Gateway of Immortality

One day within the cave; a thousand years outside the world.

Qin Sang, still at the Foundation Building Realm, remained far from such immortal realms.

However, for cultivators, time during meditation and seclusion indeed passed swiftly.

Before he realized it, another month had slipped by in the blink of an eye.

The final traces of failure from his earlier attempt with the Kanli Golden Pill had long been wiped clean from his heart. With his heart clear and untroubled, Qin Sang adjusted his condition once more to its peak.

In front of him lay two spiritual herbs: The Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flower.

One white, one red, one yin, one yang—both placed side by side before Qin Sang.

The two herbs exuded a gentle aura. Even as their energies intertwined in the air, they did not erupt into violent clashes like the medicinal energy of the Kanli Golden Pill.

By now, every other Foundation Building cultivator within the Small Cold Domain was likely envious of Qin Sang's fortune.

Unlike the Kanli Golden Pill, whose main ingredients could be cultivated and refined artificially, these two spiritual herbs depended entirely on nature.

They were symbiotic, unable to survive alone. The Snow Spirit Lotus thrived in icy lands, while the Iris Flower required intense heat. Thus, they could only grow where cold and heat balanced precisely—an extremely demanding environment.

Such herbs were rare treasures one could only hope to encounter.

Even so, auxiliary materials were ultimately just that: assistance.

Recalling the method of consumption that Snake Granny had taught him when he chose these herbs, Qin Sang took out several healing and recovery pills and held them in his mouth. Then he lifted the two spiritual herbs, placing both hands together in front of him.

Spiritual power surged into his palms, transforming them into a furnace to temper the herbs.

Starting from their roots, the two herbs began to refine simultaneously.

One turned into a crystalline, ice-like spiritual liquid, clear and translucent.

The other became a crimson spiritual liquid, a thin layer of flame seeming to dance atop its surface.

Qin Sang exercised extreme caution, taking a long time to thoroughly cleanse both herbs of their impurities, leaving behind only the purest medicinal energy.

The two clusters of spiritual liquid were identical in size. They were neither excessive nor deficient.

Then, he swallowed the recovery pills in his mouth.

Moments later, as his depleted spiritual power returned to its peak, Qin Sang's eyes sharpened. He exhaled lightly and simultaneously swallowed both clusters of spiritual liquid.

A wondrous thing occurred: once inside his meridians, the two spiritual liquids intertwined into one, flowing together toward his Qihai.

Boom!

A familiar storm erupted within him once again, though it was far gentler than last time.

Moreover, the medicinal energy of these two herbs was not only milder but also far more enduring than that of the Kanli Golden Pill.

Confirming that his Qihai remained stable, Qin Sang calmed his mind and entered deep meditation to comprehend his cultivation.

The spiritual eye ceaselessly spewed forth rich spiritual qi.

The Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid in the jade pool remained motionless, like a quiet maiden.

An immortal cultivator sat alone in deep meditation.

It was a scene of utter serenity.

Unfortunately, that peace lasted for more than ten days, and it showed no sign of ending.

From beginning to end, there were none of the legendary phenomena. There were no surging winds, no warring heavens and earth.

Twenty days passed, more than enough time.

Qin Sang opened his eyes, an endless disappointment hidden deep within their depths.

He gave up. There was no longer any need to persist.

The Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower had potent medicinal effects, far superior to the Kanli Golden Pill. They were indeed worthy of their reputation as the finest aids for Core Formation.

Yet they had brought him no luck.

While Qin Sang had gained some insights and made modest progress, the most critical step—condensing spiritual power—had only briefly shown faint signs, before the medicinal energy was exhausted.

Twenty days went by like a dream.

Both the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower had failed. Qin Sang no longer knew what spiritual herb could help him.

Even piling up spiritual herbs seemed impossible. Besides these two, the next tier of herbs would only offer worse effects. Those used to refine pills one grade lower than the Kanli Golden Pill were utterly useless to him.

And even if he spent everything he owned, how many such herbs could he afford?

