Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 433: Chaos Erupts

The direction in which the shadowy figure chose to flee happened to be the one closest to Qin Sang.

Just as the figure dashed out, a saber qi slashed forth at a speed even faster than the figure, hurtling straight toward Qin Sang’s face.

This saber qi was so condensed that it seemed almost tangible, resembling an actual treasured saber. The reflection on its surface even captured Qin Sang’s face in sharp detail.

Upon witnessing this, the remaining cultivators at the rear all turned pale. None of them had sensed the slightest fluctuation beforehand, never expecting someone to be lurking beneath the water.

The saber qi carried immense power and astonishing speed.

Yet, the reflection of Qin Sang’s expression upon it remained unchanged.

Not even his gaze wavered.

Qin Sang coolly observed the incoming saber qi. He had been the first to detect this person's presence and had long been on guard. With his cautious nature, how could he possibly allow himself to be ambushed without having a countermeasure in place?

Whoosh!

With a flicker of movement, Qin Sang easily dodged the saber qi. At the same time, his left hand abruptly flipped, and a streak of black light shot forth from the Yin-Yang Luopan, charging toward the shadowy figure.

The figure reacted swiftly, raising the treasured saber in his hand and slashing down in defense.

Unexpectedly, the saber struck the black light dead-on but did not shatter it. The black light still managed to hit its target.

The figure instantly felt a strange repelling force pressing down on him. Alarm surged in his heart as his body staggered mid-motion, abruptly halting his escape. He was played by the Yin-Yang Luopan.

Though he quickly steadied himself, the best window for escape had already slipped away.

Qin Sang retrieved the Yin-Yang Luopan and replaced it with the Cold Gold Sword. At the same time, Fan Zhen had also arrived, summoning a withered branch-shaped artifact. Although Fan Zhen harbored personal grievances against Qin Sang, he knew better than to let sect rivalries cloud the bigger picture. This was not the time for internal disputes.

With the shadowy figure's speed greatly reduced, escape was no longer an option. He was now trapped between Qin Sang and Fan Zhen’s combined assault.

After a brief exchange, Qin Sang sensed that this man’s cultivation was quite formidable, most likely at the Fake Core Realm. However, he was also injured, and not lightly at that. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been detected so easily.

The Cold Gold Sword slashed fiercely, releasing waves of chilling cold air.

Meanwhile, Fan Zhen’s withered branch artifact transformed into countless tree shadows, pressing toward the figure.

Boom!

The figure could not handle both attacks simultaneously. Just as Qin Sang and Fan Zhen were about to subdue him, a sudden cry from Cang Ling interrupted them.

"Senior Brother Xiong, it’s you?!"

Cang Ling swiftly flashed between them, his voice urgent. "He’s one of our own! Daoists, please stop!"

Qin Sang was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this. He swiftly performed a sword incantation, retracting the Cold Gold Sword, and Fan Zhen did the same. All three of them turned their attention to the shadowy figure in the center.

Now that they could clearly see him, they realized the man was clad in a black robe—a specialized artifact capable of concealing aura. Unfortunately, it had already been damaged.

He was a burly man who appeared to be in his forties, but his complexion was deathly pale. His aura was extremely weak. Qin Sang’s earlier assessment had been correct—this man was indeed gravely injured.

Cough, cough...

The shadowy figure was already at his limit, barely able to keep hold of his saber.

"He’s my senior brother, Xiong Li!"

Cang Ling hurriedly stepped forward to support Xiong Li. "Senior Brother Xiong, how did you end up so badly wounded?"

"My apologies, Daoist Xiong."

Qin Sang withdrew the Cold Gold Sword and clasped his hands in apology.

Earlier, they had considered the possibility that this person might be from Small Cold Domain. However, the battlefield had been too dangerous, and the safest approach was to subdue him first and question him later.

Xiong Li waved a weak hand at Qin Sang and, with some confusion, turned to Cang Ling. "Junior Brother Cang, why are you here? I thought you were from the Tianxing Alliance... If I had known..."

Cang Ling quickly gave a brief explanation.

