Gateway of Immortality

Hearing Shi Ying's words, Qin Sang could not help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. Yet he quickly dispelled all stray thoughts, severed his five senses, and immersed his mind into his Qihai, not daring to allow even the slightest distraction.

Shi Ying was extremely nervous. How could Qin Sang be any less so?

Shi Ying could offer little assistance; everything still depended on Qin Sang himself.

After all, it was his own dantian that was about to endure the impact. If anything went wrong, Shi Ying might only suffer some collateral injury, but Qin Sang risked having the very foundation of his Qihai destroyed. Whether he could even preserve his life remained uncertain.

Within the silent cave dwelling, the azure demonic fire swayed gently.

The wisp of Divine Qingyang Gale that had been cut away now drifted toward Qin Sang's dantian.

A vortex abruptly appeared within Qin Sang's dantian. Inside the swirling currents, spiritual power intertwined with Earth Malevolent Qi, forming a grey hue.

Just then, Shi Ying's hand paused slightly.

She first examined the Divine Qingyang Gale, confirming that it showed no signs of collapse. Then she turned her gaze toward Qin Sang, ensuring the refined corpse remained obedient.

After a brief hesitation, Shi Ying bit her red lip lightly, steeled her heart, and suddenly pushed the Divine Qingyang Gale into the vortex!

In that instant, Qin Sang came into direct contact with the Divine Qingyang Gale for the first time.

Contrary to his expectations, the legendary force of ultimate yang—hailed alongside Earth Malevolent Qi as one of the world's rare wonders—appeared extraordinarily docile and gentle. It was like a drop of divine nectar, merging into his Qihai, its texture as soft and smooth as congealed fat.

Is the Divine Qingyang Gale inherently like this? Or is it because it has evolved into the Qingyang Gale Essence that it manifested such a form?

Qin Sang's doubts did not last long.

After the Divine Qingyang Gale merged into the vortex, Shi Ying swiftly withdrew the Demonic Qingyang Fire that had been wrapped around it. In that very moment, stripped of its restraints, the Divine Qingyang Gale finally revealed its true nature!

What had once been tranquil and mild now burst forth into violent motion. Before Qin Sang and Shi Ying could react, it stabbed ferociously into Qin Sang's Qihai.

It was not a mere thread of azure light. Rather, it was a bolt of azure lightning, charged with savage energy, baring its fangs like a predatory beast!

This sudden upheaval caused Shi Ying's expression to change dramatically.

Though she had cultivated the Demonic Qingyang Fire, her understanding of the Divine Qingyang Gale remained limited. They, the disciples, merely followed the prescribed cultivation art step by step, without delving into the true nature of the Divine Qingyang Gale—such research would only begin after one formed a Golden Core, at the earliest.

This upheaval had caught Shi Ying completely off guard.

Qin Sang's heart also tightened sharply. Such a minuscule wisp of Divine Qingyang Gale had erupted with a terrifying momentum, so much so that he momentarily felt as if his Qihai would be pierced through. His instincts screamed for him to expel the Divine Qingyang Gale immediately.

But he forcibly suppressed that instinct, locking his mind onto his Qihai.

No matter how fierce the Divine Qingyang Gale was, its quantity was still far too little. Shi Ying had managed to bring out only a tiny amount from the mountain, and this was just a portion of it. Moreover, his Qihai was filled halfway with Earth Malevolent Qi; at worst, the Divine Qingyang Gale would not be able to shatter it.

As long as he could stabilize the Earth Malevolent Qi, he would be able to seize control of the situation.

Why did the Divine Qingyang Gale suddenly erupt?

The question surfaced in Qin Sang's mind.

The ripple transmitted through Shi Ying's soul imprint told him that even she had been stunned by the sudden change, indicating that this was not normal behavior for the Divine Qingyang Gale.

Indeed, that was the case.

Earlier at Divine Gale Peak, when Shi Ying had repeatedly failed to seal the Divine Qingyang Gale, it had only dissipated silently; never had it erupted so violently.

There can be only one reason: it sensed the presence of Earth Malevolent Qi within me...

A thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and he grasped the cause.

