Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 389: A Long-Lost Figure

In the letter he left behind, Wu Shang explained that all his attempts were made after his transformation into a flying yaksha. Despite exhausting every possible means, he had been unable to break free from the Heavenly Corpse Talisman and was ultimately forced onto the path of corpse refinement.

If someone who did not fear the Heavenly Corpse Talisman’s imprisonment of their primordial spirit were to break free from it after achieving the transformation into a flying yaksha, severing their connection to the Dao of corpse...

What would happen to their corpse core?

Would their cultivation... regress?

Qin Sang pondered for a long moment before shaking his head.

...

Controlling the living corpse, Qin Sang bowed slightly to Wu Shang.

Wu Shang was the second person Qin Sang had encountered, after Wandering Man, whose unwavering dedication to the Dao was beyond question—relentless and unyielding, never admitting defeat.

In the end, he had transformed into a flying yaksha, his consciousness lost, his primordial spirit eternally imprisoned within a refined corpse, condemned to wander the deathly silent ice cavern alone—willingly sacrificing everything for his pursuit.

"One must embrace madness to truly live."

Such a person was indeed worthy of being called a seeker of the Dao.

By coincidence, both Wandering Man and Wu Shang had been drawn to this place for the Night Lily, each walking their own path yet arriving at the same destination.

One might not necessarily like them, but they could not be denied respect.

The living corpse slowly withdrew from the side chamber, glancing back one last time at Wu Shang.

Seated cross-legged atop an ice block, Wu Shang sensed the living corpse’s movements, raised his head, and met its gaze. His pitch-black pupils reflected only an icy indifference before he closed his eyes once more, returning to his lifeless silence.

In the dim, ghostly blue light, only a solitary figure remained.

The living corpse returned to Qin Sang’s side.

Qin Sang opened the Corpse Puppet Pouch and stored the living corpse away. By now, his injuries had mostly healed. Once he sent Wandering Man inside, his mission would be complete, and he could leave this place to wait for the outcome at Qingyang Market.

From Wu Shang’s letter, Qin Sang had learned that Night Lilies grew in this place. These spiritual herbs were of the highest grade, capable of purifying the primordial spirit and nurturing the soul.

He could only hope that Wandering Man would obtain the herb and heal his hidden wounds.

Next, Qin Sang summoned his ebony sword, the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions, and the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman.

It was thanks to these three astra that he had managed to contend with the flying yaksha.

The Jiao spirit had not been harmed by the flying yaksha, and the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman remained intact.

The ebony sword had taken a direct punch, causing its luster to dim slightly. Qin Sang channeled his spiritual consciousness into it, carefully inspecting it. Fortunately, there was no actual damage—so long as it was nourished within his primordial spirit, it would recover with ease.

The one that had endured the greatest strain, and possibly suffered the most damage, was the Yan Luo Banners.

Their Ghostly Threads had been forcibly torn apart by the flying yaksha, and the primary soul had been shattered by a direct punch. Qin Sang had yet to examine its condition.

Unfurling the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions, Qin Sang scrutinized them closely and finally let out a breath of relief.

This array was even stronger than he had anticipated. Though the primary soul had indeed weakened for a time after the battle, the banners contained countless spirits. Once the primary soul retreated into the banners to recover, it had already restored itself to its original state.

Truly, a treasure worthy of having evolved from a Spiritual Infant cultivator's astra.

Qin Sang silently praised its resilience before storing everything away. He cast one last glance at the empty ice hall before his figure flickered and vanished, heading outward.

As he sped through the passage, a contemplative expression remained on his face.

Before long, he neared the secluded pool where the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses resided—only to suddenly halt, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty as he stared ahead.

From the distance, the faint sound of crackling lightning and sharp, eerie cries reached his ears.

This place lay deep within the frozen plains, where the ice layers spanned thousands of zhang in thickness. No natural lightning could possibly reach this far underground. There was only one explanation—the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses were unleashing their lightning abilities through their singular horns.

Are they... playing?

Qin Sang frowned slightly, regretting not asking Wandering Man more about the creatures’ habits.

