Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 209: Ghostly Hand

Hiss... hiss...

The centipede scurried back and forth, its antennae probing the ground inch by inch, until it suddenly stopped in one spot. Its jaws opened wide, tearing through the rock as it burrowed into the earth.

Yin Xingge had anticipated this and immediately cast a stream of spiritual power to seal the centipede. After a brief assessment, he noted that the power of the Star Disk in this place had become exceedingly weak. Left with no other choice, he activated his Cloud Artifact to shield the area and then summoned a spiritual sword to cut into the ground.

The ground was incredibly solid. Even with Yin Xingge’s level of cultivation, he could only carve through it at a sluggish pace. After digging down a short distance, he uncovered a piece of Qianyang Quartz but found nothing else.

He released the centipede, which continued to burrow further down.

Gradually, a crack more than ten zhang deep opened in the ground, yet there was still no sign of anything valuable. Growing slightly impatient, Yin Xingge frowned, pausing to think. He reached into his Mustard Seed Pouch, and several beams of light shot out, forming an array of spiritual swords.

Under his control, these spiritual swords moved in unison, their sword qi slicing the ground rapidly.

The crack grew deeper, and the earth below turned an ominous shade of black, as though it could swallow all light—a peculiar sight that unsettled him. For some reason, an uneasy feeling began to creep into Yin Xingge’s heart.

He furrowed his brow, cautiously scanning the surroundings. The area was deathly quiet, without a hint of anything unusual. He chuckled to himself, mocking his own nerves.

But before the smile on his face could fade, a strange clattering noise suddenly echoed from deep below.

Yin Xingge stiffened, lowering his gaze sharply and focusing on the depths.

He watched as the ground—once firm and unyielding—began to ripple as though it were water. Then, with loud thuds, countless handprints bulged outward, as if an army of monstrous hands had awakened and were clawing their way out, adding a surreal sense of terror to the scene.

Boom!

The earth abruptly exploded, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.

In an instant, a pitch-black demonic qi surged outward, and within the dark qi, countless ghostly shadows seemed to flicker.

Yin Xingge’s face went pale with shock. A flash of spiritual power enveloped his body, his figure turning hazy as he prepared to vanish. But just as he was about to disappear, a withered hand shot out from the demonic qi, grabbing his ankle and yanking him forcibly back from the ethereal realm.

The ghostly hand was chilling beyond belief!

...

Crack!

A jade token suddenly split with a loud snap.

The three onlookers stared at it, realizing that it was Yin Xingge’s token, their expressions changing in unison.

Qin Sang and Mu Yifeng exchanged uneasy glances, troubled by the unexpected turn of events. According to the information they had gathered, Yin Xingge’s plan was likely to seize the Qianyang Crystal for himself, while they only needed to wait and reap the benefits. So, what had he encountered down there?

"What... could Senior Brother Yin have run into..." murmured Ascetic Yunqiong, her voice trembling slightly. Yin Xingge was the only middle-stage Foundation Building expert among the ten of them. If he couldn’t handle the threat he’d uncovered, none of them would escape unscathed!

Just as her words trailed off, three sharp cracks rang out in quick succession. Three more Jade Buddhas shattered, each one emitting a plea for help.

In the blink of an eye, so many of them had simultaneously encountered danger!

"Rescue them!" Qin Sang shouted decisively, rising to his feet.

Ascetic Yunqiong stood up, flustered and disoriented. "Yes! We must rescue Senior Brother Yin, quickly..."

Mu Yifeng, however, held Yunqiong back. "Daoist Yunqiong, stay here and operate the Star Disk to its full capacity, regardless of the cost. Under no circumstances can the Cloud Beasts outside detect us, or we’ll lose any chance of retreat. Junior Brother Qin and I will go down to save the others, but we can’t prioritize saving Daoist Yin."

Yunqiong froze. "What? Why wouldn’t we rescue Senior Brother Yin first? His strength..."

"Did Daoist Yin tell you the whole truth? It seems you don’t know his true intentions in coming here."

In the space of a heartbeat, Mu Yifeng sent Yunqiong a swift exchange through spiritual consciousness, explaining everything. Yunqiong’s face went blank with shock.

Qin Sang made a quick decision and said in a grave tone, "Whatever is happening below must have been stirred up by Daoist Yin. The most dangerous place right now is right by his side. The others are weaker; if they encounter a crisis, they won’t last long. This Star Disk is unique—a kind of forbidden artifact that doesn’t rely solely on one’s power to unleash its full force. It requires enough people to control it. If the remaining six perish down there, even if we save Daoist Yin, the two of us alone couldn’t operate the Star Disk undetected by the Cloud Beasts. We’d all be trapped here. And gathering everyone’s strength would make the chance of rescuing Daoist Yin much greater."

Though it seemed complex, their conversation took only an instant. Qin Sang and Mu Yifeng quickly convinced Yunqiong to abandon all restraints and fully activate the Star Disk, then split up to rescue as many people as possible.

Their priority was saving as many as they could to ensure an escape route.

As for Yin Xingge, they would let fate decide his outcome. Given his power, he wasn’t likely to die easily. And if he did, he had only himself to blame.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Qin Sang still had no idea about what had happened down there. If Yin Xingge couldn't handle it, he wouldn't dare to even go near it. He pushed his movement art to the limit, using the lingering qi on the jade talisman to guide him, soon sensing the presence of another cultivator ahead.

This cultivator was unscathed, having just killed a Cloud Beast that hadn’t fully assumed form. Startled by Qin Sang’s sudden appearance, he hesitated. "Senior Qin, what..."

"A few of our fellow cultivators are in danger. Go back quickly and help Daoist Yunqiong stabilize the Star Disk," Qin Sang instructed hurriedly before darting off toward the others. The underground passages were woven like a network, all interconnected.

The cultivator surnamed Wei watched Qin Sang’s hurried departure and felt his heart sinking. He knew his own strength wasn’t enough to assist Qin Sang directly and that he would only slow him down. Following Qin Sang’s instructions, he stowed away his artifacts and the Qianyang Quartz before hurrying back to aid Yunqiong.

Qin Sang clutched two jade talismans, one of which had recently cracked—yet another person was in peril, deepening his worry. He could only hope they could hold on a bit longer. The talisman indicated the two were close, likely gathered together. Under the circumstances, this increased their chance of survival.

With the talisman guiding his way, Qin Sang didn’t waste any time, moving swiftly closer to the two. As he advanced, he summoned his ebony sword, but feeling it might not be enough, he discreetly readied his talisman astra and Profound Yin Thunderbolts in his palm, preparing for any potential threat.

Upon reaching a passageway, Qin Sang abruptly halted, surprised by the sight before him: the entire corridor was filled with a thick, black demonic qi, which was rapidly spreading outward.

This demonic qi not only obscured vision but also blocked spiritual consciousness. Judging by the talisman’s guidance, those two were trapped within that dense, eerie demonic qi.