Earth Malevolent Qi and Celestial Gale Qi, representing ultimate yin and ultimate yang respectively, had been revered together throughout the ages. It was only natural for them to clash upon contact.

Having realized this, Qin Sang also conceived a way to resolve the conflict.

However, before he could act, his Qihai spiraled into chaos along with the Divine Qingyang Gale. The Earth Malevolent Qi within him surged wildly, stirring up a great tidal wave and hurtling straight toward the Divine Qingyang Gale.

As expected!

This scene confirmed Qin Sang's suspicions, but he felt no sense of excitement—only extreme tension. He strained every fiber of his being to restrain the Earth Malevolent Qi.

Even though Qin Sang reacted swiftly, he was still a step too slow. It was already too late.

Boom!

In an instant, a surge of ultimate yin malevolent qi and a blast of ultimate yang gale qi—two of the world's most ferocious and rare energies—clashed together violently.

Waves roiled within Qin Sang's Qihai.

The barrier formed by the five-elemental yin objects shuddered under the explosive impact, helping to stabilize his Qihai.

Qin Sang's heart nearly leapt into his throat as he fixed his focus firmly on his Golden Core.

The Qihai churned and surged; the Golden Core floated at the center, like a bright moon reflected on a restless lake, its glow waxing and waning with the turbulence.

After a tense moment, Qin Sang's mind finally relaxed a little.

Thankfully, the amount of Divine Qingyang Gale was limited. Faced with the overwhelming tide of Earth Malevolent Qi, it had no strength to resist and was swiftly annihilated. The clash subsided quickly, and the force it unleashed remained within an acceptable range, not enough to shake his foundation.

The Golden Core had only been slightly affected and remained stable.

With the destruction of the Divine Qingyang Gale, the Earth Malevolent Qi also settled down. Qin Sang's Qihai gradually returned to calm, and outwardly, it seemed as if nothing had happened at all.

Outside, Shi Ying's face had gone deathly pale. She stared blankly for a long while before suddenly snapping back to her senses. In a fluster, she rushed to check Qin Sang's condition.

After confirming that Qin Sang had not been harmed by the collision, Shi Ying let out a long sigh of relief, only then realizing that her back had been soaked through with cold sweat.

The clash had lasted only a very brief moment and had been confined entirely within Qin Sang's Qihai. Yet the terrifying power it had displayed in that instant still left her heart pounding with lingering fear.

Fortunately, she had been cautious enough to first test the waters with only a portion of the Divine Qingyang Gale.

Shi Ying silently thanked her own prudence. Her gaze fell back on Qin Sang's Qihai. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to continue testing.

Though the scene earlier had looked dangerous, it matched the descriptions in the secret art exactly. The malevolent corpse's own power had been sufficient to handle the unexpected situation, greatly easing Shi Ying's concerns.

She ordered Qin Sang to recover, then took out a spirit pill and swallowed it, holding a spirit stone in her hand as she quickly regulated her breathing.

She could now afford to be so extravagant only because of the inheritance she had gained from the Foundation Building demonic cultivator. Before that, she would never have dared.

Soon, Shi Ying had adjusted herself back to peak condition. Seeing that Qin Sang had yet to finish his recovery, she rested her chin on her hand and sat idly on the ground, staring blankly at Qin Sang. After a while, she began speaking to herself.

"Refined Corpse, once you recover, we'll continue. We have to hurry and help you complete your metamorphosis..."

"Before I met you, I had already lost all hope. I thought I would never be able to avenge my parents. It was you who gave me a sliver of hope..."

"I don't care about the Dao of immortality or eternal life. I live only for revenge."

"Rest assured, once I avenge them, I will keep my promise. I will find a way to unseal your primordial spirit..."

Shi Ying had never dared reveal the deepest thoughts in her heart to anyone. She had suppressed them for far too long. Believing Qin Sang to be nothing more than a dead thing, she treated him as her confidant.

Before she realized it, she had poured out everything buried inside her.

Inside the green-tinted cave dwelling, her eyes shone brightly, filled with a deep longing and a desperate, all-or-nothing determination.