These ancient beasts possessed formidable innate abilities. Even if they were simply playing, their actions could not be measured by ordinary standards. Approaching them now would risk getting caught in the crossfire.

It would be best to wait until they settled down before releasing the Drunken Demon Dew.

The closer he got, the deeper his frown became. The commotion caused by these Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses seemed far too excessive. The intensity of the disturbance was abnormal—the chaotic clash of spiritual power had already thrown the surrounding energies into disarray, and even the ice cavern itself trembled violently.

Are they battling other ancient beasts?

A thought flashed through Qin Sang’s mind. The depths of the secluded pool were unfathomable; it was entirely possible that the Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses were not the only ancient beasts residing there.

It wasn’t that Qin Sang hadn’t considered the possibility of other intruders, but this place was far too remote. To enter, one had to first break through the barrier in the inner valley, then evade numerous deadly restrictions before finally locating this hidden chamber and dismantling its illusions.

Wandering Man had previously mentioned that since his last visit, no one had set foot here. The chances of them arriving only to run into others at the same time were simply too coincidental.

With these thoughts in mind, Qin Sang slowed his pace.

The Flying-Horned Ichthyosauruses had keen senses, and he dared not recklessly expose his spiritual consciousness for fear of drawing attention. Instead, he concealed his presence, withdrew his artifacts, and stealthily approached the secluded pool.

Turning a corner, he finally caught sight of the pool at the end of the passage, only for his expression to change drastically. His earlier speculation was completely overturned. There really was someone there!

Before he could make out who it was, an alarming sense of danger erupted in his mind. Without hesitation, he stomped heavily on the ground and propelled himself sideways, his figure flashing instantly to the opposite side of the passage.

At almost the exact moment he moved, a blinding bolt of lightning shot from the secluded pool, striking precisely where he had just stood. The impact split the unyielding ice open, leaving a massive hole riddled with countless cracks.

Qin Sang’s face darkened as he stared at the hole, still feeling the lingering fear in his heart. He had not expected to be discovered so quickly, forced out of hiding the moment he arrived.

He had been extremely cautious, continuously activating the Spirit Evasion Art to conceal his presence, yet his opponent had detected him with ease.

Unless... the enemy’s strength vastly surpassed his own, rendering the Spirit Evasion Art useless.

Boom!

Without a word, the attacker unleashed another bolt of lightning.

Having already witnessed the devastating power of the attack, Qin Sang dared not take it head-on. Just as he prepared to dodge, the Heart-Devouring Insect within his primordial spirit suddenly stirred. It bared its fangs and bit down viciously, only to be blocked by the Jade Buddha.

Heart-Devouring Insect!

Kuiyin Sect!

The realization struck Qin Sang like a thunderclap.

In that instant, he instinctively relied on his honed acting skills—letting out a pained cry as he staggered forward, barely managing to dodge the lightning attack. His movements made it appear as though he had narrowly avoided death, struggling desperately under the assault of the Heart-Devouring Insect.

The next moment, he heard a soft exclamation from his opponent—a voice that sounded strangely familiar.

Lifting his head, their gazes locked.

"Hmm? Qin Sang? You’re still alive?"

"Yu Hua!"

Beneath the wide-brimmed hat, the face was unmistakable. A flood of long-buried memories surged into Qin Sang’s mind, and he immediately recognized the man. Gritting his teeth, he spat out the name, shock rippling through his heart.

Yu Hua is alive!

It's Yu Hua!

The traitor of the Yuanzhao Sect—the Foundation Building cultivator who, along with Zhao Yan, had once controlled them from the shadows!

On the night the Kuiyin Sect ambushed the Yuanzhao Sect, the sect leader had detonated the sect’s protective array and the spirit vein, perishing alongside the high-ranking members of the Kuiyin Sect. Yu Hua had infiltrated the sect as an informant, yet somehow, he had survived.

And now, Yu Hua was no longer the ordinary cultivator who had just broken through to the Foundation Building Realm decades ago.

His cultivation was terrifyingly high—his aura was no weaker than that of Senior Brother Qi Yuanshou. He had reached the Fake Core Realm!