Gateway of Immortality

"The rise of Heavenly Corpse Sect did not last very long. It was said to have suddenly declined, and the reason has long since been lost to time. Because I cultivate corpse refinement arts, I deliberately investigated the sect’s history and learned a few things. Heavenly Corpse Sect turned living cultivators into refined corpses. Even among devilish factions, such cruelty in corpse refinement arts was exceedingly rare. It terrified everyone who heard of it. That it was eventually destroyed by the combined forces of other factions is hardly surprising." Judge was eager to recover the Death Jade, so he spoke openly and withheld nothing.

Qin Sang recalled the corpse king he had found within the Immortal Tomb and roughly guessed why Heavenly Corpse Sect had fallen so swiftly.

Back then, the sect leader of Heavenly Corpse Sect had entered Ziwei Palace and, for unknown reasons, died unexpectedly inside. The corpse king was most likely his refined corpse. From that point on, it had been trapped within the Immortal Tomb until Bai discovered it.

And aside from the sect leader, no one knew there was a mysterious figure imprisoned within the water prison, or perhaps some knew but had no means of contacting him.

From that day forward, Heavenly Corpse Sect was left leaderless, plagued by troubles within and without.

In the immortal cultivation world, factions like Heavenly Corpse Sect, brilliant for a fleeting moment before vanishing like a flash in the pan, were countless. Those that endured for ages were the true rarity, and nearly all possessed inherited treasures that safeguarded their sects.

For example, the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet of Shangyuan Tranquility Palace.

"In recent years, have you heard of anyone related to Heavenly Corpse Sect, or any news connected to it?" Qin Sang pressed further.

Judge thought carefully for a long while before shaking his head. "I have heard nothing. If you wish to find a successor of Heavenly Corpse Sect, I can dispatch people at once to search. Corpse Dao cultivators are the most distinctive of all. So long as he still needs to refine corpses, he will surely leave traces behind."

Judge volunteered immediately.

This was precisely what Qin Sang wanted. "Good! Then I will trouble you with this matter. Whether it is a successor of Heavenly Corpse Sect or its cultivation arts, I want both. Also, remember not to spread word of this, lest you startle the enemy. Perhaps that person may even take the initiative to contact you."

The mysterious figure behind Heavenly Corpse Sect had been imprisoned in the water prison for untold years, yet still managed to orchestrate the creation of a Heavenly Corpse Sect. He was clearly not someone willing to remain quiet.

Ziwei Palace’s early emergence, Old Devil Ye’s schemes, and the mysterious figure behind Heavenly Corpse Sect...

The immortal cultivation world appeared calm on the surface, yet beneath it, hidden currents surged.

If that man wished to reestablish Heavenly Corpse Sect, the fastest path would be to subdue other devilish cultivators of the Corpse Dao.

Judge understood the deeper meaning in Qin Sang’s words. His heart trembled, and he became several degrees more wary.

"Now that the war between the three domains has ended, you will have no chance to fight others. I will keep the Death Jade for now. Rest assured, I will not use it recklessly. Once you gather the spiritual materials, or find the person I am looking for, I will immediately return it intact." Qin Sang clenched his palm and, right in front of Judge, placed a layer of barrier over the surface of the Death Jade before storing it inside the Thousand-Jin Ring.

Judge stared longingly, yet there was nothing he could do. With a silent sigh, he offered a fist-and-palm salute and departed.

Once Judge’s figure vanished into the distance, Bai emerged from the Corpse Puppet Pouch and looked toward the direction he had left. "He probably wasn’t lying. That mysterious figure has been sealed for who knows how many years. He is likely still recovering from his injuries. We can only wait for him to emerge on his own... First, take me to the headquarters of Heavenly Corpse Sect."

Soon, the two entered the water prison. Bai inspected the seals within, then made a circuit around Heavenly Corpse Sect’s headquarters. Once again, they found nothing.

Afterward, they returned to the branch of Heavenly Corpse Sect where they had first made their discovery. Every sign showed that after Tan Hao left, he had never returned.

Finding no useful clues, Qin Sang informed his senior sister, then departed from Sin Abyss.

Though the three domains had made peace, Qin Sang had killed or severely wounded several Spiritual Infant cultivators. He guessed many people now disliked him, so he did not bother visiting anyone.

At the southern foothills of Tianxing Highland, on the first staircase stood Wanye Mountain.