"...We were assigned here by Pei Qin. We had no choice but to come. Senior Brother Xiong, were you with Senior Uncle Fang and the others? Why did the Tianxing Alliance attack you?"

"This is a long story..."

Xiong Li took a moment to catch his breath.

"We received a secret order to follow Senior Uncle Fang on an important mission to the south. But on our return, the Tianxing Alliance discovered our movements, set up an ambush, and pursued us here.

Their forces were overwhelming. We were no match for them. Senior Uncle Fang managed to set up a grand array to barely hold them off, but he won’t last much longer.

That bastard Pei is completely reckless! The battle ahead is absolutely beyond what Foundation Building cultivators can handle. Senior Uncle Fang had already ordered all Foundation Building disciples to scatter and seek reinforcements, but I was targeted by a few Tianxing Alliance scoundrels. I barely managed to escape with my life..."

"So that’s how it is!"

Qin Sang and the others cursed inwardly. That bastard surnamed Pei is truly inhuman. Senior Uncle Fang has already dismissed the Foundation Building disciples, yet that bastard deceived us into marching to our deaths.

With so many Core Formation Realm cultivators ahead, if they revealed themselves now, it would be nothing short of a death sentence.

"This place is no longer safe to linger in! There are still Tianxing Alliance scoundrels hunting down our fellow cultivators. Senior Uncle Fang has given the order—you don’t need to pay attention to that bastard. Leave now!"

Xiong Li glanced at the crimson cloud cluster in the distance and urged them repeatedly.

The group had long since lost the will to press forward. Even without Xiong Li’s warning, they turned around and fled without hesitation.

Qin Sang followed beside Cang Ling, but what concerned him more was what Xiong Li and his group had been doing before. What had they done to provoke such a fierce reaction from the Tianxing Alliance?

However, Xiong Li remained evasive, refusing to answer directly.

Noticing this, an uneasy feeling gradually crept into Qin Sang’s heart. After some contemplation, he suddenly cupped his hands toward Cang Ling and said, "Daoist Cang, I bear heavy responsibilities for my sect and have other matters to attend to. I can’t simply leave like this—I must return first. Farewell for now."

At that moment, the others seemed to awaken from a daze.

Like Qin Sang, most of them had been stationed here by their sects. Earlier, they had been forced into action by Pei Qin, too preoccupied with their own survival to think about anything else.

Now that they were finally safe, Qin Sang’s words reminded them of their original missions, and they hurriedly bid farewell to Cang Ling.

Just as they were about to part ways, Xiong Li suddenly opened his eyes and said in a solemn tone, "Fellow Daoists, heed my words—do not stay in the waters around here. Leave as far as you can!"

With that, Xiong Li closed his eyes again, refusing to say more.

Qin Sang gave Xiong Li a deep look, then nodded slightly to Cang Ling before stepping onto his Nether Cloud and flying eastward.

Even without Xiong Li’s warning, he had already sensed that something was off. The herb garden was no longer a place he could stay. He had to return, gather the spiritual herbs, and leave immediately.

Many of the herbs had yet to fully mature, but Qin Sang could no longer afford to wait. If this place became a battlefield, no barrier, no matter how strong, would be able to keep them safe.

With these thoughts in mind, he increased his speed, gliding swiftly over the water while ensuring he concealed his aura.

He dared not fly recklessly. From Xiong Li’s tone, it was clear that after they scattered, they were relentlessly pursued by Tianxing Alliance cultivators who spread out in all directions.

If he flew too brazenly and happened to run into them, he would be in grave danger. With their numbers, even his astra wouldn’t guarantee a safe escape if he became surrounded.

Chaos was brewing.

Qin Sang sighed inwardly. If only his cultivation had reached the Fake Core Realm, he would have had more assurance in surviving this turmoil. He could only hope that Qi Yuanshou would offer some measure of protection.

He had already flown a considerable distance, and the surrounding waters remained eerily calm. He had yet to encounter any Tianxing Alliance cultivators.

However, just then, a piercing shriek suddenly echoed from the distance.

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