Gateway of Immortality

Qin Sang burst into hearty laughter.

He had already sensed something earlier. After boldly testing his theory, it turned out to be true.

It seemed his true essence contained traces of the Divine Qingyang Gale, which shared a common origin with the Demonic Qingyang Fire, making him completely immune to it. Even if it latched onto him, he could shake it off with ease.

The one technique that made cultivators of the Demonic Qingyang Sect so feared was entirely ineffective against him.

To Qin Sang, the Demonic Qingyang Fire was no different from any ordinary spiritual flame.

This not only allowed him to dismantle their array without restraint, but also meant he no longer needed to hold back in his fight against Wu Youdao. His chances of escape had greatly improved.

Qin Sang checked the true essence within his corpse core. Although his battle with Wu Youdao hadn't lasted long, it had drained him rapidly. He had no way to replenish his true essence mid-fight, so he needed to escape before it ran dry.

Until then, he couldn't afford to show weakness, lest Wu Youdao catch on.

Qin Sang broke through the wall of fire.

Everyone, including Wu Youdao, was stunned by what they saw.

The Azure Flame Banner Array—one of the most formidable techniques for controlling Demonic Qingyang Fire—had been expected to at least stall Qin Sang long enough for Wu Youdao to catch up. Yet it had utterly failed.

They assumed it was due to some rare treasure Qin Sang possessed that allowed him to resist the fire.

Qin Sang scanned the surroundings.

Suddenly, he flicked his fingers, and the ebony sword surged with explosive sword qi, transforming into a streak of light that slashed outward.

They immediately realized that Qin Sang was aiming to destroy the three azure flags.

"Condense!"

The three cultivators controlling the banners remained calm under pressure.

The flags suddenly drew together, flames roaring across their surfaces, forming a barrier of fire.

Qin Sang attacking the flags instead of retreating was exactly what they hoped for.

Although the Azure Flame Banner Array's fire could no longer burn his true essence, the array's inherent power still remained. It wasn't something easily destroyed.

They only needed to hold out a little longer and Senior Uncle Wu would soon catch up.

Unexpectedly, the ebony sword ignored the flags completely. It streaked past the array in flashes of light and headed straight for the flying boat above them.

"No! The flying boat!"

The cultivator surnamed Li reacted instantly, shouting in alarm.

They had just arrived earlier and had immediately obeyed Wu Youdao's command to deploy the Azure Flame Banner Array. In their haste, they hadn't had time to retract the flying boat.

Boom!

The sword light from the ebony sword erupted like a rainbow piercing the sun, striking the center of the flying boat.

With a deafening crash, the vessel was knocked dozens of zhang back. Its spiritual light dimmed drastically, and a massive crack appeared along its left flank, nearly severing the artifact in two.

The flying boat tilted, then plummeted from the sky!

Qin Sang had weighed his options, and had chosen to destroy the flying boat first.

Taking out the three flags wouldn't solve the problem. No one knew how many more such banners the Demonic Qingyang Sect might possess.

But a flying boat of this caliber—capable of transporting Foundation Building cultivators while matching Core Formation Realm speed—was a rare and highly specialized artifact. It was extremely difficult to craft and required spiritual materials just as rare as those needed for an astra.

Even Shaohua Mountain didn't possess such a vessel. The Demonic Qingyang Sect probably had no more than one.

Destroying the flying boat would leave the Foundation Building disciples unable to keep up with him. Once he widened the distance, he'd only need to face Wu Youdao alone. Otherwise, Wu Youdao would keep receiving reinforcements.

The ebony sword struck true.

But Qin Sang didn't linger for a second. Wu Youdao was still hot on his heels.

Wu Youdao had been tricked once and wouldn't fall for another feint. Unless Qin Sang was willing to actually detonate the Xutian Thunder, there would be no scaring him off again. But in such open terrain, even the Xutian Thunder might do no more than blow the corner off Wu Youdao's robe.

Without slowing down, Qin Sang suddenly dove toward the ground, taking a hard and direct approach, intending to punch through the array of Demonic Qingyang Sect disciples and retrieve his Mustard Seed Pouch.

The target was easy to choose as Qin Sang had spotted an old acquaintance.

Wen Yanjie!

The man was carrying a coffin on his back. He was far too conspicuous.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Sang fixed his gaze on Wen Yanjie. With a few rapid flashes of movement, he was instantly face-to-face with him.

Unfortunately, Qin Sang's current appearance was far too hideous; there was no way Wen Yanjie could recognize him from that face.

Among his fellow disciples, Wen Yanjie ranked in the top five in cultivation, but he always kept a low profile.

After all, they were now facing a Core Formation cultivator who could go toe-to-toe with Wu Youdao. If not for their fear of defying Wu Youdao's orders, they would have scattered long ago.

The more attention one drew, the faster one died.

Wen Yanjie understood that principle very well.

He had originally believed that Wu Youdao would be able to subdue the enemy with ease.

But he never imagined the situation would change so rapidly. In the blink of an eye, that man had shaken off Wu Youdao and charged straight at them. They hadn't even had time to flee.

And out of everyone present, the man had chosen him!

Only now did Wen Yanjie realize just how fragile he truly was.

Panic filled his face. With a deafening bang, the black coffin on his back exploded, and a dark shadow shot forward to block in front of him.

He was actually trying to use the malevolent corpse that Qin Sang had sold him to stop him.

Qin Sang sneered inwardly. His right hand transformed into a claw, and with even greater speed, he lunged straight for the refined corpse's abdomen. His hand plunged directly into its dantian, unleashing a violent surge of true essence that instantly destroyed the corpse's Qihai.

In a flash, the two brushed past one another, and the refined corpse was torn apart, its body ripped to pieces.

In the next moment, Qin Sang effortlessly knocked Wen Yanjie's artifact aside, seized him by the throat with one hand, and coldly swept his gaze across the surroundings. His other hand suddenly rose and struck down hard on Wen Yanjie's forehead.

Bang!

Wen Yanjie's skull burst like a watermelon. He didn't even have time to groan before he was killed on the spot.

White and red matter splattered everywhere.

Qin Sang tossed the mangled corpse aside without care and said coldly, "Anyone else who dares block my way, this man will be your example."

All the Foundation Building cultivators, including the Fake Core Realm cultivator surnamed Li, turned pale. They drew in sharp breaths and instinctively stepped back.

The Azure Flame Banner Array had given them the illusion that they could intervene in a battle between Core Formation cultivators.

Only now did they understand that with just three azure banners, they were at best qualified to provide support. If Wu Youdao failed to suppress the enemy and he began slaughtering freely, the array wouldn't save their lives.

No one dared stop Qin Sang again. He charged into the forest below without obstruction, struck the ground with a palm, and carved a trench into the earth. A few treasures, wrapped in true essence, leapt out from underground, including his Mustard Seed Pouch.

Scooping the items into his hand, Qin Sang's expression eased slightly. He glanced back once, then continued fleeing at full speed.

The Foundation Building cultivators were still frozen in place, exchanging looks, not daring to give chase.

Wu Youdao, however, had not given up. Transforming into an evasion light, he pursued Qin Sang without pause. Two streaks of light, one chasing the other, vanished from the crowd's sight in moments.

Knowing his disciples would be of no help in the short term, Wu Youdao left a single command.

"Li Qing, return to the mountain at once. Go to the core forbidden zone and find out exactly what this man has stolen! Repair the flying boat as soon as possible, and summon every disciple with an azure banner to come support me!"