Gateway of Immortality

Black mist rolled and gathered into one spot, revealing the figures of three cultivators at the Foundation Building stage.

After glancing at the corpses on the ground, Senior Uncle Wu sighed. "These desperate scoundrels are getting bolder."

Senior Uncle Yue frowned and said, "They're also growing stronger. Last time, it was just a few insects in the Qi Refining Realm, but now even Foundation Building cultivators have shown up. Judging by the artifacts they're using, they don't seem to be ordinary rogue cultivators. I suspect they’re connected to the nearby cultivation families. Greed truly drives people! It seems we’ll have to abandon this Divine Artifact Pavilion. What a shame..."

With a cold snort, Senior Uncle Dong declared, "Next time, let’s invite a few of our senior brothers and give the surrounding cultivation families of You Mountain a bloodbath. We'll see which clown dares to show themselves then!"

…

Under the night sky, the flying shuttle transformed into a streak of light, speeding forward like a gust of wind.

The three senior uncles positioned themselves in a Three Talents Formation[1], jointly controlling the flying shuttle, while Qin Sang and the others stayed in the center.

Wrapped in the light of the shuttle, Qin Sang felt no bumps or cold winds. The mountains and plains below passed like fleeting shadows, evoking memories of his past life.

Such speed! Qin Sang was full of admiration for the abilities of Foundation Building cultivators, but all he could do now was focus on cultivating diligently.

In front of others, Qin Sang dared not bring out the Soul Pill to assist his cultivation. The five-element spiritual root truly lived up to its reputation. After completing one cycle of the cosmic orbit, only a minuscule amount of spiritual power had accumulated in his body. He decided not to waste any more time and took this opportunity to practice spells instead.

Complex spells required not only reciting incantations but also coordinating them with hand seals.

Initially, Qin Sang thought himself to be quite clever and assumed learning the spells would be simple. However, he soon discovered that the incantations were all twisted and obscure, with strange rhythms and difficult-to-understand ancient sounds and hidden phrases.

That alone was bad enough, but each verse of the incantation required close coordination between his spiritual consciousness, hand seals, and spiritual power, leaving Qin Sang scrambling. Only then did he realize how difficult cultivation truly was.

At this point, he could only stumble his way through reciting the incantation for Cloud Evasion. He knew it would take a long time before he could cast the spell effectively.

Even if he could barely manage to release a spell, the lengthy casting time would be meaningless in actual combat. His spell wouldn’t be ready before his opponent took him down.

To reach a point where spells could be cast instantly, he would need long hours of hard training, which would inevitably conflict with his cultivation art practice.

For three days, the flying shuttle sped on. Qin Sang estimated that in these three days, they had covered a distance several times greater than what had taken him a whole year to travel.

This was just a glimpse of the vast difference between immortals and mortals.

Though You Mountain was still in the grip of early spring's chill, the winter snow had mostly melted. As the shuttle flew farther north, the land grew increasingly barren, the plains replaced by ice fields and heavy snowfall.

On the morning of the fourth day, the shuttle suddenly descended, startling Qin Sang and the others awake. At first, they were alarmed, but soon realized they had finally arrived at their sect. Anticipation filled their faces.

Moments later, Qin Sang felt the ground beneath him. The surrounding light dissipated as the flying shuttle shrank to the size of a palm and landed in Senior Uncle Dong's hand, who promptly stored it away.

But as Qin Sang took in the scene before him, his heart sank.

Everywhere around them was an endless snowy wasteland, completely devoid of human presence.

Towering snow-capped mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, their perilous peaks piercing the sky. Sheer cliffs descended into abyssal chasms below, shrouded in a perpetual, gloomy fog that obscured the depths.

This mountain resembled a sharp sword extending from the underworld, its blade pointing at the heavens.

The barren mountain was blanketed in snow, with not a single plant in sight. The exposed rocks were all pitch black, symbols of desolation.

