Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 1372: The Outsider

"The loss Canghong suffered under Old Devil Ye may have been more serious than we imagined. I even suspect that he once consumed a Withered Origin Pill..." After flying out of the Heavenly Scar, Jingyu looked back and glanced downward before suddenly speaking.

"What makes you say that?" Qin Sang asked in return.

Jingyu was also only guessing. "If not for some unavoidable reason, why would Canghong risk his life and refuse to leave? Judging from his appearance, it seems as though he has treated that Abyssal Ruin fragment as his last hope. Of course, it is also possible that he knows something."

"The top experts of the previous generation have been leaving the stage one after another..." Qin Sang nodded and said thoughtfully.

Old Devil Ye aside, the red-haired grandmaster and Tianzheng had fallen one after another.

Daoist Master Zhenyi had forcibly ascended, and whether he was alive or dead remained unknown.

After Devil Lord Tongyou and the Feathered King returned from Ziwei Palace, they announced their seclusion one after another. There had been no news of them for a long time.

Devil Lord Tongyou and the red-haired grandmaster had risen almost at the same time. Until the red-haired grandmaster's death, Devil Lord Tongyou had always been overshadowed by him. It was said that the Feathered King had gained a great deal in Ziwei Palace, but whether he could break through to the late stage of the Transformation Realm remained unknown.

To count the truly outstanding figures, one had to look at the present age!

The two returned to Qingyang Temple. After staying for several days, they set off again and arrived at Xuanlu Stronghold.

The Snake King and Demon King Qianji were waiting for them. Bing Han and Xiang Qing, whom Qin Sang had invited, were also there.

Several decades had passed since Ziwei Palace’s ascension, and Ancient Immortal Battlefield had gradually stabilized. After receiving some information from other Daoists, Qin Sang decided to personally enter and take a look.

Bing Han and the others had the same idea as Qin Sang. After receiving the invitation, they agreed without hesitation.

On the city wall of Xuanlu Stronghold, the six of them raised their heads and looked beyond the stronghold.

It was precisely the moment when the Spirit Tide was most violent. The storm swept across heaven and earth. It was clearly noon, yet the scene was dim and gloomy.

Boom! Boom! The storm battered the city-protecting grand array.

The barrier formed by the grand array guarded Xuanlu Stronghold, firmly blocking the storm outside.

The guards sat cross-legged behind the barrier, sparing no effort to activate their spiritual power and support the light shield. Guards who had exhausted their strength were immediately replaced. Teams of Xuanlu Stronghold guards shuttled back and forth, moving in haste, but they still managed to maintain order.

It looked arduous, but it also benefited them. This was also a process of refining the spiritual power in their bodies.

As the tide shifted, several hours later, the storm’s power visibly weakened. The pressure on the city-protecting grand array decreased greatly, and the guards seized every moment to rest.

Qin Sang and the others took the opportunity to leave the city. The storm in the outer region posed no threat to them, and everyone looked relaxed.

After nearly fifty years, Qin Sang entered Ancient Immortal Battlefield for the first time. After observing it carefully, he discovered that this place had changed beyond recognition. When he recalled the time when he first entered Ancient Immortal Battlefield, he could not help feeling emotional.

The group did not stop for even a moment and raced through the storm. Their target was actually the place where Ziwei Palace had once been.

"It should be here..." Jingyu looked around, her tone somewhat uncertain.

This place had undergone world-shaking changes, and no trace of its former appearance could be found.

The wind and cloud vortex had completely vanished without a trace. Now, there was not even the slightest wisp of cloud to be seen. The space had become somewhat more stable than when they had left last time.

Through the spatial rifts and the storm, they could vaguely see the scene not far ahead. The ground had sunk deeply, and a great pit had appeared. Its depth and breadth were unknown.

Bing Han had come here several times in the meantime. She nodded and pointed there. "We only saw this after the space stabilized. The deep pit was the source of the wind and cloud vortex. We suspect that it was caused by an outer-realm celestial palace falling here back then..."

