Gateway of Immortality

"During this period, the few of you must work together and make proper preparations. Once I return from Ziwei Palace, it will be time to hold our grand ceremony. At that time, I will invite fellow Daoists from all quarters to witness it. Do not let Qingyang Temple lose face," Qin Sang said with a smile.

Privately, he knew Qingyang Temple had only just been founded, and its strength was still far too shallow. Whether in disciple numbers or cultivation level, it was nowhere near comparable to other sects.

Qin Sang had already decided that he would rather lack disciples than accept the wrong ones.

Using Qin Sang’s reputation, Li Yufu had recruited quite a few new disciples, including some rogue cultivators at the Golden Core Realm. However, they were still under observation, and important matters could not yet be entrusted to them.

Hearing this, everyone beamed with delight, though they also felt the weight of responsibility.

Qin Sang’s name had already spread throughout Beichen Realm. When the time came, most of Beichen Realm’s Spiritual Infant cultivators would likely attend the ceremony. They absolutely could not make fools of themselves.

Afterward, Qin Sang took out a jade slip. "Yufu, arrange for people to gather these spiritual materials."

Next, Qin Sang planned to devote himself to studying the Dao of artifact refinement. He would need vast quantities of spiritual materials for practice. Such trivial matters did not require his personal attention. The younger generation could handle them.

Soon after, Li Yufu and the others took their leave, but Shangguan Lifeng remained behind until the very end.

"Daoist Master, I have made up my mind. I will cultivate the Dao of Slaughter! From this day onward, I will abandon the saber and cultivate the sword!" Shangguan Lifeng removed the long saber from his back, his expression resolute.

Qin Sang said nothing and simply stared into Shangguan Lifeng’s eyes. Shangguan Lifeng showed no fear. He met Qin Sang’s gaze openly, his eyes holding not the slightest trace of hesitation.

Qin Sang nodded slightly. "Good! I shall now pass on the Qingzhu Sword Scripture to you!"

***

At Peach Blossom Valley, Qin Sang brought Shangguan Lifeng before Qingzhu’s grave.

Before Qingzhu’s grave, incense smoke curled gently upward. Qin Sang bowed three times toward Qingzhu, then stood with his back facing Shangguan Lifeng and said in a solemn voice, "Senior Qingzhu showed me great kindness, a debt I can never repay. This sword scripture was his final masterpiece. Sadly, I could only comprehend its sword will and could not cultivate the scripture itself, so I count as only half his successor. From this day on, I will pass down his teachings in his stead and pass the Qingzhu Sword Scripture on to you."

Shangguan Lifeng’s expression became grave. He stepped forward and respectfully kowtowed before Qingzhu.

"Master, I, disciple Shangguan Lifeng, greet you! I thank Daoist Master for passing down the teachings!"

Qin Sang said softly. "By cultivating the Qingzhu Sword Scripture, you become Senior Qingzhu’s successor. You and I were already old acquaintances. From now on, treat me as an equal and call me Senior Brother."

"Uhh..." Shangguan Lifeng froze, still not daring to overstep. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Qin!"

Qin Sang patted Shangguan Lifeng on the shoulder. He had never liked determining seniority purely by cultivation level. In the future, Qingyang Temple’s rules would certainly not be like those of Shaohua Mountain.

"This sword scripture embodies Senior Qingzhu’s life’s work. He possessed heaven-defying talent, yet fate was cruel, and he died unexpectedly. It is truly lamentable. Otherwise, Beichen Realm would soon have gained another great cultivator." Qin Sang sighed wistfully. He held Senior Qingzhu in the highest regard. Whenever he thought of that peach blossom tree in Nether Valley, he could not help but sigh in regret.

"You are the first person to cultivate the Qingzhu Sword Scripture. You will also become the future master of Qingyang Temple’s sword cultivation lineage. I hope you never forget your original heart and never betray Senior Qingzhu’s painstaking efforts!" Qin Sang solemnly handed the sword scripture to Shangguan Lifeng.

Shangguan Lifeng dropped to both knees, raised the scripture high above his head with both hands, and accepted it. Then he kowtowed once more before Qingzhu’s grave, swearing to dedicate his entire life to the Sword Dao.

