Gateway of Immortality

Chapter 338: Never Give Up

For over forty years, Tan Hao had never given up on Tan Jie, carrying his brother, now reduced to a living dead, as they trudged along the arduous path of immortal cultivation.

Not only did Tan Hao have to painstakingly accumulate resources for his own cultivation, but he also needed to search for spiritual medicines to sustain Tan Jie’s fragile vitality and heal his grievous injuries.

No wonder Tan Hao was in such dire straits.

A cultivator at the thirteenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm was no longer at the very bottom of the cultivation world. Basic resources for cultivation were typically sufficient at this level, and at the very least, renting an ordinary cave dwelling would have been affordable.

But most of Tan Hao’s savings had been spent on Tan Jie.

It was no surprise that Tan Hao had yet to reach the Foundation Building Realm.

Under such harsh circumstances, the fact that he had managed to cultivate to the thirteenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm was already a remarkable achievement.

Unless Tan Hao encountered a great stroke of fortune, it was nearly impossible for him to gather the resources required for reaching the Foundation Building Realm.

Qin Sang couldn’t help but recall the scenes he had witnessed at auctions and black markets. Tan Hao had likely experienced countless instances of such desperation—pouring everything he had into acquiring any spiritual medicine that might benefit Tan Jie.

Tan Hao took out the Serenity Pill he had exchanged for at the black market. He opened the jade coffin, gently lifted Tan Jie, and used his spiritual power to dissolve the medicinal energy of the pill before feeding it to Tan Jie.

The spiritual pill, which Tan Hao had fought so hard to obtain, only slightly strengthened Tan Jie’s primordial spirit.

Previously, Tan Jie had been like a flickering candle, its weak flame on the verge of extinction. Now, it was as though a single drop of oil had been added to the lamp—just enough to keep it burning a little longer.

But that was all. It didn’t change the essence of his condition.

The injuries plaguing Tan Jie showed no signs of healing. His primordial spirit continued to dissipate, and there was no indication he would awaken. The severity of his injuries was evident.

A question inevitably arose in Qin Sang’s heart: was it worth it?

Given Tan Hao’s current cultivation level, he might never find the medicine needed to cure Tan Jie. Even if he were fortunate enough to come across it, he wouldn’t be able to afford it or seize it.

Moreover, his own cultivation path had been severely delayed.

The likely outcome wasn’t hard to imagine. When Tan Hao’s lifespan eventually ran out, Tan Jie would also perish.

All Tan Hao had accomplished was prolonging Tan Jie’s existence by a few decades as a living dead, devoid of consciousness or movement, spending his days in a daze, utterly unaware of the world around him.

It seemed utterly meaningless.

Yet, judging by Tan Hao’s expression, he clearly believed it was worth it.

Perhaps it was out of guilt toward his younger brother, or perhaps it was the unbreakable bond of brotherhood.

Whatever the reason, Tan Hao carried no regrets.

Qin Sang suddenly thought of someone—Senior Sister Qingting.

How similar she was to Tan Hao!

Senior Sister Qingting had done everything for her partner, Senior Brother Jiang, while Tan Hao did it for his younger brother, Tan Jie.

One acted out of love, the other out of brotherly affection.

Both had given their all, never wavering in their efforts.

Senior Sister Qingting had gone to great lengths to cure Senior Brother Jiang, exhausting her savings to forge the Fire Crow Token and enter the ruins of the Heavenly Corpse Sect in search of the Heavenly Corpse Talisman.

But in the end, she perished at the hands of a malevolent corpse because she had sold all her artifacts for materials.

In her final moments, however, Senior Brother Jiang miraculously awakened. He tightly grasped her hand, and the tear he shed was the greatest comfort to her.

All her efforts had not been in vain. Senior Brother Jiang had known and remembered everything she had done for him.

To this day, the scene Qin Sang had witnessed in the Heavenly Corpse Cave was etched deeply in his memory. It had made him reflect on so much, and now, he found himself witnessing something similar.

In the world of immortal cultivation, as long as one was not dead and as long as a glimmer of hope remained, miracles could happen.

Perhaps this was the belief that had sustained Tan Hao, driving him to carry this heavy burden for so many years.

