Gateway of Immortality

Staying all day in the abyss, shrouded in howling winds and thick fog, the sudden view of the vast, clear sky and the boundless earth made someone unable to help but throw their head back and howl, releasing the pent-up emotions within.

The sword light flew straight to the mountain peak, parting the layers of clouds, and finally settled in front of a cave dwelling atop the peak. This dwelling, carved out of the cliff, was covered with mysterious and ever-changing barriers that gave it an enigmatic aura.

The Kuiyin Sect Leader was practicing inside this cave dwelling, where the spirit tablet of the founder Kuiyin was also placed. Every sect meeting was held here.

Senior Uncle Yue respectfully bowed to the cave dwelling and said, "I report to the esteemed master that I have brought this batch of disciples."

The cave dwelling’s main door opened silently, and a deep voice soon followed.

"Come in."

All the disciples followed Senior Uncle Yue obediently, not daring to act out. They had expected the interior to resemble a celestial realm but were instead greeted by a rather simple setting.

There were no decorations along the way, and the cave dwelling’s sides were smooth stone walls. After walking a short distance, they arrived at a resplendent hall.

Senior Uncle Yue knelt on the ground and said, "Disciple Yue Wu pays respects to the master."

Qin Sang quickly followed suit, kneeling and keeping his head down, as instructed by Senior Uncle Yue, to pay his respects to the sect leader.

Four dragon pillars stood in the corners of the hall, each adorned with a pearl the size of a fist, whose light illuminated every corner of the hall. The furnishings inside were simple, with the founder Kuiyin\'s portrait hanging on the innermost wall. Below the portrait were several grand master chairs, and a man seated in one of them was the current sect leader, Yi Tianye.

Sect Leader Yi wore an ordinary cyan robe and appeared as young as Qin Sang and the others. In contrast, his disciple Yue Wu looked more like he was from an older generation.

Sect Leader Yi spoke in a gentle tone, "Rise."

Seizing the opportunity, Qin Sang stole a glance at the sect leader, astonished by his youthful appearance. He had heard that the sect leader was nearing five hundred years old, yet he looked so young.

Yue Wu stepped aside and pointed to a row of disciples behind him, saying, "Master, these seventeen disciples have met the requirements and are here."

Sect Leader Yi nodded, a look of approval on his face. "Having seventeen people break through to the sixth stage of the Qi Refining Realm is quite an accomplishment for you, Yue Wu."

Yue Wu’s eyes shone with excitement as he quickly replied, "I am unworthy of such praise. It is my duty to ease the master’s concerns, and I will certainly do my utmost."

Sect Leader Yi pondered for a moment and said, "I see you have reached the middle stage of Foundation Building. These are some insights I gained from the Tongxuan Record during my Foundation Building stage. Take them and study them well."

Sect Leader Yi’s finger flicked, sending a ray of spiritual light into Yue Wu’s forehead.

Yue Wu was overjoyed, exclaiming, "Thank you, Master!"

Sect Leader Yi nodded and then addressed the disciples below, "Yue Wu should have told you that those who break through to the sixth stage of the Qi Refining Realm before this would be rewarded with a top-grade artifact. You may choose one now."

As he spoke, Sect Leader Yi lightly pressed a Mustard Seed Pouch, and a dazzling stream of light burst forth, filling the hall with the brilliance of the artifacts.

Swoosh!

The artifacts flew before the crowd, swirling around them. All the artifacts were enveloped in the stream of light. Qin Sang used his spiritual consciousness to probe but was blocked by the light. The Qi Perception Technique also couldn’t penetrate the light, so he had to rely on his own judgment to choose, leaving the quality of the artifacts to chance.

Since all were top-grade artifacts, their power was roughly similar, though they had different emphasis.

Like Qin Sang, others were seeing so many top-grade artifacts for the first time. They were dazzled and wished they could possess them all.

While everyone hesitated, a senior brother named Yang Yuanzang suddenly leaped forward and reached out to grab a streak of light.

Within this streak of light was a sword-shaped artifact.

It was easy to guess that this was likely a spiritual sword. In the realm of immortal cultivation, offensive artifacts with sufficient power were extremely rare and precious. Senior Brother Yang had made a keen choice.

Once Senior Brother Yang\'s hand grasped the streak of light, it dissipated automatically, and the spiritual sword within fell into his hand, returning to its normal size.

The three-chi-long[1] azure blade was surrounded by a swirling black-blue cold aura, constantly flowing and exuding a chilling presence. The cold aura resembled a chi dragon, with faint dragon roars emanating from it.

Holding the sword, Senior Brother Yang stood in mid-air, surrounded by the Chi dragon[2], radiating a heroic demeanor.

Seeing this, everyone was jolted awake and immediately scrambled to grab the streaks of light in the air. The most fiercely contested was a black, cone-shaped artifact.

The cone-shaped artifact and the sword-shaped artifact were the most formidable among the artifacts. Qin Sang had actually had his eye on them for a while, but after some thought, he decided to choose an artifact that suited him better.

He had the ebony sword, an astra. As long as he mastered the Song Family Sword Art, it would be as powerful as the Chi Dragon Sword. What he lacked was an artifact to aid in escaping from danger.

Scanning the available options, Qin Sang focused on a streak of light that contained a pair of white feathered wings.

Originally, Qin Sang had his eye on an artifact that looked like a pair of shoes, but a senior sister, quick on her feet, snatched them up before him.

It seemed this senior sister had the same intention as Qin Sang. With no choice, Qin Sang settled for the feathered wings.

After everyone had chosen an artifact, Sect Leader Yi gathered the remaining artifacts and handed each disciple a jade slip, which contained an introduction to the artifacts and their refining methods.

Qin Sang used his spiritual consciousness to scan the jade slip, furrowing his brow slightly.

The feathered wings were called Falling Cloud Wings. Contrary to Qin Sang’s expectations, they did not function as an enhancement for speed but rather as a concealment artifact, covering the entire body, obscuring one’s aura and form, making them a pure stealth tool, even more refined than Cloud Evasion.

It was still useful for saving his life, Qin Sang reassured himself.

Seeing everyone’s delight as they clutched their artifacts, Sect Leader Yi said calmly, "Distributing a top-grade artifact to each disciple is quite a generous act. Even in sects with Spiritual Infant grandmasters, such a gesture is rare. You must have significant doubts in your hearts… The reason for this is that the sect has a task that requires you to undertake. Are you willing?"

Sect Leader Yi paused, smiling at the crowd.

In the face of the sect leader, who would dare to refuse?

Everyone, clutching their artifacts and looking pleased, bowed in unison. "Please give your orders, Sect Leader. We will not shirk our responsibilities!"

Qin Sang knelt with the others, but his heart raced with concern. With three Golden Core grandmasters in the sect and countless Foundation Building cultivators, what could require the Qi Refining Realm disciples to be mobilized?

1. The chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length. Although it is often translated as the "Chinese foot", its length was originally derived from the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the forefinger, and is similar to the ancient span. It is approximately a third of a meter. ☜

2. The Chi dragon is a hornless dragon in Chinese mythology. ☜