Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 377: The Jiao

Roar! Roar!

A deafening tiger’s roar shook the heavens.

The Tiger-Winged Eagles had detected the disturbance. Dozens of them soared into the sky, their thunderous cries echoing as they surged forward like a rolling mass of black clouds. Their demonic qi billowed upward, exuding a menacing aura.

Qin Sang sensed the incoming threat and his expression shifted slightly. He swiftly retracted the Yellow Sand Banner and hurriedly gathered the corpses of Kong Xin and the black-robed man.

He had originally intended to capture Kong Xin alive and refine him into a malevolent corpse. However, with Wandering Man present, he could not openly perform corpse refinement. That was why he had deployed the Yellow Sand Banner—to obscure his actions and seek an opportunity to do so unnoticed.

Unfortunately, the Tiger-Winged Eagles were far too perceptive, and Kong Xin had activated an unknown secret art that even made Qin Sang feel a faint sense of danger. Left with no choice, he had to directly use his ebony sword to execute Kong Xin.

Wandering Man reacted just as swiftly as Qin Sang. He had already summoned the Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat, and the two of them boarded it, fleeing into the distance. Taking turns controlling the boat, they finally managed to shake off the Tiger-Winged Eagles and landed in a concealed location.

Qin Sang flung the corpses of Kong Xin and the black-robed man onto the ground. The black-robed man had been crushed by the Black Dragon Stone, his spine shattered, his upper body mangled beyond recognition. Kong Xin, on the other hand, had used some kind of secret art that left his body a bloodied mess, with his Qihai severely damaged. His corpse was now incapable of withstanding the infusion of malevolent qi, making him unsuitable for corpse refinement.

Qin Sang felt a twinge of disappointment. He searched the bodies and opened their Mustard Seed Pouches, spilling out their contents.

Wandering Man took the Blue Light Sword, while Qin Sang claimed the Crimson Core, the Cold Gold's mother lode, and a few other valuable materials. The rest were unremarkable.

However, two jade slips caught Qin Sang’s attention.

Both contained maps, one belonging to Kong Xin and the other to the black-robed man.

The map from the black-robed man was particularly valuable—it detailed numerous hidden paths and safe zones within the second stage of the Endless Valley, far more comprehensive than the one from Tianfeng Tower.

This confirmed that the black-robed man had spent years lurking in the Endless Valley, extensively exploring its terrain.

This map was immensely valuable, especially for them.

Upon hearing this, Wandering Man was equally delighted. He compared it with the map from Tianfeng Tower, cross-referencing their details. In the end, they identified a safer route that would save them at least a full day’s journey.

The second map, retrieved from Kong Xin’s Mustard Seed Pouch, was quite different.

Unlike the other, which focused on pathways, this one meticulously documented the demonic beasts inhabiting the Endless Valley. It detailed the scale of their packs, their territories, behaviors, and strength—information so precise that it could not have been gathered without thorough and patient investigation.

Qin Sang grew curious about Kong Xin’s purpose in recording such detailed information.

He searched further and discovered a demonic cultivation manual titled Blood Transformation Art, which immediately clarified everything.

The Blood Transformation Art was an unknown demonic sect’s cultivation method. It required the use of the blood and essence of both immortal cultivators and demonic beasts to cultivate.

Qin Sang skimmed through the manual and found that this demonic art allowed for extremely rapid cultivation, as it absorbed and assimilated external blood essence to nourish the user. However, because of this, its practitioners suffered from unstable foundations and chaotic aura. At best, they could reach the late stage of Foundation Building Realm, but the probability of achieving Core Formation was nearly nonexistent.

Since it hindered Core Formation, no matter how powerful the art was, Qin Sang had no interest in practicing it.

Without cultivating the Blood Transformation Art, its accompanying supernatural abilities were also useless to him. Qin Sang merely glanced through them before putting the manual away.

Compared to the Blood Transformation Art, the map interested him far more—it even came as a pleasant surprise.