If Tan Hao were to give up on Tan Jie, only to later encounter a chance to save him, that regret would be unbearable.

Qin Sang’s expression softened, his eyes glimmering with a trace of emotion. His thoughts seemed to drift far away, lingering on matters known only to himself.

"These spiritual liquids contain an ingredient known as Purple Gold Balm. It's all thanks to Senior Sister Shi Hong..."

Tan Hao carefully lowered Tan Jie back into the coffin, allowing him to rest once again in the spiritual liquid.

Qin Sang's gaze shifted to the liquid inside the coffin.

The transparent spiritual liquid faintly shimmered with a tinge of purple, emanating a faint vitality. This vitality preserved Tan Jie’s physical body from decay, which was likely the effect of the Purple Gold Balm Tan Hao mentioned.

However, the purple hue in the liquid had already faded significantly, indicating that the medicinal energy of the Purple Gold Balm was nearly depleted and wouldn’t last much longer.

Qin Sang could imagine that if Tan Hao hadn’t managed to return safely this time with the Serenity Pill, he likely wouldn’t have had a chance to rest before rushing out again in search of more spiritual medicines to maintain Tan Jie’s fragile existence.

This must have been how Tan Hao had lived all these years.

"The first time I met Senior Sister Shi Hong," Tan Hao said, his tone filled with gratitude, "she didn’t hesitate to give me all her savings after hearing about Tan Jie’s condition. It was only because of her generosity that I could afford the Purple Gold Balm. That gave me a brief reprieve and allowed me to cultivate for several years, eventually breaking through to the thirteenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Otherwise, Tan Jie might not have made it to this day. Senior Sister Shi Hong gave my brother and me the gift of life, yet I’ve never been able to repay her..."

When speaking of Shi Hong, Tan Hao’s voice trembled with emotion. Suddenly, his expression turned pleading as he looked at Qin Sang. This hardened man, who had endured so much, unexpectedly bent down, preparing to perform a formal bow.

"Brother Qin, I beg you to save Senior Sister Shi Hong! In this life, I am already a failure. I don’t know how I can ever repay your kindness. But I will remember this debt eternally. If I can’t repay it in this life, I will serve you in the next!"

Qin Sang reacted swiftly, sending out a wave of spiritual power to stop Tan Hao’s bow. His expression was stern as he said, "The four of us are fellow disciples; you don’t need to say such things. I will do everything in my power to rescue both you and Senior Sister Shi Hong! As for repayment, never mention it again!"

After stopping Tan Hao, Qin Sang walked over to the jade coffin and extended his spiritual consciousness into Tan Jie’s body.

Tan Jie’s physical injuries had healed, but the most troubling issue was his primordial spirit. Like Senior Brother Jiang, Tan Jie’s primordial spirit was slowly dissipating.

After a thorough examination, Qin Sang asked, "Have you consulted experts skilled in alchemy and medical arts?"

"I have."

Tan Hao nodded. "Before Tan Jie’s condition worsened, the demand for spiritual medicines wasn’t as high, and the burden on me wasn’t too great. I’d heard that the Spirit Pill Pavilion in Yinshan Stronghold is managed by the Taiyi Core Pavilion, which is part of the Taiyi Core Sect. They have alchemists trained by the sect, but their fees are exorbitant. I spent nearly ten years saving up enough spirit stones and brought Tan Jie there for a consultation."

Qin Sang immediately pressed, "What did they say?"

Tan Hao’s expression darkened, and he sighed helplessly. "The alchemist barely glanced at Tan Jie before declaring that not even immortals could save him. He told me that even if the Taiyi Core Sect’s rarest pills were used, it would only extend Tan Jie’s muddled existence by a few years. He advised me to give up as soon as possible and not waste my time."

"But you still persisted," Qin Sang remarked, deeply moved.

In the Small Cold Domain, a verdict from a Taiyi Core Pavilion alchemist was nearly irrefutable—overturning it would require nothing short of a miracle.

"How could I give up on him?"

Tan Hao clenched his fists tightly, tears welling up in his tiger-like eyes. He muttered, "If only I had persevered back then... If I had cultivated the Yan Luo Banner, it would have been me instead of him! My brother... he died in my place! How could I possibly give up on him?"

"No matter what, I will never give up on him!"