Qin Sang nodded inwardly. "Rise. We also have a senior sister, Senior Qingzhu’s daughter. When the opportunity arises, I will introduce you to her. Since you have suddenly abandoned the saber for the sword, there will certainly be many things you find unfamiliar. Do not rush into seclusion. First, find yourself a spiritual sword that suits you. While you are at it, look for a few promising sword cultivator seedlings. Gain some experience outside, then return and study the sword scripture. You will gain much more that way."

"Yes!" Shangguan Lifeng replied.

A few days after Shangguan Lifeng left, Qingjun returned.

These past days, Qin Sang had been engraving puppet seals into the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet, but he had run into difficulties midway. Upon Qingjun’s return, he immediately left seclusion to seek her guidance.

Inside a stone pavilion, the two sat facing one another. The Azure Luan puppet had shrunk its body and perched on Qin Sang’s shoulder, acting extremely affectionate toward him. Anyone unaware of the truth might have thought Qin Sang was its master.

Suddenly, the Sky-Eyed Butterfly flew out on its own. One Luan and one butterfly played happily together.

The Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet stood to one side while Qingjun raised her hand and gently pressed against its brow.

In the next instant, brilliant light shone from the puppet’s body. Within it, talismanic seals and puppet seals appeared simultaneously. The two forces collided and tangled together, seemingly trying to devour one another, creating utter chaos.

The struggle on its face deepened, and its eyes turned crimson red.

"The problem is not serious. I overlooked a few key points earlier. A few minor adjustments will suffice." Qingjun immediately saw the cause. Her fingers tapped repeatedly, sending streams of light into the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet.

Very quickly, the puppet seals settled down, and the talismanic seals stopped pressing forward aggressively. The two forces began to coexist peacefully. One talismanic seal after another was transformed into puppet seals. Qingjun’s speed was far greater than Qin Sang’s.

Seeing this, Qin Sang finally relaxed. Leaning back in his wooden chair, he leisurely drank a cup of peach blossom brew personally made by his senior sister while watching the Azure Luan and Sky-Eyed Butterfly frolic together. For the first time in a very long while, he felt utterly at ease.

"Senior Sister, what happened before? Do you need help? In a few days, I plan to visit Xuling Sect and seek guidance from Bing Han on artifact refinement. I will likely remain at Xuling Sect for some time," Qin Sang said.

Qingjun replied, "It is nothing serious. I still need to verify a few things, so just focus on your own matters. Bing Han is a scheming person. It will not be easy to make her hand over Xuling Sect’s inherited teachings. Be careful, and do not fall into her schemes."

The sound of rushing wind echoed through the valley.

Bai had also emerged from seclusion. After several flashes, before he even arrived, he was already shouting loudly, "My realm has stabilized. From here on, I need to cultivate with Earth Malevolent Qi. Before Ziwei Palace emerges, I must raise my cultivation as much as possible. Brother Qin, where is that Sunken Cave you mentioned before?"

Bai flashed before the stone pavilion. When he saw Qingjun, he seemed rather wary of her. His expression straightened at once, and he gave a fist-and-palm salute. "Greetings, Daoist Qingjun."

Then Bai’s gaze shifted and landed on the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet before Qingjun.

"The Sunken Cave is near Shaohua Mountain. Only Qi Refining disciples guard it. So long as Brother Bai cultivates quietly and does not make too much commotion, there is no need to worry about Dongyang Bo..." Qin Sang said this while sipping peach blossom brew. Suddenly, he sensed something off about Bai’s aura.

Turning his head, he saw Bai standing there with vacant eyes and a stunned expression, staring fixedly at the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet, his face filled with disbelief.

Qin Sang was astonished. This was the first time he had ever seen Bai lose composure so completely. He called out, "Brother Bai..."

"That thing..." Bai stared unblinkingly at the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet, his voice trembling. "Where did you get it?"

Only then did Qin Sang remember, this was Bai’s first time seeing the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet. Judging by Bai’s expression, could there be some hidden secret behind it?

Qin Sang’s expression turned serious, and he straightened in his seat. Qingjun also looked surprised and withdrew her secret technique.

Qin Sang exchanged a glance with Qingjun, then said, "This is the inherited Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet of Shangyuan Tranquility Palace. Not long ago, when we entered Blood Lake, Dongyang Bo schemed against Gong Liangyu, and I happened to expose it. I never mentioned it to you before... Brother Bai, do you recognize this thing?"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!