Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 1004: Training

The situation within the Demonic Sea was ever changing. After careful study, Qin Sang finally chose his next destination.

He had originally intended to ask Yuan Zhu about the distribution of the demon race in the Demonic Sea.

The areas explored by immortal cultivators were limited, confined to the waters between Tianwu Island and Desolate Island and the nearby regions. Yuan Zhu, being a descendant of the Jiao Clan, must have known a great deal about the internal structure of the demon race.

However, Qin Sang reconsidered. The matter was far too sensitive. He and Yuan Zhu came from opposing races, their bond born only of coincidence and mutual respect.

The ones who had betrayed Yuan Zhu were the Jiao King and a few demon kings, not the entire demon race. Qin Sang’s intent to hunt demons for tempering would neither be stopped nor encouraged by Yuan Zhu. The latter could not betray his kin, even if he wished to help.

To avoid creating unnecessary rifts, Qin Sang decided to say nothing. He did not take a ship from Desolate Island. Instead, he summoned the Jiao spirit and his flying carriage, venturing alone into the depths of the Demonic Sea. Along the way, he studied the secret technique Yuan Zhu had given him.

The greatest dangers in the Demonic Sea were beast tides and Transformation Realm great demons. Once he mastered the secret technique and combined it with the Heavenly Demon Body Refinement, he believed that as long as he did not act too arrogantly, he could move freely across the sea.

At first, he occasionally encountered other immortal cultivators. But as Qin Sang ventured deeper, the traces of cultivation became scarcer until it turned into a realm ruled solely by demonic beasts.

Several years passed. On an uninhabited island, the trees had withered and the air was bleak.

Other than the occasional chirp of an insect from the depths of the forest, the vast island was completely silent, devoid of birdsong or beast roars.

The tall grass stirred, and a figure slowly emerged. It was Qin Sang. The Sky-Eyed Butterfly perched on his shoulder, its wings open, the eyes upon them shining faintly as it surveyed the island.

After a moment of observation, Qin Sang flicked his wrist. A glowing ring flew from his hand, the Primordial Unity Ring, from which a golden-scaled giant python materialized.

Although Qin Sang’s strength was now far greater than in the past, capturing another spirit beast as intelligent and gifted as the Two-Headed Hou was almost impossible.

During his travels in the Demonic Sea, he had searched for a suitable spirit beast and eventually caught this golden-scaled python.

Among middle-stage Demonic Core beasts, its strength was decent, though its intelligence was far inferior to that of the Two-Headed Hou. It could not act independently and was most useful as bait.

The golden-scaled python was vicious and difficult to tame. The moment it was released from the Primordial Unity Ring, it raised its upper body and fixed its cold vertical pupils on Qin Sang with chilling hostility.

It was clear that if Qin Sang ever weakened enough to lose control, the python would devour him without hesitation.

"Go!" Qin Sang pointed forward, his voice thundering. The sound alone intimidated the beast.

The python’s eyes flickered with unwillingness, but bound by the astra’s restrictions, it had no choice but to obey. It slithered silently toward the island’s interior.

Not long after, a tiger’s roar suddenly thundered through the forest, echoing like a storm. The island quaked, dead leaves rained down, and the tall grass flattened under the force of the sound wave.

A moment later came the python’s furious hiss. Qin Sang, who had been following in secret, stood atop an ancient tree. Peering through the swirling dust, he saw the two demonic beasts locked in fierce battle.

The golden-scaled python was clearly at a disadvantage. Its opponent was a massive tiger demon.

"Late stage of the Demonic Core Realm!" Qin Sang muttered with satisfaction, "So this tiger demon is the ruler of this area."

Without sea charts to guide him in the depths of the Demonic Sea, Qin Sang had been relying on his own searches to find powerful beasts. After much effort, he finally discovered traces of this tiger demon’s lair.

