Gateway of Immortality

No matter how thick the peach blossom miasma grew, under the impact of the soaring corpse qi from the flying yaksha and the surging demonic qi unleashed by Daoist Jiupao, it too had begun to turn chaotic.

Had someone been standing above the valley at that moment, they would have seen that deep within the pink-hued peach blossom miasma, strands of black qi had started to surge forth, becoming more and more distinct.

Though Daoist Jiupao's strength fell short of a true Golden Core cultivator, he remained exceedingly formidable. The speed and physical might of the flying yaksha no longer held any advantage before him.

Previously, the flying yaksha had relied on its elusive abilities to keep the Black Jiao struggling to cope. However, such tactics were useless against Daoist Jiupao. Moreover, Qin Sang's goal was not merely to defeat Daoist Jiupao. He had no choice but to command the flying yaksha to clash with him head-on, allowing him no chance to catch his breath.

The stone hut had long since ceased to exist, reduced to a heap of rubble.

The entire area had been engulfed by corpse qi and demonic qi, permeated by an extreme chill.

Several times, Daoist Jiupao had tried to manipulate the array outside, but Qin Sang saw through his every attempt with ease and countered them promptly. Thus, the once formidable array had been rendered little more than decoration.

Without anyone to maintain it, the array had been affected by the chaos, and was on the verge of collapse.

Under the rampant devastation wrought by these violent forces, even the rubble left behind by the stone hut had been obliterated. A giant crater marred the ground, and swathes of peach trees outside the valley had been utterly destroyed.

Gullies crisscrossed the valley floor, littered with broken flowers and shattered branches.

Qin Sang, unable to leave the battlefield, found himself surrounded by corpse qi and demonic qi. He felt like a rootless duckweed adrift on water, unbearably fragile. His five senses had been severely dulled; fortunately, he could still track Daoist Jiupao's movements through the flying yaksha.

This way, he would not be taken unaware if Daoist Jiupao approached.

Whoosh!

A violent gale suddenly swept across the battlefield.

Daoist Jiupao roared furiously.

Amidst the towering waves of demonic qi, a tornado abruptly formed, like a giant black dragon, tearing through the corpse qi at an astonishing speed and ramming fiercely toward the flying yaksha.

The might of the tornado was terrifying.

The flying yaksha vanished into thin air, narrowly dodging the blow, though the maneuver momentarily disrupted its assault.

Just as the flying yaksha regained its footing and launched a renewed attack, an exceptionally powerful surge of aura suddenly erupted from the depths of the demonic qi. Immediately afterward, an even darker, deeper aura than the demonic qi itself began to drift out, forming a black storm that threatened to engulf the flying yaksha entirely.

A sense of familiarity stirred within Qin Sang. Peering carefully, he soon realized that hidden within the demonic storm was a black flame!

Without prior knowledge, one could easily suffer greatly.

Demonic Flames of Nine Hells!

The Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions!

Qin Sang secretly murmured to himself that it was as he had suspected, feeling no surprise.

Among the five Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions belonging to the Kuiyin Sect, Daoist Jiupao controlled one. His banner had been severely damaged during the battle at Yuanzhao Sect when their sect leader self-detonated.

However, many years had passed since then, and Daoist Jiupao had once fled back to the Kuiyin Sect. He had not been left destitute.

Even if his injuries remained difficult to heal, repairing an astra was still within reach.

Qin Sang had long prepared for the possibility that Daoist Jiupao would wield an astra.

He was well aware of the terror that the Demonic Flames of Nine Hells represented. Its effectiveness against spiritual souls made it the bane of the flying yaksha. To slay Daoist Jiupao, he would have to first cripple the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions!

Qin Sang immediately ordered the flying yaksha to avoid direct confrontation, engaging Daoist Jiupao in a nimble and evasive battle. Meanwhile, he withdrew his mind into the space of his primordial spirit, quietly activating the ebony sword.

A flash of light gleamed at his brow as the ebony sword silently flew out, its brilliance restrained, pointing directly toward the depths of the demonic qi.