Qin Sang walked forward a few steps and stared at it for a long while.

"We will only know after going in whether the celestial palace flew here from an outer realm, or whether it was originally built here..." Qin Sang looked at Bing Han. "Please lead the way, Daoist."

Bing Han nodded and summoned her protective astra. She flew forward first. Qin Sang and Jingyu protected Bing Han on her left and right, while the Snake King and the others followed behind.

They carefully threaded their way between the spatial rifts and arrived at the edge of the deep pit. When they bent down to look, it was pitch-black below.

"Quite a few Daoists should have come here already, right? Has anyone found a hidden realm here, or something like that? Even damaged ancient barriers might reveal something," Jingyu asked.

Jingyu had been occupied before, first with stabilizing her cultivation and then with training the fat chicken, so she had never had the chance to come.

Bing Han hummed in acknowledgement. "Daoist Lu once explored the deep pit three times. I heard that he found an unusual place."

As she spoke, Bing Han looked at Qin Sang. Qin Sang had a good relationship with Lu Boyuan and had asked him before coming.

Qin Sang said, "Daoist Lu did indeed make a discovery. It was suspected to be an ancient cultivator’s ruin located below. Unfortunately, it was too badly destroyed, and Daoist Lu gained nothing. Still, there is no harm in going to take a look."

The group readily agreed. Bing Han still led the way as they continued descending.

The farther they went, the more chaotic it became. It was almost impossible to advance even an inch. Fortunately, they had the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, which saved them far too much time.

After traveling an unknown distance, they were still far from the deepest part.

Qin Sang found the marker Lu Boyuan had mentioned, then replaced Bing Han and changed direction. After moving right for a while, he saw a broken piece of black stone.

The black stone resembled the base of something. It had been struck by some tremendous force, and several shocking cracks had appeared on it.

Qin Sang examined it for a while and saw that it was something similar to an array artifact. He followed the traces and searched, then discovered several other remnants nearby.

They guessed that there should originally have been an ancient palace here. Now, not even a single tile could be found. Only these things remained.

"The remnant array has survived until now, so its power must have been considerable, but it is far from comparable to Ziwei Palace..." The Snake King shook his head repeatedly.

Even someone with the shallowest attainments in arrays and barriers could tell that the two were not on the same level at all.

Qin Sang examined it more carefully. With his limited insight, he could basically confirm that this place had no connection to Ziwei Palace.

Qin Sang had been lost in thought for too long, and Jingyu noticed something unusual. She transmitted her voice and asked him, "Daoist Qin, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing! There is nothing worth seeing here. Let us search elsewhere. Perhaps if our luck is good, we may discover an ancient treasure. Only then would this trip not have been in vain," Qin Sang shook his head and suggested.

Everyone readily agreed and continued deeper.

As Qin Sang walked, he divided part of his attention inward, looking into the primordial spirit in his upper dantian.

After dispersing the Yin-Yang Armor, on the surface of his primordial spirit, the Jade Buddha radiated a faint yellow light.

Qin Sang sank into thought. Ever since Ziwei Palace ascended, a question had been lingering in his mind. He had come here this time to verify it.

Barring any surprises, Ziwei Palace should have been an outer-realm celestial palace that had fallen here. It had not originally belonged to this place.

Not counting Bai and the ancient devil, whose origins were unknown, in this realm, only he himself was the same as Ziwei Palace. He was also an outsider.

In the past, whenever Ziwei Palace appeared, although the interval was not fixed, the fluctuations had not been very large.

But after he arrived... More precisely, after the Jade Buddha brought him here, the timing of Ziwei Palace’s appearances had become earlier each time, as though it had been summoned by something. In a short span of two hundred years, it had appeared three times, and finally ascended!

Was it truly a coincidence?

Qin Sang stared at the Buddha light on the surface of his primordial spirit. The mysterious Jade Buddha flashed through his mind, and he silently asked inwardly. What role do you truly play?