The python was beginning to falter, its defeat inevitable. Qin Sang no longer hesitated. His figure flashed forward, and with a flick of his fingers, true essence surged as the ebony sword appeared.

With a low hum, the sword light condensed into a massive blade that came crashing down toward the tiger demon.

Roar! Sensing Qin Sang as the greater threat, the tiger demon struck with a thunderous paw, sending the python flying. Its jaws gaped wide, unleashing a surge of demonic mist.

Through the haze, its body blurred and shifted, darting aside with astonishing speed as if to evade the strike. Its muscles tensed, exuding a feral aura as it lunged toward Qin Sang’s true body.

It was indeed a formidable ruler of its domain, savage and powerful. A foul stench filled the air.

Yet Qin Sang remained calm, reading every move the beast made. His expression steady, he guided the ebony sword with a subtle gesture, and the sword wheel appeared once more. Now, the sword wheel was more solid and brilliant than ever.

During his travels, Qin Sang had not only tempered himself but also refined his comprehension of the path of swords. Though he had yet to grasp the true essence of sword force, he was beginning to sense its direction, continuously perfecting his sword wheel.

With both his spiritual sword and sword wheel improved, their combined power far surpassed that of the past.

The sword wheel spun like a blazing sun, illuminating the island as it tore toward the tiger demon. Blood splattered through the air.

Even a late-stage Core Formation cultivator would hesitate to face such a beast, yet the tiger demon’s sturdy body was torn open by the sword wheel, its claws dripping with blood. Had it not been for its quick reflexes, it might have lost a limb outright.

Roaring in pain, the tiger demon went berserk. Its growls distorted into a frenzy as its aura surged. Behind it rose a massive shadow, a tiger phantom several zhang tall, its gaze bearing down on Qin Sang with immense pressure.

Rather than fear, excitement flickered in Qin Sang’s eyes. The stronger the tiger, the greater the pressure, and the more effective his training would be.

Boom! The sword wheel exploded forward, colliding with the shadow.

Qin Sang fought the tiger demon using only his sword arts, immersing himself in the battle.

The clash shook both land and sea, the fight raging from the island into the waves. Yet to Qin Sang’s disappointment, aside from the phantom, the tiger demon displayed no other profound supernatural abilities.

Bang! The phantom was torn apart by the sword wheel. The tiger demon let out a pained roar and turned to flee.

Qin Sang was just about to pursue the tiger demon with his sword when he suddenly sensed something. His expression changed, and he quickly turned his head north, an uneasy feeling stirring in his chest. Acting on instinct, he immediately recalled his spiritual sword and summoned the star turban.

Poof! The tiger demon died instantly. Qin Sang gathered up the beast’s corpse, and three-colored evasion light flared around him as he fled at full speed without hesitation.

Moments after he departed, a violent gale swept across the island. Amid the crashing waves, a figure appeared faintly, flashing several times before landing upon the island. The newcomer surveyed the chaotic battlefield and let out a cold snort.

It was a humanoid figure with a beast’s tail. It was a Transformation Realm great demon!

"What a fast evasion technique. No wonder you’ve been so bold. Hm? This aura... Could it be that the intelligence was wrong, and it’s not an immortal cultivator at all, but some shameless old creature bullying the weak?" The great demon’s nostrils flared as it sniffed the air in the direction Qin Sang had fled, its expression flickering with uncertainty. It did not give chase.

By then, Qin Sang had already changed direction several times, flying farther and farther away. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

In recent days, he had felt that the atmosphere around him had become strange. He suspected he had acted too conspicuously and lingered in the same region for too long, attracting the attention of the demon race.

"A Transformation Realm great demon came in person. So I’ve been discovered after all. It seems like I can’t stay here any longer. I’d better move to a distant sea region," Qin Sang muttered to himself.

If he were trapped by a Transformation Realm great demon, the situation would become extremely dangerous.

Finding a secluded spot, he quickly dissected the tiger demon’s corpse before continuing his journey south.