Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 70: The Key Moment

It wasn’t night, but it wasn’t the bright daylight found outside either.

It felt as if a thin layer of mist lingered, making it hard to see clearly into the distance. Only the vague outlines of mountains were visible, and the forbidden grounds were larger than Qin Sang had initially imagined.

A thick stench of decay assaulted his nose. Qin Sang immediately held his breath and glanced around. Ahead of him was a swamp emitting a foul odor, while behind him lay a seemingly endless stretch of dark forest.

The forest was overgrown with tangled branches, shrouded in a thick mist. Whether it was water vapor or miasma, Qin Sang couldn't tell. The shadows of the trees seemed to transform into the forms of countless evil spirits, baring their fangs and claws.

Upon entering the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground, where one landed was a matter of luck. If one were unfortunate enough to land in a demonic beast’s lair, it could only be attributed to fate.

This place was far from a safe haven. Qin Sang pondered for a moment, and soon, wings sprouted from his back. Clouds formed around the wings, enveloping him until he vanished from sight.

He climbed up a tree and waited in silence. After ensuring there were no unusual sounds or movements around him, Qin Sang leapt down from the tree and, using Cloud Evasion, swiftly moved in the direction he had chosen.

After traveling some distance through the forest without incident, Qin Sang eventually arrived at the foot of a mountain. The mountain was not very large, but from Qin Sang's observations, it appeared to be the highest point in the surrounding area.

However, as he neared the summit, Qin Sang quietly hid behind a large rock.

Moments later, another Qin Sang emerged from behind the rock, boldly walking upward. Just as "Qin Sang" was about to reach the summit, he suddenly collapsed with a splash, turning into a puddle of water that soaked the ground.

A while later, the real Qin Sang cautiously stepped out from behind the rock.

The previous figure had been a clone he had created using the Shapeshift spell. In preparation for the upcoming ascension conference, he had spent extra time practicing this particular spell.

Due to limited time and energy, he had not chosen to master more difficult spells such as the Water Barrier or the River-Locking Fog.

His mastery of Shapeshift was far from perfect, and the clone it produced wasn’t flawless either. However, if his opponent wasn’t paying close attention, it could still be enough to deceive them, allowing Qin Sang to gain the upper hand.

As his cultivation level advanced, Qin Sang's perspective broadened. He realized that each spell had its own unique use. What he once considered an insignificant spell, such as Shapeshift, turned out to be incredibly versatile. Its applications ranged from scouting ahead to luring enemies.

Being this cautious would inevitably cost him time, but in a place filled with danger at every step, he had no other choice.

The mountain appeared free of threats, but Qin Sang remained on high alert. The mountain’s wide view of the surrounding terrain was an advantage for observation, but it also posed a risk. If there were others in the area, they might be thinking the same as he was.

Qin Sang gripped the Purple Soul Bell in his palm, while his spiritual consciousness was ready to activate the Ice Silkworm Armor at any moment. Although this armor was only a middle-grade artifact, it could still block a surprise attack and buy him some time.

With everything in place, Qin Sang continued to use his Falling Cloud Wings, stealthily making his way toward the summit. Every few steps, he scanned his surroundings cautiously. It took him quite some time, but he eventually reached the peak.

The view instantly broadened. Within his line of sight, the terrain varied dramatically.

To his left was the area he had just come from—the boundary between the swamp and the forest. Both the swamp and the forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, with no end in sight.

Occasionally, he could see the treetops in the forest swaying, though it was unclear whether something was moving below or if the wind was causing the motion.

The swamp was no safer. While the edges seemed passable, the deeper parts appeared to be boiling, constantly bubbling with mud. Above the swamp, colorful clouds of mist gathered, likely containing toxins.

Those two places were definitely off-limits!

Qin Sang feared he might not even encounter another person before being devoured by demonic beasts or poisonous creatures lurking within.

After all, the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground was home to demonic beasts that had reached the Ordinary Demon Realm.

Birds, beasts, plants, spirits, and even stones or objects, if blessed with good fortune or awakened by instinct, could absorb spiritual power from the heavens and earth, drawing in the essence of the sun, moon, and stars. These were called demons.

All the so-called demons, spirits, and ghosts in the mortal world were of this nature.

These demons possessed only the instinct to seek fortune and avoid danger, without true intelligence. They were classified as Ordinary Demons. Some Ordinary Demons were so weak that even ordinary humans could kill them using special techniques.

However, older and stronger demons often developed considerable intelligence, along with various strange and formidable abilities, making them a challenge even for Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

At the peak of the Ordinary Demon Realm, when a demonic beast was on the verge of nurturing a true demonic spirit, it would possess strength equivalent to a cultivator at the thirteenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

Once a true demonic spirit was formed, the creature would gain intelligence and enter the Demonic Spirit Realm, comparable to the Foundation Building stage of human cultivators.

Fortunately, the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground did not harbor any demons at the Demonic Spirit Realm, but it was said that there were demonic beasts in the late stage of the Ordinary Demon Realm, some even at its peak. Even though Qin Sang possessed top-grade artifacts, he dared not provoke them recklessly.

The Kuiyin Sect did not have a map of the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground, and Qin Sang had no idea which part of the area he had been sent to.

With no clear direction, he could go anywhere. Only after collecting enough jade tokens would he know the way to the core region. Until then, his only goals were to survive and to seize jade tokens from others.

Qin Sang surveyed the surrounding terrain and pondered for a moment before deciding to head in the direction to his right, where there was a large mountain range. The mountains were lush with vegetation, but not as dense and dark as the forest. The complex terrain would suit his abilities well.

Having made his decision, Qin Sang was just about to descend the mountain when he sensed something was wrong. He looked up sharply and focused on a bird that resembled a yellow oriole hovering in the sky.

Shortly after he had climbed the mountain, this oriole had appeared. There were wild animals in the forbidden ground, so at first, Qin Sang had paid it little attention.

But this oriole never descended to feed. Since its arrival, it had been circling the peak, patrolling like an eagle, especially around the summit, where it had made several rounds.

The more Qin Sang observed the bird, the more suspicious he became. After a moment of contemplation, he scanned the mountainside below him, carefully inspecting every inch, but found nothing unusual.

Just as Qin Sang was beginning to think he was being overly cautious, the oriole suddenly spread its wings and flew down the mountain. Qin Sang's eyes lit up as he followed the bird with his gaze, watching as it landed in a patch of wild grass and disappeared.

The area was a small depression in the mountain, overgrown with tall mugwort grass, making it a highly concealed spot.

Soon, the grass rustled, and a figure emerged from within. The oriole perched on his shoulder, grooming its feathers with its beak.

The person glanced around before swiftly heading toward the summit.

"Good thing I didn’t put away my Falling Cloud Wings."

Qin Sang was secretly relieved by his caution. He hadn't expected someone to land so close to him, and now, his nerves were on edge.

Though he had taken many lives in the past, this was the first time he was facing another immortal cultivator as an opponent.

Qin Sang quickly used the Qi Perception Technique and found that the person's cultivation was about the same as his own, so there was no need to avoid a confrontation.

However, given the many strange techniques at the disposal of immortal cultivators, he knew he couldn't afford to be careless.