Gateway of Immortality

The robes issued by the Yuanzhao Sect were completely destroyed in the underground cavern explosion, and Qin Sang hadn’t had the time or mind to tidy himself up. After months of fleeing, he now resembled nothing less than a wild man.

As the weather warmed, the population grew denser, and the towns along the way became more prosperous. Qin Sang felt it was about time. He changed into clean clothes and slipped into a small town to find out his current location.

"Zheng Kingdom..."

Qin Sang devoured a large meat bun at a bun shop, having just learned that he was now within the borders of Zheng Kingdom. The name felt vaguely familiar, and after a moment of thought, he recalled that Immortal Master Han had marked Zheng Kingdom on the geomantic map he had given him.

After leaving the bun shop, Qin Sang found a quiet place and took out the geomantic map from his Mustard Seed Pouch, silently thanking his good fortune.

Indeed, Zheng Kingdom was marked on the map, situated on the far western edge. If he continued westward for a little longer, he would soon be beyond the map’s scope.

Zheng Kingdom lay southwest of the You Mountain Range, separated by a considerable distance. It was already within the territory of the righteous sects.

In the southern part of Zheng Kingdom, there was a place called Nine-Peak Mountain. Judging from the small portion shown on the map, although it couldn’t compare to You Mountain, it was still a notable landmark in the area.

After some thought, Qin Sang decided to head to Nine-Peak Mountain. He planned to find a spiritually rich and secluded place to establish a cave dwelling, where he could first heal his old wounds. Then, he would try to find other immortal cultivators to gather information, before continuing south to escape deeper into the territory of the righteous sects.

Qin Sang wasn’t certain about what happened that night, but when he recalled the terrifying giant sun and the unexpected appearance of the Golden Core master at the end, he felt that the Kuiyin Sect might not have fared well.

Over all this time, no one from the Kuiyin Sect had come after him, which helped ease his long-standing anxiety.

…

Nine-Peak Mountain, Phoenix Peak.

Once, Phoenix Peak had been the most beautiful of the nine peaks, home to countless enchanting legends.

From afar, Phoenix Peak resembled a divine phoenix spreading its wings, ready to take flight. Unfortunately, a mysterious earthquake later caused the collapse of the Divine Phoenix Stone Altar, destroying the landmark.

Though the mountain was still called Nine-Peak Mountain, Phoenix Peak gradually fell into obscurity, becoming an ordinary peak.

Later, one day, Phoenix Peak became shrouded in a dense mist that never dissipated. Mortals who wandered into the mist would get lost and, after wandering for half a day, would barely find their way out. Slowly, new legends began to emerge.

Little did most people know that the once-famous Phoenix Peak had now become a gathering place for immortal cultivators in the area surrounding Nine-Peak Mountain. The ever-present mist was actually a simple barrier, designed to keep out mortals.

At the end of each ten-day cycle, the scattered cultivators and members of small immortal cultivation families around Nine-Peak Mountain would gather here. Though the gatherings weren’t large and couldn’t compare to those held at immortal cultivation markets, the low-level cultivators who attended could still trade goods, share cultivation insights, and exchange bits of news.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Today was the end of one such cycle, and early in the morning, several beams of light flew together toward Phoenix Peak. Gradually, more people began entering the mist.

By the time daylight fully illuminated the sky, a woman in her thirties descended in front of Phoenix Peak. She smiled with delight at the young man beside her and said, "Daoist Qin, your Cloud Evasion is truly remarkable. It’s far more discreet and faster than my Water Evasion Technique. Thank you for teaching it to me."

Qin Sang nodded with a smile.

The woman accompanying him was named Li Youniang. She was over thirty years old and had originally been an ordinary person from a small village outside Nine-Peak Mountain. She had married at a young age, in her teens.