Moreover, pills capable of assisting Core Formation suffered greatly reduced effectiveness after the first use.

Sigh...

A soft sigh echoed through the dim cave dwelling.

Qin Sang sat by the edge of the jade pool, gazing blankly at the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid, unmoving, his thoughts unknown. He remained seated like that for an entire day.

The next day.

Qin Sang's expression had returned to normal, as if he had completely forgotten the previous day's bitterness. Leaving behind his astra, iron ring, and other items from the Mustard Seed Pouch within the cave dwelling, he rode a cloud and flew toward Shaohua Mountain.

...

It seemed that what Snake Granny had said was true. The situation between the Small Cold Domain and the Tianxing Alliance was no longer as tense. The Shaohua Mountain protective array had been deactivated, and the disciples who once patrolled for security had also been withdrawn.

Without encountering any obstacles, Qin Sang flew through the mountain gate and headed straight for Qi Yuanshou's cave dwelling.

Qi Yuanshou had already returned the Sect Leader Peak to the current sect leader, and now occupied a separate peak on Shaohua Mountain by himself. His disciple, Gao Yang, also remained on the mountain, cultivating under his guidance.

The peak was not particularly high, but it exuded a spiritual charm.

Its location sat right atop a main branch of the mountain's spirit vein, and the spiritual qi here was, if anything, even denser than that of Qin Sang's spiritual spring cave dwelling.

Before long, a verdant peak appeared before him, shrouded lightly in mist.

Qin Sang slowed down his evasion technique, gracefully descending to the foot of the mountain. The clouds at his feet dispersed. After tidying his robes, he respectfully bowed toward the summit and called out in a clear voice.

"Disciple Qin Sang pays respects to Senior Uncle Qi."

Whoosh!

No sooner had Qin Sang spoken than the mist above him rolled aside, revealing a narrow path through the haze. In the next moment, a figure rode a sword down the path, descending lightly to land in front of Qin Sang.

The sword light briefly circled around the figure before vanishing.

"Junior Brother Gao's swordsmanship grows ever more exquisite," Qin Sang offered a compliment.

"All thanks to the treasured sword Senior Brother gifted me!" Gao Yang responded with a bright smile.

Often cultivating under Qi Yuanshou, Gao Yang's appearance and demeanor had changed little. Upon seeing Qin Sang, he greeted him warmly and said straightforwardly, "Senior Brother Qin, Master is currently in seclusion. Before he closed himself off, he gave strict orders not to be disturbed lightly. If Senior Brother's matter isn't urgent, perhaps you could wait for a few days. Once Master emerges, I will immediately inform him..."

Qin Sang opened his mouth to reply.

Just then, a strange look flickered across Gao Yang's face. His expression turned solemn as he tilted his head slightly to listen. After a moment, he bowed toward the mountaintop and said, "Disciple obeys."

He then turned back and urged excitedly, "Senior Brother, quickly go! Master just sent a voice transmission. He wishes to see you. He asked you to proceed on your own!"

Qin Sang cupped his hands to Gao Yang in thanks, activated his movement art, and sped alone toward Qi Yuanshou's cave dwelling.

He raced up the mountain.

Soon, he arrived in front of the cave dwelling, only to find the doors tightly shut, with no sign of Qi Yuanshou.

While Qin Sang hesitated in confusion, a voice echoed from within the cave dwelling.

"You have already refined and consumed the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower?"

Standing firmly before the cave, Qin Sang immediately bowed deeply and answered, "Disciple greets Senior Uncle Qi. To answer Senior Uncle's question, I have already refined both spiritual herbs."

A soft grunt came from inside the cave dwelling. After a moment of silence, Qi Yuanshou spoke indifferently, "That is fine. At least it gives some account to several of your senior brothers."

Qin Sang's heart tightened slightly.

As he had suspected, the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower he possessed had attracted the attention of even the Golden Core seniors within the sect.

Such rare spiritual herbs were truly treasures one could only encounter by chance, even for those at the Golden Core Realm.

They themselves might not need them, but they could pass them on to their personal disciples or family members.