In that instant, Qin Sang's focus reached an unprecedented level of intensity. Yet his attention was not entirely locked onto the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions; he remained ever vigilant of his surroundings.

Yu Hua had once said that Daoist Jiupao possessed only two astras. His life-bound astra had been utterly destroyed when Yuanzhao Sect's leader self-detonated.

Logically speaking, Daoist Jiupao, like a stray dog, should have found it difficult to recover from his injuries. Having been forced to hide in the shadows for so long, he ought to have had neither the time nor resources to forge another life-bound astra. In theory, he should now have only the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions at his disposal.

Thus far, Daoist Jiupao had indeed shown no signs of wielding another astra.

Yet the world often turned out differently than expected. Experts of his level were invariably cunning beyond imagination. Feigning weakness while secretly preparing a hidden strike was a trick Qin Sang himself was well acquainted with.

He dared not grow complacent. One slip could cost him everything.

Qin Sang carefully probed the battlefield but found no trace of any other astras. However, he quickly noticed that the situation on the battlefield had already begun to shift.

Daoist Jiupao, empowered by the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions, unleashed a fearsome display of might. Compared to Qin Sang and Yu Hua, he wielded the banner with far greater ease, commanding the demonic flames at will.

Streams of demonic flames surged and swept across the battlefield, forcing the flying yaksha into constant evasive maneuvers.

Facing the flames, the flying yaksha was severely restrained, its offensive momentum disrupted.

Qin Sang immediately ordered the flying yaksha to entangle Daoist Jiupao with all its strength while he secretly manipulated the ebony sword, concealing its form as it crept toward Daoist Jiupao.

He would have only one chance, and he absolutely could not afford to fail!

Yet, he had underestimated the omnipresent demonic qi. It served as Daoist Jiupao's extended senses, making it nearly impossible for the ebony sword's concealment technique to remain hidden. Before the ebony sword could even get close, it had already been discovered.

"Wretch, how dare you!"

Daoist Jiupao roared in fury. With a flick of the banner, a streak of demonic flames shot straight toward the ebony sword.

Had it been an ordinary artifact, it would likely have been destroyed instantly upon contact with the flames.

However, the ebony sword was an astra. It feared no such flames. Seeing this, Qin Sang hardened his heart and commanded the ebony sword not to dodge, but instead to fly straight into the oncoming flames!

Whoosh!

Daoist Jiupao's expression froze in shock.

The ebony sword pierced through the demonic flames with brutal force, emerging completely unscathed. After a slight tremor, it shot directly at him.

"An astra?"

Daoist Jiupao's pupils contracted, his face twisting in alarm. Yet his sharp eyes quickly discerned the truth. Qin Sang's cultivation was insufficient to fully draw out the astral power of the weapon. He was relying mostly on the sword's innate material strength to resist the demonic flames.
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Such an astra being used by him is an utter waste.

Daoist Jiupao's unease faded. A sinister grin spread across his face. "Leave that astra behind for me!"

Whoosh...

Several bursts of demonic flames exploded outward, violently forcing the flying yaksha to retreat. At the same time, Daoist Jiupao personally raised the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions, launching a counterattack against Qin Sang.

Now!

Qin Sang had been waiting precisely for this moment. His gaze sharpened, and he silently chanted in his heart.Sword Qi Thunderclap!

Crack!

A blinding bolt of lightning split the skies, tearing through the overwhelming demonic qi with ease.

"Sword Qi Thunderclap!"

Before Daoist Jiupao's shocked eyes, the ebony sword crossed the distance in a flash, appearing right before him. The sword carried a terrifyingly sharp aura as it aimed straight for his vital points.

Daoist Jiupao hurriedly swung the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions to block.

The massive ghostly banner flapped violently. At that moment, the demonic flames intensified, setting the entire banner ablaze and transforming it into a ball of fire. The instant explosion of the Yan Luo Banner's power even made Qin Sang's heart clench in secret.
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The ebony sword raced forward.

Just as the two astras were about to collide—

A crimson layer suddenly spread across the surface of the ebony sword, engulfing it at an astonishing speed and transforming it into a blood-red sword!