Later, her husband, while chopping wood in the mountains, saved the life of an injured immortal cultivator. The cultivator was gravely wounded and on the verge of death. To repay the life-saving favor, he decided to teach them immortal cultivation arts before he died. Unfortunately, only Li Youniang had a spiritual root, and it was a four-spiritual-root type. After years of cultivation, she had only reached the third stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

Despite obtaining the legacy of an immortal cultivator, Li Youniang didn’t leave her village to seek the path of immortality in the outside world, nor did she disdain her mortal husband. Instead, she continued to live an ordinary life, hiding her cultivation.

Now, she had three children, and the family lived in harmony and happiness.

Half a month ago, her husband suddenly fell gravely ill. In her desperation, Li Youniang went to Phoenix Peak to seek medicine and happened to pass by Qin Sang's cave dwelling, where he stopped her. �

At the time, Qin Sang had found a secluded mountain stream at Nine-Peak Mountain to establish his cave dwelling, where he had been in seclusion, healing his injuries.

He had originally planned to reach out to the local rogue cultivators to gather information, and with Li Youniang presenting herself, he was happy to befriend her. Upon hearing her troubles, he immediately gave her a spiritual pill, which cured her husband’s illness.

Grateful, Li Youniang considered Qin Sang her family's savior. When Qin Sang mentioned his desire to attend the Phoenix Peak gathering, she readily agreed to bring him along. She also informed him that the best time to gather information was at the end of the month.

Before her master passed away, he had a close friend named Yu Lian, who was a disciple of the Yu family, a prominent immortal cultivation family near Nine-Peak Mountain. Well-connected and sociable, Yu Lian enjoyed making friends and would often share news of the immortal cultivation world during gatherings at Phoenix Peak at the end of each month.

Most of the nearby rogue cultivators' knowledge of the cultivation world came from Yu Lian’s discussions.

Qin Sang stayed at Li Youniang’s home and only set out on this day, the end of the month. While watching the harmonious and joyful life of Li Youniang’s family, Qin Sang couldn’t fully agree with her choices, but he admired her steadfastness.

Li Youniang composed herself and said, "Daoist Qin, follow me. I’ll introduce you to Senior Uncle Yu."

The barrier at Phoenix Peak was ineffective against immortal cultivators. By using the Qi Perception Technique, one could easily see a path leading directly to the mountain's summit. As Qin Sang followed Li Youniang, he marveled at the unique scenery Phoenix Peak had to offer.

Atop the remnants of the Divine Phoenix Stone Altar sat a hollowed-out white rhino horn, a low-grade artifact that only served to gather water qi. Positioned toward the stream below, water constantly flowed from the horn, trickling down in a soothing melody. The stream wound its way down the mountain, flanked by elegant pavilions and winding paths, creating an exceptionally refined atmosphere.

Scattered throughout the pavilions were numerous immortal cultivators, gathered in small groups, conversing with one another. Li Youniang greeted many of them as they ascended, clearly familiar with the local rogue cultivators around Nine-Peak Mountain.

Curious, everyone eyed Qin Sang, the newcomer, though no one asked any questions.

Li Youniang led Qin Sang all the way to the summit of Phoenix Peak, stopping in front of a bamboo pavilion where seven people were seated around an elderly man with a goatee, who appeared to be about seventy. They were drinking and chatting.

"Lately, in the immortal cultivation world, a few major events have taken place..."

The elderly man with the goatee took a sip of wine, his face slightly flushed with drunkenness. He raised his voice, clearly in high spirits, but as soon as he spotted Li Youniang and Qin Sang, he warmly waved them over. "Youniang, you're here! Come, have a seat and bring me two more pots of wine. Oh? And this Daoist is?"

"Senior Uncle Yu, this is Daoist Qin, Silang's savior," Li Youniang introduced, explaining the situation.

Qin Sang stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "Qin Sang greets Senior Yu."

Yu Lian’s drunken expression quickly faded, and he carefully sized up Qin Sang. "Youniang and Silang are truly fortunate to have met such a benevolent friend. Please, come in."