Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 337: Living Dead

The Tan Brothers had suffered greatly—one gravely injured and the other struggling on the path of immortality.

And all of this was caused by the Kuiyin Sect.

"Do you know where Liang Yan’s cave dwelling is? Is he cultivating alone, or is he still associating with the remaining members of the Kuiyin Sect? Also, is there any way to contact Senior Sister Shi Hong right now?"

After some contemplation, Qin Sang asked a series of questions in a steady tone.

Liang Yan might have already broken through to the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm, but Qin Sang wasn’t afraid. In his possession were six Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions and a powerful talisman astra, making it rare for anyone of the same realm to rival him.

Even if Liang Yan also possessed the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions, his Ghostly Threads couldn’t harm Qin Sang’s primordial spirit, and their power would be significantly diminished.

If Liang Yan’s location could be pinpointed, with proper planning, killing him and rescuing Senior Sister Shi Hong wouldn’t be difficult.

"Liang Yan killed a Foundation Building cultivator from the Kuiyin Sect. Terrified of being exposed, he dared not contact the remaining members and constantly hid in the shadows to cultivate. He’s been highly secretive, frequently changing locations, and his cave dwelling is exceptionally concealed."

"Later, as his cultivation improved and the threat of being discovered seemed to lessen, he grew less cautious and began appearing sporadically in Yinshan Stronghold and the Ancient Immortal Battlefield."

"Several years ago, when I encountered Senior Sister Shi Hong, it was at Fengcang Market within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield."

"Over the years, although Senior Sister Shi Hong gained some level of trust from him, it’s very limited. Liang Yan is inherently cunning and suspicious, so she dared not communicate with me often for fear of being detected."

"I’ve wanted to lure the Yuanzhao Sect to kill Liang Yan and rescue Senior Sister Shi Hong, but I never found a suitable opportunity. Doing so could get her killed too, though she once said she’d rather..."

Tan Hao paused, his voice faltering, and let out a heavy sigh.

A cold gleam flashed in Qin Sang’s eyes as he snorted. "It’s good that Liang Yan’s location can be tracked. Did Senior Sister Shi Hong mention the artifacts and methods he often relies on?"

"She did."

Tan Hao nodded. "Liang Yan possesses two powerful top-grade artifacts. One is called the Black Dragon Stone, which can expand and contract in size, yet remains as heavy as a thousand jun. Most cultivators’ physical bodies are fragile, and even a moment’s carelessness could leave them crushed into pulp. The other is the Spirit-Binding Rope, which can trap opponents, sealing their spiritual power and Qihai. These two artifacts complement each other perfectly. Were it not for his fear of the Yuanzhao Sect, Liang Yan wouldn’t have kept such a low profile. At Yinshan Stronghold, he could’ve easily made quite a name for himself."

So, he doesn't have the Yan Luo Banners.

Qin Sang nodded to himself. This gave him even greater confidence in taking down Liang Yan.

It made sense. Despite the Malevolent Abyss consuming countless lives, refining a single Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions was no easy feat.

The process required the sacrifices to slowly cultivate to the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Not only was it time-consuming, but the backlash from King Yan grew increasingly severe, and only a rare few could withstand it to the very end.

Sun De’s father, a direct disciple of the Kuiyin Sect’s founder, managed to help him assemble six banners to barely form an array. Beyond that, Sun De had to rely on himself.

Yue Wu’s status couldn’t compare to Sun De’s father.

Even though Liang Yan had inherited the legacies of two Foundation Building demonic cultivators, he likely hadn’t gathered the six Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions.

On their way, Qin Sang had Tan Hao recount every detail he knew about Liang Yan.

Killing Liang Yan was inevitable, but since his movements were erratic, it required careful planning—deciding the right time and place to strike. Ideally, they would contact Senior Sister Shi Hong to coordinate from within.

Seeing that Qin Sang had agreed to help and had displayed his true strength, Tan Hao was overjoyed. He eagerly shared everything he knew about Yinshan Stronghold in meticulous detail, deepening Qin Sang’s understanding of the area.