There were none of the imagined pavilions, flowing waters, or flourishing greenery. Instead, there were only a few caves carved into the cliffs, their entrances blocked by snow, looking incredibly crude and destitute.

This desolate and lonely peak... is my sect?

Seeing the stunned expressions on Qin Sang and the others, Senior Uncle Yue smiled and said, "The Kuiyin Sect doesn't have a shred of that immortal aura you might expect. Are you disappointed?"

Everyone's gaze shifted toward Senior Uncle Yue. Though no one dared to speak, their eyes clearly revealed their agreement.

Senior Uncles Dong and Wu flew up to the mountain peak, riding their artifacts, while Senior Uncle Yue led Qin Sang and the others down into the canyon below.

"Now that you've stepped onto the path of cultivation, the grand scenery, luxurious life, even your family and friends, all are external. Only what helps you improve your cultivation is real... Feel the difference between here and the outside world."

Senior Uncle Yue opened a gap in the protective light, allowing a blast of cold wind to rush in. Qin Sang shivered from the chill and quickly circulated his spiritual power to drive away the cold. Just then, he heard a series of gasps from the others.

At that moment, Qin Sang also felt it. Upon entering the Kuiyin Sect's territory, the spiritual qi in the world around them had suddenly become incredibly dense.

For immortal cultivators, the density of the surrounding spiritual qi directly affected their cultivation speed. However, most places rich in spiritual qi had already been divided among the major immortal sects and cultivation families. Only a few wealthy rogue cultivators could afford to set up spirit-gathering arrays with spirit stones to aid their cultivation.

The fact that the spiritual qi within the Kuiyin Sect was so dense suggested that there might be legendary spiritual eyes or spiritual springs in the area. This was the foundation of an immortal sect's strength.

Senior Uncle Yue was right—compared to the richness of the spiritual qi, the mere sight of beautiful scenery was insignificant.

Senior Uncle Yue led them deeper into the canyon. Soon, they reached the top of the mist, but to their surprise, Senior Uncle Yue did not stop. Instead, they were swallowed by the fog, which completely blocked their vision.

After descending for a while longer, Senior Uncle Yue finally halted the sword light. Qin Sang stepped onto solid ground and looked around. They were standing on a narrow stone bridge at the edge of a cliff.

The bridge was precariously narrow, with the abyss stretching thousands of zhang below. One of the senior brothers, who was afraid of heights, clung tightly to the rock wall, his face pale.

Qin Sang scanned the area and noticed that the entire cliffside had been carved with similar stone bridges, pathways, and stairways. Each bridge connected to a cave dwelling, some with their stone doors tightly shut, others wide open, but there wasn’t a single person in sight.

Standing there, Qin Sang felt like he was in an ice cave. The dense fog never dissipated, and sunlight never reached this place. Cold winds from the depths of the earth penetrated to the bone. Only immortal cultivators could barely withstand the harsh environment.

In such a place, no matter how dense the spiritual qi was, cultivating would be difficult.

"Follow me…" Senior Uncle Yue said, leading them toward one of the cave dwellings at the end of the stone bridge. The group hurried after him.

When they reached the entrance, Senior Uncle Yue waved his hand, and a beam of golden light shot out, causing the stone door to open automatically. The group followed him inside, and the chill in their bodies immediately dissipated. Only then did they realize the dwelling held hidden wonders.

The interior was sparsely furnished, with just a stone bed, a meditation mat, and an incense table.

Behind the incense table hung a portrait of an old man in a black robe, standing in midair among the clouds, exuding an ethereal, immortal aura.

Senior Uncle Yue approached the incense table, lit a stick of incense, and bowed before the portrait. When he turned around, he saw that Qin Sang and the others were standing solemnly, and he nodded in satisfaction. Smiling, he said, "From today onward, you are disciples of the Kuiyin Sect. The Kuiyin Sect was founded by our sect's founder, Saint Kuiyin. Now, pay your respects to the founder."

1. This is an ancient battle formation. ☜

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