On the map, a location was marked as the lair of a Jiao, specifically a Black Jiao at the peak of the Demonic Spirit Realm!

This Black Jiao was confirmed to possess a true Jiao bloodline!

Refining the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman required the spirit of a peak Demonic Spirit Realm Jiao. If Qin Sang could refine the spirit of another Jiao Dragon, even if the talisman’s speed did not surpass a Core Formation cultivator, it would at least outpace Fake Core Realm cultivators.

Ever since obtaining the talisman, Qin Sang had searched extensively. However, demonic beasts with Jiao blood were rare to begin with, and finding one at the peak of the Demonic Spirit Realm was even rarer.

Even in Shaohua Mountain, he had found no suitable demonic beasts.

Yet unexpectedly, one was hidden within the Endless Valley.

The Black Jiao’s lair was hidden within a dark abyss in the second zone of the Endless Valley. The abyss was riddled with ancient barriers, forming a treacherous and perilous zone in every sense.

The Black Jiao had resided in the abyss for countless years, rarely venturing outside. How Kong Xin had discovered it remained a mystery.

According to Kong Xin’s notes, the Black Jiao had lived in the abyss for so long that it had become intimately familiar with the ancient barriers within. Even a Fake Core Realm cultivator, despite their formidable strength, would struggle to gain an advantage against it within its domain.

Moreover, the abyss was densely packed with barriers, and its narrow passages made it nearly impossible for reinforcements to flank the Black Jiao. If it sensed danger, it could easily escape through one of the many hidden routes.

Qin Sang estimated that with the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions, he might stand a chance of capturing the Black Jiao after reaching the Fake Core Realm. Before that, unless he found an alternative method, his chances were nearly nonexistent.

Carefully storing the jade slip, Qin Sang committed the Black Jiao to memory, intending to hunt and claim its soul once his strength allowed.

The incident with Kong Xin had merely been a minor episode.

Wandering Man, however, felt a sense of self-mockery. He had initially sought to avoid unnecessary complications—their priority was obtaining healing elixirs. Reaching their destination smoothly was paramount.

Yet, the very guide they had hired for safety had turned out to be a treacherous threat.

Fortunately, acquiring the Cold Gold's mother lode and other treasures had made the ordeal worthwhile. After burning the corpses of Kong Xin and the black-robed man, Qin Sang and Wandering Man adjusted their conditions to peak state before resuming their journey.

From the Tiger-Winged Eagle’s lair to the ancient barrier leading to the second zone, there were still several dozen li to travel. They proceeded with extreme caution and, despite minor scares, arrived unharmed before the barrier.

Before them stretched a boundless expanse of shimmering light, filling the entire space. It spanned infinitely in every direction, a radiant wall blocking their path.

The light shifted through countless hues, resembling cascading neon from the heavens, an enthralling display of iridescence. freёnovelkiss.com

The scene was breathtaking, almost intoxicating.

Yet few knew that this mesmerizing light was merely the outer manifestation of an ancient barrier, one so perilous that it had devoured the lives of countless immortal cultivators.

It had long been proven in the cultivation world that such an immense and boundless light originated from a single ancient barrier. One could only imagine the sheer terror of its full activation.

Thankfully, this ancient barrier remained stable, unchanged despite the passage of countless years. The safe routes discovered in past explorations were still viable today.

Deep within the shimmering light, interwoven black fissures occasionally flickered into view—cracks resembling the fractured lines of shattered glass. These cracks crisscrossed the expanse chaotically.

The path to the second stage lay hidden within these fissures.

The two scanned their surroundings, ensuring no immediate threats, before revealing their forms.

Only a handful of routes led safely through the ancient barrier. At another time, they might have encountered other cultivators here. However, with the Endless Valley still in turmoil, few had the ability to reach this place, leaving them free of unwanted encounters.

Holding the map, Wandering Man carefully compared the details, then pointed to the widest fissure and said, "This is the one!"