The mountain towered high, its summit blanketed year-round in snow that never melted. Below the snowline, however, stretched a lush, vibrant landscape overflowing with life.

The mountain’s spiritual qi was rich. Originally, a sect had occupied this place, but it had been exterminated by Sin Abyss, after which Sin Abyss claimed the mountain.

Now Wanye Mountain stood ownerless, and Qin Sang had taken it as the temporary residence of Qingyang Temple.

He had no intention of establishing Qingyang Temple’s permanent base here, so he only laid down a simple protective array.

This place was close to the grasslands, where most of the resources allocated to Qin Sang were located. In the future, Wanye Mountain would serve as a transit station, and disciples could also rest here.

Whoosh! Two streaks of light, one azure and one crimson, flew through the air. They were Li Yufu and Mei Gu.

As they approached Wanye Mountain and swept their gazes across it, Li Yufu said, "Looks like we arrived early. Junior Brother Tan and the others have not arrived yet."

Mei Gu nodded. "Let's wait at the foot of the mountain. Once everyone has gathered, we can go pay our respects to Master together."

"That works." Li Yufu nodded, descended from his evasion light, and landed atop a massive boulder at the mountain’s base. His gaze drifted across the splendid rivers and mountains beyond, full of ambition for the future.

Not long ago, Qin Sang had sent word summoning them here to discuss matters.

The more Li Yufu looked at Wanye Mountain, the more he liked it. Though it was somewhat smaller in area, its spiritual qi was rich. As a sect base, it would not disgrace Qingyang Temple. He wondered what Qin Sang intended.

Just then, the sound of rushing wind came from afar. In the blink of an eye, several figures descended before them. They were the fat chicken, the white cat, Shangguan Lifeng, Tan Yi'en, and Bai Hanqiu.

During this period, Shangguan Lifeng had been following Li Yufu in battle, and the two had grown quite familiar. Li Yufu also knew Shangguan Lifeng was an old acquaintance of Qin Sang, so he did not dare treat him lightly.

After greeting Shangguan Lifeng, Li Yufu turned to the fat chicken and the white cat. "When will Senior Willow Tree and Senior Spirit Monkey arrive?"[1]

"They cannot come." A trace of worry flashed through the fat chicken’s eyes. "My mother entered seclusion several days ago in preparation for a breakthrough. The two seniors must remain at Thousand-Mountain Bamboo Sea to guard the place and prevent outsiders from disturbing her."

Li Yufu noticed the unease in the fat chicken’s expression and comforted him. "Daoist Chilei, don't worry. Senior Jingyu is blessed by heaven. She will surely break through successfully!"

Jingyu’s heavenly tribulation was drawing near. For this breakthrough, it was success or death. This matter absolutely could not be leaked. Only Qin Sang and the fat chicken knew, so he could only bury his worry deep in his heart and nod lightly.

On the other side, Bai Hanqiu, who had successfully reached the Foundation Building Realm, followed behind Tan Yi'en.

Tan Yi'en had already reached the Fake Core Realm. He walked to Mei Gu’s side and whispered a few words. Mei Gu froze, sorrow filling her face.

With everyone gathered, the group walked up the mountain, passed through dense woods, and arrived at a cave atop the summit.

Here, everything was wrapped in silver and snow, a pure world of endless white. At the cave entrance stood an ice door that radiated waves of chilling cold.

The ice door opened on its own. The group entered and saw Qin Sang seated within. They all stepped forward and paid their respects.

After learning that Jingyu had entered seclusion, Qin Sang knew there was little he could do. Still, with Corpseflower Blood Amber in hand, her chances of breaking through were quite high.

"Where is Zhao Shanran?" Qin Sang asked.

Mei Gu answered sorrowfully, "Reporting to Master, Junior Brother Zhao failed in his attempt to break through to the Golden Core Realm. Not long ago, he passed away in meditation within his cave dwelling."

Even the Malevolent Demonic Pill could not guarantee success in forming a Golden Core.

Qin Sang nodded. Having witnessed life and death too many times, his expression remained calm and unchanged. "I had planned for Zhao Shanran to handle the sect’s mundane affairs in the future. I did not expect he would fail to cross this hurdle. Until a suitable candidate is found, the affairs of Qingyang Temple will be divided among the few of you."

1. The spirit monkey refers to the old macaque. ☜

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