisonous mist, and the Purple Star Eagles, strong and numerous, had virtually no natural predators. They had ruled this place for countless years. If not, Xiang Yi would not have been so certain back then.

"I remember that during the betrayal, that cultivator surnamed Pan commanded the Earth-Breaking Lizard to lure this flock of Purple Star Eagles away, sparking a beast tide battle. Did that battle wipe them out?" Qin Sang was puzzled. "Then who rules this place now?"

He stopped at a distance, not daring to get closer, and ordered the Sky-Eyed Butterfly to peer into the gorge. Unexpectedly, not a single beast was present. The gorge was eerily calm.

"Empty?" Qin Sang frowned. With no beasts guarding it, he could have strolled right through. Yet a vague sense of foreboding gnawed at him.

He recalled Madam Liu mentioning that on their return journey, Xiang Yi’s group had been ambushed by a beast as strong as a Transformation Realm great demon, which had caused all their troubles.

"Did a great beast take over?" Qin Sang stared at the gorge in hesitation, then decided to detour. He would not gamble his life.

He had no ability to face a Transformation Realm great demon, especially not here in Seven-Kill Hall.

"Good thing I prepared multiple plans," he muttered bitterly, retreating and veering west along the mountains until he reached a cavern.

This cavern also led to the other side of the cliff. It was said to house many Qiu Dragons, which swallowed and spat Purple Mist. They usually slept deep within the stone and only stirred when awakened.

The Purple Mist they expelled was nearly as toxic as that found at the heart of Purple Mist End. Without sufficient strength or top-tier poison-warding methods, few dared to take this path. Hence, little was known about what other beasts might dwell inside.

Qin Sang masked his aura, entered cautiously, and slipped into the cavern. It twisted and turned yet was spacious.

Silence reigned. He walked for a long time without encountering any beasts. Then, suddenly halting, he turned his head toward a stone wall.

Through the Purple Mist, he saw that a section of the wall had an unusual sheen. Closer inspection revealed it wasn’t stone at all, but a scale! The Qiu Dragon had buried its massive body within the wall, leaving only a scale exposed.

"No wonder they call it a dragon!" Startled, Qin Sang judged its size from the scale alone. Even a Jiao would be smaller. Its true strength, however, was unknown.

Uninterested in testing it, he quickened his pace. Along the way, he found more nests, all the creatures asleep, until at last he slipped out the other end unscathed.

Relieved, Qin Sang oriented himself and darted toward the gorge, detouring near the ancient divine platform. He saw no other cultivators there.

The platform still slumbered underground. Whether the ancient barrier was too powerful, or the true devilish qi within blocked vision, even the Sky-Eyed Butterfly could not pierce into its depths. Qin Sang had to let it go. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

At the gorge... The top-grade astra lay within reach. Even with his calm heart, Qin Sang felt a surge of excitement as he gazed at the thick Purple Mist below.

Using the same trick as before, he scaled the gorge wall, carefully avoiding anything unusual that might cause trouble. Reaching the floor, he summoned the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells and followed their pull toward the ghostly land.

The fat silkworm squirmed restlessly on his shoulder, humming, eager to fetch Purple Crystals first.

"You’re eating more and more. This time I’ll have to grab a few extra pieces just to keep you fed. The beasts guarding them are strong, so I’ll need to plan carefully. Once I strike, we flee," Qin Sang said softly, treating the creature with rare gentleness.

The silkworm finally calmed down. Qin Sang secretly sighed in relief. If the creature threw a tantrum and withdrew the Poison-Warding Armor, he would be doomed. With it pacified, Qin Sang wound through the twists and turns until he reached the hidden gorge again.

Inside the gorge, the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells still floated in place, sealing the entrance to the ghostly land. Decades had passed, yet nothing seemed to have changed. Opposite the flames, pale ghostly mist enshrouded the entire ghostly space.