The two continued to discuss their plans as they returned to Yinshan Stronghold.

Afterwards, they left the stronghold and traveled southwest, heading to the edge of a swamp. From there, they entered the Shiwan Mountains, arriving at a desolate and remote snow-capped peak.

Two Daoist figures quietly landed at the base of a secluded valley.

Tan Hao cautiously scanned his surroundings before shifting an inconspicuous stone deeper within the secluded valley. Beneath it, a narrow entrance was revealed. With an apologetic expression, he turned to Qin Sang and explained.

"The area outside the swamp is beyond the jurisdiction of Yinshan Stronghold and has always been chaotic. Incidents of murder and treasure-snatching happen all the time."

"The cave dwellings controlled by Yinshan Stronghold are indeed safe, but the rent is exorbitant—I simply couldn’t afford it."

"Fortunately, I stumbled upon a small spirit vein here and carved out a cave dwelling for myself. Though the spiritual qi is thin, it’s well-hidden enough to suffice..."

Qin Sang nodded in understanding. Most rogue cultivators lived like Tan Hao—impoverished and struggling, constantly running around to gather cultivation resources.

Once inside, Tan Hao carefully rolled the large stone back into place and meticulously erased any traces of their entry. He hadn’t set up any barriers outside the cave dwelling. Unless the barriers were exceptionally strong, they would be redundant and could even attract unwanted attention from other cultivators.

The cave was deep and winding, and their footsteps echoed faintly.

Following behind Tan Hao, Qin Sang suddenly heard the sound of running water from up ahead, accompanied by a faint warmth that gradually enveloped him.

The spiritual qi in the air grew noticeably denser. Plants that didn’t require sunlight sprouted densely from the cracks in the stone walls, forming patches of green that became thicker as they proceeded further. The vibrant greenery spread like a carpet, lending the cave an unexpectedly spring-like vitality.

It seemed the cave dwelling was situated near a hot spring, making the environment rather pleasant, though the spiritual qi remained undeniably thin. For someone of Tan Hao’s cultivation level, it was just barely sufficient.

At the cave’s end, a protective spiritual array came into view. After Tan Hao activated the array, a carefully hewn stone chamber appeared before Qin Sang’s eyes.

The stone chamber was spacious, with over a dozen luminous pearls embedded in the dome-like ceiling, casting soft light throughout. The interior was clean and orderly, and a narrow underground river of warm spring water flowed through the cave, emerging from the mountain’s core and cutting across the chamber.

Flowers and grasses lined the riverbanks, creating a natural beauty in stark contrast to the simple furnishings—just a single stone bed, likely where Tan Hao cultivated.

However, Qin Sang didn’t see any sign of Tan Jie. What caught his attention instead was a jade coffin floating motionlessly in the center of the underground river.

A sinking feeling weighed heavily in Qin Sang’s heart as he turned to look at Tan Hao.

Tan Hao walked lightly to the jade coffin, tracing its edges with his fingers before letting out a bitter laugh. "Brother Qin, I’m not afraid to die. If I die, Tan Jie won’t be far behind. In the afterlife, we brothers can reunite again. By then, his condition will certainly be far better than it is now. If there’s a next life, I’ll make sure to tell him to not pursue immortal cultivation."

Inside the jade coffin, a person lay motionless, submerged in some kind of spiritual liquid. It was none other than Tan Jie!

Qin Sang stared intently at Tan Jie. He was still young, his appearance aligning perfectly with Qin Sang’s memories, but he no longer carried his previous vitality. His face was pale and bloodless, devoid of any sign of life.

And yet, Qin Sang could sense a faint breath of life lingering within Tan Jie’s body. It was fragile, like a flickering candle flame on the verge of being extinguished at any moment.

At present, Tan Jie was little more than a living dead.

"All these years..." Qin Sang’s voice was dry and raspy. "Tan Jie has always been in this state?"

Tan Hao nodded slowly, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Yes, for forty years now."